Hinduism 03 07 2014 The Religion of the Veda Indus River Valley Pre Aryans Dravidians 3000 BCE 1500 BCE Highly advanced culture writing system seal stamps Planned city Agricultural society irrigation cattle herding Began to decline 1800 1500 BCE Decline of the Dravidians Gradual decline o Natural disasters Flood o Agricultural instability Migration of new people Aryans Aryans Aryan noble one in Sanskrit Migrated from Mesopotamian basin to India warriors pastoralists poets Portable religion oral transmission o Polytheistic personification of nature human qualities in animal gods Aryan Invasion Theory not necessarily a planned invasion they came in waves Varnas 1750 1200 BCE Aryans migrated in waves to India Lived in tribal communities with leaders known as rajas or maha rajas Societal distinctions developed o Varnas classes color class distinction often based on skin color Aryans lighter Brahmins priests Kshatriyas warriors chieftans Vaishyas commoners merchants Shudras slaves servants Aryan Religion Polytheistic Gods personification of nature natural forces Animistic qualities Sacrifice on altars portable nomadic quality Sacrifice of animals milk butter soma hallucinogenic plant Two Types of Revelation Shruti Hindu sacred writings Veda generally more authoritative based on revealed knowledge Smriti writings based on remembered revelations less authoritative Vedas Oldest sacred text of Hinduism Basic source for understanding of universe o All other texts seen as commentary o Created when Aryans came into India and mixed with natives o Oral transmission for generations before written down o Vedic language predecessor of early Sanskrit Veda knowledge Rig Veda oldest collection 1000 hymns containing mythology o Most popular heaviest Aryan influence Yajur Veda knowledge of rites collection of recitations used during sacrifice Sama Veda chants and hymns recited by preists Atharva Veda knowledge of sage Atharva common rituals and prayers to the gods spells and incantations o For everyday practicing person second most popular Divisions in the Vedic Books Mantra hymn to gods Brahmana ritual materials on how to perform sacrifices Aranyakas Forest Treatises for hermits in religious pursuits o Being a hermit is stage of life after worldly existence schooling family hermit Upanishads philosophical materials Gods of the Rig Veda Agni god of fire priests Indra god of thunderbolt clouds rain heaven Varuna god over order of universe Yama god of dead Mitra god of faith loyalty make promises in the name of Mitra Soma deified hallucinogenic plant Upanishads Fourth section of each of the Vedas early philosophical statements that became basis Brahman ultimate reality eternal infinite unknowable building blocks of life that make up entire universe o Analogous to everything being made up of atoms o Maya false knowledge humans have about how they exist in terms of Brahman as separate or different from everything else o Avidya ignorance of nature of reality how things truly exist Meditation presented as means of worship and quest for true knowledge Philosophy of Brahman Living beings that inhabit our world are expressions of Brahman o They are souls atman in a collective of souls o Collective of souls ultimately make up Brahman All phenomenal existence is illusion maya arising from ignorance avidya of reality A person s individuality apart from Brahman is an illusion Karma and Samsara Karma introduced in Upanishads karma means action o Virtuous or evil actions can determine a persons constitution in a following lifetime Samsara means to wander across the round of rebirth o Seen as negative phenomenon one is bound to a life in ignorance and pain living over and over again Ultimate goal is moksha breaking free from life Concept of karma used to reinforce the caste system Laws of Manu Piece of traditional Indian literature composed between 300 BCE 300 CE o Reflects ideas present in the culture it was written ethical and social standards Roots of many social and religious traditions that characterize Hinduism o Varna system o Each caste has specific duties dharma o Mobility only through reincarnation Dharma duties and roles in society based on caste o Ex Shudras unquestioning servants to upper 3 castes Stages of Life according to Laws of Manu Stages of life an upper caste male first 3 castes would go through women are dominated by the males in their lives o Student o Householder o Hermit separated from material life children house wife o Wandering ascetic renounces world completely beg for food break down dependence on physical body intent to ascend to spirit These stages not all present in modern India Concept of Time Time moves through cycles ages of creation kalpas Brahma creator Vishnu maintainer Shiva destroyer Creation story Vishnu floating on the ocean sprouts Brahma arises out of lotus flower Brahma breaks it into 3 parts and through the will of Vishnu Brahma creates everything In times of collapse Vishnu intercedes to help us When society and the world breaks down so much into a dark age and it is time for necessary destruction Shiva comes in and destroys everything There is a brief period of rest then the cycle starts again Bhagavad Gita Song of the Lord or referred to as Gita just Song Part of the Mahabharata Battlefield story epic poem allegory for human struggles Conversation between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna reincarnation of Vishnu Arjuna discovers he has family on the other side of the battle and does not want to kill them Reinforces theme of do your duty Four Paths to Salvation Karma yoga The Way of Works Jnana yoga The Way of Knowledge Raja yoga The Way of Physical Discipline Bhakti yoga The Way of Devotion Yoga comes from Sanskrit word for yoke bringing something together combining it Yoga combining the mind and the body with an added spiritual essence Post Classical Hinduism Completion of Bhagavad Gita end of classical era New paths to liberation arise 3 manifestations of Brahman Trimurti o Creator Brahma o Maintainer Vishnu o Destroyer Shiva Modern Hinduism Four Goals of Life o o Kama sensual pleasures lower order Kama sutra and other senses Embrace and enjoy the world Artha wealth lower order o Dharma religious duty o o It is okay to establish financial stability Caste system abolished but societal roles still present Moksha liberation Getting out If one can t get out at least enjoy the first 3 goals of life These goals can span lifetimes through the lifetimes one is always working