Post on 23-Feb-2016
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HINDUISM SANATANA DHARMA
“Eternal righteousness”
Decline of Indus Civ. @ 1750 BCE Deforestation –
loss of topsoil Agriculture – soil
exhaustion Tectonic activity –
earthquakes, shifting river courses, Sarswati River
Aryan Migration
@ 1500 BCE Nomadic, warlike, bronze, Sanskrit Brahminism – polytheistic, gods of nature Warring kingdoms established
Oral traditions written down – Vedas
Focus on internal being – atman (soul)
Liberation from desire/suffering
Justification of social order
Origins of Hindusim
Blending of Aryan and local traditions – no founder
Upanishads – “sitting near”, dialogues to explain faith
Brahma
Brahman Origin of atman
(soul)--strives to join once again with Brahman
Mosksha—state of perfect understanding
Universal Spirit—different forms for different roles, different comfort
Choice of worship
Hindu deities Brahma - creator Vishnu - order Shiva - destroyer,
transformation
Hindu deities Shakti - female aspect of divine Ganesh - remover of obstacles Avatar - human incarnation of
divine come to assist humans on path to Moksha
Samsara Moksha: Freeing of the soul from earthly pain and suffering-
>Eternal Bliss/Nirvana (peace of mind). Union with the Supreme Being Brahman
Reincarnation: Living multiple lives, improving each time until you reach the peak (also had a higher position in society)
Karma: The actions of your current life determine how you will be reincarnated—better than before and closer to Moksha or worse and farther away
Part of good Karma is following your Dharma: the proper path for your current life– done by humility, personal sacrifices, living a ‘pure’ life in all aspects
Reincarnation “I believe in Reincarnation which explains
about the human hope—hope to do better; and which makes a person responsible. If there is no reincarnation, if I have money and wealth I could do anything—I don’t have to obey, to be compassionate, to care for people. So reincarnation makes it clear, the way I am supposed to live.”
Karma This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto
others which would cause you pain if done to you.
Just as he acts, just as he behaves, so he becomes.
How do you have good karma? Live a ‘Pure’ life
The higher your (position in society) the more pure you should be
2 types of Purity Moral Purity Ritual Purity
Moral Purity: How does one stay morally pure?
Practice Truthfulness Don’t steal, covet, or enter into debt Be sexually pure Exercise patience Show steadfastness—persevere, plan,
don’t complain, have a purpose Practice Compassion Act honorably at all times—don’t cheat,
follow the laws, don’t take shortcuts Moderate diet—don’t over indulge, drink
in moderation
Ritual PurityRituals: actions done on a regular basis
Why? Demonstrates Pure Spirit, Shows commitment Earn forgiveness for Karmic Debts
Examples: Worship Offerings Meditation Yoga Pilgrimages to Holy Places Avoid contact with ‘less’ pure people
A great place for rituals? WaterMost Holy Water? Ganges River Ganges River = a divine goddess, made
to cleanse the earth from impurity
Bathing in the Ganges can give peace of mind and cleanse karmic sins. Better karma better reincarnation
Therefore: The Ganges: key pilgrimage spot for
ritual bathing
City of Varanasi Banks of the Ganges Oldest Aryan Settlement Place to cleanse spirit in river Death in Varanasi—possible to break
cycle of rebirth After death—human remains put into the
Ganges can still lead to karmic cleansing
Caste System Aryan supremacy
over local population Varnas – color Myth of Purusha
Brahmin(priest) Kshatriya(warrior) Vaishya(merchant) Shudra(laborers)
Over time…Caste System 4 main castes become 1000s (by
profession)
Controls marriage, occupation, social company,
How do you know what caste someone is in? Occupation, family name, family location, manner of dress, manner of speech,
Who are the Untouchables (Dalits)?
Live outside the Caste System—too dirty/impure
Jobs related to death or dirt (leather workers, street sweepers)
If you are higher caste and have contact with untouchables you can become ‘unclean’ too
Extremes—no eating, drinking, touching, even shadows of the untouchables were unclean
Untouchables couldn’t enter into the city gates, couldn’t drink from the same wells
Stop and Think: Who benefitted the most from the caste
structure? Who benefitted the least? Why would something like the caste
system survive for so long?
Why does Caste last? Mentioned in the sacred texts (Vedas) Karma and reincarnation Part of good Dharma is observing duties
without question Laws set up severe punishments for
breaking Caste rules: Fines, outcast, lose family and social support, death
Human nature to stay with what’s familiar
Stop and Discuss: Was the caste system a good or bad
thing for society?
Caste system provided some good things
Castes were very united—tight knit social groups
People became experts at their jobs Everyone knew their place in society—it
was structured and organized All Castes were seen as important in
creating the whole society
BUT…Caste also provided bad things
Castes fought and distrusted eachother society was divided
Smart and talented people were held back—limited progress for everyone
Upper Castes could abuse their power and position in the name of religion with little complaint or resistance
Human rights abuses--Untouchables
Modern Day Roughly 16% of India’s Population—170
million people “Untouchable” is not used anymore—now
called Dalits Also found in other Countries: Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UK
Caste Today Technically illegal Indian Constitution—bans negative public
discrimination on the basis of caste (employment, education, etc)
Government has set up quotas in schools and government to help traditional lower castes
In reality—still exists. Many educated, upper class, urban Indians don’t follow it but more popular in rural settings. State of mind
How is Caste still evident today?
Intercaste marriages often not approved—in traditional families or areas
Caste based organizations still exist Political Parties—often organized around
Caste membership Some workplace or school conflicts (some
violent) Lower castes still have lower quality of
life