LBS summary Hinduism presentations
The origin and development of Hinduism
The very beginning:
Hinduism is a religion which was formed by melting multiple beliefs and traditions together. It did not
have a founder. One of the first nations that were created was the Indus Valley civilization. They
worshipped Gods and Goddesses. An important part of their religion was bathing. A nation called the
Aryans immigrated to this area around 1500 BCE. who worshipped gods of the sun, moon and stars,
also known as the nature gods. The 2 different ways of worshipping came together and is now known
as Hinduism. The Aryans composed specials hymns called the Vedas. There were several Vedas:
- The Rigveda
- The Yajurveda
- The Samaveda
- The Atharvaveda
These were first only transmitted orally but were later in time written down. The word Sindhu was
found in the Vedas and because it was often pronounced wrong, it turned it to Hindu, hence
Hinduism. We also know from the Vedas that there is a stratifies social structure called the Varna’s.
Which consisted of:
* Brahmins
* Kshatriyas
* Vaishyas
* Shudras
The early days of Hinduism:
In the 4th and 3rd century BCE the teachings of Buddha Gautama, also known as Dharma, became
very popular. Some of these teachings were:
* Nothing is lost in the universe
* Everything Changes
* The Law of Cause and effect
Because of the new Buddhist Emperor Asoka, India became more of a Buddhist country. They started
to worship Shiva and Vishnu, the creators, preservers and destroyers. People also started to worship
at home more rather than in temples.
,The Puranic Period
The Early Puranic Period is takes place around 200 BCE to 500 CE. It is known as the classical age of
Hinduism, which takes place in the Gupta Empire. Important stories that marked the beginning and
the evolution of Hinduism were written there.
There are six branches of Hindu philosophy.
- Samkhya
- Yoga
- Nyaya
- Vaisheshika
- Mīmāmsā
- Vedanta
Monotheistic sects were developed during this period through the Bhakti movement.
* Shaivism
* Vaishnavism
The period from 650 to 1100 CE makes the classical Puranic period.
The narrator of Mahabharata, Vyasa is credited as the compiler of the Puranas.
It is said that there are but one Purana in ancient times. Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata, is
credited as the compiler of the Puranas.
Purana is Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly myths, legends and other
traditional lore. The Puranas are known for their intricate layers of symbolism depicted within the
stories.
The past 200 years
In the 19th century, the British empire ruled over India and started the colonization of India. This
started a Hindu Renaissance, which greatly changed the understanding of Hinduism in both India and
the West. When the British returned to their homeland, these Brits started to spread Hinduism in
England. That is when the spread of Western Hinduism began. There were also reform movements
for Hinduism. They were established by several people like Sahajanand Swami, who established the
Swaminarayan Sampraday sect around 1800. Other people were Brahmo Samaj, Sri Ramakrishna and
Arya Samaj.
, The holy books
The Hindus have one holy book, the Shruti. The Shruti consists of ancient scriptures, containing a few
subchapters called the Vedas. There are four Vedas (Samahitas), the Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-
Veda and Atharva-Veda. They are written in Sanskrit, and the oldest Veda is the Rig-Veda. Hindus use
the 4 Vedas to guide them through their lives.
The Shruti also contains the Upanishads scriptures. the Upanishads are also called “the last chapters
of the Veda”. Brahman and Ātman are key subjects in the Upanishads. There are a lot of known
Upanishads, more than 200. The first about a dozen are the most important and the oldest aswell.
These are known as the principal/Mukhya Upanishads.
The Mukya Upanishads used to be passed down orally from generation to generation.
A peculiar thing about the Upanishads is that the author is completely unknown. It also uncertain
when they were written, and their chronology is also unclear, however there are speculations and
research about the chronology, but it seems that this is very difficult to find out more about. The area
where the oldest Upanishads were written is assumed to be Northern India.
The Vedas also have a big influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The text of the Veda are the
same age as the universe, according to tradition. In reality scholars have determined the oldest Veda,
the Rig Veda, to have been composed in 1500 BCE and codified around 600 BCE.
The Vedas contain hymns, poems, prayers and religious instruction from ancient India. They are,
along with the Book of Death, the Enuma Elish, the I Ching, and the Avesta, the most ancient religions
texts that are still in existence. They don’t only have spiritual value, but also show a unique view on
Indian everyday live from four thousand years ago. The Vedas present multiple gods, most of them
related to natural forces. Verdic texts also contain multiple creation stories.
The Rig Veda is the largest and most important verdic text, it has 1028 hymns and is divided in ten
books.
The Sama Veda is almost completely identical to the Rig Veda, but arranged in a different way
because they are meant to be chanted.
The White and Black Yajur Veda is a division of the Yajur Veda and they contain instructions on how
to preform rituals and sacrifices.
The Atharva-Veda contains charms and magical incantations and has a more folkloristic style.
The word “Purana” means “ancient” or “old”. It is a genre of Indian literature, written in a poetic
flow. The Puranas are an encyclopedic collection of legends, myths, philosophy and more. Most of it
is written in Sanskrit, but some are written in other regional languages. Many Puranas have been
named after Hindu Gods and deities, like Vishnu and Shiva.
The Puranic genre is not limited to Hinduism, as we also see it in Jainism. However, the Hindu
Puranas are all from unknown authors, whereas for most Jaina ones their authors and dates have
been found.
