Religious Studies
Terms
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- Indus Valley Civilization
- Indus Valley Civilization 2770-1500 BCE Present day Pakistan Bathing and Purification? Ritual Cleanliness=GOOD Proto Shiva/Ascetic Figure Yoga? Focus on fertility and the Goddess
- Vedic Tradition
- 1750/1500-600 BCE Religion of Aryas/Indo Europeans Vedic Pantheon - Agni, Indra, Vac, Soma, Fire Sacrifice
- o Agni, the god of fire, was seen as a messenger between human beings and the deities, offerings were put in the fire to be carried to other worlds.
- Fire Sacrifice
- Agni
- o He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods.
- Vedas
- o Sanskirt for ‘knowlegde’ o Vedic seers (rishis) ‘saw’ the mantras and transmitted them to their disciples, starting an oral tradition that is carried on today
- Soma
- o An intoxicating drink used in rituals extracted from plants
- Upanishads
- o ‘sitting near [the teacher]’ o Scriptures that contain philosophical works that constitutes the core teachings of the Vedanta.
- ⬢ Vedanta
- o ‘the end of all knowledge’ o Is a spiritual tradition explained in the Upanishads that is concerned with the self-realization by which one understands the ultimate nature of reality. (Brahman)
- • atman/ “The Selfâ€
- o A philosophical term used within Hinduism and Vedanta to identify the soul. It is one’s true self beyond identification with the phenomenal reality of worldly existence.
- Brahman
- The world soul
- brahmin
- member of priestly class
- jati
- communities and subcommunities of india
- varna
- 4 castes brahmins kshatriya vaishya shudra
- shruti
- o ‘What is heard’, the sacred literature of the Vedic and Upanishadic periods
- ⬢ smrti
- o ‘What is remembered’, a body of ancient Hindu literature, including the epics, Puranas, and law codes
- dharma
- o religious and social duty, including both righteousness and faith
- ⬢ Laws of Manu
- o Attributed to the primordial man that Vishnu saved from the flood
- ⬢ samsara
- continuing cycle of rebirths
- karma
- action, good or bad, as it is believed to determine the quality of rebirth in a future life
- ashrama
- 4 stages of life of upper class male 1 student 2 householder 3 forest dweller 4 ascetic
- shankara
- reality is non dual the only reality is brahman and this reality is indescribable without attributes
- ramanuja
- proclaims the supremacy of Vishnu and that devotion will lead to ultimate liberation
- yoga
- a practice or discipline that may involve a philosophical system and phyisical postures and exercises
- samnyasin
- a religious ascetic one who as reached 4th stage of hindu life
- bhakti
- loving devotion to the deity seen as a gracious being who enters the world to benefit human beings
- bhajan
- type of Indian devotional song often simple and lyrical expressing love for the deity
- sadhu
- a holy man
- sadhvi
- ascetic practioner of yoga who has given up the 1st three pursuits of hindu life 1 karma 2 artha 3 dharma
- puja
- ritual household worship of the deity involving oil lamps, incense, prayer food offerings
- darshana
- sanskrit meaning sight used for visions of the divine
- prasada
- a gift from the deity especially food that has been presented to the god's temple image blessed then returned to the devotee
- navarati
- nine nights autumn festival of the goddess
- lotan baba
- indian holy man who has rolled 30000km to promote peace
- vaishno devi, jammu and kashmir
- one of the holiest hindu temples dedicated to shakti located in the hill of vaishno devi, jammu and kashmir, india
- ramayana
- epic recounting life of lord rama, an incarnation of vishnu
- Mahabhrata
- very long epic poem, one section is Bhagavad Gita
- Bhagavad Gita
- section of Mahabhrata recounting converstaion between krishna and arjuna about nature of god and human soul
- puranas
- old tales stories of deities that became important after vedic period
- shiva
- ascetic husband/father & creator/destroyer followers shaivas
- ganesha
- elephant headed son of shiva and parvati remover of obstacles
- vishnu
- followers-vaishnavas avataras - descents/incarnations krishna and rama
- avatara
- descent/incarnation of deity in earthly form
- rama
- incarnation of vishnu
- krishna
- avatar of vishnu young boy playing flute
- devi
- the goddess supreme being
- sitala mala
- goddess of smallpox
- hindutva
- movements advocating hindu nationalism
- mahatma gandhi
- satyagraha(truth) and ahimsa (nonviolence) champion of untouchables
- harijans
- untouchables 'children of god'
- Ram Mohan Roy
- father of modern hinduism founder of Brahmo Samaj
- vivekananda
- missionary to west 1893 parliament of the world's religions in chicago
- jainism
- all life is considered worthy of respect and emphasis of quality of all life
- mahavira
- established cental tenets of jainism 24th and last tirthankara
- tirthankara
- fordmaker human who achieves enlightenment through asceticism
- ahimsa
- sanskrit nonviolence
- sallekhana
- jain religious tradition of voluntary death by fasting