unit 2 test Hinduism

people who follow this religon

Hindus or Hindi

hindu teacher or religious leader

Guru

Place of worship

temple or home altar

number worldwide

950 million (13%)

sacred language

sanskrit

sacred text

Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita

symbol

Om, representing the essence of the ultimate reality in Hinduism.

Ashram

spiritual community or retreat center

Swami

respectful address for a guru or other ascetic

Hinduism

worlds oldest religion, began in Indus river valley, C. 2000 BCE

Scriptures: Vedas

“knowledge” or ‘sacred lore”, sanskrit, ancient scriptures, written down C. 1500 BCE, but believed to be much older

scriptures: Upanishads

“sitting near”, 800 BCE, teachings about the spiritual reality that underlies all seemingly separate realities, theological/philosophical tests

Brahman

everything is one, everything is connected (exists inside each of us)

scriptures: Bhagavad Gita

“divine song”, epic poem, 200 BCE, spiritual classic, balance between mysticism and practical living, most popular of Hindu scriptures

Brahman also called

God, universe, one, energy

ultimate goal

if we lose touch with Brahman, re-connect by fulfilling our dharma (each person’s is unique)

moksha

the liberation from the cycle of rebirth and union with Brahman, achieving spiritual enlightenment.

dharma

the moral law guiding individual conduct and responsibilities in Hinduism. It varies according to a person's age, caste, and gender.

karma

the law of cause and effect whereby a person's actions influence their future, impacting their fate in this life and future lives.

yogas

“yoke” or “union”, ways to connect with ultimate reality, hinduism recognizes that different people have different personalities, abilities, and preferences

Jnana Yoga

“knowledge”, studying scriptures, learning from gurus

Karma Yoga

“action”, social justice, charity work

Bhakti Yoga

“devotion”, special connection/love of a god or saint

Raja Yoga

“royal”, meditation/prayer

Hatha yoga

“force”, breathing, stretching, balancing of the body

Kundalini Yoga

“spiritual energy” through chakras

Chakras

energy centers, kundalini yoga

Chakras path

crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral, root

The big three

Brahma, vishnu, shiva

brahma

creator

vishnu

preserver

Shiva

destroyer

OM

first word (creation, divine oneness), brahman in sound form, important in meditation

diwali

festival of lights, victory of light over darkness