HINDUISM, TAOISM, and BUDDHISM

Kindred religions

Common elements

Emphasis on:Acceptance of things the way they areOvercoming desireHumilityRecognizing that a human life is always extremely short and personal achievements are strictly limitedBelief in a particular way of life: “dharma”Belief in a universal principle of merit: “karma”

Common elements

View of good and bad is more like learning to ride a bicycle than learning spellingRather than a personal god who metes out punishment for breaking rules, these religions are based on universal forces or principles which lead to pain and discomfort if they are ignored (like someone who rides a bicycle recklessly can get hurt)

Hinduism

An ethnic religion of the Indian subcontinent

HINDUISM

A label that includes a wide range of:Religious practicesCustoms BeliefsSacred places Deities

Hinduism is tolerant of this variety and does not condemn certain religious practices or beliefs as evil

Origins of Hinduism

Indo-Europeans were polytheistic and worshipped cattleBrought their beliefs to the Indus Valley by relocation diffusion from 1,400 BC

Rig Veda (oldest Indo-European document, written ca. 1,200 BC) is the foundation of HinduismThe diversity of religious practice in India suggests a process of syncretism (combination of cultures) during a phase of expansion diffusion

Fundamental beliefs of Hinduism

ReincarnationKarmaCaste system (4 main castes or varnas, many sub-castes or jatis)

BrahminKshatriyaVaisyaShudra

Sanctity of the cow

Five Major Doctrines

Truth is one, Sages call it by different names Rig Veda, 1.164.46

All Mankind is One Family Hitopadesha, Subhashita Ratna Bhandagare

Law of Karma - As you sow, so shall you reap Mahabharata, Shantiparva 299.42; BG 18.60

That mode of living which is founded upon total harmlessness towards all creatures or [in case of genuine necessity] upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest morality

Mahabharata, Shantiparva 262.5-6

Whenever there is a decline of virtue, God incarnates Himself on earth to uphold righteousness

Bhagavad Gita 4.7, 4.8

www.hindunet.org

Brahman/Paramatman

Brahman is the supreme realityBrahman has two aspects, transcendent (impersonal and unknowable) and immanent (personal and knowable)In the impersonal aspect, Brahman lies outside the realm of human description and can only be sensed as a presence within oneself and the rest of the universe

God is “immanent,” the universe is the manifestation rather than the creation of God

In the personal aspect, Brahman can be known in various forms—the many Hindu deities and the rest of creation

Deities (gods/goddesses)

Brahma: creative forceVishnu: sustaining force (incarnated as Krishna and others)Shiva: force of renunciation, release, self-mastery

Hanuman (incarnation of Shiva who has Rama in his heart) : epitome of devotionGanesha (son of Shiva & Parvati): remover of obstacles

Saraswati (Brahma’s consort): human creative force, arts & sciencesLakshmi (Vishnu’s consort): prosperity, love, beauty, delightKali/Parvati/Durga (Shiva’s consort): power, transformation, destroyer of evil

Representations of Deities

Hanuman

service, devotion, intelligence, strength

Saraswati

arts and sciences, knowledge, purity

Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu)

divine love

Shiva

Renunciation, self-mastery

GaneshRemover of obstaclesSource of knowledge (legend attributes the Mahabharata to Ganesh)One of the most commonly-seen icons

Hindu iconography

Images are meant to recall the various aspects or powers of a god, not to be literal representations of a physical form.

For example, four arms on a god are not meant literally to represent a four-armed god.

“He has four hands, elephant's head and a big belly. His vehicle is a tiny mouse. In his hands he carries a rope (to carry devotees to the truth), an axe (to cut devotees' attachments), and a sweet dessert ball -laddoo- (to reward devotees for spiritual activity). His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people.”

“A unique combination of his elephant-like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intellegence, and presence of mind.”

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Ganesh

Son of Shiva and Parvati

Was protecting his mother while she bathed. His father returned and cut off Ganesh’s head, not knowing the person who kept him from his wife was his own son.

Shiva solved the problem by replacing his son’s head with the head of a passing elephant

Taoism

A spiritual philosophy

TAOISM

A philosophy about how to live life wellDerived mainly from the writings of Chuang Tzu (ca. 250 BC) and Lao Tzu (6th c. BC)Teaches a “way” or “path” that is beneficial to one who follows it

Eliminates unhappiness & conflictFacilitates achievement of goals by abandoning strivingAligns oneself with universal forcesTeaches that one who lives life well lacks nothing, because he or she desires nothing that is difficult to obtainEncourages people to accept that things need to run their course, and not to resist the tendency of things to work out in a certain natural way

Lao Tzu is conventionally shown riding an ox

“Quietism”

Love of colors bewilders the eye and it fails to see right. Love of harmonies bewitches the ear, and it loses its true hearing.

Love of perfumes fills the head with dizziness. Love of flavors ruins the taste. Desires unsettle the heart until the original nature runs amok.

These five are enemies of true life. Yet these are what status seekers claim to live for. They are not what I live for. If this is life, then pigeons in a cage have found happiness!

Chuang Tzu on humility

If a man is crossing a river and an empty boat collides with his own skiff, even though he be a bad-tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, he will shout at him to steer clear.

If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, and yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, he would not be shouting, and not angry. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you....

Tao

To name Tao is to name no-thing. … Tao is a name that indicates without defining.

Tao is beyond words and beyond things. It is not expressed either in word or in silence. Where there is no longer word or silence Tao is apprehended. (25:11, p. 226)

Link between Taoism & Hinduism?

Buddhism combines elements of these two (although in the case of Taoism the diffusion path and direction is not known)

The transcendent (impersonal and unknowable) aspect of Hindu religion

Descends from early Hinduism as a kind of spiritual revival

The quietist aspect of TaoismBelief that contentment arises when one calms desires

– For sensory stimuli– For wealth and achievement– For power