WORLD RELIGION: HINDUISM

WHAT IS RELIGION ??

RELIGION: the way or path or road’ by which we can reach our destiny, we achieve our goals of life.

It’s the intermediary between god and man by which we get salvation from this life

HINDUISM

VEDIC

INDO-ARYANS

NON-VEDIC

JAINISM & BUDDHISM

ORIGIN OF HINDUISM

CULTURAL AMALGAMATION

BASIC TEACHINGS AND CONCEPTS

Concept of GodBrahman

Have different names & forms: Vishnu, Shiva

or Shakti

Concept of AvatarsIncarnations of God

4 Goals of life4 Stages in life

4 Caste

Multiple ways to reach God (Yoga)Bhakti Yoga – path of love & devotion

Karma yoga – path of right actionRaja Yoga – path of meditationJnana Yoga – path of mystical

understanding

Karma & ReincarnationLaw of cause & effect

Cycle of birth & death-samsaraSpiritual practice – sadhana

Salvation - Moksha

CONCEPT OF GOD : BRAHMAN

"Brahman is knowledge", "I am Brahman”, "The Self (or the Soul) is Brahman"

"All this that we see in the world is Brahman", "Brahman is existence, consciousness, and happiness"

DIFFERENTNAMES

AND FORMS

BRAHMA - CREATOR

VISHNU - PRESERVERSHIVA- DESTROYER

RELATION OF GOD & HUMAN SOULRELATION OF BRAHMAN & ATMAN

“ I am the Atman… the Atman is Brahman; there is nothing

Anywhere but Brahman; all else is ……unreality”.

Pooli, a great woman saint said: “If you do not attain your own self, if you do not experience Supreme bliss, then what is the use of living? Do not dogs and pigs Also live? Do not trees also live? Do not rocks also exist in this world?” (book: Where are you going, Swami Maktunanda)

CONCEPT OF GOD : BRAHMAN

Karma & Reincarnation

BRAHMINS

PriestTeacherAdvisor to rulers

KSHATRIYAS

WarriorsKing / Ruler

SHUDRAS

LaborsServant

VAISHYAS

Merchants Traders

STUDENT

Clothing, subjects, length of schooling differ for each caste

HOUSE HOLDER

All are obligated to marry & start a household

ASCETIC

WORL-NEGATING

Any Person Any Time

RETIREMENT

Forest-dweller Hermit

DHARMA

Virtue AndDuties

ARTHA

Economic & politicalSuccess

MOKSHA

Release orLiberation

KAMA

Pleasure &Aesthetic Enjoyment

PRACTICES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP

Worship (puja) – image of God(murti) - Japa (mantra) – recitation of scripturesTemple worship – Hindu priest (Pandas) – prasadaSatsang – gathering for study & discussion – sadhu-sanga (company of righteous peopleDevotional singing (Bhajhan) – important part of Hindu worship

On the path of God, two places of worship mark the stagesThe material temple, and the temple of the heart,

Make your better endeavor, to worship at the temple of heart.(Ilm Magazine)

BIRTH AND MARRIAGE RITUALS

Birth Marriages

Marriage - SanskarJathakam- Astrological ChartMandap – Mangala Sootra- Kanya DaanFera and Mantra – Saptapadi (Seven Steps)Sindoor- Ashirvada (Blessings)

Jatakarma – Birth CeremonyNamakarma- Naming CeremonyNishkarmana – First OutingAnnaprasana- First FeedingKarnavedha – Ear PiercingMundan – Hair-cutingUpanayana – Sacred Thread Three Vows – Respect Knowledge, Parents and Society

HINDU SCRIPTURES SCRIPTURE: It is the ‘sacred text’, which plays the major role in Religion. It’s the basis for all human’s life. It defines moral or legal codes, myths and legends, historical Tales, divine revelation, hymns or prayers, words of Prophets or teachers.

HOLY BOOKS: VEDAS

root word,Vid means to know, Vedas means knowledge

CONTENTS

BRANCHES

SAMHITASHymns/ praise to God

BRAHMANASRituals & prayers to guide

ARANYAKAS Worship & Meditation

UPANISHADS Mystical/philosophical teachings

Rig-Veda

Yajur- Veda

Sama-Veda

Atharva-Veda

Oldest – 1028 hymns

Handbook by priest

Chant/ tunes for singing

Preserves tradition – magical formula

BHAGAVAD - GITAKnown as ‘song (gita) of the adorable ones’Also called ‘new testament of hinduism’Primarily a dialogue between Bharata brothers I.e. Arjuna and his charioteers, KrishnaKrishna revealed as Bhagavad or Lord

PURANASMeans ‘ancient tales’Contains stories about gods I.e Rama, Krishna and others.Source for knowledge - Translated into english: Vishnu Purana & Bhagavata Purana

RAMAYANA

‘the story of Rama’ is oldest epic poem of India24,000 couplet verses tells how God Vishnu manifest in the form of RamaIts story about Rama and Ravana battle as well as Sita and Hanuman.

MAHABHARATA‘the great Bharata’ epicTells early rivalries in the land of Bharat I.e. Five Pandavas & 100 KauravasContain 18,000 couplets – prime source for knowledge

Hindu Festivals: DiwaliDiwali = Festivals of light

Sanskrit word origin, ‘Dipavali’ means row of light

All places, houses decorated with diyas

Lit to help goddess Lakshmi

Return of RamaAnd Sita

Two goddess celebrated:Lakshmi and Kali

Lakshmi: goddess of Wealth ----- rangooli (lotus)

Dates of Diwali

New year festivalFalls in Oct & Nov

The night is black,Kindle the lamp of love

With thy love and devotion”

Diwali Legends

Killing of Demon Narakaasura

•Abducted 16,000 girls &Earrings of Aditi, mother of gods

•Lord Krishna killed him, freed girlsAnd recovered earrings.

Killing of Demon Ravana

•Ten arms & ten heads, kidnappedThe wife of Ram.•Ram, 14 years of exile from Ayodhya,Killed demon and recovered his wifeAnd returned home in moonless night

Celebrates victory of,Good over evils,Light over darkness,Knowledge over ignorance

Sikhs and Jains

•Sikh festival because of release of 6th

Guru (Hargobind Singh, 1619) from prison•Foundation stone of temple at Amritsar (1577)

•Attaining Moksha by founder ofJainism, Lord Mahavira

IslamEid celebration

Eid-ul fitr – overcome bad habits,Actions & thoughts

Ismaili Navroz festival: new day

HINDU FESTIVALS: HOLI

Spring festival of fertility and harvest, referred to 7th cen. Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval

LEGEND OF PRAHALAD AND HOLIKA

Harvesting festivalIn Northern areas

& Chitral

FESTIVAL OF

COLOUR

HINDU FESTIVAL: NAVARATRI(DURGA PUJA)

NINE DAYS

WORSHIP:

Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswati

Durga, Mother Goddess --- power---demon Mahishasura (9days & nights)

Motherhood

of God

-God as mother

-Durga met her mother 9 days in a year.

-women plant 9 different kinds of food (harvest)

Dasera

-On 10th day, image of Durga cast into water

- celebrate victory of Rama over Ravana

OTHER HINDU FESTIVALS

FESTIVALS DESCRIPTIONS

Ganesh Chaturthi

Birthday of Lord Ganesh.

Hanuman Jayanti

Birth of Hanuman

Krishna Jayanti Birth of Krishna

Mahashivratri Dedicated to Shiva

Makar Sakrant First festival of solar calendar year

Raksha Bandhan

Celebrates brotherhood & love

Rama Navami Birth of Lord Rama

All religions are same.

“Consider his own religion to be best and makes much clamor. But when his mind is illuminated by knowledge,

all such quarrelling disappears”.

Whatever path men travelIts my path;

No matter where they walkIt leads to me.