Hinduism For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond This Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Introducing Hinduism
	Chapter 1 Overviewing Hinduism
		Looking At the Hindu Worldview
			A broad set of key beliefs
			A brief look at Hindu gods and goddesses
			Hindu religious leaders
			Hinduism’s sacred texts
				Revealed texts: The Vedas
				Remembered texts: The Shastras, the epics, and the puranas
				The Bhagavad Gita
				The language
			Key components of Hindu worship
				Devotions
				Festivals: 365 days of Thanksgiving!
				Worship in temples and shrines
				Rituals to mark the stages of life
		Understanding Societal Structure
	Chapter 2 From Past to Present: A Condensed History of Hinduism
		Getting the Lay of the Land
		From the Ancient to the Not-So-Ancient Past in India
			The Indus Valley civilization
			The Aryan invasion theory
			Then came the Greeks bearing no gifts
			The Vedic period and expansion of Vedic culture
			The Puranic period
			The Darshanas, or schools of philosophy
			The early modern period
			The reform period
			The British are coming
				The East India Company
				The missionaries get organized
				Oxford University takes up Sanskrit
				The Renaissance movements: Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj
		Examining the New Hindu Wave
			Spreading the message to “sisters and brothers” in America
			Introducing transcendental meditation
			An epic portrayed on film: The Mahabharata by Peter Brook
			The Hindu temple movement in the United States
				Are Hindu temples needed in the United States?
				New York leads the way
	Chapter 3 Exploring the Core Beliefs and Values
		Truth: The Foundation of Hindu Belief
		Understanding Hinduism’s Three Core Beliefs
			Brahman: The one true (real) entity
			Belief in the authority of the Vedas
			Committing to the concept of dharma
				Understanding dharma
				Avoiding the six temptations
				Following your conscience
		Believing in the Existence of an Immortal Soul
			Transmigration, death, and rebirth
			Final release from the cycle of death and rebirth
		Examining Karma and Its Consequences
			Linking karma to character and willpower
			Good karma versus bad karma
			Breaking free of karma
		Understanding the Goal of Life: Moksha
			The path of duty
			The path of knowledge
			The path of devotion
		Translating Beliefs into Core Values
			Exercising tolerance
			Showing respect for elders
			Treating all life as sacred
	Chapter 4 Reviewing Major Hindu Denominations
		Identifying the Origin of Hindu Denominations
		Following Vishnu: The Vaishnavas
			Worship traditions
			Vaishnava subsects
				The Madhvas
				Subsects based on Krishna worship
				The Swaminarayans
				The SriVaishnavas
		Following Shiva: The Shaivas
			Worship traditions
			Subsects of Shaivism
				The pre-Vedic approach: Ati Marga
				The post-Vedic approach: Mantra Marga
		Integrating Vaishnava and Shaiva Ideas: The Smartas
		Worshipping Devi, the Female Power: Shaktas
		Returning to the One
	Chapter 5 Exploring Hindu Society Structure
		Looking At the Caste System’s Origins
			The source of the concept: The Bhagavad Gita
			Seeing the original purpose of the system
			Introducing hierarchy into the system
		Defining the Main Castes and Subcastes
			Brahmin: The priestly/intellectual class
			Kshatriyas: The warrior class
			Vaishyas: The trade/commerce class
			Shudras: The agricultural/labor class
			Subcastes and sub-subcastes: The jatis
		Addressing the Great Confusion about Castes
			Mistake 1: One class is superior to another
			Mistake 2: Using the caste system to justify discrimination
		The Caste System Today: Alive and Well — and Changing
			Passing laws to address the inequalities
			To continue the policy or not?
			Recognizing the reality of caste today
				Fluidity among castes
				Holy matrimony: The caste-based choice of spouse
Part 2 The Hindu Pantheon and Its Religious Leaders
	Chapter 6 Pantheism to Polytheism: From the One to the Very Many
		Understanding Pantheism
			Conceiving the whole universe as God
			Visualizing the many embodied in the One
		Exploring Polytheism in Practice
			Deciding which gods to worship
				Following your denomination’s lead
				The family rules! Going with family tradition
			Multiple gods at temples and home altars
			Worshipping the cosmos in its entirety
	Chapter 7 Identifying Hindu Gods and Goddesses
		Starting with the One Supreme Soul
		Naming Gods by Their Portrayals
		Brahma, the Creator
			Attributes of Brahma
			Brahma’s consort: Saraswati, the goddess of learning
		Vishnu, the Preserver
			Attributes of Vishnu
			Divinities related to Vishnu
				Vishnu as Venkateshwara, lord of the seven hills
				Vishnu as Narayana
				Vishnu as Jagannath, lord of the universe
				Vishnu as the avatar Rama
				Vishnu as the avatar Krishna
			Vishnu’s consorts
		Shiva, the Destroyer
			Forms of Shiva
			The consorts of Shiva: Parvati and Sati
			Shiva’s sons
				Ganapati: The remover of obstacles
				Murugan
		The Feminine Divine
			Durga Devi
				The story of Durga’s birth
				Durga’s attributes and festivals
			Kali, the destructive power of time
		Addressing Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Firmament
			Indra and the Vedic storm gods
			The sun and planets as rulers of destiny
			Agni and the Vedic gods of home and community
		Discovering Where the Gods Reside
			Introducing the three worlds
			Looking at all 14 worlds
	Chapter 8 The Avatars of Vishnu: The Divine Descent
		Understanding the Role of an Avatar
			The conditions essential for incarnations
				Decline of dharma on earth
				Plea from a devotee
			The descent of the savior
		Identifying the Ten Incarnations of Vishnu
			Matsya: The big fish story
			Kurma, the tortoise, lends his back
			Varaha, the boar, rescues the earth goddess
			Narasimha, the man-lion, uses his claws
			Vamana, the dwarf, takes three giant steps
			Parashu Rama and the revenge of the clerics
			Rama and the ideal of kingship
			The birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar
			Buddha, the ninth avatar
			Kalki: The tenth avatar yet to come
			The ten manifestations at a glance
	Chapter 9 Revering the Role of Religious Leadership
		Priests, Gurus, and Swamis: Spiritual Leaders of Hinduism
			Priests: Leading services in temples and serving the community
				Understanding the concept of master and disciple
				Establishing ashrams
				Studying at an ashram
				Initiating Hindu monks
		Becoming a Spiritual Leader: What It Takes
			Looking at the concept of renunciation
		Identifying Mythological and Ancient Saints
			The Seven Sages
			Narada
			The Darshana philosophers
		Exploring More Recent Saints
			The acharyas
				Shankara (788–820 CE)
				Ramanuja (c. 1017–1137 CE)
				Madhva (c. 1199–1278 CE)
			19th-century saints
				Ramakrishna (1836–1886)
				Vivekananda (1863–1902)
				Shivananda (1887–1963)
				Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950)
				Additional religious leaders
Part 3 Studying the Sacred Texts
	Chapter 10 The Vedas: Centuries of Accumulated Treasures
		Getting Acquainted with the Vedas
			Taking a peek at core ideas of the Vedas
				The link between the individual and the world
				Different perceptions about God
				The message of hope
				Revelations through poetry
			The Vedas in religious practices
			Recognizing the authority of the Vedas
		Delving Deeper into the Four Vedas
			Rig Veda: The hymns of praise
			Yajur Veda: The mantras of rituals
			Sama Veda: The book of songs
			Atharva Veda: The mantras of charms
			The Vedangas: Components of the Vedas
		Preserving the Vedas
			The oral tradition lives on
			Integrating the Vedas into rituals
	Chapter 11 Gaining Higher Knowledge with the Upanishads
		Becoming Familiar with the Upanishads
			Seeking hidden knowledge
			Realizing the Upanishads’ focus
		Studying Key Lessons in the Upanishads
			Understanding the key questions
			The outward dilemma: Are Brahman and the universe connected?
				The first view
				The second view
				The third view
			Reconciling the answers
			The inward dilemma: Knowledge of self
			Two realities: Yes or no?
		Exploring a Few Parables and Great Utterances
			Know thyself (Atmaanam Viddhi)
			God is in you: Thou art That
				Lunchtime lesson
				The invisible essence
			Lose yourself in Brahman
			Truth — it shall set you free
			Da, Da, Da: Self-control, charity, and compassion
			Core messages
	Chapter 12 Living with the Epics and Puranas
		Approaching the Epics
			The theme: Good versus evil
			The scope: Life in its entirety
			The narrative style: Stories within stories
		The Ramayana: A Clear Case of Good versus Evil
			The story of Rama, the ideal king
				Queen Kaikeyi earns two boons (Bala Kanda)
				Rama is ready to be crowned (Ayodhya Kanda)
				The brothers do their dharmic duty (Ayodhya Kanda)
				Stirrings in the forest (Aranya Kanda)
				The rakshasas seek revenge (Kishkindha Kanda)
				That beautiful Sita should be yours (Kishkindha Kanda)
				I must have that adorable deer (Kishkindha Kanda)
				The line in the sand (Kishkindha Kanda)
				The aged and needy mendicant must be served (Kishkindha Kanda)
				Big Bird was watching while Sita was kidnapped (Kishkindha Kanda)
				The monkey brigade to the rescue (Sundara Kanda)
				The search begins in Lanka (Sundara Kanda)
				Hanuman burns Lanka (Sundara Kanda)
				Let’s build a bridge and march to Lanka (Yuddha Kanda)
				Hanuman moves a mountain (Yuddha Kanda)
				Triumphant return to Ayodhya (Yuddha Kanda)
				The Epilogue: Rama Rajya (Uttara Kanda)
			The importance of the Ramayana
		The Mahabharata: Good, Bad, Ugly, and Everything In-Between
			The author’s origin
			The story of the Kuru Kingdom
			Bhishma’s terrible vow (Adi Parva)
				Extreme measures to save a royal line (Adi Parva)
				One hundred sons from one: The Kauravas (Adi Parva)
				Five sons from the other: The Pandavas (Adi Parva)
				The beginnings (Adi Parva)
				Do you see that bird in the tree? (Adi Parva)
				From pranks to hatred (Adi Parva)
				Competing for a bride: The Swayamvara (Adi Parva)
				Look mother — see what we won! (Adi Parva)
				If you can’t beat them, cheat them? (Sabha Parva)
				One more chance to win everything back (Sabha Parva)
				A lady’s honor (Sabha Parva)
				The disrobing of Draupadi (Sabha Parva)
				A miracle to save her honor (Sabha Parva)
				Off to the forests (Sabha Parva)
				Life among sages and demons and beasts (Aranya Parva)
				Brothers in disguise (Aranya Parva)
				A last try for peace and plans for the battle (Udyoga Parva)
				The 18-day battle (Bhishma Parva)
			Was it all worth it?
		Exploring the Epics Today
		Meeting the Puranas
			Seeing how the puranas are structured
			Influencing Hinduism
	Chapter 13 The Song of the Lord: The Bhagavad Gita
		Getting Familiar with the Bhagavad Gita
		The Gita’s Story: An Overview
			Amassing armies and discussing rules of war
			Setting the stage for internal conflict
			Amazing conversation on the battlefield
			The 18-day battle
		Exploring Key Lessons Woven through the Gita
			Dharma is the only basis
			How to attain moksha
			Selfless service: Karma Yoga
				The way of knowledge: Jnana Yoga
				The royal way: Raja Yoga
				The way of surrender: Bhakti Yoga
Part 4 Practicing Hinduism
	Chapter 14 Worshipping at Home
		Components of Hindu Worship
			The prayers
				Procedures using water: Achamana
				Procedures using air: Pranayama
			The arrangement of an altar
			The rituals
		Pray, Eat, and Pray! Mealtime Worship
			Following mealtime procedures
			A night to fast: Ekadashi
		Praying Morning, Noon, and Night
			A simple morning prayer
			Sandhya vandanam: Worship for orthodox Hindus
				Before the ceremony
				The principal steps
			Ready to call it a day? Bedtime prayers
		Formally Worshipping a Deity
			Prayers to Ganapati, guru, and the family godhead
			Shuddhi (cleansing)
			Prayer of invocation to Goddess Lakshmi
			The 16 upacharas
			Conclusion
	Chapter 15 Worshipping at Temples
		Studying Temple Architecture
			The overall structure
			Key areas and structures
			Principal differences in northern and southern traditions
			The rituals from groundbreaking to sanctification
			Touring the Satyanarayana Temple in Middletown, Connecticut
		Reviewing Temple Ceremonies
			Exploring Hindu temple protocol
			Adhering to daily rituals
			Chanting the names of God
			Special days for individual deities
	Chapter 16 Observing Holydays and Festivals
		Exploring Festivals Celebrated throughout India
			Makara Sankranti
				Along the sacred rivers of India
				In Karnataka
				In Tamilnadu
			Shivaratri: The grand night of Shiva
			Ramanavami: Rama’s birthday
			Festivals marking the spring equinox and lunar new year
			Dressing down for the occasion: Holi
			Krishna Janmashtami: Krishna’s birthday
			Ganesha Chaturthi: Ganesha’s birthday
				Beginning the celebration: The homecoming
				Send-off ceremony
			Navaratri
				The most famous Navaratri: Dasara in Mysore
				Celebrating Vijayadashami in North India
			Navratri at Wesleyan University, Connecticut
			The doll festival
			Diwali
		Identifying Regional Festivals
			In the northern region: Karva Chauth
			Western region: The elephant festival
			Southern region: The Vairamudi, Rajamudi, Kavadi, and Onam festivals
				Celebrating the diamond crown (Vairamudi)
				Rajamudi: Celebrating the king’s crown
				In Tamilnadu: The Kavadi Festival
			Kerala: The Onam Festival
			Eastern Region: The Jagannath Rath Yatra Festival
	Chapter 17 Cradle to Cremation: The Life-Cycle Rites
		Looking At the 16 Ceremonies
		Observing Prenatal Rituals
			Conception: The Garbhadana
			Praying for a male child: The Pumsavana
			Hoping for a smooth delivery: The Simanthonnayana
		Observing Childhood Rituals
			Cutting the umbilical cord: Jatakarma
			Naming ceremony: Namakarana
			The first outing: Nishkramana
			The first solid food: Annaprashana
			The first haircut: Chudakarma
			Piercing the ears: Karnavedha
		Getting Ready for Adulthood
			Initiating a child into learning: Vidyarambha
			The thread ceremony: Upanayanam
			Going away to study the Vedas: Vedarambha
			Completing education: Samavartana
		Becoming a Householder with the Marriage Ritual: Vivaha/Shadi
		Getting Ready for Retirement: Vanaprastha
		Upon Death: Anthyeshti
			The death of the body, but not the soul
			Cremation rather than burial
	Chapter 18 Taking a Pilgrimage
		Overviewing the Pilgrimage Experience
			Discovering pilgrimage destinations
				Rivers and bodies of water
				Mountains
				Locations associated with events from the sacred texts
			Choosing a mode of transportation
			Considering reasons for a pilgrimage
			Picking a good time for a pilgrimage
		On the Road: Touring Important Pilgrimage Sites
			Around the Pushkar lake in Rajasthan
			Taking a trip to Kashi before death
			Traveling to Rameshwaram, the Kashi of the South
			Visiting Kanyakumari
			Queuing up to worship at Tirupati
			Honoring Lord Krishna at Mathura
			Performing your own last rites at Gaya
			At the Himalayan abodes
				Hardwar, the gateway to Vishnu and Shiva temples
				The Shiva temple at Kedarnath
				The Vishnu temple at Badrinath
				Amarnath
			The hilltop pilgrimage to Sabarimalai
			Pilgrimage to where rivers are “born”
				Gangotri and Yamunotri
				Bathing at the source of sacred Kaveri
Part 5 Delving Deeper into the Hindu Concept of Reality
	Chapter 19 The Six Schools of Thought: The Darshanas
		Grasping the Darshana Philosophies
			Distinguishing between realities
			Introducing the sutras
			The general approach of the Darshana philosophies
				Beginning with the root cause of human suffering: Ignorance
				Pursuing belief by doubting everything
		Looking At the Six Different Ways to View Reality
			The school of logic: Nyaya
				The methodology of understanding the subject
				Nyaya strategy for analyzing a proposition
			The atom-based school of physical reality: Vaisheshika
			The school of matter and spirit: Samkhya
				Defining Prakriti
				Defining Purusha
				The union of Prakriti and Purusha: The Samkhya theory of Creation
			The Veda-based school: Mimamsa
			The school of Yoga: Training the body, mind, and soul
			The school of the One: Vedanta
	Chapter 20 Vedanta: The End of Knowledge
		Understanding the Basics of Vedanta
			The goal of life: Self-realization
			Unity in diversity
			Is this universe real or an illusion?
			Achieving happiness through spiritual enlightenment
			Brahman and the soul: The connection
			Three philosophies that emerged from Vedanta
		The Advaita Philosophy: Nondualism
			Distinguishing between the real and the Real
				Levels of reality in Advaita
				Ignorance is the barrier, and knowledge is inherent
			Allowing for knowledge-based devotion
		Distinguishing between the Individual and the Supreme Soul: Dualism
			Distinguishing between individual souls and the One
			Liberation through devotion to Vishnu
			We are servants of God
		Reaching a Compromise: Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Nondualism)
			Allowing for a personal, loving God
			The relationship between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul
			God exists with positive attributes
	Chapter 21 Following the Yogic Path to Salvation
		Defining Yoga
		More Than a Series of Postures: Yoga as Spiritual Path
			The Raja Yoga of Patanjali
				I. Samadhi Pada (Book of Perfect Concentration)
				II. Sadhana Pada (Book of Discipline)
				III. Vibhuti Pada (Book of Manifestation)
				IV. Kaivalya Pada (Book of Liberation)
			The main goal: Freedom from our lower selves
			The role of a guru for serious practice
			The Yogic tripod: Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga
				Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action): Serving society through selfless service
				Jnana Yoga (Yoga of Knowledge): Seeking union through higher knowledge
			Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion): Seeking union through surrender
			Kundalini Yoga and chakras
			Tantric Yoga
			Hatha Yoga — a guide
			Surya Namaskar: Sun salutations
Part 6 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 22 Ten Common Prayers
		Forgive Me, Mother Earth
		Looking at My Palms in the Morning
		Please Remove All Obstacles
		Let This Be a Great Day
		Salutations to the Sun God
		Let Us Meditate on the Radiance of That Divinity
		Let There Be Harmony
		Let Everything Be Surrendered to You
		Lead Me from Darkness to Light
		By Whose Grace the Mute May Become Eloquent. . .
	Chapter 23 Ten (or So) Traditional Mandates
		Worship Your Women
		Be Strong in Mind and Body
		Work Hard
		Company Is Important When. . .
		Work with Passion, but Don’t Concern Yourself with Results
		Don’t Bother If You Don’t Have Faith
		Protect Dharma, and It Will Protect You
		Don’t Tell Pleasant Lies or Unpleasant Truths
		Nonviolence Is the Supreme Dharma
Index
EULA