Please read through either Huston Smith's chapter on Hinduism (pp. 12-81) or Prothero's chapter on Hinduism (pp. 131-168). Summarize here one aspect of Hindu teaching that the chapter you read particularly emphasizes and that seems to you particularly helpful in understanding Hindu faith.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI particularly find the idea that all humans want four things and you need to satiate one and move on. The sentiment refers to a need for balance in life. The four levels or wants that are illustrated are Pleasure, Success, Duty, and Liberation. If one is to focus on only one area for a long time than the self becomes lost in the desire. You cannot always get what you want, you will not always succeed, you cannot be dutiful at all times, and you will not always be free. If you can be satisfied with what you can get or do, then you will truly lead a spiritual life.
ReplyDeleteWhen Prothero says, “The Hindu goal, therefore, is not to escape from this world to some heavenly paradise, but to escape from heaven and earth altogether”, simplifies Hinduism to where I can understand it.
ReplyDeleteReincarnation at first seems pretty nice, the getting another chance – assuming we learn from previous mistakes, perhaps reborn to a higher station in life would be very enticing. On second thought, going though countless incarnations could get very boring, and the desire to have it all end would then be very enticing.
Hinduism gives several avenues or paths to obtain this goal of ending the reincarnation cycle, thereby reaching nirvana, to become one with the Supreme Being. It can be done by giving up all the worldly pleasures and becoming a wandering ascetic, or by devotion and prayer. Any path seems correct if only you give yourself totally to that path. Hinduism seems to be a very flexible religion. Anyone, at any station in life, can find a path that leads to nirvana all they have to do is pick and apply themselves. Although to me it seems most paths require a distancing one’s self from this world to prepare for the next, this distance prevents a person from making the most of their life.
This of course is my opinion.
My summary of the Hindu religion is that it is like a mountain. People are put on the mountain in many different areas. Their paths will be different. Each person will find a different way to travel. But each is trying to reach the same point, which is the top. Everyone's rode will be different, some will get there sooner than others. Some will travel a straight path and others will zigzag, but each will reach the same goal. Each will have had the travel that they were expected to have, the one they chose for themselves. No one is right and no one is wrong. It is the journey to the highest point which is the inspiring thing about life.
ReplyDeleteAs Art did in class, I liked how Prothero explains karma & reincarnation. The game is not over when you die, but the scorecard is turned in and you get a new lot. If you had good karma, you get a reward, but if you had bad karma, you get punished and justice is upheld.
ReplyDeleteAround this same section he talks about moksha (release) and how it is found within. This tidbit brought up yoga again, and how it was a good way with the help of gurus for hindus to achieve their release.
P.S. The ARCC is anti-yoga because of the spiritual stuff associated with it. I'm starting to see why, but I still think they should offer yoga classes.
Huston Smith’s chapter identifies humans’ four wants: pleasure, worldly success, joy, and liberation. He related the wants of pleasure and success to children’s toys and explained that a person advances from one level of want to the next. As we learned in our last reading from The World’s Wisdom, Death suggested striving for joy rather than for pleasure. Success is a limited want, for three reasons. 1. Success is highly competitive, and many people cannot have it without the meaning being distorted. 2. People will always want more success so they will never be satisfied if this is the want that they hope to fulfill in life. 3. Success is about the self. It does not give enough to satisfy, and worldly possessions do not fill the deeper desire that we all have. 4. “…achievements are ephemeral.” After death, all the success and possessions that one have earned in life will mean virtually nothing.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Path of Desire (searching for pleasure and success), comes the Path of Renunciation. Just as one would advance from childhood to adulthood, after several lives one would learn to move onto the deeper path. “This transfer marks the first great step in religion.”
There are three things we must overcome to move onto this level. The first of these is pain. Physical pain can be controlled through intense focus. In order to defeat psychological pain, it is necessary to have no expectations. We must also overcome ignorance.
The last limitation that must be overcome is restricted being. To do this, one should be able to identify with others. The more that one can identify with, the larger the personal reality. If someone could mature completely, they would be able to see their history of lives in a similar way to how a person sees their individual life. An event that would be major and potentially devastating in a lifetime would be much of a less terrible event. I found this idea to be particularly interesting.
All the while, Smith tried to emphasize similarities to our culture by quoting people such as Justice Holmes and Aldous Huxley. I feel that this description of finding a deeper satisfaction was very helpful in understanding Hinduism as a whole. They feel that they mature not only in a lifetime, but through all of their lives. If they can grow their mind and seek a more advanced path, their satisfaction with life will be much greater than living for pleasure and success.
I particularly like how the sacred texts are written as stories rather than as dogma. This is, as Prothero states, one thing that separates Hinduism from many other religions, which may use stories in their sacred texts but also include dogma to show followers how to live. I found it interesting that Prothero states that the Mahabharata is a story that shows fidelity to the ethics of caste and that the Ramayana is a story that shows fidelity to the ethics of marriage; both these things are important to Hinduism. I find it interesting because many other religions can also, more than likely, relate to the Ramayana in someway or another because marriage, and fidelity within it, are both important world wide. It seems useful to me to use stories like these to teach in the religious context, much like the Christian Bible uses parables to provide teaching. Using these stories teaches a set of values to live by and encourages followers to seek the righteous way of living, without binding them to certain practices. As cultures change over time the practices and traditions need to be able to change and adapt with the culture, and this type of sacred text allows for that. I think that this is one reason that Hinduism has lasted for so long and has lived to become a world religion; it can adapt.
ReplyDeleteOverall I found Prothero's text easier to follow in his explanation of the Hindu religion, more academic-textbook-like. Smith takes a more philosophical approach looking for connections. Academic is easier for me than philosophical. The straight to the point explanation of the four paths: Kama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha were clearer in "God is Not One." But I do catch that tone, the tone of, I'm trying hard to prove this religion is like no others.
ReplyDeleteThe Code of Manu readings is the place I would recommend a beginner to the Hindu faith begin because it is very straightforward in its explanations of their belief system. The Code of Manu we read was not metaphorical. Probably mostly due to rough translations, but very easy to read and absorb. Especially since this is a conversation between a God and a God.
I rather enjoyed the portrayal of the love story of the Ramayana to introduce me to Hinduism. I love the Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, and Star Wars that Prothero uses to begin to relate the hugely encompassing expansiveness of this poem.
ReplyDeleteThere are certainly the gods and the demons.
The garish colors that Europeans (especially the Germans) find so PRIMATIVE about the East Indian (and then also our American “culture” if they would deign to call it that).
There is duplicity and intrigue.
All of these wonderfully human attributes of gods and humans give Hinduism a most interesting take on life and the heroes we here on earth have developed and perhaps should follow.
Perhaps we should be mindful of Rama and trust more our spouses.
This love story calls to mind the Song of Solomon as well, but it is so short in comparison. I am certain no Hindu religious writer or editor of ancient texts would try to explain away the sexual references in the Ramayana the way the editors and translators of the King James Version of the Bible did in their work. Even as a teenager they seemed a bit farfetched.
Prothero's explanation was very interesting to me. I especially found the Devotional Hinduism section very interesting. Any religion can be hard to understand but this section really gives insight into the evolution of Hinduism. It made it very easy understand the changes that took place and why they took place. It shows the evolution through the desires of the people. They wanted a more fullfillable religion so they began to name their gods and give the physical characteristics. It also helped me understand the background of the different figures a little better. Prothero gives a great depiction of each character and were they fit into the religion.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the first portions of Porthero's chapter on Hinduism, I've come to find that there is not much difference in the foundations of Hinduism as there are from other popular faiths, such as the monotheistic ones.
ReplyDeleteLike most people of monotheistic faiths, Hindus believe in a life after death. What makes Hindus unique is that they believe that life starts over and ends, and the process repeats. Hindus believe this to be a result of their actions in life, and a good reincarnation is the result of doing good in their previous life. Most other monotheists believe that good-will can lead to a good life after death as well.
I was interested in the portion that states Hinduism is more of a people than a religion, like Judaism. It focuses on the people of a region.
Hinduism focuses on aspects that tend to tie into each other, but often find a neutral balance- Brahma with creation (starts out) and it's determined by Shiva (destruction) or Vishnu (sustainment). There is also kama (pleasure), artha (wealth) and dharma (duty), which also sets a certain balance. Hindu's subtle intent of balance sort of ties in with Dao- Yin and Yang, balance.
It's quite possible that there is a lot of reason why Hindus preach whatever they feel and tolerate others; probably because of similarities. As Prothero states, Hindus do everything under the sun.