India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
Aum
India is a really large country
One Million Gods — and One
Swastika
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma India
Bhārat is a really large country.
3,2 million km2 . 1 210 million people.
Compare with Europe. 10,6 million km2 . 732 million people.
Or North America (Greenland + Canada + USA + Mexico + Central American states + West Indies)
24,4 million km2 . 529 million people.
12.1
India Europe N. Am.
7.32 5.29
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma India
Bhārat is a really, really large country. 3,2 million km2 . 1 210 million people.
Additionally, one might argue it’s even more varied than Europe and North America combined.
300–400 languages are spoken. 20 of them are official languages. Roughly 80% count as Hindus. Islam second largest religion. 80.0% Hindu 13.4% Muslim 2.3% Christian 2.0% Sikh 0.8% Buddhist 0.4% Jain
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
162 Million 27.8 Million
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma India
Bhārat is a really, really large country.
“Connaught Place sunset” by Ville Miettinen (cc-by-2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/295189351/in/photostream/
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma India
Bhārat is a really, really large country.
“Homeward bound” by UrbanWanderer (cc-by-sa-2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/adityo/7360934782/in/photostream/
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma India
Bhārat is a really, really large country. Life in the cities is vastly different than in rural areas. Ab. 8% belong to ‘tribal people’. Adivasi. Scheduled tribes. To say “this is how it is in India” is to lie. Somewhere in India, it is not like “this”.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Hinduism
A Meaningful Life
Religion in general, is a way to live in the world. Religion is a way to view the world. Religion is a way to live a meaningful life. According to Hinduism, a meaningful life means that: 1 2
You live a happy life. You’re a good person. That you live a life which is meaningful to others.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Hinduism
Puruṣārtha: Four Goals in Life
In a meaningful life, the four goals are balanced. Artha life necessities; material possesions. Kāma aesthethic enjoyment; pleasure of the senses. Dharm(a) a moral life; following the rules of society, of one’s context. Moksh(a) to leave life free. End of saṃsāra.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Hinduism
PuruášŁÄ rtha: Four Goals in Life
In a meaningful live, the four goals are balanced. Artha Dharma Material Spiritual KÄ ma Moksh One fourth of your energy should go to gathering the material necessities of life. Food and shelter. One fourth to enjoy life. One fourth to fulďŹ l your duties (family, society‌) One fourth to spirituality. Dharma should govern the search for artha and kÄ ma.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Hinduism
PuruášŁÄ rtha: Four Goals in Life
In a meaningful life, the four goals are balanced. Religion guides on how to distribute your energies. Every religion, which informs on the proper distribution of energies, is ‘a right religion’. Dierent circumstances demand dierent paths to the separate goals.
To gather food is achieved in a certain manner in Sweden; in a dierent in USA; in a third way in India. The guidance (religion) have to be adapted to the circumstances.
Some faiths ďŹ t certain contexts better.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Sanatan Dharma Hinduism
In a meaningful life, the four goals are balanced. Religion guides on how to distribute your energies. One such system, is Sanatan Dharm(a). “The eternal order”. The eternally existing guidance. The ever-flowing religion.
‘Hinduism’ is a western notion.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Saṃsāra
The Eternal Cycle of Rebirth
Saṃsāra The eternal cycle of rebirth. Reincarnation Back to the carnal reality. To the flesh. To be born again. Reborn. Karma Actions, physical and mental, count as good, bad or indifferent. The sum of your karma is the basis of your next reincarnation. Animals can have good karma, too! Animals, too, can achieve moksh. Moksh The end of samsara. No more (re)birth.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Saṃsāra
AUM Atman — Brahmand
Brahmand the ‘soul’ of the universe. Atman the ‘soul’ of the individual. Moksh the end of saṃsāra. Atman joins Brahmand. Aum the symbol to the right. (Alt. spelling: ‘om’.)
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Saṃsāra
Atman — Brahmand
Everything is Brahmand. Brahmand is the origin of the individual ‘soul’, atman. The goal of the individual is to join Brahmand again. …but perhaps not just right this minute?
Aum
Aum is the original sound. The sound of the universe being born. Aum is what everything begins with. By saying aum we can return to Brahmand.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Saṃsāra
AUM Atman — Brahmand
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Saṃsāra
AUM Atman — Brahmand
Most ‘holy actions’ begin with aum or swastika. Most mantras begin with aum. Aum is a mantra in itself.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Four Paths to Moksh
Bhakti-yog(a) through devotion towards the divine. Rāja -yog(a) through control (over body and soul). Jñana -yog(a) through reason (knowledge). Karma-yog(a) through following dharm(a).
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Holy Cows Cows are considered sacred. Aditi, mother of all deities. There are also pragmatical benefits
Roams about freely. —Accessible by all. Milk, important source of nourishment for children. Ghee. Dung, important source of fuel. Urine, fertilizer. Only the cow is holy, not the bull, which can be used for labour.
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Holy Cows
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Holy Cows
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
The Varna-system Jati
The ‘caste system’, as we know it in the west, is really a mix of varn(a) and jati. Jati is comparable to profession. You’re born in a family with a certain professional competence. In the possible lack of education etc., you learn the profession of your family. (That might even be considered to be your dharm.)
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
The Varna-system Varna: Purush
1. Brahmin, distributes knowledge
2. Kshatriya, rules
3. Vaishya, commerce
4. Shudra, working people
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
The Varna-system Varn(a)
In theory, all parts of Purush are of equal worth. Reality differs from the theory. Huge difference between urban and rural areas.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
The Varna-system Varn(a)
The different jatis belong to separate varn(a)s.
The division looks different in different places. Some jatis are always ‘low caste’, like chamar — leather workers. Other jatis are somewhere between varn(a)s, like yadav — milk men. In some areas they are high shudra; in others, low vaishya.
Festivals and traditions bind and harmonise the different groups.
On the one hand: harmonises. On the other hand: maintains status quo. The low remain low.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
“The Caste System”
Officially, the four varn(a)s have been abolished. Brahmin; kshatriya; vaishya; shudra. “Scheduled casts”, “scheduled tribes”. In fact, they’re still a reality. Stronger in some places; weaker in others. (Not least, difference between urban/rural.)
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
One Million Gods — and One
The divine has many faces. You speak to the one you feel most comfortable with. The face that appeals to you the most. God can appear in a myriad of ways: all are expressions of one and the same reality: Brahmand.
India is a really large country
Sanatan Dharma
Concepts and terms
Varna and jati
One Million Gods — and One
Gods
Three Main Paths
Broadly speaking, there are three different categories. Three different ways of approaching the divine. Three groups of believers. Vaishnavism Those who are devoted to Vishny — or rather: one of his avatars. Matsya; Kurma; Varaha; Narasimha; Vamana; Parashurama; Rama; Krishna; Buddha; Kalki. Shaivism Those who are devoted to Shiva. Shaktism Those who are devoted to some form of devi, the feminine aspect of the divine.