Religion assignment
jennyswufe
WR1BHinduismlecture1rewritten2017.pptx“Hinduism” sanatana dharma
Leon Robinson, University of Glasgow
An experience of sound:
Hindus place great importance on sound (see e.g. Beck (2009) “Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound (Studies in Comparative Religion) and Corlett (1980) “The Hindu Sound”)
The sacred syllable “OM” (also rendered “AUM”) is not a word, but an evocation in sound of the nature of the universe: it comes into being, exists, then passes out of being. This is the nature of everything.
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The sacred syllable AUM is the sound with which the universe is brought into being (see Mandukya Upanishad: AUM, the word, is all this, the whole universe. A clear explanation of it is as follows: All that is past, present and future is, indeed, AUM. And whatever else there is, beyond the threefold division of time—that also is truly AUM.)
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Samsara – the cycle of birth, death, rebirth and re-death determined by the law of karma
The pattern of existence, coming into being, existing, then passing out of existence, is shared by all things in the cycle called samsara. The three stages, echoed in the three dynamic qualities of the deities, are creation, preservation, and destruction.
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Shiva, usually characterised as “the destroyer”, is one of the countless thousands of images of deity in “Hinduism”. To his worshippers, his qualities encompass all aspects of divinity, including creation, salvation and preservation, not simply “destruction”.
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The goddess in all her forms, is widely worshipped. Here she is seen in her form as Durga, Mahadevi. Do not be misled by western commentators who focus too readily n the masculine dimension of deities in India – nor by the inter-textual continuation of this misrepresentation.
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Hindu worship is primarily in the home, where a shrine can usually be found. This can be anything from a small image e.g. in the kitchen, to a whole dedicated room for worship.
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Processes of Religious development in India UNDERSTAND THESE!
Eclecticism –
Absorption –
Accretion –
Syncretism –
Assimilation –
Eclecticism is “a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases”.
Accretion is ”the process of new layers or matter being slowly added to something”.
Syncretism: “the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought”.
Cultural assimilation is an intense process of consistent integration when members of an ethno-cultural group, typically immigrants, or other minority groups, are "absorbed" into an established, generally larger community.
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A model of origins: The tree or the river?
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Just as a river has many tributaries, and a tree has many branches, Hinduism comes from many different sources, and is expressed in many different ways. It is not a single tradition.
Many sources: Vedas, Indus Valley Civilization, Puranas from Villages, Upanishads, Agamas, Tantra…
There is a bewildering number of sources that Hindu tradition draws upon, leading to a rich and complex culture which is unified (if at all) by shared notions of righteous behaviour (orthopraxy) rather than any fixed ideas about what dogma people should believe in (orthodoxy).
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Three traditions…
The Vedic tradition (religion of the Aryans)
The Harappan tradition
The (other) indigenous tribal traditions including Tantric traditions, and the Dravidian cultures of the South (see Agamas)
India is Huge!
And it’s DIVERSE!
The Indus Valley Civilisation: The City of Mohenjo Daro
Take a look at the sophistication of early Indian civilisation. Useful short overview at http://www.importantindia.com/8964/harappan-civilization-religion-indus-valley-religion/
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The Indus Valley Civilisation between 2600 and 1900 BCE (computer reconstruction) See http:// www.harappa.com
Meanwhile around the World…
Archaeologists believe Egypt's large pyramids are the work of the Old Kingdom society that rose to prominence in the Nile Valley after 3000 B.C. Historical analysis tells us that the Egyptians built the Giza Pyramids in a span of 85 years between 2589 and 2504 BC.
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The “proto-Siva”
There is widespread conjecture that elements of the Indus valley Civilization’s religion included what can now be recognised as the cult of Shiva. Scholars differ on this. A useful short summary can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashupati_seal
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Goddess worship in IVC?
Figures such as this from Harappa have been interpreted as evidence of goddess worship, which is a major element of Hinduism to the present day.
Widely disputed – see Hindu perspective at http://www.hinduwebsite.com/history/indus.asp
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IVC rhino figurines
Kenyan boy with his toy rhino (rescued from slum fire, Nairobi 2004)
Plastic toy rhinos from “Animal World”
Mythic origins in “Aryan” texts (9th century CE!)
Churning the Ocean of Milk – before the beginning of the world, the gods and the “anti-gods” (asuras) co-operated to churn the ocean of milk and produce the wonders of the world.
(this story is found in the Bhagavata Purana – composed in the 9th century CE!)
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Origins: 8000 years BCE?
The last ice age is coming to an end.
Human culture is about to begin.
People have no written language, know nothing of metals.
They work with stone and bone.
Hymn to the Dawn: Creating light for the whole universe, Dawn has opened up the darkness - Her brilliant flame has become visible once more; she spreads herself out, driving back the formless black abyss… anointing and adorning it with coloured ornaments, so the daughter of the sky sets up her many-coloured light. Smiling like a lover, she awakens us to happiness… (Rig Veda HYMN LXIV: Dawn)
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Social Transition in the rich & varied contexts of India
The varied geography and diverse fauna of India are reflected in the sacred symbolism of Hinduism – the extraordinary beauty, power, intelligence and danger of the living world all find their corollaries in images of deity.
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Eclecticism, Absorption, Transformation…
Stories are re-imagined, images are continually produced to reflect the ancient beliefs, while articulating contemporary cultures.
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The Golden Embryo - Hiranyagarbha –Rig Veda 10.121
In the beginning the Golden Embryo arose.
Once he was born, he was the one lord of Creation.
He held in place the earth and this sky. Who is the god whom we should worship…?
He who gives life, who gives strength, whose command all the gods, his own, obey; his shadow is immortality - and death. Who is the god whom we should worship…?
He who by his greatness became the one king of the world that breathes and blinks, who rules over all his creatures - who is the god whom we should worship…?
He who through his power owns the snowy mountains, and the ocean together with rivers… who has the quarters of sky as his two arms - who is the god whom we should worship…?
He by whom the awesome sky and the earth were made firm, … who measured out this middle realm of space - who is the god whom we should worship…?
He whom two opposed masses looked with trembling in their hearts, supported by his help, on whom the rising sun shines down - who is the god whom we should worship…?
When the high waters came, pregnant with the embryo that is everything, and brought forth fire, he arose from that as one life's breath of gods. Who is the god whom we should worship…?
He who in his greatness looked over the waters, which were pregnant with Daksha, bringing forth the sacrifice, he who was the one god among all gods - who is the god whom we should worship…?
Let him not harm us, he who fathered the earth and created the sky, whose laws are true, who created the high shining waters. Who is the god whom we should worship…?
O' Prajaapathi, lord of progeny, no one but you embraces all creatures.
Grant us the desires for which we offer you worship and oblations.
Let us be lords of riches.
The hymn of the Golden Embryo evokes the mystery at the heart of existence – repeatedly asking the question “whom should we worship?”
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The Vedic Religion
The religion of the Aryans, known as the Vedic Religion after the sacred scriptures the Vedas, will be the subject of the second lecture in this series.
