DOCSLIB.ORG

Dharmic Religions Directions: Read the Quotes Below and Answer the Related Questions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dharmic Religions Directions: Read the Quotes Below and Answer the Related Questions Name __________________________________________ Date ___________ Class _______ Period _____ Dharmic Religions Directions: Read the quotes below and answer the related questions. Then, at the end, answer the Quaestio in paragraph form, using what you learned both from last night’s homework and today’s class. They have called him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, And the divine fine-winged Garuda; They speak of Indra, Yama, Matrarisvan: The One Being (Brahman) wise men call by many names. Source: Rig Veda 1.164.46 (earliest holy text of Hinduism) Based on the quote, does this sound more like monotheism or polytheism (or both)? Explain. ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ During the time the Vedas were being written, 1500-500 BCE, people worshipped early gods of nature, such as Indra (the god of thunder) and Agni (the god of fire). They worshipped these gods mainly by making sacrifices of food to the gods, burning them in a holy fire. From 500-200 BCE, Indian philosophers composed writings called the Upanishads, which explained the Vedas in new ways and introduced new ideas. These new ideas became part of Jainism and Buddhism, and also became part of the Hindu tradition. Much later, during the Gupta Empire (320-500 CE), people began to focus on one god as their main god, and saw other gods as lesser versions of their main god. For example, some people focused on Vishnu as their main god, others focused on Shiva. Source: Peter Casey, Global History teacher, 2013 According the explanation above, how did Hinduism change over the centuries? ______________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ ***** ASCETIC = a person who practices severe self-discipline and avoids from all desires. ***** [The centuries from about 500 BCE to 50 BCE were] the period that created many of the [beliefs that are common to] later Indian religions. Some of the fundamental values and beliefs that we generally associate with Indian religions in general and Hinduism in particular were in part the creation of the ascetic* tradition. These include the two [of the most important beliefs of Indian religions]: Samsara - the belief [in the cycle of birth and death through reincarnation] Moksha/Nirvana - the goal of existence [to be released form the cycle of rebirth and unite with Brahman] Source: Gavin Flood, The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, 2003 According the explanation above, was belief in reincarnation and moksha always part of Hinduism? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ The excerpt below comes from the Bhagavad Gita, a book that tells the story of a warrior named Arjuna who learns about life and religion from Krishna, who some Hindus believe to be the god Vishnu in human form. The Bhagavad Gita is part of a much longer epic poem called the Mahabharata. The soul is never born and never dies…The soul is eternal [and] timeless, and is never destroyed when the body is destroyed… As a person puts on new clothes and discards old and torn clothes, similarly a… soul enters new… bodies, leaving the old bodies. Source: Bhagavad Gita 2:20-22 (completed between 300-400 CE) What concept, common to Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, is being described in the quote above? _______________________________________________________________ Quaestio: ________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Agni's Flight and Return
    Agni’s Flight and Return Presented to the ADF Summerlands Festival, Camp Clifton, Ohio, August 2016. by Nathan Large Agni has been born many times, of many mothers and fathers. He is born out of the heavens, in the solar fire. He is born of the celestial waters and brought forth in the winds, the rains, and the lightning. He is born of two mothers, the drill and board, with ten maids attending the birth. He is born, and dies, and is reborn again. Agni was a handsome young priest, a hotar, newly ordained as minister of all sacrifice. He was to succeed his elder brothers, each of whom served before as hotar, each of whom died in that service. The gods waited eagerly for the bounty of offerings their priest would bring, offerings from Manu, first human, representative of all humankind. But the offerings never came. The sacrifices were not made. Agni, promising young priest, had disappeared. Like us, without Agni, the gods cannot eat and grow weak. Hungry, angry, and afraid, the gods rode forth, after learning of their priest’s absence. Indra the Thundering King, Varuna the Lawgiver, and Yama the Judge rode at their head, best skilled to seek out the missing priest. They sought him out, but Agni was well hidden. Knowing the fate of his brothers before, fearing his own inevitable death, Agni fled far and hid deep. First he hid in the darkness of the skies, but Matarisvan the lightning sensed Agni and revealed him to Indra. Agni ran flashing to the earth.
    [Show full text]
  • Vedic Brahmanism and Its Offshoots
    Vedic Brahmanism and Its Offshoots Buddhism (Buddha) Followed by Hindūism (Kṛṣṇā) The religion of the Vedic period (also known as Vedism or Vedic Brahmanism or, in a context of Indian antiquity, simply Brahmanism[1]) is a historical predecessor of Hinduism.[2] Its liturgy is reflected in the Mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites that often involved sacrifices. This mode of worship is largely unchanged today within Hinduism; however, only a small fraction of conservative Shrautins continue the tradition of oral recitation of hymns learned solely through the oral tradition. Texts dating to the Vedic period, composed in Vedic Sanskrit, are mainly the four Vedic Samhitas, but the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and some of the older Upanishads (Bṛhadāraṇyaka, Chāndogya, Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana) are also placed in this period. The Vedas record the liturgy connected with the rituals and sacrifices performed by the 16 or 17 shrauta priests and the purohitas. According to traditional views, the hymns of the Rigveda and other Vedic hymns were divinely revealed to the rishis, who were considered to be seers or "hearers" (shruti means "what is heard") of the Veda, rather than "authors". In addition the Vedas are said to be "apaurashaya", a Sanskrit word meaning uncreated by man and which further reveals their eternal non-changing status. The mode of worship was worship of the elements like fire and rivers, worship of heroic gods like Indra, chanting of hymns and performance of sacrifices. The priests performed the solemn rituals for the noblemen (Kshsatriya) and some wealthy Vaishyas.
    [Show full text]
  • Part I the Religions of Indian Origin
    Part I The Religions of Indian Origin MRC01 13 6/4/04, 10:46 AM Religions of Indian Origin AFGHANISTAN CHINA Amritsar Kedamath Rishikesh PAKISTAN Badrinath Harappa Hardwar Delhi Indus R. NEPAL Indus Civilization BHUTAN Mohenjo-daro Ayodhya Mathura Lucknow Ganges R. Pushkar Prayag BANGLADESH Benares Gaya Ambaji I N D I A Dakshineshwar Sidphur Bhopal Ahmadabad Jabalpur Jamshedpur Calcutta Dwarka Dakor Pavagadh Raipur Gimar Kadod Nagpur Bhubaneswar Nasik-Tryambak Jagannath Puri Bombay Hyderabad Vishakhapatnam Arabian Sea Panaji Bay of Bengal Tirupati Tiruvannamalai-Kaiahasti Bangalore Madras Mangalore Kanchipuram Pondicherry Calicut Kavaratti Island Madurai Thanjavar Hindu place of pilgrimage Rameswaram Pilgrimage route Major city SRI LANKA The Hindu cultural region 14 MRC01 14 6/4/04, 10:46 AM 1 Hinduism Hinduism The Spirit of Hinduism Through prolonged austerities and devotional practices the sage Narada won the grace of the god Vishnu. The god appeared before him in his hermitage and granted him the fulfillment of a wish. “Show me the magic power of your Maya,” Narada prayed. The god replied, “I will. Come with me,” but with an ambiguous smile on his lips. From the shade of the hermit grove, Vishnu led Narada across a bare stretch of land which blazed like metal under the scorching sun. The two were soon very thirsty. At some distance, in the glaring light, they perceived the thatched roofs of a tiny village. Vishnu asked, “Will you go over there and fetch me some water?” “Certainly, O Lord,” the saint replied, and he made off to the distant group of huts. When Narada reached the hamlet, he knocked at the first door.
    [Show full text]
  • My HANUMAN CHALISA My HANUMAN CHALISA
    my HANUMAN CHALISA my HANUMAN CHALISA DEVDUTT PATTANAIK Illustrations by the author Published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2017 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 Copyright © Devdutt Pattanaik 2017 Illustrations Copyright © Devdutt Pattanaik 2017 Cover illustration: Hanuman carrying the mountain bearing the Sanjivani herb while crushing the demon Kalanemi underfoot. The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and the facts are as reported by him which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-81-291-3770-8 First impression 2017 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The moral right of the author has been asserted. This edition is for sale in the Indian Subcontinent only. Design and typeset in Garamond by Special Effects, Mumbai This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. To the trolls, without and within Contents Why My Hanuman Chalisa? The Text The Exploration Doha 1: Establishing the Mind-Temple Doha 2: Statement of Desire Chaupai 1: Why Monkey as God Chaupai 2: Son of Wind Chaupai 3:
    [Show full text]
  • From Rig-Veda to Upanishads
    McMASTER UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE AMERICAN LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS. I. Buddhism.—The History and Literature of Bud dhism. By T. W. Rhys-Davids, LL.D., Ph.D. II. Primitive Religions.—The Religions of Primitive Peoples. By D. G. Brinton, A.M., M.D., LL.D., Sc.D. III. Israel.—Jewish Religions. Life after the Exile. By Rev. T. K. Cheyne, M.A., D.D. IV. Israel.—Religion of Israel to the Exile. By Karl Budde, D.D. V. Ancient Egyptians.—The Religion of the Ancient Egyptians. By G. Steindorff, Ph.D. VI. Religion in Japan.—The Development of Re ligion in Japan. By George W. Knox, D.D. VII. The Veda.—The Religion of the Veda. By Maurice Bloomfdjld, Ph.D., LL.D. In activepreparation : VIII. Islam.—The Religion of Islam. By Iguaz Goldziher, Ph.D., Litt.D. G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON AMERICAN LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS SERIES— SEVENTH 1906-1907 THE RELIGION OFTHE VEDA THE ANCIENT RELIGION OF INDIA (From Rig-Veda to Upanishads) BY MAURICE BLOOMFIELD, Ph.D., LL.D. Professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology in Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON Zbe "ftntcfcerbocher press 1908 Copyright, 1008 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS TEbe lttUcfterbocfter ©re»g, new Jtort PREFACE. THIS volume reproduces with some little ampli fication six lectures on the Religion of the Veda given before various learned institutions of America during the fall and winter of 1906-07. The period of time and the amount of literature embraced in the term Vedic are large ; moreover any discussion of this religion that deserves the name must also include a glance at the prehistoric periods which preceded the religion of the Veda.
    [Show full text]
  • A Walk Along the Ganga1 (3-5 Class Periods)
    A Walk along the Ganga1 (3-5 class periods) Suggested Curriculum Areas: Social Studies/Global Studies and the Living Environment Goals: 1. To expose students to Indian culture including Hindu social customs, traditions, and religious beliefs and practices. (Social Studies Standard 2) 2. To introduce students to water resource issues in India. In what ways have human decisions and activities have had an impact on the Ganges ecosystem? (Living Environments, Key Idea 7) 3. To introduce the students to internet and library research skills. 4. To encourage students to think critically about an issue from a variety of perspectives. Background Information for Teachers PowerPoint: “Ganga: River and Ritual in Hinduism” Handout: River Ganga, Varanasi India Information sheet Articles and book chapters: o Alley, Kelly. 1994. Ganga and Gandagi: Interpretations of Pollution and Waste in Banaras. Ethnology. 33(2): 127-145. o Eck, Diana. 1982. Banaras: City of Light. New York: Knopf. (especially Chapter 5: The River Ganges and the Great Ghats) o Pandey, Brijesh. 2012. Ganga Polluted. Tehelka Magazine. http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main53.asp?filename=Ne160612GANGA.asp Video: Rose Apple Tree Island (2012) (http://vimeo.com/41653955) Video: “Ganges” (BBC, 2007) o A beautiful documentary about the ecology and cultural importance of the Ganges River. o This video can be ordered from the BBC. There are short clips at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007wjwz/clips. You can also find it on YouTube. Website: National Ganga River Basin Authority: http://cpcb.nic.in/ngrba/about.html o The website for the government agency responsible for managing the Ganges watershed.
    [Show full text]
  • NÔ Ai¶ Suyr P&Iwvi *Aes ! Vayu Saem
    Introduction to Asian Philosophy The Vedic Gods The Ruler of Heaven. “In the Vedas, Indra appears as the deity of the sphere of space, the dispenser of rain who #NÔ dwells in the clouds. Feared as the ruler of the storm, the thrower of the thunderbolt, he is also the cause of fertility. As the ruler of the sky world he is the companion of Va– yu, the wind, which is the life breath of the cosmos. In several hymns of the Rg. Veda the highest divine functions and attributes are ascribed to him. In the triad of gods, Indra Agni, Vay––u, and Surya, who hold preeminence above the others, Indra frequently takes the place of Vay–u as the Indra ruler of the sphere of space. Agni, Indra, and Sur– ya then represent the three forms of fire: the fire of the earthly world, the thunderbolt or fire of the sphere of space, and the sun, the fire of the sky. As the king of the gods, Indra is a prominent deity. In the Vedas, more hymns are addressed to Indra than to any other deity” (Daniélou, 106-107). Fire. “The earth is the dwelling place of fire. Fire captured and tamed by man has been the greatest assistant in his Ai¶ progress, the instrument of his power. Every form of fire is worshiped as a deity, but the divinity of fire is more directly experienced in the ritual fire, born of two pieces of wood rubbed together to the accompaniment of ritual Agni utterances and ceremonies. Agni is one of the most important deities of the Vedas.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramakatha Rasavahini II 7 Preface for This Edition 8 This Book 9 the Inner Meaning 11 Chapter 1
    Ramakatha Rasavahini II Stream of Sacred Sweetness Sathya Sai Baba Contents Ramakatha Rasavahini II 7 Preface for this Edition 8 This Book 9 The Inner Meaning 11 Chapter 1. The Dandaka Forest 12 The fool Jayanta 12 A visit to the sage Athri’s hermitage 12 A stay at a beautiful hermitage 13 An encounter with Viradha, the ogre 14 Sarabhanga immolates himself 14 Sutheekshna adores Rama 15 On to Agastya’s ashram 16 Agastya asks not to be deluded into egotism 17 The story of the curse on Dandaka Forest 18 On to Dandaka Forest 18 Chapter 2. Panchavati 20 Lakshmana’s sense of duty 20 Rama constantly has visitors 21 Rama discourses on spiritual matters 22 Surpanakha falls for Lakshmana 23 Surpanakha is punished 24 The demons want revenge 25 The demons kill each other! 26 Ascetic sages visit Rama 27 Ravana hears Surpanakha’s story 28 Chapter 3. The Wily Villain 30 The thoughts of Ravana and Vibhishana 30 Ravana enlists Maricha’s help 30 Rama and Sita discuss their plans 31 The deer entices the brothers 32 Rama stalks and kills the deer 33 Caught between two loyalties 34 Sita is kidnapped! 35 Jatayu tries to save Sita 35 The brothers lament Sita’s disappearance 36 Lakshmana realizes the truth 37 Rama assents 38 Study the Ramayana closely! 39 Jatayu tells them what he knows 39 Ajamukhi loses her limbs 40 Rama kills Kabanda 40 Sabari tells her story 41 Rama admires devotion 42 Sabari tells what she knows 43 Chapter 4. An Ally Accepted 45 Hanuman meets the brothers 45 The brothers meet Sugriva 46 Lakshmana identifies some of the jewels 47 Sugriva tells his story 47 The story of the curse on Vali 49 Rama exhibits his power 50 Sugriva pours out his feelings 51 The battle between Vali and Sugriva 52 Rama kills His devotee, Vali 54 Rama consoles Tara 56 The search for Sita is delayed by weather 57 Chapter 5.
    [Show full text]
  • India-Japan Cultural Syncretism Reflected in Japanese Pantheon of Deities Siddharth Singh Director, Vivekananda Cultural Centre
    India-Japan Cultural syncretism reflected in Japanese Pantheon of deities Siddharth Singh Director, Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Tokyo “India is culturally, Mother of Japan. For centuries it has, in her own characteristic way, been exercising her influence on the thought and culture of Japan. …..without Indian influence, Japanese culture would not be what it is today. As most Japanese profess the Buddhist faith, needless to say, they have generally been influenced by Indian ideas to a great extent.” [1] Hajime Nakamura “It is very important for the Japanese to know that in the bottom of Japanese culture, Indian culture is very firmly imprinted.”[2] Yasukuni Enoki, Former Ambassador of Japan to India It is pertinent to know how closely Indian culture is embedded in the Japanese past and present and a bright example of such deeper linkages is Japanese temples containing the statues of various deities. Numerous major and minor deities, ubiquitously present in Japanese temples, have their origin in the ancient Indian pantheon of gods and goddesses, but since these deities were introduced to Japan via China with Chinese names, Japanese people, in most of the cases, are unaware of their origins. There are well-theorized claims that establish the introduction of Indian culture to Japan even before the formal introduction of Buddhism from Korea in 552 CE. According to the Book of Liang, which was written in 635, five Buddhist monks from the Gandhara region of India traveled to Japan during the Kofun period (250-538 CE) in 467 CE. [3] After the arrival of Buddhism, Aryadhamma, a Buddhist monk from Rajgriha (Bihar, India) seems to have entered Japan via China in 645 CE,[4] much before Bodhisena’s arrival at Naniwa (Osaka).
    [Show full text]
  • In This Paper, the Author Examines Vedic Magha(Van)
    ON YASNA 51:16 -referring to Av. maga(van)- and Ved. magha(van)- Gathica XVII(1) GIKYO ITO* In this paper, the author examines Vedic magha(van)- from a new view- point and defines the meaning of Avestan maga(van)-, to come to the conclusion that these words are cognate and therefore of the same meaning. Ved. magha- is, as neuter noun as is evident from magha and maghani, both being acc. pl., commonly interpreted as (1) 'gift (Gabe)', (2) 'reward (Lohn)', (3) 'wealth (Reichtum)' and (4) 'generosity (Freigebigkeit)'. By 'gift' is meant what is bestowed from god(s) to men and by 'reward' what is given to the priest and his assistant from the donator who as the patron or institutor requests the sacrifice to be performed. Fundamentally therefore the 'reward' is the same with the 'gift'. On the other hand the meaning 'generosity' may be said what is deduced from the meaning 'rich in gifts, generous, liberal' ascribed to magha- van-, derivation from magha-. Scholars' interpretations seem to rest on the dhanam/dhanavat by which Indian native philologists translate Ved. magha-/ maghavan-. Of Av. maga- and magavan-, here may be given all forms, together with their seemingly parallel forms from the Rig Veda in parenthesis, as follows: maga-: magem acc. sg. (Yasna 53:7; magham); magai dat. sg. (Y. 29:11 [magai.a]; 46:14; 51:11; in the Rig Veda only maghaya, and not *maghai); magahya gen. sg. (Y. 51:16; 53:7; maghasya)/magavan-: magaono acc. pl. m. (Y. 33:7 -cf. p. 15; maghonah); magavabyo dat.
    [Show full text]
  • Hindu Perspective on Water - Case Study of River Ganga
    90 Hindu Perspective on Water - Case Study of River Ganga Prof. Jyoti Bhatia Introduction: “The World is the River of God Flowing from him and flowing back to him” Shvetashvatara Upanishad ‘Water has the power to move millions of people – let it move us in the direction of peace’. (Mikhail Gorbachev, President, Green Cross International). Water is not only essential to our body but also it has an intimate relationship to our mind. In other words, water is the mirror to reflect our mind. Sustainable water resources development and management are major challenges of the immediate and long-term future. History has shown that the most important feature of freshwater provides a powerful natural incentive for cooperation. Water is religion of Life in Sanskrit also termed as ‘Jalam Jeevana Dharma’ in Hindi. Conflicts over water could be looked upon as consisting of three key spheres: hydrosphere, economic, and political. There is a strong potential conflict between the ecosystem’s needs for water and human needs. Even within the context of human needs, conflicts over water are often affected by problems in the economic and political spheres as much as those generated within the water sphere itself. Without water there is no life, yet water has the power to destroy as well as to create. We are at the mercy of water just as we are at the mercy of our God. The significance of water manifests itself differently in different religions and beliefs but it is these two qualities of water that underlie its place in our cultures and faiths.
    [Show full text]