CH 15 learning about world religions: Hinduism – Flashcards
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Who founded Hinduism
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No one person founded Hinduism. It developed slowly, over a long period of time, growing out of centuries of older traditions.
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Who were the Indo-European nomadic people that migrated into northern India during the second millennium B.C.E.?
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Aryans
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Sanskrit is a language. What word means knowledge in Sanskrit?
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Veda
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What is the most influential set of religious beliefs in modern India
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Hinduism
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Define: affected
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to produce a change in something or someone
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What does it mean to follow one's dharma?
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To dedicate oneself to performing one's duited and to live by a specific set of rules. Dharma refers to law, duty and obligation.
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What is the Ramayana and what does it do?
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It tells about life in ancient India and offers role models in dharma.
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What is the Vedas?
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a collection of ancient writings viewed as sacred by many Hindus. It includes sacred texts, including verses, hymns, prayers and teachings composed in Sanskrit.
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What did the Aryans bring to Northern India with them?
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their gods and rituals.
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What are the oldest roots of Hinduism?
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Vedic religion
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What is the Sanskrit
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an ancient indian language
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Define Hinduism
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a religion that developed in India over many centuries; it traces its roots to older traditions, such as Vedic beliefs and Brahmanism.
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How was Veda (knowledge) handed down from generation to generation?
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Veda grew from traditions. At first they were handed down orally, before India had a writen form of the Sanskrit (language).
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Define deities
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gods and goddesses
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Define interpreting
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to judge the meaning of written or spoken words or an event
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Who were Brahmins?
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An important class of priests and religious scholars that that were responsible for interpreting the Vedas and performing the required rituals.
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True or False: Brahmins became the dominant class in India.
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True
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Define Brahmanism
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Brahmanism is the ancient ritual traditions in which Brahmins played a key role; it grew out of older Vedic religious beliefs and helped lead to Hinduism.
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Define Caste
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a class, or group, in Hindu society
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Brahmanism was a religion in India, what else was it?
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It was a way of life. It affected how indians lived and what they believed, and the way they organized their society.
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What are the four main castes or social classses described by the Varnas?
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Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras
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Per the Vedas who were the Brahmins and what were their duties?
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Priests and religious scholars. Their duties were study and teach teh Vedas.
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Per the Vedas who were the Kshatriyas and what were their duties?
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rulers and warriors. Warriors had a duty to become skilled with weapons
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Per the Vedas who were the Shudras
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servents, farmers and laborers
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Define Dalits
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Surpressed or crushed (Dalits lowest caste known as the untouchables)
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Put in order of when the following religions grew: Vedic, Hinduism and Brahmanism
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Vedic, then Brahmanism grew out of Vedic beliefs, much later Hinduism grew from Vedic / Brahmanism
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By the medieval time how many castes were there?
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Over centuries the caste system became very complicated. There were thousands of castes.
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What were the lowest of all castes?
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The Untouchables (today called Dalits).
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What jobs did the Untouchables do?
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They had the lowly or dirty jobs. Such as handling garbage and dead animals. They could not enter temples or attend most schools. Other Hindus avoided touching them or looking at them. Some of these rules still apply today.
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Today can an Indian marry someone that is not in the same caste or social group?
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Yes, caste discrimination is now against the law. However, despite the laws caste status continues to affect many parts of life.
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How was / is it determined what caste one belongs to?
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Indians are born into their caste. They do not change it.
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Define divine
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heavenly or god like
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Define cycle
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repeating events that occur regulary
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What do Hindus believe is greater than all deities?
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Brahman
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Do the Hindus believe things last forever?
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No, only Brahman exists forever. Everything else in the world changes, passing seasons and living things die.
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Hindus believe time moves in a circle like a wheel. What does this mean?
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Brahman creates cycle. The same events return such as the sun rising or spring following winter. Brahman is constantly creating, destroying and recreating the universe. The cycle never ends.
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According to Hindus that follow traditions what do they believe is part of Brahman?
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Everything in the world is part of Brahman. Including the human soul.
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Who are Vishnu (VISH-noo and Shiva (SHIV-vuh)
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Hindu Gods
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Who does the Laxminarayan Temple (also called Birla Temple) honor?
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The Hindu god Vishnu
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In early times where did followers go to communicate with their deities (gods and goddesses)?
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In early times elaborate rites and sacrifices were held outdoors.
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As Indian civilization developed (later Hindu times) where did followers go to communicate with their deities (gods and goddesses)?
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Cities grew and and people began to build massive temples for worship. Today Hindu temples are modeled after the ancient principles used to design the earlier temples
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Which way do the doors of the temples face?
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They face east, towards the rising sun.
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What are the three important deities?
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Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
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What does each of the three important deities do?
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Brahma - creats. Vishnu - preserves and Shiva - destroys
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How do the Hindu children learn about their religion?
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Hindu children learn about their religion by listening to reading of the Ramayana. In recent years stories have been dramatized and put on television.
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Who was Devi?
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In some Indian traditions Devi is a goddess that embodies the female powers of the universe.
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Why do Hindu families light candles, lamps and sparklers?
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To celebrate Divali. (the festival of lights)
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When is the Hindu New Year celebrated?
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At Divali (dih-VAH-lee) festival.
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What do the lamps at Divali mean?
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The lamps are symbols of good (light) winning over evil (darkness) It is said to represent Rama's triumph over the evil Ravana and start the Hindu Year.
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What did Hindus call their system of social classes?
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Varna dharma
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Define Dharma
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Dharma is a belief found in Hinduism and other Indian traditions that a person has a duty or obligation to live an honorable life.
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What does Dharma stand for?
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Dharma stands for law, obligation and duty. To follow one's dharma means to perform one's duties and live in an honorable way.
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Why does each social class seem to have it's own dharma?
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Because each class has it's own duties. The duites include a certain type of work. Duties might include studying religious texts, herding animals, trading or serving as warriors. "the way of one's kind"
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Hindus follow the dharma of their own varna. All Hindus follow a common dharma. What are some of the common dharmas?
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Marriage, sharing food with others, caring for one's soul and nonviolence.
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In Hindu traditions what animal do Hindu's use to symbolize their regard with feelings of respect?
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cow. Hindus do not kill cows perhaps because the provide people with things they need, such as milk and butter. After death they provide hides to make clothing,
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Define: reverence
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regard with feelings of respect and reverence
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What happens when the soul is united with Brahman.
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It is no longer reborn.
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Define Karma
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a belief found in Hinduism and other Indian traditions that the good and evil done in a past life determines the nature of that person's next life. It explains the importance of living according to dharma.
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In Hindu belief what governs what happens to people's souls after death?
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Law of karma
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What do many Indians believe happened to one's soul after death?
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Souls have many lives. When a person dies, their soul was born into a higher social class - UNLESS they lived badly, they could expect to be born in a lower class.
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Is it fair that people are born into their caste (social class)?
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Yes, according to kharma, people social class reflects how they behaved in their past life.
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Today why is it caste discrimination illegal?
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Some Indian scholars disapproved and thought all people should be treated equal including the Untouchables.
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Who was B.R. Ambedkar?
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In the 20th century he was born into the Untouchable cast and is a chief architect of India's first constitution.
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What is Samsara?
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The cycle of birth, death and rebirth
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Pain and death are part of?
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samsara
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When does Samsara end?
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When the soul escapes from the cycle of rebirth.
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How long does it take to escape from the cycle?
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It takes many lifetimes before a person can be released.
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How does one balance thier karma with good actions?
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They behave correctly and perform their social duties, worship faithfully according to prescribed rule.
