Transcript Slide 1

• Why do good things happen to some
people, and not to others?
• Karma
• How do I know what I am supposed to
do in my life?
• Dharma
• WHO: The people of the Indus Valley/the
Aryans – nowadays, 80% of India are Hindus
• WHEN: 2500 – 1500 BCE
• WHERE: Indus Valley
History
of…
• Bharat-ism [HINDUISM]
• Name evolved after Muslim conquest:
non-Muslim population called Hindus
• British called their religion “Hinduism”
ARYANS
• Entered and
introduced
belief system
to the
Harappans
• From 1200600 BC, they
spread
Bharat to
most of
Northern
India
THE VARNAS [COLORS]
1.
2.
3.
4.
Brahmin: ritual experts
Kshatriya: government agents/warriors
Vaishya: traders/farmers
Sudra: servants
Brahmans
Kshatriyas
Vaishyas
Sudras
VARNA -> CASTE
• Untouchables
• Born into
• Social
movement is
not possible in
present life
Untouchables
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•
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Slaves: “untouchables”
This group was outside of the varnas
performed tasks considered unclean
Today there are 160 million untouchables
Caste System
• All people are
born, married, and
die within
• Assigns work, a
place, a need for
one another
• No social mobility
• Hereditary
system
• Know your place in
the order
FOR TODAY
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Significance of cows, fire
Karma
Dharma
Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma
Yoga
Moksha
GOALS
1. Dharma: how to behave
2. Artha: importance of material goods
3. Kama: enjoyment of the senses
4. Moksha: release from rebirth
All Life is Sacred
•Why are there cows in the
middle of Indian roads?
•Why haven’t “over 1 billion
people been served” by
McDonalds?
COSMIC ORDER & SACRIFICE
• Life depends on
natural order it is set
• Sacred Cow:
Mother’s Milk to an
infant
• Milk, Curds, Ghee,
Urine and Dung
• Kill a cow = killing a
priest
• Humans depend on
non-humans
ALL-POWERFUL FIRE
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Fire consumes everything
Smoke carried to the Gods
Marriages use fire
Cremation preferred to burial
DHARMA
• Means to “hold” or
“uphold”
• How people should
behave appropriately
DHARMA
• duties and obligations owned
by each caste!
• People can only improve their
life by carrying out duties
now and hoping for a better
next life.
• “action” or
“deed”
• How your
soul is
reborn
depends on
your dharma
and karma!
• KARMA: the sum of a person’s past lives, which is carried
into new lives…good deeds bring happiness/evil deeds bring
sorrow.
KEY BELIEFS:
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Interconnectedness of all life
Nonviolence & respect for nature
Vedas & Upanishads are the source of Hinduism.
MONOTHEISTIC BUT
POLYTHEISTIC?
• Brahman is the
creator, but can
never be known,
heard, visualized
• Brahman creates
deities as his
agents of the
world
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Skillions of Gods
•Is Hinduism purely polytheistic?
•While there are many gods,
Hindus still believe there is one
truth about the world:
“Truth is one and the wise ones
call it by many names.”
•There are three gods who are
considered “in charge.”
The Trinity:
Where are these gods
worshiped?
•Small Shrines
–At home
–Along the road
•Temples
–Called “Mandirs”
–Big shrine to god in temple
–Bath in middle of temple
•Water
–Ganges River
•holiest place for Hindus
•Barnaras – the holiest city
–“city of light”
–City of Shiva- where people go to die
»Cremation- burning of bodies so that the soul can be released
»Ashes scattered on the Ganges
PRACTICE
• YOGA ~ stresses the importance
of physical harmony, not just
mental.
PRACTICE
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Ritual washings, and spreading of
loved ones ashes in the ‘Holy”
Ganges river.
Ganges poured from Heaven
THE
ULTIMATE
GOAL
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MOKSHA ~ the ultimate
goal of life!
A release/freedom from
the human condition
that stand between each
individual & cosmic
unity.