REL 2300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Social Order, Vedas, Street Sweeper
Document Summary
Shiva: destroyer of the universe by a sacred dance. Indigenous people venerate women and see them as a source of life, and fire is a source of life so they linked them together. In hinduism took ideas like certain goodness that indigenous people had and used them for their needs (ex: snake goddess example), they are share animals ideas. Can be traced to an ancient civilization 6500 bce too 2300bce. 3rd largest world religion (over 1 billion adherent) Indian is the world biggest democracy- church and the separation of state. Hinduism: it is not easily defined, monotheistic and polytheistic, atheistic, etc. there is not just 1 form of hinduism. Term originates from sinmdu: persian for great thus river. And the goal of hinduism is to be free an liberation from the physical body and dharma. Ganga aarti: idea of fire, is an offering to the gods.
