Hum/130 Hinduism

Week 3 Assignment 1

HUM/130

1. Karma: defined as action, and also the consequences of action. The idea that every act we have, shapes out future experiences.

2. Reincarnation: the belief that after a person dies, their “soul” leaves it’s dead body behind and takes birth again and again in countless bodies such as animals or another type of life form.

3. Samsara: the goal of a clean escape from the karma-run wheel of birth, death, and rebirth.

4. Moksha: successfully escaping Karma. Liberation from the limitations of space, time, and matter through realization of the immortal Absolute, requiring life-times of upward-striving incarnations

A popular philosophical system that is related to Vedas is yoga. Yoga is described in the textbook as the practices of sattvic qualities. The word itself means “yoke” or “union” with the reference of the union with your true self. One of the main characteristics of yoga is the development of extreme control over their bodies. They stretch their bodies with perfect balance in order to amplify their meditation efforts. I always admired the amount of control they actually have.

There are four certain types of practices that yoga can be broken down into. They are Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. These different categories are made for the type of people practicing yoga. It suits their personality in order to attain the desired union with the Self.

Raja Yoga is the path of mental concentration. This type of yoga is best for people who like and wish to meditate, also known as sadhanas. This practice uses the sayings known as sutras. These sayings hold many of the principles they adhere to.

Jnana Yoga is the path of rational inquiry, for the rational person. This yoga employs the rational mind rather than trying to transcend it by concentration practices. In this practice, ignorance is the root of all problems, and they work to eliminate that ignorance. They develop...