1. HINDUISM: A FAMILY OF BELIEFS WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?

2. Google Earth

3. Vedic Religion AN “-ISM” ? ? ? Prior to the British Period, there was no term “Hinduism.” Ṣ aktism Local Religions Ṣ aivism Vaishnav ism

5. BEFORE 2000 BCE: INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION - VEDIC? – PRE-VEDIC? Religious practices: Ritual bathing/purity, sacrifice, fertility rites (Much like the rest of the ancient world) Beliefs: ? ? ?? ? ? The Great Bath at Mohenjo Daro Harapa.com

7. 1500-500 BCE: Vedic Period “Vedic Religion” – based on sacrificial meals shared with many gods of cosmological realms: earth, atmosphere, sky. Communicate with Gods through fire sacrifices. Sacred Space: Outdoor fire altar Sacred Literature: The Vedas Reciprocal relationship of duties between humans and Gods. Two theories on the “Aryan Synthesis” Aryans migrated into the Indus Valley and into the Sub-continent as the dominant cultural force. “Vedic Religion” (Based on the Vedas) = Aryan religion + Indigenous religious of southern India Aryan culture is a development of Indus Valley Culture, so the Indus Valley culture was already Aryan or Vedic Aryan Synthesis Theory is rooted in Linguistic evidence. Northern Indian Languages: Indo- European Southern Indian Languages: Dravidian * The history of these cultural and linguistic groups is complex. Cannot be reduced to a simple “invasion” model. *

8. MAJOR TEXTS: Ṣ RUTI “THAT WHICH IS HEARD” Vedas (c. 1500 BCE) – sacred wisdom revealed to rishis Samhitas Rigveda Samaveda Yajurveda 4 th Veda: Atharvaveda (c. 900 BCE) Brahman: Brahman performing a Hindu ritual in Kerala, India. Photograph. Britannica Online for Kids. Web.16 June 2014..http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-178329

9. 500 BCE – 500 CE: THE PURANIC / UPANISHADIC/ “AXIS” AGE ( Buddha dies c. 400 BCE) Major philosophical developments: Tendency toward universalism Idea of dharma becomes well-articulated in the Sutras and Shastras Minimization of Vedic fire sacrifice... development of more individual devotional worship (puja) to images in temples. 3 main traditions develop: Vaishnavism (Vishnu), Shaivism (Shiva), Shaktism (Prakriti – Nature aspect of Brahman)

10. MAJOR TEXTS: SM Ṛ TI “THAT WHICH IS REMEMBERED” Dharmic Texts Grammatical Texts Epics and Puranas Mahabharata (c. 500 – 100 BCE) Bhagavad-Gita Ramayana Bhagavad Gita Online, http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/the-bhagavad-gita-in-pictures/gita-104/

11. MAJOR TEXTS: THE UPANISHADS (12 TOTAL) Primarily philosophical texts intended to communicate the true nature of reality to anyone willing to become a student Written in poetic & dialogue format... For example: 1. “These rivers, my son, run, the eastern toward the east, the western toward the west. They go from sea to sea. They become indeed sea. And as those rivers, when they are in the sea, do not know, I am this or that river, 2.“In the same manner, my son, all these creatures, when they have come back from the True, know not that they have come back from the True. Whatever these creatures are here, whether a lion, or a wolf, or a boar, or a worm, or a midge, or a gnat, or a mosquito, that they become again and again. 3.“That which is that subtle essence, in it all that exists has its self. It is the True. It is the Self, and you, O Svetaketu, are that.” Chandogya Upanishad, “Section X,” Sophia Project, www.sophiaomni.org

12. Social Organization: Politics, Community, Family, Status, Caste, access to power & authority Cosmology/ “Essence” Theories of Universe & Reality Views of Self & Human Life: Virtue, Vice, Gender, Destiny, Purpose

13. 500 CE – 1500 CE: THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD Rise of Bhakti Regional kingdoms with their own, state- sponsored religious traditions (e.g. Shaivism or Vaishnavism) Building of the great temples Vernacular poetry New theological developments preached by important gurus Dravida Style Thanjavur Temple Tamil Nadu, India

14. 1947 – PRESENT: INDEPENDENT INDIA Partition between India & Pakistan in 1947 Issues: lack of Muslim representation in government; “Hindutva” Ideology Hindu Diaspora; practicing Hindus around the world, Hindu Gurus in the West; Transcendental Meditation – The Beatles! Mahesh Prasad Varma Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 1918-2008

15. 1757 – 1947: BRITISH PERIOD Mughal empire falls to the British Christian missionaries arrive Cultural westernization Beginning of “Indology” as a field of study Hindu reformers, Indian Nationalism, “Hindutva” “Hinduness” as a socio- political force – against others, uniting Indians (But not all Indians are “Hindu”!) Mohandas Ghandi Biography.com

16. THEORIES OF REALITY AND THE DIVINE Brahman Advaita/Dvaita Karma Maya Samsara Saguna Nirguna Baby Krishna Eating Butter Wikimedia Commons

17. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN IN HINDUISM? “O SVETAKETU, THOU ART THAT.” - CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD 6.8.7 Image by Maheash Nelanka https://www.flickr.com/phot os/maheash- nelanka/3647001883/

18. THEORIES OF SELF Atman Varna Ashram Dharma Reincarnation Moksha

19. REJECTIONS OF VEDIC RELIGION: TWO OTHER DHARMIC RELIGIONS Buddhism 5 th c. BCE Siddhartha Gautama “The Buddha” “Middle Way” between Excess and Asceticism Lay people and Monks Jainism 7 th -5 th c. BCE Primarily ascetic Principle of ahimsa Earliest known teacher: Parshvanatha Emphasis on monks Jainism: statue of Mahavira. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 2 Feb. 2015

20. 1500 – 1757: PRE-MODERN PERIOD Rise of Islam in the north Turks and Mughals Emergence of two different strands of bhakti: nirguna and saguna “Sant” tradition in the north emerges; influence of Islam on Hindu poets Gita Govinda Manuscript c. 1550