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RELIGION: the way or path or road’ by which we can reach our destiny, we achieve our goals of life.
It’s the intermediary between god and man by which we get salvation from this life
BASIC TEACHINGS AND CONCEPTS
Concept of GodBrahman
Have different names & forms: Vishnu, Shiva
or Shakti
Concept of AvatarsIncarnations of God
4 Goals of life4 Stages in life
4 Caste
Multiple ways to reach God (Yoga)Bhakti Yoga – path of love & devotion
Karma yoga – path of right actionRaja Yoga – path of meditationJnana Yoga – path of mystical
understanding
Karma & ReincarnationLaw of cause & effect
Cycle of birth & death-samsaraSpiritual practice – sadhana
Salvation - Moksha
CONCEPT OF GOD : BRAHMAN
"Brahman is knowledge", "I am Brahman”, "The Self (or the Soul) is Brahman"
"All this that we see in the world is Brahman", "Brahman is existence, consciousness, and happiness"
DIFFERENTNAMES
AND FORMS
BRAHMA - CREATOR
VISHNU - PRESERVERSHIVA- DESTROYER
RELATION OF GOD & HUMAN SOULRELATION OF BRAHMAN & ATMAN
“ I am the Atman… the Atman is Brahman; there is nothing
Anywhere but Brahman; all else is ……unreality”.
Pooli, a great woman saint said: “If you do not attain your own self, if you do not experience Supreme bliss, then what is the use of living? Do not dogs and pigs Also live? Do not trees also live? Do not rocks also exist in this world?” (book: Where are you going, Swami Maktunanda)
CONCEPT OF GOD : BRAHMAN
BRAHMINS
PriestTeacherAdvisor to rulers
KSHATRIYAS
WarriorsKing / Ruler
SHUDRAS
LaborsServant
VAISHYAS
Merchants Traders
STUDENT
Clothing, subjects, length of schooling differ for each caste
HOUSE HOLDER
All are obligated to marry & start a household
ASCETIC
WORL-NEGATING
Any Person Any Time
RETIREMENT
Forest-dweller Hermit
DHARMA
Virtue AndDuties
ARTHA
Economic & politicalSuccess
MOKSHA
Release orLiberation
KAMA
Pleasure &Aesthetic Enjoyment
PRACTICES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP
Worship (puja) – image of God(murti) - Japa (mantra) – recitation of scripturesTemple worship – Hindu priest (Pandas) – prasadaSatsang – gathering for study & discussion – sadhu-sanga (company of righteous peopleDevotional singing (Bhajhan) – important part of Hindu worship
On the path of God, two places of worship mark the stagesThe material temple, and the temple of the heart,
Make your better endeavor, to worship at the temple of heart.(Ilm Magazine)
BIRTH AND MARRIAGE RITUALS
Birth Marriages
Marriage - SanskarJathakam- Astrological ChartMandap – Mangala Sootra- Kanya DaanFera and Mantra – Saptapadi (Seven Steps)Sindoor- Ashirvada (Blessings)
Jatakarma – Birth CeremonyNamakarma- Naming CeremonyNishkarmana – First OutingAnnaprasana- First FeedingKarnavedha – Ear PiercingMundan – Hair-cutingUpanayana – Sacred Thread Three Vows – Respect Knowledge, Parents and Society
HINDU SCRIPTURES SCRIPTURE: It is the ‘sacred text’, which plays the major role in Religion. It’s the basis for all human’s life. It defines moral or legal codes, myths and legends, historical Tales, divine revelation, hymns or prayers, words of Prophets or teachers.
HOLY BOOKS: VEDAS
root word,Vid means to know, Vedas means knowledge
CONTENTS
BRANCHES
SAMHITASHymns/ praise to God
BRAHMANASRituals & prayers to guide
ARANYAKAS Worship & Meditation
UPANISHADS Mystical/philosophical teachings
Rig-Veda
Yajur- Veda
Sama-Veda
Atharva-Veda
Oldest – 1028 hymns
Handbook by priest
Chant/ tunes for singing
Preserves tradition – magical formula
BHAGAVAD - GITAKnown as ‘song (gita) of the adorable ones’Also called ‘new testament of hinduism’Primarily a dialogue between Bharata brothers I.e. Arjuna and his charioteers, KrishnaKrishna revealed as Bhagavad or Lord
PURANASMeans ‘ancient tales’Contains stories about gods I.e Rama, Krishna and others.Source for knowledge - Translated into english: Vishnu Purana & Bhagavata Purana
RAMAYANA
‘the story of Rama’ is oldest epic poem of India24,000 couplet verses tells how God Vishnu manifest in the form of RamaIts story about Rama and Ravana battle as well as Sita and Hanuman.
MAHABHARATA‘the great Bharata’ epicTells early rivalries in the land of Bharat I.e. Five Pandavas & 100 KauravasContain 18,000 couplets – prime source for knowledge
Hindu Festivals: DiwaliDiwali = Festivals of light
Sanskrit word origin, ‘Dipavali’ means row of light
All places, houses decorated with diyas
Lit to help goddess Lakshmi
Return of RamaAnd Sita
Two goddess celebrated:Lakshmi and Kali
Lakshmi: goddess of Wealth ----- rangooli (lotus)
Dates of Diwali
New year festivalFalls in Oct & Nov
The night is black,Kindle the lamp of love
With thy love and devotion”
Diwali Legends
Killing of Demon Narakaasura
•Abducted 16,000 girls &Earrings of Aditi, mother of gods
•Lord Krishna killed him, freed girlsAnd recovered earrings.
Killing of Demon Ravana
•Ten arms & ten heads, kidnappedThe wife of Ram.•Ram, 14 years of exile from Ayodhya,Killed demon and recovered his wifeAnd returned home in moonless night
Celebrates victory of,Good over evils,Light over darkness,Knowledge over ignorance
Sikhs and Jains
•Sikh festival because of release of 6th
Guru (Hargobind Singh, 1619) from prison•Foundation stone of temple at Amritsar (1577)
•Attaining Moksha by founder ofJainism, Lord Mahavira
IslamEid celebration
Eid-ul fitr – overcome bad habits,Actions & thoughts
Ismaili Navroz festival: new day
HINDU FESTIVALS: HOLI
Spring festival of fertility and harvest, referred to 7th cen. Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval
LEGEND OF PRAHALAD AND HOLIKA
Harvesting festivalIn Northern areas
& Chitral
FESTIVAL OF
COLOUR
HINDU FESTIVAL: NAVARATRI(DURGA PUJA)
NINE DAYS
WORSHIP:
Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswati
Durga, Mother Goddess --- power---demon Mahishasura (9days & nights)
Motherhood
of God
-God as mother
-Durga met her mother 9 days in a year.
-women plant 9 different kinds of food (harvest)
Dasera
-On 10th day, image of Durga cast into water
- celebrate victory of Rama over Ravana
OTHER HINDU FESTIVALS
FESTIVALS DESCRIPTIONS
Ganesh Chaturthi
Birthday of Lord Ganesh.
Hanuman Jayanti
Birth of Hanuman
Krishna Jayanti Birth of Krishna
Mahashivratri Dedicated to Shiva
Makar Sakrant First festival of solar calendar year
Raksha Bandhan
Celebrates brotherhood & love
Rama Navami Birth of Lord Rama