Test 1 Study Guide - Religion of World | REL 1000, Study notes of Anthropology of religion

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Chapter 3: Hinduism Key terms  Ashram: a usually ascetic spiritual community of followers gathered around their guru  Atman: the individual soul  Avatar: an incarnation of a deity  Bhakti: intense devotion to a personal manifestation of Supreme Reality  Brahman: the supreme reality  Brahmin: priest or member of the priestly caste  Caste: an occupational category  Chakra: a subtle energy center in the body  Darsan: visual contact with the divine  Deva: a deity  Dharma: moral order, righteousness, religious  Guru: spiritual teacher  Kali Yuga: the present degraded era  Karma: our actions and their effects on this life and lives to come  Moksha: liberation  Prana: the invisible life force  Puja: ritual worship  Reincarnation: after deat, rebirth in a new life  Rishi: a sage  Saivite: worshiper of Siva  Sakta: worshiper of the divine in female form  Samsara: the worldy cycle of birth, death, and rebirth  Sanatana dharma: the eternal way of religious duty  Sannyasin: renunciate spiritual seeker  Sanskrit: the ancient language of the Vedas  Yoga: practices for union with the true self -Sanatana Dharma – “eternal” “religion” -Dharma- holistic approach -Vedic Age -Aryan Invasion Theory: 1st advanced by Max Muller in 1848- villages overrun by lighter skin nomadic invaders from outside India --argues that the Vedas (religious texts of ten referred to as the foundations of Sanatana Dharma) were produced by invaders and not indigenous Indians -invaders referred to as Aryans --“arya”= noble person who speaks Sanskrit and practices Vedic rituals -worship the Siva/ Shiva -4 parts of Vedas -Samhitas: earliest hymns of praise in worship of deities -Brahmanas: directions about performances of ritual sacrifice to the deities -Aranyakas: “forest treatises” -Upanishads: explain personal transformation resulting from psychic participation in rituals -Orthodox Hindus believe the Vedas are breath of the eternal as “heard” by the ancient sages or rishis= compiled by Vyasa -Gayatrimanatra- verse in Vedic hymn that is chanted daily by devout as most sacred prayer -oldest Vedic scripture is Rig Veda: praises and implores the blessings of the devas (controlling forces in cosmos, deities) -major devas -Indra: god of thunder and bringer of welcome rains -Agni: god of fire -Soma: associate with a sacred drink -Ushas: goddess of dawn -reincarnation: a doctrine that expresses several forms of Sanatana Dharma -karma: important related concept- every action has a consequence reaction -ultimate goal is not creation of good lives by good deeds by a clean escape from the karma-run wheel of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) -to escape samsara is to achieve moksha or liberation from the limitations of space, time, and matter -Samkhya: oldest in India- has 2 states of reality 1) Purusha, the self wise, pure and free 2) Prakriti: cause of material universe -a dualistic understanding of life is essential -story about Indra: came down as a boar, wanted to stay -Advaita Vedanta: generally monistic (single reality)- based on Upanishads -that which makes us think the physical universe has its own reality is maya (the power by which the Absolute veils itself)- the illusion that the world as we see it is real -Yoga: practice for increasing sattvic qualities- means “yoke” or “union” -meditative- raja yoga -sadhanas are practices of raja yoga -196 terse saying called Sultras -yogi named Patanjali -8 limbs: moral codes, physical conditioning, breath control, sense control, concentration, meditation, peaceful spiritual absorption -asanas are physical postures used to cleanse the body and develop concentration -prana: invisible life energy -chakras: subtle energy centers -kundalini: latent energy at the base of the spine Class Notes 1/25  Hinduism: geographical name origin- by the people who live on the side of the river valley Indus River  Problems: o Broad term: many traditions in one place- doesn’t tell you a lot because it is based of geography o 3 partner series of Gods  Vishnu: preserver, he takes place when dharma is upset, important god  Brahma: creator  Shiva: destroyer  4 Yogas: same goals- all means to attain moksha—used to discipline yourself- transcending the lower selfish self—transcending our lower self to unity with god or duty—single mindedness o Raja Yoga: path of physical self-discipline, celibacy o Jhana Yoga: self wisdom- knowledge or wisdom, path of intellectual discipline, requires study and yoga- train the mind to see what is real o Karma Yoga: doing your duty, anyone can do it- path of duty, what is the immediate interest to decide, training o Bhakti Yoga: devotion to a god, whichever you choose Class Notes 2/1  Hindu view of god- one or many? o one god= Brahman is the reality, more absolute truth, not really a god but just a power gods use- not something you have a relationship with o many gods= a lot of different forms of gods, different personalities o philosophy vs. human devotion  god is both transcendent and immanent  Brahman is utterly/ completely transcendent so we need many gods to capture the sense of infinity  “truth is one but wise men call it many names”  Isvara: chosen or personal diety—many people gravitate towards one god in particular  any one god can manifest as the absolute  higher goal of moksha—doesn’t undo smaller goals—moksha is the ultimate goal  each god is a face for the one real  rama (god), laksham, sita (wife), hanuman (monkey)  Krishna: mischievous, sometimes troublemaker but still a god—love story with Radha: symbolic of the relationship that everyone can have with god— often depicted with a peacock feather and a flute  Vishna—2 most important forms: Rama and Krishna  Shiva: destroys illusion and ignorance, protector, god of aestheticism, reveals grace—often depicted with animal hide and a grey skin color o Nataraj (last name): living with surroundings but being able to go to higher conscious Class Notes 2/3  pop quiz o 16 rites o celebrate the birthdays of gods as holidays o 4 life goals: duty, enlightenment o treat gods like living kings/ queens  dot on the head: means Hindu, mostly women (married and girls) have them on their head, not widows, only certain men wear them  arati: light itself, offered to god, carried around to people there to touch and “absorb” that spirit  puja rooms  rituals  Puja o who can perform a puja? Anyone- using this time to connect with God o typical elements  icons: make shrines with icons to have a physical thing to connect with God  god treated as honored guest: feed him  offered flowers, incense, food, clothes, water: that is how you would treat a guest  darsan: visual contact with the divine  releasing god: statue becomes just a statue again  prasad: food offering to God then shared with everyone else o using of mantras and yantras o reverence for gurus, sacred rivers, mountains, pilgrimages  namaste: very typical Hindu spirit that is pervasive in everyone, the praying, downward head pose- “the god in me bows to the spirit in you”  om: very typical Hindu symbol (of Brahman), used in meditation, original sound of the universe, associated original creation with breath and sound  lingam: fertility or regeneration symbol Class Notes 2/5  4 goals of life o dharma o artha (worldly success)- being successful, not greed o kama (physical pleasure, aesthetic pleasure, love) o moksha – (liberation from cycle of rebirth)-- most important  4 stages of life o learning o house holder o improvement o compete withdrawal from family/society  caste system: discuses mutual responsibilities of the 4 castes and the different functions of caste in Hindu society o Brahmins: special occupational group- priests and philosophers o Kshatriyas: nobility- kings, warriors, vassals- guard and preserve the society o Vaishyas: economic specialists- farmers and merchants o Lower untouchables: removed human wastes and corpses, sweep streets—outcasts  Role of women o Code of Manu: rule oriented text  Written in 100 ce  Explains social responsibilities  Roles of women and men and how women should act o Goddess worship  In westsern society Since there are no female divine it has lead to a patriarch o Mythological roots of ideal wife  Savitri, Draupadi, Sita, Lakshmi  Global Hinduism o Guru, ISKON, TM, Vedanta society  ISKON- hare krishnas  Know differences  TM- transcendental meditation  Vedanta society  Universal messages of Hinduism  All religions pursue a path  Hindu Identity o Secular constitution of India vs Hindutva movement (RSS) o diaspora Chapter 3: Jainism Key terms  Ahimsa: non-violence, a central Jain principle  Anekantwad: the Jain principle of manifold aspects of the truth  Aparigraha: non-acquisitiveness, a major Jain principle  Digambara: a highly ascetic order of Jain monks who wear no clothes  Jiva: the soul  Samsara: the continual round of birth, death, and rebirth  Svetambara: Jain order of monks who are less ascetic than the Digambara  Tirthankaras: the great enlightened teachers in Jainism, of whom Mahriva was the last in the present cosmic cycle -never condone war or killing of animals -Tirthankaras and ascetic orders -Mahavira/Mahavir (“Great Hero”): major teacher -prince of Kshadtriya clan -meditated for 12 years -last of 24 tikthankaras (“fordmakers”)- must create religion and steer away from growing evil -groups split into Digambras (left and didn’t accept change) and Svetambaras (stayed near Mahavira’s originals location) -loving devotion to one god- same one who is worshiped by many different names around the world -Mul Mantra (basic sacred chant) -respect of women -5 stringent conditions: 1) military means are a last resort to be used 2) battle should be undertaken without revenge 3) no territory should be taken or captured property retained 4) troops should be committed to the cause 5) minimal force should be used Sacred practice -disciplined life of surrender and devotion to God with hours of daily prayer, continual inner repetition of the Name of God (Nam), detachment from negative worldly mind states -langar (community meal) in a gurdwara (building where the Guru Granth Sahib is enshrined and public worship takes place)—congregation is called the sangat in which all are equal -1st morning prayer= Jap Ji Jap (“recitation”) -2nd morning prayer= Jaap Sahib Class notes 2/10: Sikhism  23 million Sikhs (disciples)  16th century NW India  Influenced by devotional Hinduism (bhakti) and Islamic mysticism (Sufism)  Reform movement: Universalist spirituality and spirituality in daily life  sik= disciple -guru= teach  More modern  Hindu- karma &reincarnation  Islam- monotheism  God is one, religions are many—doesn’t matter because all religions are imperfect  Devotion with practical living  Five K’s: kesh (hair), kangha (comb), kara (braclet), kachera (shorts), kirpan (sword)  Adi Granth: sacred scriptures- Guru Granh Sahib  Gurdwara, langar  Equality of sangat (general, wealth, caste)  Anti-ritual, anti-ascetic, practical faith  Jap Ji: 1st Morning Prayer  Ideal of devotion, equality, purpose of life is to realize god in world, charity, defense of weak  *Monotheistic= only one god  *No caste system but equality  *Gurdwara= place of worship, forum for debate and discussion, a center where the community can come together with guru and neighbors  *free meal is offered as a metaphor of the universal family REVIEW Hinduism *both a doctrine and a mythology- doctrine places the Brahman at the highest level and although he didn’t create the world from the void, the universe emanates from him—believe in an invisible and transcendent power manifested in a number of gods who are honored in the many festivals and pilgrimages in temples and many other sacred places— one great divine figure is Vishnu is the protector of cosmic and socioreligious order, he assumes various human forms to descend to earth— Shiva is the god of energy and violence, both caring and terrible, often represented as the king of the dance *most important festival (sept or oct)- last for 10 days which normal life comes to a stop fasting, sacred texts, dancing, ritual chanting, sacrifices *search for the truth—Vedas are the oldest and holiest Hindu scriptures Explain the Hindu concept of one god represented in many forms. Jainism  Mahavira= major Jain teacher  jiva= soul  samsara= the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth  ahimsa= non-violence  Digambaras= “sky clan” branch of Jainism  Svetambraras= white clan branch of Jainism Sikhism  Amritsar= The Holy City of Sikhism  Punjab= spiritual homeland of all Sihks  Guru Nanak= founder of Sikhism  Monotheistic= belief in one god  Gurdwara= sikh worship place  Guru= sikh spiritual leader  Langar= communal kitchen  Sangat= sikh congregation  Guru Granth Sahib= Sikh Holy Book  Sants= Sikh holy people Why do some individuals see Sikhism as a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim traditions? Describe the universal spirituality of Sikhism.