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Shared Scripture:
sruti: heard
smrti: written |
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the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
reincarnation=punishment |
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the ultimate spiritual goal:freedom from samsara/ the suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth |
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any of the three paths to salvation/moksha |
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The 3 paths:
1) karma:
2) jnana:
3) bhakti:
are those of ... |
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karma: path (marga) of actions
jnana: path of wisdom/study
bhakti: path of devotion to certain gods |
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2 major civilizations of Indus River Valley
Along banks of Indus River
Well organized, urban planning |
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"Nobel one"
founding group of Hinduism
wrote the Vedas
Invaders in Indus River Valley |
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1) Indus Valley Civilizations
2)Vedic Religion
3)Philosophical Hinduism
4)Devotional Hinduism |
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| quick facts of VEDIC HINDUISM: |
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Began Caste system and developed karma marga.
Problems: chaos and disorder |
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VEDIC HINDUISM:
Brahmins: |
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| priests responsible for undertaking and conducting rituals |
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god of fire
( fire sacrifices are major rituals which are thought to be transactions between humans and gods) |
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| Quick facts of Philosophical Hinduism: |
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- no ritual texts, now based on philosophical treaties
- world we live in is not permenent
- new understanding =KARMA
-vedic & Philosophical- neither rely on divine intervention- they believe in "self help" |
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Philosophical Hinduism:
upanishad: |
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| student sitting next to guru |
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Philosophical Hinduism:
brahman: |
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power of the ritual
essense of the universe
essence of the self/Atman |
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Philosophical Hinduism:
atman: |
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| the self/soul (permanent) |
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(4)Stages to moksha ( for elite males):
-many dont make it past 2nd stage, takes many lifetimes- |
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1) student stage (12-20)
2)Householder stage
3)forest-dweller stage: when a man has seen the son of his sons
4)sannyasin:divorce ones self from society, family ties broken, declare self dead, make achieving moksha a fulltime job. |
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Maya: illusion
It is maya to think that karma does not affect people. It does. Because they believe "we are all one, we are all connected." |
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| quick facts of Devotional Hinduism (bhakti/devotion): |
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- everyone can achieve moksha( but not all about moksha about this world too)
- most popular form of hinduism
- donthave to abandon family
-wisdom< love
- outpaced philosophical hinduism |
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Devotional Hinduism:
Nirguna vs Saguna Brahman |
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Saguna Brahman: is God with personal characteristics or attributes. Forms include Vishnu,Shiva, etc.
Nirguna Brahman: No form -impersonal |
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| The ancient language which the Vedas were written in. |
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Veda (ancient sacred hymns broken into 4 parts):
1) Samhitas
2) Brahmanas
3) Aranyaka
4) Upanishads |
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1) Samhitas: Earliest hymns of worship of dieties
2) Brahmanas: (next) Explains correspondences between rituals and real life.
3) Aranyaka: "forest treaties" - writtings of people who were recluses in forrests
4) Upanishads: teachings from highly realized spiritual masters |
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| (Ancient)A divinely inspired poet or sage in India, sometimes regarded as a saint. |
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| most sacred of prayers, chanted daily by the devout |
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| oldest known vedic scripture, praises and acknowledges blessings of devas |
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devas (divine): In the Vedic religion , one of many divine powers, roughly divided into sky, air, and earth divinities.
Indra: god of thunder and welcomed rains
Agini: god of fire
Soma:sacred drink
Ushas: Goddess of dawn |
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| quick facts of Philosophical Systems: |
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-all have deep roots in Vedas(scripture)
-Ethics central to orderly life
-ultimate cause of suffering= people's ignorance to self |
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Philosophical Systems:
Samkhya: |
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-oldest
-founder=Kapila
-2 states of reality (dualism)-These states are:
Purusha: The self- eternally wise, pure, free- beyond change.
Prakriti: The cause of the meaterial universe(matter, creative agency or energy) |
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Philosophical Systems:
Advita Vedanta: |
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- Monistic (non dualistic)
founder=Shankara
Atman/Brahman: Brahman is the only reality, and nothing exists which is not Brahman. The appearance of dualities and differences in the world is Maya. Maya is the illusion and creative vision of Brahman. |
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Philosophical Systems:
quick definition of Yoga: |
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4 types of yoga gone over in class ( see following cards)
practices for increasing a desired state of - Balance, purity, wisdom, peacefullness of mind
yoga=union with the true self |
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is concerned with the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation (The path of mental concentration)
Sadhanas: practices of Raja yoga
sutras: collection of writings by Patanjali defining yoga's eight steps.
1)morality: yamaniyama
2)personal observances:Niyama
3)physical condintioning: asana
4)Breathing control:pranayama
5)control of senses:pratyahara
6)Concentration: daharana
7) meditation: dhyana
8)spiritual absorption w/ the Divine: samadhi |
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uses the rational mind rather then concentration,Jnana (wisdom or knowledge) requires great strength of will and intellect.
Ignorance considered root of all problems |
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leads to liberation from self
-absolute performs all actions, all actions are gifts to absolute- |
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| Most common- path of devotion to a personal diety |
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3 major groups of deities:
1)Saktas |
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Saktas: worship a mother goddess
Mahadevi (great Goddess)
Shakti(divine Feminine)
-her power is called sakti
- associated w/ ganges and other forms of water
Tantras: sacred texts that tell worshipers how to honor the feminie divine.
-no sacrifice complete unless wife participates too
-marriage, people compliment eachother, no woman is to seek her own spiritual liberation she is liked to her husbands
2 avatars:
Durga: beautiful woman, 10 arms holding weapons, rides a lion, kills demons
Kali: divine in fierce form, dripping with blood, carrying sword and severed head, wearing necklace of skulls, destroyer of evil. |
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3 major groups of deities:
2)Saivites: |
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-worship the god shiva="friendly".
-Seen as manifestations of the Supreme Being.
-special relationship w/ Kashi
-Contridictory ( masc. vs. fem.)Parvati: his devoted spouse |
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3 major groups of deities:
3)Vaishnavites: |
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-worship the god vishnu( a beloved and merciful diety)
-best known for different avatars- can be 1/2 lion, 1/2 man, turtle fish or human
Krishna = the holy human embodiment( portrayed as child w love interests.
Lakshmi: vishnus companion, a goddess worshipped in her own right.
yoga= achieving moksha |
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| The Epics and Puramas(3 epics 18 puramas): |
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-scripture that arose after the vedas
1)Ramayana- story of Rama and his wife Sita
2)Mahbharata:tells of civil war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas -containing the text of the Bhagavad-Gita
Kali Yuga: the fourth and present age of the world, full of conflict and sin
The Puranas: narrate the myths of ancient times ( 6 about Vishnu. 6 about Brahma, 6 about Shiva) |
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| typically done by Corey Dorne and other women, use of fire/ oil lamp in front of icons, bells ringing, holy water |
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| offering to the Gods,-blessed- offered back to people ( all vegetarian) |
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| beholding of a deity or sacred object |
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| the caste of the nobility of feudal india, (kings, warriors)- below Brahmins( priests) |
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| the caste of Economic specialists (Farmers and merchants) |
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| the caste of Manual labor and artisans ( above the "outcastes"/ untouchables) |
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| holy place by river where people go to achieve moksha |
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