GAQ BC 101 - 15th March 2012 (Thursday)

• Today Dolly not here so Ven . Hao Xiang took over till 9pm
• 2011 exam question to do at own time (OTOT)
• Discuss the migration of Aryans to India an factually explain how they established themselves in a short period of time
• "As a result of man's inability to understand the nature, Vedic religions emarged" Discuss.
• Did Lecture notes Lesson 4 "Brahmanism"
• Vedas means knowledge
• Rig Veda (from 1500 BC to 900 BC to compile)
• Accounts of social, religious, political and economical background
• Centred on God Theory
• Priests do rituals and sing hymns
• There are 10 Books (Mandalas) written encompased in this Veda
• There are 7 families famous for the hymns
• Different families heard and recite different parts of Indra's hymns
• Qualities of a Priest
• Mediator between People and Gods
• Able to chant
• Sounds made in rituals and rites are very important
• Do the right ritual, use the right material and for the right god
• Sage, Seer or Rishi create the hymns
• Brahmins need to pass down the chant and hymns to the sons
• Sama Veda (melody and tunes)
• Most of the hymns are borrowed from the Rig Veda and to be sung by Udgatri (Sama Priests) in sacrifices
• Yajur Veda
• Composed in prose and is meant to be used by Adhvarya priests for superfluous explanations of the rites and rituals
• Atharva Veda
• Used by Brahma, the Artharva Priests, to correct mispronunciations and wrong performances
• In Brahmanism period (900 BC - 700 BC), there is a conflict between the warroior caste and Brahmin caste
• Studentship - Householder - Varnaprastha (sit nearthe teacher in the forest) - Sannyasi (he himself)
• Vedas (Samhitas) - 4 Vedas
• Brahmanas (Rituals) - Ritualistic texts including religious duties
• Aryankas (Theologies) - Serves as an object of meditation for ascetics who live in the forest
• Upanishads (Philosophies) - Concluding parts of the Vedas therefore contain the essence of Vedic teachings
• There are 108 famous Upanishads; now only 13 have been translated into english
• General Features of Brahmnism Period
• Supremancy of Yajna (sacrifice) Dharma (i.e. how to rule the country)
• Yajna is a symbolic expression and its efficacy is due to the correct pronunciation. Only Brahma Priest has the correct pronunciation
• Visible and Invisible gods; the people make it such that the gods are visible to you (this will be touched in the next lesson)
• Rta is the cosmic principle. This became the Karma principle in later times
• Karma Marga (path of selfness action) became Jnana Marga (path of knowledge) in Aryanka and Upanishad Period
• Caste System
• New Deity - Pajapati (all mighty creator)
• Position of Indra downgraded from War God back to Thunder God
• Indra -> Brahma -> Prajapati -> Brahma
• "Law of Manu" book is a nust for everyone to remember
• Created by humans to benefit Brahmins