Hinduism - Deities & Worship

Moksha

to release, enlightment

Bhakti Yoga

Path of devotion

Relationship with God in the Vedas vs. Bhakti?

• Vedas:

  • required a Brahmin as a middle man

  • indirect

• Bhakti:

  • passionate love affair

  • god as a lover

What texts is Bhakti found in?

Puranas

2 forms that God appears in

1. Nirguna Brahman: highest form, not visible to the eye, no from

2. Saguna Brahman: lesser form, has form (statue, image, imagination…)

What does Brahman refer to?

Ultimate Reality

True/False: Bhakti Yoga begins with Saguna Brahman

True

At home god is a ___ and a house ___

living person, guest

What do people do to invite god in their home?

• offer food and drinks

• clean home

• provide special room

• place to bathe/clean

• provide entertainment

What are the significance of the activities for inviting god into the home?

• when done in a daily basis, one achieves humility

  • reduce ones ego which brings closer to moksha

  • reduce selfishness

How is Devotion expressed?

• change clothes of the deity statues

• close the curtains to let the gods rest

• wave the fly whisk and sing to wake the deity

Puja

specific act of worship/ritual, steps/methods

How does Puja appeal to the 5 senses?

• Eyes: colourful decors, flowers and lighting of the lamps

• taste: food

• ears: ringing of bells and hymns

• touch: washing/bathe of murti

• smell: incense and flowers

Ghee

clarified butter

What do Forehead markings symbolize?

placed on the 3rd eye and acts as a blessing from god to receive knowledge

What does each of part of a coconut symbolize?

• hard shell: attachment to self

• fibres: human hair

• flesh: human heart

• juice: inner purity

• desire for god to break through the ego; represent self and ego

True/False: Does puja have to be performed by a Pandit?

False

Murti

statues or images of god

Puja in the Verdic Period vs. Bhakti

• Verdic: not allowed in the bedroom since it was unclean

• Bhakti: allowed to have shrines in the bedroom

True/False: Are offerings always related to food and drinks?

False

Prasada

materials that have been offered are considered holy

What guidelines are followed in making offerings?

• prepared with clean hands

• not sampled

• senses have not indulged in the offerings

Darshana

seeing/viewing

Why are the eyes of deities lifelike?

• audience with god

  • one sees good, god sees one

Aarti

honoring ritual

How is Aarti performed?

• prepare a tray of lamps

• sing hymns to wake gods

• turn the tray in clockwise motion = order

• people pass over the light (prasada)

• fire and water is a form of cleansing

What is the significance of Aarti?

• no electricity so it served as light

• lamps represent knowledge and wisdom

Give 4 examples of deities being part of ONE divinity

1. Trimurti

2. Divinity as Devi

3. Divinity as Vishnu

4. Divinity as Shiva

Trimurti

• saltwater represents nirguna brahman

• cutting a branhc from a tree = beings are temporary but god is infinite

• all rivers lead to the ocean = every being leads back to god

What does Shiva’s dancing form symbolize?

end of the world

Whats the analogy of the Pointing Finger?

• clay images do not contain god but act as pointers to lead one to god (pointing finger)

  • educational toys

• once one sees the finger, it disappears, one does not require the object to point the way

Divinity as Devi

• supreme goddess

• all gods and goddess come from her

• highest divinity = female

• no male counterpart and solo

Vaishnavite

• Vishnu worshippers

• V in their foreheads

How many incarnations (avatars) does Vishnu have/

• 10

• Fish: the ocean was poisonous so he incarnated as fish to help save humanity

• Krishna: village boy

Shaivite

• Shiva worshippers

• 3 horizontal lines on their foreheads

What caste does Vishnu and Shiva belong to?

• Vishnu: Ksatriyas

• Shiva: Outcast