Hinduism

By Chiko Nakamura & Shakeel Daswani Practices and Rituals

● Practices ○ Namaste ■ Respectful greeting in Hindu way. ■ "The Spirit within me honors and respects the Spirit within you." ○ ■ An essential part of puja for the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. ○ ■ The aim of yoga is the transformation of human beings from their natural form to a perfected form. ● Rituals ○ ■ Kanyadaan - the giving away of daughter by the father ■ Panigrahana - a ritual in presence of fire, where the groom takes the bride's hand as a sign of their union ■ Saptapadi - divine witness to the marriage ○ Funerals ■ Many families celebrate the departed life on the twelfth or thirteenth day after the funeral. How To Have a Puja At Home Yoga

Shakeel’s Cousin’s Funeral Experiential and Emotional

● Believe in divine beings existing in worlds not seen. ● Create a communion with devas/gods through: ○ Temple Worship ○ Rituals ○ Sacraments (things of mysterious and sacred significance; a religious symbol) ○ Personal Devotionals ● Satguru (enlightened master) is vital to know the Transcendent Absolute ● Personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation, and surrender in God are also very important to understand ● believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding ● : Each person’s role in life/society. Defined by birth and caste. ● Undergo samsara: The cycle of repeated birth and death through reincarnation (higher level) based on . ● Want to establish (union with God) - breaking from the cycle of samsara. Narrative and Mythic

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2. 3. Create the world, .

4. 6. skies heavens earth

7. Hindu Creation Story

Doctrinal or Philosophical

1. – everywhere 2. Antaryami – residing within 3. Bhagavan – residing outside, beyond a. Like the sun, sunshine, and the sun’s reflection. ● Humans have an atman - the non-material self which never changes (basically the eternal soul). ● Also have a , which is one with God. ● A temporary body made from matter (prakriti). ● The atman is trapped by (illusion) and that is why there is lust, anger, greed etc. Ethical or Legal

● Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice , noninjury through thoughts, words, and actions. ● Good Karma (action) and Bad Karma ● Ahimsa involves ethics such as abortion. Do least harm to all involved: the mother and father, the foetus and society. ● Hindus should respect other's belief and their paths and also expect others to do the same to them. ● Hospitality (see social section). ● Tolerance – necessary in order to deal with inconveniences in the performance of one's dharma. ● – based on notions of atman, and the ability to feel for others as we feel for ourselves. ● Respect – for all living beings and for the sanctity of all life. ● Wisdom – Don’t be ignorant. ● Honesty – essential to build legitimate trust within relationships and to avoid self-deception. ● Cleanliness – includes external hygiene and inner purity; especially for . Social or Institutional

India’s caste system 4 main classes based originally on personality, profession, and birth ● /: Consist of those engaged in scriptural education and teaching, essential for the continuation of knowledge. ● : Take on all forms of public service, including administration, maintenance of law and order, and defense. ● : Engage in commercial activity as businessmen. ● : Work as semi-skilled and unskilled laborers. ● Untouchables: All who fall outside of the above 4 castes. (“contaminating” jobs). i. Should be well-supported, but intimate connection with them should be avoided.

● Food: Great emphasis on the role of food. "The kitchen Religion." ○ Religious/public functions considered incomplete without food, especially prasada - food offered to the gods. ○ Important for worship. Prasad is thought to purify the body, mind and spirit. ○ Believe that the consciousness of the cook enters the food and influences the mind of the eater. Prasad cooked and offered with devotion helps with spirituality. ● Hospitality: Very important to Hindu culture ○ Providing food and shelter to strangers is a traditional duty of the house owner. ■ Three items: sweet words, a sitting place, and refreshment. ○ Treat visiting enemies very well, too. ● Family: Extended family (not common today). More broad terms than “uncle” and “aunt” used. Hindu god washing impoverished person’s foot. Caste System Material Dimension Bibliography https://www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/basics/fourteen-questions http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/practices.htm http://www.ahimsarecovery.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/ahimsa.3191810_std.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Muslim_population_map.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Aum_calligraphy_Red.svg/2000px-Aum_calligraphy_Red.svg.png https://www.pinterest.com/pin/367958232030459964/ http://www.nwahindutemple.org/hinduism.php http://www.galacticresonance.org/exhibit/hindu-art/ http://hinduism.about.com/od/lordganesha/a/ganesha.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6hVl84sjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbxlh8oRNWU http://www.anahatayoga.in/blog/om-the-sound-of-silence/ http://blog.boatpeopleboutique.com/diy-mehndi-henna-3-ways http://www.hennaheaven.co.uk/section347523.html http://www.clker.com/clipart-sakura-petal-2-salmon.html http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/indias-caste-system.html http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/hinduism-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html http://samvada.org/2012/news/nagpur-with-the-heavy-waves-of-emotions-funeral-of-sudarshanji-held-brother-performs-last-rites/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ritesrituals/weddings.shtml http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/khattar-to-be-next-haryana-chief-minister/article6522949.ece http://www.cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/creative-creation---20-august-creative-creation.aspx http://www.think69.com/20-amazing-scientific-reasons-behind-hindu-traditions/ http://www.lotussculpture.com/61bs98.html http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/hindu-funeral-customs.navId-403556.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGCZGtfFjc http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/paintings/mahavishnu-blesses-brahma-ji-after-his-prolonged-tapasya-for-creation-of-universe-HK11/ http://hinduism.iskcon.org/lifestyle/903.htm http://www.read-legends-and-myths.com/hindu-creation-myth.html http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Yoga_and_Hindu_Philosophy.htm http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fitness/route-to-roots/article551619.ece http://www.zum.de/whkmla/sp/0708/eunmo/figure%2013.PNG http://hinduism.iskcon.org/index.htm