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    Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide
    Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide
    Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide
    Ebook373 pages1 hour

    Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide

    By Borin Van Loon and Vinay Lal

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    About this ebook

    Why do Hindus revere the cow?
    Must Hindus be vegetarian? 

    Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, yet the word 'Hindu' was never used before the 18th century by Hindus to describe themselves. it is defined as polytheistic, but Gandhi declared that a Hindu needn't believe in any god. it is a religion as much of myth as of history – it has no founder, no single authoritative book, even few central doctrines.
    Introducing Hinduism offers a guide to the key philosophical, literary, mythological and cultural traditions of the extraordinarily diverse faith.  It untangles the complexities of Hinduism's gods and goddesses, its caste system and its views on sex, everyday life and asceticism. 

    Vinay Lal and Borin Van Loon's hugely enjoyable tour through Hinduism also explores its links with and differences from Buddhism, Jainism and other religions, the resurgence of Hindu extremism, the phenomenon of Bollywood and the overseas Hindu diaspora.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIcon Books
    Release dateDec 1, 2014
    ISBN9781848318809
    Introducing Hinduism: A Graphic Guide

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    • 4/5
      This comprehensive book explains everything you've ever wanted to know about Darwin and the facts surrounding his "Origins of the Species." I'm not a science person AT ALL and I was miraculously able to comprehend the book's information, presented in cartoon format. It's witty and entertaining. Highly recommended, especially for people who don't mesh well with science but are curious anyways.
    • 4/5
      Strange format. Not a comic nor a book.This means they can cover deep material without you feeling like you are in the depths.Plenty of ground is covered and some silly/funny pictures as well.A nice introduction - about an hours read.
    • 3/5
      A satisfactory introduction into the efforts Darwin went to in writing On the Origin of Species and the concerns that he had about it.
    • 3/5
      Reviewed April 2000 Following on the footsteps of "Marx for Beginners" I just had to read about Darwin, I had some basic knowledge of his life and work but not all the detail. Really this book is a great start for beginners, it teaches basic genetics and an overview of evolution that is understandable. I hadn't realized the dynamics between Darwin and Captain Fitzroy (from the Beagle and a stanch creationist). I was saddened that Darwin did not live to see his "Origins of Species") published, but I guess that it was more peaceful to have died first. The knowledge of the Scottish sheep with the mutated genes was not mentioned, but quite a bit of detail is given about the flaws of evolution, which are greatly appreciated. I think Darwin really was put in a tough spot having to publish before he had worked it all out. I'm glad that Wallace was given a lot of credit for his contributions. Poor Darwin, he really didn't have the personality to carry off such drama. 9-2000
    • 3/5
      Classics Illustrated version of natural selection--amusing and accessible.

    Book preview

    Introducing Hinduism - Borin Van Loon

    Published by Icon Books Ltd, Omnibus Business Centre, 39–41 North Road, London N7 9DP

    Email: info@iconbooks.com

    www.introducingbooks.com

    ISBN: 978-184831-114-5

    Text copyright © 1995 Darian Leader

    Illustrations copyright © 2013 Icon Books Ltd

    The author and illustrator has asserted their moral rights

    Originating editor: Richard Appignanesi

    No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

    Contents

    Cover

    Title Page

    Copyright

    What is Hinduism?

    Elusive Hinduism

    Uncertain Origins in India

    The Indus Valley Civilization

    Aryans and Hinduism’s Origins

    An Early Mix of Elements

    Sanskrit: Language of the Gods

    Hindu Religious Literature

    The Cosmological World of the Vedas

    Gayatri Mantra

    Hymn to Creation

    The Caste System

    Varnashrama Dharma

    Brahmin Superiority

    Pollution and Purity

    Sudra Pollution

    Dalits: Are They Hindus?

    Gandhi and Ambedkar

    Is Caste Intrinsic to Hinduism?

    Four Stages of Life

    Values at Each Stage

    Sannyasa

    The Upanishads

    Transmission of Knowledge

    Esoteric Teachings?

    On Being a Brahmin

    Brahman and Atman

    Svetaketu’s Story

    Union of Brahman and Atman

    Doctrine of Mayo

    The Illusion of Ignorance

    Revolt against Brahminism

    Buddhism

    Mahavira and Jainism

    Ahimsa or Non-Violence?

    Lokayata: Indian Materialism

    Affirmation of Life

    Artha: the Pursuit of Wealth

    Karma: The Life Of Desire (Pleasure)

    Dharma: Completing the Triad

    Dharma in the Mahabharata

    The Great War

    The Story of Aswatthama

    Dharma and Hindu Ethics

    Dharma and Freedom of Action

    Mahabharata Hinduism

    The Ramayana

    Rama’s Story

    Rama’s Doubt

    The Ideal Hindu Couple

    Versions of the Ramayana

    Puranic Hinduism

    Puranas

    Puranic (Ludic) Lore

    The Hindu Trinity

    Shiva

    Aspects of Shiva

    Shiva Lingam

    Lingayats: A Shaivite Community

    The Personal Lingam

    Shiva as Ardhanarisvara

    Shiva and Parvati

    Shakti: The Feminine Principle

    Traditions of the Devi

    Durga: The Ferocious Aspect of Parvati

    Kali, The Black One

    Festivals of Durga and Kali

    The Darshan

    Little Goddesses: Sitala

    River Goddesses

    Are Goddesses Autonomous?

    Matriarchal Resistance

    Vishnu: The Trinity Completed

    The Doctrine of Avatars

    Ten Avatars

    The Revenge of Hiranyakashipu

    Narasimha: Uses of Ambiguity

    Buddha: Vishnu’s Incarnation

    Kalki: Avatar for the Kali Yuga

    The Traditions of Krishna

    Krishna the Charioteer

    The Bhagavad Gita

    The Three Yogas

    Bhakti yoga

    The Other Krishna

    The Child Krishna

    Krishna and the Gopis

    Erotic Allegory?

    The Bhakti Movement

    Characteristics of the Bhakti Movement

    Caste and Bhakti

    Women and Bhakti

    The Voice of Bhakti

    Hinduism in Islamic India

    Guru Nanak

    Bauls: Singing Bards

    Reform Movements in Hinduism

    Rammohun Roy and Hindu Monotheism

    Brahmo Samaj

    Arya Samaj

    Nationalistic Hinduism

    Sri Ramakrishna

    Swami Vivekananda

    Mohandas Gandhi*

    Hinduism in the Modern World

    Women in Hindu Society

    Hindu Scriptures on Women

    The Practice of Sati

    Hinduism and Bollywood

    Mythologicals

    The Gods in Film

    Jai Santoshi Maa

    Gods and Humans

    Hindu Culture and Hindi Cinema

    Bollywood’s Hindu Inspiration

    Hinduism and the Cow

    Vegetarianism in Hindia

    The Doctrine of Ahimsa

    The Sacred Cow

    Muslims and the Cow

    Cows in the Colonial Period

    The Cow in Contemporary Hinduism

    Hinduism and Ecology

    Chipko: Ecological Resistance

    Bishnoi: Ecologically Aware Hinduism

    The Future of Hinduism

    Hinduism in the Television Age

    The Internet and Hinduism

    New Hindu Histories

    In the United States

    The Hindu Diasporic Vanguard

    The Softer Hindu Diaspora

    Hinduism and Hindutva

    Gandhi’ Ashram

    Hinduism and Politics

    Gandhi’s Hinduism and Hindutva

    A Proper Religion for a Proper Nation-State

    Bajrang Dal: Debasing Hinduism

    The Babri Masjid Episode

    History and Mythos

    Further Reading

    Acknowledgements

    About the Author

    About the Illustrator

    Index

    What is Hinduism?

    Hinduism, one is tempted to say, can be anything to anyone. Hindus themselves are fond of describing Hinduism as a way of life rather than as a religion.

    Hindus, do not turn to the same book for moral guidance as muslims do the quran or christians to the bible. Mahatma gandhi, the most famous Hindu of recent times, had his own opinion. A man may not believe in god and still call himself a hindu.

    No one has any idea whether Hinduism accepts converts to its religion. Hare Krishnas, the most visible sign of Hinduism’s spread to the West, emphatically declare that they do not view themselves as Hindus. The word Hindu itself is not of Indian origin, and Hindus did not describe themselves as such until the 18th century. Yet, Hinduism’s adherents characterize it as the world’s oldest faith.

    Elusive Hinduism

    In the West, Hinduism is comparatively invisible. Some people view it as synonymous with yoga, which has been reduced to aerobic-like exercises and meditational practices. From the Sanskrit yuj, which means to yoke, yoga is a school of Indian philosophy which aims to help the practitioner to come closer to the divine. All this has been largely forgotten.

    To others, Hinduism is some vague, undefined and colourful religion with numerous deities.

    Manu of its gods and goddesses appear to have multiple arms and legs.

    Hindus also believe in something called karma.

    Hinduism certainly looks less stern as a religion than Islam, Christianity or Judaism.

    Uncertain Origins in India

    The central tenets of Hinduism are not easily described.

    Unlike most major world religions, Hinduism has no historical founder.

    Christians accept the teachings of jesus christ.

    Buddhism revolves around the Buddha.

    Islam prescribes belief in muhammad as its prophet.

    All one can say of Hinduism’s origins, by contrast, is that it originated in the Indian subcontinent and that the religion has largely been confined to that part of the world.

    The Indus Valley Civilization

    The earliest civilization in India has been given the name of Indus Valley or Harappan after one of its most well-developed cities, Harappa, now in Pakistan.

    This advanced, urban civilization, which developed around the river indus, flourished around 2500–1500 BC.

    The Indus Valley people, who may be the forerunners of the Dravidian population of South India, appear to have been gradually pushed down south by the Aryans, who commenced their migrations from the Caucasus Mountains (in the present-day region of Georgia in the former Soviet Union) to India around 2000 BC.

    Aryans and Hinduism’s Origins

    The word Aryan originally meant noble. Nazism has given the word racial connotations in the 20th century. The early Aryans were a nomadic people. They brought to India the horse and the chariot, as well as the sacrificial altar.

    The veneration of fire, around which hindu marriage rites are conducted, can be dated back to the aryans. Om, bhur-bhuvah-svah …

    The oldest literature attributed to the Aryans, known as the Vedas, furnishes a relatively clear picture of their Gods, associated largely with different aspects of nature. Chief among them were Indra, the god of rain and thunder; Surya, the sun god; Varuna, the god of wind; and Agni, the fire god.

    An Early Mix of Elements

    Hinduism is generally viewed as having originated with the Aryans, but it is far more accurately described as an amalgam of pre-Aryan and Aryan elements. For instance, image-worship, which predominates in popular Hinduism, finds almost no mention in the Vedas. Shiva, the all-important god besides Vishnu, is almost certainly a non-Aryan god (absent in the Vedas) who eventually made his way into the Hindu pantheon.

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