WORLD RELIGIONS: Hindu

HINDUISM

History
· Unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin.
· Simply the religion of the people of India.
· Has no definite starting point
· History is closely related to social and political developments of India
· Most historical theories agree that Hinduism dates back to when the Aryan Indo-European tribes invaded northern India—as the Aryans started mixing with natives, they started sharing customs, traditions, rituals, beliefs and myths.
· It is marked by the composition of orally transmitted sacred texts expressing what we know now about Hinduism.
Sacred Text –
There is no sacred text just an “authority”
· Ramayana and Mahabharata – Epic Poems
· The Vedas
o Means Knowledge
o Four Collections of ritual Materials
o Guidelines
· Bhagavad-Gita is a lengthy poem of dialogue
o “Teaches how to achieve union with the supreme Reality through the paths of knowledge, devotion, selfless work, and meditation.”
o One of the most important characteristics of the text is that it reinforces the very core of Hinduism: that God is an exalted, inspiring, and sublime force within us. Because God is within us, say the Hindus, we can rise above our mortal limitations and be liberated.
o Three paths that lead to liberation:
§ (1) The discipline of knowledge, jnana-yoga,
§ (2) The discipline of action, karma-yoga,
§ (3) The discipline of devotion, bhakti-yoga
Core Assumptions
· Divine in everything
o “Teaches that God is within each being and object in the universe and transcends every being and object, that the essence of each soul is divine, and that the purpose of life is to become aware of that divine essence.”
· Ultimate Reality
o Hindus believe that finding satisfaction in the material and physical world (the Western notion of reality) might gratify you temporarily, but eventually the satisfaction of that world will “wear out.” To experience true happiness, bliss, or liberation (what the Hindus call nirvana), one needs to discover the spiritual existence found outside traditional concepts of reality.
· Discovery of Self
o Outward expression is secondary to inward realization
o For Hindus, nirvana is also a type of emancipation from all suffering within the human condition.
o Karma
· Multiple Paths
o “Religion which offers many beliefs and practices to all comers.”319

Cultural Manifestations
· Complete way of life
1. It pervades every part of a person’s life.
2. It is more a culture than a creed
3. People engage in festivals and rites
4. Temples are the place for worship but the daily activity is what matter the most because they reflect Hindu practices as an important and integral part of life.
· Dharma
1. Virtue = refers to actions characterized by consideration of righteousness and duty.
2. It provides people guidance on how to behave, perform their vocational obligations and act during their life cycles.
3. Pertains to both religious and communal responsibilities= universal norm
4. If someone goes against it => bad karma
· Four stages of life
1. Student
2. Householder
3. Forest dweller
4. Ascetic
Notions About Death
“Hindus believe in the immortality of the soul and in reincarnation.”
· Since death is inevitable it should not be the cause of extended sorrow.
· The true dimension of the individual does not actually die but rather takes on a new body. The reason for this Hindu belief is that “the Eternal Self (atman) is birthless and deathless, and cannot be destroyed.”
· Third, if a person is ever able to experience the Eternal Self in a particular lifetime because of good karma, there will be no need to be reborn since he or she will have realized Brahman (the absolute and supreme reality)

Cast System
Cast system decides a person’s social status by his/her birth. It is divided in four classes:
1. Brahmin: highest-revered society in Hinduism who by birth rights can perform all the rituals and become priest of a temple or do teaching or any scholarly jobs.
2. Kshatriya: second highest-revered community status. They are the protectors, they keep law and order.
3. Vaishya: trading community
4. Shudra: lowest class status. They involve in physical labor such as cleaning, pottery and carpentry.
Diet
· Like Buddhists, Hindus believe that food affects both body and mind.
· Food is considered to be a source of the body’s chemistry, which affects one’s consciousness and emotions.
· A proper diet is considered vital for spiritual development in Hinduism.
· The Hindu diet code divides food into three categories, based on the food’s effect on the body and the temperament:
· Tamasic (heavy) food is leftover, stale, overripe, spoiled or other impure food, which is believed to produce negative emotions, such as anger, jealousy and greed.
· Rajasic (expanding) is food that is believed to produce strong emotional qualities, passions and restlessness in the mind. This category includes meat, eggs, fish, spices, onions, garlic, hot peppers, pickles and other pungent or spicy foods.
· The most desirable type of food, Sattvic (ascending), is food that is non-irritating to the stomach and purifying to the mind; it includes fruits, nuts, whole grains and vegetables. These foods are believed to produce calmness and nobility, or what is known as an “increase in one’s magnetism.”