Hinduism.pdf

Group 5 Hinduism Hinduism Hinduism: Hinduism is the largest religion in India, the second most populous country in the world. Estimates that more than 80 percent of the inhabitants of India, which is about 1 billion people, consider themselves Hindu. Aside from this, Deming...

Group 5 Hinduism Hinduism Hinduism: Hinduism is the largest religion in India, the second most populous country in the world. Estimates that more than 80 percent of the inhabitants of India, which is about 1 billion people, consider themselves Hindu. Aside from this, Deming (Ibid.) also states that "more than 30 million Hindus also live in the countries 30 surrounding India, such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan; and large populations can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States, Mauritius, South Africa, and the United Kingdom." As of 2010, Matthews estimates that there are more than 830 million adherents of Hinduism in the world. Followers 80% Of The Worlds Population Are Followers Of The Hinduism Religion Hinduism Hinduism began along the banks of the Indus River. A greater part of this river lies in what is presently called Pakistan, which used to be a part of India. The words "India" and "Hindu," in fact, were derived from the word Indus (Molloy 2010, 78-79). According to archeological findings on this river, there were already people who lived along its banks during or even earlier than the second millennium BCE. These people, called the Dravidians, were highly civilized. Their sophisticated civilization was called the Harappan civilization, and one of their largest cities, called Mohenjo Daro, had a population of about 40,000 people in 2000 BCE (Koller 1985, 21). The Dravidians had their own system of religious beliefs and practices. But in about 1500 BCE, the Aryans, a group of people of Indo-European background, came to the region. The Aryans, too, were highly civilized and also had their own religious beliefs and practices. It was during this period that the sacred texts of Hinduism, generally called the Vedas and which were written in Sanskrit, were believed to have been written. Hinduism In light of these circumstances, there are two accounts of how Hinduism originated. The first, called the Aryan Invasion Theory, claims that the Aryans invaded and imposed their culture and religion on the Dravidians (Klostermaier 2007, 18-20). This would make the Aryans the writers of the Vedas, and thus the founders of Hinduism. For some time, this account was generally accepted until it was challenged by the second account. The second account, called the Aryan Migration Theory, maintains that the Aryans just migrated in repeated waves into the region (Pakistan and Northern India), and intermingled with the Dravidians (Urubshurow 2009, 357, 359- 60; Jacobs 2010, 8-10). There was then a cultural interaction between the Dravidians and Aryans, which gave rise to the religious beliefs and practices contained  Founders: Hinduism does not have a clear founder or a specific point of origin. Instead, it evolved over thousands of years through the contributions of various sages, philosophers, and religious leaders. However, There are some key figures and Elements throught the development of Hinduism Sacred text The Shruti And Smriti Texts The sacred texts of Hinduism are divided into two main categories: Shruti, which literally means "what is heard," and Smriti, which literally means "what is remembered" Shruti refers to all Hindu sacred texts containing revealed knowledge (or knowledge based on direct experience), while Smiti refers to all Hindu sacred texts containing remembered knowledge (or knowledge based on the recollection of the experience). The Shruti texts ("revealed texts") therefore are primary sources that contain truths that are eternal and unchanging and of divine origin, while the Smriti texts ("remembered texts") are secondary sources that contain truths that may change over time and are of human origin. Shruti texts are true by themselves while Smiriti texts are true only in so far as they conform to the Shruti texts. Sacred text The main Shruti texts are the Vedas. On the other hand, the main Smriti texts consist of the following: the Itihasas (the epic poems), consisting of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (of which the Bhagavad Gita is the most important part) the Puranas, consisting of comprehensive discussions of the history of the universe, the genealogies of kings, heroes, and demigods, and Hindu cosmology and geography the Dharma Shastra, referring to the books about laws and rules of behavior, such as the book Laws of Manu and the Later Sutras, referring to later Hindu texts like the Yoga Sutras or Patanjali Doctrines Basic Doctrines And Practices Brahman refers to the essence or true nature of all reality or of everything that exists. It is, in short, Ultimate Reality. Being the essence of all reality. including us, Brahman is conceptually inexhaustible in that all our description of it, however sophisticated, will never suffice to fully capture its nature. These descriptions, at the most, will just give us an idea of what it is. Doctrines While Hinduism believes that there is only one ultimate and supreme reality (Brahman), it also worships many deities (gods and goddesses). Doesn't the belief that there is only one ultimate reality naturally lead to the belief that there is only one God? Actually, Hinduism believes that there iS only one God, namely Brahman, and the many deities that they also believe in are just the different manifestations of Brahman that humans are capable of conceiving. As it were, God is only one but he manifests as many. Scholars disagree over the precise number of the Hindu deities, but perhaps just to emphasize the many (or better yet, infinite) possible manifestations of Brahman. Doctrines Among the many Hindu deities, there are three major or supreme ones: (1) Brahma, the creator (not ta confused with Brahman), Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Collectively, these three supreme gods are known in Hindu as the Trimurti. These three principal gods correspond to the three major functions of Brahman, namely, creation, sustenance (protection or preservation), and destruction. Now while these three principal gods are often described as the three supreme gods, Brahman, of course, is higher than any of them. Brahman, however, is also often called the Supreme God, which may give rise to some confusion. (Perhaps Brahman should be referred to as the "Highest Supreme God" to avoid confusion.) Doctrines Other deities who are also important for Hindus include the following. Ganesha (or Ganesh) is the popular deity with an elephant head and the son of the god Shiva and goddess Parvati. Ganesha is the god of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. The goddess Shakti embodies the energy-giving power behind all creation. The goddess Lakshmi is a manifestation of Shakti and who embodies light, beauty, good fortune, and wealth. And Hanuman is the monkey deity who helped Rama save Sita in the epic Ramayana. Doctrines Samsara And Karma Samsara corresponds to what is called reincarnation or rebirth. In particular, it refers to the repeating cycle of birth, life, and death. The belief is that when a human individual dies, his/her soul is reborn in another body, and this happens again and again.  Doctrines Samsara And Karma Integrally connected to samsara is karma, referring to the law that regulates samsara such that one's actions will have appropriate consequences in one's current or next life or lives. In the context of social classes (the caste system), karma determines what will be one's social class in the next life. A good life now will result being in a higher caste in the next life; a bad life now will result in being a lower caste in the next life. The law of karma is a moral law or principle of cause and effect, according to which an action of a certain moral type will result in consequences of an appropriate type. More concretely, a bad action will result in bad consequences while a good action will result in good consequences. Doctrines Varna, Ashran, And Purushartha Varna. The Hindu system of social classes, called the caste system, has four main divisions or varnas. Arranged from highest to lowest, these four varnas are as follows the Brahmins, consisting of priests and teachers the Kshatriyas, consisting of kings, governors, and soldiers; the Vaishyas, consisting of merchants, cattle herders, artisans, and agriculturists and the Shudras, consisting of laborers and service providers Under these four castes are many subcastes. Doctrines Varna, Ashran, And Purushartha Ashram. The Hindus identify four stages or ashrams of life, each of which has its specific duties. Though nowadays only a few Hindus strictly follow all these four ashrams, they remain the ideal stages for the Hindus to go through in their lives. The first is the Brachmanchari Ashram or the student stage of life (from birth to around 21 years of age). At this stage, one is expected to be pure (that is, celibate), live a simple life, serve a guru or spiritual teacher, study the Vedas, and build good character traits. The second is the Grahasta Ashram or the household stage of life (approximately from 21 to 42 years of age). At this stage, one is expected to build a family, provide for one's family, protect and nourish family members, raise children with spiritual values, and give to charity. The third is the Vanaprashta Ashram or the retired stage of life (approximately from 42 to 63 years of age). At this stage, one is expected to devote more time to spiritual matters which include going on a pilgrimage, observing moral strictness, and undergoing penance. The fourth is the Sannyasa Ashram or the renounced stage of life (approximately from 63 to 84 plus years of age). At this stage, one is expected to be detached and retreat from worldly goals and focus on deepening one's spirituality by focusing one's mind on God.  Doctrines Varna, Ashran, And Purushartha Purushartha. Hinduism identifies four basic human aims or purposes of life, which are collectively called Purushartha. The first is dharma, which refers to virtuous living or living according to duties, rights, and laws. The term "dharma" is also used to refer to moral duties themselves. One's dharma or moral duties are determined by one's caste and stage of life. They must be performed selflessly, that is, without attachment to their consequences. The second is artha, which refers to economic security or the active pursuit of wealth and career to achieve financial security or material success. The third is kama, which refers to enjoyment or the active pursuit of pleasure, which can be physical, emotional (love and affection), or sexual. The fourth is moksha, which refers to the liberation of the self from maya (illusion) or freedom from samsara (the cycle of birth, life, and death). Doctrines And Practices The Four Yogas The Sanskrit word yoga literally means "union." In the context in which it was introduced, in the Bhagavad Gita, the term particularly means "union with the divine" or union with Brahman." Furthermore, since the various types of yoga speak of different paths to achieve the said union, the term "yoga" has come to be understood also as "path." Doctrines And Practices The Four Yogas There are four main types of yoga. The first is Karma Yoga, also called Dharma Yoga, or the Path of Action. This is the path taken by those (especially the Vaishyas) who intend to achieve moksha or unity with Brahman by performing actions that are in accordance to their dharma or moral duties, or more simply, by fulfilling their roles in life to the best of their abilities. Doctrines And Practices The Four Yogas The second is Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion. This is the path most Hindus take (especially the Shudras and Dalits). It is taken by those who intend to achieve moksha or unity with Brahman through dedicated worship of a god or gods by various means such as saying prayers, offering sacrifices and flowers, dancing, and singing hymns. Doctrines And Practices The Four Yogas The third is Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge. This is the path taken by those (especially the Brahmins) who intend to achieve moksha or unity with Brahman by deeply exploring the nature of reality through a serious study of the sacred texts. Doctrines And Practices The Four Yogas The fourth and last is Raja Yoga or the Path of Meditation. This is the path taken by those (especially the hermits) who intend to achieve unity with Brahman by managing one's mind or thoughts through various meditative techniques. Practices And Rituals Some Practices And Rituals Hindu religious practices and rituals are greatly based on their religious beliefs. Some of these practices are as follows. First is the Hindus' worship of so many gods and goddesses, which is based on their belief that these gods and goddesses are concrete and personal ways by which they can connect with the impersonal and abstract Brahman—which has infinite manifestations. Their worship (called Puja, meaning "worship") of these personal deities-done in various ways, such as saying hymns and prayers, offering sufferings and flowers, and the like, and which they do either in temples or in their houses—is one of the paths or yogas (the Bhakti Yoga) toward achieving moksha Practices And Rituals Some Practices And Rituals Second is the practice of meditation, which is another kind of these paths (the Raja Yoga) Third is the Hindus' veneration of some animals, especially cows (these are special animals for Hindus as their milk-giving capacity symbolizes universal motherhood) and monkeys (for their role in the Ramayana). Aside from what these animals symbolize or represent, the Hindus' worship of these animals is based on the Hindus' belief that they may be reborn in the bodies of animals. Fourth is the Hindus' veneration of their gurus or enlightened teachers. This practice is based on their belief that it is possible to achieve moksha while in this worldby following any of the four yogas preached by these guru. Practices And Rituals Some Practices And Rituals Fifth is the practice of renunciation or asceticism of holy men (called the Sadhus), which is based on the belief that such practice is another way to achieve moksha. Sixth is the Hindus' attitude towards one another. How they treat one another is determined by their dharma, which in turn is determined by their respective castes and the stage of life that they are in. Last is the practice of nonviolence toward all life forms, called ahimsa (for some Hindus, ahimsa extends to the practice of vegetarianism). This is based on the Hindus'belief in samsara where the bodies of all life forms are possible receptacles or vessels of individual human souls. Practices And Rituals Some Practices And Rituals An important ritual among Hindus is Namaste, a gesture of greeting wherein the two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows while saying the word "Namaste." This is done to greet anyone, regardless of age and relationship to the greeter. Denominations And Challenges Denominations And Challenges Denominations And Challenges The Four Major Denominations There are four major denominations of Hinduism: Vaishnavism, shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism (Jacobs 2010, 21-29). Under these four main denominations are numerous subdenominations. There are two main considerations that differentiate the four forms of Hinduism from one another: (a) the kind of god (among the many manifestations of Brahman) they consider supreme, and (b) the kind of path or yoga they prefer to practice to achieve unity with their chosen supreme god. Denominations And Challenges The Four Major Denominations Vaishnavas, the followers of Vaishnavism, consider Vishnu (usually in the form of Krishna or Rama) as their supreme god. Vaishnavas are deeply devotional and they practice bhakti yoga or the path of devotion. Shaivas, the followers of Shaivism, consider Shiva as their supreme god. Shaivas value self-discipline and philosophy, and they practice jnana yoga or the path of knowledge (somatimes along with ashtanga yoga, which is a kind of classical Indian yoga). Shaktis, the followers of Shaktism, consider the goddess or Divine Mother Shakti (also known as Devi) in her various forms (such as Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati) as their supreme god. Shaktis prefer karma yoga or the path of action. Finally, Smartas, the followers of Smartism, consider any of the five deities consisting of Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha, and Surya as their supreme god. Smartas are free to choose which among these five gods they would like to regard as their supreme god as well as the kind of yoga they would like to practice. For this reason, Smartism is considered a liberal form of Hinduism. Denominations And Challenges The Four Major Denominations Vaishnavas, the followers of Vaishnavism, consider Vishnu (usually in the form of Krishna or Rama) as their supreme god. Vaishnavas are deeply devotional and they practice bhakti yoga or the path of devotion. Shaivas, the followers of Shaivism, consider Shiva as their supreme god. Shaivas value self- discipline and philosophy, and they practice jnana yoga or the path of knowledge (somatimes along with ashtanga yoga, which is a kind of classical Indian yoga). Shaktis, the followers of Shaktism, consider the goddess or Divine Mother Shakti (also known as Devi) in her various forms (such as Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati) as their supreme god. Shaktis prefer karma yoga or the path of action. Finally, Smartas, the followers of Smartism, consider any of the five deities consisting of Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha, and Surya as their supreme god. Smartas are free to choose which among these five gods they would like to regard as their supreme god as well as the kind of yoga they would like to practice. For this reason, Smartism is considered a liberal form of Hinduism. Challenges Challenges Challenges Some Challenges The challenges that Hinduism faces include the harm (social inequality, discrimination, oppression, disrespect of human rights, and others) brought about by the caste system on those belonging to the lowest caste, the Shudras, and especially those considered without a caste, the Dalits (or the Untouchables). Recall that these people are traditionally considered "once-borns which bar them from participating in religious activities. In addition, they are traditionally not allowed to study in universities or get a formal education. Challenges Some Challenges The situation of women is another major issue, as it is in most world religions. Despite the fact that Hinduism worships goddesses and venerates female gurus, women remain marginalized in traditional Vedic culture. For instance, women, even those belonging to the first three castes, are traditionally considered "once-borns." This means that only males in those castes are eligible to study the Vedas and perform Vedic rituals. Women are traditionally expected to merely focus on serving their husbands and raising their children. Learning to write and read are seen as something that would just distract them from doing their roles as wives and mothers. Challenges Some Challenges In the area of politics, the conflict between Hindus and Muslims continues despite the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, in which Muslims in Pakistan were given state autonomy. Wars between the two groups continue to be fought along the border between India and Pakistan, particularly in Kashmir. Once in a while, conflicts between the two groups occur within India. Challenges Some Challenges Another challenge of Hinduism, as it is again with most world religions, is how to deal with the changing world, specifically the rapid development of technology (in the areas of medicine and communication, among others), and the introduction of new values, new ways of doing things (the fast pace of doing things, for instance), and new attitudes, like that of consumerism. People are preoccupied with so many things, losing time for religious and spiritual things. How Hinduism can adapt to these changes without compromising the integrity of its key teachings is a big challenge. Thank You