Notes

Afterlife: ● believe they go through samsara until they reach /Nirvana. ○ Samsara: perpetual process of birth and death ● unresolved: the soul is born into a new body. ● karma resolved:soul attains moksha ○ Karma: total effects of a persons thoughts & how they act during the phases of a person’s existence aim to get freedom or escape from this cycle. ● Ultimate religious goal for is to reach Moksha. ● When one does attain moksha, their soul merges with (Absolute God of Hindus) ○ Nirvana: Getting free from samsara & suffering involved in samsara http://www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation.html http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/fastfacts.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/28505/hinduism/nirva.htm http://www.angelfire.com/pro2/compare_religions222/hindu_belief_of_the_afterlife.htm

Prayer/Worship: How(Basics of all 3 shrines): ● :worship preformed through prayers, songs, rituals ○ Important aspect of puja isnt congregational worship but individual offering to deity ○ Essential part is for Hindu to make a spiritual connection with the god ■ usually facilitated through objects(element of nature, scripture, vessel, painting, print) ■ During puja an image/other symbol of the god serves like a way of gaining access to the god (it is believed to be filled with the Deity's cosmic energy) ● It is the focal point fir honoring/communicating with gods ■ includes: ● 1.) seeing of the Deity ● 2.) offering(Flowers,Fruits, & Food) ● 3.) retrieving the blessed food & consuming it Where? ● Hindus commonly conduct pujas in shrines at temples, home, or outdoor(All equally common) ● Temples ○ Normally dedicated to one god ○ believe deity stays at temple waiting for devotees ○ believe if temple isn't taken care of the god will leave ■ why the priests’ live in the temples(They take care of the gods’ needs) ○ take off shoes before entering temple to pay respect to deity

○ connection between devotee and deity requires intervention of a priest ○ innermost sanctuary of the temple ■ contains principle image of the deity ■ pujas usually preformed at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight ○ worshipers can arrange for a puja to be done by priest to mark special event (birth, death, to ask a particular favor) ● Home Shrines ○ pujas that take place in home shrine are base of all family actions/decisions ○ contact between devotee& deity is direct ○ main things when preforming puja at home ■ incense burner ■ tray with flowers/foods/fruits ○ Shrines may be any size desired ○ There may be multiple shrines in a household ○ head of household chants prayers to deity ○ worshipers offer deity seat(?) ■ wash its feet ○ image may be symbolically bathed, clothed in new garments, embellished with ornaments ■ perfumes/ointments may be applied ■ flowers/garlands can be placed before it ○ incenses are burned, lighted lamp is waved in front of deity ○ foods(cooked rise, fruit, butter, &sugar) are offered ■ Food and water are considered blessed by the deity for devotees ● Outdoor Shrines ○ usually marked with something small to mark its presence ○ deities are often worshiped through natural land marks: mountains, river, large rocks, trees ○ streets are filled with shrines(carvings, stone, ect..) When? ● Temple visits everyday/regularly aren’t mandatory ● Devoted hindu may visit temple every day ● others go only to ask favors of deity, fulfill specific vows, on festival days ● worship takes place whenever individual wishes ● Hindus have to pray at least once every day ● PRIESTS preform puja at sunrise, noon, sunset, & midnight every day ● Usually preformed daily at each home shrine by one/more family members on behave of whole household http://www.asia.si.edu/pujaonline/puja/shrines.html http://www.lotussculpture.com/my_articles_puja.htm http://www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism.html

Certain Gods For Days Of The Week

Sunday: Lord Sury -Day:Ravivar -Eat once before sunset -Ritual bath, cleansing of body, house, surrounding -Color: red, pink -Sun God Monday: Lord , Goddess -Day In Hindu: Somvar -food is eaten after evening prayer -color of the day: white -The moon rules the day Tuesday: Lord (in South India: Lord Skanda) -Day: Mangalvar -Only one meal (Usually consiting of any food made of wheat/jaggery) -Color: Red -Mars Rules the day -Observed to ward off evil/problems Wednesday: Lord and Lord Vithal(incarnation of lord krishna) -Day:Budhvar -One meal in afternoon -Color: green -observed by couple for a peaceful family life -Mercury Rules the day Thursday: and Brihaspati -Day: Vrihaspativar or Guruvar -Eat only once -Color: yellow -Believed devotees are blessed with wealth, Success, fame, happiness -Jupiter

Friday: and Santoshi Mata -Day: Shukravar -Begins Sunrise ends sunset -Color: white, indigo, orange, violet, purple, burgundy -One evening meal -Venus Saturday: Shani -Day:Shanivar -After evening prayers, devotees have one meal -Shani is said to ward off effects, illness, troubles -Observed to avoid misfortunes -Color: blue, black -Saturn

http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/ss/sevendays.htm & all pages with it.

There are 3 Divine beings of Hindu religion that are part of the Hindu God Trinity. Gods: Each divine has taken multiple incarnations. (Ex.Vishnu takes the Kurma/turtle form) ● - the creator ● Shiva-the destroyer ● Vishnu- the preserver ● Other Gods known to not be incarnations: , Worship a different god each day (expert) Over 330 million Hindu Gods have been counted. http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm The three divines gave the Vedas: the Hindu prayer book. It is mostly passed down verbally for thousands of years. The Vedas is broken into 4 main parts ● Yajur-Veda ● Sama-Veda ● Atharva-Veda ● Rig-Veda

The is the 700-verse Hindu Scripture.-main scripture

2 major tales of India. -24,000 couplets about King . Mahabhrata- telling of the Aryan clans’ deeds. The , or revelations as translated by ancient seers(prophets). http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Scriptures.htm Clothing ● women wear dresses called saris ● Men wear clothng called sherwanis. http://hinduism.iskcon.org/practice/401.htm http://sgholiday.com/calendar/india-public-holidays-2012-calendar/ http://www.mapsofindia.com/amritsar/fairs-and-festivals/hola-mohalla.html http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/viewitem.asp?siteid=15&menuid=21858&pageid=19037 http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/05/06/what-is-akshaya-/

Languages: Hindi ● Principles&Discipline ○ Principles

1. Gods Exists ■ ■ 2.All Humans are divine.

3.Unity of existence through love. ■ 4.Religious harmony ■ 5.Knowledge of the sacred river,sacred script,and sacred ■ ○ Disciplines

1.Truth ■ 2.Non-violence ■ 3.Vegetarians ■ 4.Non-adultery ■ 5.No desire to possess or steal ■ 6.Non-corrupt ■ 7.Cleanliness ■ 8.Contentment ■ 9.Reading of scripture ■ 10.Austerity,perseverance,penance ■ 11.Pray regularly (daily) ■ 12.Fast on special events ■ http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/principles.htm http://living.oneindia.in/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2009/fasting-significance- purpose-benefits-270509.html

DHARMA : what is right. Traditional Hinduism has two life-long that one can follow. ○ ‘ Dharma’ ■ The ‘Grihastha Dharma’ has four goals: ‘kāma’ (sensual pleasure), ‘’ (wealth and prosperity), ‘dharma’ (the laws of life), and ‘moksha’ (liberation from the cycle of births). ○ ‘Sannyasin Dharma’ ■ The ‘Sannyasin Dharma’ recognizes ‘moksha’ as its ultimate goal.

● Practices ○ Hindus are cremated

No official or orthodox Hinduism

Holidays http://festivals.iloveindia.com/festival-calendar.html

● - - to celebrate the sacred river. ● - Shravan- Month of Fasting ● .-Ganesh Charurthi- celebrates Lord Ganesh received his head ● --State festival of Kerala ● - the birth of Lord Krishna ● -Navratri (ends 9 days after begins) ● -celebration of brotherhood ● - Gandhi’s birthday ● - Ashtami - celebrates the god Durga’s victory over the buffalo demons