Download Ancient Indian Religions and Philosophies

Ancient Indian Religions and
Philosophies
Hinduism and Buddhism
10. What are the central teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism Basics
• Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion.
16% of the world, or 900 million people are
Hindu.
• It has no individual founder -- It is believed to
be a combination of Indus Valley, Aryan and
Dravidian beliefs.
• Elements of this religion date back 6,000 years.
Hindus believe the entire
universe is seen as one divine
entity [a God] who is
simultaneously at one with the
universe and who transcends it as
well. This entity’s name is
Brahman.
But most people have trouble
with this concept.
So Brahman has been divided
into over 33,000 other gods.
The three most important gods:
 Brahma,
the creator
 Vishnu,
the Preserver
 Shiva,
the
destroyer
Hindu goal of life:
To unite with Brahman and
achieve moksha through the
cycle of reincarnation, also known as
samsara
To break the reincarnation
cycle and achieve moksha
you must:
• Do your dharma -- the duty assigned to you
based on your age, gender, caste, etc. (literally
means “righteousness”)
• Achieve good karma -- the accumulated sum
of all your good and bad deeds. (think of it as
credit for the next life)
• Be reborn as a higher and higher being.
• Achieve enlightenment.
To achieve enlightenment, you
must
• Think pure thoughts
• Act wisely
• Treat all life with respect
• Practice ahimsa -nonviolence
The Caste System:
Four main castes
• Brahmins--the priests and academics
• Kshatriyas--rulers, military
• Vaishyas--farmers, landlords, and
merchants
• Sudras--peasants, servants, and
workers in non-polluting jobs.
…Plus the outcastes or
“untouchables”-- the lowest of
the low. They are responsible for
the jobs that no one else can do,
like preparing the dead, cleaning
sewers, etc. No one else can
touch them.
Main Hindu Texts
• The Vedas -- four texts of hymns and
writings. The oldest is the Rig Veda
• The Upanishads -- a collection of
dialogues between teacher and student
about the nature of gods and the self
• Epics like the Ramayana, the
Mahabharata, and the Bhagavad Gita
Buddhism Basics
• Buddhists make up 6% of the world’s
population or 350 million people.
• It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who
later became “The Buddha” or “Enlightened
One.”
• Some people consider it a religion and some
consider it a philosophy.
The Middle Way
“If you tighten the string too much, it
will snap. If you leave it too slack, it
won’t play.”
The Four Noble Truths
• All Life is Suffering
• The Cause of Suffering is the desire for
things
• The only cure for Suffering is to
overcome desire
• The way to overcome desire is through
the eightfold path
The Eightfold Path
• Right views
• Right
aspirations
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right
livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindset
• Right
contemplation
Buddhist goal of life:
To unite with the universe and
achieve nirvana through the cycle
of reincarnation.
Main Buddhist Texts
• Tripitaka- “three breadbaskets of wisdom”
• Tibetan Book of the Dead
• Mahayana Sutras
There are many similarities between
Buddhism and Hinduism
• Ultimate goal of both is to break the cycle
of reincarnation
• Both believe in dharma and karma
• Both are committed to ahimsa -nonviolence
• Strive in both to achieve enlightenment
• Neither requires worship in a temple
But there are also many differences
• No gods in
Buddhism
• No caste system in
Buddhism
• Anyone can
achieve
enlightenment in
Buddhism
• HW #10 Read 72-76 Outline