Hinduism is one of the most unique religions in the world. Unlike most religions, Hinduism does not have a specific founder or place of origin. However, the religion dates all the way back to 2000 BC. Because Hinduism dates so far back, the exact history of HInduism is unclear. Some ancient writings found from thousands of years ago are yet to be translated. The foundation of this religion was influenced when light-skinned Aryan Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India BC from Russia and Central Asia attacking the Harappan people who lived there in 1500.Both groups chose the beliefs of the other so they were similar in their religious beliefs. The Aryans believed in multiple gods to worship and the Harappans believed in the sanctity of fertility. The word, Hinduism, comes from the word, Indus, which is the name of an Indian River that existed about 5000 years ago. The Hindu religion has branched out and now contains a wide variety of religious beliefs and organizations. Portions of the Hindu beliefs have found their way into other countries, and are the foundation of other religions like Transcendental Meditation and Buddhism.
==IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF HINDUISM
==
Brahma
Salvation
Reincarnation
Caste System
Brahma: As the creator of the world whose four heads and four arms represent the four points of the compass, some believe that Brahma has a dominant role within Hinduism. As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the viewpoint of most Hindus, Brahma symbolizes one's mind and knowledge. The worship of Brahma is not very popular among all Hindus. He is, more often, worshipped by students, teachers, and scientists. Though he represents one of the three main forms of Brahman, he is also a close tie with Vishnu and Shiva.
Brahma
Salvation:
Salvation for a Hindu is called Moksha. Moksha is when an enlightened human being is freed from the cycle of life-and-death (the endless cycle of death and reincarnation) and comes into a phase of "completeness". He then becomes one with God.
The four ways to Moksha:
1. The Way of Action: This involves carrying out certain religious ceremonies, duties and rites. The goal is to perform works without want of personal gain.
2. The Way of Knowledge: This requires using your mind and philosophy to acompletely understand the universe.
3. The Way of Devotion: Salvation is reached through acts of worship, based upon the love for a God (there are thousands of gods in Hinduism).
4.The Royal Road: The use of meditation and yoga techniques. This method of reaching salvation is typically only used by wandering monks.
Each of these ways to salvation in Hinduism requires that a person do certain things. Salvation is through what a Hindu does during their cycles of reincarnation.
Reincarnation:
Reincarnation is all about the past and future. Due to the beliefs in social castes, because of your action in a present life you may be placed in a higher caste, or become an untouchable, or even an animal. If in your past life you committed harsh crimes or made poor choices, you were reincarnated into a lower form of the previous body. The only way to stop this rebirth and death cycle is to reach salvation (explained above).
Caste System:
The caste system affects many parts of a Hindu's life. This system tells them what jobs they can have, whom they respect, and where they stand in life.
Brahman: the reflective ones, the priests. The intellectual and spiritual leaders.
In our society, they would be equal to the philosophers, religious leaders, and teachers.
Kshatryas: the born administrators (formerly nobles, rajahs, and warriors).
The protectors of society. In our society, the politicians, police, and the military.
Vaisyas: the producers, the craftsmen, artisans, farmers. "The skillful producers of material things".
In our society, the merchants.
Shudras: the unskilled laborers or laboring class. The followers or the maintenance people.
The workers or hard laborers.
Untouchables are people who sit below the social caste system. The people in this caste are often treated very poorly and recieve jobs no one else would ever dream to do. The name "untouchable" came from people being afraid to touch people of this class because their karma would rub off on you. Most Hindus believe/believed that untouchables were criminals or an animal in a past life. Today, in India, work in government has been done to try and help untouchables gain safety and some respect.
SYMBOLS:
Om- the Om is equal to the Hindus like the meaning of the cross to Christians. The Om occurs in every prayer and is often in the names of deities. The symbol is suppose to represent the Brahman itself. The Om is enshrined in every Hindu home and temple.
Om
Swastika- The Swastika is the second most important symbol, following the Om. The Swastika is used at all festivals and celebrations. The Swastika "points in all directions", representing the multi-dimensional power of the Brahman.
Swastika
Saffron- the color that represents everything to the Hindu religion. Saffron is the color of agni, or fire, and reflects the Supreme Being. The Hindu monks wear robes of saffron and Hindu temples often fly flags that contain the color also.
Hindu flag
GODS:
Brahman- As the creator of the world whose four heads and four arms represent the four points of the compass, some believe that Brahma has a dominant role within Hinduism. As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the viewpoint of most Hindus, Brahma symbolizes one's mind and knowledge.
Vishnu- Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. He is the God of mercy and goodness, and is suppose to preserve the universe and maintain the cosmic order.
Shiva- Shiva is the God of yogis, self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover. Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahman, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Shiva is associated with shedding old habits and killing old forms (reincarnation).
Hindu art follows the four main goals of hinduism. The four goals are:
Dharma: righteous living
Artha: wealth aquired through pursuit of profession
Karma: Human and sexual love
Moksha: Spiritual salvation
Hindu temples are aimed at the Moksha goal while the walls contain sculptures and paintings that try to depict the other three goals. Dieties are depicted a lot. Frequently with multiple arms, especially when they are engaged in acts of cosmic consequence, like destroying powerful forces of evil. It emphasizes the emense power of the diety and that it can perform several acts at once. Demons on the other hand are usually depicted with multiple heads. This shows their superhuman power. A diety shown with multiple heads means to show varying aspects of their character. Niches of the Hindu temple are devoted to whatever diety is enshrined within it. Indian and Hindu art are hard to separate. The art is almost all religious based and helps to show culture and practices.
Religious Ceremonies:
Hindus believe that there are 3 paths to liberation, or margas. Bhaktimarga which is the path of devotion, inanamarga, the path of knowledge or philosophy, and karmamarga, which is the path of an individual's works and actions. Hindu religious practices center on the importance of fulfilling the duties associated both with social position and stage of life. Traditional Hindus are expected to pass through four stages (ashramas) over the course of their life:
brahmacharga, which takes place during the school years, is focused on knowledge and developing character;
grastha, the middle years, is focused on worldly pursuits and pleasures such as marriage, family and career;
vanaprastha, when their children reach adulthood, is a time of increased focus on spiritual things; and
sanngasu, in the last years of life, one may abandon the world entirely for a life of contemplation.
All stages involve religious rituals and practices.
Puja:
is a religious ritual which most Hindus perform every morning after bathing and dressing but before eating or drinking. Puja is seen as a way of relating humans to the domain and actions of the gods, and can be performed for anything considered divine, from Vishnu to a holy tree. It can be done at a temple or in the home.
Puja can be done many different ways, the simplest is darsan, gazing at an image. The image is not believed to be divine itself. It represents the divine energy of the deity and provides a connection to the god or goddess. Puja also usually includes providing an offering to the object of puja, such as flowers or food, and possibly lighting a candle or incense or ringing a bell.
The ritual may be observed in silence or preayers can be said aloud. Hindu priests chant prayers in Sanskrit or another language while performing puja.
Puja may be performed by an individual worshipper or in groups. Sometimes a puja is done for the benefit of certain people, like if you were to ask a priest to pray for someone.
Marriage:
There are 8 types of marriage. Some are superior and some are inferior ways of getting married.
In order from most superior to most inferior: Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Gandharva, Asura, Rakshasa, and Paishacha
Brahma is the most superior type of wedding. The groom's parent's approach the bride's parents to ask for her hand in marriage to their son. The key rule in this marriage is Kanuadaan. This means that the bride's father gifts his daughter to the groom.
Paishacha is the most inferior type of marriage. This marriage is against the girl's wishes and is therefore prohibited.
The actual wedding ceremony is very intricate and takes several hours. They usually consist of around 15 phases, including entrances, recitations, symbolic acts and offerings. Approval from the families and following what the religion teaches are major components of having an acceptable wedding.
Yoga:
The word yoga comes from the sanskrit word for union. This is because yoga is seen as a way to join with the divine. Yoga postures are intended to tone and strengthen the body and mentally clear and discipline the mind. Yoga is always done in a meditative state. It is one of the longest surviving philosophical systems in the world.
Namaste greeting:
The gesture (or mudra) of namaste is a simple act made by bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and slightly bowing the head. In the simplest terms it is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly.
Namaste is a composite of the two Sanskrit words, nama and te. Te means you, and nama has the following meanings:
To bend
To bow
To sink
To incline
To stoop
This greeting shows that you are submitting yourself to whoever you are bowing to.
The word nama is split into two: na and ma. Na signifies negation and ma represents mine. The meaning would then be 'not mine'. This shows that the individual soul belongs entirely to the Supreme soul, which is identified as residing in the individual towards whom the namaste is directed.It is believed that there is nothing that the soul can claim as its own. Namaste is thus the necessary rejection of "I". It is said that 'ma' in nama means death (spiritual), and when it is used, (na-ma), it signifies immortality.
The whole action of namaste involves three levels: mental, physical, and verbal. It starts with a mental submission. This submission is in the spirit of total surrender of the self. This is just like the devotion someone shows before their chosen deity, also known as bhakti. The devotee who complies with complete self-surrender is believed to share the qualities of the person or deity before whom he performs this submission. A transaction can only be between equals, between individuals who share some details in common. By performing namaste before an individual we recognize the divine part of him. Namaste makes us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own selves.
Architecture:
Architecture is one of the most lasting achievements; it spread throughout India in the 1000-1300 CE. For Hindu Architecture, there are two types of buildings. One is religious buildings like temples or shrines. The other one is non-religious structures like homes. The home in which a family lives is very important with the way it is built. How a building is designed is very significant. It can bring positive or negative forces. The wrong design of a building can cause many negative influences affecting health, happiness, and other problems. This is the same for both religious buildings and non-religious buildings.
In Hindu Architecture, over every building site, the cosmic body of the God, Purusha, is laid first. This is called the Mandala Purusha. The head of the “God” is located in the northeast corner of the building. The corner is called “God’s corner” also known as Isha-Kona. The reason for this is because in this part of the building, there is the most light. They associate more light with more knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. In the northeast corner of the building, the cosmic anus is located. This represents a place with negative forces and demons. It is suggested not to place kitchen, meditation, or financial areas there.
Hindus find it important to personify all their objects to make the forces as Gods. The kitchen represents the god of fire, Agni. This is located in the southeast corner. Financial belongings should be placed in the north for the god of wealth, Kunera. However, the design can be set up different depending on what the needs of the people living in the building are. There is much adjustability in Hindu Architecture.
Statues:
Most Hindu statues are made in India, Nepal, or Thailand and are commonly made of brass or bronze. A lot of quality and care goes into each statue.
The most popular one is the Kali. She is the most evil Goddess.
The statue, Lakshmi is most commonly given as a gift. She is the Goddess of wealth and abundance.
Krishna explains the laws of karma and dharma, which are very important beliefs in Hinduism. Krishna is a romantic lover and a philosopher.
Shiva is the god of destruction and rebirth.
The statue, Maha Durga, is a goddess constructed by other gods to fight demons.
Symbols in the Hinduism religion have always been a large part of the Hinduism religion. Along with the religion, the symbols have developed and changed throughout the religion's long history. Om or Aum is the most important Hindu symbol that is ever used. This symbol is used in every prayer and most deities are introduced through it. This symbol represents the Brahman, who is the absolute God of Hinduism. The Swastika is the second most important symbol. This symbol represents the Brahman also through the branches that extend in all directions off the sides of the Swastika. The symbol represents the Brahman's influence in everything around the world. The color saffron is a large symbol in the Hindu religion. Saffron represents the Supreme Being. Often Hindu flags fly from the roofs of Hindu temples in the color of saffron and Hindu and Buddhist monks wear saffron robes.
Subhamoy Das is a journalist and communications professional in India. A Hindu by birth, Subhamoy has researched and written on Hindu philosphy and Indology, and has been writing on this website since 1999. He has several years of experience as a journalist and multimedia editor with India's toop media companies including the Hindustan Times, the Indian Today Group and Cybermedia Limited. Subhamoy has a master's degree in English Literature from the University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, India, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Das has done his best to explain his life experiences being a Hindu to westerners through this site. He also uses his current findings and experiences in India to keep Westerners in touch with Hindu practices.
This website contains a lot of information. It provides several links to other parts of the website that make it well organized for users to find information fast. It discusses origins, ceremonies, philosophy, things that are sacred to Hinduism, and what they practice. It does a good job on emphasizing their culture and you really learn about Hinduism and how they do things. The main piece of information i used from this website was on architecture. Hindus are very careful with the way they lay out their buildings. That is why Hindu architecture can be so different at times. It is because they lay it out based on their needs. They pay attention to the placement of the rooms. The placement can really effect the house by either creating negative forces or positive forces.
This website was extremely helpful. The author, Shukavak N. Dasa, was a great source as well. He has a Ph.D. in South Asian studies and a master’s degree in Sankrit grammar. This is all from the University of Toronto. He is very studied in Hinduism. He teaches others about it regularly. He is also helping in getting more Hindu Temples in the United States and Canada. He is also the author of two books. One is called Hindu Encounter with Modernity and Bhagavad Gita. The website is very detailed with information and was helpful in the area of finding information on architecture. The website did a very good job of informing about the Hinduism culture.
Traditions, Hindu Religious. "Hindus Traditions, Hindu Religious Traditions, Hindu Religious Puja, Guru Disciple Tradition in Hinduism." Hinduism, Hindus Ideology, History of Hinduism, Hindus Culture, Hindu Festivals & Gods, Hindu Weddings. 2005. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://hinduism.ygoy.com/hindu-ideology/traditions.php>. Rhianna Fleisher
The site contained information all about Hindu practices. I focused mostly on the information about weddings and puja. The information was detailed and explained things in a way that someone who is not Hindu, could understand quite easily. The site was laid out nicely and was organized in a visually attractive way.
This site was very useful. It was also very reliable since researchers created it and they have an office in India. They update the site frequently and make sure the information is easy to understand and easily accessible. Compared to other sites I used, this one had better information that answered more of my questions. The site is a little bit biased since it is trying to convince people to convert to Hinduism. It is called ygoy.com, as in why go, meaning they are trying to get you to believe in the ideas and practices that they are teaching you about. Even though there was some bias, the site contained facts about how rituals are performed and why they are performed. They provided names and definitions for everything that would be unknown to a non-Hindu.
This site was very helpful to my research. It gave me a lot of what I needed to fulfill my part of the assignment. I was supposed to look for information about religious practices. This site was geared toward exactly what I was looking for and also gave me other sources to use to fill in the gaps of information. It made me realize how similar and how different Hinduism is to other religions. I know a lot of people who follow the Hindu religion, but never truly understood all of the rituals and practices, through this site, I now have a better understanding of the religion and the beliefs.
Books
Knott, Kim. Hinduism A Very Short Introduction. Oxford New York. 1998. Rebecca Majszak
This book gives short, good information that is easy to comprehend. It discusses gods a lot, which is a very important part of Hinduism. Gods are found everywhere throughout India. They are found in many different places or forms which shows the diversity of Hinduism. The book mentions how Hinduism is not only found in culture, but also in the social structure, the social life, ethical issues, and politics of Hindus. This makes this author question whether is it right to call Hinduism a religion like Christianity or Islam is. She also maybe thinks it could be many different religions made up of regions, castes, and sects. She thinks it is not possible to answer these questions and she just discusses the diversity and complexity of Hinduism. The author also discusses the question, “Who am I?” which is a common question that’s been asked by Hindus over centuries. The author also touches on how Hinduism is different from other religions as well as what the Europeans and British thought of it when they first came into contact with Hinduism.
This book is very simple to follow and understand. It contains a lot of good information that is very useful and interesting for this project. The author does a good job at explaining things so it is not very complex to understand. She touches on almost every key aspect of Hinduism while keeping the idea of the book and that is the challenges that Hinduism has faced. I like that she compares Hinduism with other religions or cultures and shares what others first thoughts of Hinduism were. She shows also Hinduism from different perspectives. She mentions who can become Hindus and how. She discusses their traditions, their goals, and what they feel is important. It is all very interesting and the book was very helpful because it had a lot of helpful information that I did not know.
Coomaraswamy, Anada K. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. New York. 1967. Sydney Liedel
Anada K. Coomaraswamy and Sister Nivedita write about the common tales of Hinduism and explain myths to Westerners. The authors describe mths of the Indo-Aryan race, the Ramayana, Krishna, Shiva, and much more. The main deities are explained in depth and the different forms of the gods and the story behind each one. The author discussces how Buddhist aspects tie into the Hinduism religion at certain points. This book, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists, explains and gives some of the main poerms and literature about Hinduism. Indian Art is used in the beginning of each myth/tale to give the reader a feeling of fact. The writer's goals were to express a feeling of understanding in an accurate way.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists contained eight chapters, focusing on different aspects of the Hindu & Buddhist beliefs. Sister Nivedita began writing the book, only finished one third of the present work, when she died in 1911. Anada finished the rest of the book, and piblished it in 1913, but was re-published in 1967. The author tries to portray Hinduism as close to the original as possible in order to help foreigners communicate and effectively understand the Indian people. All the pictures are done by Indian artists who still remain in India today.
Teachers' Cirriculum Institute. History Alive! The Ancient World. Palo Alto, California. Rhianna Fleisher
The book I read gave very good information. They included background information to back up the main information that they were trying to relay. It talked about how the religion and the practices contributed to society and how people in Hindu countries live daily life. It defined a lot of the words that are important for understanding the religion, which was very helpful. Even though the definitions are not exact translations, they help to get the main points across.
This book was very useful in my research. The definitions were a huge help. They made everything else that I had read make more sense. It was worded and phrased in a way that was very easy to understand and comprehend. The different sections of the book were set up so that the information flowed very easily and they explained things in an organized way. The information is not biased. The book is used as a text book and a group of teachers and researchers wrote the book. This also means that it is a very good source for reliable information.
This book not only told me about the religious ceremonies, but also showed how that tied into the daily life of people who follow the Hindu religion. It gave me a good background to use while searching for more information on the internet. It helped me decide what sites I should be looking at and gave me enough information to be able to understand what was being said online. The book I chose gave very good information and changed how I think about Hinduism. I thought there were so many ideas and words that I would never really understand, but this book helped to break it down into easy to read parts that made sense.
"Hindu Gods and Hindu Goddesses : Overview of the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism." Sanatan Society : Free Wallpapers of Hindu Gods, Yoga, Meditation, Indian Astrology, Ayurvedic Massage, Home Remedies, Vegetarian Recipes, Mantras,. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm
Romero, Jay (Srisuda). "Hindu Statues." The Buddha Garden: Statues, Singing Bowls, Incense, Figurines and Buddhist Arts. 1997. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. http://www.thebuddhagarden.com/hindu-statues.html.
Annonymous. "The Hindu Temple - ReligionFacts." Religion, World Religions, Comparative Religion - Just the Facts on the World's Religions. 8 Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Mar.
Traditions, Hindu Religious. "Hindus Traditions, Hindu Religious Traditions, Hindu Religious Puja, Guru Disciple Tradition in Hinduism." Hinduism, Hindus Ideology, History of Hinduism, Hindus Culture, Hindu Festivals & Gods, Hindu Weddings. 2005. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://hinduism.ygoy.com/hindu-ideology/traditions.php>.
==IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF HINDUISM
==
Brahma: As the creator of the world whose four heads and four arms represent the four points of the compass, some believe that Brahma has a dominant role within Hinduism. As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the viewpoint of most Hindus, Brahma symbolizes one's mind and knowledge. The worship of Brahma is not very popular among all Hindus. He is, more often, worshipped by students, teachers, and scientists. Though he represents one of the three main forms of Brahman, he is also a close tie with Vishnu and Shiva.
Salvation:
Salvation for a Hindu is called Moksha. Moksha is when an enlightened human being is freed from the cycle of life-and-death (the endless cycle of death and reincarnation) and comes into a phase of "completeness". He then becomes one with God.The four ways to Moksha:
1. The Way of Action: This involves carrying out certain religious ceremonies, duties and rites. The goal is to perform works without want of personal gain.
2. The Way of Knowledge: This requires using your mind and philosophy to acompletely understand the universe.
3. The Way of Devotion: Salvation is reached through acts of worship, based upon the love for a God (there are thousands of gods in Hinduism).
4.The Royal Road: The use of meditation and yoga techniques. This method of reaching salvation is typically only used by wandering monks.
Each of these ways to salvation in Hinduism requires that a person do certain things. Salvation is through what a Hindu does during their cycles of reincarnation.
Reincarnation:
Reincarnation is all about the past and future. Due to the beliefs in social castes, because of your action in a present life you may be placed in a higher caste, or become an untouchable, or even an animal. If in your past life you committed harsh crimes or made poor choices, you were reincarnated into a lower form of the previous body. The only way to stop this rebirth and death cycle is to reach salvation (explained above).
Caste System:
The caste system affects many parts of a Hindu's life. This system tells them what jobs they can have, whom they respect, and where they stand in life.
Brahman: the reflective ones, the priests. The intellectual and spiritual leaders.
In our society, they would be equal to the philosophers, religious leaders, and teachers.
Kshatryas: the born administrators (formerly nobles, rajahs, and warriors).
The protectors of society. In our society, the politicians, police, and the military.
Vaisyas: the producers, the craftsmen, artisans, farmers. "The skillful producers of material things".
In our society, the merchants.
Shudras: the unskilled laborers or laboring class. The followers or the maintenance people.
The workers or hard laborers.
Untouchables are people who sit below the social caste system. The people in this caste are often treated very poorly and recieve jobs no one else would ever dream to do. The name "untouchable" came from people being afraid to touch people of this class because their karma would rub off on you. Most Hindus believe/believed that untouchables were criminals or an animal in a past life. Today, in India, work in government has been done to try and help untouchables gain safety and some respect.
SYMBOLS:
Om- the Om is equal to the Hindus like the meaning of the cross to Christians. The Om occurs in every prayer and is often in the names of deities. The symbol is suppose to represent the Brahman itself. The Om is enshrined in every Hindu home and temple.Swastika- The Swastika is the second most important symbol, following the Om. The Swastika is used at all festivals and celebrations. The Swastika "points in all directions", representing the multi-dimensional power of the Brahman.
Saffron- the color that represents everything to the Hindu religion. Saffron is the color of agni, or fire, and reflects the Supreme Being. The Hindu monks wear robes of saffron and Hindu temples often fly flags that contain the color also.
GODS:
Brahman- As the creator of the world whose four heads and four arms represent the four points of the compass, some believe that Brahma has a dominant role within Hinduism. As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the viewpoint of most Hindus, Brahma symbolizes one's mind and knowledge.Vishnu- Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. He is the God of mercy and goodness, and is suppose to preserve the universe and maintain the cosmic order.
Shiva- Shiva is the God of yogis, self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover. Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahman, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Shiva is associated with shedding old habits and killing old forms (reincarnation).
Hinduism contains many different Gods with many different forms. For more information check out: http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shiva.htm
Hindu Art:
Hindu art follows the four main goals of hinduism. The four goals are:Dharma: righteous living
Artha: wealth aquired through pursuit of profession
Karma: Human and sexual love
Moksha: Spiritual salvation
Hindu temples are aimed at the Moksha goal while the walls contain sculptures and paintings that try to depict the other three goals. Dieties are depicted a lot. Frequently with multiple arms, especially when they are engaged in acts of cosmic consequence, like destroying powerful forces of evil. It emphasizes the emense power of the diety and that it can perform several acts at once. Demons on the other hand are usually depicted with multiple heads. This shows their superhuman power. A diety shown with multiple heads means to show varying aspects of their character. Niches of the Hindu temple are devoted to whatever diety is enshrined within it. Indian and Hindu art are hard to separate. The art is almost all religious based and helps to show culture and practices.
Religious Ceremonies:
Hindus believe that there are 3 paths to liberation, or margas. Bhaktimarga which is the path of devotion, inanamarga, the path of knowledge or philosophy, and karmamarga, which is the path of an individual's works and actions. Hindu religious practices center on the importance of fulfilling the duties associated both with social position and stage of life. Traditional Hindus are expected to pass through four stages (ashramas) over the course of their life:- brahmacharga, which takes place during the school years, is focused on knowledge and developing character;
- grastha, the middle years, is focused on worldly pursuits and pleasures such as marriage, family and career;
- vanaprastha, when their children reach adulthood, is a time of increased focus on spiritual things; and
sanngasu, in the last years of life, one may abandon the world entirely for a life of contemplation.All stages involve religious rituals and practices.
Puja:
is a religious ritual which most Hindus perform every morning after bathing and dressing but before eating or drinking. Puja is seen as a way of relating humans to the domain and actions of the gods, and can be performed for anything considered divine, from Vishnu to a holy tree. It can be done at a temple or in the home.Puja can be done many different ways, the simplest is darsan, gazing at an image. The image is not believed to be divine itself. It represents the divine energy of the deity and provides a connection to the god or goddess. Puja also usually includes providing an offering to the object of puja, such as flowers or food, and possibly lighting a candle or incense or ringing a bell.
The ritual may be observed in silence or preayers can be said aloud. Hindu priests chant prayers in Sanskrit or another language while performing puja.
Puja may be performed by an individual worshipper or in groups. Sometimes a puja is done for the benefit of certain people, like if you were to ask a priest to pray for someone.
Marriage:
There are 8 types of marriage. Some are superior and some are inferior ways of getting married.In order from most superior to most inferior: Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, Gandharva, Asura, Rakshasa, and Paishacha
Brahma is the most superior type of wedding. The groom's parent's approach the bride's parents to ask for her hand in marriage to their son. The key rule in this marriage is Kanuadaan. This means that the bride's father gifts his daughter to the groom.
Paishacha is the most inferior type of marriage. This marriage is against the girl's wishes and is therefore prohibited.
The actual wedding ceremony is very intricate and takes several hours. They usually consist of around 15 phases, including entrances, recitations, symbolic acts and offerings. Approval from the families and following what the religion teaches are major components of having an acceptable wedding.
Yoga:
The word yoga comes from the sanskrit word for union. This is because yoga is seen as a way to join with the divine. Yoga postures are intended to tone and strengthen the body and mentally clear and discipline the mind. Yoga is always done in a meditative state. It is one of the longest surviving philosophical systems in the world.Namaste greeting:
The gesture (or mudra) of namaste is a simple act made by bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and slightly bowing the head. In the simplest terms it is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly.Namaste is a composite of the two Sanskrit words, nama and te. Te means you, and nama has the following meanings:
- To bend
- To bow
- To sink
- To incline
- To stoop
This greeting shows that you are submitting yourself to whoever you are bowing to.The word nama is split into two: na and ma. Na signifies negation and ma represents mine. The meaning would then be 'not mine'. This shows that the individual soul belongs entirely to the Supreme soul, which is identified as residing in the individual towards whom the namaste is directed.It is believed that there is nothing that the soul can claim as its own. Namaste is thus the necessary rejection of "I". It is said that 'ma' in nama means death (spiritual), and when it is used, (na-ma), it signifies immortality.
The whole action of namaste involves three levels: mental, physical, and verbal. It starts with a mental submission. This submission is in the spirit of total surrender of the self. This is just like the devotion someone shows before their chosen deity, also known as bhakti. The devotee who complies with complete self-surrender is believed to share the qualities of the person or deity before whom he performs this submission. A transaction can only be between equals, between individuals who share some details in common. By performing namaste before an individual we recognize the divine part of him. Namaste makes us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own selves.
Architecture:
Architecture is one of the most lasting achievements; it spread throughout India in the 1000-1300 CE. For Hindu Architecture, there are two types of buildings. One is religious buildings like temples or shrines. The other one is non-religious structures like homes. The home in which a family lives is very important with the way it is built. How a building is designed is very significant. It can bring positive or negative forces. The wrong design of a building can cause many negative influences affecting health, happiness, and other problems. This is the same for both religious buildings and non-religious buildings.In Hindu Architecture, over every building site, the cosmic body of the God, Purusha, is laid first. This is called the Mandala Purusha. The head of the “God” is located in the northeast corner of the building. The corner is called “God’s corner” also known as Isha-Kona. The reason for this is because in this part of the building, there is the most light. They associate more light with more knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. In the northeast corner of the building, the cosmic anus is located. This represents a place with negative forces and demons. It is suggested not to place kitchen, meditation, or financial areas there.
Hindus find it important to personify all their objects to make the forces as Gods. The kitchen represents the god of fire, Agni. This is located in the southeast corner. Financial belongings should be placed in the north for the god of wealth, Kunera. However, the design can be set up different depending on what the needs of the people living in the building are. There is much adjustability in Hindu Architecture.
Statues:
Most Hindu statues are made in India, Nepal, or Thailand and are commonly made of brass or bronze. A lot of quality and care goes into each statue.Bibliographies
Website Annotated Bibliographies
Das, Subhamoy. "Major Hindu Symbols- What Are The Most Important Symbols of Hinduism About Hinduism- What You Need to Know About Hinduism. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. http://hinduism.about.com/od/artculture/a/major_hindu_symbols.htm Sydney Liedel
Symbols in the Hinduism religion have always been a large part of the Hinduism religion. Along with the religion, the symbols have developed and changed throughout the religion's long history. Om or Aum is the most important Hindu symbol that is ever used. This symbol is used in every prayer and most deities are introduced through it. This symbol represents the Brahman, who is the absolute God of Hinduism. The Swastika is the second most important symbol. This symbol represents the Brahman also through the branches that extend in all directions off the sides of the Swastika. The symbol represents the Brahman's influence in everything around the world. The color saffron is a large symbol in the Hindu religion. Saffron represents the Supreme Being. Often Hindu flags fly from the roofs of Hindu temples in the color of saffron and Hindu and Buddhist monks wear saffron robes.
Subhamoy Das is a journalist and communications professional in India. A Hindu by birth, Subhamoy has researched and written on Hindu philosphy and Indology, and has been writing on this website since 1999. He has several years of experience as a journalist and multimedia editor with India's toop media companies including the Hindustan Times, the Indian Today Group and Cybermedia Limited. Subhamoy has a master's degree in English Literature from the University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, India, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Das has done his best to explain his life experiences being a Hindu to westerners through this site. He also uses his current findings and experiences in India to keep Westerners in touch with Hindu practices.
Dasa, Shukavak N. "Hindu Architecture: Vaastu Shastra." Sanskrit.org. 2007. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/hinduarchitecture.html
Rebecca Majszak
This website contains a lot of information. It provides several links to other parts of the website that make it well organized for users to find information fast. It discusses origins, ceremonies, philosophy, things that are sacred to Hinduism, and what they practice. It does a good job on emphasizing their culture and you really learn about Hinduism and how they do things. The main piece of information i used from this website was on architecture. Hindus are very careful with the way they lay out their buildings. That is why Hindu architecture can be so different at times. It is because they lay it out based on their needs. They pay attention to the placement of the rooms. The placement can really effect the house by either creating negative forces or positive forces.
This website was extremely helpful. The author, Shukavak N. Dasa, was a great source as well. He has a Ph.D. in South Asian studies and a master’s degree in Sankrit grammar. This is all from the University of Toronto. He is very studied in Hinduism. He teaches others about it regularly. He is also helping in getting more Hindu Temples in the United States and Canada. He is also the author of two books. One is called Hindu Encounter with Modernity and Bhagavad Gita. The website is very detailed with information and was helpful in the area of finding information on architecture. The website did a very good job of informing about the Hinduism culture.
Traditions, Hindu Religious. "Hindus Traditions, Hindu Religious Traditions, Hindu Religious Puja, Guru Disciple Tradition in Hinduism." Hinduism, Hindus Ideology, History of Hinduism, Hindus Culture, Hindu Festivals & Gods, Hindu Weddings. 2005. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://hinduism.ygoy.com/hindu-ideology/traditions.php>. Rhianna Fleisher
The site contained information all about Hindu practices. I focused mostly on the information about weddings and puja. The information was detailed and explained things in a way that someone who is not Hindu, could understand quite easily. The site was laid out nicely and was organized in a visually attractive way.
This site was very useful. It was also very reliable since researchers created it and they have an office in India. They update the site frequently and make sure the information is easy to understand and easily accessible. Compared to other sites I used, this one had better information that answered more of my questions. The site is a little bit biased since it is trying to convince people to convert to Hinduism. It is called ygoy.com, as in why go, meaning they are trying to get you to believe in the ideas and practices that they are teaching you about. Even though there was some bias, the site contained facts about how rituals are performed and why they are performed. They provided names and definitions for everything that would be unknown to a non-Hindu.
This site was very helpful to my research. It gave me a lot of what I needed to fulfill my part of the assignment. I was supposed to look for information about religious practices. This site was geared toward exactly what I was looking for and also gave me other sources to use to fill in the gaps of information. It made me realize how similar and how different Hinduism is to other religions. I know a lot of people who follow the Hindu religion, but never truly understood all of the rituals and practices, through this site, I now have a better understanding of the religion and the beliefs.
Books
Knott, Kim. Hinduism A Very Short Introduction. Oxford New York. 1998. Rebecca Majszak
This book gives short, good information that is easy to comprehend. It discusses gods a lot, which is a very important part of Hinduism. Gods are found everywhere throughout India. They are found in many different places or forms which shows the diversity of Hinduism. The book mentions how Hinduism is not only found in culture, but also in the social structure, the social life, ethical issues, and politics of Hindus. This makes this author question whether is it right to call Hinduism a religion like Christianity or Islam is. She also maybe thinks it could be many different religions made up of regions, castes, and sects. She thinks it is not possible to answer these questions and she just discusses the diversity and complexity of Hinduism. The author also discusses the question, “Who am I?” which is a common question that’s been asked by Hindus over centuries. The author also touches on how Hinduism is different from other religions as well as what the Europeans and British thought of it when they first came into contact with Hinduism.
This book is very simple to follow and understand. It contains a lot of good information that is very useful and interesting for this project. The author does a good job at explaining things so it is not very complex to understand. She touches on almost every key aspect of Hinduism while keeping the idea of the book and that is the challenges that Hinduism has faced. I like that she compares Hinduism with other religions or cultures and shares what others first thoughts of Hinduism were. She shows also Hinduism from different perspectives. She mentions who can become Hindus and how. She discusses their traditions, their goals, and what they feel is important. It is all very interesting and the book was very helpful because it had a lot of helpful information that I did not know.
Coomaraswamy, Anada K. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. New York. 1967. Sydney Liedel
Anada K. Coomaraswamy and Sister Nivedita write about the common tales of Hinduism and explain myths to Westerners. The authors describe mths of the Indo-Aryan race, the Ramayana, Krishna, Shiva, and much more. The main deities are explained in depth and the different forms of the gods and the story behind each one. The author discussces how Buddhist aspects tie into the Hinduism religion at certain points. This book, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists, explains and gives some of the main poerms and literature about Hinduism. Indian Art is used in the beginning of each myth/tale to give the reader a feeling of fact. The writer's goals were to express a feeling of understanding in an accurate way.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists contained eight chapters, focusing on different aspects of the Hindu & Buddhist beliefs. Sister Nivedita began writing the book, only finished one third of the present work, when she died in 1911. Anada finished the rest of the book, and piblished it in 1913, but was re-published in 1967. The author tries to portray Hinduism as close to the original as possible in order to help foreigners communicate and effectively understand the Indian people. All the pictures are done by Indian artists who still remain in India today.
Teachers' Cirriculum Institute. History Alive! The Ancient World. Palo Alto, California. Rhianna Fleisher
The book I read gave very good information. They included background information to back up the main information that they were trying to relay. It talked about how the religion and the practices contributed to society and how people in Hindu countries live daily life. It defined a lot of the words that are important for understanding the religion, which was very helpful. Even though the definitions are not exact translations, they help to get the main points across.
This book was very useful in my research. The definitions were a huge help. They made everything else that I had read make more sense. It was worded and phrased in a way that was very easy to understand and comprehend. The different sections of the book were set up so that the information flowed very easily and they explained things in an organized way. The information is not biased. The book is used as a text book and a group of teachers and researchers wrote the book. This also means that it is a very good source for reliable information.
This book not only told me about the religious ceremonies, but also showed how that tied into the daily life of people who follow the Hindu religion. It gave me a good background to use while searching for more information on the internet. It helped me decide what sites I should be looking at and gave me enough information to be able to understand what was being said online. The book I chose gave very good information and changed how I think about Hinduism. I thought there were so many ideas and words that I would never really understand, but this book helped to break it down into easy to read parts that made sense.
Websites
- "Hindu Culture - Omkar and Swastika." Web. 20 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/omkar.html>.
- "Hindu Gods and Hindu Goddesses : Overview of the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism." Sanatan Society : Free Wallpapers of Hindu Gods, Yoga, Meditation, Indian Astrology, Ayurvedic Massage, Home Remedies, Vegetarian Recipes, Mantras,. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm
- Dasa, Shukavak N. "Hindu Architecture: Vaastu Shastra." Sanskrit.org. 2007. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/hinduarchitecture.html
- Romero, Jay (Srisuda). "Hindu Statues." The Buddha Garden: Statues, Singing Bowls, Incense, Figurines and Buddhist Arts. 1997. Web. 17 Mar. 2011. http://www.thebuddhagarden.com/hindu-statues.html.
- Annonymous. "The Hindu Temple - ReligionFacts." Religion, World Religions, Comparative Religion - Just the Facts on the World's Religions. 8 Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Mar.
2011. <http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/practices/temple.htm>