Hinduism Questions

Section 1: A Brief History of Hinduism

1. When the Aryans came to India, they brought the influence of the Vedas, divine
knowledge that they believed came from rishis (seers). At first, they weren’t written
down for fear that writing down words would nullify their sacredness. The Vedas
weren’t even spoken by anyone other than priests for fear that mispronunciation
would be dangerous. They were eventually written down, and later became the
sacred scriptures for Hindus.
2. Brahmins were the Vedic priests, who were rich and considered the highest in the
caste system. They performed very elaborate rituals that could only be afforded by
the rich. They taught rituals in Brahmin schools, and wrote commentaries on these
rituals called the Brahmanas.
3. The shruti, the oldest collection of sacred Hindu scriptures, means “what is heard”. It
includes the Vedas, the Brahmanas, and other Brahmin reflections.
4. Jainism is a religion founded by Mahavira, who was born Hindu but resisted many
Hindu practices, such as the elaborate rituals. The religion includes elements form
both Hinduism and Buddhism, and places a special emphasis on non-violence that is
also shared by many Hindus.
5. The Classical Period is the period in which Hinduism became recognized as a world
religion, and Hinduism as we know it was largely established. During this time,
rituals changed drastically; temples were erected; the smriti (more scripture)
emerged; a shift in focus from transcendent to immanent occurred. As well, the
major concepts of karma (the belief that what goes around, comes around) and
reincarnation (that we return in later lives) were established.
6. Muslims expanded Islam into India and established a non-Muslim tax when they
conquered parts of it, but did not try to convert Hindus. Some Muslim rulers
tolerated Hinduism, while others tried to destroy their religious monuments. Akbar,
a ruler, tried to reconcile the two religions, but failed and led to further divisions.
From this also emerged Sikhism, a religion that blends Islam and Hinduism.
7. Sri Ramakrishna introduced the idea that all religions were pathways to the same
God. Gandhi advocated for ideas such as religious equality, non-violence, and
passive resistance. The idea of transcendental meditation, advocated by Yogi, was
also promoted by The Beatles.
8. One movement that helped expand Hinduism beyond India was the foundation of
the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, which promoted Hinduism in
the West by way of chanting “Hare Krishna” in public places while wearing saffron-
colored robes.

Section 2: Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures

1. Shruti scriptures are believed to have been revealed by the gods themselves in
ancient times, and involve the four Vedas. Rig Veda is the oldest, and comprises a
collection of a thousand hymns to different gods. Soma Veda was compiled around 9
BCE and is a collection of hymns chanted at soma sacrifices. The Yajur Veda is more
 prose-like, and instructs priests on how to properly perform sacrifices. Atharva
Veda has hymns for home use, as well as charms and spells for healing. There are
also the Upashinads, writings concerned with the cycle of rebirth.
2. Smriti scriptures are two epic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The
Mahabharata is about a war between two families, in which Krishna supports the
righteous family. The Ramayana is about Prince Rama, forced into exile, when the
evil Ravana kidnaps his wife and Rama must go on a quest to find her. He later
becomes king. Smriti also includes the Puranas.
3. The Bhagavad Gita, is a popular Hindu scripture about Arjuna, a member of the
righteous family in the Mahabharata. He is a member of the warrior caste and must
fight, but is also dedicated to non-violence, and he struggles with this contradiction.
4. The Puranas are a collection of stories about the three great Hindu gods, Brahma,
Vishnu, and Shiva, as well as stories and myths about the creation of the world.

Section 3: Beliefs and Practices

1. Brahman refers to the Absolute or Ultimate Reality, the singular life-force of the
universe, of which deities are just images of. It has no attributes, and is
transcendent. It cannot be understood by human senses or minds. Atman, referring
to one’s true self, is considered a part of the Brahman.
2. The three primary forms of Brahman are Brahma, the creator god, Vishnu, the
preserving god, and Shiva, the destroying god.
3. Hindus believe that life is cyclical; samsara, the reincarnation of souls, refers to the
physical death and rebirth in another body. Karma determines whether the next life
for a soul will be better or worse depending on its behaviour in its current life,
independent of any interference from a god that “judges” where they will be placed
in the next life. Howver, people can achieve liberation (“moksha”) from this cycle
through three paths, known as yoga: knowledge, good deeds, and devotion.
4. Brahmins are priests, the highest caste, coming from families considered wise and
pure. Kshatriyas, second, are warriors, helping protect and rule society; Vaishya, the
third group, are farmers and merchants. Shudra, the lowest caste, are servants to
upper castes, but are not allowed to study scripture like the other levels. There are
also asprishya (untouchables), below the system, who are degraded in society with
jobs like sanitation, and are believed to have been vile in previous lives.
5. Brahmancarin, when the student learns about Hindu tradition; Grihastha, when he
is a householder; Vanaprastha, when he moves away from ordinary life to reflect;
Sannyasin, spiritual pilgrimage in which all previous life practices are abandoned in
pursuit of moksha.
6. Dharma, one’s duties in life; Artha, the pursuit of wealth; Kama, the pursuit of
pleasure; Moksha, the pursuit of liberation.
Section 4: Sacred Time

1. Hindus adjust by adding an extra month to compensate for the 11 missed days, and
name it after either the preceding or following month.
2. Diwali, the festival of Lights, celebrates the return of Rama to his kingdom and is
often regarded as a “new year” celebration. Lamps are lit to guide him home and
symbolize breaking through evil; people decorate their homes with colourful lights;
fireworks are sometimes set off to ward off evil, and effigies of evil spirits are
sometimes burned. There are also special foods and clothes. Holi is a festival
celebrating the love of Krishna and Radha, in which people prank each other and
throw coloured powder on each other.
3. Name-giving, taking place 3-6 weeks after birth, is when the infant is welcomed into
the Hindu community and given a name, usually after a god or goddess. This is also
celebrated by Hinduism converts. Ear-piercing is when either a boy or a girl has
their ears pierced, and gold earrings are inserted.

Section 5: Sacred Places and Sacred Spaces

1. Hindus consider all to be sacred as Brahman, the universe, is present in all of

creation.
2. A home puja, or worship, is done surrounding a small shrine to a god in the home,
containing a murti (image of the god) and possibly flowers or fruit. It can be done
individually or collectively, and is often led by women. It involves inviting the deity
into the home, by way of prayers, offerings, etc.
3. A temple puja is different in that while home pujas may be collective, temple pujas
are primarily performed by the Brahmin with minimal participation from the
attendees.
4. The Ganges River is considered the most sacred place of all because it is a symbol
for life without end, since it flows continuously. Here, Hindus perform ritual bathing,
have their ashes scattered into the river, worship at temples located along its banks,
and participate in a festival every twelve years called Kubach.

Section 6: Hinduism through a Catholic Lens

1. One area of human dignity Hindus focus on is social issues, such as poverty and lack
of basic human necessities like water. These issues plague India due to the caste
system and a fragile national economy.
2. Some Hindus believe that Jesus once studied Hinduism; that Jesus was a yogi, who
lived a disciplined life; that he is an avatar like Rama or Krishna.
3. Both Hindus and Catholics believe that Jesus’s virtues of love, compassion, kindness,
etc. are all ones we should strive to practice, and that he was “pure of heart”.
4. Religious imagery can be used to tell a religious story, inspire and instruct, or as an
object of veneration.