| The Founding | |
| According to the Creation Hymn found in the Rg Veda, the specifics of creation are hidden from us in the deep past. From that act, or perhaps non-act, of creation, Brahman, and Atman came into existence. Through the sacrifice of the primal person Purusha, the phenomenal world arose. | According to Western historians, the origins of Hinduism can be traced to the migration of the Aryans into the Indian subcontinent from the northwest between 2000 and 1500 B.C.E. A tribe of warriors, priests, and commoners, they settled in northern India. |
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The
Goal
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| The ultimate goal of life is to become liberated from the round of rebirths known as samsara. | The proximate goal of life is to enjoy the pleasures of creation and improve your future lives by doing acts that produce good karma. |
| The Means | |
| Yogic meditation and darshana replaced in the post-Vedic period the emphasis on ritual performance and the use of soma as the means to liberation from samsara and the achievement of moksha. | For most Hindus, the means to a better life is by moving appropriately through the samskaras to the stage of sannyasin and being reborn in a higher state. Devotion or bhakti is also a common practice for bettering one's situation. |
| The Schools | |
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Nyaya Vaisheshika Samkhya |
Yoga Mimamsa Vedanta |
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The
Scriptures
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| Shruti -- "That which is heard." The revealed texts, the Vedas | Smirti -- "That which is remembered." The scriptural writings after the Vedas. |
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Key
Terms
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Brahma Shiva Vishnu Krishna |
Karma Atman Brahman Samsara |
Brahmans Kshatryas Vaishyas Shudras |
jnana-marga bhakti-marga karma-marga jati |
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Key
Symbol
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"OM" or "AUM", the essential sound of the universe. |
| Sacred Places | |
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Ganga or Ganges River Banaras |
Himalayas Delhi |