Hinduism

Veda = Teaching / Wisdom

• Rig-veda • Yajur-veda • Sama-veda

• Atharva-veda

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The Upanishads

• (End of the Vedas)

• (800-300 BC)

• Most Philosophical Writings

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Major Philosophical Tradition:

• “Advaita Vedanta”

• Shankara (750 AD)

• “Advaita” = Non-Dualism

• “Vedanta” = Summation of the Vedas

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Summary: • 1. Everything that exists is Brahman

• 2. Brahman can be interpreted as

• (God): Impersonal Force Supreme Principle

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3. Creation is the Dance of Brahman

“Lila”

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4. Atman is the Soul of the Individual

5. Atman and Brahman are One and the Same

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6. Brahman is not to be confused with

• Brahma = a Hindu god

• Brahmin = Hindu Priest or Caste

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• 7. Why do we not understand that Brahman = Atman?

• MAYA = Illusion

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8. Our goal in life is Liberation from the cycle of Samsara

• Samsara = Reincarnation

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9. And reach “Moksha”

• Moksha = Nirvana (Buddhism)

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10. This is when the individual soul (Atman) in absorbed into

Brahman

• “Like a drop of rain being absorbed into a lake”

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11.The Law of Karma

• Governs the cycle of samara

Karma • The good and bad deeds that

we do

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• Good deeds

• better rebirth into this world • a god

• a human

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• Bad deeds

• worse rebirth into this world • animal • insect

Dharma

• Distinctions between good and bad karma are determined by dharma

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The Laws of Manu

• The most important and influential dharma – sastras

• Written around the time of Christ

• Reflect an earlier oral tradition

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• These laws assign different dharmas to each stratum of Hindu society

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The Hindu Caste System

• Social • Economic • Political • Religious

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Caste Assumptions

• All people are not created equal

• We are all born with innate differences derived from actions in previous lives

• This is the Law of Karma

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• Caste entails both a

• Division of labor

• Hierarchy of spiritual purity

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Caste Dynamics

• Marital restrictions

• Food one can eat

• People you associate with

Enforcement

• Caste structure enforced by each caste

Karma and Dharma

• Karma is determined by one’s adherence to one’s caste duties

Laws of Manu

• Specify cast duties

Brahmin Caste

• Priests • Top of the purity hierarchy

• Teaching • Studying

• Sacrificing • Receiving gifts

Ksatriyas

• Warriors / Administrators / Gov’t

• Protection of country • From foreign enemies

• Maintaining caste system • Social and cosmic order

Vaisyas

• Merchants / Landowners

• The Business Class • Developing a Household

• Running a business • Running a farm

Sudras

• Peasants / Common folks

• Serving the Brahmins and the other upper castes with humility

Untouchables

• Morticians

• Toilet cleaners • Scavengers

• Their ritual impurity cannot be removed by

standard procedures of purification

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The Ethics of Hinduism

• 3 Ways or Paths to Good Karma

4 “Goods” of Life

• First = Dharma or duty

• Second = Atha = wealth and material acquisition

• Third = Kama = pleasure and enjoyment of the senses

• Fourth = Moksha = Highest good / release from

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Moksha

• To achieve moksha, one must be willing to give up the other three goods

• Because they keep one bound to the samsara

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Religious Life

• The religious life means doing one’s best to

improve this life and future lives

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The Way of Activity “Karma Marga”

• Emphasis upon “good works”

• Offerings and sacrifices to gods

• Helping the poor

Karma Marga • Service is given without any

interest in the personal benefits of one’s labor

• This consciousness leads to liberation from self in the midst of work

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Karma Marga • The steadily devoted soul attains

unadulterated peace because he offers the results of all activity to Me; whereas a person who is not in harmony with the divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled

• - p. 83

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The Way of Knowledge

• “Jnana Marga”

• The Path of Rational Inquiry • Study

Jnana Marga • Employs the rational mind instead

of trying to transcend it by concentration practices

• Ignorance is the root of all problems

• Being separate from the Absolute

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Jnana Marga • Seeks to develop spiritual values

• Calmness • Restraint

• Renunciation • Resignation

• Concentration • Faith

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Jana Marga • Spiritual knowledge is the

only thing that can destroy our miseries for ever; any other knowledge removes wants only for a time

• - 83

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The Way of Devotion

• “Bhakti Marga”

• Personal devotion to a particular god

• (Avatar)

“Bhakti” • Means = “To share” = “To share a relationship with a personal deity”

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Post-Classical Period

• New texts added to the canon of Hindu writings

• very important in shaping Hindu piety in the bhakti movement

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Bhagavad-Gita

• “The Song of God”

• Part of the Mahabharata

• 400 B.C. – 100 A.D. • Authors unknown

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