Hinduism

• Features of the IVC

  • Well-designed cities, advanced for their time (Mohenjo Daro)
  • Seal stones with proto-Shiva on them
  • Figurines → large eyes and exaggerated sexual characteristics
  • Great bath at Mohenjo Daro suggests ritual cleansing
  • Two fireplaces present in households
• Aryan culture


  • Nomadic european warriors
  • Violent disposition, known as the 'smashers of cities'
  • Authors of the Vedas
  • Potentially brought sanskrit with them
• Vedic practices


  1. Yajna → fire sacrifice, potential link to practise of Havan today

  2. Deified elements of the sacrifice e.g. Agni

  3. Mantras believed to have the power to change the world

  4. Offerings and sacrifices - ashvamedha, purushamedha
• Vedic society


  • Use of the varna system, originating from the purusha sukta in the Rig Veda
  • Defined by shruti and rta - idea of cosmic order
  • Aryans potentially placed themselves at the top of the varna system when they integrated into the IVC – high percentage of european blood in top varnas today
• Controversy surrounding word 'HINDUISM'
• Hinduism


  An externally imposed title
• River Sindhu


  Geographical location as opposed to common beliefs and practices
• Conflict between theories
• Issues with archaeologists – defining things that are unknown as cult objects
• Imposing ideas from other cultures e.g. hierogamy at the great bath
• Untranslated script leads to guess work
• Argument between invasion and migration

  • Invasion → lack of weapons, Aryans on horseback, 'smashers of cities'
  • Migration → no mass graves found, references in Vedas to settled cities, varna system and European traits
• Other ideas → river drying up leads to migration south, where Shiva worship is more prominent today
• Arjuna's dilemma


  Finds himself on the battlefield, but loves people on the opposite side, struggles with his duty to fight
• Teachings on duty


  • Arjuna is a warrior and therefore must fight – importance of svadharma
  • Dharma supersedes any other obligation
  • Following one's duty allows others to do the same - rta
  • Those who die will live on - atman + samsara
• Nature of God


  • Link to samkhya philosophy - God, prakriti and purusha
  • Idea of being distracted by the gunas
  • Purusha strives to be released from prakriti
  • God is radically personalised
• Karma yoga


  • Selfless action performed for the benefit of others
  • Must act in order to survive - but no inorder to gain but because it's what must be done
  • Practising detachment and indifference to the sense world
  • So, Arjuna must fight because it needs to be done, not because he wants glory that follows
• Bhakti yoga


  • Loving devotion to a personal God
  • Every action and thought acts as a sacrifice to this God
  • God will return love by removing karmic consequences and granting moksha
• Jnana yoga


  • Path of knowledge, specifically experiential knowledge of relationship with God
  • Realising impermanence of the physical world of prakriti and gunas
  • Detachment to attain true knowledge
• Significance of Bhagavad Gita


  • Introduction of more than onepath to moksha - evolution of Hinduism
  • Development of thought while still maintaining concepts of varna and dharma
  • God as deeply personal - shift from Upanishads
  • Impact of bhakti → dalits, ISKCON, Hindu diaspora
• Shruti


  That which is heard, authored by the Gods, overheard by rishis
• Smrti


  That which is remembered, divinely inspired, has human influence
• Shruti texts


  • Vedas → varna, jnana, polytheism
  • Upanishads → Brahman, moksha, samsara, advaita
• Smrti texts


  • Bhagavad Gita
  • Ramayana
• Ramayana


  • Evil will always be defeated by truth
  • Relationships should be above greed, anger or treachery
  • Themes of righteous behaviour, selfless caring, courage
• Mahabharata


  • Greed and jealousy leads to misery
  • Fight for dharma / righteousness
  • Don't identify with your actions
  • God as personal + bhakti
• Views on the texts

  • Shruti seen as most sacred, with esoteric knowledge
  • Reveals knowledge, philosophical truths, unchanging word of God
  • Smrti is well-known, easier to understand and connect with
  • Inspires festivals, gives practical advice on how to behave day today
• Vedas - gives basis of varna
• Upanishads - philosophical grounding of Brahman in Hinduism
• Mahabharata - impact of bhakti
• Ramayana - examples of behaviour
• Apara knowledge


  Material objects and rituals
• Para knowledge


  True self and ultimate reality
• Both forms of knowledge are important, however para leads to moksha and enlightenment
• External knowledge is less important than experiential knowledge of the oneness of God
• Guru / disciple relationships

  • Chela = disciple
  • Required for experiential nature of jnana – stress given to idea that only living teacher can impart this knowledge
  • Purpose to fully elevate students state of being towards higher knowledge
• Katha upanishad


  • Story of Yama + Nachiketa
• Katha upanishad


  • Self-realisation – most important step for moksha, requires guru + renunciation of earthly things
  • Sense control – dangers of worldly pleasures, should ignore maya and focus on ideal life
  • All this is Brahman – spark of Brahman in every being, self is indivisible from God
• Nature of God


  • Apophatic = can only be described through negation
  • Impersonal, with no attributes
  • Understood through introspection
• Jiva atman


  Lower self