Download Vedas

Hinduism & Buddhism
Overview of Hinduism
• Collection of religious
beliefs developed about
1500 BC
• Cannot be traced to one
founder or people
– Vedic Religion of Aryan?
– Harappan belief system?
– Regardless, all elements were
in place by 500 BC
• Based off interpretations of
Vedas & Mahabharata
– Vedas – sacred hymns
– Maha = epic stories (Homer)
II. Caste System
• Complex & rigid social
system dividing people into
sealed groups called castes
(job)
• People divided into varnas
(aspects of Purusha)
–
–
–
–
–
Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriyas (warriors, rulers)
Vaishyas (farmers, merchants)
Sudras (non-Aryan peasants)
Harijan (untouchables)
Caste System
• Caste defines who you are
– Born into it
– Marry within it
– Die within it
• Almost impossible to move
up caste within one lifetime
• Everybody knew what caste
people were in
• Relations with other castes
– No one dealt w/ harijan
– Very respectful up caste
– Very condescending down
caste
III. Beliefs of Hinduism
• Desire moksha
– Liberation from cycle of birth
and rebirth
– Above time, space – the
stilling of all passions and
desires
• Individual soul = Atman
• Brahman
– The source of all existence
– At moksha, atman unifies
w/ Brahman
– Goal never achieved in 1
lifetime
Beliefs of Hinduism
• Reincarnation
– New personality develops
in each life, based on past
experiences
– Part of original person is
constantly present
throughout successive
lives
Beliefs of Hinduism
• Karma
– Atman’s good and bad
deeds
– Everything one does
influences one’s destiny
and possibility of moving up
the incarnation ladder
– Effects caste & wealth in
future lives
– Good karma = good fortune
– Current station in life is
determined by prior good /
bad karma of prior lives
Beliefs of Hinduism
• Each caste has dharma
– Rights & duties of caste within
social order
– Be the best brahmin / kshatriya
/ whatever you can be
– Failure to do dharma leads to
regression down caste system
• If one does dharma, one will
have good karma, will be
reincarnated to a higher
caste and eventually reach
moksha
Brahman is three major gods in one
(some depictions of Hindu gods)
Brahma = Creator: created universe, first
humans
Vishnu: Protector = preserver of universe; most
popular aspect of Brahman
Shiva: Destroyer = destroys evil and sorrow,
including world, when it is evil
Buddhism
Overview of Buddhism
• Siddhartha Guatama
– Son of a rich warrior
prince
– Father isolated him from
unhappiness, need on his
estate
– Siddhartha escaped 3x,
saw poor, cruelty
– Made him question, reject
the physical world and
search for enlightenment
Overview of Buddhism
• Studied with different religious
leaders
• Fasted, meditated
– Realized that life of a hermit
would kill him
• Finally emerged from studies,
meditation as the Buddha
(“Enlightened One”)
• Realized that moderation – the
Middle Path – between
hedonism, extreme denial, was
best path
Buddhist Beliefs
• The Four Noble Truths
– All life is suffering and sorrow
– Cause of suffering & sorrow is
craving for happiness /
sadness, delight / pain
– End suffering and sadness by
ending the craving
• By giving it up, you will free
yourself from it
– End desire by following the
Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path
Buddhist Beliefs
• Goal of Buddhists = nirvana
– Extinction and freedom from cycle of
suffering, death and rebirth
• Reach the “Middle Way”
– Follow the Eightfold Path
– Meditate
– Moderation in all things
• Believed in reincarnation but
rejected caste system
• Also rejected idea of personal god
• Rejected social, sexual
distinctions; embraced egalitarian
organization
Buddhist Followers
• At first, word spread by
•
•
wandering monks
Spread to China; today,
about 300 million
Buddhists worldwide
Never caught on in India