Hinduism
World’s oldest religion
Hinduism
c. 3,000 BCE
Etymology > Hindu comes from Indus
River
Predominately in India…85% of the
Many Rivers… population
One Ocean In US & Western cultures, the Krishna
Consciousness of the 70s and the Yoga
influx of the 90s have popularized
Hinduism creating a watered-down version
watered-
1. Religious Tolerance
Exclusivism
Because Hinduism has many paths
Intolerant of other faiths
itself, it tends to present itself as a
JWs, Born-Agains, Fundamentalists
Born-
pluralistic religion
Inclusivism
Satellite example
Tolerant of other faiths, but there is only one
true religion
Immanuel Kant’s ding an sich
Pluralism
All religions are equal and true
2. The Goals A. Kama
Kama (sensual pleasure)…desire
Pursuit of pleasure within the constraints
Artha (wealth, fame,
of appropriate morality
power)….desire Kama Sutra…tantrism
Dharma (Call to The end result proves dissatisfying b/c the
Service)…renunciation individual seeks only to fill the self
Moksha
(Liberation)….renunciation
Are these not typical life-stages?
life-
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B. Artha C. Dharma
Worldly success…fame, wealth, power Call to Service…the individual has left the
stage of the will-to-get (meaninglessness)
will- to-
Like pleasure, worldly success proves to
and entered the will-to-give (meaning)
will- to-
be unfulfilling b/c the self is insatiable
Kama and artha focus on the self, while
Plato: “Poverty consists, not in the
dharma focuses on the community
decrease of one’s possessions, but in the
increase of one’s greed.” So, the direction of the goals are obviously
away from the self (ego).
Joy
D. Moksha
Pain…can be overcome through intense focus
Disappointment…can be overcome if
Beyond the previous goals, eventually people expectations were lowered and perceptions
(not all) come to realize that they want were more expanded (not limited to the self)
Absolute…
Boredom…can be overcome if we take
Being: our physical bodies cease to exist interest in others
Knowledge: our minds are finite Knowledge
Joy: we become bored, disappointed, and There is so much more to our minds than we
experience pain give credit.
Being
Our beings (not bodies) are infinite
3. Four Paths to Liberation A. Jnana Yoga …the way to God through
knowledge
Path = Yoga B. Bhakti Yoga …the way to God through
love (devotion)
Yoga…”method of training designed to lead to
integration or union of the human spirit with C. Karma Yoga …the way to God through
God.” selfless works
God = Brahman D. Raja Yoga …the way to God through
Monistic…universal essence, source, and meditation, contemplation and physical
being exercises
Theistic…characterized by one of the many
Hindu deities
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Basic Tenets
Respect for life
Ganges
Ahisma: no harm…vegetarianism
Ahisma:
Samsara…wheel of rebirth
Samsara…wheel
Karma…moral law of cause and effect
Karma…moral
Dharma…duty
Dharma…duty
Selflessness
Devotees flock to the banks of the Ganges
in the hopes of cleansing bad karma.
B. Bhakti Yoga
A. Jnana Yoga
Devotion to the gods and goddesses
Each deity is an expression of Brahman
Knowledge
(puja)
A family can worship (puja) a deity in their
Shedding of the ego to realize the Eternal
home with a shrine
Self (Atman) and be one with Brahman
(Atman)
Ritual offerings
Intense study of the sacred scriptures:
The community worships a deity in a
Vedas
mandir (temple)
Upanishads
Prayers…led by a priest
Mahabharata
Ritual offerings
Bhagavad-Gita
Bhagavad-
Deities
Brahma…creator
Hindu Trinity
Vishnu…preserver
Krishna…avatar (incarnation)
)
(
Shiva…destroyer
Kali…goddess of death and alleviator of fears
Ganesha…elephant-god of prosperity &
Ganesha…elephant-
remover of obstacles
Durga…goddess of balance & feminine energy
Hanuman…monkey-god of courage & hope
Hanuman…monkey-
A Mandir
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C. Karma Yoga
All work within one’s life is done for
selfless purposes
The Blessed Lord said: “As the ignorant
men act from attachment to action, O
Arjuna, so should the wise act without
attachment, wishing the welfare of the
world.
-Bhagavad Gita, ch.3, Verse 25.
Gita,
Mother Theresa…Ghandi’s struggle to free
Theresa…Ghandi’s
A shrine India and the harijan
The Caste Karma…dictated
Dharma…live
into which caste
according to
caste one was born
Brahmin…priests
Kshatriya…Upper-class
Vaishya…working-class
Sudra…servants
Outcastes/Untouchables…harijan
D. Raja Yoga
Stretching, bending, balancing and sitting
exercises. Breathing exercises that aim to
control the mind.
Withdrawing the attention from the body and
the senses by focusing on the body.
Concentration of the mind.
Meditation.
Uninterrupted contemplation of
Reality=SAMADHI
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Chakras (Seven Levels of Energy)
Sri Ramakrishna
Chakra comes from the Sanskrit, “circle”
The body is seen as an energy field w/ seven
levels, each representing a specific power
center
When chakra energy is blocked, spiritual
development is hindered and
emotional/physical difficulties germinate
A person can channel through the chakras
Sri Ramakrishna
1. Muladhara …coccyx…material Colors
security…physical base
2. Svadhisthana…sex organs…identity and
Svadhisthana…sex 1.Red
sexuality
2.Orange
3. Manipura…solar plexus…power-center
Manipura…solar plexus…power-
4. Anihata…heart…love…compassion
Anihata…heart…love…compassion 3.Yellow
5. Vishudda…throat and vocal chords…finding
Vishudda…throat
4.Green
our true voice
5.Blue
6. Ajna…center of forehead…”Third
Ajna…center
Eye”…vision…wisdom…no more duality
6.Purple
7. Soma…Thousand-Petaled Lotus
Soma…Thousand-
7.White
Flower…Crown Region…Spiritual Connection
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