AMDG
RS 447 – World’s Wisdom Traditions—Mr. Haardt
The Hindus
“God’s grace is the beginning, the middle and the end. When you pray for God’s grace, you are like someone standing neck-deep in water and yet crying for water. It is like saying that someone neck-deep in water feels thirsty, or that a fish in water feels thirsty, or that water feels thirsty.”
Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)
“Truth is One, sages call it by many names.” -The Vedas
Essential Questions:
- What is the human condition, describe human nature? In other words, what does it mean to be human, according to the tradition?
- What is the nature of the world/universe (cosmology)?
- What is Ultimate Reality and how is it revealed & experienced ?
- What is the path of life according to the tradition? What happens when we follow that path? What is salvation? What is transcendence? What is our destiny? In other words, what conduct leads to peace, liberation, salvation, union with "G-D"? (Almost always understood in the context of how an action helps/hinders you on the path towards wholeness, towards "G-D/ Ultimate Reality)
Namaste
For this assignment, after pairing up with someone, you are to do the following:
- Pretend you are husband and wife in either ancient or modern India.
- Choose a local God/Goddess who you principally worship http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm - Helpful link
- Choose one of the 4 paths/yogas (Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, Raja Yoga) with which you as a couple feel most connected or a combination of paths.
- Choose one of the castes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Untouchable)
- Decide on your stages in life (Youth, Householder, etc…)
- Decide on your goals in life (Kama, Artha, Dharma, Moksha)
Now, write an essay in story form about your view of yourself, your mate, the world and “God”. In other words, tell me what the world looks like to a Hindu couple, which is the two of you for this essay. What are your goals in life, how do you see yourself living your life given your stage, caste, goal and path (“yoga”)? What are some of the problems you face? Feel free to be as creative as you want with the story, writing in 1st, 2nd or 3rd person, a dialogue b/w the two of you, journal entries, life experiences, etc…
Please type, 1 1/2 spaced, 2-3 pgs, 700-1000 words and please include an image of your God/Goddess
Be sure to include the relationship of karma, moksha, & samsara, and explain Atman is Brahman or Tat Tvam Asi.
Good luck and simply pretend you are a Hindu and write from that perspective. Be as creative as you like, but do not forget to stay on topic. Please include some visual drawing to illustrate your story and the concepts & experiences, the more creative, the better, an image of your God/Goddess for sure. What does Atman-Brahman look like??? What does your house, village look like? What do you and your mate look like?
You must include at least 3 quotes/references from Novak's The World’s Wisdom and/or Smith’s World’s Religions. You may work with your notes, your books and your partner. You will submit one essay for the two of you. Remember, according to Hindus, “You are the Divine - Atman is Brahman ”, perhaps that will inspire you.
Rubric
This essay will be graded out of 50 points. The 5 areas worth 10 points each are:
Content – All areas are covered within the directions given, including all terms required.
Creativity – The story is engaging, images are present, and imagination was used to
create the story.
Format – The story is typed 1 ½ spaced, 12 pt font and STAPLED. It is organized, presented clearly and easy to follow.
Organization – The assignment flows in a reasonable fashion, ideas/concepts are presented clearly and there are good transitions. It’s not solely stream of consciousness, but organized creativity.
X Factor – You get it. You have grasped the fundamental themes of the Hindu tradition and this shows. You have moved beyond surface level of understanding and have integrated the key ideas into your final synthesis.