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Hindu Tradition
terms and concepts, also on religious studies concepts
60
Religious Studies
Undergraduate 2
10/01/2008

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Term
visual hermeneutic
Definition
a means of interpreting religuious images
Term
monotheism of consciousness
Definition
western worldview that emphasizes "one" over "many" and a independent personality
Term
myth of monotheism
Definition
shaped western thought "there is only one- one God, one Book, one nation under God
Term
nama rupa
Definition
"name and form" of the sacred (includes gods and goddesses)
Term
kali
Definition
violent goddes who destroys evil and is seen as a protecting mother to her devotees; the godess in her "terrific" aspect
Term
Ganges River
Definition
sacred river in india; seen as a goddess who grants blessings, health, and renewal to all who bathe in her, or use water for cooking and drinking
Term
puja
Definition
daily worship
Term
Sarasvati
Definition
goddes of learning, wisdom, sacred sound
Term
Traditional "Hindu Trinity"
Definition
Brahma- creation
Vishnu- preservation
Shiva- destruction
Term
Modern "hindu Trinity"
Definition
Vishnu- preserver of righteousness and dharma(duty)
Shiva- creative and destructive; the "erotic ascetic" of fertility and celibacky
Shakti- creative and destructive forces; feminine creative engergy; without which the gods cannot act
Term
lingam and yoni
Definition
symbols of shiva and shakti- procreative energy in conjunction with goddess; interconnectedness of creation and destruction
Term
4 stages of life
Definition
student
householder
forest dweller (retiree)
samnyasin (renunciate)
Term
guru
Definition
spiritual teacher
Term
Harappa Culture
Definition
indigenous peoples who lived in large city complexes in the Indus River valley in NW INdia; assimilated by Indo-Europeans: merged beliefs and pracitices associated with yoga, meditation, karma, samsara, and moksha
Term
Indo-Europeans(aryans)
Definition
nomadic pastoralists who assimilated the Harappans and other indigenous groups in India; became dominant religious group whose ideas were shaped by these other cultures; Vedas and Upanishads, caste systems, and meditations came from culture
Term
shruti
Definition
sacred sound; refers to the Vedas and the Upanishads, which are said to have nohuman authorship, scriptures based on the sacred sound of the universe
Term
vedas and upanishads
Definition
earliest human scriptures, composed by indo-europeans (1500-600 or 400bc) said to be shurti- sacred sound
Vedas- hymns and ritual texts for priest
Upanishads are philosophical interpretations of earlier vedic material- include practices of karma, samsara, moksha....
Term
agni, indra, soma
Definition
3 popular gods earyl veda hymns
Agni- fire god
Indra- warrior god
Somaexhilarating drink and the god of that drink
Term
4 castes
Definition
brahmins- priest
kshatriyas- rulers and warriors
vaishyas- merchants, farmers, traders..
Shudras- servants
untouchables (Harijans) subcastes of shudras
Term
The Brahman
Definition
the Absolute, the Ultimate; not a proper name; manifest yet munmanifest, one, many, personal, impersonal, all forms, formless; understood in two forms: nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman
Term
Nirguna Brahman
Definition
Brahman without attributes or form;the sacred essence beyond all names and forms; "No word can reach It; no tongue can spoil It" ; referred to as That, It
Term
neti, neti
Definition
not this, not hat; a way of expressing the formless, and infinite nirguna Brahman
Term
Saguna Brahman
Definition
Brahman with attributes; the mulitple names and forms of the eternal Brahman as the myriad gods and goddesses; all theings in the manifest (existent) universe are part of the Brahman; referred to as He, She
Term
Atman
Definition
the individual self or soul: one's "true" self
Term
samsara
Definition
teh cycle of rebirth and re-death
Term
karma
Definition
an impersonal law of cause and effect that spans lifetimes; actions and their consequences
Term
moksha
Definition
liberation from samsara to oneness with Brahman; liberation fueled by karma;trapped in cycles because of ignorance of the true nature of the self and Brahman
Term
amrita
Definition
"without death" the goal of liberation(moksha)
Term
soteriology
Definition
salvation- knowledge is transformative leads individual to salvation
Term
smriti
Definition
"that which is remembered" refers to all the sacred literature in Hindu traditions composed after the Vedas & Upanishads; includes the great epics and law codes
Term
Bhagavad Gita
Definition
one section (18 chapters) of the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata; one of the most popular scriptures in Hindu traditions; in the Gita, Lord Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu) outlines the 3 paths to salvation and reveals that there is a path to salvation for everyone
Term
Vishnu
Definition
preserver; popular god in india; takes physical form sometimes when righteousness and the human ability to connect with the sacred are threatened; krishna is an incarnation
Term
avatara
Definition
the incarnation of a god in the physical form
Term
krishna
Definition
the eighth or ninth incarnation of vishnu; central to the Bhagavad Gita
Term
three ways to salvation
Definition
jnana marga/yoga
karma marga/yoga
bhakti marga/yoga
Term
jnana marga/yoga
Definition
the path of knowledge
Term
karma marga/yoga
Definition
the path of selfless action
Term
bhakti marga/yoga
Definition
the path of devotion to a personal god/goddess; most popular way to salvation
Term
Ramayana
Definition
popular epic revolving around the story of Rama and Sita as role models of dharma
Term
Rama
Definition
hero of Ramayana; 7th incarnation of god Vishnu; idea son, brother, husband, ruler
Term
Ram rajya
Definition
"kingdom of rule of Rama" phrase for political ideal of the just ruler
Term
Sita
Definition
wife of Rama; incarnation of Lakshmi; ideal daughter, wife, queen; seen as catalyst of action in the Ramayana; without Sita, Rama could not fulfill dharma and restore righteousness and ethical order
Term
Lakshmi (shri)
Definition
goddess of good fortune; seen as consort/ wife to Vishnu; bestows salvation on her devotees
Term
Ganesh
Definition
remover of obstacles; god of thresholds; son of the goddes Parvati and the god Shiva; one of the most popular gods in India
Term
Parvati
Definition
great, benevolent mother goddess; Shakti; wife of Shiva; mother of Ganesh
Term
karmabhumi
Definition
the land where actions bear fruit; the land of karma or action; the place where actions can produce merit or demerit
Term
Hindu-Muslim relationships
Definition
these differ depending on local; respectful interrelationships throughout inda and the incorporation of beliefs, exchanges of art, music, poetry
Term
murti
Definition
image or icon; "idol"
Term
Phenomenology
Definition
paying close attention to what people themselves say about the meaning and purpose of religious practices
Term
Ultimately Real
Definition
"focal point of religion" - the sacred, the ground of ultimate vitality, value, and meaning
Term
numinous
Definition
"holy or sacred" the basic human response to experiencing the sacred even before we develop rational ways of talking about it; experience as ultimate mystery, encountered as Mystery
Term
symbols
Definition
speak to human relaity and this experience of the ineffable mystery; are not arbitrary; cannot be "made up" but come out of experience of the ultimately real; anything can serve as a symbol
Term
rituals
Definition
formalized and symbolic actions that point to and make present the sacred; experience of being made whole, healed, or saved; transforming; speaks to the issues of meaning and purpose
Term
the sacred
Definition
Term
myth
Definition
Term
monotheistic
Definition
Term
polytheistic
Definition
Term
monistic
Definition
Term
iconography
Definition
Term
mysterium tremendum et fascinans
Definition
"terrifying and facinating mystery"- the experience of the sacred described by Rudolph Otto (historian of religion)
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