GeneralPPT on Hinduism

7/29/2019 GeneralPPT on Hinduism

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Hindu Philosophy Reflected in

the Wedding Ceremony


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PART IA NORTH INDIAN HINDU WEDDING


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The Arranged Engagement/Marriage.

Met my wife on 1/23/98

during a vacation to India atParents insistence.

We got engaged on 1/23/98

We got married on 2/2/98!

Oprah said: An Indianarranged marriage is a datein which the whole family

participates.

Marriage added stability to

my life.Home is where ones wife is, even if it

were a forest. The wife is indeedones own half. (Hindu scriptures).


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Henna and Diamonds

Mens engagement ring canhave more diamonds. I got aband much later.

Hindu men wear their ringon the right hand, women onthe left hand.

Traditional belief: Deeperthe color of Henna afterdrying, better will be thehusband.

Hands and feet are dyed,letters of husbands name

hidden in the pattern.


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The Wedding Procession..

Groom comes on a whitemare, in a procession (I

opted for a white car

instead)

All of grooms relatives

walk ahead of the groom.

Colorful clothes are

required, white notpermitted except to

widows.


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Welcoming the Groom..

Grooms procession is

welcomed by brides

side.

Vishal is lead to the

venue on a red carpet byall respected men of

Dimples family, and

nudged to walk towards

the stage, step by step,otherwise


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Otherwise..

When Dimples male

relatives got called for

errands or were caughtin the crowd leaving

Vishal alone with

sufficient escorts, he

refused to moveahead.


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Queen Dimple enters..

In N Indian weddings, her dress

is red or pink, embroidered with

gold thread.

Her hands and neck are loaded

with Gold ornaments.

Her heavy dress is held by her

sisters, cousins, sisters in law,

friends

Bride can keep the groomwaiting


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The 4000 yr old Wedding Rites

Sacred altar is lit, fire being the visible symbol

of God, the light of the Universe. The syllable OM is uttered.

Presence of 330 million gods and 44K sages is

invoked to witness

Couple walk seven steps together for begetting

children, , friendship

Circumambulate the altar 4 times (with their

clothes tied together) for prosperity, happiness,

virtue and salvation

Brides father gifts his daughter symbolically

to her husband, relinquishing his control.

No marriage license is required, the sanctity of

the ceremony and presence of sages and gods

is considered sufficient proof.


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Wedding Wows

Bride says: I will be

your companion all

my life.

Groom says: I unitemy heart with yours


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Concluding sacrament

Pouring of red powderon wifes hair partingwith the engagement

ring (this rite isconsidered sufficientin itself)

Symbolizes that the

husband will ensurehis wifes well-beingeven with his own life


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Dinner and Photographs

Couple eat from sameplate

No alcohol and meatcan be served beforesacred rites are over(better avoidedcompletely)

Couple sit on throneson a stage for the restof the time


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Funeral of Brides Family Bride throws rice behind her, her

relatives follow her begging andcatch the rice in cupped hands,kerchiefs

Mimics funeral rites performedfor departed ancestors by Hindus,

mourning, silent weeping Symbolically, bride saysAll

my attention will focus on myhusband now. My parents andsiblings are dead (so to speak) for

me now. Grooms side often weep in grief

over her symbolic act.

Groom leaves the feathers of his

turban with inlaws as a mark ofhumility.


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Departure for Grooms home.. Car is started with a push by

Dimples cousin brothers Her brother comes to drop her

off.

Her brother visits the

following day to check herwell-being, and invites thecouple for dinner

Grooms in-laws cook hisfavorite dishes

First night is spent in groomsparents home, worship isoffered the following morning


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PART IIThe Philosophical Background of Hindu

Marriages


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Do Arranged Marriages work?I. Results from India (4 major Metro cities)

68% adults married. Rate of divorce = 1% (now increasing steadily)

Un-married adults live with their parents or other familymembers (only 1% live alone).

II. Results from the USA (PEW Foundation, 2008) Of all religious communities, rate of divorce is lowest among

Hindu Americans (~5%)

Hindu Americans have the highest proportion of same

religion spouses (90%) Rate of retention of religion from birth by children is highest

amongst Hindus (~84%)

Proportion of adults who are married is highest amongstHindus (~65%)


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Wedding as a SamskaraThrough the sacred 40 (or 16) rites of passage, a

humans body becomes the abode of Vedas. Butthere are 8 other samskaras of soul which aremore important and which alone lead to theSupreme Goal - compassion on all creatures,

forbearance, freedom from anger, purity, peacefuldisposition, performance of virtuous acts, freedom

from avarice, and freedom from covetousness.

- The law-book of Sage Gautama

****************************************

Marriage is the main sacrament of the body whichis open to ALL Hindus. It is a Sacred Ritewitnessed by God, gods and Sages. It must not bedefiled through divorce or marital discord.


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Marriage: Transition of Ashramas Ashramas: Hindu scriptures organize human life into four

stages, or advocate four modes of living called Ashramas. Noother state is allowed. (E.g., Hindu society expects you to getmarried in adult-hood. Bachelorhood is not appreciated!)

1. Student: Education

2. Married householder: Dharma, pleasure, children

3. Monk, recluse: devoted to scriptural studies

4. Wandering saint or ascetic: given to spiritual seeking

Importance of Marriage: Householders are the corner-stone of

any society and it is parents duty to pay for the wedding ofchildren. Families are the bedrock of Hindu society.

Just as all rivers merge into the ocean, all the four ashramas findrefuge in householders because they support the entire society

(The Laws of Sage Manu, Chapter VI)


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Marriage helps us to fulfill the Purpose(s) of

our Lives (Four Purushaarthas)

1. Artha (acquisition of material possessions)

2. Kama (pleasure, including sexual pleasure)

3. Dharma (virtue, piety, goodness, duty)

4. Moksha (liberation from cycle of birth and

death)

Circling four times around the fire symbolizes that

the husband and wife will jointly pursue these

four goals as a pair, with God at the center of

all their pursuits.


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Marriage helps us Discharge our

Debts

All humans are born with three debts the debt to gods, the debt to ourancestors and the debt to Sages

A husband is not entitled to perform sacred rituals without his wife.They must worship as a pair. They must discharge the three debtstogether.

A wife is ones half, she is a constant companion, she gets half thevirtue of her husband. She is the light of the house, wealth and good-luck. (from Hindu scriptures)

How to Repay the Three Debts?:

1. Debt to gods: through worship2. Debt to ancestors: through giving birth to children

3. Debt to Sages: Through studying and teaching others

According to Hindu scriptures, till we do not repay these

debts, we cannot attain Salvation.


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Married Couple = God + Goddess

During the marriage ceremony, the groomand bride are compared to Divine pairs.

God is often represented asArdhanarishvara (half woman)

Both women and men are in the image of

God/Goddess Buddhism also has prominent feminine

deities (e.g., Tara)

Words like Kali, Shakti denoting the Divine

Mother in Hindu texts are now a part of NewAge and Feminist vocabulary.

Marriage celebrates the union of Godand Mother Nature that results in thisUniverse.


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Hindu Symbols: The Dot Bindi

Why do Hindu Women wear

the Bindi? It represents the Eye of

Wisdom, where the threespiritual currents meet

Red color denotes life,vitality

Symbol of marital status,serves decorative purpose

In ancient India and CentralAsia, both men and womenhad the Bindi. Even LordBuddha is depicted with one.

V t i i


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VegetarianismPure Meal of Wedding

Very ancient tradition in Hindusocieties. Most temples do not permitmeat, Hindu/Sikh priests avoid meat.

Not mandatory for Hindus, but stronglyrecommended 25% Hindus avoidmeat, others eat very little meat. Jainsare almost all vegetarians.

Hindu belief: Animals and plants alsohave souls and can feel pain. Lovemust be extended to animals andplants Sacred animals, part ofhuman family

Hindu belief: Meat promotes violentinstincts, hindrance in practice of

Yoga, incompatible with Ahimsa. Badkarmato eat meat.

Prayers for welfare include plants andanimals also. Rigveda recitation endswith a prayer for animals along withhumans.

Major source of Western vegetarianmovements.

Ahimsa as the basis for Vegetarianism


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Ahimsa as the basis for VegetarianismCompassion, Love, Non Violent Resistance

to Evil Ahimsa = non-violence, compassion, love,

absence of hatred and malice Ahimsa is the best dharma Mahabharata

(Shanti Parvan)

All virtues proceed from Ahimsa Manusmriti

Hatred ceases through compassion andforgiveness, not through revenge andviolence Manusmriti, Dhammapada

Ahimsa is one of the pre-requisites forYoga.

Buddha, Mahavira, Vaishnava saints,Mahatma Gandhi were great exponents of

Ahimsa

When you love others or hate others, youlove Me or Hate Me because I am in theheart of all creatures. Bhagavad Gita


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Caste and Wedding

CASTE is a misleading term that collapses 3 Hindu

institutions: Varna (Four Social Classes) = permanent, scripture sanctioned,

pan-Hindu, trans-national. Covers all Hindus except ascetics,tribals, untouchables (Avarna, or Panchama =Fifth Varna)

Jaati (> 3000 castes) = hereditary, endogamous, regionalcommunities or occupational guilds, last over a few decades tocenturies, typically mapped to one of the four varnas. AllHindus except Ascetics belong to a Jaati. Recognized but notmandated by scriptures.

Kula (Family Lineage) = cluster of families with blood ties,their unique family customs and traditions, typically exogamous,regional, can last from a few decades to centuries, recognizedbut not mandated by scriptures.


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The Four Social Classes (Varnas)1. Brahmins: Sacerdotal, religious, ritual,

teaching, judiciary, intellectual

functions.2. Kshatriyas: Military, Administrative,

Legislative functions.

3. Vaishyas: Agriculture, trade andcommerce, cattle rearing, othereconomic wealth producing functions.

4. Shudras: Service, labor, artisans,musicians, entertainers

Untouchables: Not sanctioned byscriptures, later development, opposedby Hindu leaders, performedscavenging and cleaning functions.Untouchability is virtually extinct inIndia today.

Tribals: Have a different socialorganization with priests, tribal chiefsand the rest.

Ascetics: Considered beyond all socialdivisions and categories. The pinnacleof Hindu society.


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Is the Caste System Heirarchical?

The Diagram on the right ismisleading! (even numerically)

Superiority of Brahmins is restrictedto religious roles.

Kshatriyas are leaders in political and

military roles. Vaishyas lead in wealth.

Shudra in service, entertainmentsectors. In many parts of India, Brahmins are the

poorest.

Privileges come with disabilities

Keeps checks and balances in the society(social stability).


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My wedding and Caste: Times are

changing.

My grandparents belonged to the sameVarna (Vaishya), Jaati (Agrawal) and

different Kula but from same region.

My parents belonged to the same Varna,Jaati and different Kula and different region

(Delhi versus Punjab).

I and my wife belong to different Varnas(Vaishya, Kshatriya), different Jaatis

(Agrawal, Khatri), different kulas and

different regions (Delhi versus Punjab).


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The God and the gods:Worship in the Hindu Wedding_______

Hindus believe in one supreme God.The supreme God is formless yet can manifest in any form.The God is male, female, both, and neither. There are three main cosmic forms of the God accompanied bytheir consorts.

330 million gods: Deified holy sages, angels, great Hindus, natural powers

Brahma Saraswati Vishnu Laxmi Shiva DurgaCreation Education Protection Wealth Destruction Power


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I am the One who became Many

Analogy of water: Ice, water, vapor

Analogy of a polished crystal: Many different shining facets

Analogy of a man/woman: Father, son, brother, friend, Uncle..

Analogy of the Elephant and Blind men: Can we know God completely?

Analogy of a string of jewels: God as string uniting and passing though alljewels.

Analogy or rain drops, rivers reaching the same ocean

There are, no doubt, two forms of Brahman- one having a form and the otherformless. The mortal and the immortal. The stationary and the moving. Thediscernible and the indiscernible.

[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1]

In whatever form my worshipper chooses to worship Me, in that very form Iaccept his worship, and make his faith steady in that very form. [Gita 7.12]


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Comparing Abrahamic God with Hindu Ishvara

The Abrahamic definition of God is generally defined as male with human attributes, whereas the Dharmicdefinition of Brahman is broad (neither male/female, beyond human, the Ultimate or Absolute Truth).

Ishwar (the personal God) represents the conditioned aspect of Brahman. Epithets of Ishvar include Bhagwan and Nath

(Lord). Ishta Devata also means Personal God. The Dharmic concept of Atma (jiva-atma, atma, param-atma) is verydeveloped there is no one word for soul.

BRAHMANNirguna Brahman;

God without form

ISHVARAManifested Brahman

Saguna Brahman;God with personal

attributes

BrahmaSaguna Brahman

VishnuSaguna Brahman

ShivaSaguna Brahman

GOD(Abrahamic

father heavenly-God)

DEVATAs(Deities; divine beings; angels; aspects/personalities of Ishvara)

Monotheistic God

God can have

emotions

Preferred way toworship God

ReligionDharma

Ultimately all is one -

all is Brahman (monism)

Divinity is unitary, but

can have many

manifestations

People have freedom to

worship Brahman in a

way that suits them

Trinity(Father, Son, Holy Ghost/Spirit)

N/A

Divine Beings(Many angels, prophets and saints)

Why do Hindu prayers and rituals start


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Why do Hindu prayers and rituals start

with OM?OM = AUM + silence

= A + U + M + silence= BrahmA + VishnU + ShivaM + Brahman (the

formless Supreme Being)

AUM represents the Hindu Trinity and theFormless aspect of God.

A is the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, M

is the last letter uttered by contact of mouthorgans. This is followed by sounds (such as ha)that come from within us and are denoted by thesilence after we chant Aum. (cf. I am the Alphaand the Omega- Bible)

AUM is the first sound that was uttered by God at

the beginning of creation. Uttering AUM helps in meditation.

AUM represents the three stages of spiritualprogress: Aarambha (beginning). Utkarsha(progress or rise), and Manana (mentalcontemplation) followed by silent contemplation.

It is the Best name of God because it representshim in its entirety.


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PART IIIHindu Doctrines of Karma, Rebirth and

Moksha (Salvation or Liberation)


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South Indian Hindu Wedding:Oonjal Ceremony

Bride and bridegroom sittogether on a swing and areswayed gently back and forth.

The chains that support theswing, coming down from theceiling, represent symbolically

that this human body we havegot is due to our Karma inprevious births. The ceilingrepresents God Who bestows thefruit of our Karma..

Similarly, the swing's motionforward and backward tells thecouple that they have to bestrong together in life at times ofboth upward and downwardmovement in life


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Why do Good people suffer?The Hard Facts of Life

1. Some are born into good fortune, others into bad fortune.2. Sometimes good people suffer, and bad people enjoy their lives.

3. A happy person suddenly experiences pain and sorrow and vice versa.

4. Our lives have both happiness and sorrow.

5. The world itself is a mixture of happiness and sorrow causing objects.

6. Sometimes a lot of effort does not lead to the desired goal, at other times we

get a windfall.

7. What gives one person joy, gives another person sorrow.

8. Good luck of one person can be bad luck for another.

Is it Fair? Is God unjust? Is it just Fate or Luck?

Hinduism answers these questions through the doctrines of

Karma, Rebirth and Moksha (Liberation or Salvation)


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Karma Doctrine Definition: The doctrine saysAs you sow, so shall you reap.

Who Implements it?: It assumes that God is just, He gives us the fruits of our actions,He is not arbitrary, He is not vindictive or capricious.

Types of Karma: Actions can be in thought, in speech or they are physical action. Theycan be done directly by oneself, or instigated through others or assisted by others. Theycan be completely wrong, completely right, or partially wrong and right. Theirwrongness or rightness is determined by the temporal and situational context in whichthey are done (subject to some general principles of Dharma such as love, charity, truthetc.).

Effects of Karma (Karmaphala): Good Karma yield good results, bad Karma yieldbad results.

Reaping the Fruits of Our Karma (Karmavipaaka): Fruits of our past actions arereaped only at the right time, whether in this life or in the next. This is calledripening of karma.

Free Will and Action (Purushaartha): The doctrine states that in general, we are freeto act the way we want (free will).

Residual Karma or Fate (Daiva or Praarabdha or Karmaashaya): We all haveresidual good karma, and bad karma as a result of actions done in the past. This iscalled Fate.

Conflict between Free Will-Action and Fate: At any given moment, one has theoption to exercise our free will (effort), but one is also bound by the effects of onespast actions (fate). The net result of effort and fate (and whether our karma hasripened determine the outcome of all our efforts.

Karma and Rebirth


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Karma and Rebirth Fatalism is unacceptable. We must strive at all times to improve

our status (Through the efforts of many lives does one attain

perfection, Gita chapter VII) rather than resigning ourselves to ourfate. It is never too late.

Ignoring the plight of others is unacceptable because not helpingout others is bad karma for us. Looking down upon unfortunatehumans and creatures is also bad karma for us.

Helping others who need help is good karma for us. Why are we reborn?: Upon death, we are reborn so that we canreap the fruits of residual karma.

We can be reborn as god or as fortunate human being (e.g., in arich or pious family) if we have an overall good stock of residual

karma. Either way, this is an opportunity to keep improvingourselves, even if we are in difficult situations.

If we have a overall bad residual karma, we are reborn as anunfortunate human being (e.g., in a poor family, or in an evilfamily, or as a disabled child) and have to struggle a lot or

We take birth in lower life-forms, where we can only suffer theconsequences of our bad karma, but do not have free will.

Mechanism of Rebirth


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Mechanism of RebirthWhen we die, it is only our body

that perishes. We all have asoul which transmigrates with

our mind and life forcesinto a new body to takerebirth.

Just as our body passes throughinfancy, youth and old-age, so

also our soul passes from onebody to another.

Just as we discard old clothesand wear new ones, the souldiscards an old body to take

birth in a new body.Weapons cannot cleave this soul,fire cannot burn it. Watercannot wet it and wind cannotdry it.

- Bhagavad Gita, chapter II


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Rebirth and Moksha (Salvation)END OF REBIRTHS AND SALVATION:

Liberation from this continuous cycle of birth and death, and living eternally

in blissful communion with God is Moksha. During the state of Moksha, thesoul sheds even the mind and life forces, and merges with Godthe SupremeSoul.

RELATIONSHIP OF KARMA TO SALVATION:

It is necessary to do good deeds but this is not sufficient to get us Salvation.Salvation results only if we do good karma without desiring its fruit, coupledwith following a spiritual path. If we do keep desiring fruits or our goodactions, we will continue to get reborn. We should offer the fruits of our gooddeeds to God. Good Karma serves to make us eligible for the Spiritual Path(s)that lead to Moksha.

SPIRITUAL PATHS TO SALVATION (The 4 Yogas): One Size does not fit all There are multiple SPIRITUAL paths of Salvation

depending on ones temperament and aptitude.

Difference in these paths is one of emphasisthey are not mutually exclusive.Each path has a portion from other paths as well.

Th S i i l P h M k h I


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The Spiritual Paths to Moksha - I1. Karma Yoga (Path of Action)

For people of action and energy

Emphasis is on doing ones dutiestowards family, society, country etc. in aselfless manner (without expectation ofreward)

Religious rituals are also performed witha sense of duty, but no fruit from God isdesired.

2. Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion andFaith)

For emotional and gentle people

Involves doing ones duty and offeringthe fruits to God

Emphasis on acts of faithworship,piety, reading scriptures, surrenderingoneself to Gods will etc.

Th S i it l P th t M k h II


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The Spiritual Paths to Moksha - II3. Jnaana Yoga (Path of Knowledge)

For people who are intellectuals, and like tolearn and discuss philosophy and theology

Emphasis is on acquiring Spiritual Knowledgethe understanding the nature of soul, God andthe creation and their inter-relationships.

Ones duties and some rituals are alsoperformed but no fruit is desired because allhappiness and sorrows relate to material bodies

which are perishable, and do not pertain to thesoul which is eternal.

4. Dhyaana Yoga (Path of Meditation)

For introspective, reclusive people who preferto retreat from excessive social interactions.

Involves constant meditation, and relatedspiritual practices.

A popular system is the eightfold path taughtby Sage Patanjali (starting from good virtuessuch as Ahimsa, and ending in Samadhi orheightened states of ones consciousness.).


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ENDING THOUGHTS..

May we receive noble thoughts from all directions.Rigveda

Truth is One, the wise merely describe it in many different

ways. Rigveda

May all be happy, may all be free of sickness, may all see

good times, may no one ever experience any kind of

sorrow. Mahopanishad

These are mine, and these are strangerssuch are thethoughts of lowly people. For him who has a great heart,

this whole world is one family. Mahopanishad

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GeneralPPT on Hinduism