buddhism, hinduism, jainism

RELIGIONS OF INDIA & ASIA

BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM Founder: Siddhartha Gautama Son of a Indian warrior-king Gautama renounced his rich life

and became a monk in hopes of comprehending truth

Moment of truth: meditating under a tree where he had an experience where he understood how to be free from suffering and achieve salvation.

After this, he was know as Buddha Buddha= “Enlightened One” Buddha spent the rest of his life

traveling around India and teaching others

4 Noble Truths

Desires

To a Buddhist, desire= craving pleasure, material goods, and immorality

Desire can only bring suffering

Why is the Buddha fat? His stomach

symbolizes the size of his soul. It is also a symbol of happiness, luck and generosity

Karma Karma does NOT refer to preordained fate

Karma= good or bad actions a person makes in their lifetime.

When you do good, good things will come in return. If you perform bad actions, bad karma is in store for you

Neutral karma= acts like breathing, eating or sleeping

Reincarnation 6 Realms:

1. realm of men (free from conflict of jealously among the gods)

2. realm of demigods3. realm of gods4. realm of animals5. realm of ghosts6. realm of hell (untold

suffering) Those with positive karma,

are reborn into fortunate realms

Reincarnation

Basics of Buddhism Separated from Hinduism No personal God or divine being. They are not atheist

though, because Buddhist believe in an impersonal force No form of redemption, forgiveness, no heavenly hope or a

final judgment Moral philosophy= do good now, and you will be blessed with

a higher state

Basics 376 million Buddhists in

the world (+/- 313, 114, 000 in Asia) Dominant religion in:

China, Japan, Korea, as well as southeast Asia

Over 200 different sects of Buddhism

Over 1,000 Buddhist temples, monasteries and centers in the US

Sangha Sangha= order of the brotherhood (community) who are monks

Must wear a yellow robe, shave their head and practice meditation

Goal of Sangha= strive to have the qualities of Buddha

Over 225 regulations which forbid them to do many things

Buddhist Scripture

Variety of Buddhist text Buddhist cannon of

scripture= Sanskirt○ 3 parts:

1. Vinaya Pitaka= disciplinary rules for Sanghas

2. Sutra Pitaka= discourses by the Buddha

3. Adhidharma Pitaka= notes on Buddha’s teachings

HINDUISM

Julia Roberts on Hinduism

Hinduism One of oldest

religions in world, probably the first

Founder: No specific founder

Originated with Aryans tribes who moved to India and adapted with native Harrappan people

Basics of Hinduism

Facts

900 million membersMany sects, some are:

polytheistic (many gods) monotheistic (one god) pantheistic (god &

universe are one) agnostic (unsure if god

exists) atheistic (no god)

Basic Beliefs

Reincarnation Caste System Brahman (central god or

principle or universal spirit) Reach Moksha (peaceful escape

from cycle of reincarnation)

11 Year Old Reincarnated

Caste System =ranked society according to

occupation

Brahmins (priests)Kshatriyas (soldiers, king-warrior

class)Vaishyas (merchants, farmers,

Sutras laborers, craftspeople)Harijahns (“untouchable,” poor)

The caste system was outlawed in 1948, but it still important to the Hindu people

Scriptures Vedas=religious writings, include, hymns, sacrificial writings, teachings, book of laws, myths, stories, legends and epics

What is yoga?

JAINISM

JAINISM

Founder: Mahaiva, born in 599 B.C., believed that everything in the universe has a soul and should not be harmed

One of the oldest religions in the world No a break off of any other religion Jains are in 34/35 of the territories of

India, making over 5 million members in India alone

Jainism

Jain monks take nonviolence seriously, sweeping ants off the path and wearing masks to avoid breathing in insects

Jains seek jobs that do not harm any creature (trade and commerce)

Make few efforts to convert, and do not send out missionaries, so most of the members live in India

Jain Temple Animation

Basics of Jainism

Religious Tolerance Ethical Purity Harmony between self and

environment Spiritual Contentment Karma Rebirth Importance of the Soul

Reincarnation When a body dies, the

soul goes directly to its next body (could be human or animal)

What you become in your next life is dependant on your karma

How you feel (content or upset) at your death is important

God

Jains do not believe in a God or gods but they believe in divine beings who are worthy of devotion

Scripture

Jain’s scriptures= Agamas

Jain monks and nuns have to memorize scriptures because monks were not allowed to posses religious books as part of their vows

The Soul The “soul” is called jiva

=means a conscious, living being

The body is just a “container” for our souls

When you die, your jiva, is reborn into another life until it achieves liberation