Hinduism(s) --
The One and the Many
1.
What is Hinduism?
a. Hindus = 80% of India’s 1
billion; 15% of the world’s population; emerging world power (economically and
militarily); 800k+ US, 850k+ UK, 1050k+ S.Africa
b. “Hinduism” = religion of the
Hindus. So named by early incomers (esp.
Persians and Turks) –
2. The prominent role of the
eyes in apprehending the sacred in Hinduism
a. Seeing is the central act of
worship
b. Contact between deity and
worshipper is exchanged through the eyes
c. Seeing as touching – taking
the form of the object, communicating its vibrance
d. Seeing as knowing – truth,
visionary experience (mystical). The
most holy and revered figures – rishis (seers)
3. How do we look at Hinduism?
a. Overwhelmingly visual; vast
diversity of images. Multitude of aspects
b. How to grasp underlying
unity in this diversity?
4. The “polytheistic
imagination” (Eck)
c. The Hindu world as
“radically polytheistic” and radically monistic
d. Differs from traditions of
the West this way: the myth of monotheism
i.
One God, one book, one Son, one church, “one way to heaven”
e.
Hindu traditions stress diversity
of all creation/ultimate unity at the same time
i.
darsana – seeing, auspicious sight, perspective
ii.
nama-rupa – many names and forms, one reality. God in everything
iii.
brahman: the one, eternal, divine essence of all things