IB world religons paper 2

Key Concepts

• Brahman: ultimate reality—a Hindu expression of monism

• Avatar: an incarnation of a god or God

• Brahmin: the highest caste

• The Trimurti:

  • Brahma: the deity responsible for creation

  • Vishnu: the deity responsible for the preservation of creation

  • Shiva: the deity responsible for destruction

• Murti: the manifestation of the deity in a particular form

• Darshan: the state of seeing and being seen by the deity

• Dharma: religious or moral duty

• Ahimsa: non-violence

• Samsara: the cycle of life, death, and rebirth

• Maya: the illusory forms of the created world

• Gunas: the qualities of the created world

• Moksha: liberation

• Yoga: the paths to moksha

  • Bhakti yoga: the path of devotion

  • Jnana yoga: the path of knowledge

  • Karma yoga: the path of ethical actions

• Karma: the law of actions

• Atman: the self or soul, sometimes seen as identical with Brahman

• Pap: sin

• Punya: holiness/spiritual excellence

• Shakti: divine feminine creative power

Theme 1: Rituals

Lifetime rituals/rites of passage

• Traditional 16 samskaras: birth, naming a child, upanayana (sacred thread ceremony), marriage, retirement, death, and cremation

• Ashramas (stages of life):

  • Brahmacharya: study of the Vedas by boys

  • Grihastha: married householder

  • Vanaprastha: retirement

  • Sannyasa: renunciation

Worship

• Achamana: ritual purification

• Puja: worship in both home and mandir (temple)

• Use of mythology as the basis of festivals focusing on gods and goddesses

• Ishwara/Ishta-Devata: worship of a personal god

• Use of murtis for darshan and sharing prasad, bhajans, and the arti ceremony

• Yatra: pilgrimage to sacred rivers, shrines, and kumbha-melas (special bathing fairs)

Possible Resources

• Murti, arti lamp, conch, bells, drum, incense, flowers, water, kum-kum tilaka (paste), prasad, japa mala (mantra beads)

Festivals

• Holi, Vaisakhi, Navaratri, Dasara, and Divali

• Regional/family/caste variations

Gender and Ritual

• Women's roles in puja and samskaras

• Reflections on the Laws of Manu, arranged and “love” marriages

Theme 2: Sacred Texts

Key Texts

• Divine origin of the Vedas and the Upanishads

• Selections from Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Svetasvatara Upanishads

• Selections from Bhagavad Gita and Laws of Manu

Composition

• Scriptures divided between shruti (heard) and smriti (remembered)

Interpretation

• Different interpretations by philosophical systems (darshanas)

• Hindu sampradayas with individual interpretations

• Language: Shruti texts in Sanskrit; smriti texts in local languages

Theme 3: Doctrines/Beliefs

Origin of Doctrines

• Result of the layering of beliefs and practices in India over thousands of years

• Base teachings from Dravidian societies later influenced by Aryan migration

Statements of Belief

• No creed; belief in God as personal (saguna) and non-personal (nirguna)

• The sanatana dharma is practiced by fulfilling duties of different varnas

Eschatology

• Samsara as the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth

• Aiming to attain moksha and freedom from samsara

Cosmogony and Cosmology

• Creation mythology and the roles of Vishnu, Shiva, or goddess

Authority and Schools of Thought

• Authority of Vedas, Brahmins, Upanishads, and gurus

• Different interpretations among the six philosophical systems

Theme 4: Religious Experience

Group/Individual Experience

• Pilgrimage and festivals as a group experience; role of guru, ashrams, meditation, yoga

Conversion

• Conversion not possible; development of modern organizations like ISKCON

Gender and Religious Experience

• Traditional roles of women and their changing status in modern India

Theme 5: Ethics and Moral Conduct

Approaches to Teaching

• Can be approached through texts and visiting speakers

Ethical Practice and Legal Issues

• Fulfilling one's role based on caste (varnashramadharma) determines morality

• Caste-related issues and ideas of purity

• Treatment of sentient creatures, ahimsa, and related moral themes

Additional Information

• Hindu Festivals: Each festival has regional and cultural significance, often featuring specific rituals that reflect local traditions and practices.

• Caste System: While the caste system provides a framework for social organization, it has faced scrutiny and reformation, particularly in modern contexts where equality is increasingly emphasized.

• Role of Technology: Modern technology affects worship practices, especially in the way devotees interact with rituals and each other through social media and online platforms.