Hinduism Notes PDF

HINDUISM * Basic beliefs of Hinduism 1.Belief in many gods. 2.Belief in reincarnations. 3.Belief in karma. 4.Belief in samsara 5.Belief in moksha ——————————————————————— * Origin -Hinduism originated from Indian subcontinent. ——————————————————————— * Founder No known founder. ———————————————...

HINDUISM * Basic beliefs of Hinduism 1.Belief in many gods. 2.Belief in reincarnations. 3.Belief in karma. 4.Belief in samsara 5.Belief in moksha ——————————————————————— * Origin -Hinduism originated from Indian subcontinent. ——————————————————————— * Founder No known founder. ——————————————————————— * Theology Hinduism does not have a standard concept of God. Among the important deities: 1.Varuna (God of rain) 2.Mitra (God of sun) 3.Vishnu (preserver of the universe) 4.Indra (God of thunder) 5.Vayu (God of wind) 6.Parjanya (God of rain cloud) 7.Maruts (troop of storm god) 8.Rudra (God of violence) Female divinities : 1.Surya (The sun goddess) 2.Dishana (The fertility goddess) 3.Sarasvati (God of knowledge) * THE TRIMURTI 1.Brahma The creator but the least worshipped. 2.Vishnu The preserver. God of love and benevolence 3.Shiva The destroyer and the most popular. God of death, destruction and disease. ——————————————————————— * Doctrines Karma-samsara cycle Moksha Moksha means liberation from karma-samsara cycle. There are 3 paths leading to moksha: 1.Karma Yoga (yoga of actions) -Works guided by Code of Manu with strict rituals and deeds throughout life. 2.Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge) -Through deep meditation, one overcomes ignorance. 3.Bhakti yoga (yoga of love & devotion) -Devotion to one of the gods in hinduism. Self-surrender, participation in religious festivals, and pilgrimage to one of the holy site in India. * PAPA Papa includes all forms of wrongdoings. Each acts of papa carries its karmic consequences, karmapala , fruit of action. 1.Bad 2.Wrongful actions 3.Demerit earned through wrongdoing * PUNYA Punya includes all forms of good deeds. Each acts of punya carries its karmic consequences, karmapala, fruits of action. 1.Good 2.Meritorious action 3.Merit earned through right action Maya (magic or illusion) -God can make human believe in what turn out to be an illusion. Avidya (ignorance) -It is the root cause of human suffering. It refers to ignorance of social and religious behaviour. * Aryan Historical context: -The term "Aryan" traditionally refers to a group of Indo-European-speaking people who are believed to have migrated into the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE. Cultural and religious impact: -Aryans brought with them their own religious beliefs and practices, which significantly shaped early Hinduism. -The Vedic religion, centered around rituals, sacrifices, and the worship of various deities like Indra, Agni, and Soma, forms the foundation of what later evolved into Hinduism. * Dravidians Historical context: -The Dravidians are considered the indigenous people of the Indian subcontinent, with a history predating the arrival of the Aryans. Cultural and religious impact: -The worship of local deities and nature spirits, as well as matriarchal elements, are notable in Dravidian traditions. -Temples and architectural styles in South India, such as the Dravidian style of temple architecture, reflect the distinct cultural contributions of the Dravidians. ——————————————————————— * Scripture: Hindu scriptures are classified into two main categories: 1.Shruti (heard) Writings that represent eternal, sacred knowledge. -The Vedas (myths, rituals, chants) -The Brahmanas (ritual observance, sacrifice) -The Aranyakas (Isolation of the religious aesthete in the forest) -The Upanishads (metaphysical speculations) 2.Smriti (remembered) Writings that represent traditions, knowledge that transmitted and remembered from generation to generation. -The Epics -The Code of Manu -The Puranas  BUDDHISM * Founder Siddharta Gautama later known as Buddha. The term Buddha is a title for the enlightened one. Four passing sights: 1.A decrepit old man leaning on his staff as he walked. 2.Sick man suffering in pain 3.Human corpse being carried to funeral pyre. 4.Calm ascetic monk with clean shave head wearing yellow robe. -All human are subject to suffering. He leave his palace to search for a solutions to the problem of human suffering. First sermon -Known as “Setting in motion the wheel of truth.” -Anyone that searching for truth should avoid two extremes, self-indulgence and self- mortification. -By avoiding these two extremes, Buddha gains enlightenment of the Middle Way, which leads to Nirvana. ——————————————————————— * Concept of god Non theistic religion as they considered Siddhartha Gautama Buddha as an enlightened teacher and not a god. ——————————————————————— * Scripture (Tripitaka) 1.Vinaya Pitaka Consist of the rules of Buddhist order. 2.Sutta Pitaka Containing dialogue between Buddha and his disciples on Buddhist teachings. 3.Abidhamma Pitaka Consist of metaphysical instruction. ——————————————————————— * Doctrines & Creeds Triratna 1.Buddha The teacher and goal to be attain. 2.Dharma Buddha teaching and path to be realized. 3.Sangha The faithful community and the advanced practitioners of the Dharma. Four Noble Truths -Failure to understand the four noble truths makes one cannot escape from the cycle of birth and death. 1.The noble truth of dukkha. 2.The noble truth of the cause of dukkha. 3.The noble truth of the end of dukkha. 4.The noble truth of the path leading to the end of dukkha. The Noble Eightfold Path 1.Right knowledge 2.Right intention 3.Right speech 4.Right conduct 5.Right livelihood 6.Right effort 7.Right mindfulness 8.Right concentration The Ten Precepts Five precepts: 1.I undertake to abstain from destroying life. 2.I undertake to abstain from taking things not given. 3.I undertake to abstain from adultery. 4.I undertake to abstain from false speech. 5.I undertake to abstain from intoxicants. Monks repeat an additional five precepts: 1.I undertake to abstain from eating at forbidden time. 2.I undertake to abstain from dancing and singing. 3.I undertake to abstain from beautifying myself by using garlands, scents, ornaments and finery. 4. I undertake to abstain from using large couch or bed. 5.I undertake to abstain from accepting gold or silver. ——————————————————————— * Denominations 1.Theravada (Small vehicle) -Southern Buddhism which dominant in southeast Asia like Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. -Language: Pali canon -Theravada means way of the elders. It is identified as the “orthodox” -To attain Nirvana, every individual must join the homeless state of monks. 2.Mahayana (Great vehicle) -Eastern Buddhism which dominant in north and east Asia like China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Mongolia. -Language: Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese canon -They claim that Buddha willingly postponed his entrance into Nirvana to help others attain it too. -To attain Nirvana, no need to join the homeless state of monks. 3.Tibetan (Diamond vehicle) -Northern Buddhism -Language: Tibetan canon  SIKHISM * Faith 1.Belief in one God 2.Belief in Ten Gurus 3.Belief in the Guru Granth Sahib and teachings of the Sikh Gurus 4.Belief in the Amrit ——————————————————————— * Theology There is only one God, called Sat Nam (true name). Sat Nam is unborn, uncreated, and created all things. ——————————————————————— * Mukti (Salvation) -To attain salvation, no need for them to attach from worldly life. However, they need to offer service to community and devote to God. -The way to attain salvation was explained in Guru Granth Sahib. “Those who meditate on God attain salvation. For them, the cycle of birth and death is eliminated.” ——————————————————————— * Sahaj -Refers to a state of mental and spiritual balance. A person in the Sahaj state experiences inner calmness and is free from worldly anxieties. -The individual is detached from material possessions and desires, yet participates in the world with a sense of duty and compassion. -There is a continuous and conscious connection with Waheguru (God). This connection is natural and effortless, without any forced efforts or rituals. ——————————————————————— * Scripture Adi grant or Guru Granth Sahib is the Sikh scripture. It is a compilation of hymns written by the first 5 Gurus, Hindu and Muslim saints. ——————————————————————— * Ten gurus 1.Guru Nanak 2.Guru Angad 3.Guru Amar Das 4.Guru Ram Das Sodhi 5.Guru Arjan Dev 6.Guru Har Gobind 7.Guru Har Rai 8.Guru Har Kishan 9.Guru Tegh Bahadur 10.Guru Gobind Singh ——————————————————————— * Gurdwara House of worship for the Sikh. Functions: 1.Primary place for teaching and practice of Sikh Spirituality. 2.Sanctuary for the protection of dignity of women. 3.Place of Sikh service to humanity.  CONFUCIANISM * Origin Confucianism originated in China around the 6th century BCE. ——————————————————————— * Founding figure Confucius (Kong Fuzi) is the founding figure of Confucianism. ——————————————————————— * Sacred texts The key texts include the Analects, the Five Classics, and the Four Books. ——————————————————————— * Main teaching -Positive Form of Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like others to treat you. -Negative Form of Golden Rule: Dont treat others as you wouldn’t wish them to treat you. ——————————————————————— * Beliefs Core beliefs focus on morality, social harmony, and the importance of relationships, especially filial piety. ——————————————————————— * Doctrines -Confucianism is considered to be a moral code that provides guidance on social and political level. It focus on how human beings behave in society. -In Confucianism, ideal person is the noble person. Nobility derived from cultivating true humanness and not from birth. ——————————————————————— * Goals 1.Cultivate humanness within oneself. 2.Proper behaviour in five relationships. - ruler-subject - father-son - elder brother-younger brother - husband-wife - friend-friend ——————————————————————— * The five constant 1.Ren (Humaneness) 2.Yi (Justice) 3.Li (Proper rite) 4.Zhi (Knowledge) 5.Xin (Integrity) * Sizi 1.Zhong (loyalty) 2.Xiao (filial piety) 3.Jie (contingency) 4.Yi (righteousness) ——————————————————————— * Concept of God Confucianism is more to a philosophy than a religion and does not emphasize a concept of God. It focuses on ethical principles. ——————————————————————— * Role of rituals Rituals are important in Confucianism for maintaining social order and respecting ancestors. ——————————————————————— * Ultimate goal The ultimate goal in Confucianism is to create a harmonious society through the cultivation of virtuous individuals and just rulers. —————————————————————— * Ethics of reciprocity -Psychologically, it involves a person empathizing with others. -Philosophically, it involves a person perceiving their neighbour -Sociologically, this principle is applicable between individuals, between groups, and also between individuals and groups. -Religion is a fundamental part of this concept. -This ethic of reciprocity is at heart of religion. All religions sets it as primary aim to the excellence of human character. ——————————————————————— * Golden rule in Islam -God doesn’t desire for repayment, God doesn’t benefit from worship of his servant, nor He take pleasure in punishing the wicked. -By reflecting this divine nature, believers should want for others the same as they want for themselves. ——————————————————————— * Golden rule in Confucianism: Shu Confucianism defined shu as reciprocity, “do to others what you would others do to you.” Zhong Actions performed towards the others as one would have them performed towards himself. ——————————————————————— * Ren and Ihsan Ren Ren (Humanity) is a core aspect in Confucianism teachings. Virtue of humanity comes from the feeling of love. Mutual love and respect is cornerstone of family system. Ihsan Ren is similar to the concept of Ihsan in Islam. The second type of Ihsan is Ihsan towards the creation of Allah. 1.Ihsan toward parent is done by caring, helping and obeying them. 2.Ihsan toward relatives is done by being kind, merciful and forgiven them. 3.Ihsan toward orphans is done by guarding their wealth, maintaining their right, educating them, being cheerful with them. 4.Ihsan toward wife and husband is done by being kind, merciful, fulfil their material and psychological needs, divorce her with kind. ——————————————————————— * Conclusion Both religion promote ethics of reciprocity. Golden rule in Confucianism is human way rather than divine rule. Golden rule in Islam relates to the love of self and others to the love of God.