Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

rpe > hindu beliefs > Flashcards

hindu beliefs Flashcards

1
Q

who is brahman?

A
  • the supreme being
  • considered to be beyond human understanding and the source of all life
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is saguna brahman?

A

the idea that god has form and can be pictured
- different images give the supreme being form and personality
- deities and their murtis make brahman visible in the everyday lives of hindus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what is nirguna brahman? + quote

A

the idea that god has no form or shape - a spiritual presence only
- “he moves and he moves not. he is far and he is near. he is within all and outside all”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is bhagavan?

A

the supreme being existing in the world of deities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is the significance of the om symbol?

A
  • the main symbol of brahman
  • considered to be the sound at the start of all creation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what is antaryami?

A

the supreme being existing in the heart of all beings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what is the vaikuntha?

A

the spiritual realm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what are three different ways in which hindus think of god?

A
  • existing everywhere as a non-personal god, called brahman
  • being within the heart of everyone (antaryami)
  • as a personal god called bhagavan and approached through many deities living in the spiritual realm (vaikuntha)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what is the tri-murti?

A

they mirror the three main aspects of god
- brahma - thr creator
- vishnu - the preserver
- shiva - the destroyer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are the hindu beliefs about brahma?

A
  • the deity responsible for creation; others believe that vishnu was responsible for creating universes and created brahma to continue his work
  • created “space and light, air and fire and water… rain and all herbs that grow upon earth”
  • “brahma was the creator of all. from him comes all life”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what are the features of brahma?

A
  • born sitting on a lotus flower - symbol of purity
  • four heads - looks everywhere
  • holds the vedas which guide him
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

who is saraswati?

A
  • she is the goddess of music, knowledge, art and learning
  • the consort of brahma
  • pictured riding on a swan - spiritual perfection
  • the vedas are thought to be her children
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the hindu beliefs about vishnu?

A
  • seen as the preserver and sustainer of the universe
  • worshipped through his avatars - the human forms in which he appears on earth
  • “whenever there appears a decline of righteousness… i send myself to birth”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what are the features of vishnu?

A
  • he represents the soul of the entire universe
  • power to prevent suffering and restore order
  • gave birth to brahma
  • enters the heart of every living being
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is vaishnavism?

A
  • followers of vishnu - they all aim to serve vishnu
  • they concentrate on the concept of bhakti
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what are two stories demonstrating vishnu’s power?

A
  • the three strides: bali offered his head for vishnu’s foot to rest on
  • prahlada: vishnu saved prahlada from his father and rewarded his devotion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

who is shiva?

A

the god in charge of destruction, and recreating afterwards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what are the features of shiva?

A
  • third eye - symbolises spiritual knowledge and power and can annihilate evil
  • blue neck and body - he drank poison meant for the world and saved it from destruction
  • nandi the bull - bull symbolises courage and shows shiva’s calm and gentle aspects
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is shaivism?

A
  • followers of shiva
  • ascetics seeking liberation
  • they believe the atman and brahman are the same
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what do hindus believe about how many deities there are?

A
  • there are hundreds of hindu deities, each showing different aspects of god
  • but there is only one supreme being
  • hindus usually favour one particular god but recognise the others
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

who is lakshmi?

A
  • sri - represents beauty, prosperity and wealth
  • her marriage to vishnu is seen as the perfect union,so newlyweds pray to her
  • worshipped during diwali so that people can welcome prosperity into their homes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

who is shakti and whate are her three specific forms?

A

shakti is the consort of shiva
- parvati: the reincarnation of shiva’s first wife sati, born again in a new body. she is the perfect image of motherhood, mother of ganesh
- durga - fierce form of shakti - portrayed to have four arms and riding a lion. she is strong, powerful and a leader
- kali - associated with death and destruction, especially of demons. often featured with many arms, blue/black skin, protruding tongue and a necklace of human skulls

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is an avatar?

A

an incarnation or representation of a god, usually as a human

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what do hindus believe about vishnus avatars?

A
  • that he shows himself at different times and for different reasons
  • he has ten avatars of which the most significant are rama and krishna
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

what is the story of ramayana?

A
  • the story of rama, sita and lakshman being exiled and returning from exile
  • it illustrates loyalty, wisdom, justice, obedience and equality
  • their return is celebrated during diwali
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

who is hanuman?

A
  • monkey warrior god who is remembered for his devotion to duty, especially to rama and sita when sita was kidnapped by ravana
  • he represents strength and loyalty
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

who is krishna?

A
  • most well-known avatar of vishnu
  • his love and devotion for radha represents god’s never ending love for his followers
  • he has dark blue skin and wears yellow robes to represent earth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

who is ganesha?

A
  • he is seen as the god of good luck and remover of obstacles so is worshipped before big events
  • the son of shiva and parvati
  • the story is that shiva believed him to be an intruder and cut his head off in a rage
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what is the cycle of the four ages?

A

they believe that the cycle of time is made up of four yugas. the ages continuously rotate and each age gets shorter and more corrupt
- yuga of gold
- yuga of silver
- yuga of copper
- yuga of iron (most corrupt)

30
Q

what are some ideas related to hindu cosmology?

A
  • time is cyclical
  • the material world repeatedly cursed
  • there are three tiers of our universe: planets, earth and lower worlds
31
Q

what are the two realities?

A
  • purusa (spirit) -> cannot be seen or touched
  • prakriti (matter) -> can be seen and touched
32
Q

how do hindus understand the universe?

A
  • there are many universes in clusters of bubbles which are thought be vishnu’s breath
  • there are three different realms
  • each creation has its own place in the universe
33
Q

what do hindus believe will happen at the end of the age of iron?

A
  • the avatar of vishnu will appear as kalki, riding a white horse
  • he will kill of people that do evil and bring the birth of a new golden age
  • a new cycle of time will start
34
Q

what do hindus believe about spirit and matter?

A
  • they believe the world is made up of spirit (purusa) and matter (prakriti)
  • some believe that these exist separately and spirit must overcome matter
  • others think that the spirit and matter are needed together for the universe to be complete and creation fulfilled
35
Q

what are the three stages that matter goes through?

A
  • creation
  • maintenance
  • destruction
    each of which represent the tri-murti
36
Q

what is tri-guna?

A
  • three qualities that are seen in human life: passion, goodness and ignorance
  • a person’s actions can be explained by the balance of gunas in their personality
37
Q

what is the atman?

A
  • a person’s inner self, soul or spirit
  • the real eternal self
38
Q

what are two hindu beliefs about the atman?

A
  • some believe that the atman is the same as brahmanbecause brahman is all powerful ans everywhere at the same time
  • others believe that the atman contains only part of brahman because if they were the same then brahman would not be supreme
39
Q

what are the differences between the body (atman) and the body (matter)?

A

the atman: never-changing, eternal, alive
the self: ever-changing, temporary, dead

40
Q

what happens to the atman when the body dies?

A
  • the atman doesn’t die because it is eternal and made of spirit, brahman
  • “atman is never born and never dies… he does not die when the body dies”
41
Q

what is samsara?

A

the cycle of life, death and rebirth

42
Q

what is the law of karma?

A

there will be positive and negative consequences in the next life depending on what a hindu has done in this life

43
Q

what is dharma?

A

they have freewill: a hindu’s duty to do good deeds without any of personal reward; they must do good deeds because it is the right thing to do and to be selfless - that is how they are expected to live

44
Q

what do hindus believe about rebirth?

A
  • the body changes at rebirth but the atman always remains the same
  • the atman taking on a new body is called reincarnation
45
Q

what is transmigration?

A

the transferring of the atman into a different body

46
Q

what is moksha?

A
  • a hindu’s ultimate goal in life which is liberation from the cycle of rebirth into union with god
47
Q

how does one’s karma help them reach moksha?

A
  • if they do good deeds and are devoted: they both gain inner peace and have a better reincarnation in the next life - a step to reaching moksha
  • if they do bad deeds and is unkind: they will be punished and become a lesser being in the next life
48
Q

what is included in a hindu’s dharma?

A
  • ahimsa (non-violence)
  • mind/sense control - the focus on the spiritusl
  • humility - involves doing things for the right reasons
  • showing love to others
49
Q

what is ahimsa?

A

respect to all living things, they shouldn’t inflict pain on others
- “be friendly and compassionate, released from ego, selfishness, hate not any being, the same in pain and happiness

50
Q

what are the four aims of life for a hindu?

A
  • dharma
  • artha
  • kama
  • moksha
  • “the wise man chooses the path of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure” - implies that these four aims will bring joy moving nearer to moksha and liberation
51
Q

what is artha?

A
  • lawfully learning a living - wealth can be enjoyed as long it is earned in a morally correct way
  • “it is better to perform your own duties in life poorly than perform another person’s well” - instructs hindus to fulfil their own duties and fulfil their moral responsibilities
52
Q

what is kama?

A
  • enjoying the pleasures of life responsibly
53
Q

what do hindus believe about suffering?

A
  • hindus believe that suffering occurs as a result for all the karma from people’s previous lives
  • other suffering occurs as a result of ‘moral evil’ - the bad things that people do
  • moksha is a way of hindus freeing themselves from suffering
  • it is part of a hindu’s dharma to relieve the suffering of others
  • suffering is caused because people are ignorant of their relationship with god and their karma
54
Q

what are the four ashramas?

A

each stages in a hindu’s life, each of which is meant to complete spiritual development
- the student stage (brahmacharya)
- the householder stage (grihastha)
- the retirement stage (vanaprastha)
- the world-renouncer stage (sannyasa)

55
Q

what is ashrama dharma?

A

stages of life for a hindu which each come with religious and social duties

56
Q

what is first ashrama?

A

the student stage; brahmacharya
- sacred thread ceremony happens for a young hindu boy (9-11)
- it is a sign that he will take his religious duties seriously and focus his mind on god
- they go to school and learn about their religious duties alongside his

57
Q

what is the second ashrama?

A

the householder stage; grihastha
- when a hindu marries and takes responsibility for their own families
- they should practise artha and kama

58
Q

what is the third ashrama?

A

the retirement stage; vanaprastha
- starts when a hindu has their first grandchild, to carry on family traditions
- some choose to go on pilgrimages and focus on spiritual traditions

59
Q

what is the fourth ashrama?

A

the world renouncer stage; sannyasa
- it means giving up the comforts of a home and become a sannyasin who spends their life in prayer and meditation

60
Q

what is sanatana dharma?

A

the ‘eternal truth’, the duties that hindus have towards god
it involves the duties that linkthe eternal soul to god -> the right way to worship
- “the disciplined who stays content with thoughts and mind on Me intent… is dear to me”

61
Q

what does sanatana dharma involve?

A
  • trying to reach moksha
  • remembering that god exists in the heart and mind - considering right and wrong
  • learning about god through scripture
  • offering worship to god in temples
  • caring for elders and people in need + respecting animals
62
Q

what is an example of an organisation that practices sanatana dharma and how do they do this?

A

BAPS swaminarayan sanstha
a group of hindus that guide their members on their actions
by only living according to dharma

63
Q

what is vanashrama dharma?

A

the system of organising society that brings together the social groups and their duties
- “in priests and soldiers, in all their actions are distributed by inborn qualities” - different varnas have different roles in accordance to their qualities

64
Q

what do the varnas mean to hindu society?

A
  • everyone has a role to play in society and each varna is dependent on the other for life to run smoothly
  • originally, people could move between groups but over time the system became hereditary and the caste system developed
  • the caste system was rigid and may outcasts were traeted terribly
  • the caste system did not allow people to move in between groups
65
Q

what are the four varnas?

A

social classes or groups that hindus are traditionally born into
- brahmins
- kshatriyas
- vaishyas
- shudras

66
Q

what is the role of a brahmin

A

priests, teachers, doctors, thinkers
- role: to interpret svripture and perform sacrifices and rituals

67
Q

what is the role of a kshatriya?

A

warriors, those who govern and keep the law and order
- role: those who defend people, by fighting if needed

68
Q

what is the role of a vaishya?

A

business people, people who make money and own land
- role: to keep the economy going

69
Q

what is the role of a shudra?

A

people employed by others, craftsmen, artists, musicians
- role: to support and uphold the other groups

70
Q

how is vanashrama dharma viewed in modern hindu society?

A
  • many hindus do not agree with caste practices
  • many young people do not feel strongly about varna tradition and condemn the treatment of outcasts and prejudices towards lower classes
  • many value the ashramas more than the dharmas and castes mix together without the prejudices

rpe (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions