History - Hinduism

Monotheist even though it seems like it’s Polytheistic - Has a wide range of beliefs and practices; Has numerous deities that represent various aspects of the divine (Brahman)

The Vedas - written down in Sanskrit; Major Hindu Text

System that determines your place in society; Divides people into social groups based on birth; Major system of Hinduism; Idea is that there are 5 different classes; As you reincarnate, you move up or down classes (based on karma); A social class order of many gods and goddesses, practices, and religious literature; Ideas:
-Everyone is not equal
-Embraced the inequality but didn’t explain why
-However you are born into the society, you have earned that spot, and once you reach the top of the pyramid you achieve moksha
-Everyone starts at Sudra

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Sudras, and the Untouchables (Dalits)

Indo - European language that the Vedas was written in; the ancient language of the Vedas adopted by the Indo-Aryans

Philosophers/Priests - Most influential leaders of society; Highest class (priests, scholars, philosophers, judges–law making class); The priest varna of the caste system; Expected to take care of the temples

Second highest class, warrior class (commanders in military, nobles, high ranking gov. officials – warrior class); Warrior/Political leaders; Smaller than Brahmins but important

Third class, middle class; Farmers who own their own land, the merchant class (these are the largest groups)

Fourth class, working class - unskilled labor; Work for others (bottom of the pyramid); Laborers

Lowest class in the caste system; If you touch them, then you would be spiritually polluting; Have occupations that are spiritually dangerous

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas - Everyone in this group made progress because everyone starts out as Sudras

Last section of Vedas and address spiritual questions; Forest stories; Written by intellectual in a high level; A group of writings sacred in Hinduism concerning the relations of humans, gods, and the universe; Gurus would go out into forests and meditate to find answers about the ancient texts (vedas) and once the gurus found all the answers, they would take on chelas (students) and pass down their interpretation - each time the truth of what happened becomes more distant.

Ramayana and Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) - a section of the Indian epic the Mahabharata)

Love story about Rama who is learning how to become the model king; His wife was kidnapped; His sidekick is a monkey; Teaches the morals in leaders and moral and to be a good person

War story between 2 large clans (same family); Longest poem in the world; One of India’s greatest epics written between 1000 BC and 700 BC

Also known as “Song of God”; Part of the Mahabharata - poem/interlude for the Mahabharata

The process of death and re-birth; It means “in the flesh again”; Reincarnation is about the belief that the world is filled with illusion and suffering, meaning coming back to this world is seen as a punishment; Can be reborn into different forms

Cycle of reincarnation/death and rebirth, ignorance, and suffering; The idea that people are trapped in their bodies; Goal is to get out of reincarnation system and let Atman free; Repeating cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation

The obligations of the varna(class) one is born into (Duty); Duty of your class - expectation of a person; The social (known) expectations for someone of your class; Obeying dharma = move up the caste system, and if not down; Obey Dharma and have good karma = escape samsara

Cause and effect of their good and bad actions in previous lives; Linking of actions and their consequences; Something that happened without preparation; Moral decisions affect your karma/determines your future - bad actions = bad karma, good actions = good actions; System of good/bad fortune based off of a buildup of good/bad actions (like a morality score); Your karma is determined by birth/how you are born

The Hindu concept of the spirit’s ‘liberation’ from the endless cycle of rebirths; When you escape samsara, you achieve moksha - Your atman returns to the Atman of the world

Soul of the world / Universal soul; Soul (more specifically, all souls together); Part of Brahman - The absolute reality/ultimate unchanging reality

A class in the Caste System (technical name); Different name for each section of the Caste system

The individual’s soul

Goal is to let your soul(atman) escape samsara - this cycle and reunite with the soul (Atman) of the world and be free;
When you reach moksha, your atman will join the Atman of the world

Truth, right conduct, love, peace, non-violence

Moral restraints (nonviolence, abstinence, etc.)
Physical disciplines (calmness, hygiene, study)
Bodily Postures (control body, detach from the physical
Breathing (connects to emotions, bridge to controlling bodily functions normally automatic)
Sensory Withdrawal
Concentration
Meditation (objectless concentration, self-reflection)
Trance (Samadhi - total absorption)

Aryan means noble; Immigrants from Europe and Asia who migrated to India and finally settled; Vedas from this time suggest the beginning of caste system; Hinduism emerged from the combination of beliefs and practice of the Indus Valley Civilization and the Aryans (Indo - Aryan); Historical Aryans were herders and migrate from Posited Homeland, through Iran and through Khyber Pass - didn’t conquer but gradual migration

Indo - European tribe, made up of mostly nomadic people that replaced the Harappan civilization in the 2nd millennium BCE.
3 classes in society - priest, warriors and rulers, and commoners

There is an incredible variety of religious experience; No central authority; Has a phenomenal that are considered equally legitimately to practice this religion; Rules are set in the present and have a broad spectrum

Had some kind of central authority that makes the religion highly organized in its practices (High degree of consistency); At some time in early history, they had some type of central authority that established rules for everyone; Most religions are orthodox religions

Sanskrit word for "Caste"; Different subsections in the classes of the Caste System

Belief in many different (holy spirits); Have a number of gods

Hinduism; Have one divinity but takes infinity shapes; 1 central belief

Hindu belief in nonviolence and reverence for all life; Principle of non-violence (won't even kill insects and eat animals because they might hurt other spirits)

Monotheism is the belief that there is only 1 God while Polytheism is the belief in many different (holy spirits)
Hinduism is Monism - There is different forms of the divine; Even in the same temple, there isn't standardized form of behavior

A wise man that you would go to for spiritual guidance (retreat from society, reflect on the meaning of life); A Hindu or Buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher; Meditate and give you broader celebrations (Upanishad); People who goes into the world and separate them from the world to meditate

(Beverage) - The favorite thing for the Aryans to sacrifice to their gods; Made from mushrooms; Made their god happy

Karma - Go out and try to improve yourself in the world; Look for opportunities to do good, make the world a better place, go out and improve yourself and the world.

Bhakti

Relationship/personal connect with some form of the divine; When you need help, they will come; Essentially where miracles come from

Ability to move up and down in society/social status; This is the Caste System’s main attraction; Most societies had a low amount of social mobility; Guarantee a certain status, meaning you won’t be going down; If you are at the bottom of social mobility, you can convert religions but there is barely any cultural diffusion from outside, so there are no nearby rivals

Study - The Brahminical Strand - The long road (High Hinduism) - Study
Meditation - Yoga (Looking inward)
Work - Karma as opportunity (merit - making)
Love - Bhakti - Escape by divine intervention

Generator / Generate (Creates things) in theory multiple forms of divine

Operator / Operates (Saves people)

Destroyer

Elephant god - Good fortune

Mother goddess; Embodies all aspects of womanhood; Husband is Siva

God of compassion, protection, and love; In times of crisis, he always saves the day; Depicted as a blue boy

Outcast

Yoga; Masters of Meditation are monks - Can control their heart rate and body heat; Gain moksha through meditation

Practitioner of yoga

A state of profound and utterly absorptive contemplation that is undisturbed by desire, anger, or any other thought or emotion; State of meditative consciousness

A meditative practice that is much more than just poses (idea is to perceive the divine in you); Poses is supposed to cause pain and when you master everything, your brain starts working differently/reflect more internally; Goal - See your progress, past yourself, better connection to humanity, and see atman, getting a glimpse of what it’s like to be divine

Students taught by gurus

People who migrated from Europe and developed Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sanskrit; Migrated through Iran and Khyber pass; Spread all the way west from India

Holy animal of hinduism:

-Easy-tempered, easy to maintain

Answer: -Meat and milk

-Mellow (stupid, not much trouble)

Answer: Fertilization - most valuable - that’s why you don’t eat them

Strong and durable - labor

Answer: Amount of food it can produce alive is a lot greater than killing it
0 Maintenance animal - Cost no one nothing

Practical living for a farming society

Hurting a cow the worst thing you can do, which is why most people would not eat beef

A sage in India who is believed to have authored a number of Sanskrit works, the most prominent of which is the Yoga Sutras

Spiritual practice that's centered on loving devotion - Your chosen method of connecting with your god (Love)

The personal deity with whom a devotee feels the greatest affinity; An enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation - Your chosen form of the divine

Can't join - Has to be born into it

Different form of the divine in temples

Food and water offered to a deity during worship; Religious offerings

A religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life

Characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons - Siddhartha Gautama went through this for 6 years

Means "magic" or "illusion"; A fundamental concept in Hindu philosophy

Migrated from the north to the south and brought traditions and most importantly cattle; Brought cows to India; (COWS DID NOT ORIGINATE IN INDIA)