Indian Film Industry

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Indian Film Industry

• Produces more films than Hollywood (1100 vs 500
  /yr.)
• Cheapest tickets in the world
• 4 billion attendance / year
• 30 different languages
• Hindi Bollywood (Bombay-Mumbai)
• Bengali Tollywood and Dhaliwood (Calcutta)
• Tamil Kollywood (Madurai)
• Telugi (Hyderabad)-2 to Bollywood
• Marathi (Mumbai)
• Malayalam (Southwest tip)
• Kannada (Southwest)
• Punjab (Amristar)

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Indian Films

• A democratic, but conservative society
• Film censorship board
• Most commercial films include song- and-dance
  routines that are integral to the story line
• Two to three hours long
• Sentimental, formulaic, melodramatic
• Songs, legends, values of local culture
• Independent films (art cinema)
• Nair
• Mehta (maverick, funded by West)

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Bollywood (Hindi)

• Largest segment of industry
• Big musical productions (3 hrs) with traditional
  dances
• Highly melodramatic stories
• Traditionally, no kissing or forbidden topics
  (censors)
• Key influence on pop culture throughout Asian
  subcontinent
• Becoming more Western
• Some controversial topics
• Criticized by other regions that favor films
  based upon local regional traditions and values

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Introduction to Hinduism
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Misperceptions

• Hinduism is an organized religion
• It is polytheistic
• All Hindus are vegetarians
• All Hindus do yoga
• All Indians are Hindu

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History

• Worlds oldest existing religious tradition
• Indo-Aryan origins (Iran)
• Dravidian people (Indus Valley)
• 1500-1300 BCE
• 3102 BCE (birth of Krishnastars)
• 5000-6000 BCE (legend of Rama)
• Revealed in the Vedas
• Poetic hymns used in the sacrificial rites of
  the Aryan priests.
• Origin of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism
• 3rd largest in world (Christianity, Islam)

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History

• Vedic civilization (2000 BCE)
• Religion evolved from hymn-singing and sacrifice
  to belief in Samsara / Karma
• The Vedas
• Ascetic hermits and forest wanderers
• Self-enlightenment
• One God or (Divine Reality)

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Basic Beliefs

• An approach to the universe
• A way of life
• Eternal law (Sanatana Dharma)
• A religious tradition
• Religion and philosophy
• Wide range of beliefs and practices
• No central figure
• Does not purport to be the only truth
• Emphasis on practice vs. beliefs

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Basic Beliefs

• Every soul (atman) is trapped in a cycle of
  birth, existence and death (Samsara)
• Ultimate goal is to escape the cycle (Moksha)
• Time is circular
• The aim of life is to live in a way that will
  cause ones next life to be better

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Basic Beliefs

• There are as many spiritual paths as there are
  spiritual aspirants. There are as many gods as
  there are devotees to suit the moods, spirits and
  social backgrounds of the devotees.
• No hierarchical orthodoxy

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Sanatana Dharma (eternal law)

• Everything in existence is an expression of God
• The proper aim of life is to become one with God
• Worldly delights temptations divert one from
  this goal
• Dharma guides everyday ethics and duties (the
  way)

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Maya

• The veil of illusion
• The prison of worldly senses
• Obsession with worldly things, distraction from
  spiritual purpose, forgetfulness
• Something to be feared, but no way out
• Four paths to penetrate the veil

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The Four Paths

• Bhakti Devotion
• Karma Good works (action/reaction)
• Jnana Knowledge
• Yoga Discipline of mind and body (practice)
• Not mutually exclusive
• May pursue one or all
• Many paths to realization

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Deities

• A diverse system of thought that embraces
  elements of monotheism, monotheism, polytheism,
  panentheism, pantheism, monism and atheism.

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Deities

• One Reality (Brahman)
• Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent,
  and transcendent reality which is the Divine
  Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being,
  and everything beyond in this universe.
• Different interpretations by different schools of
  Hinduism
• Not the personalized Judeo-Christian God.

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Deities

• One Reality (Brahman)
• Many manifestations
• Brahma Creation
• Vishnu Protector of Existence
• Shiva Destruction

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Deities

• One Reality (Brahman)
• Many manifestations
• Brahma Creation
• SaraswathiGoddess of wisdom
• Vishnu Protector of Existence
• KakshmiGoddess of wealth
• Shiva Destruction
• Kali(a form of Shakti)

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Deities

• Different traditions position deities differently
  in legends and mythology
• Shaktism
• Shakti is the Supreme Being
• Divine force of universe, primal energy,
  Brahmans female aspect
• Unfolds as desire, action, wisdom(Shivas or
  Kalis trident)
• Other traditions (e.g.,Shaivism)
• Active energy of male deities Vishu and Shiva

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Ganesha (son of Shiva)

• This God of knowledge and the remover of
  obstacles is also the older son of Lord Shiva.
  Lord Ganesha is also called Vinayak
  (knowledgeable ) or Vighneshwer (god to remove
  obstacles). He is worshipped, or at least
  remembered, in the beginning of any auspicious
  performance for blessings and auspiciousness. A
  unique combination of his elephant-like head and
  a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents
  tremendous wisdom, intelligence, and presence of
  mind.  

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Ganesha

• Large head and ears wisdom that one must have to
  attain perfection in life
• Right tusk wisdom (also right leg over left)
• Left tusk emotion (must break it)
• Four arms omnipresent and omnipotent
• Ax to cut emotions
• Lotus peace and wisdom
• Laddos sweet spiritual reward
• Yellow purity, peace, truthfulness
• Big belly capacity to deal with pleasant and
  unpleasant experiences in the world
• Mouse Ego that can nibble at the good and noble
  (must control)

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Vedic Pantheon (33 dieties)

• 8 Vasus (earthly)
• 11 Rudras (heavenly)
• 12 Adityas (intermediate)

Indra
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Vedic (Aryan) Dieties (2000-1200 BCE)

• Indra (the God of creation war)  Varuna
  (ruler of the worlds and world order) 
  Dyaush-pita (the sky father)  Prithivi mata (
  the earth mother)   Vayu (the wind God)  
  Parjanya (the rain God)  Surya (the sun God)
  Agni (the fire God, destroyer of darkness)  
  Soma (the God of speech and inspiration)Ushas
  (the Goddess of dawn)   Yama (the God of death)
  Adityas (12 dieities, 12 months of year)
  Brahmana,   Aswini (twin Deities)   Rudras
  (eight in number)   Vasus (eight in number),  
  Visvedevas ( ten in number) 

Indra
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Vishnu

• The preserver and protector of creation
• Embodiment of mercy and goodness
• Keeps good and evil in balance
• When evil rises, other gods ask Vishnu to
  reincarnate in different human forms to conquer
  demons
• Epics highly symbolic cosmic morality plays
•  

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Forms of Lord Vishnu (avatars)

• Matsyavataram (Form of a fish)  
• Kurmavataram (Form of a tortoise)  
• Varahavataram (Form of a boar)  
• Narasimhavataram (Form of a lion headed man)   
• Vamanavataram (Form of a dwarf )  
• Parasuramavataram  
• Ramavataram  (Ram)
• Balaramavataram  
• Krishnavataram  -- Hare Krishna
• BUDDHA Kalkiavataram (yet to come)
•  

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Ramavataram (Ram)

• 7th incarnation of Vishnu
• The very soul of India
• Legend is a complete guide to God-realization
  and the path to righteousness
• Married Sita, consort of Vishnu
• Over came ordeals, remained loyal to father,
  resisted temptations, joined with the Monkey King
  to defeat King Ravana 

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The "Hare Krishna" movement

• Based upon 9th incarnation of Vishnu
• International Society for Krishna Consciousness
• Founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Bhagavad-Gita
• The words "Hare Krishna" are part of a mantra
  comprising three Sanskrit names of God (Vishnu),
  Hari, Krishna and Rama

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Eras

• 4th-6th C Gupta dynasty
• Dedicated temples to different deities
• Science, medicine, art literature
• Strict caste system
• 8th C Shankara (reformer)
• Upset with ritualism and caste system
• Meditation over ritualism
• Concept of maya
• Brahma transcendent
• Spiritual ignorance is the result of seeing the
  self

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Eras

• 1893 Swami Vivekananda
• World Parliament of Religions (Chicago)
• Brought meditation and yoga to the West

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Expansion to SE Asia

• Trade routes
• Malay empire
• Khmer empire
• Cham empire (Vietnam)

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Hindu Scriptural Canon

• SHRUTI Divine recordings of cosmic truth
  God-given for priests educatedVedas
  1500-500 BCE poetic liturgy
• Rig Veda Hymns of praise Sama Veda
  Chants Yajur Veda Priest handbook Atharva
  Veda Magic
• Brahmanas 900 BCE Vedic commentaries
• Aranyakas Philosophical mystical
• Upanishads Religious instructions

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Hindu Scriptural Canon

• SMRITI Created by man for common person
• Itihasas
• Mahabharata
• Bhagavad Gita
• Ramayana
• Puranas
• Tantras
• Sutras
• Stotras
• Ashtavakra Gita
• Gherand Samhita
• Gita Govinda
• Hatha Yoga Pradipik

Historical legends 2.5 million word history of
India Climatic cosmic battle Legend of Ram 300
BCE Cosmology Buddhist and Hindu
wisdom Aphorisms Chanting prayers Mystical and
esoteric 17th C Yoga manual 12Th C Bhakti
devotion equality 15th C The bible of Yoga
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Scriptures (Vedaswisdom)

• Rig Veda
• Poems used in sacrifices rites
• Praise the god being addressed
• Ask the god for favors or benefits
• Includes petitions for forgiveness which indicate
  a developed sense of morality
• o        it is evidence of a religion centered on
  free choices between good and evil.

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Puranas (300 BCE)

• Interpretations of the Vedas
• For the common man
• Myths, parables and allegories
• 18 3 groups of 6
• Creation of universe
• Dharma
• Karma
• Reincarnation

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Uphanishads (300 BCE)

• Interpretation of Vedas
• Spiritual instruction
• Meditation
• Teacher-student dialogues

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The Paramahamsa UpanishadMystic or spiritual
interpretations on the Vedas

• 1. Narada (Lord of Events) inquired of the Lord
  of Love"What is the state of the illumined
  man?"The Lord replied "Hard to reach is the
  stateOf the illumined man. Only a fewAttain to
  it. But even one is enough.For he is the pure
  Self of the ScripturesHe is truly great because
  he serves me.And I reveal myself through him
  always."He has renounced all selfish
  attachmentsAnd observes no rites or
  ceremonies.He has only minimum possessions,And
  lives his life for the welfare of all.

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The Paramahamsa Upanishad

• 2. He has no staff nor tuft nor sacred thread.He
  faces heat and cold, pleasure and pain,Honor and
  dishonor with equal calm. He is not affected by
  calumny,Pride, jealousy, status, joy, or
  sorrow,Greed, anger, or infatuation,Excitement,
  egoism, or other goadsFor he knows he is
  neither body nor mind.

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The Paramahamsa Upanishad

• Free from the sway of doubt and false
  knowledgeHe lives united with the Lord of
  Love.Who is ever serene, immutable,Indivisible,
  the source of all joyAnd wisdom. The Lord is his
  true home,His pilgrim's tuft of hair, his sacred
  threadFor he has entered the unitive state.

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The Paramahamsa Upanishad

• 3. Having renounced every selfish desire,He has
  found his rest in the Lord of Love.Wisdom is the
  staff that supports him now.Those who take a
  mendicant's staff while theyAre still at the
  mercy of their sensesCannot escape enormous
  suffering.The illumined man knows this truth of
  life.

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The Paramahamsa Upanishad

• 4. For him the universe is his garmentAnd the
  Lord not separate from himself.He offers no
  ancestral oblationsHe praises nobody, blames
  nobody,Is never dependent on anyone.He has no
  need to repeat the mantram,No more need to
  practice meditation.The world of change and
  changeless realityAre one to him, for he sees
  all in God.

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The Paramahamsa Upanishad

• 5. The aspirant who is seeking the LordMust free
  himself from selfish attachmentsTo people,
  money, and possessions.When his mind sheds every
  selfish desire,He becomes free from the
  dualityOf pleasure and pain and rules his
  senses.No more is he capable of ill willNo
  more is he subject to elation,For his senses
  come to rest in the Self.Entering into the
  unitive state,He attains the goal of
  evolution.Truly he attains the goal of
  evolution.

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Worship (Puja)

• Images (puja)
• Prayers
• Diagrams of the universe (yantra)
• Water, fruit, flowers and incense offerings

Shri Haridra Ganesh Sidhi Yantra
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Worship (Puja)

• Images (puja)
• Prayers
• Diagrams of the universe (yantra)
• Water, fruit, flowers and incense offerings

Shri Maruti Yantra
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Worship (Puja)

• Images (puja)
• Prayers
• Diagrams of the universe (yantra)
• Water, fruit, flowers and incense offerings

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Worship (Puja)

• Images (puja)
• Prayers
• Diagrams of the universe (yantra)
• Water, fruit, flowers and incense offerings

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Karma in Hinduism

• Action or deeds
• Law of cause and effect
• Beneficial events are derived from past
  beneficial actions and harmful events from past
  harmful actions
• Reincarnations
• Explains the problem of evil
• Must follow dharma to achieve liberation from the
  karma cycle

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Ethic

• Family unity
• Kindness and caring
• Honesty
• Hard work
• Care for elderly in home
• Respect for animals (gods present in animals)
• Emphasis on education
• Community service

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Family and Marriage (traditional)

• Patriarchial
• Few liberties for women
• Married women live with husbands families
• Sex before marriage criticized
• Widows cannot remarry (traditional view)
• Many marriages still arranged

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Sikhism

• 5th largest religion (23 million)
• Punjab region (N. India)2
• 1469 Guru Nanak
• All people are all equal in the eyes of one God.
  (There is no Hindu, no Muslim.)
• Rejects Hindu ritual caste system.
• Meditation, reincarnation, 10 gurus.
• Persecuted by Hindus and Muslims
• 1984 India Army attached Sikh temple
• Sikh extremists assassinated Indira Ghandi

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Sikhism Beliefs

• The goal of human life is to break the cycle of
  birth's and deaths and merge with God. This can
  be accomplished by following the teachings of the
  Guru, meditation on the Holy Name and performance
  of acts of service and charity.
• The five cardinal vices are Kam (lust), Krodh
  (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (worldly attachment)
  and Ahankar (pride). If one can overcome these,
  they will achieve salvation.
• Rejection of all forms of blind rituals such as
  fasting, religious vegetarianism, pilgrimages,
  superstitions, veil wearing, yoga, as well as any
  form of idol worship. Permits widow remarriage.

Golden Temple Amritsar, India
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Jainism

• 800 BCE
• 1 of Indian population
• Does not include a belief in an omnipotent
  supreme being or creator, but rather in an
  eternal universe governed by natural laws
• Rejects Vedas and Hindu deities
• Non-violence (ahimsa) is the core
• Vegetarianism
• Karma and reincarnation
• Influenced Ghandi

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Sikh Attitude toward Jainism

• They have their heads plucked, drink dirty water
  and repeatedly beg The daily routine of their
  mothers and fathers they give up, and their kith
  and kin bewail loudly. For them none gives barley
  rolls and food on leaves, nor performs last
  rites, nor lights earthen lamp. After death where
  shall they be cast? They ever remain filthy day
  and night, and bear not sacrificial marks on
  their brow. They ever sit in groups, as if
  mourning and go not into the True Court. With
  begging bowls slung round their loins and a clew
  in their hands, they walk in single file. They
  are neither disciples of Gorakh nor adorers of
  Shiva, nor Muslim Qazis and Mullah's." (Guru
  Nanak, Slok, pg. 149)

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Sufism

• Encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and
  practices dedicated to divine love, the
  cultivation of the heart, and helping fellow man
• Originated in Middle East in 8th C. (some believe
  it predates Islam)
• Mystic tradition
• Incorporates elements of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist
  Cultures (some festivals are shared between the
  followers of these beliefs)
• Emphasis on cosmic love
• Sufic development involves the awakening of
  spiritual centers of perception that lie dormant
  in an individual

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Fire by Deepa Mehta

• Main characters Sita and Rhada
• Sita was Rams wife
• Rhada was Krishnas lover
• Sitas trial by fire
• Ram accused Sita of being unfaithful
• She offered to walk in fire
• If guilty, would be consumed
• She walked through fire and was not burned

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India Today

• Over 1 billion people
• Federal democratic republic
• Dozens of political parties and factions
• 60 agriculture
• High tech, manufacturing and service industries
• High emphasis on education
• Increasing Westernization
• Conservative society