Hinduism Doctrines

Keys to Understanding Hinduism

Identify and describe the key developments of Vedic religious practice and its impact on Modern Hinduism

Explain how the doctrines of Hinduism affect Hindu religious practice.

Vedic religious practice

Modern Hinduism may have parts of religions practiced by native peoples- male and female deities- procreation a focus

Vedas- Body of Knowledge- Originated by 1500 to 1000 BCE- Passed down orally

Vedas are a liturgy manual (concerned with rituals, hymns, incantations) not a narrative (storyline) like the Bible

Rig Veda- oldest Praises and implores the blessings of the devas

(earth gods and deities of the sky and celestial realm.)

Vedas Samhitas: earliest

Praise and worship of deities Brahmanas

Directions for sacrifices Affirm God is immanent and transcendent, and prescribe ritual worship, mantra

and devotional hymns to establish communication with the spiritual world.

Aranyatas Writings of people meditating in forest

Upanishads Spiritual masters explain personal transformation in ritual

process Outline the souls evolutionary journey, provide yogic philosophical training and

propounds the realization of man’s oneness with god as the destiny of all souls.

Priestly rituals example

Vedic worship centered around the fire sacrifice- Offerings

Priests use: verbal formulas, sacred chants, sacred actions

Concerned with ritual purity- (example- eating salad in a restaurant)

Caste system http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Z0ctalomHig

Brahman and Atman

Brahman-breath behind all existence “one” god

Atman-subtle self within themselves We are all atman and are a part of

Brahman

Brahman

Atman

Bhakti

Difficult to pray to the abstract depictions of an impersonal deity from the Upanishads so many Hindus worship changes to bhakti worship.

Bhakti- Intense devotion to a personal manifestation of Brahman.

The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Puranas represent god as a person or human-like deities, and aid in this form of worship.

Evaluate why Hindus would desire personal experiences with their deities.

Assess why Hindu worship of Brahman is broken into many aspects/deities and how this impacts their worship.

Reincarnation Soul leaves the dead body and enters a

new one Countless rebirths (reincarnations) but

same soul Birth as a human is precious and rare

opportunity to advance/reach enlightenment

Reincarnation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWwzFwUOxA

What do you think about the possibility of this boy having a former life?

Karma Action and the consequences of action Every act or thought shapes our future Shaped by what we have done in past Lasts into subsequent lives Sow/reap

Castes

Brahmins- Priests, carefully trained and maintain high standard of purity

Kshatriyas- nobility, kings, warriors, vassals Vaishyas- economic specialists, farmers and

merchants Shudra- manual laborers and artisans Untouchables How could a caste system develop out of the doctrines of

reincarnation and karma? (beliefsactions) Draw a conclusion as to why the caste system is still in

existence today.

Samsara and Moksha Goal is not good life but escape from

samsara Samsara- karma run wheel of birth-death-

rebirth Moksha- liberation from space, time, matter to

oneness with Brahman, escape from samsara Takes many lifetimes

Review Questions

Identify and describe the key developments of Vedic religious practice.

Analyze how Vedic religious practice affects modern day Hinduism? Sacrifices, rituals, etc..

Explain how the doctrines of Hinduism affect Hindu religious practice.

Describe the caste system.

Homework

HOMEWORK: Complete Essential Questions 3-5, 18-

19, 26-28; and Read, summarize and give explanation in class on Hindu gods and idol worship articles

Extra credit

1. http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_caste.asp

2. Faith Life article: “Looking to physics for proof of the soul.”