REL S 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter Hinduism: Atharvaveda, Yajurveda, Historical Vedic Religion
Document Summary
Hinduism was a term used by british scholars and by missionaries who were hoping to westernize the local people. Shruti - scriptures of the hindus that are categorized. Focus on sacrifice, worship, formulas for priestly ritual, and spells and charms. Rig-vdea - made up of 10 books containing over one thousand gyms. The mahabharata - belongs to the second category of things remembered". Most believe in a supreme presence whose essence is represented by these deities. Representations emanate from the sacred qualities of the supreme one of reality". Brahman - concept of universal reality, the one soul. Atman - soul of each individual which strives to understand it is part of the one soul, one reality. Samsara - believe that the human existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Same soul remains as it moves through its successive material lives. Karma - action" in sanskrit, is the sum of the results of one"s deeds over a lifetime.
