Download Buddhism: Basic Beliefs

Buddhism: Basic Beliefs
How did Buddhism begin?
About 2500 years ago, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama began to
question his sheltered, luxurious life in the palace. Siddhartha spent many
years doing many religious practices such as praying, meditating, and fasting
until he finally understood the basic truths of life. He gained enlightenment,
or nirvana, and was given the title of Buddha, which means Enlightened
One.
What did Buddha teach?
Buddha then taught people not to worship him as a god. He said they should
take responsibility for their own lives and actions. Buddha discovered Three
Universal Truths and Four Noble Truths, which he then taught to the people
for the next 45 years.
Where are Buddha's words written down?
After Buddha died, his teachings were gradually written down from what
people remembered. The ripitaka, or The Three Baskets, is a collection of
Buddha's sayings, his thoughts about them, and rules for Buddhists monks.
If Buddhism began in India, why is it all over some many eastern
countries?
There are over 500 million Buddhists today. After Buddha's death, some of
his followers had some differences of opinion which eventually led to their
breaking away and forming separate kinds of Buddhism.
Sacred Spaces
Although worshipping in a temple is not essential for worship, Buddhists do
visit shrines and temples to pay their respects to Buddha and to meditate
with other Buddhists. Buddhists go on pilgrimages to places associated with
Buddha's life. These places include his birthplace, the place of
enlightenment, the place of his first sermon, and the place he died.
Christianity: Basic Beliefs
How did Christianity begin?
Jesus was born into a Jewish family over 2000 years ago. His earliest
followers came to believe that he was the Messiah, or messenger, sent by
God to free God's people from slavery, sin, and death. Jesus taught others to
be loving and forgiving - especially toward those who were considered
outcasts in society. This is the central message and style of Jesus' teaching.
What do Christians believe?
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Christians believe
that Jesus died for humanity, that God raised him from the dead, and that
Jesus will come again at the end of time. The essence of Jesus' teachings are
centered around the 10 commandments.
What are the sacred texts of Christianity?
The sacred text of Christianity is the Holy Bible. The Christian Bible has
two parts: the Old Testament which is essentially the Hebrew scriptures of
Jesus' time; and the New Testament which contains writings about Jesus
Christ and about the early church.
Why are there so many different kinds of Christians?
From its beginning with a tiny group of Jesus' followers, Christianity has
spread all over the world. Today, it is practiced by two billion people. There
are many different branches of Christianity interpreting the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus in different ways.
Christianity: Sacred Spaces and Places
Christians worship in churches. It is customary to worship on Sunday, the
Sabbath, and on other special festivals and celebrations. Some people,
especially monks and nuns, attend church daily. In addition, most Christians
pray or worship at home through individual or family devotions.
Hinduism: Basic Beliefs
How did Hinduism begin?
Hinduism began about 4000 years ago in India. It was the religion of an
ancient people known as the Aryans ("noble people") whose philosophy,
religion, and customs are recorded in their sacred texts known as the Vedas.
India helps to establish Hinduism as the world's oldest living religion.
Today, worldwide, there are almost one billion people professing some
aspect of Hinduism.
What do Hindus believe and practice?
The fundamental teaching of Hinduism is that a human being's basic nature
is not confined to the body or the mind. This spirit is within us and also
within everything we see. There are many manifestations of God, and
therefore there are many Gods within Hinduism. Hindu’s believe in karma.
In this world every cause must have its effect. You do good things good
things will happen to you, and if you do bad things bad things will happen to
you. Reincarnation is the belief that when you die you will be reborn again.
Karma determines what your next life will be like.
What are the Hindu sacred texts?
Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of ancient
India. The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. They are a collection
of hymns, prayers, and magic spells. The Upanishads are stories and
parables told by gurus (teachers) to their students.
Hinduism: Sacred Spaces and Places
A Hindu place of worship is called a mandir or temple. A temple is
dedicated to a particular god or goddess (deity). The temple is the god's
home on earth. The Ganges River is a very sacred place to Hindus. It is a
place to go on pilgrimage to bathe in sacred waters. Hindus also like to have
their ashes scattered in the Ganges after cremation.
Islam: Basic Beliefs
How did Islam begin?
Islam is a monotheistic faith centered around belief in the one God (Allah).
Muhammad was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia around 570 CE. He worked
first as a shepherd and then as a merchant. He received a message from God
that there was no other God but Allah and that people should lead their lives
in a way that was pleasing to Allah.
How many Muslims are there?
Islam spread quickly first throughout Arabia and surrounding countries and
then throughout the world. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world with 7
million in the United States. Only about 18% of Muslims are Arabs and live
in the Middle East. The countries with the largest Muslim populations are
Indonesia and India.
What do Muslim's believe?
Muslims have six major beliefs;
Belief in one God (Allah), belief in the Angels, belief in the holy including
Torah, the Bible, and Qur'an, Belief in all the prophets sent by God Belief in
the Day of Judgment and life after death. The best reward for performing
good deeds is getting closer to God, and that God is all powerful.
What is the final revealed scripture (a sacred text) for Muslims?
Muslims believe that the last revealed scripture sent by God is the Qur'an or
Koran. It is the speech of God revealed in the Arabic language to
Muhammad during his mission of twenty-three years. The Qur'an was
written down by scribes and memorized during the lifetime of Muhammad.
Islam: Sacred Spaces
Although Muslims pray five times daily in their homes or wherever they are,
in fact even in the streets, Muslims also worship in mosques. Mosques can
be very elaborate, large structures or very simple ones. The most holy of all
places on earth is Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia, and a hope for all
Muslims to travel there within their lifetime.
Judaism: Basic Beliefs
How did Judaism begin?
Judaism began about 4000 years ago with the Hebrew people in the Middle
East. Abraham, a Hebrew man, is considered the father of the Jewish faith
because he promoted the central idea of the Jewish faith: that there is one
God.
What do Jewish people believe?
Jewish people believe they must follow God's laws which govern daily life.
God’s law is centered around the Ten Commandments written in their sacred
text. They believe in prophets, but that the Messiah, or the Son of God, has
yet to come.
What are the sacred texts of the Jewish people?
The Torah is written on scrolls and kept in a special cabinet called the aron
hakodish, the holy ark, in synagogues. The Torah is read with a pointer
called a yad (hand) to keep it from being spoiled. Each week, one section is
read until the entire Torah is completed and the reading begins again.
Judaism Today
Today, nearly fourteen million Jewish people live all over the world.
Approximately half of them live in the United States, one quarter live in
Israel, and a quarter are still scattered around the world. Anyone born to a
Jewish mother is considered a Jew.
Judaism: Sacred Spaces and Places
Israel itself is a very sacred place to Jewish people. Jerusalem is important
because it is the ancient capital of Israel and the site of the original temple.
The Western Wall of the ancient temple remains. This is where the tablets
that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments were
stored in a golden box called the Ark of the Covenant. Jewish people make
pilgrimages to this wall. It is also called the Wailing Wall because people
grieve the destruction of the temple and other persecution of the Jews.
Jewish people worship in synagogues. A synagogue is a center for Jewish
life - not just worshipping, but education and community.