REL 100 Hinduism Outline 2024 PDF

Namas-té: ‘I bow to you.’ or ‘My Sacred Soul recognizes & honors your Sacred Soul, as we are of One. Rigveda 8.75.10, etc. Tuesday September 24, 2024 REL 100- Hinduism A] B...

Namas-té: ‘I bow to you.’ or ‘My Sacred Soul recognizes & honors your Sacred Soul, as we are of One. Rigveda 8.75.10, etc. Tuesday September 24, 2024 REL 100- Hinduism A] Background History: Indigenous Population of the Indian Sub-continent [South Asia] *AUM- Sacred Sound & Symbol of the Cosmos; Ultimate Reality of ALL [ōm] -Ancient regional peoples- Dravidians [drāviḍa]-peoples & Language [also Harappan] -Communities with Animistic expressions -Ayurveda- worldview: knowledge of life; Spiritual Healing modalities include: Yoga- Practical Union with higher self through proper means [5 branches] Sankhya- Reality is the seen, unseen, and unknown; Goal is balance Advaita Vedanta- non-dualism principle; all existence is interconnected - no separation of spirit [soul], mind, and body [heart] (Union) Vaidya- Ayurvedic healing practitioner [Holistic: spiritual, is emotional, physical] *THEN, Indo-European conquests - Aryans (The Noble Ones); After 1500BCE & on (Bharat) Fire deity? B] Terms to know: Hindu- Indus river; [Sindhu- River Goddess]; later identified as peoples, language, religion Polygamy- Polygyny- Polyandry- Sanskrit [Brahmi script]- C] Hinduism [integration of Drāviḍa & Aryan World views] *Main Principles of the emerging religion: Hinduism -----The Divine / Absolute origin of all intelligence [energy] Brahman [ultimate infinite reality] & Atman [expression of Brahman in each soul] Intermediary Deities- Devas [m] & Devis [f] Maya – Physical World is an illusion of Ultimate Reality -----The Vedas- Divine Wisdom: 4 main divisions Rishis- Writers & Keepers of the Sacred Vedas [Soma Deified plant] ‘Bhagavad Gita’- Spiritual Epic Poem [Song of the Divine Spirit] all-encompassing expression of Divine Truth -----Ultimate Goal: Mokṣha [mokṣa] -----Laws of Manu [some Natural Codes]: Great Flood story [Orthodoxy] 4M/3F stages of life Three Da’s practices [self-control; giving; compassion] Fertility Karma law Samsara law- cycles Fasting -----Caste Lineage & Patriarchal System [varna] Priestly Elites & Religious teachers- Brahmins Military and Rulers- Kshatryas Merchants, Farmers- Vaishyas Manual laborers / Indentured Servants- Dhalits/Shudras Page 1/2 D] New Conquests: Page 2/2 ‘Arab & Mughals/ Islam- 7th century CE on, British / Christianity- 18th century CE, administrative Mohandas K. Gandhi: [Mahatma] ‘non-violent social justice for all' E] Hinduism Today: 21st Century Transformations- struggle between Tradition and Modernity *Positive Changes: Prime Ministers: Female and/or Dhalit, *Secularism- struggle between public sphere and private, but … -Dealing with … *Overpopulation *Some Resistance to Women & Minorities in the Public Sphere *Hostility toward LGBTQ+, other religions, & Human Rights groups *Bharat- Bharatavarsa? [King Bharata] OR Hindustan? OR India [Later conquests] Aryan------] ‘Arab/Mughals-------] Islam -Rise of Nationalism, Radical Fundamentalism, or Reappropriating Identities? 2023-09-9/10 Narendra Damodardas Modi @ G20 meeting, invite to Bharat Cultural Transformations Theory Phase: Magic ∩ Law ∩ Science [?] Model: Partnership; egalitarian Dominator; hierarchy h Holistic; nature [?] Expression: Animism e Monotheism u Personal Spirituality[?] Approach: Orthopraxy n Orthodoxy m Heterodoxy [?] Survival: Cooperation v Competition a Collaboration [?] System: Polyarchy i Patriarchy n What’s next? -----] r o i Indigenous Beliefs n n m t e e n r t v a e l n t c i Taoism h Confucianism o a n Ayurveda n Hinduism s New-Old ‘Ayurveda+Hinduism’ g e AUM or ōm - Sacred Sound & Symbol of the Cosmos; Ultimate Divine Reality of ALL Uttered at beginning and end of prayer, meditation, etc.