Chapter 5

HINDUISM
Introduction

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in

the world today, but its relatively
unknown in the Philippines. It has a rich
history and wide variety of practices,
school of thought, styles of worship. It
has also directly influenced other
religions such Buddhism and Jainism,
which also originated in India.
 Holi Festival of Colors

This colorful, messy, and extremely happy Holi Festival is

increasingly becoming popular among Filipinos.
 Started in 2012 by Asia Society and Embassy of India in the

Philippines.

-This event the Hindu Festival of Colors

During this festival by generous drenching of water.

. The mood is festie and everyone enjoys throwing colorful

powder to celebrate the return of the colors of spring.
Hinduism
The “Sanatana Dharma” = Believers usually refer to Sanatana Dharma or
the “ETERNAL RELIGION” when their refer to Hinduism.
 Which believe to be one of the oldest religions in the world.

 The beginnings of Hinduism date as far back as 1500 B.C.E. among the

Indo-European peaking people of South Asia(present day in India).

 The name (Hinduism) is itself relatively recent: the term was introduced by
Persians in the 19th century B.C.E to refer to people residing near and
beyond the eastern side of Sindu (or Indus) River.
 British colonial rulers continue using term “Hindu” to refer to populations
in India who were neither Christians nor Muslims.
In essence, Hinduism is a religion of the Dharma, which the timeless order
of all life.
Dharma – according to Hindu belief and practice, is hold the universe
together, and means “duty”, “correct practice”, and “truth”.
Hindus consider the Dharma to be so central that they consider it a privilege
to able to uphold its teachings and apply them in their everyday life.
is all-encompassing: it covers cosmic, personal, and social orders of one’s
life.
Dharma- means that one recognizes different aptitudes, capabilities, and roles
that people play in maintaining the social and cosmic balance of the
universe.
Dharma- makes Hinduism more a religion of action rather than religion of
belief.
Vedas- a significant portion of the Hindu Scriptures
emphasize the cultivation of virtues according to person’s standing in society.
There’s a lot of emphasis on compassion, nonviolence, purity, restraint, and
self- control in one’s dealing with others.
Following Dharma is suited to one’s state principles are important in assisting
the person to fulfill one’s duties to the Divine and other living beings, but
the most important thing is adherence to right conduct and practice all
times.
Hinduism as “Vedic Religion”

Like any religious system, Hinduism was able to preserve important

teachings in sacred writings that contain foundational elements of doctrine,
morality, and worship.
The sacred writings called the Vedas.
-for which reason Hinduism also referred to as Vaidika Dharma or “religion
of Vedas”.
Veda- in Sanskrit means “knowledge”
And has already been committed to memory by sages and passed on disciples
before it was recorded in writing/
Vedas- will reveal that is a very diverse collection of writings that span
centuries, and unlike Torah(Judaism), the Bible(Christianity), or the
Qur'an(Islam), the Vedas are not contained in a single volume.
The earliest Vedic Literature is a collection of hymns to the Gods, while the
later chapters and volumes include dialogues, stories, and sagely advice
from ascetics and religious masters.
Two types of Hindu Traditon

1st
The Shruti scripture- (meaning “that which is heard”), contains fundamental
elements of Hindu philosophy and morality.
 Which are primarily the four Vedas are considered to be Divine origin as

revealed to sages( called rishis) who received these truths through deep
meditation.
 A. Samhitas, hymns dedicated to gods and goddesses.

 B. Brahmanas, explications of the samhitas and other ritual acts

performed by priests.
 C. Aranyakas, philosophical interpretations of ritual acts.

 D. Upanishads, explainations of general philosophical knowledge..

Two types of Hindu Traditon
2nd
The Smriti (meaning “that which is remembered”) are considered “secondary
scriptures”. Mostly contain stories and advice from sages.
SMRITI-considered to be of human origin, although they important because
they expound on Vedas, (pandit 2001). Also gives ordinary people access
to the teaching of the Vedas, as the latter are only accessible to males of
higher castes and the Brahmins.
The Smriti scriptures include the following:
a. Mahabharata, an epic poem that is 15 times longer than Bible, narrates
the story of ongoing war among family members. It highlights the
importance of virtues and devotion to the Gods, particularly Krishna.
b. Ramayana, a shorter epic poem about kingship and royal virtues, tells the
story of battles that Rama had to fight in order to save his wife Sita
from demon Ravana. It is one epic that depict the battle between good
and evil.
c. Dharma Shastras, legal treatises that emphasize the importance of
practicing virtue.
d. Bhagavad Gita, meaning “song of the Lord,” actually one of books in
Mahabharata. Its considered by many Hindus as important religious text
that extols the power and benevolence of Krishna and his instructions to
Arjuna.
e. Puranas, these stories depict the sectarian division within Hinduism. There
are multiple creation stories, legends, and war stories by the different
Hindu sects.
Table. Major Scriptural Text in Hinduism

The Sruti scriptures The Smriti scriptures

(“that which is heard”) (“that which is remembered”)
Vedas mahabarata

1. Rig veda ramayana

2. Sama veda Sharma shastras

3. Yajur veda puranas

a. Sukla yajur-veda

b. Krishna yajur-veda

4. Atharva veda

Upanishads
Many Gods, One Divine Principle
Hindu temple- they have different names of gods and goddesses and the
different forms they are depicted. Take for intance, the goddess Ganesha,
who is portrayed as an elephant; the God Shiva, who is portrayed with
more than two arms; or the goddess Kali, who holds a head severed from
its body while standing on copses.

The Hindu Temple at Malibu, California

-there is a widely accepted view that, indeed, there are many gods and
goddesses.
A Hindu is not required to worship all gods and goddesses, nor is he/she
obligated to worship any particular deity exclusively. This matter is lefts to
the believer’s individual choice.
In Hinduism, there is a belief in three highest deities who fulfill different
functions in universe. This is called trimurthi (or Trinity), of which Brahma
is the creator Vishnu is preserver, and Shiva is destroyer.
Trimurthi

 Despite this multiplicity of deities in the Hindu

pantheon, the Vedas say all deities or Gods are
ultimately manifestations of one Divine principle. The
Brahman is the eternal, uncreated and all-pervasive
reality that has no form, and keeps the universe
existence. In the Vedas, the Brahman is impersonal,
although some passages refer to its personal attributes.
 In reality, the notion of Brahman demonstrate
Hinduism’s belief in a single absolute reality ,although
this oneness of Divine Principle is Interpreted
differently as compared to traditional monotheistic
religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam
A Permanent Self (soul): Atman

 Hinduism- believes in Doctrine of the Atman, which claims that there is a “soul”
(called atman) in each and every living creature. In conventional sense, it is the
Atman that assumes a physical body (through reincarnation) depending on the of
merits of one’s deeds.
 This is the reason why all living beings have an “innermost self” (which is the
atman); it is what them makes alive.

 The Brahman-atman points to fundamental link that beings have with the
Absolute. Without this connection, the existence of individual atman has no
meaning because it cuts from its source that gives life.
 - this is also the reason why all living beings, including humans, animals and
plants, are connected to each other in very intimate way.
 They believe that hurting other being ultimately means hurting oneself because
the connection between two beings(and with the Brahman-atman) is severed,
thus causing suffering.
 This is the reason why Hinduism is against the killing of any kind of living
being(practice of ahimsa, or nonviolence to all beings).
Karma, Samsara and Moksha
 Karma- in the Philippine languages is interesting, to say the least. We
usually say “karma” when we want something bad to happen to someone
who has done something ill or improper to us.
 Example: we usually say Ma-karma ka sana! ( I hope you supper karma!)
– the origin of the word karma is Sanskrit, but it does not primarily mean
misfortune or bad luck.
 Karma- means “actions” but more so, the consequences of one’s action.
 -the law of KARMA- which adhered to in Hinduism, means the person’s
actions in the present will have consequences , and thus will shape the
person’s future.
 -is closely involved with the Hindu doctrine of (reincarnation).
 Hinduism believes that when a person dies, a person is reborn as another
being in the future.
Samsara
 Samsara- according to Hindu beliefs,it is possible.
 -the end of the wheel of samsara is experienced as

momentous release or liberation from the

seemingly never-ending cycle of birth, death, and
rebirth.
 -this experience is called moksha, the aim of

serious spiritual practitioners to achieve moksha

within their lifetime.
 -if moksha is achieved, the atman does not look

for a material receptacle to reside on and unites

with the brahman-atman, the principle of all life in
the universe.
The caste system

 -the traditional social structure that closely

follows Hindu principle of karma and Samsara
is called the caste system.
 -it is interesting, however, that the world

‘‘caste’’ is not Indian in origin.

 -it is Portuguese, which means ‘‘caste’’ or

“pure”.
 -among the Indians, the term they use is jati,

a social rank on the basis of the family’s

occupation.
Four main jatis in different varnas
(social groups) arraged from highest to lowest
 1. Brahmins
 2. Kshatriyas
 3. Vaihyas
 4. Shudas
viashyas
 -they are responsible for producing food and
other goods and exchanging them in markets
for everyone’s benefits.
shudras
 -Consist of manual laborers.
 -they are considered impure because of the

nature of their job which are usually trash

they became known as the untouchables”
because of their association with impure or
dirty stuff.
 Brahmins-The highest in hierarchy and are
percieved to be the purest among all castes.

 Kshatriyas- consist of political rulers and

warriors, those who administer justice and
defend the territory against iviaders.
 This class froms most of the nobility and

their vassals in india.

the caste system formed one of important
foundations in organizing indian society.its original
intention was te reflect an individual’s talent and skill
and
his\her contribution to society
 -this is taken seriously by most Indians that
they will not consider marriage with someone
from the lower caste because of their low
status in society and perceived ritual
impurity.
Puja
 The most common way to express worship for deities
is the puja.
 - its consists of offering mostly material goods and

rituals acts to the altar of a god and goddess.

 -Puja may be made in home and altars or in temples.

 -the images of the god or goddess, which is the

representation of the deity presence, is bathed,

clothed, and then fed in an elaborate manner.
 After the ritual of cleansing and feeding, the

worshipers make a symbolic gesture by waving the

lamp in front of the image as a sign of worship and
devotion.
 The puja is an important dimension of the
religious life of most Hindus. Associated
 The rituals with the Puja enable the worshiper to

bracket the complexities of everyday life and

enter into sacred time where one encounters the
deity.
 The darshan is an intimate encounter between

the two, and the deity responds by sanctifying

food ritually offered by a devotee, which
becomes prasad, sanctified food that the devotee
receives as a gift from the god or goddess.
 FESTIVALS
 Closely associated with pujas are festivals
that Hindus celebrate during certain times of
the year.
 The Hindu calendar is based on the Lunar

Cycle, and most of the dates of the festivals

are not fixed.
 There are countless festival devoted to the

deities in different parts of India every year.

1. DIVALI (deepavali or diwali) the festival of lights. Some
regions consider the DIVALI as the beginning of the
new year.
2. HOLI- the festival of spring and colors. In mythology,
this festival celebrates the slaying of the demoness
holika by Prahlad, vishnus devotee.
3. Dussehra- closely associated with DIVALI, the festival
of Dussehra celebrates the actual victory of rama over
the Demon ravana.
4. Makara Sankranti- festival of the harvest celebrated
every january 14, this is the only festival in hinduism
that follows the solar calendar.
5. Lohari – A midwinter festival, the festival of lohari
celebrate symbolic shunning of evil.
6. Krishna Janmaashtama – A celebrate of the birth of
krishna, a popular god among hindus.
7.Maha Shivarati – The great night of shiva. Devotee fast
overnight to ear the god’s favor, and then celebrate
by merriment and partaking of food.
8.Ganesh Chaturchi – A celebration of the birth of
Ganesh, a god who is represent as an elephant.
9.Guru Purmina – the festival of one’s teacher. A devotee
honors His/Her Guro (teacher) yearly by offering puja.
In the same areas, this is also celebrate by buddhist
to honor buddha. Buddha hindus honor the birth of
the sage Vysa, who authored the mahabarata.
 10.Kumba Mela- the largest hindu festival in
the world, the Mela celebrates the Saraswati
river enlightenment, an invisible river that is
believed to be the joining together of Ganges
and Jumna Rivers.
 Hinduism- is quiet distinct from other
religions because it has no distinguishable
founder who serves as its central figure.
 -it cannot be identifiable to a singular

teacher.
 One such teacher is SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, an

Indian monk, teacher, and an important

introducer of Hinduism in the Western World.
Origins and Development of Hinduism

 Pre-Vedic Beginnings
 -the beginnings of Hinduism go back to at least

6500 B.C.E in the indus valley.

 -scores of tribal people occupied lands along the

river and formed networks of communities. By

around 2500 B.C.E, an expansive civilization
flourished in the cities of mojeno-daro and Harappa.
 -their religious practices were also quite close to

nature, as evidenced by their worship of trees and

other objects in nature (wangu 1991).
The rise of vedic religion and brahmanism
 The rise of Brahmanic forms of religion

occurred from around 1500 B.C.E. to around

500CE. At around 1500 BCE, the Aryan
people, settlers from the central Asia and the
Indo0 European regions reach the Indus
valley.
 -Brahmins, the priestly class that offered

animal sacrifice
 The Classical period- this period between
500 BCE and 1000 BCE. Is referred to as the
“classical period” because is the most
dynamic period in the development of
Hinduism as religion.
 -the development of devotional literature is

important because it shifted Hindu worship

from Brahmanical practices and sacrifices
towards strong feelings of love and devotion
to the deities.
The Medieval Period- the rise of Islam in the
seventh century brought about changes in
the political landscape of the area.
This period after the flourishing of devotional
piety, sectarian divisions and philosophical
school is characterized by increasing
assertiveness of outside forces, particularly
Muslim rule.
 TAJ MAHAL

 The influence of islam in the formation

hinduism was most keenly left during this
time
 Islam adhered to a strict monotheism and the

repulsion to the use of images in worship.

 This period also saw the rise of sikhism, the

combination of hinduism and islam.

The Modern Period
 After muslim rule, indians found themselves
subjected to british rule, which spanned from
1757 to 1947.
 They also imposed political system that

aimed to unite various tribes, religious

practice, and legal system into one
framework.

 Hinduism at this time encountered the

universalistic orientation of christianity.
 While a few Hindus converted to Christianity
as a result of these encounters, a lot more
questioned the validity of these claims and
found ways to reiterate the values and
teachings offered by Hinduism.
 Samkhya- is an atheistic philosophy that
based on writings of Samkyakarikas, was
written by Ishvarakrishna in the third century.
 is usually discussed together with the yoga

school because they complement each other

with the Samkhya being the theoretical
foundation while Yoga being the application
of the principles.
Two fundamental principle in the
universe
 Purusha(person) and the Prakrti(nature) which
is a force that provides an object for the
purusha. There are three types of forces in
prakrti:sattva, which is oriented to the
good;raja,which is directed toward
passion;and tama, which is directed toward
passion; and Tama, which is geared toward
decay.
 - the evolution of the self becomes complete

and liberation is achieved.

Yoga
 -means associate it with bodily practices that
help achieve a healthy lifestyle.
 -yoga is actually Hindu in origin, and its main

purpose is to achieve a Sttavic state which

characterized by spiritual calm, virtue, and
joy.
 - there are four main Yogas, that suit the

temperaments and conditions of different

people.
 Raja Yoga- path of physical and psychic
practices.
 -consists of doing bodily exercises, and most

well known outside in India.

 A yogi (practitioner of yoga) engaged in this

type resorts to asanas, postures that are

meant to purify the body and achieved
physical balance.
 Jnana Yoga- path of the rational mind and
concentration, jnana yoga consists of doing
meditative practices that aim to clear the
mind of impurities and attain a rational and
calm dispositions.

 Karma Yoga- path of action in the world,

Karma yoga appeals to people who have a
strong desire to work for the betterment of
society.
 Bhakti Yoga- path of devotion, bhakti youga
is the most popular form of yoga practiced
among Hindus in India. It is the practice of
deep devotion and love toward the divine,
and is mainly expressed through ritual acts
such as (puja).
 Mimamsa- concerns the proper interpretation
of righteous action (dharma) is believed to be
part of the Vedas themselves. It focused on
interpretative dimensions of the vedas and
provides a useful method in making sense of
vedic texts, quite similar to Biblicas
hermeneutics(the art of biblical
interpretation) in Christianity.
 Viasheshika- resonates most strongly with an
atomist view of reality, which similar to
Western Science’s explanation of how atoms
from part of anything in the universe.
 The Viasheshika school believes the

foundational ingredients that make up the

universe are nine; this includes five elements,
and then sense, time, mind, and self.
 Nyaya- is the one is the most concerned with logic
and establishment of proof, for which reason it is
accepted by all Indian philosophical traditions
(Lochtefeld 2002). The Nyanya school argues that the
human being is capable of arriving at conclusions
based on evidence.
 -this is the principle of Pramanas and is expressed if

four ways.
 1.Pratyaksha(perception)

 2.Anumana(inference)

 3.Upamana(analogy)

 4. Shabda(authoritative testimony)
 -their method is quite similar to symbolic
logic in western philosophy, and their
orientation toward life realist.
 The point of exercising Pramansas, however,

is spiritual: through it, one knows the truth

and is thus liberated from the cycle of birth
and rebirth (samsara).
 Vedanta- school that last established in
Hindu thought. The term “vedanta” means
“the end of the Vedas”, and this school give
emphasis to the Upanishads, which is the last
book to be considered part of the Shruti
scriptures.
 The most known of the schools, Advaita

Vedanta, adheres to a Monist(singular) view

of reality.
The globalization of Hinduism
 - has reached beyond India and has
established itself in various parts of the
world. One of the earliest places that saw the
spread of Buddhism is Southeast Asia.
 Hinduism underwent changes as it took root

in other territories.