Intro to Religious Myths and Rituals: Week 6 Session 1

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers concepts from Intro to Religious Myths and Rituals, including identity theories (Double, Triple, and Liminal consciousness), ancient and modern Hindu concepts, Vedantic philosophy, and the caste system.

Double-consciousness

A concept developed by W. E. B. DuBois in The Souls of Black Folk describing the sensation of viewing oneself through the eyes of others and navigating life as both an insider and outsider in American society.

Triple-consciousness

A term introduced by theologian Eldin Villafañe to describe the experience of second-generation Latin Americans who are insiders and outsiders to both the dominant Anglo-White group and the first-generation Hispanic community.

Mestizaje

Derived from the word "mestizo" meaning "mixed" or "hybrid," it refers to the emergence of a "new people" from the union of ethnically distinct groups, fostering a multicultural identity that rejects racial purity.

Liminality

As explained by Fumitaka Matsuoka, a "place of in-betweenness" where individuals are poised between two or more social constructs, experiencing both isolation and creativity.

Great Tradition

The Pan-Indic form of Hinduism that contains expressions and practices found throughout all of India.

Little Tradition

Regional or local expressions of Hinduism practiced alongside the Great Tradition that are extremely varied and diverge from one another.

Pachupati

An ancient deity often depicted in a yogic position, considered by archeologists and scholars to be a forerunner to the modern god Shiva.

Rita

The balance of the cosmic order that ancient Indian gods worked together to preserve.

Asuras

Demons in ancient Indian mythology who opposed the gods and attempted to disrupt rita, or the cosmic balance.

Agni

The god of fire who continues to be worshiped in modern times; he uses smoke from sacrificial fires to carry messages to the gods.

Brahmins

Religious specialists and priests who emerged to perform complex sacrificial rituals, remaining an important part of Hindu practice today.

Vedas

The oldest literary texts of Hinduism, composed in Vedic Sanskrit and originally transmitted orally; they consist of the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.

Purusha

The "cosmic being" in Sanskrit whose sacrificial dismemberment by the gods created the universe and all life forms, including the Moon, Sun, and wind.

House of Clay

The Vedic cosmological realm below the earth where demons and the spirits of those who failed to perform proper sacrifices dwell.

Upanishads

A collection of sutras consisting of oral teachings and philosophical dialogues between teachers and students regarding the Vedic texts.

Dharma

A cosmic principle meaning "to hold steady," representing the unseen order and fundamental state of balance in the universe.

Karma

Meaning "action," it is the self-corrective force of Dharma that ensures justice through the cycle of rebirth.

Samsara

The cycle of birth and death; an individual's movement within the caste system or into animal and plant realms is determined by their adherence to Dharma.

Varnas

The four basic classes of the Hindu caste system: Brahmins (priests), Military/Aristocracy, Merchants/Agriculturalists, and Laborers/Services.

Jnana

The "Way of Knowledge," which focuses on gaining true knowledge of reality to escape the cycle of samsara.

Sannyasi

A hermit, typically a man in his 40s or 50s, who leaves his family to experience reality and break out of the social caste system.

Brahman

The monist god principle or "world soul" from which everything derives and is held together; it literally means "to grow."

Atman

The self or soul that is separate from the physical body, the five senses, and waking or dreaming reality; it is fundamentally identical to Brahman.

Bhakti

The "Way of Devotion," which focuses on connecting with the divine through a specific deity or avatar rather than through meditation or knowledge.

Shiva

An aspect of Brahman associated with indiscriminate power or forces; also known as the world dancer who represents the primordial rhythm of the world.

Vishnu

An aspect of Brahman associated with the Sun who brings order, reigns in chaos, and is viewed as a humanitarian god of compassion.

Samkhya

The oldest of the six philosophical schools of Hinduism, focusing on dualism (spirit and matter) and the concept of causality.

Yoga (Philosophy)

A school of thought that builds upon Samkhya's dualism, teaching that systematic physical and meditative techniques are required to achieve moksha.

Nyaya

A philosophical school focused on logic, reason, and investigating material experience as the path to correct knowledge and liberation.

Vaisheshika

A school of philosophy that utilizes perception and inference to understand reality through atomism, the study of core substances.

Mimamsa

A school of philosophy asserting that the world is eternal and that performing Vedic sacrifices is the only way to sustain cosmic order and achieve liberation.

Vedanta

An explicitly theistic philosophical school that views the Supreme Reality (Brahman) as personal and relatable to practitioners.