RLG100Y1 Lecture : Lecture Notes on Hinduism-March 12
March 12
Hinduism
Bhakti Yoga ± µWKHSDWKRIGHYRWLRQZRUVKLS¶
- best suited for emotional individuals
- use emotion skillfully (karma ± use no emotion)
- emotion is a source of chaos Æ KARMA
- emotion = wild horses (need to be controlled ± the mind is in control) Æ KARMA
- in Bhakti ± channel emotion in a different direction NOT to control it ± hatred is a
disapproval of god, jealous is channeled with god, etc. (use emotion creatively, put your
emotion in the service of this one primary relationship with god ± making this
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- Hinduism has well developed mythology related to different figures (deities/gods)
o Symbolic and metaphorical
o Importance not the detail of these stories but the symbolic value (representations ±
elephants represent prosperity)
o Logically and rationally stories may not make sense
o Creative
o Narratives are an avenue for allowing a culture to reconcile values that may
logically/rationally are irreconcilable
o Aspiration for something bigger
Hard to get a very religious life and worldly life at the same time
Concept of God in Hinduism:
- a concept that exists for those who need it to exist
(different concepts of the same type of divinity)
SIVA (destroyer) ± dressed in clothes of trhe wilderness (tree bark/animal skin); living in remote
mountain areas ± wild looking ± long matted locks ± body smeared with ash; surrounded by wild
animals, snake around his neck ± symbolically underscore his association with the wild (anti-
social) immersed in an intense religious practice ± third eye on his forhead ± when the third eye
opens (usually closed) signals apocalyptic destruction
- gods find sivas threatening because asceticism is giving him power
www.notesolution.com
Document Summary
S hard to get a very religious life and worldly life at the same time. Concept of god in hinduism: a concept that exists for those who need it to exist (different concepts of the same type of divinity) Gods find sivas threatening because asceticism is giving him power www. notesolution. com therefore persuades parvati to appear before siva and draw him out of his meditational practice. God of desire shoots siva with an arrow and opens his eyes siva falls in love with her. His third eye opens and god of love is reduced to ashes. Desire is a negative thing he destroys the source of desire (god of love) Most important: human form : rama (prince) ramayana = text. 7 volumes: krishna (statesman) mahabharata = text 18 volumes. Parvati divine mother match for siva domestic wife mother extraordinary intrinsic power and energy.
