Basics of Hinduism

Comparative ReligionsBasics of HinduismFour things Hindus believe people wantPleasureWorld success wealth, fame, & powerCommunityLiberationPath of DesirePleasure and Worldly Success make up the Path of DesirePLEASUREHindus say go for it!The world is beautiful and full of fun thingsOnly stupid people will lie, cheat, and steal to get pleasureWORLDLY SUCCESSWealth, Fame, & Power again, Hindus say go for itIn the end they will not make one content becauseThey are exclusive, competitive, and precariousThe drive for success is insatiableIts meaning is finite so it wont lastThe rewards are temporary

Those who are psychologically immature will stay on the Path of Desire for a long time.Hindus see chronological age and psychological age as two different things. Some people mature/learn quicker than others.Those who complete the Path of Desire will long for the last two wants people have. This leads them to thePath of RenunciationCOMMUNITYThe community is very importantOnce one is finished with the Path of DesireThey no longer want to get, they want to GIVEThey no longer want to win, they want to SERVEFaithful performancesBring self-respectBring respect from peersOnce this too is not enough, the Hindus believe one seeksMOKSHA/LIBERATIONUnderneath all of the desires and service, there is an inner being that never dies, its never exhausted.This is the infinite center of life, the ATMAN. It is BRAHMAN the GodheadThe ATMAN-BRAHMAN is hard to find because it is buried deep within us. We have a hard time finding it because we are self-serving, distracted, and deal daily with delusions.By following the Path of Desire to the Path of Renunciation, we clean ourselves so the light from within can get out.Three ways to transcend imperfectionsJoyKnowledgeBeing what we basically wantJOYStructures of JOYPhysical Pain comes from our bodies, which we eventually outgrowThwarted Desire Psychological disappointments are caused by our egos not getting what they want. Eventually, we learn to get over it.Ennui ( an emptiness that causes us to feel apathy and be depressed) it will end when we quit concentrating on ourselves and focus on the world around us.KNOWLEDEGEIgnorance can be removedHindus dont necessarily mean factual knowledge Hindus are referring to insight into the world and how life worksBEINGHow do we define ourselves?By the size of our spiritsOur minds are infinite in beingOur minds are infinite in awesomeness too Hindus believe we are like the person who does not know where they are even when they are at home.YOGAThis is Hinduisms way of actualizing the human potentialIs similar to the English word yoke Yoga unites our minds and our bodiesYoga has physical exercises, but the ultimate goal is to union with God.Yoga has four different paths one may choose to unite with GodKnowledgeLoveWorkPsychophysical ExercisesFOUR PATHS TO GODHindus recognize people are different so they have different ways for them to reach God.Four Hindu personality types:ReflectiveEmotionalEnergeticExperimentors REFLECTIVE = KNOWLEDGEJnana Yoga for those who are spiritually ledThey feel the path to God is through knowledgeThey see God as a deep ocean with many wavesTheir thoughts grasp their lives and transform them The key to success with Jnana Yoga is the ability to distinguish between the surface self and the hidden selfThere are three stages to go through to be successful in Jnana Yoga:Hearing listen to sages and scripturesThinking be reflectiveShifting moving away from the self-identification to bring ones hidden self to light. EMOTIONAL = LOVEThis yoga has the shortest path, but it is the steepest climbThe strongest emotion is loveThis is accomplished though BHAKTI YOGA and its two beliefs:Healthy Love is out-goingGod must be adored, not just identifiedSymbols and Myths are used to get us away from the distractions of the world and to think on God and Gods loveThree features of BHAKTA YOGAJapam repeating Gods nameRinging the Changes of Love recognizing the different types of loveLove for your parentsLove parents have for a childLove for your spouseLove for your family and friendsUltimately, love for GodWorship of ones chosen ishta (ideal) form of God. Hindus believe that by associating god with a god or goddess one can understand love and love more deeply.WORK = ENERGETICKARMA YOGA the way through workWork is approached in the spirit of loveThis combines the jnana and bhakti yogas work is approached thoughtfully through loveThus the old saying What goes around comes aroundThose who are in touch with their emotions should work for Gods sake, not their own.Work is prompted by Gods will and powered by Gods energyThose who are reflective will work with dedication, but detachment they do their jobs, do it well, but dont seek the emotional aspect of the job. These people are often calm, even when they are very busy not really stressed.PSYCHOPHYSICAL EXERCISES = EXPERIMENTORS RAJA YOGA the royal road to reintegrationDesigned for people who like to experimentThe design of Raja Yoga is that the human self has four layersBodiesConscious layer of our mindsIndividual SubconsciousBeing Itself our infinite, eternal selfPurpose of Raja Yoga is to validate the fourfold human self by reaching the Being Itself. This is reached byWilled introversionDriving our psychic energy of the self to its deepest partRaja Yoga is practiced through 8 steps.Step 1: 5 AbstentionsAbstain from injuryAbstain from lyingAbstain from stealingAbstain from sensualityAbstain from greedStep 2: 5 ObservancesCleanlinessContentmentSelf-controlStudiousnessContemplation of the divineStep 3: Keep the body from distracting the mind during concentrationLotus Position sitting on tiger skin for energy layered with deer skin for calmness cross-legged with the bottom of the feet toward the sky and hands resting on the knees, palms up.Step 4: Breathing evenly and shallowly .Holding ones breath for a long period of time helps the body approach a state of suspended animationStep 5: Unplug sensory receptors pay no attention to whats around you

Step 6: Battle the mind for concentrationRelax the mindThen, find something to concentrate onPractice concentrating on that and that aloneStep 7: all that exists is the object of concentrationStep 8: SAMADHIThe peak of concentrationThe object of concentration vanishes and the person is in their Being Itself.HINDU STAGES OF LIFEHindus believe each person moves through the stages of their life at their own pace.Stage 1 = StudentStage 2 = Marriage/HouseholderThis is the time one usually satisfies the first three human wantsPleasureSuccessDutiesStage 3 = Retirement can come after the first grandchild. The person can claim retirement from previous social duties. This is the time to begin concentrating on philosophyStage 4 = RenunciationSannyasin the person can now distinguish his true self

The Stations of LifeSocial order the Caste SystemFour levels of society:Brahmins or Seers the intellectual and spiritual leadersAdministrators & OrganizersProducers artisans, farmers, and engineersFollowers - hired hands, unskilled laborersThrough reincarnation, the JIVAS (individual souls) can move up in the Caste SystemHindus believe that everyone should be rewarded equally for their services at their levels. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY RECEIVE THE SAME PAY.Producers receive what they most value wealthAdministrators receive what they most value social, political, and administrative powerBrahmins receive what they most value respect from the other castesFollowers (shudras) have the least responsibility and the greatest freedom, much like childrenGODSanskrit name for God is BRAHMANBr = breathBrih = to be greatOther links to the name:Sat, chit, ananda = God is being, awareness, and blissSaguna Brahman = God with attributes; like an ocean with a lot of wavesNirguna Brahman = God without attributes; like a quiet, still ocean, no wavesHindu Trinity:Brahma the CreatorVishnu the PreserverShiva the DestroyerThe PathJivas (individual souls) begin as the lowest forms of lifeDoing well, they move up in the chain of life each time one body wears out through reincarnation.Karma, work, means that every action has a reaction. Do bad things, bad things happen to you. Do good things, good things happen to you. Good Karma means one goes up a step each time one is reincarnated.Human form is the highest the spirit achieves.The jiva can increase human forms within the Caste SystemHumans work toward achieving Moksha total release.As humans, the spirit always has the Atman with them.The Atman seeks MokshaHindus believe there are worlds above and worlds below our world.Spirits repair themselves and prepare themselves for another life form/body in these worldsThe metaphysical worldJnana yago and bhakti divide on the conduct of lifeGods nature divides the personal from the transpersonalSalvation divides those who want to merge with God from those who just want to be with GodCosmology divides those who see the world as real from those who see it as semi-realHindu answers to What kind of world do we have?1. A multiple world with tiers and cycles2. A moral world where karma rules3. A place that can never replace paradise for the spirit4. Maya, a world full of trickery and delusions5. A gym for strengthening the soul6. Lila, a cosmic dance where the soul plays into the routine.

ULTIMATELY, THE HINDUS BELIEVE WE HAVE A WORLD WHERE ONE CAN FIND GOD THROUGH A VARIETY OF PATHS.