• One of the OLDEST and most COMPLEX religions• About 900 million followers worldwide• Dominant Religion of INDIA and Nepal• Has no single FOUNDER or HOLY BOOK (there are

many holy scriptures including the VEDAS and UPANISHADS)

HINDUISM

• Most SACRED river to the Hindus -Each year thousands make pilgrimages to the Ganges

• They bathe in the water which they believe will cleanse and purify them

• The sick believe the Ganges will cure their ailments• One of the 5 most polluted rivers in the world

GANGES RIVER

• When they die Hindus have their bodies CREMATED• It is considered the highest honor to have your

ashes spread in the Ganges – no where more so than in VARANASI

• EXAMPLE – George Harrison of the Beatles had his ashes scattered in the Ganges when he died in 2001

GANGES RIVER

• Hindus believe in one unifying spirit – BRAHMAN• Hindus consider Brahman too complex to understand so they

worship GODS that give a more concrete form to Brahman• There are MANY Gods in the Hindu religion – 3 of the most

important are:• 1. BRAHMA: Creator of Life• 2. VISHNU: Preserver of Life• 3. SHIVA: Destroyer of Life

HINDUISM

Hindu Gods

• Achieving union with BRAHMAN as people free themselves from selfish desires & suffering is known as MOKSHA

• This does NOT occur in one lifetime – Hindus believe in: REINCARNATION

• REINCARNATION – rebirth of the soul in a new body• Reincarnation {known as Punarjanma} is one of the core

beliefs of Hinduism that is generally accepted by all who practice

• Reincarnation is the natural process of birth, death and rebirth

MOKSHA/REINCARNATION

• People’s actions in this life determine their level or caste in the next life. This is known as Karma.

• Karma consists of all the deeds of a person’s life that affect his/her existence in the next life. By living in a right way, a person will be reborn at a higher level. Evil deeds cause people to be born into a lower level.

KARMA

• KARMA refers to the totality of our actions and their reactions in this and previous lives - all of which determines our future

• Karma is not PUNISHMENT or retribution but simply a CONSEQUENCE of natural acts

• Karma is not FATE: humans act with free will creating their own DESTINY -According to the VEDAS -if one sows goodness, one will reap goodness; if one sows evil, one will reap evil

• DHARMA is the law that upholds the order of the universe

KARMA

• Early in Indian History people were organized into four groups based on occupation:

• 1) BRAHMINS (priests)• 2) WARRIORS• 3) traders and landowners • 4) peasants or traders • The group that an Indian belonged to determined his

or her role in society – these groups became known as CASTES

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1dbksj22Ds

CASTE SYSTEM

• As time went on- the four basic castes grew more complex—with hundreds of subdivisions

• Communities developed a system in which people were born into their caste

• Their caste membership determined the work they did, whom they could marry, and the people with whom they could eat

• Cleanliness and purity became all-important • Those considered the most impure because of their work

(butchers, gravediggers, collectors of trash) lived outside the caste structure - they were known as “untouchables”

CASTE SYSTEM

• Has over 360 MILLION followers• Most live in: SRI LANKA, ASIA {Cambodia, Laos, Thailand,

Myanmar, Vietnam} and SE ASIA {China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan}• Buddhism consists of many different SECTS or branches the 2

main branches are: Theravada and Mahayana• A religious sect is a group within a religion that has one or more

unique beliefs• There is no belief in a PERSONAL God - It is not centered on the

relationship between humanity and God

BUDDHISM

• SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA -Founder of Buddhism• 563B.C. – Born into a noble family in NEPAL• Led a PRIVILEGED & SHELTERED Life• He left his home in search of ENLIGHTENMENT

{wisdom}• He tried to find the cause of SUFFERING• He was convinced that suffering was caused by

materialistic desires

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA

• While meditating beneath a tree he finally understood how to be free from suffering and achieve salvation

• Following this epiphany Gautama was known as the Buddha meaning the “ENLIGHTENED ONE"

• The Buddha spent the remainder of his life journeying about India teaching others what he had come to understand

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA

Central Philosophy of Buddhism –Four Noble Truths:• 1. Life is filled with SUFFERING• 2. Suffering caused by DESIRE• 3. END suffering by ending desire• 4. The way to end desire – follow EIGHTFOLD

PATH

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

EIGHTFOLD PATH

• Following the Eightfold Path – find PEACE/HARMONY• Ultimate Goal – spiritual happiness – release from

endless cycle of DEATH and REBIRTH {Reincarnation}• This state was known as: NIRVANA• Buddhists do not have a belief in a supreme being {GOD}• Goal of life is to reach NIRVANA

BUDDHISM