The journey through Dharma, Samasara, Karma to Moksha
6500 BC – The ancient Indus Valley civilization is now Pakistan, Afghanistan and Western India. Early farmers domesticated wheat, cattle and other animals. The word Hindu is derived from the name of the Indus River, which flows through northern India. In ancient times the river was called the ‘Sindhu’, Persians who migrated to India called the river ‘Hindu’, the land ‘Hindustan’ and its inhabitants ‘Hindus’. Thus the religion followed by the Hindus came to be known as ‘Hinduism’.
4000 BC – Harappan and Dravidian cultures emerged as major trade centers for Lapis Lazuli, cotton, dates and water buffalo. Worshipped spirits, trees, animals and planets.
3500 BC – The original Trimurti is Goddess based
DEVI – the Divine Mother Goddess. She was the original Trimurti, Creator, Protector and Destroyer.
MAYA – Virgin aspect – symbolized by a Spider, spinner of magic, fate and earthly appearances. The spider’s web was likened to the Wheel of Fate. (Illusion)
TARA – Primal aspect – governs the Underworld, the Earth and the Heavens, birth, death and regeneration all that lives and grows, the Moon cycles.
3250 BC – Loka Polas- guardians of the world preside over the four cardinal directions
INDRA – East – Chief of the Gods
AGNI – Southeast – God of Fire
YAMA – South – God of Death
SURYA – Southwest – God of the Sun
VARUNA – West – God of the Ocean
VAYU – Northwest – God of the Wind
KUBERA – North – God of Wealth
SOMA – Northeast – God of the Moon
3000 BC – Kali-yuga year began as defined by the Hindu calandar
1500 BC – Brahman became the “Creator Trimutri God” all other Gods are an aspect of Brahman. Devi is absorbed through marriage as the female aspects of Brahman via wives/consorts.
BRAHMAN – Creator God
SARASVATI – Goddess of wisdom, art, poetry, music, female aspect of Brahma
VISHNU – Preserver God – God of the Avatars
LAKSHMI – Goddess of wealth and fortune, female aspect of Vishnu
SHIVA - Destroyer God – God of the Yogis, Sudras and Ascetics
PARVATI – Goddess of centeredness Mother Goddess to Ganesha and female aspect to Shiva.
KALI – Goddess of destruction, the Black Earth Mother, Goddess of fertility, death and regeneration. Dark Mother, Hindu triple Goddess of creation, preservation and destruction
DURGA – Goddess of stabilizing evil
SHAKTI – Pure cosmic energy, feminine counterpart to Shiva
1400 BC – 1000 BC – The Veda’s (“knowledge”)
Rigveda – Hymns
Samaveda – Mystical Rites and formulas
Yajurveda – Mantras
Atharveda – Ayurveda, Formulas, Incantations, Potions
1400 BC – Caste system – varnashrama-dharma appears in the Vedas. In addition, the “Laws of Manu” or Manusmriti from the same era defines the rights and duties of the four different castes or varnas. Every member of each caste is written in the Rig Veda to be a manifestation or derivative of the universe symbolized by the embodied human spirit. The atman component of the being is part of the entire Brahman, the infinite cosmos. All beings are comprised of the atman self and are revered as Divine. Originally caste depended upon a person’s work, it soon became hereditary. Each person was born into an unalterable caste. The Varnas (color) – (castes) was originally based on skin color and family lineage
Brahmins – priests & teachers
Kashtriyas – rulers and warriors
Vaishyas –merchants, craftsmen and farmers
Shudras – servants
Dalit/Chandala – untouchables
700 BC – 300 BC – Aranyakas – Forest Books, explains the meanings of rituals for yogi’s who meditated in the woods
800 BC – 300 BC – Upanishads – the essence of the Veda’s to the syllable “Aum”. Aum is a reflection of absolute reality, Adi without beginning & Anadi without end Explains the path to enlightenment to embrace all that exists
550 BC – Jainism & Buddhism break away from Hinduism – internal enlightenment
500 BC – 1000 AD Epics and Puranas
Mahabharata – Featuring Ganesha – his father Shiva cut off his head and made him elephant headed.
Ramayana –Tells the story of Rama and his wife Sita, and the demon King who kidnaps Sita. Hero is Hanuman Rama’s half brother who is the mystical monkey
Puranas – The story of the Avatars, including the early life of Krishna
Bagavad Gita –Tells the story of Vishnu’s avatars and the life of Krishna.
200 BC – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism begin to blur together, yet remain distinct
150 BC – Patanjali creates the Yoga Sutras and introduces Raja Yoga or Sadhana focused on spiritual practice, meditation and going within, along with Ashtanga Yoga the Eight Limbed path.
200 AD – Brahamanas – defines of the priestly rites of the Brahmin caste.
400 – 1000 AD –Two life-long dharmas are defined (ordained duty or laws of life) Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action.
600 – Rise of devotional movements Puja and the idea of equality among devotees.
700 – Esoteric movements begin based on Tantras
788 – Adi Shankara is born near Kerala and revives Hinduism as it was losing devotees to Buddhism and Jainism..
1100 – India was ruled by Muslims reducing the power of the caste system. Anti-Muslim feeling in rural areas actually strengthened the caste system.
1400 – Yogi Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga Pradipika & Shatkarma
1500 – Portuguese missionaries arrive in India
1600 – Hindu Renaissance Period
1700 – British East India Company is formed – Colonialism
1720 – Collapse of the Mughal Empire
1857 – National War of Independence from England begins
1895 – Vendanta Society promotes Hinduism as a world religion, India as a nation
1915 – Gandhi joins the nationalist movement
1920 – Paramahansaji Yogananda – Brings Yoga and Hindu thought to the United States, teaching self-realization and the universality of world religions.
1947 – India gains its independence, conflicts between Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs
1948 – Assassination of Gandhi by a Hindu from the Brahmin Caste because he stood for tolerance, oneness and peace. Gandhi defied the Hindu caste system and the British occupation along with divisions among religious groups such as Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism.
1950 – Constitution of the Republic of India caste is constitutionally outlawed
