THE VEDAS UPANISHADS. Gods, drugs and sacrifice. Vedas Chants. Did you know? Extensions. Read pages 27 to 29. Brahman: The One behind the many

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1 TIMELINE 3000 BC Dravidic people settled in Indus Valley - strong worship of a form of feminine divinity and of Siva - lasts until 1500 BC around Aryan invasions of Indus 1500 BC valley (and extending to around 1000 BC). C.a 800 BC compilation of oral Vedas 600 BC Production of Upanishads 100 BC After Romance of Ramayana 300 BC and Mahabharata and Bhagavad-gita 200 AD Compilation of the Laws of Manu 500 AD Hindu Tantric tradition established P E R C E P T I O N S Perceptions Exercise Before reading the chapters on Hinduism: What would you say Hinduism is about? What are Hindu people like? How do Hindus live? ORIGINS OF THE ETERNAL RELIGION Read pages 19 to 21. What are the origins of the term Hinduism? Hinduism is far more unstructured than most other religions. It has no archbishops, chief rabbis, grand muftis. Each Hindu decides for himself which manifestations of God are most important to him, what scriptures to accept as authentic, which holy man to follow. The one ineluctable certainty is a person's dharma Muslim Sultanate established in Delhi (C) The Economist Newspaper Limited, London 1991 ➀ Reign of Babur, founder of Mughal empire Reign of Mughal emperor Akbar 1757 British Rule established in Calcutta Life of Hindu Reformer Ram Rohan Roy founder of society of Brahman, Abolition of Mughal empire and establishment of direct British rule Ghandi launches anti- British campaign based on non-violence 1947 India granted independence from Britain 1948 Ghandi assassinated 1966 International Society for Krishna Consciousness founded in New York Task: As you read the chapters on Hinduism write the terms with the correct definitions below. Sanatana Dharma; Moksha; Indra; Saivism; Smriti; Dharma; Karma; Pantheism; Margas; Scruti; Samsara; Vedas; Atman; Vaishnavism; Agni; Dvija. Term Definition Everything is God Heard writings The twice-born ceremony God of fire Earliest Hindu writings Devotion to god Siva Escape into the one eternal reality The running around entrapment Devotion to god Vishnu Warrior and storm god The Soul Remembered writings Eternal law/religion Paths to salvation Duty Actions that determine future existence G L O S S A R Y

2 THE VEDAS Gods, drugs and sacrifice Fill in the gaps in the diagram of the Vedas and their various extensions below. Verses Vedas Chants Extensions Atharvan Priests Aranyakas Every 12 years at the festival of Kumbh Mela, millions make the pilgrimage to meet on the banks of the Ganges to bathe, pray, and make offerings to the holy men. Hindus believe that the Ganges will wash away the sins of the pilgrims, along with those of previous generations. Give a brief explanation of the diagram: UPANISHADS From page 27, write a paragraph on the Upanishads. Include the following: Explain how a person s life would be affected by belief in polytheism. The term Upanishad means... The term takes its meaning from... Many Hindus claim that the Upanishads are... What is your response to the concept of a multitude of gods in the universe? Read pages 27 to 29. Brahman: The One behind the many What do you feel about the possibility that you are a spark from a flame that ultimately needs to be reabsorbed into the flame? Mahatma Ghandi ( ) Considered the father of the Indian nation. Famous for policy of non-violent resistance crucial in the fight for Indian Independence. This policy was emulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. in the United States in the fight for civil rights for black Americans on the 1950s and 60s. 7

3 Read pages 29 to 33. The Hindu understanding of the cycle of life Hindus are generally strong believers in astrology and take special religious significance from the movement of the sun, moon, and various planets. Depending on the positions of the planets various days are unsuitable for weddings and important business decisions. Provide an explanation of the Hindu concept of Entrapment by explaining each of the key components of the diagram How do you feel about the ultimate goal of Hinduism? What does this mean for who you are? What do you feel is the ultimate goal in being human? Moksha What, according to Hinduism is the goal of life? Write a short speech outlining the essential Hindu understanding of the life cycle. Design your speech so that a year seven or eight student could understand it. Present it to the class. 8 The truth of life is that Brahman is no different from Atman, the spiritual force within us, what you might call the soul. The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table. That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing. The finite within the infinite, the infinite within the finite. If you ask me how Brahman and Atman relate precisely, I would say in the same way as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit relate: mysteriously. But one thing is clear: Atman seeks to realise Brahman, to be united with the Absolute, and it travels in this life on a pilgrimage where it is born and dies, and is born again and dies again, and again and again, until it manages to shed the sheaths that imprison it here below. The paths to liberation are numerous, but the bank along the way is always the same, the Bank of Karma, where the liberation account of each of us is credited or debited depending on our actions. This, in a holy nutshell, is Hinduism, and I have been a Hindu all my life. With its notions in mind I see my place in the universe. From Life of Pi, by Yann Martel➁ In the above extract, how does the writer describe the process of life on a pilgrimage for the Hindu?

4 SMRITI LITERATURE Caste, Duty and Salvation Read pages 35 and 36. Write a paragraph on the Bhagavad-gita. Include the following: What is the implication of such an understanding of levels of society for people in each of the four categories? Consider both the positive and negative aspects. What the Bhagavad-gita is. The major contribution of the Bhagavad-gita according to the author. The Three Paths to Salvation Read pages 38 and 39. Path of duties (karma-yoga) The Four Castes of People in Hindu Society Read pages 36 to 38. What response do you have regarding dharma, detachment, and karma-less action? Fill in the details of the table to illustrate the four levels of Hindu society. The Four Levels of Hindu Society What is the significance of performing actions with complete detachment? Brahmans (Priests) Ksatriyas (Warrior-kings) Do you think it is possible to act with complete detachment? Vaisyas (Common people) Sudras (Servants) Path of knowledge (jnana-yoga) How appealing do you find the path of knowledge? How might someone become interested in this way of salvation? A student is feeling lonely at school. She is having trouble fitting in with her group of friends. She feels misunderstood at home and doesn t feel she is able to relate to her parents. She has a sense of being directionless. All things look meaningless to her. She aches for meaning, significance and hope. What would the Hindu faith have to say to her? What answers would Hinduism offer to her problems? George Harrison ( ) Beatles guitarist, songwriter. Harrison s search for God began in his mid 20s. It led him to delve deeply into the mystical world of eastern religions, especially Hinduism, Indian philosophy, culture and music. 9

5 Interview with Shaini Sivagnanam When Shaini Sivagnanam migrated with her family to Australia from Sri Lanka, in 1996, she always knew she would bring her Hindu faith with her. I can t even imagine not being a Hindu, she gasps. It is the thing that gives me direction in life. Without it I would be very confused, she adds. Shaini is from a family of five who came to Australia under the Australian government s skilled migration program. Since arriving in Australia Shaini has been to school and university. At 23, she is in the workforce as an Actuarial Analyst. There were some adjustments to make when joining Australian culture. There was much stricter discipline in my Sri Lankan school, she explains. The students had more respect for the teachers. Learning a new language was also difficult. Overall, the experience has been a good one, however. Shaini has thrown herself into life in Australia. She enjoys playing video games, going to the movies and going out with her friends. She loves music and is currently learning the Veena a very large Indian instrument like a guitar, although very big. You have to sit down to play it, she explains. Shaini is highly involved in the community. She teaches human values at her local worship centre where the program focuses on character education mainly truth, right conduct, love, peace and non-violence. She is studying for a Diploma in Education in Human Values. She also likes to be involved in voluntary services such as visits to nursing homes and teaching new migrants computer skills. So what does Shaini make of the suffering that is so much a part of life? Suffering is a result of our Karma, she suggests. Suffering is just perception. Great people are able to direct and control their thoughts and understand that suffering is merely a perception of the mind. Like last year when I didn t have a job, I was suffering. But it was more the way I perceived the situation... a lot of it is about controlling your thoughts, she explains. So is there real suffering or is it all perception? It is perception, says Shaini. Shaini says that her Hindu faith affects the way she views the world and especially other people. Shaini describes this as unity. Everyone is the same in essence there is the essence of God in everyone this is the reason why we should treat people well. Shaini says that like other religions, Hindus also believe in one God. Contrary to how some people perceive Hinduism, Shaini says that it is not about idol worship. The idols are representative of different characteristics of the same one God. God allows us to relate to him in different forms the idol [merely] represents aspects of God to us, says Shaini. And what does Shaini make of other faiths? Even though they are different they all reach the same goal just in a different way. It is up to the individual to follow whatever path to God they find. It might even be that God chooses your religion for you. There are many misunderstandings, and some people, although mistaken [about the exclusive claims of their religion], are still on the same path as the rest of us, says Shaini. Her life is full, and Hindu belief is an important part of who she is. So what does her Hindu faith mean to her? It explains and makes sense of life, says Shaini. Especially the idea of reincarnation helps to explain some of the mysteries of life. It helps to understand the inequalities why some people are disabled and others are poor. Hinduism, says Shaini is about trying to live the right way. She explains that it is her belief that there is a cosmic reaction to all actions in life. If I do the wrong thing, I will pay for it. There will be a cost, says Shaini. Right behaviour, according to Shaini s beliefs, will bring reward. Shaini says that the only way to escape reincarnation and the constant cycle of being born and re-born is to surrender to God s will to merge with God. This is called selfrealisation. Escaping this life remains the ultimate goal. Shaini says that people from her faith want to be released from the suffering of the world. We are looking for escape, she says. When you are merged with God you will experience bliss. 1. What evidence is there to suggest that Shaini s faith is very important to her? 2. Why do you think that reincarnation is perceived as a bad thing in the Hindu faith? How does Shaini explain the way people may escape the cycle of birth and re-birth? 3. How do you react to Shaini s assessment of suffering being essentially a perception? 4. Write down questions you would have for Shaini regarding her faith and her beliefs. Discuss these in class. 5. How do you respond to the belief in all religions being on the same path, as Shaini puts it? 10 The namaste gesture (hands together, bowing head) means I bow to the divine in you.

6 Path of devotion (bhakti-yoga) What looks to be the most appealing about this path to salvation? Thinking it through Design a pamphlet to be sent out from a Hindu temple to your local area in the form of a letter-box-drop. The pamphlet should aim to give the essentials of the Hindu faith. It should include something of the history of Hinduism, the paths to salvation, the important texts of Hinduism and some examples of the gods of the Hindu faith. The pamphlet should be written in a catchy and appealing fashion. It should aim to make Hinduism understandable to someone who knows nothing (or very little) of the Hindu faith. Hinduism in Australia ➂ Year Numbers Percentage of Pop , , , Birthplace of Hindus in Australia ➂ India Fiji Australia Sri Lanka Malaysia 2251 South Africa 2241 Nepal 1717 Singapore 1303 Sachin Tendulkar Indian cricketer regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the world. Up to July 2004 he has scored 9470 runs at an average of with 37 centuries and a highest score of 241. Local Government areas by Religious Affiliation ➂ LGA Hinduism Percent Total Blacktown (NSW) Liverpool (NSW) Brisbane (Qld) Parramatta (NSW) Monash (Vic) By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Debate: Hinduism offers an appealing and coherent understanding of the world and our relationship to it. Essay: How satisfactory is the Hindu understanding of the world and our place in it? Write a conversation between a Hindu and a Westerner who knows very little about the Hindu faith (perhaps you at the start of this unit!). Try to offer an explanation of the essentials of the faith. Present the conversation to the class. 11

7 Write half a page on the following question: Aiming to escape this life and the cycle of rebirth is appealing to people in poor countries only. Do you agree? What do you think about the fact that Hinduism has so many gods, each with different functions and activities? Is this a good thing? What might be good about this? What might be bad? Discussion Topics In pairs discuss the following: How do you feel about the possibility that Brahman is not a conscious, personal being? How would such a concept affect the manner in which you would relate to such a being? Explain your reaction to the Hindu understanding of the significance of things that happen in this life. The Upanishads suggest that the suffering of this life is what we seek to escape. How do you feel about the Hindu understanding of suffering? Does Hinduism present an adequate explanation and solution? In groups: Hinduism suggests that Brahman is the ultimate and only reality in the universe. From Brahman everything comes, including the other deities, and to Brahman will everything return. Discuss this idea of the One. If you were to accept this as true, how would this affect your attitude to life? Consider birth, relationships, family, and death. What would be some of the challenges of practising Hinduism in the traditional manner in contemporary Australia? Fill in the table on What Hinduism has to say about... on page 34. Discuss the implications of your findings as to how appealing Hinduism is. P E R C E P T I O N S Bollywood (Bombay s equivalent to Hollywood) produces Hindustani fantasy on video or the serialised episodes of the epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana, or Canakya. Perceptions Exercise In what way have your perceptions of Hinduism changed? What do you understand to be the good news of Hinduism? 12 FURTHER RESEARCH Research the attitude of Hinduism towards women. Present your findings to the class. Interview a Hindu person in your community examine the manner in which their faith impacts their life. Research the impact of Muslim and British imperialism on the culture of Hinduism in India. Research the four stages, or ashramas, of life. How might this system contribute to good community and family life? Look at the four important rites in a Hindu s life birth, initiation ceremony, marriage, last rites. Examine what Hinduism says about Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Buddha. What are Hindu weddings like? Research the Hindu gods Krishna, Rama, Chandra, Ganesh, Karttikeya, and Yama. And Hindu goddesses Lakshmi the goddess of wealth; Sarasvati goddess of learning and the arts; Kali the slayer of demons; Shiva, the destroyer; Parvati, and Kali the woman warrior.