Hinduism

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Hinduism

• The Trimurti (or Trinity) and the Caste System

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Hinduism

• It is said that Hinduism has taught the world
  both tolerance and universal acceptance.
• Most Hindus not only believe in universal
  tolerance of others, but they accept all
  religions as true.
• It is said, As different streams having
  different sources all mingle their waters in the
  sea, so different paths which men take through
  different tendencies various though they appear,
  crooked or straight, all lead to God.

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Hinduism

• Hinduism offers its devotees many paths.
  Individuals may find release from life (samsara)
  through devotion to one or more of the Indian
  gods.

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Hinduism

• One may give full religious attention to each of
  these gods or goddesses by worshipping at their
  temples, offering sacrifices, praying, supporting
  the priests of the temple, and so on.

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Hinduism

• By doing the above, the gods or goddesses may
  look with favor upon the devotees, support the
  believers in life, and help in the struggles of
  life.
• Brahman, who is the ultimate reality, is at the
  core of Hindu thought.
• He is one and undivided, yet Hinduism sees him in
  terms of three forms or a trinity of functions
  called Trimurti creation, destruction, and
  preservation.

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Hinduism

• Of the three leading deities in the Hindu
  pantheon (all parts of the Brahman), the creator,
  Brahma receives the least attention.
• Even though Brahma is widely respected and
  recognized as the creator of the world, only two
  temples are specifically dedicated to him in all
  of India.

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Hinduism

• Brahma is usually shown with four bearded faces
  and four arms.
• His chief wife (Sarasvati) is the goddess of
  knowledge, wisdom, speech, and poetry.

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Hinduism

• Among the most popular gods in Hinduism is Shiva,
  known as the destroyer.
• Shiva is the god of death, destruction, disease,
  and decay.

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Hinduism

• Shiva is complex because not only is he the god
  of death and destruction, he is the god of dance.

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Hinduism

• Probably the most important reason for Shivas
  popularity is he is also the god of vegetable,
  animal, and human reproduction.
• In Hindu thought, death is but a prelude to
  rebirthso it follows that the god of death is
  also the god of reproduction and sexuality.
• So Shiva paves the way for renewal in the endless
  cosmic process of samsara.

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Hinduism

• Often associated with Shiva (and as popular) are
  many of the goddesses that are his companions.
• The most important and popular of these goddesses
  are Kali (means She who is black or She who is
  death) and Paravati.
• Mythology connects Kali to the founding of the
  modern city of Calcutta.

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Hinduism

• Kali is the goddess of time, doomsday, and death.
• She is more terrifying than Shiva because she
  wears a necklace of human skulls, tears away the
  flesh of sacrificed victims, and drinks blood.

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Hinduism

• Paravati is nearly the opposite of Kali.
• She is the daughter of the Himalayas and the
  female element of the perfect loving couple when
  paired with the gentler aspect of Shiva.

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Hinduism

• Paravati is usually depicted as the perfect wife
  and mother.
• She is also a fertility goddess and a goddess of
  love and devotion.

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Hinduism

• The son of Shiva and Paravati is Ganesha, the
  elephant-headed god of the arts and sciences, of
  intellect and wisdom.
• He is the Lord of success and wealth, and the
  destroyer of obstacles.

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Hinduism

• Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul,
  which is the ultimate reality of human existence,
  and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly
  existence of human beings.

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Hinduism

• The third god of the Hindu triad of Brahman is
  Vishnu, the preserver.
• In contrast to Shiva, he is not complex.
• Always benevolent, Vishnu appears as the
  expression of divine love, peace, and
  forgiveness.
• He is also a prankster and he loves to play games
  and tricks.

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Hinduism

• The chief feature of Vishnu is his overwhelming
  concern for humanity.
• In times when the Earth has been in great peril,
  Vishnu has appeared in various forms known as
  Avatars.

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Hinduism

• Vishnu supports the moral order and moral balance
  of the world, but sometimes evil over takes the
  Earth.
• God, in the form of Vishnu, then comes to Earth
  to relay some message or to accomplish an
  important task (like saving humanity).

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Hinduism

• To restore the natural balance, Vishnu appears as
  an avatar, sometimes as a man, sometimes as an
  animal, and sometimes as a mythical creature.
• Here he is Matsya, the fish that saved humanity
  from the great flood.

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Hinduism

• Tradition states that there are ten avatars and
  that nine have already appeared.
• One incarnation was Krishna (former Beatle George
  Harrison was a devotee of Krishna).
• According to this tradition, Krishna was divine
  and also heroic. He killed demons, monsters,
  dragons, and tyrannical rulers.

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Hinduism

• The Buddha was one of the nine avatars to come to
  earth.
• In some Hindu traditions, Jesus and Muhammad were
  also avatars.

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Hinduism

• The tenth and final avatar has not yet appeared,
  and it is said Vishnu will come as an avatar
  riding a white horse bringing time to an end.
• He will then punish and destroy the wicked,
  re-establish order, and reward the virtuous.

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Hinduism

• Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu.
• She arose from the ocean to ensure the fertility
  and welfare of the world.
• She is a goddess of fertility and wealth, and
  also of victory.

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Hinduism

• In some places, Lakshmi is known as Sri, and
  worshipped as the goddess of rice.
• She is often seen as the mediator between humans
  and Vishnu, since it is hard for humans to
  approach Vishnu directly.

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Hinduism

• The moral order and natural harmony of the world
  is known as the Dharma (in Sanskrit means duty,
  morality, and virtue).
• Dharma is the power that maintains society, makes
  the grass grow, makes the sun shine, and makes us
  moral people or rather gives humans the
  opportunity to act virtuously.

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Hinduism

• But acting virtuously does not mean precisely the
  same thing for everyone different people have
  different obligations and duties according to
  their age, gender, and social position.
• What is the correct Dharma for a woman might not
  be for a man or what is correct for an adult
  might not be for a child.
• Correct action in accordance with Dharma is also
  understood as service to humanity and to God and
  not to act according to ones Dharma is
  considered a moral transgression.

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Hinduism

• One of the ways to achieve harmony and maintain
  Dharma is through yogas.
• Hindus believe that meditation is necessary if
  one is ever to break free of the cycle of
  samsarait is even necessary for the gods.
• Yogas (there are four different forms) stress
  mental and physical discipline as a way to free
  the mind of pain, anger, fear, hatred, greed,
  lust, etc.

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Hinduism

• Hindus try to live according to their Dharma,
  which is their code of behavior or duty that
  governs their life.
• In the Hindu tradition, a persons duty is
  determined by their position in society and by
  the stage of life they have reached.
• It is from here that the Caste system developed.

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The Caste System

• The term castea social class of hereditary and
  usually unchangeable statuswas first used in
  India by Portuguese merchants and mariners during
  the 16th century CE when they observed sharp
  social distinctions among the Indian people.
• The Aryans used the term varna, a Sanskrit word
  meaning color, to refer to their social
  classes.

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The Caste System

• By about 1000 BCE, the Aryans recognized four
  major varnas and explained them in their creation
  myth which revolved around the father of
  humankind, Purusha.

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The Caste System

• The first Aryan epic, the Rig-Veda attributed the
  rise of the caste system to the gods
• When they divided the original Man into how many
  parts did they divide him?
• What was his mouth, what were his arms, what were
  his thighs and his feet called?
• The Brahmin was his mouth, of his arms was made
  the warrior.
• His thighs became the vaishya, of his feet the
  shudra was born.

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The Caste System

• Brahmins the highest social classes were the
  priests and scholars, who sprang from Purushas
  mouth, and represented intellect, knowledge, and
  wisdom.
• Brahmins were the lightest in skin color.

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The Caste System

• Next came the Kshatriyathe warrior-aristocracy,
  the rulers and government officials who came from
  the arms of Purusha.

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The Caste System

• The third layer of people, the Vaishya, came from
  Purushas thighs. They were the landowners,
  merchants, artisans (or skilled laborers).

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The Caste System

• The fourth level, the Sudra (or Shudra), came
  from Purushas feet. They were the common
  peasants, (unskilled) laborers, and servants.

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The Caste System

• During the classical era, the caste system became
  much more complex with each caste further
  subdivided into jati, or birth groups, each with
  its own occupation, duties, and rituals.
• Each jati had little contact with others, and its
  members intermarried and followed the same
  occupations as their ancestors.
• Marriage between castes was forbidden, under
  penalty of death?

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The Caste System

• A fifth group eventually developed, considered so
  low, they didnt even merit a caste designation.
• Called the Dalits (or untouchables), they were
  relegated to the jobs considered the most
  polluted or defiling (handling garbage, dead
  bodies, animal skins, etc). Nearly 20 of all
  Indians are a part of this group.

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The Caste System

• Today, these people are known as the Harijan
  (so named the Children of God by Gandhi).

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The Caste System

• The Dalit were outside the caste system
  (outcastes) because they were considered too
  impure to be worthy human beings.
• They are untouchable by the other four castes in
  some areas of India, even contact with their
  shadow was considered polluting.
• Prejudice and oppression defines their lives and
  they are in constant danger of being shunned,
  insulted, or humiliated in public.

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Mark on the Forehead

• The colored mark on the forehead is a sign of
  piety and reveals to others that the wearer is a
  Hindu.
• It symbolizes the third eyethe one focused
  inwards towards God.
• Both men and women wear the mark, but it is
  generally falling out of favor with men.
• Traditionally, unmarried women wear a black mark
  and married women wear a red one.

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Mark on the Forehead