HINDUISM

Definition
 Technically Hindu is not the name of religion
 Hinduism (British word) describe the diverse
faith in India
 Hindu – come from the River Sindhu
Intro…
 Does not include several components of the
common conception of a religion
 No historical founder
 No single scripture text recognised by all
 No single authoritative voice or organisation
or institution
 No common creed
 No single god or goddess or conception of
divinity
Contn..
 But …social order (dharma)
-responsible to sustain the world
-renounce society’s benefit and burden
Birth of Hindu
 Begins with Aryan – gradually subjugated
the whole India
 Story of conquest – tales of the Vedas,

Mahabrata & Ramayana

 Hinduisme as a religious system was an

invention of the British colonial period –

every 10 years – conduct census popula
- people has to declare – religious identity
Origin of Aryan
 no spesific date (Ref: Aga2 Terbsr di Ind)
 1st argument: originally from Asia

 Great influence – civilisation of India

 Create caste – Brahman (religious group)

Kshatriya (warrior)
Vaisya (merchants)
Sudra (hamba)
Belief system
 Basic belief is:
i- Sanatana Dharma
Sanatana – eternal
Dharma – prevent one from going down
- one’s welfare, progress
- to do with nature & behaviour
Dharma in Sanskrit: right conduct,religion,
duty,quality,law,justice & moral order
Cont…
 Rightconduct is differ between one another –
e.g Raja Dharma (the duties of a
king) difference – stri dharma (the duties
of a woman)

 Dharma – moral conduct

 Sanatana Dharma – widest freedom in faith &
worship
Cont..
 Established religious identity
 Pattern of social relationships

 Individual fulfillment of responsibilities

 Classical pattern 4 catagories:

-Brahmans
-rulers and warriors
-merchants and farmers
-laborers
cont
 No authoritative scripture
 Ultimate aim to attain moksha – union with
God
 Way to moksha:

-free from the chain of births and death

-number of births determined his individual
actions
-duties and actions - karma
4 stages of life
 Called ashramas.
 4 stages are:

i-Brahmacharyashram
ii-Grahasthashram
iii-Vanaprasthashram
iv-Sanyasi
3 objectives for moksha
 i) Dharma
 ii) Artha

 iii) Kama
Avatar
 Orincarnation
 Accr Hindu:

…each follower has a spark of divinity

…possess more divine qualities
…accept all prophets
 Dharma,karma,samsara,mo
ksha
 Core beliefs of Hinduism
 Basis for Hindu practice

 Dharma – duty because of caste (jati) and

stage of life
 Caste determines responsibility

 Results of action- determine one’s present

life and status of one’s rebirth
 Cont…
 “…person is ultimately responsible for every
action he or she performs. Every action has
its moral consequences. According to the
idea of karma, the present condition,
character, and peculiar circumstances of a
person are the result of his or her past
deeds. A person is what he or she has done”
(David R. Kinsley, Hinduism: A Cultural
Perspective, 1993:85)
 rebirth
 …never ending process
 ..result of prior examplary lives OR

 ...failing to carry out dharma

 Never ending process of rebirth is called

samsara
 Eventhough individuals seek wealth (artha)
and pleasure (kama) in carrying out dharma –
final goal is moksha (release)
 Paths to Release
 System of Yoga to overcome desire –
control : body and mind = samadhi – free
 Bhagavad Gita suggest 2 paths:

i-disciplined performance of duty without

regard for the fruits of action
ii-offering of every action and the entire self to
Krisna in love or bhakti – devotees will
escape rebirth and come to Krisna
 Divine presence
 Meditasi amalan dlm Upanishad – rasai
pengalamn bersama dgn Brahman
 Brahman – bkn manusia – mungkin tanpa
berbentuk (nirguna)
 Tp penyembah – god presence – btk ; image
at a temple etc
 Avatar (divine incarnation) – jls – Tuhn sering
jelma dlm btk kpd penybh yg disygi
 Cont…
 Tuhan muncul dlm pelbga btk – tuhan-tuhan,
di gunung, sungai, ketika amalan ritual dan
dlm hati
 samskaras – life cycle rituals
 Rujuk kpd seluruh proses kehidupan
 Samskaras:

i-from conception to birth

ii-through childhood toward adulthood
iii- education
iv- marriage
v- death and body is cremated
 Cont..
 Prebirth:express in ritual the meaning of
conception, merangsangkan anak (lelaki),
simbolik menceraian rambut siibu utk
membantu pembangunan minda
 Childhood: upacara kelahiran, pemberian
nama, penyusuan,pemotongan rambut
 Education: mula mengenal huruf, formal
education, komitmen terhdp guru, memotong
rambut, tamat pengajian.
 Cont..
 Perkahwinan: 7 langkah bersama ant suami
dan isteri
 Funeral rituals: pembersihan hasil
pembakaran mayat, pengambilan abu
 Hindu Scriptures
 Terbhg kpd 2:
i-shrutis (Vedas)
ii-smiritis (Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata
dan Dharma-shashtras
 Shrutis:

-veda: divine knowledge – revealed – great

ancient Rishis (peramal) di India
 Cont..
 Veda – sanskrit vid – to know
 Veda = knowledge

 Veda – rakaman yg memberi kebijaksanaan

dan pengalaman dlman
 Veda – ditulis dlm btk puisi

- perlu kefahaman yg mendlm

- ada potensi ajaib
 Cont…
4 veda: (falsafah tinggi dan maklumat Thn)
i- Rigveda – main book of hymn
ii- Yajurveda – formula penyembahan dlm btk
prosa dan dibaca ketika penyembahan
iii- Samaveda – himpunan ayat-ayat dr Rigveda
yg dibaca dgn muzik ketika penyembahan
iv-Atharvaveda – dibaca utk pelbg tujuan
 Upa-veda
 Sokngan pd veda ada 4 semuanya:
i-Ayurveda – sains perubatan dan kombinasi
anatomi,fisiologi,kebersihan, sains
kebersihan, embedahan dll.
ii-Dhanurveda – sains ketenteraan – kawal
negara
iii-Gandharva – sains, seni muzik, tarian spt
Bharat Natyam
 Cont..

iv- Sthaptya: pertukangan, pembinaan,

pemahatan, lukisan, matematik tinggi
 Upanishad
 Veda terakhir
 Dikenali juga Vedanta

 Erti: duduk berdekatan dengan pengajar/guru

 Berguru utk dptkan ilmu

 Ada soal jawah antara guru/murid

 Ada 120 upanishad tp hanya 10 yg ptg

 Anggap kandungan penting pd ajaran Hindu