Hinduism

Unit Four

The Name

Hindu is universally accepted as word that refers to the

religion of India. Hindus call their religion Sanatana
Dharma.
The word is of Persian origin, used to describe people
who lived on the other side of the Sindu river.
There are many sects within Hinduism, but they all
share a common sacred literature, a history of religious
thought and a world view that place spiritual matters
above earthly concerns.
Elements of the faith such as reincarnation, Karma
(deeds in this life that determine our place in the next),
meditation and yoga are elements of Hinduism that
many Canadians are familiar with .
Today Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion,
about 837 million followers or 13% of the worlds
population.

At The End Of This Unit You

Should Be Able To

Describe the role of faith in Hinduism.

Describe the use of symbols to represent Hindu beliefs.
Identify significant sacred writings and their
importance.
Explain the origin of Hinduism.
Describe the role of woman in Hinduism.
Show how Hinduism is reflected in Canada.
Describe an individuals role in Hinduism.
Explain the importance of Mahatma Gandhi.
Understand the characteristics and functions of a guru.
Evaluate Hinduisms place in the modern world.

The Origins of Hinduism

Unlike other religions, Hinduism was

not founded by a particular individual.
It is the product of the various peoples
that have occupied the region of India
through time.
Some have described it as more of a
way of life than a religion.
Two groups of people laid the
foundation for Hinduism, the Indus
Valley civilization and the Aryans.

The Indus Valley

Civilization

Excavations along the banks of the

Indus river provided the first evidence
of religious thought in India.
Archaeologists discovered the remains
of a civilization that rose in the Indus
Valley between 3000 and 2500 BCE.
Two ancient cities, Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa, were the heart of this
civilization, also referred to as the
Harappa Culture.

The people of this civilization were impressive

builders and town planners. Houses contained
drainage and sewer systems and some included
bathrooms on the first and second floors.
Some of the buildings have been identified as
worship houses, where archaeologists
discovered stone sculptures that may be early
depictions of the Hindu goddesses Parvati and
Kali.
Other discoveries included charms against evil,
thousands of flat seals and fire altars that
suggest religious activity such as animal
sacrifice.
One seal depicts a man wearing a head-dress
seated in a yoga position, surrounded by
animals. It may be an early representation of the
Hindu god Shiva.

The Arrival Of The

Aryans

Around 1500 BCE, thousands of people, known as

Aryans, migrated into India from the northwest,
destroying the Indus Valley civilization.
They came from central Asia, spoke an early form
of Sanskrit and settled near the river Sindhu and
later, the Ganges river.
Aryan religious thought flourished between 1500
and 500 BCE. It was contained in a collection of
hymns, ritual texts and philosophical works called
Vedas, and are considered Hinduisms earliest
sacred writings.
The earliest Veda is Rig-Veda, which constitutes
the earliest record of sacred knowledge on
Hinduism.

The Vedas were written in verse, and their

translation into prose interpretations were called
Brahmanas.
Other mystical texts on human existence, called
Upanishads, also came from the Vedas.
The Aryans worshipped the forces of nature in
the form of gods. Agni, god of fire, is an
example.
Worship and prayer to honor these forces formed
the core of early Hinduism.
The Upanishads combined prayer with
philosophical inquiry about atman, the human
soul. The atman was considered to be the breath
of human life and became one of the fundamental
principles of Hindu philosophy.

Hindu Beliefs

The Hindu concept of god is hard for nonHindus to understand. It has been described as;
Polytheistic a religion of many gods
Monotheistic belief in only one god.
Monistic god as an impersonal and
unknowable entity.
Scholars refer to this confusion as Hinduisms
tolerant characteristic. It allows its members
to follow their own conscience and does not
impose its beliefs on others, nor does it believe
in conversion.

The early hymns of the Rig-Veda praise the

spirits of natural forces such as fire, thunder,
dawn, water, earth and the sun. However, it is
believed that they all represent different
aspects of the same supreme being.
The Upanishads refers to this supreme being
as Brahman, the soul of the universe from
which all existing things arise and into which
they all return. It is everything and
everywhere!
Hindus are free to imagine Brahman in any
way that is meaningful to them. Therefore,
Hindus worship different gods that they
consider manifestations of Brahman.

Hindu Deities

The most prevalent manifestations of

Brahman are the gods Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva, who are often
depicted together as one concept,
called the Hindu Trinity. They each
have a female counterpart, the most
prominent one being Parvati, Shivas
main squeeze.

Brahma

Creator of the universe.

Has four faces and sits on a lotus.
He holds a book, a rosary and a gourd.
Not as widely worshipped as Shiva and
Vishnu.
His female counterpart is Saraswati. She is
the goddess of learning and the arts, often
depicted holding a book and a musical
instrument called a veena. She gets around
on a peacock or a swan.

Vishnu

Preserver of the universe, a loving and forgiving

figure who brings salvation.
Four arms in which he holds a conch shell, a discus, a
lotus and a mace. His vehicle is a divine eagle.
Vishnu has many avatars, incarnation or
manifestation of a deity in human form, and appears
on earth in the form of an animal or human to
conquer evil.
Hindus believe that one of his incarnations was of
Siddartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
His companion is Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth, happiness and good fortune. She is often
depicted rewarding worshippers with gold.

Shiva

He is the destroyer and restorer of the universe and is

associated with creative energy.
He is considered a great yogi, a spiritually involved
individual who practices meditation.
He holds a trident, a rosary and a gourd in his hands.
His vehicle is a bull.
He is also depicted as Nataraj, the god of dance and is
shown holding a drum, serpent and sacred fire in his
hands while performing the dance of creation.
He holds water in his hair from the sacred Ganges
river.
Parvati, his wife, is the mother goddess. She is
worshipped as Shakti or female energy. She is
portrayed riding a tiger with many weapons in her
hands.

Ganesha son of Shiva and

Parvati, remover of all
obstacles. Elephant head,
human body.

Subrahmanya second son

of Shiva and Parvati.
Worshipped by the Tamil in
southern India.

Hanuman The Monkey

God, he is the model of
devotion and everyones
protector.

Atman

The human soul or spirit.

It is the part of ourselves that is
identical to Brahman, the universal
soul.
A Hindus goal in life is to reunite the
atman with the Brahman.
The atman is eternal and immortal!
When one dies, the atman lives on,
shedding one body to enter a new one.

Reincarnation

Hindus believe that the soul does not die with

the body but enters another body to carry on its
existence.
This endless cycle of rebirth is called samsara.
Maya is a word used to describe the temporary
and imperfect nature of the physical world.
Hindus believe that all life is caught in this
cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
The goal of Hindus is to achieve moksha,
liberation of the soul from the endless cycle of
rebirths into this world , by uniting the atman
with the Brahman.

Karma

Karma is the totality of ones actions in life, and

it determines the form the individual will take
when he or she is reborn.
Bad Karma will result in rebirth at a lower
station in life or as a lower form of life, such as
an animal.
Good Karma will result in rebirth at a higher
station in life, which is closer to attaining
salvation.
Therefore, in order to achieve salvation, Hindus
must work their way up the ladder of existence,
by trying to secure rebirth at a higher level.
This is what led to the caste system.

Four Paths to Salvation

Bhakti Yoga The Path of Devotion
- Devotion and love towards a particular
personal
deity. Its popular among Hindus because it
provides the opportunity to worship Brahman
in a
concrete way.
- Followers focus their devotion through prayer
and rituals.
1.

2. Karma Yoga The Path of Action

- The key to this path is good deeds and
thoughts, which lead to the accumulation of
good Karma. Good deeds are considered
unselfish actions that are not done for a
reward but because they are morally right.
3. Jnana Yoga The Path of Wisdom
- This difficult path calls for the guidance of a
guru or teacher, a spiritual guide that can help
one achieve moksha or salvation.
- Followers learn about the relationship between
Brahman and atman and the nature of the
universe as explained in the scriptures. By
knowing the scriptures, following the gurus
teachings and meditating, followers gain the
insight necessary to achieve salvation.

4. Raja Yoga The Path of

Meditation
- Followers of this path achieve
salvation through meditation or deep
contemplation on Brahman.
- Intense meditation leads to a trance
like state in which the individual
acquires knowledge of the truth and
becomes one with Brahman.
- Requires strict physical and spiritual
discipline.

Dharma

This is how Hindus refer to their religion. It means

a code of moral and religious duty.
The concept of Dharma is related to the duties and
obligations of the individual and is considered
essential to the welfare of the individual, family
and society.
There are two kinds of Dharma: Sanatana
dharma, eternal religion, refers to universal
values and principles that apply to all people,
regardless of religion, nationality, age, sex or
profession. Varnashrama dharma, which
concerns the specific duties of each individual with
respect to age, sex and status in society.

The Caste System

Divides humanity into four classes or

varnas, which people are born into
according to the Karma they have
accumulated in previous lives.
Brahmins priests, religious teachers.
Goals are knowledge and education. Have
duties such as performance of rituals and
sacrifices, pursuit of the arts, sciences,
ethics and religious study and research
and training. Must have highly developed
intellect and discipline.

Kshatriya warriors and rulers. Their

goal is political power and diplomacy. They
work in government, law and order and
protection from foreign invaders. They
should possess physical strength and
courage, as well as governing skills.
Vaishya merchants and farmers. Their
goal is wealth and commerce. They should
manage wealth and trade with other
societies. They should possess
management and entrpreneurial skills.
Sudra servants and laborers. They have
manual skills, provide service to other
castes and have the ability to acquire
particular skills.

The Untouchables

A fifth group, outside of the four varnas, are called

the untouchables.
They engage in what is considered unclean
practices such as tanning leather, removing dead
animals or washing toilets. They were degraded by
the nature of their work and lived separately from
those in the other castes.
Ghandi fought to have these people included in the
mainstream of Indian society.
Today, Indias charter of rights and freedoms bans
discrimination based on caste. President K.R.
Narayanan is a member of this fifth caste,
popularly known as dalits.

For some Indians, untouchables are

less than human.
Just over two years ago, five dalits were
lynched near New Delhi after a rumour
spread that they had killed and skinned
a cow, revered as sacred in India.
An autopsy was conducted on the cow none were done for the the dalits which confirmed the story their friends
told - the cow had died of other causes
and they were skinning it legally.

The Four Stages of Life

Student discipline mind and body, gain

knowledge, learn rules and rituals, show
respect towards elders.
Householder marry and have a family,
provide for the family, give to charity, care for
family elders, practice social and religious
traditions.
Forest Dweller retire and transmit
household duties to wife or son, read and study,
participate in religious pilgrimages.
Ascetic give up worldly life, wander, mediate,
attain salvation.

Four Goals of Life

Dharma conduct ones duties with

compassion, no jealousy, cruelty or greed,
be good and pure.
Artha earn an honest living, provide for
family, acquire wealth and power.
Kama pursuing love and physical
pleasures to balance life and to sanctify
marriage.
Moksha leading the soul toward
salvation through honest and moral
actions.

Hindu Women

According to The Laws of Manu written 2000

years ago, women are to be honored and provided
for, while at the same time subordinate and
dependant on men.
Divorce is not encouraged but allowed.
More and more Hindu women are working outside
the home, changing tradtional gender roles.
Indira Ghandi was prime minister of India from
1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her death
in 1984.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first woman
president of the United Nations in 1953.

Hindu Practices, Rituals

Symbols and Festivals
Practices and Rituals
Hindus usually practice their religion at home,
first purifying themselves with water, usually
by taking a bath.
The syllable OM, which represents the
supremacy of Brahman, is chanted at the
beginning and end of prayers and scripture
readings. Called Japa, worshippers chant the
names of deities as well as sacred phrases
called mantras. This is a mantra that Hindus
chant to greet the sun..
I meditate on the brilliance of the sun;
may it illumine my intellect.

Worship at home involves a shrine that

serves as an altar for worship. Called puja, it
is a form of thanksgiving in which offerings are
made to deities. It has 16 steps and ends with
a lamp called an arati waved around the altar
while prayers and hymns are recited. You can
eat the offering, called prasad, as it is
considered a gift from the deity. Sometimes, on
special occasions, a priest, usually from the
Brahmin caste, performs a ceremony called
Homa, which involves burning the offering in a
fire.
Worship in a temple is not a requirement nor
is it necessity. Usually they are for festivals and
special functions. Arati and prasad are shared
and they treat images of deities with baths,
adornments and processions. Temples also
teach children classes on Hindu prayers and
hymns, called bhajans.

The Sacred Cow

Holy cow is an expression that refers to
Hinduisms reverence of cows. They see the cow
as an manifestation of all that is good and
precious.
They see the docile way of a cow as the result of
its being a vegetarian. They aspire to the same
lifestyle.
Yoga and Mediation
Yoga in the strict Hindu sense means yoke, or the
atman at union with the Brahman.
To achieve this union with God, meditation is
necessary. You control your breathing,
concentrate on a single object, sound or idea, until
you are in a deep meditative state and are
experiencing the divine presence.
The real experts are the swamis, or holy men of
India, who have dedicated their lives to meditation

Pilgrimages or journeys to holy places are

important to Hinduism.
Hindus strive to visit, at least once in a
lifetime, the holy city of Varanasi.
It is believed that the holy Ganges River fell
from heaven to give life to people and
provide food. Varanasi is located along the
west bank of the river and the first thing
pilgrims do is bathe in the river to cleanse
themselves of sin.
One of the holiest cities in the world, it is
also sacred because it is the birthplace of
Tirthankara Parsvanatha, a spiritual
teacher of Jainism and Buddha gave his first
sermon their and started the sangha or
community of monks

Some of the many symbols in Hinduism include

the swastika, which represents good luck and
well being, the lord of the dance which we
have already seen and forehead marks called
tilak which represent the third eye of wisdom.
Women wear red dots on their foreheads called
bindi, which shows they are married and
should be treated as such.
Festivals include:
Diwali, the festival of lights, from the end of
October to early November.
Holi, a spring festival celebrated in March.
Mahashivaratri, day before the new moon in
February.
Navaratri, spring and autumn.

Sacred Writings

Hindus have over 200 books that are

considered sacred texts. They were written
between 15000BCE and 1500CE.
Scriptures are classified as either shruti or
smriti.
Shruti is knowledge that is revealed or
discovered by the seers of Hinduism. This
wisdom is contained in the Vedas.
Smriti is human made literature or
knowledge that is remembered.

The four Vedas are considered the

oldest and most authoritative Hindu
scriptures:
Rig-Veda comprises 1028 hymns
contained in ten books, that praise the
ancient deities.
Yajur-Veda a priests handbook for the
performance of fire sacrifices.
Sama-Veda melodies, chants and tunes
for the singing of hymns.
Atharva-Veda magical formulas,
chants, spells and charms.


1.
2.

3.

4.

Each Veda contains..

Mantras, psalms of praise.
Brahmanas, prose manual for
priests on prayer and ritual.
Aranyakas, forest books for saints
and hermits.
Upanishads, philosophical
commentaries that appear at the
end of each Veda.

Ramayana

Written in Sanskrit about 200 BCE, there are about

26 different versions, and 24,000 verses.
It is the story of prince Rama, who is worshipped as
the seventh avatar or incarnation of the god Vishnu.
Rama was exiled to the forest for 14 years so that his
brother, Bharata, could be king. His wife, Sita, and
his other half-brother, Lakshmana, followed the
prince into exile.
Sita was kidnapped by the evil Ravana. A battle
ensued where Rama, assisted by Hanuman, king of
the monkeys, defeated Ravana, rescued his wife and
returned triumphantly to his kingdom.
The story represents the constant struggle between
good and evil, where good eventually wins.

Hinduism in Canada

There are approx. 300,000 Hindus in

Canada. Most live in the greater Toronto
area.
Came to Canada from India, Sri Lanka,
Guyana, Trinidad and England.
Most Hindu priests in Canada are from
Guyana.
Sermons, lectures and other discourses are
delivered in the language particular to
each group.