Rationalism: Using reason to do things, not believing in the supernatural India Civilization:

• Harrappen civilization

River Valley

• Indus river (root word of India)

Biggest city

• Mohenjo-daro

Order of invasions and empire:

• Aryan (1600-1000 BCE)
• Mauryan Empire (322 BCE - 185 BCE) - 137 years
• Gupta Empire (319 BCE - 535 BCE) - 216 years
• India didn't care about having one leader at a time, it was an exception

Religion

• Aryan Religion (came from the Northwest)
  • Agni (Fire god)
  • Indra (Warrior god)
  • Varuna (Sky god)
  • Soma (God of Plants)
  • Very literal religion
  • Fuzzy transition from Aryan to Classical Hinduism
    • To about 600 BCE
  • Fuzzy transition to Aryan to Buddhism too
  • Hinduism: What is reality??
    • Maya (not reality, illusion)
      • Every day life
      • Constantly changing
      • Not real but an illusion
    • Brahman [brah, mon]
      • Ultimate reality
      • EVERYTHING comes from Brahman
      • Everything real IS Brahman
      • MC Hammer. You can't touch this.
    • Atman
      • "The self"
      • A person's soul
      • A "slice" of Brahman
      • Permanent and "divine"
  • General big ideas of Hinduism
    • Brahman
      • Ultimate reality
      • Divine essence of everything
    • Atman
      • A person's soul
      • Divine essence within a single person
      • A slice of Brahman
    • Ultimate goal of every Hindu
      • Moksha
        • Reunification of Atman and Brahman, in which you have reincarnated so many times, you do not reincarnate into a body, but you are in eternal peace.
    • Reincarnation
      • People are reborn after death
      • A punishment for doing bad things in a lifetime

Social Classes (The Varnas)

• Brahmins (most prestige, highest of all classes)
  • Sacrificed animals to the Gods
  • Performed ceremonies 5x per day
• Kshatriya
  • Warrior class
• Vaishyas
  • Merchants
  • Craftsmen
  • Landowning farmers
• Sudras
  • Serfs (landless peasants)
  • Unskilled laborers
• Untouchables
  • Did the "dirtiest" jobs
  • Butchers, sweepers, morticians

The Connection Between Hinduism and the Caste System

• Karma
  • "Good Karma"
    • Reborn into a higher caste
  • "Bad Karma"
    • Reborn into a lower caste

How does a person get good karma?

• Dharma
  • Following one's caste duty
  • Example: Being a good merchant