Hinduism Questions

1. The term moksha means "liberation" and is a release from this ordinary, finite, limited realm of existence into infinite ocean of the divine. It is an experience characterized by infinite being, infinite awareness, and infinite bliss.

2. Monism is the doctrine that says all reality is ultimately one. An analogy would be that all lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams flow into one ocean.

3. Brahman is the essence of all things and is what's without. Atman is one's eternal self and is within. The universe is connected to the eternal self and the eternal self is connected to the universe. This meaning, they both mean that all reality is one.

4. The general function of Hinduism's many deities is to provide points of contact with the divine.

5. The doctrine of samara states that an individual is reincarnated from one life-form to another.

6. The name of Hinduism's most popular sacred text is the Bhagavad-Gita.

7. According to Hinduism, the two principles that connect the divine to this world are karma and dharma. Karma determines the nature of each reincarnation and is the moral law of cause and effect. Dharma is the ethical duty based on the divine order of reality.

8. The four classes of the caste system are brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra. The brahmin class consists of priests, kshatriya consists of warriors and administrators, vaishya consists of producers such as farmers, merchants, and artistans, and the shudra class is made up of servants and laborers.

9. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the Krishna encourages Arjuna to engage in war because he wants him to fulfill his dharma.

10. The four stages of life are: 1) the time of puberty, which is characterized by intensive study of the Vedas and other sacred literature. 2) the householder, which is the tasks of pursuing a career and raising a family. 3) the forest dweller, which is when the first grandchild is born. 4) the wandering ascetic, which is when the forest dweller is ready to come back to society, but is detached from material things.

11. The four goals of life are sensual pleasure (karma), material success (artha), harmony with dharma, and the bliss of moksha.

12. The three paths to liberation are the paths of works, knowledge, and devotion. The path of works is associated with people who are involved in physical activity. The path of knowledge is associated with those who are talented. The path of devotion is associated with people who are emotionally attached.

13. The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy are Vendanta, Sankhya, and Yoga. The basic task that concerns all three is the ability to attain knowledge and connect to the samsara.

14. The three important gods or goddesses of Hinduism are Vishnu, the preserver; Brahma, the creator; and Shiva, the destroyer.

15. An avatar is an incarnation of a deity, commonly of Vishnu, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose. Two important Hindu figures identified as avatars are Krishna and Rama.

16. The Hindu text that is most closely associated with bhakti marga is the Bhagavad-Gita.

17. Three aspects of Hindu devotional life are household and village rituals, pilgrimage to holy places, and veneration of cows.

18. Mahatma Gandhi influences Hinduism by expressing his wisdom to reach divine life.

19. The significant changes in the caste system that took place in the twentieth century are the promotion of social and economic justice as well as forbidding discrimination of outcasts.

20. Sati is the burning of a widow. Its status today is rare, but also forbidden in India.

21. The significant development that occurred in relations between Hindus and Muslims in 1947 was the dividing of nations, which provided a Muslim homeland. This turned into a bloody ordeal and led to the assassination of Gandhi.