Hinduism Paper

1. Many modern historians held the idea that it was the Aryans who invaded India in the second millennium B.C. that were the founders of the Indian culture and Vedic traditions.  It’s been believed that the Aryans came from somewhere near the southern part of Russia bringing their Vedic rituals and customs with them.  The two most important dieties from the Vedic period are Rig-Veda and Agni.  The most important divinity in the Rig-Veda, new devoted to him.  He plays the role of the warlord and is also considered to be the rain god.  The second position is held by Agni to whom 200 hymns are devoted.  Fire played a significant part in the life of primitive people.  In Vedic times, Agni acted as a kind of intermediary between the gods on the one hand, and the other people on the other.  The oblations offered to Agni were supposed to be carried I the form of smoke to the sky and thus transmitted to the gods.

1. The Purusha Sukta describes the sacrifice of a primordial, cosmic man out of whose body the universe is created.  As a creation myth, it has parallels in numerous Indo-European traditions.  As we have already seen in the section on varna, the Purusha Sukta not only details the first sacrifice but also delineates the structuring of Aryan society.  Thus, it is a creationmyth in every way, explaining both the beginnings of the material world the sun, the moon, breath as well as the fabric of society.

1. The Upanishads are a group of philosophical texts that seek to explain the hidden meaning of ritual.  They are believed to have been closely guarded secret teachings.  The name of Upanishad is composed of the terms upa (near) and shad (to sit), meaning something like “sitting down near”.   These texts signal a significant shift away from emphasis on the external performance of sacrifice that marked the Vedic era.  Even though the Upanishads do not offer a single comprehensive system of thought, they do develop some basic general principles.  Some of these principles are samsara, karma, dharma, and moksha.  These principles form a metaphysical scheme which was shared with varying adjustments made by most Indian religious and philosophers.  The Upanishads also played an important role in the development of various schools of Buddhist philosophy by challenging their fundamental beliefs about their individual soul and offering some debating points against diametrically opposite views.

1. The Vedanta school sought to understand the precise nature of the relationships between Brahman (God), atman (self), and the world.  The ten schools of Vedanta, the three most important are Advaita, Vishishta Advaita, and Dvaita.  Advaita Vedanta denies the distinction made between spirit and matter, regarding the atman as being identical to Brahman.  This school of thought grew directly out of the Upanishads but was further developed in the eight-century C.E. by Shankara.  The school Vishishta-Advaita, founded by the twelfth- century C.E. philosopher Ramanuja, declared that all is Brahman and that the material world and individuals souls are also real.  The world is not illusion; rather, it is the body of God.  Unlike Shankara, Ramanuja interpreted the ignorance that obscures true knowledge as forgetfulness in particular, the forgetfulness of Vishnu.  The school of Dvaita Vedanta, founded by the thirteen- century theologian Madhva, advocates a complete distinction between Brahman and atman.  It posits that there are five acknowledge aspects of complete separateness or difference: between the soul and Brahman, between Brahman and matter, between the various souls, between the souls and matter, and between various forms of matter.

1. “The peace and prosperity in the Gupta Empire initiated a period known as the Golden Age of India because it was marked by extensive inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion, and philosophy”.

1. During the peak years of political power, it attempted to rewrite Indian history by implementing new school textbooks throughout India.  These textbooks reflected the BJP’s unique political vision, characterizing India as a Hindu nation and Hinduism as a unified, monolithic tradition.  Most importantly, and dangerously, this rewriting minimized Muslim contributions to the development of India and described Muslim rulers as foreign invaders.  The RSS also has a strong presence I the diaspora communities in Europe and North America.  A number of Hindu immigrants send their children to RSS youth camps to give them a sense if the Hindu identity.  

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