*RECENTLY UPDATED 11/9* - Hinduism Test

atman

inner searching for true self of a living being

identical to brahman

reincarnates into new bodies cross lifetimes

brahman

refers to the impersonal, spiritual essence of the universe

pronounced "bruhman"

brahma

being-consciousness-bliss ("sat-chit-amanda") and not this, not that ("neti-neti")

bhakti

emotional connection to a particular deity, facilitated through art

dharma

ethical duty based on the divine order of reality

karma

actions have consequences, but also thoughts always come to fruition

can be good or bad, but all karma is bad

what makes the future happen

moksha

release/liberation from samsara

samsara

cyclical measure of time and life, no beginning/middle/end

puja

physical manifestation (murti) worship

worship that involves murti, worship of a deity in the form of an image

puranas

stories of gods and heroes from the epic and puranic period

monism

the idea that everything is one thing (i.e. god)

smartism

small but influential movement among brahmins, the equal worship of five deities (ganesha, shiva, vishnu, devi, and surya) in order to get closer with the divine/power

murtis

sacred images of hindu deities

aarti

a subset of puja

vedas

sanskrit chants, prayers, and mantras that accompany sacrifices to deities

they are "shruti" texts heard and memorized by rishis

agni

god of fire, lord of sacrificial fire

seen as the messenger god (ignite)

reciprocity

shruti

heard, revealed hymns

rig veda

includes oldest part (1028 poems)

samaveda

"remix" of rig veda for singing

yajurveda

prose mantras accompanying fire sacrifice

atharvaveda

magic spells

the samhita

oldest layer, actual hymns and mantras

the brahmanas

prose commentary on the samhita and rituals

the aranyakas

commentary on ritual sacrifice (deeper meanings)

the upanishads

last layer, more spiritual and philosophical commentary

monotheism

god and creations

varuna

important god who is in charge of maintaining community stability/morality

creates world in the form that we see it

ushas

sanskrit for "dawn"

sun --> sunya (setting), savitr (rising)

gayatri mantra

*memorize this one*

recite at dawn

mantra itself became god, deified

purusha

"the man"

dalit

oppressed caste

harijan

children of god

still a condescending euphemism

jati

subdivisions of the original 4 castes

more than 1,000

sramana movement

an ascetic "world renouncer" or "sanyassin"

emerging response to brahminism

internal spiritual movement

vishnu

all pervasive preserver

prominent sect of hinduism

surrounded by 10 avatars and armed with chakras, mace, and lotus (represents purity and liberation)

avatar

descent

vishnu descends into different forms to "save the day"

shaivism

centered on shiva

ascetic

depicted with bull

does not have avatars, but rather manifestations - forms in which he is worshipped

jnana yoga

the way of wisdom

intellectual

not common or widespread

study with a guru (teacher)

raja yoga

"subset" of jnana yoga or its own pathway

"the royal discipline"

training and subduing the body in order to achieve mystical union with the divine

ashtanga (eight-armed) yoga

same as raja

emphasis on moral behavior, purification and study, physical poses, breath control, withdrawal from senses, concentration, deep meditation, and ultimate union

bhakti yoga

the way of devotion

emotional love, faith, and surrender to god

krishna

karma yoga

action without selfishness

can we do the right thing without desiring a certain result?

bhagavad gita

a synthesis of the yogas

the bhagavad gita solves arjuna's problem (and the social problem) by uniting...

1) renunciation in search of moksha (now an "internal" renunciation with

2) dhrma-based householder life and

3) devotion-based theism

three main arguments of the bhagavad gita

1) you can't really kill or be killed

2) you don't have to renounce action and duty, just attachment to its fruit

3) instead, do everything out of love for krishna

basics of hinduism

"indigenous religion" of india

no founder, central religious establishment, or sole scripture

more of a "family of religions"

a part of the family of dharmic religions with buddhism, sikhism, jainism, etc.

"hindu: is a variation of the word "india" (both words mean "river") --> indus in sanskrit

some hindus prefer the term santana dharma

ahimsa

nonviolence

raksha bandhan

celebration between brothers and sisters

raksha = protection

bahndan = tie

males are the protectors of females

the vedic period

1500-500 BCE

new hierarchy, language, gods, practices

the vedas emerge

the vedas

sanskrit chants, prayers, and mantras that accompany sacrifices to deities

"shruti" (heard) texts by "rishis"

4 vedas

--> rig veda (oldest)

--> samaveda

--> yajurveda

--> atharveda

2 layers of text to know

--> samhita (oldest, hymns + mantras)

--> upanishads (last layer, philosophical commentary)

caste system

divides hindus from birth to death

divided based on karma and dharma (work and duty)

what are some "problems" with vedic religion?

too expensive and unfair

too confusing (not intellectually satisfying)

too spiritually limited

some people want more from a religion (more than just prosperity and good health)

ramayana

sanskrit epic that tells the story of rama, an incarnation of the god vishnu

the mahabharata

ancient sanskrit epic about a struggle for sovereignty between the pandavas and the kauravas

shiva

supreme being of the shaivism tradition

within the hindu trimurti alongside vishnu and brahman, shiva is known as the destroyer

ascetic

shiva lingam --> aniconic symbol of shiva that represents his true nature as an infinite cosmic energy

shiva nataraja --> shiva's form as the lord of dance

vishnu

supreme being of the vaishnavism tradition

within the hindu trimurti, vishnu is known as the preserver

presented with blue skin (represents infinity)

surrounded by 10 avatars

armed with chakra, conch shell, mace, and lotus

avatars include: matsya, kurima, varaha, narashima, vamana, parashurama, rama, krishna

lakshmi and her avatars are central to vaishanavism

shaktism

views shakti (the divine feminine energy) as the ultimate reality/supreme being

worship of devi (mahadevi)

major goddesses: durga (warrior), parvati (consort of shiva), and saraswati (knowledge)

ishta devata

a hindu worshipper's cherished, personal deity

advaita vedanta

"non dualist" (i.e. monist)

only brahman is real, everything else is an illusion (maya)

view of moksha --> becoming one with impersonal brahman

dvaita vedanta

dualism

god, individual souls, and different kinds of physical matter are really and eternally distinct, but everything besides god depends on god for existence

brahman is understood as just one way of talking about god, who is understood as a personal lord (narayan/vishnu)

view of moksha --> vaikunta (the heavenly abode of vishnu) involves "tasting sugar" not "being sugar"

vishistadvaita vedanta

"qualified" monism

ordinary experience is not illusory

both the one and many are rea

the many is the expression of the one

brahman is the "soul" of all finite beings and also a personal being

navarati

festival of "nine nights" (aka dasara)

concluding ceremonies of this festival commemorate either the victory of durga or rama's conquest of lamka

on the 9th day, warriors worship their weapons (layudha puja) and craftsmen venerate their tools

on the last day, celebrations of new learning take place along with honoring music and dance teachers

diwali

aka deepvali (necklace of lamps)

celebrated on the eve of the new moon that falls between mid october and mid november

reasons for celebrating are between rama's victory or lord krishna's victory

hindus in every home let off fireworks and light lamps to display the victory of light over the forces of darkness

henotheism

the worship of one supreme deity while acknowledging the existence of other deities as alternative forms of the same ultimate reality

sita

avatar of lakshmi

consort to rama and goddess of purity and devotion

accompanies rama when he is sent to exile, but she is kidnapped by the demon king ravana

rama distrusts sita and her purity after she is rescued, even after sita is exiled a second time

sita asks the earth to swallow her whole as a result

rama

seventh avatar of vishnu

considered the "epitome of moral virtue and royal conduct"

born as a member of the kshatriya varna

central focus of the ramayana

krishna

avatar of vishnu (8th)

to some believers, known as the original supreme god b/c he represents a lot of the spirituality that penetrates all reality

the sound of his flute prompted women to leave their homes and dance with him in the moonlight

saraswati

goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts

embodies the flow of consciousness and knowledge

4 aims demonstrate the 4 elements of inner life --> mind, ego, intellect, and consciousness

brahma

known as the creator within the trimurti

vahana (swan, represents spiritual purity and grace) is the vehicle that brahma rides on

has 4 heads that represent different aspects of creation

radha

goddess of love, compassion, and tenderness

beloved of krishna

in many vaishnava traditions, radha represents prema (the highest form of devotion and selfless love)

lakshmi

consort of vishnu

goddess of prosperity, beauty, and wealth

often depicted on a lotus, which symbolizes rising through the material world to divinity

ganesha

elephant-headed god of beginnings and wisdom (remover of obstacles)

son of parvati and shiva

prayed to before almost any endeavor

hanuman

devotee of rama

half-monkey, half-human

in the ramayana, hanuman was sent to retrieve sita

if you worship rama, you are also worshipping hanuman

chest is open to represent that rama and sita are in his heart

kali

goddess of time, death, and destruction

dark complexion represents time, the universe, and the return to the divine

born from the goddess durga to destroy the evil forces of raktabija

kali puja lines up with diwali

ardhanarishvara

represents duality between consciousness and energy

shakti + shiva

parvati (left) = energy within the universe

shiva (right) = stillness within our bodies

stillness or energy cannot exist on their own

seen as a secondary deity and not granted many shrines

durga

principle form of the supreme goddess mahadevi

rides a lion or tiger - represents ultimate power

created by brahma, vishnu, and shiva to defeat the demon mahishasura

parvati

goddess of fertility, love, and marriage

consort of shiva and mother of ganesha

bhaktiedanta swami prabhupada

indian hindu guru (1896-1977)

followed gaudiya vaishnavism, a tradition centered on devotion to krishna

traveled to the u.s. in 1965 to spread krishna consciousness

founded ISKCON in new york in 1966 (hare krishna movement)

spread krishna worship, chanting, vegetarianism, and spiritual devotion worldwide

amma

aka mata amritangndamayi (the hugging saint)

india spiritual leader, guru, and humanitarian

wears a white saree= purity, serenity

red bindi = third eye/spiritual wisdom

participants in darshans, whcih are essentially hugging ceremonies to offer unconditional love and comfort

maharishi mahesh yogi

indian guru

studied under the guru dev and learned about transcendental meditation

organized the spiritual regeneration movement to promote transcendental meditation worldwide, gained significant following

founded the world plan executive council with the plan to integrate transcendental meditation into all sectors of life

anandamayi ma

"the most perfect flower the indian soil has produced"

philosophy --> bhakti yoga

taught that life and spirituality are one

everyday should be lived with love and sincereity

considered an incarnation of kali

swami vivekananda

indian monk, philosopher, and disciple of sr. ramakrishna

founded the ramakrishna order, ramakrishna math and ramakrishna mission

advocate for vedanta philosophy, recognized the importance of yoga

yogananda

indian american monk, yogi, and guru

became a disciple of the revered swami sri yukdeswar giri

main philosophy was kriya yoga (self-realization)

came to the u.s. and created the self-realization fellowship to spread his teachings

tat tvam asi

that thou art/you are that

atman is brahman

found in the chandogya upanishad

the gayatri mantra

one of the most sacred verses in hinduism

originated from the rig veda