Hindu gods & goddesses, philosophy, The Vedas, The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, The Ramayana, philosophy, ritual, caste system, Gandhi, Ambedhkhar, India, history, culture, psychology, politics, faith, religion, spirituality

1. 1
Hinduism
TTT

2. 2
Homework
In groups of three, decide on a book, movie, comic book, poem, opera etc .that fits the 8 stages of the monomyth and
be prepared to show how the story fits the pattern, and to share with the class. Consider which part of the Hero’s
Journey you are living now!
The Hero’s Journey, or the Monomyth’s stages:
First stage: The hero's birth is generally miraculous or unusual in the extreme
The second stage: Childhood and adolescence, also is marked by unusual events.
The third stage:His/her withdrawal stage is usually one of meditation and passivity, a looking into the
self and achieving an awareness of one's unique identity or mission.
The fourth stage: Involves labor or a quest.
The fifth stage: Death. The mythic hero thus becomes the scapegoat, enduring death for all humans.
The sixth stage: The hero continues in his/her role as quester and scapegoat as s/he descends to the
underworld.
The seventh stage: Resurrection, the return of the hero from the underworld.
The eighth stage: The true uniqueness of the hero is made manifest. The hero transcends his/her role
as "Everyperson," as humanity's representative, and becomes more than human; that is, s/he
becomes divine.

3. Hinduism in Asia

4. 4
Harrapa and Lothal
Indus
Punjab, 3,300 BCE Gujarat, 2,600 BCE

5. Hindu Creation Story
5

6. The Vedas- The Earliest Sacred Texts
The Gayatri Mantra
Aum (the primordial creative sound),
Bhu Bhuvah Svah (the three worlds:
earth, atmosphere and heaven),
Tat Savitur Varenyum, Bharg
Devasyah dheemahe (adoration of the
glory, splendor and the grace that
radiate from the Divine Light that
illuminates the three worlds)
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat (a prayer for
liberation through awakening of the light
of the universal intelligence).
Youtube Gayatri Mantra Enigma 1990

7. Gayatri Mantra
7

8. 8
Veda, divinely inspired knowledge
Who remembers the root of the word veda? (vid, which means to know-- god-
given, supreme knowledge).
Veda is divinely inspired knowledge-- what other holy books in the world are
considered veda?
In Indian literature there are two types: sruti and smrti. The Vedic
corpus are considered sruti, or that which is "directly heard,” or
divinely revealed. The smrti came after, is not divine, but contains
stories that teach people dharma, or righteous behavior.
The Veda are sacred because the teachings have been directly revealed to
seers or rishis, who memorized them orally for future generations.

9. 9
The Rig Veda
The Rig-Veda is a collection of over
1,000 hymns containing the mythology of
the Hindu gods, and is one of the
foundations of the Hindu religion. The
Rig is the oldest of the Vedas.
The Rig Veda was written by the Aryans who
entered the Indus Valley toward the end of
the Harappan Civilization. They wrote this
Veda between 1300 and 1000 BC, during the
period of the Aryan migrations, though the
hymns were developing before the Aryans
arrived around 2000 B.C.

10. 10
The Rig Veda
The Rig Veda’s hymns includes praises, blessings, sacrifices,
and curses. They are the major way in which the Aryan
people praised their gods. The subject of the hymns is the
personification of the powers of nature. The hymns are
written in poetic form:
“Worthy is Agni to be praised as living by ancient seers.
He shall bring the Gods. Through Agni man obtains
wealth, plenty waxing day by day, Most rich in
heroes, glorious. Agni, the perfect sacrifice which
you encompass about goes to the Gods.”
“Beautiful Vayu, come, for you these Soma drops have
been prepared: Drink them, hear our call. With
Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify you,
Vayu, with their hymns of praise. These, Indra-
Vayu, have been poured; come for our offered
delicacies sake: The drops are yearning for you both.
The universe is created through sacrifice and sacrifice sustains the
divine order.

11. 11
The Vedas
Samhitas: Hymns of praise in worship of deities.
Brahmanas: directions on how to properly perform the
ritual sacrifices to the deities.

12. 12
The Vedas
Aranakyas: The
philosophical
treatises written by
the forest sages who
meditated and lived
in the forest as
hermits.

13. The Vedas
Yajur Veda
Chants for sacrifice
Sama Veda
Musical elaborations of chants

14. The Upanishads: The philosophical Veda
Upanishad means ‘sitting near the spiritual master’.
Sanskrit: upa-(nearby), ni- (at the proper place) and sad (to sit).

15. 15
The message of the Upanishads
The holy men, rishis, taught that
bodily senses are made for looking
outward; the eyes, ears, nose
Tongue and skin are enticed by
sensory pleasures. Ultimately, these
pleasures are fleeting, not
lasting, impermanent.
They pass away and a person dies,
never having experienced what is of
greater value because it is infinite
and everlasting. The rishis taught
Their pupils to turn their attention
inside, and to discover a
transcendent reality from within.
15

16. The Upanishads: The study of consciousness
Techniques for altering
consciousness were developed:
sitting for long meditations,
breathing deeply, fasting,
avoiding sexual activity,
practicing long periods of
silence, going without sleep,
experimenting with psychedelic
plants, and living in the darkness
of caves.

17. The Upanishad’s Concepts: Brahman
Brahman: a divine reality at the heart of things, the Supreme Spirit.
The God who appears in forms infinite.
Brahman is sat, reality itself; chit, pure consciousness; and ananda,
bliss.
Brahman can be experienced within our everyday world of time and
space, yet Brahman is ultimately beyond time and beyond space. What
other traditions have similar concepts?
The Upanishads say experiencing the timelessness of Brahman can
bring an end to everyday suffering and to the fear of death.
Carl Sagan Hindu Cosmology 3:48

18. Carl Sagan on Hindu Cosmology
18

19. The Upanishad’s Concepts: Atman
Atman: the “deepest self” within the core of each human. Atman is
Brahman within each person. Tat Tvam Asi (You are that!)
Atman is not the individual soul, rather each person is a divine
reality, a divine spirit, that everything shares.
The Upanishads teach it is true to say that ‘I am God’ because, for
the person who understands reality at the deepest level, everything is
God.
Atman, when experienced fully, is identical with Brahman. Atman,
like Brahman, is divine, holy, and timeless.
Sacrifice internalized

20. The Upanishad’s Concepts: Samsara & Moksha
Samsara: The wheel of life and the circle of constant rebirth.
Moksha: Liberation from the wheel, absolute merging with Brahman, no more
reincarnations.

21. The Upanishad’s concepts: Karma and Maya
Karma: Moral law of cause and effect, a belief that every action has an
automatic moral consequence.
Maya: The everyday world that is both illusory and mysterious. Magical matter:
always changing, shifting, non-permanent. Maya can be a self-generated trap for
those who think this everyday reality is all there is…..
Definition game

22. 22
In answer to the eternal question "What
happens when we die?" the rishis answer
that the soul leaves the body and enters a
new one.
This process is compared to shedding old
clothes and putting on new ones, one
reincarnates again and again in countless
bodies-maybe even as an animal or other
life form--but the self remains the same.
Hindus see birth as a human being as a
precious opportunity for the soul to advance
toward its ultimate goal of liberation from
rebirth and merging with Absolute reality-
Brahman.
The Upanishad’s
concepts:
Reincarnation

23. Chandogya
Upanishad
Uddalaka asked his son to fill a glass with water, put salt in
it, and leave it overnight. The next day he asked his son to
find the salt:
“Bring me the salt you put into the water last night.”
Shvetaketu looked into the water, but could not find it, for it
had dissolved.
His father then said: “Taste the water from this side. How is
it?”
“It is salt [salty].”
“Taste it from the middle. How is it?”
“It is salt.”
“Taste it from that side. How is it?”
“It is salt.”
“Look for the salt again and come again to me.”
The son did so, saying: “I cannot see the salt. I only see
water.”
The father then said: “In the same way, O my son, you cannot
see the Spirit.
But in truth he is here.
An invisible and subtle essence is the Spirit of the whole
universe. That is Reality. That is Truth.
Thou art That.

24. Hindu Concepts
Handout #1

25. 25
What does the term henotheism
mean?
Hindus worship the ishta, or form
of God, that they feel closest to.
The ishta of God allows the
believer to form an emotional
relationship with God. Do you
think it’s easier to envision a God
with form, or God as energy?
Hindus have a lot of forms of God
to choose from!
Deity Presentations

26. 26
Hinduism II

27. 27
Homework Questions
Questions from the Katha Upanishad:
1.In chapter XX, Yama tells us how we need to be as humans in order to perceive Atman. Describe
this in your own words.
2. Describe what Yama is talking about when he says, ‘Realizing the true nature of the Self ‘ affects
how a person views his or her body and death. (Chapter XXII)
3. What do you think ‘direct perception’ of God means—Yama says it’s possible for those who are
‘pure in heart and spiritually awakened. What role does ‘longing for God’ play in this
perception, according to Yama? (Chapter XXIII)
Questions From The Bhagavad-Gita
1.In stanza 5 what does Krishna say about existence?
2. In stanza 6 Krishna compares the Atman's journey to what? What is impermanent?
3. In stanza 7 who, according to Krishna, is 'fit for immortality?'
4. In stanza 11 what is another name for the 'ancient one' and what are its qualities?
5. What is reincarnation like according to stanza 12?
6. Why, according to Krishna in stanzas 12 & 13, should we not mourn?
7. How could the Gita be read as a text that supports the roles of caste and duty? As a text that
views caste as non-essential? (This question points out the fact that any sacred text can be
interpreted many ways, and the interpretation often reveals an agenda!)

28. EssentialTeachings of Hinduism
God is one and many.
The many gods are all manifestations of the
supreme Brahman, which is pure consciousness
and pervades all things.
God is manifest in nature.
Realization that the soul or atman is one with God
is the basis of enlightenment.

29. EssentialTeachings of Hinduism
Karma: law of cause and effect
Samsara: endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth,
reincarnation
Moksha: liberation from samsara through
realization that God is all things
Renunciation: giving up attachment purifies
oneself and helps one realize the true
relationship between the soul and God

30. Hinduism as a Way of Life
Diverse forms of worship:
• Darshan: seeing and being seen by the divine
• Puja: arati
• mantra
Yoga
Samsaras: rites of passage
Pilgrimage
Festivals & Holidays
PerformanceTraditions

31. History of Hinduism:
Rise ofTheistic Hinduism
Informed by epics and puranas
Bhakti
• devotional poetry
• temple and icon worship
• sectarian affiliation

32. Theistic Hinduism
Main Hindu Sects:
Vaishnava:Worship ofVishnu
Shaiva:Worship of Shiva
Shakta:Worship of the Goddess (Shakti)

33. Hindu Worship
Hindu women are responsible for the
spiritual well being of their families,
and they often visit the temple daily
where they bring a tray with offerings.
They perform aarthi by lighting a
lamp and illuminating the deity.
They give offerings of flowers and food
to the god or goddess.
After the food is blessed, the priest
distributes the food to the faithful and
they eat it (Prasad.)

34. 34
From Reel to Real: Santoshi Ma

35. 35
Hindu women also worship at sacred natural
places--a ritual is being performed around a
banyan tree, for their husband’s long life.
Hindu men worship in temples and sacred
natural places, too!
Priests at the Maha Khumb Mela, where the
Ganges and Godavri rivers meet. 70 million
people attended in 2004, the event happens
every 144 years!
Hindu Worship

36. The Hindu
Gods
Henotheistic: Hindus say
there is only one God
(called Brahman), in order
to have a personal
relationship they choose
one specific deity as a
representative.
Hindus have a trinitarian
vision of God: The Trimurti
(three faces) are Brahma,
Vishnu, Shiva.
Hinduism and Universe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBGMlQF-YJ8
Hindu Cosmology Carl Sagan

37. 37
Brahma—the creator
of the world, rarely
worshipped individually
(His work is done!)
Brahma

38. 38
Vishnu
The preserver of the world,
sometimes worshipped
individually. Vishnu keeps
things balanced and in
order.

39. 39
Shiva
The destroyer of the world,
often worshipped individually.
Hindus don’t consider
destruction negative; some
things must cease to make
room for new things to be
born. He is also a raja yogi:
the energy he generates
through his concentration
causes a river to run from the
Himalayas (his home) to the
plains.

40. Kali
An ancient goddess, her name means ‘time.’ She is
associated with Shiva, and is known as a devouring goddess.
At the end of things, it is Kāla [Time] Who will devour
everything, and Shiva, the destroyer, is called Mahākāla and
since You, Kali, devour Mahākāla Himself, it is You who are
the Supreme Primordial Kālika.
Because you devour Kāla, You are Kāli, the original form of
all things, and because You are the Origin of and devourer of
all things You are called the Adya [the Primordial One].
-Mahanirvana-tantra
In Vedic times, Kali was the goddess of the battlefield,
drinking the blood of the warriors.
Her deeper meaning is related to the fact that all things born
must die—no matter how important a person may be in life,
she or he will die.
Kali reminds us that this life will require us to sacrifice

41. 41
The
Ramayana
Prince Rama is the
ideal Indian man.
When his father dies,
Rama’s stepbrother
steals the throne from
Rama & banishes him
to the forest. His wife
Sita and best friend
Lakshman go with him.
Rama & Lakshman go
hunting, telling Sita to
stay within a protective
magic circle. Sita sees
a beautiful golden deer
& leaves the circle.

42. 42
India’s Epics:
The Ramayana
The deer is really
Ravanna, the demon god,
who wants Sita for his
wife. He kidnaps Sita &
brings her to Lanka, his
demon island.

43. 43
The Ramayana
Rama, Lakshman and
Hanuman, the monkey-
god with his monkey
army, save Sita.
Sita Sings The Blues,
http://www.youtube.com/watchannotation_id=annota
tion_952203&feature=iv&src_vid=PfS2p1vFics&v=f8
LvBnz7oRA

44. Sita Sings The Blues
44

45. 45
India’s Epics:
The Mahabharata
The most famous chapter
of the epic is the Bhagavad
Gita (The Lord’s Song)
A great battle is about to
be fought on the field of
Kurukushetra.
Arjuna, the hero, a prince
and warrior, arrives at the
battlefield and gazes at the
enemy—many of whom he
knows.
He falters & cannot begin
the battle. Krishna, the
Hindu god, is his
charioteer & explains that
it is Arjuna’s duty to fight.
How could we view the
field and guidance of God
metaphorically?

46. 46
The Bhagavadgita,
The Song of the Lord
The god Krishna explains
karma yoga to Arjuna. He
tells Arjuna he must act, but
not be attached to the fruits
of his actions, he must fulfill
his duty as a warrior and
fight for good to triumph
over evil.
Krishna reveals his divine
form to Arjuna on the
battlefield. As he does,
Arjuna sees the whole
universe subdivided into
many worlds, but united into
one in the Body of the
Highest Deity.
Krishna Showing Viraat Swaroop to Arjuna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deib3aK7ktM

47. Krishna Reveals his Divine Form
47

48. The Caste System
The division of society into
social classes according
to birth or occupation.
The Vedas say that when
the divine Purusha was
sacrificed to make the
universe, different parts
of his body became
different castes.
Priest: Brahmin
Warrior/Noble: Kshatriya
Merchant: Vaishya
Peasant: Shudra
Untouchable: Dalit

49. 49
Do We Have a Caste System?
Handout 1
In Hinduism, the division of society into social classes is according to
birth or occupation.
Do we have similar divisions in the US?
What kinds of divisions does our society make along these lines?
Are these divisions changing?
Discuss how you describe class in America by occupation and
birth.
If you are from another country, inform your partners about
class divisions in your culture.

50. 50
The problem of
caste
Is there any society on earth
that is classless?
Who benefits from caste? Did
the colonists benefit?
Has there been any political
response to caste?
Ambedkhar: 14th child of
‘untouchable’ family, 1st to
attend Indian university,
attended Columbia, the
London School of Economics,
became lawyer, founded the
Independent Labour Party.
50

51. The Yogas
Paths to union with God
(Yoga= ‘to yoke together’—
humans and God)
Jnana yoga: The way of
knowledge
Karma yoga: The way of
action or deeds
Raja yoga: the direct
personal experience of the
God within using mental and
physical practices
Bhakti yoga: The way of
devotion

52. 52
Jnana Yoga: the
Yoga of Knowledge
For those with a reflective
personality whose thoughts can
transform their lives.
The greatest teacher of Vedanta,
Shankara (c. 788–820 CE), argued
that everything is ultimately one—
all is Brahman. He said: “Brahman
is that one Reality which appears
to our ignorance as a manifold
universe of names and forms and
changes. Like the gold of which
many ornaments are made, it
remains in itself unchanged. Such
is Brahman, and ‘That art Thou.’
Meditate upon this truth."

53. 53
Jnana Yoga and the Jnana Mudra of knowledge
Jnana Yoga practice has 3 stages designed to convince a person they are more than just
their ego:
1:Hearing sages & studying scriptures.
2: Prolonged, intensive reflection.
3: Shifting self-identity from ego to God.

54. 54
Karma Yoga: the
Yoga of Action
For people who like to actively do
useful work. Karma Yoga says
work done unselfishly, without
attachment to its rewards, can be a
way to perfection. ‘Selfless Service’
is the karma yogi’s way.
Every act that is done selflessly
lessens my self-centeredness until
nothing separates me from the
divine. The Bhagavad Gita says,
“he who performs his task dictated
by duty, caring nothing for the fruit
of the action, he is a yogi.”
Karma Yoga practices:
Emotional people work for God’s
sake rather than their own; work as
service to God.
Reflective people work with
detachment to the rewards of work
so they don’t inflate their ego.

55. 55
Bhakti Yoga: The
Yoga of Devotion
Bhakti yoga directs towards God the
love that lies at the base of every
heart.
“As the waters of the Ganges flow
incessantly to the ocean,” says God in
the Bhagavata Purana, “so do the
minds of the bhakta move constantly
toward Me, the Supreme Person
residing in every heart, when they
hear about My qualities.”
Bhaktic Practices:
Japam: Repeating God’s name. “Keep
the name of the Lord spinning in the
midst of all your activities.”
Ringing the changes of love: using all
modes of love; parent-child, romantic,
& friendship as a way to love God.
Ishta: loving God in the form of one’s
ideal; Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, etc.

56. 56
Raja Yoga: The Yoga
of Experiment
Raja yoga aims at the direct
personal experience of the God
within using mental and physical
practices in a 6 step program:
1: Putting personal life in order &
making relationships harmonious.
2: Abstaining from injury, lying,
sensuality, stealing, and greed.
3: Yogi sits in lotus position.
4: Master breathing techniques to
focus awareness.
5: Skillful concentration of the mind
(meditation).
6: Deep meditation.
“When all the senses are stilled,
when the mind is at rest, when the
intellect wavers not—that, say the
wise, is the highest state.”
Katha Upanishad

57. Handout 2
Activity: Yoga interviews and census.
Directions: Decide which Yoga is most suited to you: Karma, Bhakti, Jnana or Raja.
Find at least 2 other people in class who have the same yogic tendency (groups of 3-4 would be best).
Discuss why you all feel you are this kind of yogi, and create a group poster. The poster’s details should
include a group definition of your kind of yogi, and cover aspects of your practice (what you actually do
that shows you are this kind of yogi) and aspects of your personalities (what are your tendencies—
extrovert or introvert, etc.?)
Present your information to the class. (Be sure each person speaks during the presentation so that each
person earns participation points!)
57

58. Gandhi
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi dedicated his life to
seeking Indian independence from Britain. He was
repeatedly imprisoned, but insisted his followers
practice nonviolence (ahimsa). Gandhi felt ahimsa
gave moral power to its adherents and it could sway
cruel, thoughtless, and violent people.
This power satyagraha (“soul force,” or “holding onto
truth”) was the basis of nonviolent techniques:
marches, hunger strikes, talks, demonstrations..
Gandhi argued that violence only begets further violence
and brutalizes those who are violent, whereas
nonviolence begets admiration, spiritual greatness,
and ultimate freedom.
Dr. MLK King studied Gandhian thought and action,
adapting it for the civil rights movement.
Gandhi (1982): Protest speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hS1YWtalPY

59. Gandhi’s Protest Speech
59

60. Hinduism in the Modern Era
Colonial Critique & Hindu Reformers
Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Interfaith
Dialogue & the 1893 World Parliament of
Religion in Chicago
Hindutva, Hindu Nationalism & the
destruction of the Babri Masjid (mosque)
in 1991
© Oxford University Press

61. What Is Ultimate Reality?
• Most Hindus believe that deity both pervades and transcends
all of creation.Thus all things are in God and inherently
divine. Humans are unable to apprehend this ultimate reality
because of attachment, delusion, and identification with the
limited ego-self.
• Maya, the illusory or magical power of God, conceals the
underlying oneness of things or the intimate eternal
relationship of all things with God or Brahman.
• A deeper understanding of the true nature of the world
ultimately culminates in reunion with Brahman and the
further expansion of the divine consciousness itself.

62. How ShouldWe Live inThisWorld?
• All Hindus believe in the atman, the eternal, undying soul, which
transmigrates/reincarnates upon death.
• The nature of one’s experience both in this life and in future lifetimes is
determined by the result of one’s actions.
• The human birth is seen as particularly useful for the purpose of quickening
the spiritual evolution toward the ultimate attainment of enlightenment
(moksha) as it is neither too pleasurable nor too painful.
• Human existence offers the ideal place to see the mystery of action (karma)
and to transcend it either through using the powers of discrimination to
disassociate with the temporal phenomenal self and identify with
Brahman, the absolute self, or through an act of devotion to surrender the
individual ego-self to god and relinquish the fruits of action.

63. What Is Our Ultimate Purpose?
• While most Hindus believe in the illusory nature of material
existence, they differ on its purpose or reason. For instance, some
Hindu sects consider the illusory nature of the world to be a result of
divine play. Some don’t presume to know God’s intention but simply
relish the unfolding of life in all its magnitude as God’s divine
performance. On the other hand, some sects regard illusion as a
simple result of ignorance, which is itself born from the attachment
to the senses and the sense objects.
• The purpose of life is to achieve moksha or enlightenment. For some
this is described as complete union with God or Brahman and is
usually attained through relinquishing identification with the
limited phenomenal self that is attached to sensory objects and
thinks itself the agent of action.

64. 64