UGC 111 1st Edition Lecture 14 Outline of Last Lecture I Ancient India Outline of Current Lecture II Hinduism III Buddhism Current Lecture Hinduism Originated in India Aryans came down to northern India and settled Vedic Period Vedas hymns sung by priests Upanishads writings containing hymns Forms the basis of classical Hinduism Brahman the things around us are not real they are temporary and this is the only power that exists Atman spark of reality that everyone has in them their soul Samsara cycle of birth death and being born cycle of transmigration of one s soul Karma sum of the deeds that you have done can be good or bad decides who what you will be in the next life Oldest practiced world religion Varna caste system Brahmins priests scholars teach concepts in Upanishads and Vedas Kshatrivas warriors fighting class Vaishyas merchants farmers artisans middle class Shudras laborers slaves work for or wait on rest of society peasants Aryans conquered indigenous people and most of them were Shudras 500 BC Tribes settled down and formed kingdoms and towns cities Persians come down and occupy Achaemenid Empire Alexander the Great comes in as far as Indus Valley and brings in Greek ideas and philosophy set up tributary kingdoms in India Hinduism split 2 new sects only important one is Buddhism Practice These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Dharma what is right living life correctly can be defined differently based on one s caste because it concerns social duties ex worship at the temple the food you eat who you marry etc Meditation yoga how you come into contact with your atman Bakhti one achieves harmony through devotion to one god any god must choose 1 and the god in turn gives liberation or release moksha Major gods Devi a k a Parvati Makesh Durga o Goddess with different versions depending on what she is associated with o Creator of Sanskrit associated with writing and learning o Wife of Vishnu o Personifies some of the desired female traits beautiful wealthy prosperous o Can have a war like side o Fertility o Eroticism sex o Nymph Vishnu o Main god o Keeps world order o Shown with a mace as a sign of his power a conch as a sign of his creativeness a weapon to symbolize destroying one s ego o Credited with creation of the world dreaming on the back of a snake a lotus comes out of him that creates the world o Comes down to the human world in times of crisis to make things right o Avatar gods come down to earth in disguise to save the day ex boar fish o His job is to banish evil and help mankind Shiva o Represents the masculine force of divinity o Associated with the weather early on Storm God o Shown with a trident represent threefold nature of life shown with a weapon he is a destroyer o Destroyer and creator of life o Shown in back of a shrine with three heads one facing forward 2 facing other sides one is destroyer one is creator o Often shown dancing represents rhythm of life Temples built as a result of the influence of Buddhism had to compete Buddhism Siddharta Gautama Competitive with Hinduism Very popular because it rejected the caste system and because it was open to both men and women Ashoka converted to Buddhism and spread it around India and to Asia with help of monks Built statues on their way on the Silk Road Dunhuang Caves giant statues in mountains where Buddhists lived Five common beliefs Reality as brahman Reverence for Vedas and Brahmin priests Transmigration of souls samsara Compassion for all living things Three main gods Vishnu Shiva and Devi Mahatma Ghandi responsible for modern day India Devout Fasted Believed in tolerance rejected caste system Believed in nonviolence His practice of civil disobedience drove the British out of India Influenced Martin Luther King Jr used civil disobedience which caused the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to be passed A New Age ideas from India were passed on to America 1970s openness of new ideas The Age of Aquarius entering a new age The New Age of Earth age of spirituality Nirvana band and Buddhist concept Meditation