How To Understand And Understand Hinduism

Transcription

1 Qh.\~ Section 3 Hinduism Next Generation Sunshine State Standards LA; Use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly SS.6.W.4.2 Explain the major beliefs and practices associated with Hinduism and the social structure of the caste system in -ancient India SS.6.W.4.5 Summarize the important achievements and contributions of ancient Indian civilization Key Terms Brahmanism guru Brahman dharma n "0 Readi.ng ~kill ahimsa moksha Se.quence Take notes using the graphic LJ organ1zer 1n your Journal. in Varanasi, lndia T reincarnation karma Visual Glossary LA Use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly LA Use strategies to repair textual comprehension, including graphic/semantic organizers Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It began in India during the Vedic age in a form called Brahmanism. Then it slowly grew and chang~d into Hinduism. The Roots of Hinduism F~r most of the past 2,000 years, Hinduism has been the -main rjligion of India. In fact, the word Hinduism means "the religion of the people of India:' Vedic Age Beliefs and Practices As you have learned, the Vedas are India's oldest religious texts. Brahmins, or priests, in the Vedic age memorized these works and passed them on by word of mouth. Around 500 B.C., they wrote them down. The Vedas contain hymns to many gods. They also describe rituals to please the gods. These rituals often involved sacrifices, or offerings, of animals or food to specific gods, such as Agni, the god of fire. Brahmanism Scholars call the religion of the Vedic age Brahmanism. Brahmanism was a religion based on priests and rituals, particularly sacrifices to the gods. Brahmin studied the Vedas. Brahmins were also the only ones who were allowed to perform the rituals. They believed that they had to perform rituals perfectly, and that any little mistake would anger the gods. This gave the Brahmins great power in early Indian society. Reading Check Why was sacrifice important in the Vedic age?

2 rhe Evolution of Hinduism }3eginning about 500 B.C., as Indians adapted to town and village life, Indian beliefs began to change. The old gods became less important. People began to doubt that carrying out precise rituals was as important as the priests claimed. Other people began asking questions such as: Why are we born? How should we live? What happens to us when we die? Hinduism evolved from Indians' efforts to answer these difficult questions. New Teachings To find those answers, thinkers and teachers known as gurus left their homes to live in the forest, to think, and to talk about religious ideas. In a sense, these gurus and their students 'ere founders of Hinduism. Their ideas survive in writings known as the Upanishads (oo PAN uh shadz). The Upanishads made connections between heavenly forces and people's lives. Alongside the Vedas, the Upanishads became Hindu holy scriptures. The oldest Upanishads date to around 800 or 700 B.c. Indian thinkers continued to produce them for several hundred years. The Upanishads helped connect people to the emerging Hindu religion. Only Brahmins were supposed to interpret the Vedas. But Indians of all castes could study the Upanishads. These sacred writings dealt with questions of life and death or right and wrong that concern all people. While Hinduism deals with deep questions, it also involves acts of worship such as offering candl~ s, as shown here along the Ganges River in India. ("'' c: ;:; c: ro Q 0 "' CD C::: 'C

3 This historic illustration shows a battle scene from the Mahabharata..,._ issue, n., problem or subject to be discussed or decided 392 Epic Poems Everyon~ could also learn and study two very irrlportant epic poems. An epic poem is a long story of heroes told in verse. Both of these poems took shape within a few hundred years of A.D. 1. These epic poems are the Ramayana (rah MAH yuh nuh) and the Mahabharata (muh hah BAH rah tuh). They helped explain how people should live their lives as Hindus. The Ramayana is the story of a king named Rama and his beautiful wife, Sita. This is the epic remembered by Amala in the story at the beginning of this chapter. Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. His niece, the demon Trijata, protects Sita. Eventually, Rama rescues Sita. This epic offers moral lessons about right and wrong. One such lesson is the importance of loyalty and respect. The Mahabharata may be the world's longest poem. It is 200,000 lines long. It tells the story of two families at war for control of a kingdom. Like the Ramayana, it deals with moral issues. These include the conflict between loyalty to family and duty. The most sacred section of the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita (BUG uh vud GEE tuh). This means "Song of the Lord:' Some scholars consider the Bhagavad Gita to be Hinduism's most important religious text. This text deals with key Hindu beliefs. These beliefs have to do with the nature of the soul, of life, and of God and the importance of various Hindu practices. Reading Check Who could study the Upanishads?

4 seliefs About God mnduism is like a great river. Over thousands of years, many beliefs and traditions have flowed into it. As a result, Bindus may have different practices. But Bindus share certain basic beliefs. 1he Upanishads contain two beliefs that lie at the heart of Hinduism. The first is that there is one supreme cosmic consciousness, spiritual force, or God known as Brahman. The Upanishads teach that all of the gods that Indians worship are forms of Brahman. Brahman, they say, is the source of all things. Many Hindus worship individual gods or goddesses as forms of Brahman. Some Hindus worship Brahman as Vishnu. Others worship Brahman as Shiva. Still others worship Brahman as the goddess Shakti. These gods and goddesses may have other named forms. For example, the god Krishna is a form of Vishnu. The second core Hindu belief is that every person is born with a soul. This soul is also a form of Brahman. According to the Upanishads: ''This soul of mine within the heart is. I smaller thim a grain of rice... This soul of mine within the heart is greater than the earth,... greater than the sky... This soul of mine within the heart, this is Brahman.'' -The Thirteen Principal Upanishads Reading Check What do Hindus believe about their different gods and the SOJ.Il? For»1s of Go~ Three of Hinduism's most important gods are Brahma, Vishnu, and Sfl'iva. Hindus see each of these gods as a form of the supreme God, Brahman. Hindus see Vishnu as a god who preserves and maintains creation. 393

5 Below, Krishna, whose skin is blue, explains the nature of life and reality, as recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita. T 394 Beliefs About Life Hindu scriptures such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita also teach important Hindu beliefs about life. Reincarnation and Karma Hinduism teaches that when people die, most will undergo reincarnation. Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Krishna explains the process of reincarnation to Arjuna, the hero of the Mahabharata: ''As a man discards worn-out clothes to put on new and diffe-rent ones, so the embodied self (soul) discards its worn-out bodies to take on other new ones.'' i -Bhagavad-Gita.. The law of karma determines how a person is reborn. Karma is the effect of person's actions in this and in previous a lives. Hindus believe that bad karmaevil deeds-will bring rebirth into a 1 0,., vver caste or even as a lower animal. Good karma brings rebirth into a higher caste Four Goals Hindus believe that people have four basic goals in life. People should pursue all four. But not everyone achieves all of these goals in one lifetime. The first goal is doing what is right. For Hindus, dharma is a person's duty or what is right for him or her. Dharma includes the duties that come with one's caste or one's age or position in life. Dharma also includes the rule of ahimsa, or avoiding doing harm to any living thing. Following dharma brings good karma. Violating dharma brings bad karma. The second goal is striving for wellbeing, or earning a livelihood with dignity. This goal can involve making a good living and raising a family. It can involve starting or running an honest business. However, Hindus say, material well-being by itself does not bring true happiness. The third goal is pleasure. This includes physical pleasures such as eating good food or taking a hot bath. However, seeking nothing but pleasure, Hindus believe, can leave a person feeling empty. The final goal is moksha, or liberation from reincarnation. When this happens, a person's soul becomes one with Brahman. For Hindus, the purpose of human life is to achieve moksha. A soul that achieves moksha is free from want, fear, and pain. It lives forever in a state of joy.

6 What do Hindus believe will happen to a person if she follows her dharma? How would this affect her progress toward moksha? 'uee Paths to Moksha Hinduism lays out three different paths to moksha. These paths are all forms of yoga, traditionally defined as a way of seeking moksha. The first path is the way of knowledge. The second is the way of works. The third is the way of devotion. Hindus may try to follow all three paths. Traditionally, Brahmins chose the way of knowledge. For a person following the way of knowledge, moksha comes with a true understanding of one's soul and its oneness with Brahman-or God. The Upanishads say that such understanding does not come easily. The way of works means carrying out the religious rituals and duties that will improve one's karma. Most Hindus have chosen this path. To follow the way of works, Hindus must carry out duties ithin their family. They also offer prayers and food to the gods. Those who do good deeds without expecting any rewafd are especially praised. The way of devotion is also known as the path of1ove. People on this path devote themselves to loving God. For most Hindus, following the path oflove means worshiping one of the Hindu gods or goddesses. These gods and goddesses have human forms and personalities. People can love them as they might love a parent or child. The way of devotion takes many forms. People on this path may repeat their god's name all day long. They may present offerings to their god at a temple. They may travel to sites sacred to their god. In all of these ways, Hindus try to move closer to God in their hearts. Reading Check What are the three paths to moksha in Hinduism? devote, v., to set aside for a purpose "tl 3" Ill '< Ill 0 c ri (l) 395

7 Dates when Hinduism became established By 500 B.C. By A.D. 1 0 By A.D Modern national border Movement In which direction did Hinduism expand between A.D. 1 and 1800? Interaction Based on the map, do you think that Hinduism expanded during that time mainly by land or mainly by sea? Explain. 600km I 601E Arabian Sea Bay of Bengal s-1900s: Hinduism spread to parts of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. INDIAN OCEAN.A. This sculpture from Bali in Indonesia shows Vishnu flying on a mythical bird. 396 SS.6.G.4.4 Map and analyze the impact of the spread of various belief systems in the ancient world The Impact of Hinduism More than a billion people live in India today. About 80 percent of them follow Hinduism. The rest follow other religions. Hindus also live and worship in many places outside of India. The spread of Hinduism has had a lasting impact on India and on the world. The Spread of Hinduism Long ago, the people of India lived under many separate rulers. They spoke many different languages. They worshiped many different gods. Yet, most Indians still became Hindus. Several things helped the growth of Hinduism in India. One was Hinduism's flexibility. Because Hinduism views all gods as forms of a single, supreme God, it can accept the worship of new gods. People did not have to give up their old religion when they became Hindus. Instead, Hinduism adopted their traditions and gods or viewed their gods as forms of existing Hindu gods. Hinduism also did not require regular attendance at religious services. Instead, Hindus could pray or make offerings to the gods at a local temple during special celebrations or whenever it was convenient. They could also pray or make offerings at shrines in their homes. A shrine is a place of worship that is often dedicated to a sacred object or being. So no matter where Indians went, they could easily practice their religion.

8 Over time, Hinduism spread to other lands. For more than a thousand years after A.D. 1, Indian traders and priests carried Hinduism to Southeast Asia. Hinduism left a lasting influence on countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, where epic poems such as the Ramayana remain popular. Today, most people on the Indonesian island of Bali are Hindus. Indians also took Hinduism with them when they moved across the seas. Many migrated to Great Britain, the United States, and Canada. More than a million Hindus now live in the United States. Hindu Traditions Today Hindus live in some 150 countries. But most Hindus still live in India. Hindu traditions main an important part of Indian life. ror example, Hindu festivals draw huge crowds. One festival takes place on the Ganges River. It is one of India's holiest sites. Every year, millions of Indians line the banks of the Ganges and bathe in its waters. They believe that those waters can wash away bad karma and cure disease. Hinduism's openness to all religions has shaped Indi~s political system. It guarantees religious freedom. Hinduism has also influenced India's art and literature. Beautiful carvings of gods and goddesses decorate the walls of majestic Hindu temples. The temples are places of worship. But they also serve as centers of art, music, and dance. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana were India's first great literature. They have inspired other literature for hundreds of years. In India, comic books and movies still retell their stories today. Readipg Check What aspects of Hinddism helped it to spread? myworld Activity Hindu Wall of Words A woman rows flower candles across the sacred Ganges River in Varanasi, India. T Section 3 Assessment LA , SS.6. W Describe how gurus helped Hinduism to grow from Brahmanism. 2. Explain the meaning of the terms dharma and ahimsa in Hinduism. 3. Use the terms Brahman, karma, and moksha to describe Hindu beliefs. Key Ideas 4. How did the Upanishads and the Hindu epic poems contribute to the growth of Hinduism from Brahmanism? 5. How do Hindus try to achieve moksha? 6. How did Hinduism spread to Southeast Asia? Think Critically 7. Draw Conclusions What features of Hinduism made it more accessible than Brahmanism to people of lower castes? 8. Synthesize Why is moral behavior important to Hindus? 9. Analyze Cause and Effect Why might a Hindu offer food or flowers to a god such as Shiva? How much does geography affect people's lives? 10. How important is India's geography to the beliefs of Hinduism? Go to your Student Journal to record your answer. 397