religions of india

Hinduism

I. Introduction to Hinduism

Hinduism is the name given to a family of religions and cultures that began and still flourish in India.

Hindus do not separate religion from other aspects of life.

Hinduism is a complete approach to life that involves social class, work, family, politics, diet, etc.

The word "Hindu" comes from the name of the Indus River, which flows 1800 miles from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the sea.

Originally the name referred to people living in a particular region of the world, regardless of their faith.

There are 750 million Hindus in the world, and most of them live in India.

Hinduism includes a very wide range of beliefs and practices, so there aren't many things that are common to all Hindu groups. However they all have a "family resemblance" to each other.

Hinduism has:1. no founder2. no creed3. no single source of authority

The things most often common to Hindus are

1. a belief in a single Divinity or supreme God that is present in everything

2. belief in other gods who are aspects of that supreme God

3. belief that the soul repeatedly goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

4. belief in Karma, a force that determines the quality of each life, depending on how well one behaved in a past life

Most Hindus worship at home and have a shrine there. Hindu temples are the focus of religious life, but there is not a strong tradition of congregational worship.

Hinduism has not had a significant tradition of seeking to convert people, although some modern Hindu sects now do seek converts.

II. Elements of Hinduism

Hinduism is very different from religions like Christianity, Islam, or Judaism.

1. Hinduism includes a far wider range of beliefs and practices than Christianity, Islam, or Judaism.

2. Hinduism does not offer the same insistence on being the only "truth."

Hinduism is more an approach to the universe, and a way of living in the universe than an intellectual system of philosophy.1. There is no "correct" form of Hinduism.2. The Hindu concept of the "good life" is not based on

instructions from God.3. Hinduism is not, at heart, a set of beliefs. Hinduism is

entwined in everyday life.4. Hinduism has no individual who is central to the faith as

Jesus, Muhammad, and Moses are for other faiths.

Hinduism doesn't have a single scripture that is regarded as uniquely authoritative.

1. Hinduism gives more prominence to the oral tradition.

Hinduism doesn't have a personal god at its heart (although individual Hindus may).

It's very difficult to separate the religious elements of Hinduism from the political, racial, social, and other elements which also make up the Hindu culture. But that's not surprising; as Hindus believe that God is in everything, it would not make sense to separate religious things from everything else.

III. Practice

For many Hindus, religion is a matter of practice rather than of beliefs.

1. It's more what you do than what you believe.

Behind Hindu practice is the belief that every soul is trapped in a cycle of birth and then death and then rebirth. Every Hindu wants to escape from this cycle.

Hindus aim to live in a way that will cause each of their lives to be better than the life before.

Living or acting in the right way is known as dharma.

Hindus believe the universe doesn't have a beginning and an end. It's a cyclical pattern, so once it ends, it begins again.

IV. Samsara

Hinduism is about the sort of life one should lead in order to be born into a better life next time and eventually become free from rebirth altogether by attaining Moksha (liberation).

When someone dies, their soul is reborn into a new body (although not necessarily a human body).

The cycle is called Samsara. The process of the soul being reborn into a new body is called Reincarnation.

Whether one is reborn into a better life, a worse life, or even to live as an animal, depends on Karma, which is the value of a soul's good and bad deeds.

1. Karma is not the same thing as judgment in Christianity.

2. It is automatic and impersonal.

3. A good analogy is a moral force of gravity.

Hindus aim to live in a way that will earn them a better life next time around, and eventually free them from rebirth altogether.

V. Liberation

Each time a Hindu soul is born into a better life, it has the opportunity to improve itself further, and get closer to ultimate liberation.

1. One attains Moksha when one has "overcome ignorance", and no longer desires anything at all.

2. This is not a state of knowledge, but a state of being.

3. Paradoxically it is really a state of not-being, since when the individual soul reaches this state, it becomes aware that it is nothing more than a part of the ultimate reality, part of "God", part of Brahman, and loses its individual identity.

There are 4 legitimate goals in life:

1. dharma (appropriate living),

2. artha (the pursuit of material gain by lawful means),

3. kama (delight of the senses),

4. moksha (release from rebirth).

Each Hindu has 4 daily duties:

1. Revere the deities

2. Respect ancestors

3. Respect all beings

4. Honor all humankind

VI. Hindu Gods

"God" and the universe

1. For Hindus, the entire universe is part of the Divine- everything is part of "God". And so "God", for Hindus, is present in everything.

"God" and the "Soul"

1. Each soul is an individual, yet also a part of "God".

"God" and gods

1. Most Westerners think that Hinduism is polytheistic. Hindus actually believe in only one supreme God, called "Brahman".

• Brahman is a supreme spirit that permeates everything.

• BUT: Brahman is NOT a being in the sense that Christians think of God as a being - Brahman is entirely impersonal, and entirely impossible to describe.

• Everything in the universe is part of Brahman, (including each one of us), but Brahman is more than the sum of everything in the universe.

Hindus acknowledge and worship various gods, but these are all aspects of Brahman.

The gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are different forms and names of the one God.

Brahma reflects God's divine work of creating the universe

Vishnu reflects God's work in keeping the universe in existence

Vishnu in particular has appeared on earth in various forms. Among these, Krishna and Rama are especially loved and worshipped.

Shiva reflects God's work in destroying the universe.

VII. Hindu Scriptures

The Vedas are collections of Sanskrit hymns (written down 1200-900BCE, but based on older oral versions)

1. All Hindus accept that the Vedas, a set of sacred verses or hymns, written in the Sanskrit language around 1500 BCE, contain the truths of their religion.

2. The Vedas are said to have existed for ever, and the date above, is merely when they were written down.

3. Not many Hindus have read the Vedas, so the Vedas have their affect through their influence on other Hindu scriptures.

Brahmanas - ritual instructions (1000-650 BCE)

The Upanishads - mystical works (400-200 BCE)

The Bhagavad Gita (200 BCE).

1. This book, sets out, in story form, the proper way to behave and think.

2. Among the principles it puts forward are:

• One should live appropriately for the life (and caste) into which one is born.

• One should be devoted to the form of God known as Krishna.

• One's actions should be chosen by the inherent value of those actions, not by any hoped-for benefits from them. In other ways, one should do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do.

Buddhism

I. Introduction to Buddhism

Buddhism is a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition which stretches back over 2,500 years.

It has about 500 million adherents around the world.

'Buddha' means 'one who has woken up'.

1. Most people live asleep, never knowing or seeing life as it really is.

2. As a consequence they suffer.

3. A buddha is someone who awakens to the knowledge of the world as it truly is and so finds release from suffering.

A Buddha teaches out of sympathy and compassion for the suffering of beings and for the benefit and welfare of all beings.

Buddhism does not actively look for converts, but it is thoroughly welcoming to those who do want to convert.

Buddhism can coexist with other faiths.

II. Siddhartha Gautama

The Buddhist tradition is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived c.566-486BC.

He was born as the son of a local raja, or prince, in northern India.

He was a member of a privileged and wealthy family and lived comfortably.

Disillusioned with his life, he left home and adopted the simple life of a wandering ascetic and embarked on a spiritual quest.

As he sat in meditation under a tree, he had a profound experience.

1. Called Bodhi or 'awakening', he had a deep understanding of the nature of suffering, its cause and a way of stopping it.

Gautama then devoted the rest of his life to teaching the way to end suffering.

By his death at about the age of 80 he had a considerable following and a well organized community.

III. Basic Buddhism

Buddhism has no unique creed, no single authority, no single sacred book.

Buddhism focuses on each individual seeking to attain enlightenment.

Gods1. Buddhism has no omnipotent, creator God who exists apart

from this or any other universe.

Key beliefs and values are contained in "The Four Noble Truths".

1. All existence is suffering or "dukkha."

There is nothing that permanently exists. Dukkha comes from a search to find something permanent.

Suffering is an intrinsic part of life also experienced as dissatisfaction, discontent, and unhappiness.

2. There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment and desire.

3. There is a way out of suffering, which is to eliminate attachment and desire.

Suffering can end in enlightenment and the state known as nirvana, where all action and interaction ceases.

Life is a continuing process of birth and death, but there is no soul that is reborn, only the process of one moment giving rise to the next.

The form in which one is reborn, animal or human, in heaven or in hell, depends on karma -impersonal ethical law.

One can escape from this process by attaining nirvana or enlightenment.

4. The path that leads out of suffering is called the Eightfold Path.

V. Nirvana

Nirvana can be reached by following the Eightfold Path of:

1. Right understanding

2. Right thinking

3. Right speaking

4. Right acting

5. Right lifestyle

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right contemplation

VI. Theravada or Southern Buddhism

Its scriptures are preserved in the Pali Canon, an ancient India language closely related to Sanskrit.

The name of the school means "Teachings of the Elders" which implies that this was the most conservative school of Buddhism.

It's followed by 100 million in Southeast Asia: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos.

VII. Mahayana or Eastern BuddhismMahayana can be characterized by its focus on:

1. Universalism - the belief that everyone will become a Buddha.

2. Tireless generosity, patience, energy, and wisdom in order to work for the benefit of all living beings.

3. Enlightened individuals postpone entering into nirvana until all other beings have also been saved.

4. The Buddha is a transcendental God-like figure who resides in the Pure Land who can assist believers.

It is found in Korea, China, Japan and Vietnam. It is still a significant religion for a population of 500 - 1,000 million.

VIII. Tibetan or Northern Buddhism

Its scriptures are preserved in Tibetan and although its outlook is broadly Mahayana.

It is followed by 10 - 20 million in Tibet and Mongolia and in parts of Nepal and Himalayan India.

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism is the Dalai Lama.

IX. Holy Books & Symbols

There are many collections of Buddhist teachings, usually specific to geographical regions, which are regarded as important.

In addition to the Pali canon, sutras, containing the Buddha's advanced teaching, are treasured by Mahayana Buddhists.

Buddhist symbols include:

The lotus

The wheel of life

Images of the Buddha

Mandalas- symbolic maps of Buddhist universes.

Mandalas- symbolic maps of Buddhist universes.

Mandalas- symbolic maps of Buddhist universes.

Mandalas- symbolic maps of Buddhist universes.