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Hinduism One of the world’s oldest religions
Has no founder, evolved over thousands of years and was influenced by many cultures
Practiced in ancient India by the Aryans
Religious beliefs of the Hindus are found in the Vedas, a collection of hymns and religious ceremonies
Beliefs
Polytheistic, belief in the caste system
Brahman – single force, external being that created and preserves the world, a form of ultimate reality
Every person has an atman, or soul, that is an aspect of Brahman A person’s atman shapes their personality and
cannot be destroyed by death The duty of the atman I to seek to know this
ultimate reality called Brahman Devas = various manifestations of Brahman, are
active in the world Many Hindus recognize three devas:
Brahma the Creator Vishnu the Preserver Siva the Destroyer There are thousands of devas
Continual pattern of birth, death, and rebirth At death the atman is released from the body
and later reborn in another Called reincarnation = belief that the individual soul
is reborn into a new form after death The nature of the person’s new life will be shaped
by their karma Karma = force generated by a person’s actions
that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life good karma = reborn into a higher caste bad karma = reborn into a lower caste
Gave religious basis for the rigid caste system and gave hope to the lower castes
The ultimate goal of human existence is achieve moksha Moksha = escape or release from the cycle of rebirth Atman leaves the world and reunites with Brahman –
Hindus work toward achieving this The way to achieve moksha is to fulfill one’s dharma
Dharma = (divine law) a person’s spiritual duties and obligations which they must follow to achieve liberation
Various depending on status and caste Fulfilling dharma allows a person to create good
karma Yoga = (union) method of training designed to lead to
the union Helps people meditate by practicing a series of
integrated physical and mental exercises
Make a pilgrimage to a holy location
Pilgrimage = religious journey
For Hindus one of the most holy places they want to visit in their lifetime is the Ganges river, believe that the water is holy
Believe that bathing in the Ganges will purify and remove some bad karma
Buddhism Founded in the 6th century BC by Siddartha Gautama
Later took the name of Buddha, which means “Enlightened One”
Prince who left home and wandered the land looking for answers and enlightenment
His goal was to seek the cure for human suffering
Resolved to find a way to overcome age and sickness to keep people from having to suffer
• Decided one must deny the reality of the material world
– Pain, poverty, and sorrow are caused by attachments to things of this world
– Once you let go of worldly cares, pain and sorrow can be forgotten and wisdom can be achieved (bodhi)
• Achieving wisdom is a key step to achieving nirvana
– Nirvana = end of self and reunion with the Great World Soul
– A state of perfect peace in which the soul will be free from suffering
Four Noble Truths 1. Ordinary life is full of suffering 2. This suffering is caused by
our desire to satisfy ourselves with pleasure and material goods 3. Overcoming these desires during life eventually brings suffering to an end
4. The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path = a series of steps that leads to Enlightenment Right view Right livelihood
Right attitude Right effort
Right speech Right mindfulness
Right action Right concentration
• Can also be expressed as the Middle Way, which advises people to live in moderation in the search for nirvana
Other beliefs
Believe in reincarnation
Do not believe in the caste system
Do not worship any gods, Buddha forbade followers to worship his image
Spread of Buddhism
Starts out in India, but loses popularity to Islam
Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan, and Sri Lanka