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Divisions of Hinduism

Divisions of Hinduism. Sects = divisions. The Four main sects of hinduism. Vaishnavas worship Vishnu (usually as Krishna or Rama) Shaivas worship Shiva (often in the form of the linga ) Shaktas worship Shakti, also known as Devi (especially Parvati , Durga , Kali)

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Divisions of Hinduism

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  1. Divisions of Hinduism

  2. Sects = divisions

  3. The Four main sects of hinduism Vaishnavas worship Vishnu (usually as Krishna or Rama) Shaivas worship Shiva (often in the form of the linga) Shaktas worship Shakti, also known as Devi (especially Parvati, Durga, Kali) Smartas worship five deities i.e. Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesh, and Surya

  4. Four divisions Top Left: A lady wears the V or U-shaped clay mark (tilak) that denotes a follower of Vishnu. Her neck and prayer beads are made of wood from the sacred Tulsi plant. Top Right:Tilakconsisting of three horizontal white lines denotes a worshipper of Shiva. The young priest shown here has added a fourth, horizontal line in yellow (perhaps denoting his specific tradition). Shaivites wear Rudraksha beads, of which their rosaries are also made. Bottom Right:Asannyasiof one of the ten orders founded by Shankara. Although aligned to the Smarta practice of worshipping five deities, they often tend to favour Shiva. This man's staff is a single rod (eka-danda) to distinguish him from the Vaishnavasannyasiswhose staff is made of three rods (tri-danda). Bottom Left: Worshippers of Durga (Shakti), who do not usually bear any clear distinguishing marks, though they often wear the red dot (chandlo) in between the eyebrows

  5. What is the Difference? • Advaita: Monists or Impersonalists • who believe that, • God is ultimately impersonal. • the soul is entirely non-different from God (but has yet to realize/develop his/her Godhood). • Dvaita: Dualists or Personalists • who believe that, • God is ultimately personal, • the soul remains eternally distinct from God (though both are usually considered Brahman)

  6. TYPES Of yoga/path • karma-yoga – the yoga path of action • Jnana-yoga – the path of knowledge • Raja (astanga) yoga – the path of meditation • Bhakti-Yoga – the path of devotion

  7. The Four Denominations and their Favoured Doctrine/Path • Vaishnavas are mostly personalists and favour the path of bhakti-yoga. • Shaivasare often impersonalists with tendencies towards jnana- and astanga­yoga(closely linked to sankhya-yoga). There are, however, notable personalistic, bhakti strands, especially in South India (e.g. the Lingayats). • Shaktas tend to be impersonalists, and their worship often focusses on material benefit (karma-yoga). Their theology tends to be less developed and draws largely on Shaivism. • Smartasfollow the impersonal (advaita) doctrine of Shankara and favour the path of jnana, featuring renunciation and philosophical inquiry.

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