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Name. Date. . Class. READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 6-2 J 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. 1. n 1 3 3. 6. 7. 8. 98 I n Name Date Class ^READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 6-2 (co«thu»c«o | (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. 1 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 £ © belief meant that servants would not rebel. The idea of s reincarnation gave hope to everyone. aI 9. How is karma related to reincarnation? 99 Name Date Class [READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 6-2 (c«mtitme«o 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. 100 p | If 3 g* | | | n Name Date Class [READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 6-2 (contim»ej) ^ £ s. I u j 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? 3 | Q. 3 101