Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism

Hinduism

• Aryan Migration – 1750 BCE
• Most of what we know about the Aryans comes from The Vedas
• The Vedas – A collection of hymns from early India, passed down for thousands of years until they are written down between 1500 and 500 BCE (Rigveda is the oldest)
• Aryan Social Structure:
  • Gods
  • Bhramin – Priests, Academics
  • Kshatryia – Warriors, Kings
  • Vaishya – Merchants, Landowners
  • Sudra – Commoners, Peasants, Servants
  • Untouchables – Outcast (Out of Caste), Street sweepers, latrine cleaners
• The caste system was ultimately based on your birth/parents. It was initially based on skin color and occupation.
• Aryan Rules:
  • No marrying outside of your caste
  • No eating with someone from a lower caste
  • Breaking rules can make you an untouchable
• Hinduism developed slowly over a long period of time
• No single founder or founding date
• Goal: Liberate the soul of worldly pains
• This goal is known as Moksha
• Hinduism is monotheistic, has one God with multiple “avatars”
• Vedic hymns were written down to create the Upanishads
• The Upanishads explore how one can liberate themselves from desire and suffering
• Moksha is achieved through the perfect understanding between atman and Brahman
• The soul is released from the cycle of life once Moksha is achieved
• Atman – An individual’s soul
• Brahman – The world soul, united all atman
• Samsara – The cycle of death and rebirth
• Dharma – The moral responsibility that you hold within your life/caste level
• When you fulfill your Dharma, your soul will hold more Karma
• Karma then dictates your rebirth
• Caste – a social group in a traditional Indian society
• Castes maintained social order and gave people a sense of identity.
• Hindus worship a variety of deities who are gods and goddesses that are forms of Brahman
• Brahma – The creator of the universe
• Shiva – The destroyer, restarts the universe’s cycle through destruction
• Vishnu – The preserver of the universe, preserves harmony in between the cycle of creation and destruction
• The Avatars of Vishnu:
  • Rama – 7^th incarnation of Vishnu, embodiment of chivalry and virtue
  • Krishna – 8^th incarnation of Vishnu, embodiment of love, joy, and playfulness
  • Ganesh – remover of obstacles, god of intellect and wisdom
  • Kali – goddess of time, doomsday, death, mother of all children
  • Hanuman – leader of monkey armies in Ramayana, helped Rama recover his wife Site from the demon king Ravana

Jainism

• Ancient Indian religion
• Unique religion, not derived from another religion
• Based on the practice of Ahimsa, which is a principle of non-violence
• Ahimsa, honesty, self-discipline, and lack of attachment to material objects
• Jains are generally vegetarian, fast often and consistently, and are very focused on the practice of meditation
• Jains believe that everything has a soul and should not be harmed
• Jains are one of the wealthiest groups in Modern India because they often chose to work in trade
• This is in order to avoid harming any creature or being in their work
• The swastika was a symbol used for positive meaning in Jainism before Hitler stole it and adopted it.

Sikhism

• Based on the teaching of Guru Nanak
• Progressed during the religious persecution of the Mughal Empire
• Believe that no one holds Absolute Truth
• Basic Beliefs:
  • Faith and meditation in the name of one single creator
  • Divine unity and equality in all of mankind
  • Selfless service, honesty, and justice for the benefit of everyone