HUM 140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Yuga, Vedas, Ravana
Document Summary
The oldest belief system still practiced today. It"s origins have been traced back to prehistory. Vishnu, the sun & rudra, the storms. They are in continual conflict for balance and dominance. Monsoon: the rainy season in southern asia. Oneness: everything is part of a greater whole. The primal forces of vishnu and rudra become three gods or three manifestations of the same god. Brahma: the creator, shown with multiple faces. Vishnu: the persevere, shown with blue skin. Shiva: the destroyer, shown with multiple arms. Has no beginning or end, shape/color/sound, cannot be understood. Things we do have consequences beyond the action. Nirvana: a higher state of spiritual existence achieved through meditation. Oneness: the concept that all existence is interconnected, a constant state of creation and destruction. Vishnu (the sun) emerged from the water on a many-headed cobra. Brahma emerged from his navel on a lotus. The petals of the lotus became the earth and sky.
