Indian religions are complicated. There are thousands of deities, numerous scriptures, and indigenous tribal customs, all boiled down into what the English mistakenly called Hinduism in the 1800s.
Main discussion questions for the week:
- How does Dharma (pp. 72 and 110) and the yogas (pp. 88-93) simplify an understanding of this complexity?
- Which of these systems would you incorporate into your life today? Why?
- Explain why a guru would be necessary to help you understand these two systems.
Be sure to respond to at least one (1) other student.
Extra credit:
Hindus believe in millions of gods…or do they? All might be subsumed under the idea of Brahman. But, there are several important deities they follow.
So, Jews have several names for God. Muslims have 99 names for Allah. The New Testament records several names for Jesus. There are many Buddhas, not just one.
Are deities too complex to describe with just one name? If we use just one name for a deity, do we miss out on the various important notions of the deity? Explain.