Ancient India: Aryan Civilization And The Foundations Of Hinduism

Ancient India Aryan Civilization and the Foundations of Hinduism

The Indo-Europeans

The Aryans • Arya - noble • They wanted land for their cattle • Their word for war simply meant, “a desire for more cows”

Early Aryan Government • Aryan society ruled by powerful chiefs, rajahs – Skilled warrior – Elected by fellow warriors

• Rajahs fought for control of the Gangetic Plain

Aryans Migrate into India

The Vedas  Collection of hymns, chants and rituals  Oldest sacred text of Hinduism  Memorized by brahmins, or priests

The Vedas are divided into: • 1. The Mantras, or Hymns. • 2. The Brahmanas, or manuals of ritual, prayer and incantation for the priests • 3. The Aryanyaka, or “forest-texts” for hermit saints • 4. The Upanishads, or confidential conferences for philosophers

Early Vedic Age (1500 - 1000 B.C.E)

• Religion in the making • Earliest gods of the Vedas were forces of nature • Emphasis on sacrifices for material gains

Later Vedic Age (1000 - 800 B.C.)

• Caste system is established – Myth of Purusha

• Brahmins emerge very powerful • Technical expertise in performing ritual

The Classical Period (800-200 B.C.)

• die Achsenzeit – the “Axial Age” • 250 Upanishads composed during this period • Reject simple worship of the RigVeda

How many main gods to Hindus worship? a. One b. Three c. Sixty-seven

Meet the Trimurti Three manifestations of Brahman

Brahman • The most absolute reality • It is a concept – a divine force that sustains all

The Creator God

BRAHMA

Vishnu  The

Preserver God  Nine Avatars of Vishnu - Sent down to protect earth - Rama & Krishna

Shiva  The

Destroyer God  His Third Eye  Fearsome, yet a protector

Ganesha Remover of Obstacles, God of Success

Hinduism Important Texts

Mahabharata • The Pandavas & the Kauravas • Bhagavad-Gita – Prince Arjuna’s lesson: Duty over Personal Desires – Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu) teaches Arjuna about: • Importance of Duty • The Human Soul

Upanishads • Part Four of the Vedas – Upa – near – Shat – to sit

• Reject the simple worship of the other Vedas • Address mystical questions: “Whence are we born, where do we live, and wither do we go?

Upanishads • Reaction to the Brahmin Period • Sets forth important Hindu doctrines of: – Atman – Samsara – Karma and reincarnation – Yoga and meditation

Upanishads • First lesson is on the inadequacy of the intellect. • “Not by learning is the Atman (or Soul of the World) attained, not by genius and much knowledge of books… Let a Brahmin renounce learning and become as a child… Let him not seek after many words, for that is mere weariness of tongue.” –

Katha Upanishad

Atman Ultimate reality inside each person

• Your mind, body & emotions are illusions • In order to achieve your Atman you must release yourself form illusions. • Goal: Clean one’s “chimney”

Samsara The wheel of life • All of life is cyclical • Soul is trapped in the cycle of life & death • Reincarnation of the soul first discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita

Karma The law of moral causation

Cause & Effect “As a man sows, so shall he reap.”

• Karma determines our location • No such thing as an accident, no such thing as luck • Not a system of divine reward/ punishment

Moksha Total Release

• Liberation from Samsara • You must wash away bad karma to achieve Moksha • How?

The Caste System The myth of Purusha The mouth?

Kshatriyas

The arms? The legs? The feet?

Vaishyas Shudras

Brahmins

Aryan Social Structure

How to achieve MOKSHA?

The Four Yogic Paths

Path of Knowledge

JNANA YOGA

Jnana Yoga The Way to God Through Knowledge

• Goal: to discriminate between one’s self and Self. • Three steps: – Listening – Thinking – Think of one’s self in the 3rd person.

• “There goes Sybil walking down the street…”

Path of Love

BHAKTI YOGA

Bhakti Yoga The Way to God Through Love • Goal: to direct one’s love toward God • Steps: – Must insist on God’s otherness – Bhakta strives to adore God, not identify with God

• Japam – the practice of repeating God’s name • Ishta – the worship of one incarnation of God

Path of Action

KARMA YOGA

Karma Yoga The Way to God Through Action

• Goal: selfless action • Actions performed as service to God • “He who performs his task dictated by duty, caring nothing for the fruit of the action, he is a yogi.” – Bhagavad-Gita

The Royal Path: Body and Mind

RAJA YOGA

Raja Yoga The Way to God Through Psychophysical Exercises

Goal: to experience the “Being” within

The Four Layers • • • •

1. Body 2. Conscious layer of our mind 3. Individual subconscious 4. Being itself – infinite, unthwarted, eternal

The Eight Steps • 1. Five abstentions – Injury, lying, stealing, sensuality & greed

• 2. Five observances – Cleanliness, contentment, self-control, studiousness, & contemplation of the divine

• 3. Perfect the Lotus position • 4. Breathing exercises

The Eight Steps • 5. Develop concentration skills • 6. Still the mind focus on an object “When all the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not – that, say the wise, is the highest state.” - Katha Upanishad

The Eight Steps • 7. Loss of self-awareness • 8. Object vanishes, confront the infinite