world religions exam 01

Theism

belief in God/gods

Nontheism

no belief in God/gods

Transtheism

God(s) may exist, but are NOT considered significant/vital to issues

Monotheism

belief in one God

Polytheism

belief in many gods

Henotheism

1+ gods but one is considered more important than the others

Pantheism

divine reality is the same as the natural world/entwined with the natural world (everything is divine!)

Pan

all

Theos

God/gods

Theology

study of God, nature of the divine and religious belief

Atheism

denies existence of God/gods

Agnosticism (strong)

existence of God/gods cannot be proven

Agnosticism (weak)

individual is unsure if God/gods exist

Metaphysics

the nature of reality (what is it?)

Epistemology

knowledge based, reality is not knowability

“Gnos”

knowability

Monism

one kind of reality/inventory of life and reality

Physicalist

everything that exists IS physical!

Nonphysicalist

everything is NONphysical! Everything is simply an idea/concept

Dualism

two kinds of reality/inventory of life and reality (ex = physical and nonphysical realities)

Pluralism

many kinds (more than 2) of realities/inventories (ex = numbers, social, physical)

Hinduism definition

difficult to define, “prototype”

Hindu Origins

developed by an Aryan tribe, NOT specific person

Most pluralistic religion?

Hinduism (many types of reality, gods, open and compatible such as Buddhism)

Oldest religion?

seemingly Hinduism

Hindu

beyond the Indus river

Indus Valley Civilization

2500 BCE to 1500 BCE

Vedic Period

1500 BCE to 500 BCE

New Stone Age

7000 BCE to 600 BCE

Arboreal model

tree model, views evolution as continuous splitting from a common ancestor (once language separates, they develop in isolation)

The river model

views evolution as a series of channels that constantly split, flow parallel, and merge back together

Aryan migration thesis (Hindu origin thesis)

(conquering) (horses + chariots?) migration of Aryans that occurred about 1500 BCE and Aryans became dominant cultural force

Cultural transformation thesis (Hindu origin thesis)

there was no Aryan incursion but Indus Valley culture is an early Aryan culture (no evidence of horses in Indus Valley) (same group that traveled west to Europe)

type 1 Hindu

Monist (everything in our world is divine/natural world is the divine, “atman is brahman”

type 2 Hindu

Dualist (divide + separation between normal and divine)

What cultures brought about Hindu?

Aryan and Draviduin

Hinduist values

NOT credal (tradition/practice > beliefs)

relationship between Aryan and Dravidian cultures

Hindu is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, with Aryans migrating to the Indian sub continent in 1500 BCE and Dravidians being natives there, so Aryans moved in with Dravidians basically and their cultures mixed deeply

Brahman (type 2)

cosmic underlying reality of all things/divine reality creator

Brahman (type 1)

everything is Brahman, self/soul = brahman and he is one with us in our reality as is

Brahman

henotheist, most powerful god

Avatar

incarnation of a deity (physical manifestation)

Atman

self/soul

(type 1) Atman

self/soul same as Brahman, atman are integrated w/god

(type 2) Atman

self/soul different from Brahman, NOT integrated in this reality

Karma

action, cause/effect, predicts consequences from moral reality to balance “good and bad karma”, moral law

Dharma

duty/law/righteousness (not really a translatable word), how to uphold cosmic + social order

Samsara (type 1)

rebirth cycle (reincarnation)/birth, death, rebirth

Samsara (type 2)

worldly realm where reincarnation occurs

Maya (type 1)

illusion (power used to create the world)

Maya (type 2)

illusion (samsara [reincarnation realm] is an illusion)

Moksha

release/liberation from samsara

Moksha (type 1)

recognize truth that you are atman/brahman

Moksha (type 2)

to leave bodily form + be with brahman, live with God’s presence

Three paths

Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana margas/yogas (lead to liberation [Moksha])

(path 1) Karma

emphasizes ritual + ethical works

(path 2) Bhakti

focused on devotion to a deity (most widely practiced)

(path 3) Jnana

study hard (most difficult), spiritual insight, sacred texts + meditation

Castes

Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra

Your caste status is

permanent, unchanging since birth, immutable

(highest caste) Brahmin

priest, associated with white (color of purity, lightness)

(tier 2 caste) Kshatriya

king/warrior nobles, mutually good relationship with Brahmins (king gives money/land to brahmin, brahmins act as advisors, ritual priests to kings after they kill in battle to repurify them), associated with red (color of passion + energy)

(tier 3 caste) Vaishya

commoners/producers, yellow association (color of earth)

(tier 4 caste above untouchables) Shudra

servants, black association (color of darkness, inertia or lack of movement)

Huge rule for castes

DO NOT MARRY OUTSIDE CASTE! Not illegal but is a social prohibition, will have consequences that can be grotesque and possibly bad as death (+ lose status, your entire lineage loses its caste)

Caste still a thing?

socially yes, but it is trying to be made illegal due to laws against discriminating based on caste

How many gods in Hinduism

approx. 330 million

Four stages of life

Student, Householder, Forest-Dwelling Hermit (retired), and Renouncer (sannyasi)

(stage 1) Student

be a celibate student (lasts 25 ish years)

(stage 2) Householder

get married, have family (lasts 25 ish years)

(stage 3) Forest Dwelling Hermit

retirement (lasts 25 ish years)

(stage 4) Renouncer/sannyasi

(optional) renounces EVERYTHING! Including family. celibate wanderer that pursues enlightenment by meditation/yoga or joining communities (25 ish years) has to rely on others for food/drink/showers etc due to lack of job and house

4 Stages

were originally meant to be seen more as 2 paths you branch towards, one w/stage 3 or one w/stage 4

4 stages are mostly done by

commoner/shudra (only men)

Role of women

women had no role in society besides becoming wives + housemaking

Once a woman’s husband died in older ages

expected to throw herself in fire + die (now illegal)

Hijra

third gender, usually a man/intersex at birth that dresses like a woman + lives in Hijra communities. Performed blessings, seen as helping with fertility (must be respected or could get cursed by them)

Hijra after British takeover

discriminated against

Caste system was

NOT inclusive of women, they were not to have a caste

Dharma in relation to caste

Brahmins must study + teach, kshatriya must fight/protect, vaishya must work/produce goods, shudra must serve others

Four Aims

Dharma, Kama, Artha, and Moksha (do not have one at expense of another!)

(aim 1) Dharma

duty, law, ethics

(aim 2) Kama

sensual enjoyment (sex, enjoyment of art + fun)

(aim 3) Artha

material wealth, social prestige

(aim 4) Moksha

liberation from Samsara

Trimurti

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (3 of most important deities)

(trimurti) Brahma

creator, cosmic underlying maker of everything (all knowing, 4 faces that face all directions)

(trimurti) Vishnu

deity of preservation, all holding + omnipotence

(trimurti) Shiva

deity of destruction (destruction being seen as good + helpful for creation and rebirth)