Encountering Asia Midterm

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migration theory

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theory that Aryan migration to the Indus valley caused its decline and transformation

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transformation theory

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theory that Aryan culture is a development of the Indus valley culture, making Indus valley culture an early vedic culture

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modified migration theory

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theory that Aryan culture lived and developed alongside the Indus valley culture, and that the two absorbed bits of each other

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Harappa, Mohanjo Daro

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two major sites of a series of Indus Valley cities discovered, contemporary with Mesopotamia

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Vedic Samhitas

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religious "texts," and hymns to the Vedic deities.

includes Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda

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Veda

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"knowledge," or "that which is known"

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Purusha Hymn

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Vedic hymn of origin in which the gods sacrifice Purusha to create the universe. The body parts create different elements, emphasizing that all work together, but not all are equal (class distinction)

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Rita

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Cosmic order, or social division of labor.
Brahmin (priests), Rajanya (warriors and politicians), Vaisha (farmers, workers, etc), and Shudra (servants)

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Vedic religion

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religion centered around the fire sacrifice

those who practiced it were nomadic, pastoral

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fire sacrifice (yajna)

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central sacrifice of the Vedic people, who used fire as an intermediary between gods and humans.

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Agni

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the Vedic fire god, who carries the message between people and gods

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Soma

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Vedic deity, also a plant (probably a hallucinogenic) ingested by the people

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shrauta rites

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rites performed by the Brahmin priests of the Vedic religion

usually sponsored by kings

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griha rites

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"domestic" rites, performed in the Vedic religion by individual householders

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Upanishad

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"to sit down near," "secret teachings," "correspondence/connection"

the final additions to the Veda, also called "Vedanta"

focused on knowing the ultimate essence of things rather than acquisition of material goods

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atman

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the "true self," or life essence of all persons in the Upanishads

identical with brahman

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brahman

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the divine, universal essence of all things in the Upanishads

the power, or life force, that is the source and foundation of creation

identical with atman

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karma

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the law that all actions have specific and appropriate effects

drives rebirth, Upanishads teach that meditation and asceticism can help destroy stores of this

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moksha

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"liberation" from attachment to worldly life and embodied existence, and thus from samsara

the final goal of human life according to the Upanishads

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samsara

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the wheel of birth and rebirth of individual souls in the Upanishads

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maya

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the multiple forms of the world as a kind of spiritual trap, according to the Upanishads

being caught up in that which is temporary, fleeting

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tapas

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heat, inner fire

power that rises in your body through meditation and acts of asceticism, which burns up your karma

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four states of awareness

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the gross body (waking reality), the subtle body (dream state), the casual body (dreamless sleep), and the Self/Atman (turiya)

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turiya

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the "fourth" state of awareness and brahman, according to the Upanishads

accompanied by silence

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Siddhartha

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"he who has achieved his goal"

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Buddha

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"the awakened or enlightened one"

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Lumbini Grove

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the place of the Buddha's birth, where Maya stopped under the ashoka tree

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Prajapati

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stepmother of the Buddha

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Yashodhara

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the Buddha's wife, whom he eventually leaves to pursue a spiritual path

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Rahula

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the Buddha's son, "fetter"

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nirvana

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"blowing out," the solution to samsara (rebirth)

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duhka

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frustration, suffering

"having a bad axle"

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Sujata

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mistakes Buddha for the tree spirit, Yaksha, and brings him khir

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Mara

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lord of death, tries to prevent Gautama's enlightenment by sending temptations