Hinduism/ Buddhism Notes

Hinduism
Intro:
Dharma – responsibility to maintain balance, temporal perspective, cosmic balance, maintain connective organization of the cosmos
Brahman – law books, explain Hinduism
Social ranks – fulfill role to achieve moksha, Brahmans are at the top
If one person slacks everyone suffers
Everyone has a place
If you fulfill your place you go to the next level in the cast system
Every small action affects the cosmic balance
No inferiority or superiority just different levels of being
Welfare of the society comes first
Paradoxical – be physical yet transcend it at the same time – contradictory
Society functions as one organism
Upanashas – books: Romyana, story of Ram and Sita
Vedic religion – oldest known religion, written in Sanskrit, in Northern India,
Maha Brata book – has Hinduism ideals, Shiva, Genesh
Gita – stories gods and lord Krishna, Arjuta, dharma duty, responsibility, every action should be godly
Moksha – release/ liberation from all limitations and restrictions, release of karma and samsara, enlightenment, end of cycle, spiritual goal
Society and the world itself are only contingent reality
Cyclical time /infinite space, no beginning or end
Western beliefs are linier/ opposite
You are insignificant – power is an illusion
Yugas – a period from creation to destruction:
- Krita yuga – 1728000 years long
- Ireta yuga – 1296000 years long
- Duapara yuga – 864000 years long
- Kali yuga – 432000 years long, our time, least virtuous time
Increasing decline in virtue
Brahma – creator god, one thousand mahayugas = one day for his life, one complete cycle of all yugas
After 100 Brahma years everything dissolves and starts over
Perush – creator god, sun and moon Brahmans come from head, moon comes from mind, warriors and the sky come from arms, merchants come from stomach, serfs and untouchables and earth come from feet
Similar to Plato but different metaphor
Somsahra – cycles, rebirth, multiple lives
One way of achieving moksha is through yoga
Prakrita – physical stuff
Purusha – inner self
Maya – prevents you from seeing things as they really are
Reconciliations
Alleviate tension between dharma and moksha
Live 4 phases – different for each social level
- Study scriptures
- Marry
- Meditate and reproduce
- Wander begging for food
Work/ knowledge/ devotion
All paths balance out karma, moksha, and dharma
Get both points of view and don’t favor either
Shiva – destroyer god, passion that drives anarchy and chaos, falick
Wife – Parvati
Mahabharata – part of Gita, conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna about moksha
Ganesh
Kali
Ram and Sita – Ramayana – Hanuman helps to sure Ram’s brother by bringing Himalayas back with the special healing herb
Brahma – creator
Vishnu – preserver
Brahma/ Vishnu/ Shiva = trinity
Cast system
- Brahmin = priests
- Kinasatiyas = warriors
- Vaisyas = craftsmen
- Svoras = farmers
- Untouchables
Plato’s cave – once you move on you can never come back
Buddhism
Prince Siddharta:
Holy man says he will be a spiritual leader
Father wants him to be a great king so creates special world with three palaces for each season so he can grow up to be a king
One day he hears a sad song of suffering and wants to go outside to discover what it means
So father creates illusion that everyone is happy
But he sees old people and follows them to find leapers
“Does this even happen to kings?”
Death as well
Then discovers compassion
Wants to break out of samshara
Leaves his wife and new born child
Goes and follows hippies
One day he hears a conversation between a musician and his pupil “if the string is too tight it will break, if it is too loose it will not play, need to find a middle ground”
BECOMES BUDDHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (enlightened)
Middle Path – the nobel truths
- Life is suffering
- Suffering is caused by desire
- Desire can be overcome
- Follow the eightfold path
No cast system
No dharma or karma
There is reincarnation
Nirvana – Buddhist enlightenment
Mahayana Buddhism – everyone can obtain Nirvana in one lifetime
Greater vehicle
Zen – Buddhism
Dharma – follow Buddha and don’t get distraction