4. What is Hinduism?

Religiously Literate

With so many religions in the world it can be hard to keep up with what everyone believes. Religiously Literate is here to help! Join Jay and Ryan on this episode as we discuss the wold's oldest religion, Hinduism.

In this episode, we discuss what Hinduism which is actually an umbrella term for various religious, cultural, and artistic expressions mostly practiced in South Asia. We also discuss yoga, Hindu gods, and a few rituals and celebrations.

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SHOW NOTES:

Terminology

pancha mahabhuta - five elements in Hinduism (also Ayurvedic medicine); ether/space, air, fire, water, earth
atman - soul or self*
Brahman - the impersonal, all pervading spirit that is the universe yet transcends all space and time*
dharma - religious and moral duty or teaching*
karma - the universal principal that governs the characteristics and quality of each rebirth, or future life*
moksha - ultimate liberation from samsara*
samsara - one's cycle of repeated deaths and rebirths*
Bhagavad Gita - the most highly venerated and influential scriptures in Hinduism*
Vedas - foundational scriptures of Hinduism; Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva
caste system - the idealized social hierarchy of Indian society*
puja - most central, widely-practiced for of Hindu devotion

*definitions taken from Vaughn, Lewis. Anthology of World Religions: Sacred Texts and Contemporary Perspectives. (2017) Oxford University Press: New York.

Types of yoga:

• Bhakti: yoga of devotion (singing, dancing, praises of divine)
• Karma: yoga of service (selfless service, acknowledge divinity in everyone)
• Jnana: yoga of knowledge (meditation on scriptural teachings)
• Raja: yoga of cultivation of the mind (must train the mind before meditation)

Map of South Asia

History of Hinduism video

Indus River Valley Civilization video

Intro to Hinduism video

Caste System graphic

Hinduism (World Religions and Spirituality Project)

Map of Hindu Religious Sites

Ganges Pilgrimage (Kumbh Mela) video

Story of God: Hindu Creation video

Hindu Auspicious Days Calendar

What is Yoga? video

Yoga in America video

Music used in this episode is City of Jewels by Destiny & Time as well as from https://filmmusic.io, "Jalandhar" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)