Study Guide for Examination 1 - World Religions | REL 2300, Study notes of World Religions

Download Study Guide for Examination 1 - World Religions | REL 2300 and more Study notes World Religions in PDF only on Docsity! 9/23/09 Religion Ovierview – Exam I 1. Origin of the word ‘Hindu’ a. Made up by the Arians b. Derived from word ‘Sindhu’ meaning Indus valley 2. How would you define ‘Hinduism’? a. A way of life, systems, rites, rituals, customs, thinking, etc of the people of India 3. How does one become ‘Hindu’? a. Born Hindu b. Born in a caste 4. What is ‘Varna’? a. Skin color b. Aryans (came from Asia minor) & Dravidians (original inhabitants of India) c. Castes: i. Brahman – priests & preachers ii. Kshatriyas – defend the country iii. Vaishyas - farmers iv. Shudras – slaves, provide service to the other three varnas 5. What is meaning of the word ‘Veda’? Give the name of four Vedas and describe their contents. a. ‘Veda’ means ‘knowledge’ b. Vedas are the four collections of ancient Aryan prayers and rituals i. Rig-veda: “hymn knowledge” – chants to the Aryan gods ii. Yajur Veda: “ceremonial knowledge” – contains matter for recitation during sacrifice iii. Sama Veda: “chant knowledge” – musical elaborations of Vedic chants iv. Atharva Veda: “knowledge from [the teacher] Atharva” – practical prayers and charms 1. E.g. prayers to protect against snakes and sickness 6. How many hymns are there in Rig-veda? a. 1,028 7. Why cow is considered sacred? a. Symbol of fertility and economic value 8. What is Ahimsa? a. “nonharm,” “nonviolence” b. Not hurting living beings 9. What is the meaning of the world ‘Upanishad’? How many Upanishads are there? a. Hindu scriptures b. Upanishad means “sitting near” (disciples sitting near a master, learning) c. 128 Upanishads 10. Who are the following Gods and what are their functions: a. Indra: God of Rain b. Agni: God of Fire c. Brahman: God of Creation d. Vishnu: God of Preservation e. Shiva: God of destruction and rebirth f. Rudra: Brings the storms and wind 11. Describe four castes, their names and their functions. a. See 4c. 12. What is Trimurti? a. “three forms” of the divine – the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva 13. Define and explain the following terms: a. Karma – general Hindu notion of rebirth assumes that human beings have at one or another time existed as a “lower” form, such as animal, insect, and possibly even plant. Rebirth can move higher or lower, so be good. b. Dharma – social and religious duty c. Atman – the spiritual essence of all individual human beings d. Moksha – becoming one with Brahman, “liberation” from personal limitation, egotism, and rebirth e. Nirvana – that release from suffering and rebirth that brings inner peach f. Yoga – the spiritual discipline; a method for perfecting one’s union with the divine 14. Describe three yogas a. Jnana Yoga – “knowledge yoga” – brings insight into one’s divine nature by studying the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita and their commentaries and by learning from gurus who have attained insight. Particularly appropriate for priests and intellectuals. b. Karma yoga – “action yoga” – this type of yoga proposes that all useful work, if done unselfishly, can be a way to perfection c. Bhakti yoga – “devotion yoga” – forces us to look outward, beyond ourselves, to another object of affection (like being in love) d. Raja yoga – “royal yoga” – promotes meditation 15. Meaning of the word ‘Bhagavad Gita’ a. Song of God 16. Who is Arjuna? Who is Krishna? a. Arjuna – a prince b. Krishna – Arjuna’s advisor c. “Arjuna’s royal power is threatened by his hundred cousins, called Kauravas, and he must decide whether to fight with his brothers against them to restore his throne or to accept their rule. He is torn. On the one hand, he knows that his rule is correct, but on the other, he wants to avoid violence. That his enemies are close family members makes the matter even harder. Depressed, Arjuna “[throws] aside his arrows and his bow in the midst of the battlefield. He [sits] down on the seat of the chariot, and his heart [is] overcome with sorrow.” In response, Krishna, who later reveals that he is a form of the