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Hinduism and Buddhism For use with pages 202-208
Key Terms
Hinduism: one of the oldest religions in the world; has thousands of gods and
goddesses that are part of a universal spirit (page 203)
Brahman: the universal spirit (page 203)
reincarnation: the idea of living many different lives (page 204)
dharma: divine law; requires people to perform duties of their caste (page 204)
karma: the consequences of how a person lives; if you live a good life, you
have good karma (page 204)
Buddhism: a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama based on Hinduism
(page 205)
nirvana: a state of wisdom; achieved after giving up all desires (page 205)
theocracy: a government led by religious leaders (page 208)
Drawing From Experience
Does your family practice a religion? Many people
follow their religion by going to a church, temple,
or mosque.
In the last section, you learned how India's first civilization developed along the Indus River. In this section,
you will learn about India's two main religions, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Organizing Your Thoughts
The Buddha said that people should follow the steps of
the Eightfold Path. What are the steps of the path? Use
details from the text to help you fill in the blanks.
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(page 203)
HsfflMgaJ1 Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs of the Aryans.
Hinduism started when the Aryans arrived in India
about 1500 B.C. The Aryan religion had many gods
and goddesses who ruled nature. Over time, the Aryan
religion added ideas from the Indian people to create
Hinduism.
Early Hinduism Hindus believe in one universal spirit called
Brahman. They also believe in thousands of gods and
goddesses that are a different part of Brahman.
The Upanishads are very old religious writings. These
writings talk about how each person looks for the universal spirit. They say our souls are like lumps of salt, and
Brahman is a glass of water. When salt is put into water, it
disappears. But the water is salty. Like salt, our souls disappear and become part of the universal spirit.
What Is Karma? Hindus believe that a soul joins Brahman
when a person dies. However, a soul must live many
lives—even as an animal—before it joins Brahman. The
idea of living many lives, one after another, is called
reincarnation.
If people do the duties of their caste, they will get a
j* better next life. So they must follow dhanna, or the divine
$ law. If you follow dharma, then you have good karma.
8. Karma is the result of how a person lives. For example, if
5 you live a good life and do your duty, you have good
| karma.
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This belief in dharma and karma made people accept
| the caste system. A dedicated Hindu thinks that higher
I- caste people really are better than lower caste people. This
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© belief meant that servants would not rebel. The idea of
s reincarnation gave hope to everyone.
aI 9. How is karma related to reincarnation?
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Buddhism (page 205)
A new religion, Buddhism, appealed to many people in India and other
parts of Asia.
By 600 B.C., many Indians began to question Hindu
ideas. They wanted a simpler, more spiritual religion for
common people.
Who Is the Buddha? Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born
about 563 B.C. He ruled a kingdom near the Himalaya.
He was wealthy, married, and had a son. One day he
left the palace and saw beggars and people suffering.
He asked himself why people suffered.
To search for answers, he left his family, lived alone,
fasted, and meditated, or emptied his mind of thought.
Legend says that Siddhartha meditated for 49 days. Then,
he came to an understanding about life.
Siddhartha spent the rest of his life teaching people
about his discovery. People called him the Buddha, which
means "Enlightened One." His lessons about life and suffering are called Buddhism.
What Is Buddhism? The Buddha taught that there was one way
to see truth in the world. Everyone should stop wanting
fame, money, and worldly things. Then they would reach
nirvana, or a state of wisdom.
The Buddha said that the only way to stop desiring
things is to follow the Eightfold Path, which gives rules
for living a good life. The Buddha believed in reincarnation—with a difference. He thought that people could
stop being reborn if they followed the Eightfold Path.
The Buddha did not accept the caste system. He
thought that all people—even the lower castes—could
reach nirvana. This made Buddhism very popular among
the lower castes and the Pariahs. They, too, could escape
suffering and find peace.
Buddhism in Southeast Asia The Buddha preached his ideas for
more than 40 years. When he died, his disciples spread
his message all over Asia.
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Over time, the Buddhists split into two groups. The
first was Theraveda Buddhism. Theraveda means "teachings of the elders." It says that the Buddha was a great
teacher, but not a god. Theraveda Buddhism spread south
and east. It was adopted in Ceylon in the 200s B.C. It also
became popular in Indochina.
Mahayana Buddhism The second kind of Buddhism is
Mahayana Buddhism. It says that Buddha is a god who
came to save people. Mahayanas think people can go to
heaven if they worship the Buddha. In heaven, they can
follow the Eightfold Path to reach nirvana.
Mahayana Buddhists also honor the bodhisattvas.
Bodhisattvas are enlightened people who do not go to
heaven right away. They stay on earth to help others.
Mahayana Buddhism spread north into China, Korea,
and Japan. In Tibet (in central Asia) it mixed with Hinduism and Tibet's own religions. This mix made a special
kind of Mahayana Buddhism.
At that time, Tibet's Buddhist and government leaders
were called lamas. When religious leaders also head the
government, it is called a theocracy. The Dalai Lama led
the government. The Panchen Lama led the religion. Both
lamas were considered reincarnations of the Buddha.
Today, many Buddhists live in Thailand, Cambodia,
and Sri Lanka. But very few live in India, where the
Buddha first taught.
10. How could a Buddhist reach nirvana?
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