Download Hinduism

Hinduism
UNIT 5: INDIA
India Today
 Population: 1.25 Billion
People

80% Hindu, 13% Muslim,
2% Christian
 Capital: New Delhi
 Government: Federal
Republic
Hinduism
 Founder:

There is no one founder
 Age:



Name comes in the 16th
century
Differentiate from Muslims
4,000 years of tradition
 Atman

Individual Soul
 Brahman


World Soul
Contains all Atmans
Concepts of Hinduism
 Dharma


One’s role you play or
position in life
Set of rules that must be
followed to be promoted
 Applications


Different people have
different rules
What’s right for one may not
be right for another
 Where you live, who you
marry, job profession etc.
Concepts of Hinduism
 Karma:


Person’s action in life
determine future state of
their soul.
Bad Actions against
Dharma
 Newton’s Law
Every Action
has an Equal
and Opposite
reaction
Concepts of Hinduism
 Reincarnation:


Upon death, a person’s
soul moves into another
living thing.
Moksha=Goal
End of Death and Rebirth
Cycle
 Over come desire.
 Perfect understanding

Hinduism’s impact on Society
UNIT 5: INDIA
Caste System
 Main Castes:





Brahmins- Priests
Kshatriyas- Warriors
Vaishyas-Peasants
Sudra-servants
Untouchables
 More then 3,000 Sub
Castes
Caste System Today
 Untouchables


Outlawed in 1950
Gov’t jobs given to exuntouchables
 Cities



Lines beginning to blur
Universal suffrage
Globalization
 Villages


Still strong
Change is slower
The Hindu Gods
UNIT 5: INDIA
Hindu Gods
 Brahma:



First God
Created the World
Created all creatures
 Least worshiped God


Obsessed with Shatarupa
Punishment was not to be
worshiped.
Hindu Gods
 Vishnu



Second God
Preserver/Protector of the
Universe
Appeared 9 times on earth
Hindu Gods
 Shiva


Third God
Destroy the Universe in
order to rebuild
Major Religious Practices
 Holy Pilgrimages to Benares

On Foot
 Wash hands & Feet before
Prayer
 Bathe in Sacred rivers like
Ganges
 Person Cremated the same
day that they die.
 All life is sacred


Especially cattle
Most Hindus are vegetarians
Buddhism
UNIT 5: EARLY INDIA INDIA
History of Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama


Founder of Buddhism
Buddha-Enlightened One
 Son of Royalty
 Life Changing experience


Saw an old man, sick man,
and a corpse
Leaves wife and son to
search for Enlightenment
4 Noble Truths
1.
Life is Full of Pain and
Suffering
2.
Desires Cause this Pain
3.
End desire and you end
Suffering
4.
The Eightfold Path is how
you eliminate Desire

Nirvana- Release from Pain
and Suffering
Leading a Buddhist Life
4th Noble Truth – Follow the Eight Fold Path:
 Guide to behavior - Mastery over many life times
 Follow to achieve Nirvana:
perfect state of understanding
 release from selfishness and pain
 break from chain of reincarnations, rebirths

Buddhist Beliefs
 Accepts reincarnation
 Rejects multiple deities & caste system of
Hinduism
Eightfold Path
1. Right to View/Know
2. High and Worth
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
intentions
Kind and truthful
Speech
Right to Conduct
Right to livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right mediation
Buddhism
 Buddha
 Accepted idea of
reincarnation
 Rejected Hindu gods
 Rejected caste system
 Most Buddhism in
China, Japan, and
Vietnam
 6.4 million in India

376 million world wide
 Sacred text
 The Triptaka
Jainism
 Mahavira
 Is believed to be the one who gave
Jainism its modern form
 Not necessarily the Founder but
the last in a great line of teachers.
Major Beliefs


Since everything in Universe has a
soul - should not be harmed
Few followers b/c teach tolerance
& shun forced conversion
Sikhism
 Punjab region of India
 Founder attempted to combine
Hinduism with Islam
 Monotheistic (Muslim) but
with Hindu traditions