A Brief Introduction to Hinduism
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SACRED SPACES and OBJECTS: the VISUAL, MATERIAL, and TANGIBLE George Pati
SACRED SPACES AND OBJECTS: THE VISUAL, MATERIAL, AND TANGIBLE George Pati BRAUER MUSEUM OF ART | APRIL 13 — MAY 8, 2016 WE AT THE BRAUER MUSEUM are grateful for the opportunity to present this exhibition curated by George Pati, Ph.D., Surjit S. Patheja Chair in World Religions and Ethics and Valparaiso University associate professor of theology and international studies. Through this exhibition, Professor Pati shares the fruits of his research conducted during his recent sabbatical and in addition provides valuable insights into sacred objects, sites, and practices in India. Professor Pati’s photographs document specific places but also reflect a creative eye at work; as an artist, his documents are also celebrations of the particular spaces that inspire him and capture his imagination. Accompanying the images in the exhibition are beautiful textiles and objects of metalware that transform the gallery into its own sacred space, with respectful and reverent viewing becoming its own ritual that could lead to a fuller understanding of the concepts Pati brings to our attention. Professor Pati and the Brauer staff wish to thank the Surjit S. Patheja Chair in World Religions and Ethics and the Partners for the Brauer Museum of Art for support of this exhibition. In addition, we wish to thank Gretchen Buggeln and David Morgan for the insights and perspectives they provide in their responses to Pati's essay and photographs. Gregg Hertzlieb, Director/Curator Brauer Museum of Art 2 | BRAUER MUSEUM OF ART SACRED SPACES AND OBJECTS: THE VISUAL, MATERIAL, AND TANGIBLE George Pati George Pati, Ph.D., Valparaiso University Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6:23 Only in a man who has utmost devotion for God, and who shows the same devotion for teacher as for God, These teachings by the noble one will be illuminating. -
Heidegger and Indian Thinking: the Hermeneutic of a “Belonging-Together” of Negation and Affirmation
Comparative Philosophy Volume 6, No. 1 (2015): 111-128 Open Access / ISSN 2151-6014 www.comparativephilosophy.org HEIDEGGER AND INDIAN THINKING: THE HERMENEUTIC OF A “BELONGING-TOGETHER” OF NEGATION AND AFFIRMATION JAISON D. VALLOORAN ABSTRACT: According to Heidegger the questioning of Being is unique to western philosophical tradition, however we see that the hermeneutic of Being is explicit in inter- cultural context of thinking. Understanding Brahman as “one” and “the same” Śankara speaks together with Heidegger the same hermeneutic of ontological monism. Due to the reason that there is no explicit terminological equivalent of the word ‘Being’ in Śankara’s thinking, the hermeneutic of Śankara’s ontological understanding of Brahman and its distinction as “Saguna” and “Nirguna” are not sufficiently explored. In an inter-cultural ontological context, it is important not to insist on terminological equivalence, but to search for hermeneutic depth. Similarly Madhyamaka-Buddhism of Nāgārjuna describes the universe as totally devoid of reality, called ‘Śūnya’ or void, which is an expression of nihilism; it is comparable to Heidegger’s observation of the concealing of Being as “nihil”. The hermeneutic of these explicit ontological characters of Being, as concealment and un- concealment allow us to discover a sabotaging brotherhood, because the nihil and something are ontologically two essential sides of the same thinking. Keywords: Heidegger, Śankara, Nāgārjuna, Inter-cultural Ontology, Indian Philosophy 1. INTRODUCTION Philosophies give explanations of the world, of “what” of beings, and set norms for the right relationships between human beings. Therefore it is an exclusive property of mankind; still it is an intellectual engagement in an individual culture in its highest level. -
A Study of the Early Vedic Age in Ancient India
Journal of Arts and Culture ISSN: 0976-9862 & E-ISSN: 0976-9870, Volume 3, Issue 3, 2012, pp.-129-132. Available online at http://www.bioinfo.in/contents.php?id=53. A STUDY OF THE EARLY VEDIC AGE IN ANCIENT INDIA FASALE M.K.* Department of Histroy, Abasaheb Kakade Arts College, Bodhegaon, Shevgaon- 414 502, MS, India *Corresponding Author: Email- [email protected] Received: December 04, 2012; Accepted: December 20, 2012 Abstract- The Vedic period (or Vedic age) was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas, was com- posed roughly between 1700 and 1100 BCE, also referred to as the early Vedic period. The end of the period is commonly estimated to have occurred about 500 BCE, and 150 BCE has been suggested as a terminus ante quem for all Vedic Sanskrit literature. Transmission of texts in the Vedic period was by oral tradition alone, and a literary tradition set in only in post-Vedic times. Despite the difficulties in dating the period, the Vedas can safely be assumed to be several thousands of years old. The associated culture, sometimes referred to as Vedic civilization, was probably centred early on in the northern and northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent, but has now spread and constitutes the basis of contemporary Indian culture. After the end of the Vedic period, the Mahajanapadas period in turn gave way to the Maurya Empire (from ca. -
Kriya-Yoga" in the Youpi-Sutra
ON THE "KRIYA-YOGA" IN THE YOUPI-SUTRA By Shingen TAKAGI The Yogasutra (YS.) defines that yoga is suppression of the activity of mind in its beginning. The Yogabhasya (YBh.) by Vyasa, the oldest (1) commentary on this sutra says "yoga is concentration (samadhi)". Now- here in the sutra itself yoga is not used as a synonym of samadhi. On the other hand, Nyayasutra (NS.) 4, 2, 38 says of "the practice of a spe- cial kind of concentration" in connection with realizing the cognition of truth, and also NS. 4, 2, 42 says that the practice of yoga should be done in a quiet places such as forest, a natural cave, or river side. According NS. 4, 2, 46, the atman can be purified through abstention (yama), obser- vance (niyama), through yoga and the means of internal exercise. It can be surmised that the author of NS. also used the two terms samadhi and yoga as synonyms, since it speaks of a special kind of concentration on one hand, and practice of yoga on the other. In the Nyayabhasya (NBh. ed. NS. 4, 2, 46), the author says that the method of interior exercise should be understood by the Yogasastra, enumerating austerity (tapas), regulation of breath (pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara), contem- plation (dhyana) and fixed-attention (dharana). He gives the practice of yoga (yogacara) as another method. It seems, through NS. 4, 2, 46 as mentioned above, that Vatsyayana regarded yama, niyama, tapas, prana- yama, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana and yogacara as the eight aids to the yoga. -
The Significance of Fire Offering in Hindu Society
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ISSN : 2277-7881; IMPACT FACTOR - 2.735; IC VALUE:5.16 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7(3), JULY 2014 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FIRE OFFERING IN HINDU THE SIGNIFICANCESOCIETY OF FIRE OFFERING IN HINDU SOCIETY S. Sushrutha H. R. Nagendra Swami Vivekananda Yoga Swami Vivekananda Yoga University University Bangalore, India Bangalore, India R. G. Bhat Swami Vivekananda Yoga University Bangalore, India Introduction Vedas demonstrate three domains of living for betterment of process and they include karma (action), dhyana (meditation) and jnana (knowledge). As long as individuality continues as human being, actions will follow and it will eventually lead to knowledge. According to the Dhatupatha the word yajna derives from yaj* in Sanskrit language that broadly means, [a] worship of GODs (natural forces), [b] synchronisation between various domains of creation and [c] charity.1 The concept of God differs from religion to religion. The ancient Hindu scriptures conceptualises Natural forces as GOD or Devatas (deva that which enlightens [div = light]). Commonly in all ancient civilizations the worship of Natural forces as GODs was prevalent. Therefore any form of manifested (Sun, fire and so on) and or unmanifested (Prana, Manas and so on) form of energy is considered as GOD even in Hindu tradition. Worship conceives the idea of requite to the sources of energy forms from where the energy is drawn for the use of all 260 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ISSN : 2277-7881; IMPACT FACTOR - 2.735; IC VALUE:5.16 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7(3), JULY 2014 life forms. Worshiping the Gods (Upasana) can be in the form of worship of manifest forms, prostration, collection of ingredients or devotees for worship, invocation, study and discourse and meditation. -
An Understanding of Maya: the Philosophies of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva
An understanding of Maya: The philosophies of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva Department of Religion studies Theology University of Pretoria By: John Whitehead 12083802 Supervisor: Dr M Sukdaven 2019 Declaration Declaration of Plagiarism 1. I understand what plagiarism means and I am aware of the university’s policy in this regard. 2. I declare that this Dissertation is my own work. 3. I did not make use of another student’s previous work and I submit this as my own words. 4. I did not allow anyone to copy this work with the intention of presenting it as their own work. I, John Derrick Whitehead hereby declare that the following Dissertation is my own work and that I duly recognized and listed all sources for this study. Date: 3 December 2019 Student number: u12083802 __________________________ 2 Foreword I started my MTh and was unsure of a topic to cover. I knew that Hinduism was the religion I was interested in. Dr. Sukdaven suggested that I embark on the study of the concept of Maya. Although this concept provided a challenge for me and my faith, I wish to thank Dr. Sukdaven for giving me the opportunity to cover such a deep philosophical concept in Hinduism. This concept Maya is deeper than one expects and has broaden and enlightened my mind. Even though this was a difficult theme to cover it did however, give me a clearer understanding of how the world is seen in Hinduism. 3 List of Abbreviations AD Anno Domini BC Before Christ BCE Before Common Era BS Brahmasutra Upanishad BSB Brahmasutra Upanishad with commentary of Sankara BU Brhadaranyaka Upanishad with commentary of Sankara CE Common Era EW Emperical World GB Gitabhasya of Shankara GK Gaudapada Karikas Rg Rig Veda SBH Sribhasya of Ramanuja Svet. -
Balabodha Sangraham
बालबोध सङ्ग्रहः - १ BALABODHA SANGRAHA - 1 A Non-detailed Text book for Vedic Students Compiled with blessings and under instructions and guidance of Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Sri Sankaracharya Swamiji 69th Peethadhipathi and Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Sri Sankaracharya Swamiji 70th Peethadhipathi of Moolamnaya Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Offered with devotion and humility by Sri Atma Bodha Tirtha Swamiji (Sri Kumbakonam Swamiji) Disciple of Pujyasri Kuvalayananda Tirtha Swamiji (Sri Tambudu Swamiji) Translation from Tamil by P.R.Kannan, Navi Mumbai Page 1 of 86 Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham ॥ श्रीमहागणपतये नमः ॥ ॥ श्री गु셁भ्यो नमः ॥ INTRODUCTION जगत्कामकलाकारं नािभस्थानं भुवः परम् । पदपस्य कामाक्षयाः महापीठमुपास्महे ॥ सदाििवसमारमभां िंकराचाययमध्यमाम् । ऄस्मदाचाययपययनतां वनदे गु셁परमपराम् ॥ We worship the Mahapitha of Devi Kamakshi‟s lotus feet, the originator of „Kamakala‟ in the world, the supreme navel-spot of the earth. We worship the Guru tradition, starting from Sadasiva, having Sankaracharya in the middle and coming down upto our present Acharya. This book is being published for use of students who join Veda Pathasala for the first year of Vedic studies and specially for those students who are between 7 and 12 years of age. This book is similar to the Non-detailed text books taught in school curriculum. We wish that Veda teachers should teach this book to their Veda students on Anadhyayana days (days on which Vedic teaching is prohibited) or according to their convenience and motivate the students. -
Dfw Hindutempl Cal. 2010 -- BLANK-8-18-09
2018 HINDU TEMPLE OF GREATER FORT WORTH HTGFW January 2018 Pushyam and Magham Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 English New year Ramparivar Abhishekam Sankatah ara Chaturthi Mahalakshmi Ganapati Pooja and 6:30 pm Ganapati Abhisheakm Abhishekam 6:30 pm Abhishekam at 10 am 6:30pm Poornima Satyanarayana Pooja at 7:30 pm 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Ekadashi Pradosham Bogi 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Makara Kanuma Amavasya Magham Begins Srinivasa Sankranti Abhishekam 6:30 pm Sri Goda Ranganatha Kalyanam 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Vasantha Shukla Sashti Durga Devi Ekadashi Panchami Subrahmanya swamy Abhishekam 6:30 Abhishekam 6:30 pm pm 28 29 30 31 Pradosham Poornima Poornima Satyanarayana Pooja 6:30 pm Everyday Suprabhatham at 9am HINDU TEMPLE OF GREATER FORT WORTH HTGFW February 2018 Magham and Phalgunam Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 Sankatahara Chaturthi Ganapati Abhishekam 6:30 p m 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ekadashi 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Maha Pradosham Maha Shivaratri Srinivasa Amavasya Phalhunam Begins Shivaparvathi Abhisheakm 6:30 Kalyanam 11 am Temple will be open pm till midnight 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Shukla Sashti Durgadevi Radhakrishna Subrahmaya Abhishekma 6:30 pm Abhishekam 6:30 Swamy Abhishekma pm 6:30 pm 25 26 27 28 Ekadashi Ramparivar Pradosham Abhishekam 10 am Everyday Suprabhatham at 9am HINDU TEMPLE OF GREATER FORT WORTH HTGFW March 2018 Phalgunam And Chaitram Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 Holi Poornima Satyanarayana Pooja at 6:30 pm Holika Dahanam at 7:30 pm -
Conceptions of Hinduism— Swami Agehananda Bharati Versus the Hindu Reformers
Conceptions of Hinduism— Swami Agehananda Bharati versus the Hindu Reformers Christopher Jason Helton Koncepcie hinduizmu—Swámí Agehánanda Bháratí verzus hinduistickí reformisti Resumé " #túdia definuje základné charakteristiky koncepcie hinduizmu v diele Agehá- nanda Bháratího a dáva ich do protikladu s názormi hinduistick%ch reformátorov. Hindu- istickí reformátori kládli dôraz na asketické prvky a stali sa z nich v%znamní predstavitelia hnutia za nezávislos& Indie aj kvôli tomu, 'e svoje názory na úlohu vá(ní interpretovali v súlade s protestantsk%mi názormi )a teda názormi svojich kolonizátorov). Abstract This paper will attempt to isolate key characteristics of Agehananda Bharati’s conception of Hinduism and contrast those with the views of the Hindu Reformers. The latter were crucial in emphasizing ascetic elements, and became prominent representa- tives of the Indian independence movement, namely by adjusting their views to Pro- testant )and thus the colonizers’) views of the role of passions. Keywords Hinduism, Hindu Reformers, Hindu Renaissance · Tantra, asceticism, moksha, mysticism, amoralism, eroticism, self-criticism, puritanism Huston Smith )b1919), he of venerable memory and frustrating analogies, introducing the chapter on Hinduism in his The World’s Religions )orig. The Religions of Man, 1958) gives the fundamental question of Hinduism thusly: »If we were to take Hinduism as a whole!its vast literature, its complicated rituals, its sprawling folkways, its opulent art!and compress it into a single affirmation, we would find it saying: You can have what you want.«1 Smith’s assertion raises a 1 Huston Smith, The World’s Religions )New York: HarperCollins, 1991), 13. 58 SOS 15 · 1 (2016) number of troubling questions for the researcher: Just how comprehensive was Smith’s knowledge of Hinduism’s »vast literature«? Was he a Sanskritist? What are »sprawling folkways«, exactly? Nevertheless, it is this writer’s assertion that, according to Swami Agehananda Bharati, Smith was exactly right, though perhaps for the wrong reasons. -
Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata Purana The Bh āgavata Pur āṇa (Devanagari : भागवतपुराण ; also Śrīmad Bh āgavata Mah ā Pur āṇa, Śrīmad Bh āgavatam or Bh āgavata ) is one of Hinduism 's eighteen great Puranas (Mahapuranas , great histories).[1][2] Composed in Sanskrit and available in almost all Indian languages,[3] it promotes bhakti (devotion) to Krishna [4][5][6] integrating themes from the Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara .[5][7][8] The Bhagavata Purana , like other puranas, discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology, genealogy, geography, mythology, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture.[5][9] As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as Krishna, (called " Hari " and " Vasudeva " in the text) – first makes peace with the demons, understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and good – a cyclic theme that appears in many legends.[10] The Bhagavata Purana is a revered text in Vaishnavism , a Hindu tradition that reveres Vishnu.[11] The text presents a form of religion ( dharma ) that competes with that of the Vedas , wherein bhakti ultimately leads to self-knowledge, liberation ( moksha ) and bliss.[12] However the Bhagavata Purana asserts that the inner nature and outer form of Krishna is identical to the Vedas and that this is what rescues the world from the forces of evil.[13] An oft-quoted verse is used by some Krishna sects to assert that the text itself is Krishna in literary -
History of Legalization of Abortion in the United States of America in Political and Religious Context and Its Media Presentation
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by DSpace at University of West Bohemia Západočeská univerzita v Plzni Fakulta filozofická Bakalářská práce History of legalization of abortion in the United States of America in political and religious context and its media presentation Klára Čížková Plzeň 2017 Západočeská univerzita v Plzni Fakulta filozofická Katedra románských jazyků Studijní program Filologie Studijní obor Cizí jazyky pro komerční praxi Kombinace angličtina – francouzština Bakalářská práce History of legalization of abortion in the United States of America in political and religious context and its media presentation Klára Čížková Vedoucí práce: Ing. BcA. Milan Kohout Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury Fakulta filozofická Západočeské univerzity v Plzni Plzeň 2017 Prohlašuji, že jsem práci zpracovala samostatně a použila jen uvedených pramenů a literatury. Plzeň, duben 2017 ……………………… Na tomto místě bych ráda poděkovala vedoucímu bakalářské práce Ing. BcA. Milanu Kohoutovi za cenné rady a odbornou pomoc, které mi při zpracování poskytl. Dále bych ráda poděkovala svému partnerovi a své rodině za podporu a trpělivost. Plzeň, duben 2017 ……………………… Table of contents 1 Introduction........................................................................................................1 2 History of abortion.............................................................................................3 2.1 19th Century.......................................................................................................3 -
Holi – Holy Opportunity to Relish Divine Love
HOLI – HOLY OPPORTUNITY TO RELISH DIVINE LOVE The festive bonfire; the smearing of dyes; the spraying of colored water; the joyful faces of all – these memories flash through any Indian mind, when reminded of Holi, one of the most important of all Indian festivals. Indeed, festivals are an integral and endearing part of Indian culture. They break the monotony of life, bring everyone together in joyful reunion and strengthen bonds of affection in the community. In traditional Vedic culture, festivals served another important purpose, a purpose that has been all but forgotten nowadays. Festivals were primarily meant to bring humanity closer to divinity; they served as occasions for people to put aside their worldly preoccupations and focus on the Lord and His glorious deeds. Without knowing this spiritual purpose, people nowadays get external fun through festivals and miss the internal enrichment that they offer. The upcoming festival of Holi, celebrated on the last day of the bright fortnight of the month of Phalgun, offers an excellent opportunity to regain what we have missed for long. Let’s start with the bonfire. The history of the bonfire dates back to millennia, when the demon king Hiranyakashipu ruled and terrorized the universe, considered God, Vishnu, and His devotees to be his arch enemy. When the demon saw that his own son, Prahlada, had become a devotee of Vishnu, he decided to kill Prahlada. But Lord Vishnu protected Prahlada during all the assassination attempts. In despair, Hiranyakashipu ordered his sister, Holika, who had been blessed with immunity from fire, to take Prahlada into fire and burn him to death.