Religion 101 JMU Sushil Mittal Hinduism Exam

Path Of Desire

You can have what you want. (We begin by wanting pleasure)

Path of Renunciation

What people really want. Hinduism sees the mind's hidden continents as stretching to infinity.

Four Paths to the Goal

The way to God through knowledge, the way to God through love, the way to God through work, and the way to God through psychophysical excercises

The way to God through Knowledge

Jnana yoga. Has nothing to do with factual information, it is an intuitive discernment that that transforms, turning the knower into that which she knows

The way to God through Love

Bhakti yoga. The most popular of the four. Exemplified in christianity.

The way to God through Work

Karma yoga. You can find God in everyday affairs. Throw yourself into work with everything you have, but do so wisely, in a way that will bring the highest of awards.

The way to God through Psychophysical Exercises

Raja yoga. Designed for people who are scientific bent. Is seen through psychophysical experiments.

Stage of Life

1. That of a Student

2. That of a householder (beginning with marriage)

3. Retirement (time to leave family and home and launch into self discovery)

4. Beyond retirement (the final stage where the goal is reached. State of sannyasin

Sannyasin

"One neither hates nor loves anything"

Caste system

Stations of life. Top is brahmins. Bottom is shudras.

Brahmins

Intellectual and spiritual leaders (In todays society they would be philosophers, religious leaders, and teachers)

Shudras

Followers or servants. (In todays society they would be labor workers)

The concept of God

"Thou before whom all words recoil"

Reincarnation

Coming of age in the universe. The process by which an individual soul passes through a sequence of bodies.

Sanskrit samsara

Endless passage through cycles of life, death, and rebirth

Guru

Teacher

Om

Sacred symbol and sacred sound

Brahman

The ultimate reality

Aspects of Brahman

Bramā, Visnu, and Śiva

Brahmānda

The universe

Ātman

The innermost self

Samsāra

The chain of lives

Karma

Action and its consequences

Purusarthas

Goals of human life: Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Moksa

Jīva

The individual

What do Hindus read?

The Vedas, Sruti and Smriti (Eternal truth and tradition), The Epics (Rāmāyana, Mahābhārta, Bhagavad Gītā), Tantric literature, Literature in regional languages

Varna

Social Organization:

Top tier: Brahmana

Middle Tier:, Ksatriya

Lower Tier: Vaisya

Bottom Tier: Sudras

Second major life goal

Worldly success with its three prongs: wealth, fame, and power

What is the Dharmic tradition?

Behaviors in accordance with the order that makes life and the universe possible. This includes: duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues, and "the right way of living".

Santana Dharma

The original name for what is now called hinduism. A code of ethics, a way of living through which one can achieve moksha (enlightenment)

Moksha

Enlightenment

Ksatriya

The protectors of society. (In our society they would be police, politicians, and the military)

Vaisyas

The skillful producers of material things. The producers. (In todays society they would be merchants, farmers, etc.

Dharma

Duty, faith, religion, righteousness, sacred law, justice, ethics, morality

Artha

Wealth

Kama

Sexual Desire

Moksa

The pursuit of dharma regulates the life of a human being and keeps him on the righteous path

Brahmacåri

Student. 1st stage.

Grhastya

Householder. Second Stage.

Vanaprastha

Forest Dweller. Third stage.

Samnyāsi

Homeless renouncer. Fourth stage.