Chapter 3 Study Guide: Hinduism

1. What are the Vedas?
a. Four collections of ancient prayers and rituals
2. When was the Vedic Period?
a. 2000 to 500 B.C.E.
3. What language was used in this period?
a. Sanskrit
4. Who are Aryans and what is the Aryan invasion theory? What evidence supports this theory?
a. Single people
b. Aryan invasion theory- the Vedas believed to be the religious writings of this invading people
c. Entering new lands, these people were thought to have carried their language and religion with them. Scholars initially believed that in India the outsiders imposed their social order quickly and violently on the older culture.
5. What is the Aryan immigration theory?
a. There were repeated waves of migrations into Pakistan and northern India and that from these contacts between foreign and indigenous cultures the religion of the Vedas emerged
6. What are the objections to both of these theories?
a. Scholars view any theory that assumes influence from outside India to be a continued relic of Western cultural imperialism Archeological, linguistic, and genetic investigations continue to offer more clues, but their interpretation has not resolved the issue
7. What are the specific areas of interest or concern for the gods Indra, Agni, Ushas, Rudra, Varuna, Vishnu, Surya, Soma and Yama?
a. Indra
i. God of storm and war, received great attention because of the strength his worshipers hoped to receive from him
b. Agni
i. God of fire, carried sacrifices up to the world of the gods
c. Ushas
i. Dawn and renewal were in charge of this goddess, one of the few female deities
d. Rudra
i. Brought winds
e. Varuna
i. God of the sky and justice
f. Vishnu
i. God of cosmic order
g. Surya
i. Major sun god
h. Soma
i. Thought to cause altered states of mind and to expand consciousness
i. Yama
i. Ruled the afterlife
8. What forms the core of the earliest Vedas?
a. The chants, in written form
9. What does the word “Veda” mean?
a. “Knowledge” or “sacred lore,” related words in English are vision and wisdom
10. What are the four basic sacred text collections that make up the Vedas? What are the central themes or concerns of each of the four collections?
a. The Rig Veda “hymn knowledge”
i. A collection of more than a thousand chants to the Aryan gods
b. The Yajur Veda “ceremonial knowledge”
i. Contains matter for recitation during sacrifice
c. The Sama Veda “chant knowledge”
i. Handbook of musical elaborations of Vedic chants
d. The Atharva Veda “knowledge from [the teacher] Atharva”
i. Consists of practical prayers and charms, such as prayers to protect against snakes and sickness
11. What are the Brahmanas?
a. Detailed ceremonial rules
b. Named for the priests who would use them, give details about the proper time and place for ceremonies, the preparation of the ground, ritual objects, and purification rites
12. What are the Aranyakas?
a. Detailed ceremonial rules
b. “Forest books”
c. allowed the rituals to be understood and practiced in nonliteral, symbolic ways by men who had left society and become ascetics in the forests
13. What are the Upanishads? What is the probably original meaning of the word?
a. Written meditations on the spiritual essence of the universe and the self
b. “Sitting near”
14. What is likely connection between the Upanishads and the Aranyakas?
a.
15. Name six of the Upanishads.
a.
16. What, according to Molloy, are the six most important concepts in the Upanishads?
a. Brahman
b. Atman
c. Maya
d. Karma
e. Samsara
f. Moksha
17. Define and discuss Brahman.
a. The spiritual essence of the universe
b. Originally stood for the cosmic power present in the Vedic sacrifice and chants, over which the priest had control
c. The word Brahman was expanded to mean a divine reality at the heart of things
d. Something that can be known not simply believe in
e. It is the lived experience that all things are in some way holy because they come from the same sacred source
f. The experience that all things are in some way ultimately one
g. Can bring an end to everyday suffering and to the fear of death
18. What is meant by the statement “Thou art That” at the end of the passage from the Chandogya Upanishad on page 85?
a. “I know that Spirit whose infinity is in all, who is ever one beyond time”
19. What is meant by sat-chit-ananda, and how is it connected to Brahman?
a. Three words that describe its nature as perceived by the knower: Brahman is sat, reality itself; chit, pure consciousness; and ananda, bliss
b. Those who speak of their experience say that Brahman is ultimately beyond time and beyond space
20. Define and discuss Atman.
a. The spiritual essence of all individual human beings
b. Translated as “self” or “soul” the notion of Atman in the Upanishads is different from the notion of an individual soul – “deepest self”
c. In Hindu belief, each person has an individual soul and the individual soul confers uniqueness and personality
d. The deepest level of what I am is a divine reality, a divine spirit, that everything shares
21. Discuss the connection between Brahman and Atman.
a. They are both divine, holy and timeless
b. Brahman refers to the experience of the sacred within nature and the external universe, while Atman refers to the experience of the sacred within oneself
22. Define and discuss maya.
a. “Illusion”; what keeps us from seeing reality correctly; the world, viewed inadequately
b. Contains both meanings “magic” and “matter”
c. The outside world s more like the inner world of thoughts and dreams—it shifts and changes, just as thoughts and dreams do
d. To say that all reality is “maya” is not to say that the world does not exist or that the world is a totally false perception
e. Produces a sense of amazement at the forms and shifts that the universe takes—it is all, ultimately, unexplainable magic
23. Define and discuss karma.
a. The moral law of cause and effect that determines the direction of rebirth
b. Hyman beings have at one or another time existed as a “lower” form, such as animal, insect, and possibly even plant
c. Rebirth can move in either direction and the human stage is a dangerous one because each human being must make dramatic choices about how to live; if a person doesn’t live properly he or she may be reborn into a very poor or cruel human family or even a dog, pig, or ant
d. Root word meaning “to do”
e. Good karma brings a higher rebirth, bad karma in lower
f. Helps explain why some people are born with great gifts while others are born with no advantages at all
24. Define and discuss samsara.
a. The everyday world of change and suffering leading to rebirth
b. Our present human life is so short, we may think that we would like several lives in the future as well
c. We would want escape, release, liberation
25. Define and discuss moksha.
a. “Liberation” from personal limitation, egotism, and rebirth; “to be released”
b. Includes the notion of getting beyond egotistic responses, such as resentment and anger, which limit the individual
c. Implies liberation even from the limitations of being an individual—from being born a particular person at a specific time to a unique pair of parents—a person with distinct physical characteristics, emotions, desires, and memories
d. When one becomes freer, one looks at life less from a selfish and egotistic point of view and more from a perspective that embraces the whole
26. Explain how Brahman-atman, maya, karma, samsara and moksha are all interrelated.
27. What is the Bhagavad Gita? When was it written?
a. “Divine song” or “song of the Divine One” is part of a very long epic poem called the Mahabharata
b. 400 BCE and 400 CE
28. What is its relationship with the Mahabharata?
a. Tells how sons of Pandu conquered their cousins, the Kauravas, with the help of the god Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita was inserted at some time into this poem but has its own identity and is often printed separately
b. “The wise see knowledge and action as one”
29. Briefly summarize the content of the Bhagavad Gita.
a. Written in dialogue form
b. Occurs almost entirely between two figures: a prince, Arjuna, and his charioteer and advisor, Krishna
c. Arjuna’s royal power is threatened by his hundred cousins, called Kauravas, and he must decide whether to fight with his brothers against them to restore his throne or to accept their rule
d. Krishna reveals that he is a form of the god Vishnu, explains the need for action
e. Arjuna must follow not merely his own desires—neither his fears nor his hope for reward—but he must simply do what is right
f. Krishna advises Arjuna to fight to protect his throne and the structure of society—to fight is his duty
g. Krishna says “there is nothing nobler than a righteous war”
h. Recommendation that Arjuna should fight caused problems—Gandhi held that the call to arms is not about real war but rather a call to fight against dangerous moral and psychological forces, such as ignorance, selfishness, and anger
30. Name and briefly describe the five main varnas or castes.
a. The priest (Brahmin) traditionally performs Vedic rituals and acts as a counselor
b. The warrior-noble (Kshatriya) has the role of protecting society. This is the traditional caste of the aristocracy
c. The merchant (vaishya) class includes landowners, moneylenders, and sometimes artisans. Males of the three upper castes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, and vaishya) receive a sacred cord during a ceremony in their youth and afterward are called “twice-born”
d. The pleasant (shudra) does manual labor and is expected to serve the higher castes. The origin of this caste probably goes back to the Aryan subjection of native people, who were forced to do the work of servants. The peasant is called “once-born”
e. The untouchable (dalit) traditionally does the dirtiest work—cleaning toilets, sweeping streets, collecting animal carcasses, and tanning animal hides; Harijan (“the children of God”)
31. Name and briefly describe the four stages of life.
a. Student (brahmacharin) Spent laying a religious foundation for life. Young person ages 8 through 20 studies religious works. Celibacy is a necessary part of the training.
b. Householder (grihastha) marriage, traditionally arranged by parent, occurs about age 20, and the person fulfills the demands of society by raising children
c. Retiree (vanaprastha) the individual may retire to spend time once again on religious matters once grandchildren arrive. Retirees often continue to live with their children and with other relatives in an extended-family setting, but they may eat separately from the rest of the family and spend time on religious pursuits with friends
d. Renunciate (sannyasin) only appropriate after retirement, not expected from everyone. One is permitted to leave home if one wishes to live entirely free from society. A man can leave his wife only if he ensures that she is supported. Purpose is to hasten mystical insight, to free oneself of all attachments, to end rebirth, and to attain moksha.
32. Name and briefly describe the four goals of life.
a. Pleasure (kama)
b. Economic security and power (artha)
c. Social and religious duty (dharma)
33. What is the original meaning of the word yoga?
a. A spiritual discipline; a method for perfecting one’s union with the divine
b. “union” – English words join and yoke
34. Discuss the essential aspects of jnana yoga.
a. “Knowledge yoga” – brings insight into one’s divine nature by studying the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita and their commentaries and by learning from teachers who have attained insight; appropriate for priests and intellectuals
35. Who was Shankara?
a. Greatest teacher of Vedanta – argued that everything is ultimately one—all is Brahman; although our ordinary experience leads us to see things as being separate and different, this perception is mistaken
36. What is monism?
a. The philosophical position that all apparently separate realities are ultimately one; the belief that God and the universe are the same, that the universe is divine
37. What is Advaita Vedanta?
a. The branch of the Vedanta school; Advaita, literally translated means “no-two-ness” – if I say that all reality is “one” some “other” reality could also exist—something in contrast to the one; not-two → no other reality
38. Discuss the essential aspects of karma yoga.
a. The spiritual discipline of selfless action
b. What we ordinarily do is motivated by money or pleasure or praise, but deeds performed without a desire for reward are the heart of karma yoga
c. “Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working”
39. Discuss the essential aspects of bhakti yoga.
a. The spiritual discipline of devotion to a deity or guru
b. Involves various expressions of devotion—most commonly chants, songs, food offerings, and the anointing of statues
40. What is a guru?
a. A spiritual teacher
41. Discuss the essential aspects of raja yoga.
a. Promotes meditation—sitting quietly, turning inward, and calming the mind; done for short periods of time on a regular basis, meditation lowers stress and brings a sense of peace; done for longer periods of time, it can induce new states of consciousness
b. A word or brief phrase called a mantra is often recited with each breath to help clear the mind of thought
42. What is hatha yoga?
a. The spiritual discipline of postures and bodily exercises
43. What is Iyengar yoga?
a. Focuses on correct technique and sequence in doing a large number of traditional breathing exercises and yoga postures
44. What is bikram yoga?
a. Involves a series of twenty-six hatha yoga exercises and two breathing exercises in a heated room
45. What is ashtanga yoga?
a. Named after teachings of the Yoga Sutras—a demanding series of six sequences of highly athletic yogic postures
46. What is kundalini yoga?
a. A form of raja yoga that envisions the individual’s energy as a force that is capable of being raised from the center of the body to the head, producing a state of joy
47. Which yoga do the great majority of Hindus practice?
a. Followed the path of devotion (bhakti) to a god or gods
b. Puja—devotional ritual commonly performed at an altar, involves the offering of flowers, food, fire, and incense to images of a god or gods as well as the occasional singing of hymns
48. How is Hinduism both polytheistic and monotheistic (or monistic) at the same time?
a. In reality individuals tend to focus their devotion on only one of the gods
b. Devotion to an individual god or goddess is often justified by saying that although the divine is ultimately formless, human beings must worship the divine through its physical manifestations
49. What is the trimurti?
a. “Three forms” of the divine—the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
50. Discuss the central role of Brahma.
a. Represents the creative force that made the universe
b. Commonly depicted as an ancient, thoughtful king sitting on a throne
c. Four faces, each looking in one of the four directions, and eight arms, each holding symbols of power
d. His companion animal is a white goose
51. Discuss the central role of Vishnu.
a. Represents the force of preservation in the universe
b. A god associated with the sun, although his role there appears to be small
c. Vishnu grew in stature until finally becoming a major god of Hinduism
d. Tall crown, regal manner, has four arms which hold symbols of power, companion animal is a great eagle like bird, Garuda, whom he flies through the universe
52. Which of the three is most often worshipped?
53. What are avatars?
a. An earthly embodiment of a deity
54. Who are the two most popular avatars of Vishnu?
a. Rama- A god and mythical king; a form of Vishnu
b. Krishna- A god associated with divine playfulness; a form of Vishnu
55. Discuss the central role of Shiva.
a. A god associated with destruction and rebirth
b. Some aspects of the present day god may extend back to pre-Vedic India
56. In what sense is destruction a kind of creation?
a. Destruction is a type of recycling, the necessary loss of form, which occurs so that new forms may appear; and death is always thought of as leading to new life
57. What is the Shiva Nataraja?
a. The destructive side of Shiva – “ruler of the dance”
b. Has four arms, which signify his many powers
c. Upper right arm is a drum, symbolizing creation and the beginning of time and in the upper left arm is a flame symbolizing destruction
d. Lower left arm is pointing to his upraised foot suggesting that everyone should join him in his dance and be as free as he is
e. Lower right arm is extended in blessing which in a symbolic way he says “Don’t be afraid”
f. Dances on a dwarf-demon, representing the ignorance of all those who do not understand that death is part of the divine process
58. What is the lingam and yoni?
a. Lingam- columnar, often black, which adds to its mystery of a frequent representation of Shiva
b. Yoni- a circular base that is the female complement to the lingam
59. Define and discuss the significance of Devi.
a. “Goddess” the Divine Feminine also called the Great Mother
b. Portrayed as both loving and cruel
c. Harsh to those who show themselves unworthy of her love
d. Frequently worshipped with extreme human feeling
60. Who is Durga?
a. “Awe-inspiring,” “distant,” a mother-goddess, a form of Devi
61. Who is Kali?
a. “Dark,” a form of Devi; a goddess associated with destruction and rebirth
62. What are shaktis?
a. “Energies” they allow the male gods to be effective in the human world
63. Who is Saraswati?
a. A goddess that is the consort of Brahma and is far more popular than he
b. The patron of music, the arts, and culture and is often portrayed with a musical instrument in her hand
64. Who is Lakshmi?
a. A goddess who is commonly dressed as a queen and sits on a lotus
b. Dispenses good luck and protection
65. What is the etymology of “guru”?
a. “The one who removes darkness”
66. What is meant by darshan?
a. “Presence” – because people of spiritual accomplishment are thought to radiate their divine nature, disciples find opportunities to be in the presence of the holy person
67. When did Islamic rule begin in India, and about how long did it last?
a.
68. When and for how long did Britain control India? (see timeline)
a. 1750-1947
69. What books and authors had the biggest impact on Gandhi’s philosophical development?
a.
70. What did Gandhi mean by ahimsa?
a.
71. What did Gandhi mean by satyagraha?
a.
72. What does Mahatma mean?
a.
73. What percentage of the Indian people are Hindu?
a.
74. What three 19th century America writers were heavily influenced by Hindu philosophical texts?
a.
75. Who established the Transcendental Meditation movement? What famous British musicians studied with him in India?
a.
b.
76. What was Ram Dass’s original name?
a.
77. What is ISKON?

The Hinduism Chapter in The World’s Wisdom by Philip Novak
1. After reading the selections from the Vedas and the Upanishads, describe the scene and summarize the essential teachers of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, (sections 17-23).
2. Read the sayings of Shankara, Ramakrishna ad Ramana Maharshi. Identify and summarize in your own words ten of the essential teachings of Ramakrishna.