REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD Discussions Friends who are Hindus – cross-cultural and experience of another religion. Introducing Hinduism  Demographics  3rd largest religion in world. . Just over 1 billion adherents. . Located principally in South Asia.  Nepal has 80% Hindu population. . Only officially Hindu nation.  About 2 million Hindus live in USA. (less than 1%) . Hindu centers. . Highly educated community in USA.

Current Hindu World View

 Cyclical view of history and life.  Some in West take on some Hindu ideas, but not like Hinduism.  Four ages that time passes through. . Four Yugas.  Found in the writings called the Puranas. . Progressive deterioration – dharma is forgotten. . We are in the 4th age – Kali Yuga.  Mahabharata marks onset of the Kali Yuga. . The Ramayana happened in the 3rd age.  Theory of expansion and contraction of the universe. . Big Bounce  Samsara (cycle of birth, death, rebirth)  Prothero p136ff & discusses this under philosophical Hinduism p144ff.  Not understood as something to be celebrated. The problem.  Goal is to escape it. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Can be reborn as an animal, in hell, in heaven, etc. . Atman as animal, human, etc.  Mostly in the Puranas. . Karma (action) determines rebirth.  Atman (soul, or self)  That part of the person that is essential to be that person.  That which is re-born.  Brahman (ultimate being)  Pervades and transcends the universe.  Cannot be described.  Unity between the Brahman and atman. . Salt dissolving in water.  Questions!  What do Samsara, Brahman and Atman say about Hindu understandings of Humanity?  About the relationship of humanity to the natural world? Animals?  Karma (action)  Prothero views as developed first in Vedic religion.  Karma is not the result of actions (how it is used in the West).  Karma is the actions that will eventually produce a result/effect. . Phala is the fruit of the actions (i.e. the result/effect). . Physical, mental, emotional, psychological, ritual karma.  Your actions (karma) in this life will influence how you are re-born in the next.  Moksha (liberation)  The goal. The solution.  To escape and be liberated from the ‘eternal’ cycle of samsara.  One of the Four Aims of Life.

REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Prothero’s system  Problem: Samsara  Goal: Moksha  Technique/means: Yogas  Examplars: Sadhus, Devoted,  Hindu diversity  What are some ways that Hinduism is diverse? (p 134-135)

Yoga (union/discipline)

 (SHOW the PPT on Yogas thru Bakhti not the videos)  Disciplines. . Ways/methods/techniques of obtaining Moksha.  Hatha Yoga (yoga of force). . Discipline and perfect the body and mind. . Esoteric practices. (enemas, magic, etc.) . Hatha Yoga courses at JMU.  Karma Yoga. . Discipline of correct actions. . For Everyone, because everyone must have correct actions. . Dharma  All-encompassing ideology.  Ritual and moral behavior.  Law, order, duty, principle, ethics, justice, etc.  Dependent somewhat upon one’s varna.  Neglect of dharma has bad personal and social consequences.  Jnana Yoga. (144-150) . Discipline of knowledge. (gnosis) . Moksha is found through true knowledge of reality, the absolute (Brahman).  Truly knowing that the atman and the Brahman are one. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Maya = illusion; know the real . Especially important in the Upanishads. . Taking this path of wisdom means that one’s life  Must express the truth of this principle.  Live as if no individual self is separate from the rest of reality.  Renunciation: giving up attachment  Sannyasin, sadhu, etc  Truth is within oneself.  Bhakti Yoga. (150-164) . Discipline of loving devotion to God or Goddess.  Choose your God with whom you establish a loving relationship.  Choice most often comes via your context:  Region, social, caste, family, etc.  Moksha comes through the grace of God, the loving relationship established with the God/Goddess. . These are NOT mutually exclusive! . Beginning of temples in southern India. . Bhagavad Gita.  Devotion to Krishna. . Darshan – seeing and being seen by the God. . Puja – making offerings to the God. (SHOW Videos) (157-159)  Pouring milk.  Food offerings.  Placing flowers.  Using candles and incense  Aarti (Sense8 33:08 – 35:37) PW=Jordan90  Questions! . Which of the 4 yoga do you find most appealing? . Why? REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Gods of Hinduism (pp 153-157)  Ganesha . Overcome obstacles . Prosperity, new adventures . Local restaurants . Very popular  Shiva . Parvati, his wife . Ascetic – sitting cross-legged in Himalayas. . Dancing Shiva – energy, creation and destruction.  Vishnu . Lakshmi, his wife . Creator and destroyer. . Ten Avatars, who come in earth’s darkest times to help.  Rama, the 7th avatar of Vishnu  Krishna, the 8th avatar of Vishnu  Brahma . Sarasvati, his wife  Durga . Wife of Shiva. . Devi – worship of the Goddess. . Paradox  Erotic, but detached.  Gentile, but heroic.  Beautiful, but terrifying.  Local goddesses and sankritization.  Kali . Standing on Shiva. . Wife of Shiva. . Personification of Durga’s anger. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD . Anti-status quo element.  Symbols . Many arms.  An artistic way to depict the many qualities/powers of the gods; they hold items to show these qualities. . Feminine appearance.  The idea is to show them with very youthful appearance. . Blue color.  Represents infinity of the sky.  Sometimes as living gods – humans take the form of gods!

History and Hinduism

 Where? What? Who?  No founder.  Multiple influences.  Multiple forms.  Prothero uses metaphor of rock formation with layers (p 138)  Metaphor of a River.  Draw on board!!!!  Sankritization! . Various ethnic groups and their gods and religious systems are incorporated thru Sanskritization. . Challenges to Brahmin-Kshatriya control are incorporated thru Sanskritization. . Many streams and rivers converge over time to form Hinduism.  Three principle sources of the river!  Indus River Valley Civilization (2800 – 1600 BCE) . Rivals Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Greece, China, etc. . Modern day Pakistan and northwestern India. . Writing not deciphered. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD . Hints of links to Vedic religion.  Dravidian (?) . Indigenous to India? . Migrants? . Linguistically different from Sanskrit and Indo-European.  Aryan nomadic groups (2000 – 1300 BCE) . Migration or Invasion? . A people? An idea? What? . Sanskrit language. (Indo-European)  Metaphor of banyan tree.  Putting down new roots and expanding the tree  (1) Vedic Religion (pp 140-143)  The Vedas. . Written in Sanskrit . The primary Shruti (inspired/revealed) scriptures.  Shruti (heard)  Without historical context.  Inspired, untranslatable, purity, etc. . There are 4 Vedas (Rig Veda) . Hymns, instructions for performing rites, spells, etc. . 1300 – 900 BCE . Oral text for thousand years.  Story of memorization. . Explains sacrificial rites, origins, gods, etc.  Horse sacrifice (install rulers)  Agni – god of fire. The cosmos, the rites and the . Purusha human are held together. . Traces still exist Sacrifice maintains the order.  Fire pits in temples  Nepal sacrifices REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Karma Yoga. . Prothero associates Karma Yoga with Vedic Religion  (2) Philosophical Hinduism (pp 144-150)  Upanishads . More philosophically oriented texts. . Ideas of cycle of rebirth and escape (samsara & moksha) . 600 – 200 BCE.  Buddhism and Jain (7th to 5th C BCE) . Incorporation, reformulation and reaction.  Jain – meditation and renunciation.  Mahavira  Buddhism – meditation and renunciation.  Vedic system would not accept rejection of caste.  Asceticism becomes important aspect of Hinduism  Meditation becomes important  Jnana yoga.  (3) Devotional Hinduism (pp 150-164)  Bhakti yoga. . Loving devotion to a God or Goddess.  Smriti (remembered) . Written by human beings. . Can be translated.  Epics. . Mahabharata. (159-162) . Ramayana. (video) (162-164)  Puranas. . Devotional stories about the Gods/Goddesses. (bhakti) (videos) . Also: law codes, genealogies, cosmologies, guide to ritual and pilgrimage. . Promotes the warrior/ruler groups. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  Sutras (sort of like commentaries – further explanations). . Laws of Manu.  Spell out more detailed rule of proper behavior, caste, etc. . Kama Sutra.  Kama is the God of love and desire.  The text challenges structures of purity. . Brahma Sutra, Yoga Sutra, etc.  Muslim Empires . Hindu kingdoms in the south. . Bakhti becomes stronger and integral part of Hinduism. . Monotheism?  (4) Modern Hinduism (pp 164-168)  British Colonialism. . Savage or civilized? . Re-discovering ancient texts.  Printing presses.  Reacting to scriptural religions. . Creation of “Hinduism”.  Somewhat as Prothero says, Umbrella for Indian practices . Intellectual defense of Hinduism.  Various reform movements  Ram Mohan Roy, Ramakrishna, Vivekanada  India as a nation. . More uniformity of religion and texts through media.  Publishing.  TV and film. . Hindu nationalism – Hindutva.  Lord Rama.  Political parties  Destroying buildings of other religions. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD  (5) Tantra.  Very much in opposition to the status quo. . Superior to the Vedas by followers. . Therefore, opposing scripture. . Challenges traditional notions of purity. . Secretive aspect.  Erotic and antinomian. . Low-caste groups. . Temple prostitution – sexual relations between castes (outside norms). . Cremation grounds.  Ashes and skulls. . Ecstatic. . Animal sacrifice (i.e. non-vegetarian).  Alcohol and sexual fluids. . Gaining spiritual power.  Sankritization. . Moderated practices by Brahmins. . Symbolic understanding.  The Four Stages of Life (ashrama)  Celibate student.  Not really consecutive stages. . Learning the Veda.  More for higher castes. . Religious learning.  Part of one’s dharma  Householder. . Satisfying desire (kama).  One of the Four Aims of Life. . Accumulate wealth (artha).  Material gain.  One of the Four Aims of Life. . Form a family, get a job, etc. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD . Most Hindus remain here – find satisfaction! . Rites, holidays, dharma, bakhti, karma, etc. are important.  Video Maha Kumbh sections 2 & 3.  Hinduism: Faith, Festivals and Rituals Section 21  Forest-dwelling hermit. . Wrinkled, gray, old, grandchildren. . Ascetic life in the forest. . Perform rituals.  Wandering renouncer. . Wandering. . Begging. . Eating only non-cooked foods.  Four Aims of Life  Aims/Ends that are the focus of legitimate, divinely prescribed human striving.  Artha – worldly success.  Kama – sensory pleasure.  Dharma – fulfilling the duty of one’s caste.  Moksha – release from the cycle of death and rebirth.  Caste. (VARNA and JATI PPT)  Four Varna (colors) . Rig Veda (book 10: Hymn 90)  Sacrifice of Purusa (cosmic man) by the gods. Twice-born  Mouth – Brahmins (priests/scholars) and string  Arms – Kshatriya (warriors/rulers) around  Thighs – Vaishya (merchants/farmers) shoulder.  Feet – Shudra (servants/art) . You can often know the caste of a person by their name.  Jati (birth) . Polarity between purity and pollution. REL 101: RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD . The harder more caste-like aspect.  Hundreds or thousands. . Hierarchical structure with regional diversity. . A property of the body, and cannot be removed. . Strict rules of endogamy and relationships.  Dalits. . Entrance into Hindu system for tribal groups. . Possibility of moving up (generations/lives). . Dalits (preferred designation). . Harijans (children of God – Gandhi). . Still a problem in India: beatings, murders, etc.  Colonial Influence . A more fluid system was codified by British as a means of control  Caste in Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago. . It exists, though lessening of strictures.  Most/All societies have something like this, though perhaps less explicitly structured.