Hinduism

Institution of renounciation. Sadhu general of renounciation

Hinduism is artificial term, Hinduism derives from river indus, river in Pakistan, geographic in nature, doesn’t need shrine

Indus, industan-name given by explorers to land beyond indus river, Hindustan appeared in Babylonian text around 4^th century. British coined term Hinduism around 18^th or 19^th century, as a way attempting to compose a conceptual order that was a delightful chaos that was the nature of hindu life.

Things that diversify hindu religion into a thing of a religious umbrella:

·         Order

·         The cosmic order:rta

·         The social order

·         Dharma

·         The moral order, karma

The overarching principal is order, and that order has cosmic social and moral dimensions.

The hindu religious book ‘uras’

·         Three main figures in story: brama((manifest god), lord ivishu(preserver god), lord shiva(destroyer god), and davie(the goddess)

VIshu the preserver, preserves and maintains the order created by barman, vishu contains order; maintains both the cosmic, moral and social order.

Shiva the destroyer, creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin.

One of most famous iconic religions in the world hindu is.

Brama, vishu, and shiva can represent one. Hinduism believes no living thing is separate, and in india people see more individual.

Once upon a time only ‘Prakriti’ existed. Translates into stuff. Brama creation of the world like a potter’s craft. Creation in Hinduism is given stuff that is then created, molded, and brought to life by brama. Once earth was created, brama then loses interests in creation

After brama creates universe and removes himself from it, vishu first spins disk on his finger representing order and balance. Vishnu defeats and fends off chaos. How does Vishnu maintain this world?

2 answers to question

·         The statue of woodti, sleeping lord Vishnu, sleeping Vishnu is supported by quiet serpent named ananta, ananta means unending or eternal, representing eternal sleep, in vishnus eternal sleep he dreams order into the world. This world is seen as the dream of a god. 

·         This world is gods dream. The indian convention to show thought something is seen growing out vishnus naval. A lotus, a symbol for the mind, a brama is seen within the lotus, so world was created inside vishnus head. Gods dream is public. We are all characters inside gods dream.

Maya- the world is a magic place. Life is like a magic trick. Deeper metaphysical sense if one were to wake up the spiritual sense, and the world would loose hold over us.

Buddha-awakened one

Hindu is moksha or liberation, also known as nirvana

All of the gods of Hinduism are forms of Vishnu. Vishnu incarnates into the world. Krishna is a form of Vishnu. Vishnu incarnates into the world whenever chaos threatends the world. Many forms of Vishnu all to defeat chaos.

Vishnu establishes order by brama:

1.Vishnu dreaming the world

2. reincarnates into the world to establish virtue, duty, and justice, and overwhelm the forces of arda or chaos

Most famous incarnations of Vishnu is krishna, Krishna playes the flute to attract souls. Krishna is understood as all attractive. Represents god as our souls mother. Krishna teaches how to love. Tradition known as baki, main vehicle through Krishna is approached. Krishna might be a bit of a rule breaker.

Lord rama another famous incarnation. Was a prince in north india called iodia. Embodies virtues of warrior, prince, and faithful husband. Lord rama has a monkey named ‘haniman’ that shows how to serve and love god . trangressive or antinomy, defends the people and shows values of a lifestyle of a household.

The third of the great gods is lord shiva:

Reincarnates as yogis barra, the patron of the yogis. Shiva is renunciate, meditator, leaves the world because he transcends. He wears long hair as a sign of a renunciate. The ghanges river flows behind him. The ghanges river is a daughter of barra. Plays complimentary role to Vishnu. Said to help us leave the world. Seen as frightening god. Lives far from civilization.

Competing values, first set values: of a king of a warrior, virtue, good husband

Second set:how to transend the world

The goddess shakti embodies aestitics of beauty. Every male god needs a female. Wife of shiva, very patient. Understood as energy or lifeblood. God without goddess is useless. The goddess wakes up Vishnu from vishnu’s dream and the world is gone along with the universe.

Shinva is also known as the lord of the dance.

Kalima is the mother of death. Penetrates delusions of ego. Teaches how to leave the world. Cuts off egos with divine . stands next to shiva.

Reduced down to prakti.

Kali can be found everywhere. Doing both birthing and slaying.

Samsara how Hinduism describes the ceaseless, eternal, beginningless of manisfestation by lord brama, maintenance by lord Vishnu, and destruction by lord shiva and Shakti, the cycle of life known as samsara spins.

Hinduism lecture 2

 Dharma and karma

Darma is that which sustains, duty, truth or teaching, the social order as codified in the dharmashastra(4^th century text by manu), svadharma-ones own duty to society

Manu took loosely connected system story and articulated a system.

Purusha hymm of the rig veda. Ch. 10

From which birth the 4 classes of society:

Brahmins- emerge from tongue. hereditary priest of society, perform rituals on behalf of others. All priests have the same function to contact the other world on behalf of society.

Kshatriya-emerge from arms. The nobility or the warriors. Were placed by manu in second level of society. Rivalry between Kshatriya and Brahmins. Buddhist best known example, Buddha was originally secong class.

Vaishya third group of society or the merchants. They emerged from the thighs of . typically merchants sits . symbolism for what keeps society moving, the thighs for keeping society moving. Skin pigmentation can classify higher or lower.

Shudra came from the feet of . the laborers or artisans.

The system, 1800 bce. 4 groups of society.

3 components of caste

Occupation

Separation, enforced by taboos against intermarriage and interdining

Hierarchy

The caste name is the family name, regional.

Caste societal latter came from Portuguese explorer in late 15^th century because he saw a more diverse society than the four Brahmins…

Hierarchy is based on system of purity and pollution, reflected occupation, birth, and culture.

Pollution is a dead body. Pollution is anything reminiscent of death.

People who deal with funerals and who work with the dead are considered the lowest of the caste. Some not even considered for caste.

Sweat can also be seen as dirty or pollution. People who clean dirty clothes are associated with death. Women during menstruation do not enter the kitchen so food is not polluted, also may not enter into temple for not polluting the temple.

Sweepers are also down in the social latter.

Barbers are also considered a pollutive group. Because once hair leaves the body it is dead.

Food taboos:

Some hindus are vegetarians. Higher caste are traditionally vegetarian. Who prepares the food is important so food must be pure or from a higher caste than from one who eats the food.

If a Brahmin cooks and serves food anyone in society can eat it. Brahmin speak sandscript.

Brahmin purity is a matter of birth. 7 generations on each parents side.

Gandi’s perspective on caste system. Wanted the lowest members of caste who were polluted to enter the temple. Thoughts spiritual dimension of a person was most important. He supported caste system and was against outcasting. Everyone deserved equal religious freedom and said doing ‘ones own duty.’ And maybe in the next life you can be something higher in life.

Karma-every action has a common fruit of action. Karma is a law of the universe. The results of our actions can also influence our next life. Very long view of human life.  Individual moral order.

Samsara and reincarnation- the universe is going to be destroyed and reborn and then again and again.

The cycle goes on until the person sees life on earth as a magical show and is able to disconnect .