Indian Civilization
I. The Vedic Period (c. 2000-300 BCE).
A. The Indus Valley cities of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa: the earliest civilizations (as far as we know).
B. The Aryans invasions from the north/northwest: c. 1500 BCE: they enslaved the indigenous population (referred to as “Shindu,” “Dasi”).
C. The caste system (caste- “pure;” varna- “color”).
1. Priests (Brahmin).
2. Warriors (Kshatriya, originally the highest).
3. Skilled craftspersons (Vaishya).
4. Unskilled laborers (Shudra).
D. The Vedas (the 1st scriptural source): “books of sacred knowledge."
1. Hymns, ritual procedures.
2. Vedic Gods: Indra (the Storm); Agni (Fire).
E. The Upanishads (the 2nd scriptural source): “sitting near or under” (as in student to teacher).
1. Brahman (“Being”) and Atman (soul).
F. The Triune Godhead as the Personification of Brahman: the circle of time and energy (post-classical Hinduism, i.e., following the rise and fall of Buddhism in India).
1. Brahma: the creator .
2. Vishnu: the maintainer.
3. Shiva: the destroyer.
G. Karma (“action”): the cosmic moral monitor.
1. Relationship to caste.
H. The Bhagavad Gita (the 3rd scriptural source): “the Song of the Lord.”
1. Arjuna and Krishna.
2. Karma yoga (the path to God through action): meditate on the action alone as your duty to perform, not the fruits/results of the action.
3. Detachment of “SELF” (eternal) from “self” (temporal).
II. The Advent of Buddhism.
A. Siddhartha Gautama: Early Life.
1. Born 563 BCE; a birth foretold.
2. The Legend of the Four Passing Sights.
3. “I am awake.”
B. Basic Buddhist Teachings.
1. The Middle Way.
2. The Four Noble Truths.
a. Dukkha: life is suffering.
b. Samudaya: suffering is caused by desire (Tanha).
c. Nirodha: desire must be overcome.
d. Magga: the Eightfold Path.
3. Karma (action): the interrelationship of cause and effect.
4. Enlightenment: Nirvana (nothingness).
5. “No self.”
C. Buddhism: a critique of Hinduism/Brahminism?
III. The Maurya Dynasty (322-185 BCE) and the Advent of Buddhism.
A. Important Kings.
1. Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 BCE).
2. Ashoka (273-232 BCE): appropriated Buddhism as the State religion.
3. Early aniconic Buddhism: the Buddha portrayed indirectly.
B. Mahayana Buddhism: the user friendly Buddha.
1. Mahayana: “large vehicle” vs. Hinayana: “smaller vehicle.”
2. Images, Stupas and Chaitya Halls.
IV. The Kushan Period (50-320 CE).
A. The hellenized Buddha (“this-worldly”).
V. The Gupta Period (320-480 CE).
A. The spiritual, meditative Buddha (“other- worldly”).
VI. Later (Medieval) Hinduism (c. 550-1500 CE).
A. Buddhism re-absorbed into Hinduism.
1. priesthood vs. progeny.
2. oneness vs. nothingness.
3. austerity of mind vs. sensuality of symbol.
B. The impersonal (Brahman) is given personality: Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva (see above).
C. The Hindu Temple (particularly in the South).
1. Sexuality as cosmic union.
VII. Hindu Fine Arts.
A. The experience of Darsan.
B. Bhakti yoga: the path of devotion.
C. Artistic expression as a channel of the Holy.
1. The divine image.
1. Music: Ravi Shankar, Sitar.
2. Dance: Bharata Natyam.