Effects of Invasion on Hinduism

1. This week’s meeting, Effects of Invasions on Hinduism, focused on the history and the changes that Hinduism went through.  Hinduism is said to have began when the Aryans invaded the Indus River Valley civilization.  The Aryan’s invasion into the Valley marked the beginning of the Vedic culture and the foundation of Hinduism.  There has been a lot of debate of how the Aryans really affected Hinduism and whether or not they invaded the area. However, over the years, what we know as India today, was under the rule of two major empires- the Mughals and the British.  
   
   
2. Under the Mughal Empire, Hinduism went through periods where Mughal rulers were both tolerant and intolerant of the religion. Notable, tolerant rulers were Akbar and Babur. Both welcomed Hindus to practice their religion within the reign of the Mughal Empire. Babur took additional steps to protect the cows - considered sacred in Hinduism - and allowed the construction of new temples. During Akbar’s ruling years, he abolished the pilgrimage tax and allowed Hindus to conduct their pilgrimages fully. Aurangzeb, the last ruler of the Mughal Empire in India, was known to be very intolerant. He put the Sharia Law into effect and ended the policy of religious tolerance. Additionally, he ordered the destruction of Hindu temples and reinstated the tax. Persian influence can been seen in language and architecture of temple structures.
   
   
3. Under the British Empire, many Hindus experienced religious discrimination. They were not able to practice their religion freely once Christian missionaries and scholars began to come to India to “westernize” the country through religion.  Tension between Hindus and the British increased when the Hindus found out the British forced them to use cow grease for rifle bullets.  Also, the role of technology which disrupted the Indian- Hindus’ traditional, slow paced culture and economy added to the tension.  Furthermore, the British rule created increasing tension between the Indian- Hindu’s and Indian Muslims; which, is still a prevailing issue now.  However, all these cases gave the push for India to fight for Independence.  Ramakrishna and Gandhi are famous reformers who used Hindu teachings and knowledge to fight for Independence for India.
   
   
4. After independence, Hinduism started expanding westward.  Many Hindus Migrated to Great Britain and North America.  By the end of the millenium, Hindu communities were well established socially, economically and academically.  
   
   
5. From the research done for this meeting, it can be concluded that Hinduism can not be easily or uniformly characterized.  Challenges will cause for new developments; however, at the same time, practices and beliefs that have been there from the beginning are still maintained.  
   
   
6. Discussion questions :
1. What do you know about the development of Hinduism?  What factors influenced it?
2. Do you see these invasions as providing  a positive or a negative impact to Hinduism?
3. If there really was no Aryan invasion into the Indus River Valley, how do you think the Vedic culture came about?

Practicing Hinduism as a Student

Brahmacharya is the student stage of life. This stage is focused on learning the foundation of lifestyle and self-discipline. The word brahmacharya means both scholarship and celibacy. After his upanayan, or thread ceremony, the Hindu boy became a brahmachari: someone who would devote the rest of this ashram as a celibate scholar. The entire period of this stage of his life would be spent in an atmosphere of discipline, self-control and study. In other words, a brahmachari was not supposed to get distracted by anything that would stray him off path of fulfilling his dharma. At this point, his life was suppposed to be centered only around learning.

 In the old gurukul system, the brahmachari would stay with his guru.

In addition to the scriptures, the guru would initiate the scholar into the Hindu traditions and way of life. The student would learn in various ways.

The ancient mantras, the alphabet, the fundamentals of mathematics and other knowledge that was applicable to his caste.

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Compared to modern day Hinduism, we face some obstacles in trying to apply many of the concepts of the Brahmachaya Ashram. Lack of a regular access to a temple, Less guidance through rituals, Lack of a parental guidance, College Environment, Busy Schedules and Stereotypes. Some ways we discussed overcoming those obstacles include having some sort of physical statue or picture in your dorm or apartment, Set out time specifically for prayer and spiritual growth, even if its only 5 minutes, Remember your dharma, and Learn and grow spiritually so you can defend your faith if questioned.  

Discussion Questions:

Do you think that the ashrams were a social construct before a religious one? Do you think that it was written in the Vedas and then people started following it? 

What are some obstacles to practicing your faith that you have faced as a student in college? What have you done/are trying to do to overcome them?

Is it necessary to follow this timeline of four stages of life? Why or why not?

Gita Meeting

The Bhagavad Gita is arguably one of the most important and holy texts in Hinduism. Taking place upon the grand battleground, Kurukshetra, during the epic Mahabharat, right before the great battle between the Pandavas and their malevolent cousins, the Kauravas, the Gita details the conversation between a distraught Arjuna (one of the Pandavas) and his closest friend, Lord Krishna (an avatar of Brahman). Arjuna, lost and distressed at having to fight many of his family, teachers, and friends, asks God (in the form of Krishna), to explain why he must fight. The Bhagavad Gita follows Krishna's teachings to Arjuna.

Krishna illustrates Arjuna's dharma, or duty, that he must pursue in order to accomplish moksha, or enlightenment. He also teaches Arjuna various other paths to moksha.

·         Karma Yoga - The path to moksha through action. This path is pursued by following your duty as a citizen, your morality, and your personality, without the concern of the benefits or detriments of your action and devoting your action to Brahman. In other words, living your life without ego and attachment. In the case of Arjuna, his path was to fight as his dharma was to be a kshatriya, or a warrior. His personality was not fit to be an ascetic and he was a warrior, thus his duty dictated him to fight in the great Kurukshetra War.

·         Bhakti Yoga- The path to moksha through devotion. This path is pursued by devoting your mind, body, and soul to Brahman in whatever form you may perceive. Through following this path, the relationship is so strong that it oftentimes is akin to a human relationship, e.g.- the love between a mother and child, teacher and student, two lovers, husband and wife, etc. A follower of bhakti yoga would love a form of God so strongly that ego and attachment is lost. This is how moksha is attained through bhakti yoga.

• Jñāna Yoga- The path to moksha through knowledge. This path is pursued by devoting yourself to the learning and, more importantly, the understanding of spiritual knowledge. This knowledge is primarily of kshetra, or of the body, kshetra-jna, or of the soul, and being able to distinguish between the two. The follower of this path would attempt to learn this knowledge through spiritual guidance from spiritual Hindu texts and a guru, ostensibly one who has attained moksha and by understanding the physical world. The ability to see through the maya, or illusion, of this world is the most important quality.

These paths to achieving moksha all have a common theme of dharma. Dharma cannot be simply described as a person's duty because the term, spiritually, comprises a much deeper meaning. Dharma is not the same for every person, yet by following one's dharma, Krishna maintains that you attain moksha. The previous three yogas, or paths to moksha, are simply massive categories that your dharma can fall under. Hinduism does not prescribe a formula for people to attain moksha, as every person's persona and situation, in some way, differs from each others'. A current day and personal example would be this author's own mother who is a zealous devotee of the popular saint, Sai Baba. She views Sai Baba as her teacher and guide through her life and often talks to him, definitely an example of bhakti yoga. Not only this, but she studies his life through various biographies and writings of Sai Baba and attempts to implement his teachings as personally as possible. This is a prominent example of jñāna yoga. Finally, she maintains all of her dharma as a mother of two children and provides, cares, and protects them. That is a final example of karma yoga. Obviously, she does not stringently follow any one yoga, but follows her own mixture that has been dictated by her personality, attributes, and situation.

Hinduism does not and cannot tell you what your dharma is and how to accomplish completing your dharma, but it can help guide you to moksha, and, in the end, that is what the Bhagavad Gita tells us.

Symbols in Hinduism

Symbolism plays a great role in Hinduism. In fact they are the signs that represent the Infinite which would be incomprehensible to the common people. Imagine doing mathematics without the help of numeral signs for numbers. In Hinduism, the symbols also bring intimacy of the Supreme God to the common people as a personal God. There are so any symbols, to name a few: Shiva Lingam, Swastika, Bindi/Tilak, Janeu/Poonal, Trishula, Tantra etc etc. 

The prime symbol of worship representing God (The word "shiva lingam" translates to symbol of the Perfect God) for Shaivites. (In fact the name itself means symbol). This is broad in the middle and conical towards the top. This is the form of flame. In Shaivite philosophy the God is formless. Due to the Grace on the souls for the easy comprehension of the Divine and liberation the God appeared in the form of a Flame. This flame is what is worshiped as lingam in stone and other forms that make the worship easier. This is considered more sacred than form worship by Shaivites. 

n Hinduism, the lotus (Sanskrit: padma) primarily represents beauty and non-attachment. The lotus is rooted in the mud but floats on the water without becoming wet or muddy. This symbolizes how how one should live in the world in order to gain release from rebirth: withoutattachment to one's surroundings.

"One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water."
-- Bhagavad Gita 5.10

A similar meaning is given to the lotus symbol in Buddhism. 

The lotus is associated with several Hindu deities. Krishna is described as the "Lotus-Eyed One," referring to his divine beauty. Brahma and Lakshmi, the deities of potence and wealth, are often seen with the lotus symbol. Other deities associated with the lotus include Vishnu and Sarasvati.

Finally, the lotus is also a symbol for the centers of consciousness(chakras) in the body.

A yantra is a geometrical diagram representing the universe. It is used in Hindu worship and meditation, especially in Tantrism. A yantra is quite similar to a mandala. but a yantra is different in that it can be a three-dimensional object of worship as well as a two-dimensional diagram.

LIke the mandala, the yantra symbolizes cosmogenic development, from the absolute in the center to the material world at the edges. Yantras often have a seed mantra inscribed on them, and they are considered the verbal equivalent of a mantra.

Social Issues and Hinduism

Karma and Legal System

- Why do we have criminal justice system in India even though the prevailing belief is that Karma is believed to give the ultimate consequence?

Is karma alone perfect? Can it create a reinforcing cycle that is difficult to get out of?

·         There are many similarities and differences between these two systems. Here are a few examples:

Repercussions

LS – third party sets and imposes consequences

K – nature of cause and effect

 Accountability

 LS – possibly escapable (must be proven guilty)

 K – inevitable reaction to cause, inescapable

“Laws”

 LS – indicate what is wrong

 K – no strict definition for right or wrong

 Focus

 LS – punishment, emphasis on action versus purpose

 K – punishment and reward, emphasis on purpose versus action

 Scope

 LS – inextricably tied to the act

 K – always independent of actions

·         How does the legal system reconcile with karma?

- Does this in essence provide a compounded punishment to the guilty?

- Does the one providing the punishment via the legal system get punished himself by placing the life of someone else in his hands?

Evolution of Sexuality

Sexuality has become so prevalent in media, but there is still little communication about this in the home environment.

Early India:

·        Shiv Lingum

·        Temple architecture

·        Gods viewed as sexual (for ex: Kunti and her sons, Radha-Krishna, Apsaras in heaven, Shiva-Parvati)

   

  Modern India:

·        Influence in Bollywood, especially during love songs

·        Conservative dress in temples

·        Discrepancy between conservative beliefs and practice

o   How did this shift occur?

·        Conservative Mughal and  British Empires influenced Indian beliefs

·        Early India: No contraception/birth control, later puberty, earlier marriages since no school -> people wanted to wait until marriage to have children so that they could have a stable support system

·        Modern India: Presence of contraception/birth control, earlier puberty, later marriage due to extensive schooling (high school –> college -> graduate school -> career) -> less people willing to wait until marriage to have sex

·         Why is there still a discrepancy between how our religion and society have evolved?

Movie Night

Hindu philosophy is one that developed over time from a study of the human experience by those we call Rishis. Because this experience is universal, so are the conclusions drawn from it within Hindu Philosophy. As such, we see many concepts prominent in Hinduism make their way into expressions of other cultures. During this meeting we examined two such examples- the idea of Karma Yoga in The Dark Knight and the idea of Maya in The Matrix.

                The goal of Karma Yoga is the destruction of ego so that one may obtain realization. Karma Yoga teaches us to act without ego or personal preference, and to do so without attachment to the fruits of our action. In Batman we see many of these characteristics at play. He remains anonymous throughout the movies, showing that he has dedicated himself to the ideal of justice and does not care for any recognition- he has given up his ego and acts purely in service of an ideal. He is an imperfect example at times, for example when he chooses to save Rachel instead of Harvey Dent, but at the end of the movie he is willing to completely surrender his identity as a superhero and take on the role of a villain just so that Gotham may have hope in its future. This final action represents the most karma-yogic action of all in the movie.

                In the Matrix, we see the theory of Maya come into play through the idea that the world around us that we perceive to be real may actually not be. Rather, according to the Advaita philosophy, this world is one form of reality that is less real than the ultimate reality- Brahman. Through our own flawed perception we believe this world is all that exists when in fact Brahman is the foundation of this very world. We come to know the nature of Brahman through 3 methods: perception of him through knowledge (symbolized in the red pill Morpheus offers Neo), through a reliable witness (Morpheus), or through logic. Using these methods we come to see Brahman as defined by 3 attributes: existence, consciousness, and bliss. From these 3 characteristics comes the name satchidananda, a common name used for Brahman.

Can you make any connections between Batman and Karma Yoga?

DQ#2:

●What does “less real” mean to you? Is it possible for there to be degrees of reality, or is something either real or an illusion?

Different Sects & Drawing Lines in Hinduism

Hinduism is not a single bodied entity; rather, it is comprised of many, heterogeneous individuals, each of whom possess their own outlook towards their faith. We can categorise Hinduism into four distinct major sects, namely Vaishnavism (followers of Lord Vishnu), Shaivism (followers of Lord Shiva), Shaktism (followers of the Goddess Shakti), and Smartism (followers of Brahman). This is not to say that each and every Hindu belief falls under these categories; rather, these four encompass the majority of traditional Hindu followers. Other sects such as Arya Samaj, for example, have similar doctrines but differ in their own ways.

This in turn leads us to question the basic philosophies upon which Hinduism is based. Nine major schools of thought have been identified, six of them labeled "Astika" and the other three "Nastika". It must be noted that there exists no such one to one correspondence between sects and schools of thought. More often than not, many different philosophies can be applied to individual sects and individuals. By definition, the Astikaschools hold stock in the Vedas as the ultimate scriptures while the Nastika three do not. The three Nastika schools include Buddhism, Jainism, and Charvaka. Classified as separate religions by many, this begs the question:

How does one draw the line between Hinduism and other faiths? Perhaps with belief in the Vedas as the ultimate scriptures?

If there are so many varieties of Hindu beliefs, what does it truly mean to be Hindu?