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70 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Hinduism |
Assortment of beliefs (Aryan + Dravidian + Tribal) Can worship Henotheistically |
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Early Hinduism |
Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization Bathing tanks in city centre; Clay goddess figures |
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Hindus |
Mainly live on Indian Subcontinent; Nepal and Bali Individual practices mirror family traditions (regional and local) Tolerant of diversity about God (many ways to the Divine; Gita) |
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Dravidian |
Transformed from former IVC Southern civilization Mingled with the Aryan civilization to create Caste system |
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Aryan |
Noble Ones Aryan-migration into Indian subcontinent Technology advanced Brought the Vedas and Sanskrit language |
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The Vedas |
Aryan tradition Oral traditions Hymns for Veidic deities Agni, Indra, Soma, Dyaus-Pitri, Prithivi, Surya Demonstrate Henotheism |
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Agni |
God of fire Messenger |
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Indra |
God of thunder and lightning |
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Soma |
Sacred plant Similar to Ephedrine |
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Dyaus-Pitri |
Sky God Similar to Zeus/Jupiter |
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Prithivi |
Earth Goddess |
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Surya |
The Sun Chariot and 7 horses, move |
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Henotheism |
Demonstrated by the Vedas Each god is elevated to the highest position when they are needed No clear hierarchy |
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Brahmans |
Sacrificial ritual texts from the Veidic scriptures (Yajna) |
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Upanishads |
Philosophical texts from the Veidic Scriptures Last part of the Anta About Absolute Reality and the individual |
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Yajna |
Vedic sacrifice (offerings into a fire pit) and Vedic hymns recited- done by Brahmins High purity- only perform worship of Gods on behalf of other classes Reciprocal relationship between God and Humans (Yajna nourished the gods, returned cosmic stability) |
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Shruti |
All other Hindu scripture that is not the Shruti Contemplation on the divine revelation |
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Four Classes of Hinduism |
Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras Untouchables |
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Brahmins |
Priestly and educated |
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Kshatriyas |
Kings, nobility, landlords No longer present today |
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Vaishyas |
Commoners, merchants, artisans Wealthy today |
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Shudras |
Servants, menial workers Free; do not belong to anyone |
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Untouchables |
"Classless" Barbarians/foreigners ritually polluting jobs Impure to Brahmins |
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Dharma |
Righteous duty Aligns with cosmic order; allows us to stop bad karma Replaced the Rita |
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Dharma Shastras |
Large treatises on what dharmic behavior is Belong to the smirti category Rigorous Orthodox Hindus |
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Famous Dharma Shastras |
The Laws of Many (Easy way for British to understand Hindu law) Includes: Cosomology, Daily rituals, Rules of women |
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Four stages of Life |
Student Householder Forest-Dweller Samnyasin/Sannyasin |
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Student |
12-24 years training with Guru Pursue Dharma Refrain from sex, girls stay home with mothers', boys go to public schools |
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Householder |
Marriage ceremony (arranged), beginning of work Women's sacred thread ceremony Pursue Kama and Artha |
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Forest-Dweller |
Retirement from work Grandparent; wealth to children Read scripture, think of life's meaning |
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Samnyasin/Sannyasin |
Renouncer; not a common stage Death riruals performed Pursue Moksha Saffron coloured robe, staff, begging bowl, wandering seeker |
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Four Goals of Life |
Dharma Kama Artha Moksha |
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Dharma |
Righetous behavior; guide to allow us to stop bad Karma Connects to student stage |
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Kama |
Love/pleasure Spouse/in laws/kids Connects to householder stage |
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Artha |
Skill/money; provider; conduct household/public rituals Connects to Householder stage |
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Moksha |
Release/Liberation Highest Connects to Samnyasin stage |
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Cosmos |
Moral principle; cause and effects Exists independent from a Deity Karma determines our circumstances (past/present/future) |
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Moksha |
Spiritual liberation or self-realization Only achieved by discovering our true nature (Karma to Samara) |
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The Epics |
Ramayan Mahabharta |
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Ramayana |
One of most important About Rama, exile with his wife Sita Sita is kidnapped by Ravana who attempts to seduce her Hanuman helps Rama; Hanuman kills Ravana |
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Rama |
Reincarnation of Vishnu Deity Idea ruler (Dharmic duties over personal interests) |
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Sita |
Kidnapped by Ravana (10 headed) who tries to seduce her Ideal Hindu wife (chaste and faithful) Deity |
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Hanuman |
Helps Rama Kills Ravana Deity Ideal devotee to Rama |
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Mahabharta |
About 5 brothers (Pandava Princes) Kauravas: evil cousins; deny the Princes land; Leads to war Arjuna: Greatest Pandava warrior; Has existential crisis, can't fight Krishna: Vishnu in human form; Charioteer cousel Arjuna (Bhagavad-Gita); teaches Arjuna 3 yogas |
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Bhagavad-Gita |
Most influential Hindu scripture; teaches there's an innumerable paths to Moksha Reflective on temperaments upon three categories (Karma, Raja, Bhakti) Shifted focus of Karma to Moksha (Dharmic action) |
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Karma Yoga |
Liberation through action; selfless action Traditionally, Karmic action = doing one's caste duties (goal for rebirth) Non-attachment to the fruits of action Student, Householder, Forest-Dweller |
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Mahatma Ghandi |
Modern Indian leader; exemplifies powerful interpretation Inspired by the Gita to fight against oppression (Arjuna) Karmic action frees you from bondage to egotistical illusions; Mother Theresa |
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Bhakti Yoga |
Liberation through loving devotion; Krishna is the devotional object From Bhagavad-Gita; Devotionalism: offer to god Open to all castes (easy to obtain Moksha) |
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Puja |
Traditonal worship ritual of deities Offerings: flowers, incense, flames (arati), food, prayer Based on Hope (differs from Yajna where rituals assure) Deities do not have to respond to offerings |
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Darshana |
Go to temple for an audience with a deity Some Hindu temples are small (South); others large (North) Inner sanctum of the temple has a foggy image of deity Temples are a home, abode, palace for deities |
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Kumba Mela |
World's largest pilgrimmage (Hindus do so; fast, asuterities) 15 million + |
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Jnana Yoga |
Union; liberation through transcendental knowledge Difficult path (suited for intellectual temperaments) Some Vedanta philosophies promote Jnana Yoga |
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Raja Yoga |
Royal yoga; shows the path of knowledge Objective is to silence the mind and attain self-realization (Moksha) 4 aspects that needed to be developed - Moral basis - Posture and breath control - Concentration - Meditative absorptionM
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Moral Basis |
Non-violence of Ahimsa Non- stealing Truthfulness Self-study |
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Posture and Breath control |
Popular in NA culture Objective is mainly physical |
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Concentration |
Meditation (Dhayana) Can be sacred sound of phrase (Mantra) |
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Meditative Absorption |
Samadhi Attain oneness with true self Renunciation to a movement of thought |
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Brahma |
Vedic creator 4 heads Lotus (Vishnu's navel) |
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Sarasvati |
Brahman's wife/consort/female counterpart Creativity goddess (students/educators worship) 4 arms, prayer beads, Vedas and flute |
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Kali |
Black, naked goddess, matted hair Shiva's female counterpart Lolling tongue; dripping blood; sword; severed human head Stands atop Shiva (she is powerful, destroys all- even cosmos) |
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Shiva |
One of greatest gods Renouncer of Yogi 3rd eye (wisdom) River Goddess (Ganga) flows down hair Erect phallus (Linga) Destroys cosmos Vahana = bull as his vehicle |
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Lakshmi |
Beautiful goddess; Vishnu consort Red Sari; Lotus flower; gold coins from hands Symbol of good fortune/luck/wealth/fertility Festival of Divali (lamps and firecrackers) |
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Vishnu |
Other great god Blue; fish, turtle, boar Incarnation (Avatara) provides cosmic balance 7th: Rama; 8th: Krishna; 10th Kalki |
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Krishna |
Most widely worshiped of Vishnu's Avatara Taught Arjuna (Bhagavad-Gita) Flute playing, cowherd, charms milkmaids (Gopi) Holi festival (no class distinctions) |
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Ganesha |
Chubby, elephant head Shiva's son Presides over obstacles before taking it on |
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Durga |
Great Goddess in Hinduism Aka: Devi Goddess, Ma Many arms with weapons Shakti: power of all cosmos All goddesses = aspects of Devi (Durga) |
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Shankara |
Provides major boost to Vedanta (1-9th CE) Influential Hindu philosopher of Adavaita Developed a formal monastic system for Samnyasin |
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Maya |
Provides a powerful illusion Prevents us from knowing true natures and Brahman True selves = Atman (leads to Moksha) |
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Brahman is... |
Sat (Existence) Cit (Consciousness) Ananda (Bliss) |
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Swami Viveananda |
Important in bringing Hinduism to West Hindu Saint Sri Ramakrishna disciple Started the influential Vedanta society, Vivekananda |
