Hinduism - Philosophy

Jnana Yoga

Path of Knowledge

What are the concerns of the Upanishads?

• seek to learn about the universe

• Nirguna brahman

WHat were the mystery questions in the Vedas?

who created the golden egg and purusha

Sacred Thread Ceremony

• Child → Student

• practiced by young Brahmins

  • tie white string around the shoulder

  • tying forms a circle = harmony, continuation, beginning and end

Sitting Near Devotedly

• students sitting at the foot of the guru

• also practiced by lower castes towards upper castes

What are the Themes/Questions of the Upanishads?

1. Who is God?

2. Who am I?

3. What’s the meaning of life?

What was the relationship b/w brahman and the rituals in the vedic period?

Brahman was a hidden force

Whats the correlation of the branch to the tree?

by studying the self, we can study god

__ is the illusory self

Jiva

__ is the true self

Atman

Jiva vs. Atman

• Jiva

  • temporary

  • can accumulate karma

  • undergoes incarnation (life cycle)

  • can be polluted

  • experience pain and pleasure

• Atman

  • eternal

  • unchanging

  • beyond time and space

  • pure

  • does not accumulate karma

True/False: The majority of beings know the true self

False

Story of the Blind Men and Elephant and how does it reflect jiva and atman

• the blind men mistook the elephant for something else:

  • side = wall

  • trunk = snake

  • tusks = spears

  • ears = fans

  • legs = pillars

  • tail = rope

• blind men had a partial understanding of the elephant which is JIVA

How does the example of 2 birds on a tree reflect jiva and atman?

• the bird that goes on about its life = Jiva

• the bird that watches the Jiva bird = atman

How does the example of the rope reflect jiva?

the man thinks the rope is a snake, he is misguided by his sense = jiva

True/False: Reincarnation is ideal

False

Is there reincarnation after Moksha?

no

What is the process of Moksha and Reincarnation?

• Upon death, the jiva accumulates good/bad karma which can prevent one from reaching Brahman

• the atman is the soul and separates from the body, is one has karma, it pulls them into reincarnation

• But if one reaches moksha, they can reach brahman

Atman = Brahman

the meaning of life is to know oneself