Module 3.1: DETERMINING THE ELEMENTS OF RELIGION: HINDUISM

Question 1

a religious tradition of Indian origin,
encompassing the beliefs and practices of Hindus.

Answer 1

Hinduism

Question 2

Where is the word Hindu taken from?

Answer 2

Taken from the name of the river Sindhu/Indus

Question 3

When did the English word Hinduism enter the English language?

Answer 3

In the early 19th century

Question 4

What was the word Hinduism used for in the English language?

Answer 4

It was used to label
the beliefs and practices of those populations of India who had
nat converted to Islam or Christianity and did not practice
Judaism or Zoroastrianism.

Question 5

What is the favoured Sanskrit term that Hindus use for their religious tradition?

Answer 5

Sanatana dharma

Question 6

What is the English translation for Sanatana dharma?

Answer 6

“eternal tradition” or “ eternal
religion”

Question 7

Where are the followers of Hinduism primarily found?

Answer 7

• India
• Nepal
• Bali (Indonesia)

Question 8

What are the three other religions that originated in India are closely linked to Hinduism?

Answer 8

• Buddhism
• Jainism
• Sikhism

Question 9

Who were the founders of Hinduism?

Answer 9

Aryans (1500 B.C.)

Question 10

Where was Indo-Aryan culture based?

Answer 10

Aryavarta

Question 11

It is the earliest sacred literature of Hinduism.

Answer 11

The Vedas (Books of Knowledge)

Question 12

Refers to the most ancient sacred literature of Hinduism

Answer 12

Veda

Question 13

What does Veda symbolize for Hindus?

Answer 13

It is a symbol of unchallenged
authority and tradition.

Question 14

Who mainly compiled the vedas?

Answer 14

Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana

Question 15

When were the vedas mainly compiled?

Answer 15

Around the time of Lord Krishna (1500 BC)

Question 16

Four Collection of Mantras/Samhitas

Answer 16

• Rig-Veda (Wisdom of the Verses)
• Sama-Veda (Wisdom of the Chants)
• The Yahur-Veda (Wisdom of Sacrificial Formulas)

Question 17

contains more than 1000 hymns written
in various poetic meters and collected into 10 books. Written as early as 1500 BC and is the oldest of the four Vedic collection. Its hyms center on pleasing the major gods through ritual sacrifices.

Answer 17

Rig-Veda (Wisdom of the Verses)

Question 18

Who are the four major gods?

Answer 18

• Indra (war, wind, and rain)
• Agni (the sacrificial
  fire)
• Sugra (the sun)
• Varuna (the cosmic order)

Question 19

God of war, wind, rain

Answer 19

Indra

Question 20

God of the sacrificial
fire

Answer 20

Agni

Question 21

God of the sun

Answer 21

Sugra

Question 22

includes verse portions taken largely from the Rig-Veda. It was used by the ugdarti priests, or chanters, who sang its hymns, or melodies [Sanskrit sama]. Was also chanted in fixed melodies by the adhvaryu priests. Each contains about 2,000 verses.

Answer 22

Sama-Veda (Wisdom of the Chants)

Question 23

currently consists of two recensions, both containing roughly the same material (though
differently arranged), encompasses sacrificial formulas (Sanskrit yaja, ‘sacrifices’). It was used by udgatri priests and comprises short prose to go with ritual acts, many of which are addressed to the ritual instruments and offerings.

Answer 23

The Yahur-Veda (Wisdom of Sacrificial Formulas)

Question 24

Collections of writings where all the essential teachings that are fundamental to Hinduism – the concepts of karma (action), samsara (reincarnation), and moksha (nirvana), the atman (soul), and the Brahman (Absolute Almighty) are found.

Answer 24

Bhagavad-Gita Upanishads (philosophical writings)

Question 25

They also lay down the key Vedic doctrines of self-realization, yoga, and meditation.

Answer 25

Bhagavad-Gita Upanishads (philosophical writings)

Question 26

What are the 5 essential teachings/concepts that are fundamental to Hinduism?

Answer 26

- Karma (action) - Samsara (reincarnation) - moksha (nirvana) - the atman (soul) - Brahman (Absolute Almighty)

Question 27

What is the literal meaning of Upanishad?

Answer 27

‘sitting down near’ or ‘sitting close to’

Question 28

What is the goal of Upanishad?

Answer 28

To guide a few chosen pupils to the point of liberation, which they themselves had attained”

Question 29

refers to a Hindu scripture written about 2000 years ago. It is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata (chapters 25-42 of its 6th book).

Answer 29

Bhagavad Gita

Question 30

Meaning of bhagavad and Gita?

Answer 30

The word bhagavad means God while the word Gita means song.

Question 31

Meaning of Bhagavad-Gita

Answer 31

“song of God”.

Question 32

All the things we seek in the world, the so-called goals in human life

Answer 32

purusharthas

Question 33

involves the pleasure of the senses, both aesthetic (refined artistic) pleasures and sensual or sexual pleasure.

Answer 33

Kama – (pleasure)

Question 34

encompasses the search for material well-being, prosperity and power.

Answer 34

Artha – (wealth)

Question 35

includes man’s endeavoring righteousness and virtue.

Answer 35

Dharma – (duty)

Question 36

depicts man’s desire for liberation from the chain of lives.

Answer 36

Moksha – (liberation)

Question 37

refers to the supreme existence or absolute reality.

Answer 37

Brahman (divine power)

Question 38

includes being the eternal, conscious, irreducible, infinite, omnipresent, and the spiritual core of the universe of finiteness and change.

Answer 38

Brahman

Question 39

- Pertains to the impersonal principle and first cause of the universe. - Beyond all physical forms and consists of knowledge a bliss.

Answer 39

Brahman

Question 40

Term used for the breath or the soul and principle of life.

Answer 40

Atman

Question 41

Refers to the true essesnce of everything, including the universe.

Answer 41

Atman

Question 42

Believed to be the only thing that truly exits, an immortal substance that transmigrates from body to body.

Answer 42

Atman

Question 43

Brahman with attributes, normally takes the form of one of three main Hindi deities.

Answer 43

Saguna Brahman

Question 44

relates to the creative spirit from which the universe originated.

Answer 44

Brahma

Question 45

What does Brahma embody?

Answer 45

- the ultimate reality (sat) - ultimate consciousness (sit) - ultimate bliss (Ananda)

Question 46

A knowable form that Brahman may opt to take birth in

Answer 46

Avatar (incarnation)

Question 47

has ten foremost avatars, which are described in Hindu texts called the Puranas.

Answer 47

Vishnu

Question 48

Name of Fish incarnation

Answer 48

matsya

Question 49

Name of Tortoise incarnation

Answer 49

Kurma

Question 50

Name of boar incarnation

Answer 50

Varaha

Question 51

Name of lion incarnation

Answer 51

narasimha

Question 52

Name of Dwarf incarnation

Answer 52

Vamana

Question 53

Name of Axewielding human incarnation

Answer 53

Parashurama

Question 54

Name of Ideal person incarnation

Answer 54

Rama of the Ramayana

Question 55

Name of Attractive perfect person incarnation

Answer 55

Krishna

Question 56

Name of Enlightened incarnation

Answer 56

Buddha

Question 57

Name of future incarnation

Answer 57

Kalki

Question 58

one of the classic systems of Hindu philosophy, distinct form the others by the marvels of bodily control and the supposed magical powers attributed to its advance devotees.

Answer 58

Yoga

Question 59

Sanskrit of yoga?

Answer 59

Yuga, means 'yoke'

Question 60

upholds that through the practice of specific disciplines, a person may achieve liberation from the limitations of flesh, the delusions of sense, and the hazards of thought and thus attain union with the object of knowledge.

Answer 60

Yoga

Question 61

those who practice Yoga

Answer 61

Yogi

Question 62

claims that the root cause of all our worries and miseries is loss of contact with our true Self or Atman.

Answer 62

The philosophy of yoga

Question 63

Our loss of contact with Atman is due to what?

Answer 63

Ignorance of its sole reality

Question 64

What is the message of yoga?

Answer 64

That there is no escape from the Self, regardless of our consciousness of unconsciousness of it, and that knowledge of the Self is our only savior.

Question 65

What are the four spiritual paths to realize knowledge of the self that yoga philosophy proposes?

Answer 65

- Karma-yoga - Bhakti-yoga - Raja-yoga - Jnana-yoga-

Question 66

the yoga of selfless action or work, aims to face the problem of ignorance by doing away with the ego. It is said that the egp, born of ignorance, binds us to this world through attachment. The ego generates a dreamland of divisive existence that disclaims the right of others.

Answer 66

Karma-yoga

Question 67

the yoga of devotion or love. It is the process of internal cleansing. It preaches that live is the most basic human emotion and is cosmocentric and divinely inspired in its purest form.

Answer 67

Bhakti-yoga

Question 68

admonishes us to decontaminate and renovate our egotistic self-love by pouring holy thoughts into our mind and relocating all our love and emotions to God, knowing that God is the only one who truly loves us.

Answer 68

Bhakti-yoga

Question 69

the yoga of psychological exercises, intends to attain the Divine by kindling the flame of knowledge to the Self within. Since it is lack of knowledge that binds the human soul to the world of dreams and desires, only Self-realization can dismiss this ignorance.

Answer 69

Raja-yoga

Question 70

counsels the seeker to develop strong will power by unyielding practices of psychological exercise, specifically concentration and meditation on the Self, with the support of pranayama (control of breath), asana (control of posture), and an unbending adherence to austerity and self-control.

Answer 70

Raja-yoga

Question 71

the yoga of knowledge, is the path of knowledge. The darkness of ignorance can only be dismissed by the light of knowledge.

Answer 71

Jnana-yoga

Question 72

teaches that knowledge has two aspects: fire and light.

Answer 72

Jnana-yoga

Question 73

The fire of knowledge burns all the impurities of our mind, and concurrently, knowledge enlightens our inner consciousness. However, self-knowledge does not come by itself.

Answer 73

Jnana-yoga

Question 74

calls for the practice of discrimination between the real and the unreal, renunciation of all desires – both earthly and heavenly – mastery over the mind and senses, and an intense longing for Self-knowledge.

Answer 74

Jnana-yoga

Question 75

What do the 330 million Gods and Goddesses symbolize?

Answer 75

Represents the Brahman

Question 76

What are the issues in Hinduism?

Answer 76

- Gender Inequality - Caste System - Poverty

Question 77

Women as being utterly subservient and hierarchically inferior to men: a girl is governed by her father, a married woman by her husband, and a widow by her sons.

Answer 77

Gender Inequality

Question 78

Refers to a social class within a hierarchical caste system.

Answer 78

varnas

Question 79

The set of rules and duties that each social class has to live

Answer 79

dharma

Question 80

What is the hierarchy of the Caste System?

Answer 80

1. Bhramin - Priests, academics 2. Kshatriya - warriors, kings 3. Vaishya - merchants 4. Sudra - commoners, peasants, servants 5. Untouchables - outcasts/out of caste, street sweepers, latrine cleaners

Question 81

In countries dominated by Hinduism, the issues of wealth and poverty have been influenced by the predominant social values of the caste system.

Answer 81

Poverty

Question 82

In Hinduism, theology is commonly characterized by the Hindu triumvirate, or trimutri. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are accountable for the creation, upkeep, and destruction of the world.

Answer 82

Major Hindu Deities

Question 83

- The first god in the Hindu triumvirate - should not be confused with Brahman, the Supreme God force present within all things. - Job was the creation of the world and all creatures.

Answer 83

Brahma

Question 84

He is the least worshipped god in Hinduism today, as there are just two temples in the whole India devoted to him, compared to Shiva and Vishnu.

Answer 84

Brahma

Question 85

- The pervade is the preserver and protector of the universe. - His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and reinstate the balance of good and evil. - He has been reincarnated nine times so far, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated one last time close to the end of this world.

Answer 85

Vishnu

Question 86

What are Vishnu's worshippers commonly called?

Answer 86

Vaishanava

Question 87

Vishnu monotheism

Answer 87

Vaishnavism

Question 88

These worshippers consider Vishnu the greatest God. They view the other gods as lesser or demi-gods.

Answer 88

Vaishanava

Question 89

- Auspicious One, has the role of destroying the universe in order to re-create it. - It is believed that his powers of destruction and recreation are employed even now to terminate the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for useful change.

Answer 89

Shiva

Question 90

- is thus viewed as the source of both good and evil and is seen as the one who combines many contradictory elements. - Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all worldly pleasures; at others he is a hedonist. - He is the master of both poison and medicine, through the ambivalent power over snakes.

Answer 90

Shiva

Question 91

- It is his relationship with his wife which brings him balance. Their union permits him to be an ascetic and lover, but within the bounds of marriage.

Answer 91

Shiva

Question 92

Hindus who worship Shiva as their chief god are members of what sect?

Answer 92

Shaivism

Question 93

They worship Shiva as the supreme god.

Answer 93

Shaivites

Question 94

a concept which explains causality through a system where beneficial effects derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions, generating a system of actions and reactions throughout a soul’s (Atman) reincarnated lives forming a cycle of rebirth.

Answer 94

karma

Question 95

What is the core teaching of Hinduism?

Answer 95

the attainment of liberation in the identification of Atman and Brahman through the Four Yogas.