Download Religions II

Religions II
Polytheism:
belief in many Gods or Goddesses
Hinduism
Buddhism
HINDUISM
1. Evolved gradually
in South Asia-India
& Nepal
2. Believe everyone
in the universe is
part of the continuing
cycle of birth, death,
rebirth
3. World’s oldest living
religion
4. Over 950 million
followers mostly
in India-world’s
3rd largest
religion
5. Influenced many
other religions
6. No founder or
formal church
Brahman = principle (creator)
source of universe
• Exists in all beings
• All Hindu gods and
goddesses are
manifestations of the one
Brahman
• It is a single, supreme,
nameless, formless, and
unlimited force in the
universe
• It unifies all of life
Atman - Essential Self
• The “soul” found in all
living things
• The connection to
Brahman in life
• Since all life is connected
through Atman, Hindus
tend to respect nature
not conquer it
Three main Gods
• Brahma = creator
• Vishnu = restores
order (preserver)
• Shiva or Siva =
destroyer (pictured)
rules over life &
death
REINCARNATION
• Belief in which all living
beings live in a cycle of living
and dying.
• Atman is born again in
another body.
• Life flows through many
existences.
• If people are good in one life,
they will be rewarded by
being well born in the next
life.
• Life is seen as a place of
impermanence and ultimate
suffering. One must escape
the cycle of reincarnation.
KARMA
• Belief that every deed and
thought affects a person’s
fate in the future.
• Good deeds represent
happiness and evil deeds
sorrow.
• Whether a soul is reborn in
better circumstances
depends on a person’s
deeds. The totality of these
deeds is karma.
MOKSHA
• Ultimate goal of all
Hindus is the
attainment of Moksha
• Breaks the cycle of
reincarnation
• A state of being in
which the desire for
earthly things has been
quenched
YOGA = DISCIPLINE
• A Hindu practice for
achieving
enlightenment.
• This doctrine insists
that physical and
mental training
should be used only
as a means to
spiritual growth.
DHARMA
• Religious duty of
Hinduism
• The individual’s
unique obligations that
must be fulfilled in
order to maintain
harmony in the
universe.
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“Om”
• Hinduism is
represented by the
symbol om-meaning
the name of god
• It is repeated many
times by a Hindu
during meditation
Caste System:
Society divided into social classes with a ranking system.
Born and die in same
1. Brahmin = Priests and scholars
2. Kshatriyas = Warriors and leaders
3. Vaisyas = merchants, farmers and businessmen
4. Sudras = peasants, laborers and servants
*Untouchables = outside caste system. They are the
outcastes of society and lead lives of poverty and misery
“invisible” and do the dirty work.
Sacred Texts
• Vedas - Older consists
of hymns, prayers and
rituals
• Upanishads - The final
statement of the truths
of the Vedas
• “Bhagavad Gita” great
poem and most
important text
SANSKRIT
• One of the world’s
earliest written
languages.
• Related to Greek and
Latin.
• It is the language of
the Vedas and
Upanishads.
• Considered the holiest
of all rivers by Hindus
GANGES
RIVER
• Believe the power of
Mother Ganga to wash
away their sins
• A symbol of life
without end.
• A goal of many Hindus
is to have their ashes
poured in the Ganges
River
Cow = Sacred symbol of earth
Vegetarians-do not eat meat
Varanasi - Holy city of Hinduism-if
one dies here, they skip the
reincarnation cycle
4 Goals/Desires of all humans
1. Pleasure - We seek to satisfy our physical needs
and desires
2. Power - We seek control over ourselves and
others
3. Altruism - We seek to help others
4. Enlightenment - We seek understanding and
wisdom
4 Ways to improve Karma and work
toward Enlightenment
1. Way of Action - Performing correct religious acts
2. Way of Devotion - worship and honoring a
particular deity
3. Way of Knowledge - Seeking knowledge through
study of the sacred texts
4. Way of Meditation - Seeking to understand life’s
meaning. Often done by withdrawing from the ways
of the world.
BUDDHISM
• World’s 4th largest religion
• 465 million Buddhists
worldwide
Siddhartha Gautama
•
Buddhism is based on the teachings of
Siddhartha Gautama known as the
Buddha.
•
Born in India 563 BC into Brahmin family
• Led a sheltered life
• Believed one could escape suffering in this
lifetime-search for enlightenment or true
understanding
• began his journey because he had been
confronted with spectacles of the following
“4 light-changing sights”
“Four Sights”
• An old bent man
• A diseased man
• A corpse
• An ascetic with
nothing yet who
radiated peace and joy
(pictured)
“Great Renunciation”
• Siddhartha walked away
from his privileged life with
his wife and baby
• Led a life of hardship as an
ascetic seeking
enlightenment
• After six years believed he
had failed.
• Sat under a Bodhi Tree and
had his moment of
Enlightenment
“Four Noble Truths”
1. Life means suffering
2. The origin of suffering
is desire
3. The cessation of
suffering is attainable.
4. Follow the Middle Way
(Eightfold Path)-avoid
extremes
The Noble Eightfold Path
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Right View (understanding)
Right Intention (thought)
Right Speech (telling the truth)
Right Action (conduct)
Right Livelihood (occupation)
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration (meditation)
Five obstacles to Enlightenment
•
•
•
•
•
Desire
Restlessness
Doubt
Ill Will
Laziness
Buddhist Root of all Evil
• Desire
• Hatred
• Ignorance