Hinduism

Very complicated because …

• It blends ancient Aryan religions with the ancient religions of other groups in India

• It also continues to grow and incorporate other religions all the time – even figures like Jesus, Muhammad, & Buddha have been added over the years!

It Is a Personal Religion• Individuals pick “a la

carte” from the many gods available to worship – which gods you worship are up to you and may change with time

• Most people worship in their own homes, offices, and even cars, rather than in temples

Primary Gods

Brahma, the Creator• Creator of the universe (but

not of Brahman) and of mankind

• Rarely interferes in man’s affairs

• Not typically worshipped• Has four heads (one for

each Veda) and four arms!

Vishnu, the Preserver• Maintainer of the earth

and all life• God of everyday life• Can take on the form of

an animal to guide or help people in trouble

Shiva, the Destroyer• God of destruction and

also of knowledge• NOT EVIL!• Without destruction

and death there can be no creation or rebirth

Ganesha• Most widely

worshipped of the Hindu gods

• Has the power to remove obstacles in life, so often prayed to before one starts any difficult task

Brahman = Everything

Karma & Reincarnation

The goal for a Hindu’s life is to achieve “moksha” or union with Brahman

Sacred Texts

The Vedas

The Upanishads

The Mahabharata

The Ramayana

Buddhism…

The “middle way of wisdom and compassion”

• A 2500 year old tradition that began in India and spread and diversified throughout the Far East

• A philosophy, religion, and spiritual practice followed by more than 300 million people

• Based on the teachings of the Buddha

The “Three Jewels” of Buddhism

Buddha – the teacher

Dharma – the teachings

Sangha – the community

Who was the Buddha?

• Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble caste in India, 563 B.C.E.

• Raised in great luxury to be a king• Empathy for the suffering of others; at age 29

rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering

• Followed a strict ascetic lifestyle for six years• Rejected this extreme, sat in meditation,

achieved Nirvana – an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35

• Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved

Siddhartha = Buddha

What did the Buddha teach?

The Four Noble Truths:• To live is to suffer• The cause of suffering is self-

centered desire & attachments• The solution is to eliminate desire

and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”)

• The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path”

The Spread of Buddhism

• Within two centuries after the Buddha died, Buddhism began to spread north and east into Asia

• By 13th century Buddhism had disappeared from India

What is the Eight-Fold Path?

Wisdom:•Right understanding

•Right motivation Moral discipline:•Right speech

•Right action

•Right livelihood

Mental discipline:•Right effort

•Right mindfulness

•Right meditation

The Eightfold Path

Right View• You must see the world

as it really is, not as you want it to be.

• All things are subject to suffering.

• “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

Right Intention• Resist your desires.• Give up greed and

selfishness.• Resist anger.• Do not intend to hurt

others.• Learn compassion for

others.

Right Speech• NO lying.• NO gossiping.• NO slander.• NO swearing.• NO idle conversation –

only speak when you have something important to say.

Right Action• NO harming of others,

especially murder or suicide (all life is sacred)

• NO stealing• NO sexual misconduct,

such as rape, sex for any purpose other than procreation

Right Livelihood• Wealth is OK if gained

through peaceful and ethical means.

• NO making or selling of weapons, dealing in living beings (man or animals), butchering of meats, dealing in intoxicants.

Right Effort• You must always be

trying to improve yourself.

• Every effort to follow the Eightfold Path and to be a better person adds to your karma.

Right Mindfulness• You must be aware of

yourself – all of your thoughts, feelings, strengths and weaknesses.

• You must be honest and open with yourself.

Right Concentration• Not only can you not

DO the things that are forbidden, you can not even THINK about doing them!

• All thoughts must be wholesome, good, and pure.

What do Buddhists believe?

• Rebirth (reincarnation) results from attachments (karma)

• Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of mind

• Achieving Nirvana means escape from the cycle of rebirth

Once Gautama Buddha died, after 80 years of life in this world, having achieved Nirvana and teaching multitudes his way of life, he ceased to exist as a distinct being

• Buddhism is non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God – he is just a revered teacher

How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?

Buddhism rejects…• Authority of the ancient Vedic

texts• The Vedic caste system• The Vedic and Hindu deities• The efficacy of Vedic worship and

ritual• The concept of Brahman