hinduism

• Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, prosperity, and fortune in Hindu mythology.
• nirguna means no form, formless, or without form
• saguna means in form
• hindus can worship: rivers (ganges), murtis (statues), nature or cows
• bhagavan is a personal deity
• antaryami is the god within
• the atman is soul, a piece of brahman within every living thing
• karma: ’the law of cause and effect’ and consequence of actions
• trimurti: brahma, vishnu, shiva
• brahma is the creator
• vishnu is the preserver
• shiva is the destroyer
• vaikuntha is where the gods live. it is linked to vishnu (watch over creation)
• devotees of vishnu can live in vaikuntha after moksha
• purusharthas

  • artha-earning wealth honestly
  • kama-enjoyment of life
  • dharma-fulfil personal, social, and religious duties
  • moksha-break free from samsara
• samsara-birth, life, death,rebirth
• dharma- duty
• sanatana- eternal
• sanatana dharma- eternal duty
• caste- social class based on birth, religion, occupation, and gender
• ashrama- life stage (each stage has different responsibilities and duties)
• dukkha- suffering
• ahimsa:NON VIOLENCE, respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others.
• hindus believe that time is cyclical
• yugas (current yuga is iron), at the end of this yuga, kalki (an avatar of vishnu) will appear and kill all evil so earth can reincarnate and go back to the gold yuga.
• prakriti- matter, the material reality, saguna
• purusa-infinite spirit (nirguna)
• gunas: (should be in balance)

  • sattva- purity
  • rajas- passion
  • tamas- ignorance
• aims of punishment:

  • protection- protect society
  • retribution- punishment eg death penalty
  • deterrence- put people off with punishments
  • reformation- second chance (rehabilitation, therapy)
• ‘brahman is all’
• ‘of all my qualities, not one is material’
• ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’ -gandhi
• admonition: a telling off/ strong warning
• censure: severe disapproval
• danda- punishment
• prayascitta- atonement/ make amends (maybe through prayer)
• repentance- the act of feeling remorse for one's sins and turning away from them
• tapas- punishing ones self (eg wearing wet clothes/ sleeping on floor/fasting)
• māyā- illusion, universe not what it seems
• ‘the weak can never forgive’ -gandhi