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What is Hinduism?
One of the oldest religions of humanity
The religion of the Indian people
Tolerance and diversity:
"Truth is one, paths are many"
Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate
Reality
A philosophy and a way of life – focused both
on this world and beyond
How did Hinduism begin?
No particular founder
Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:
rituals and many gods (polytheism)
sacred texts (Vedas)
social stratification (caste system)
Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism
Despite the complexity of the religion,
all Hindus have the same goal and core beliefs.
One force, brahman, underlies everything.
The goal of life is
to achieve
moksha, or
union with
brahman.
Every person
has an atman,
or essential self,
and experiences
reincarnation.
Karma holds
that our actions
affect our fate in
the next life.
What are the Sacred Texts?
Vedas - four sets of these.
Rig Veda – oldest, written about 1500 B.C.E.
and codified about 600 B.C.E.
Upanishads – mystical and metaphysical
section
Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)
Ramayana
Plus others
What do Hindus believe?
One impersonal Ultimate Reality – Brahman
Manifest as many personal deities
True essence of life – Atman, the soul, is
Brahman trapped in matter
Reincarnation – atman is continually born into
this world lifetime after lifetime (Samsara)
Karma – spiritual actions keeps us bound to this
world (good and bad)
Ultimate goal of life – to release Atman and
reunite with the divine, becoming as one with
Brahman (Moksha)
What do Hindus believe?
Hindus believe in dharma, the religious and
moral duties of the person.
They practice ahimsa, nonviolence.
Hindus worship
many gods. The
most important
are:
• Brahma, the Creator
• Vishnu, the Preserver
• Shiva, the Destroyer
How does Hinduism direct
life in this world?
Respect for all life – vegetarian
Human life as supreme:
Four “stations” of life (Caste) - priests &
teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant class,
servant class. Fifth = untouchables
Four stages of life – student, householder,
retired, renunciant
Four duties of life – pleasure, success, social
responsibilities, religious responsibilities
(moksha)
How do Hindus worship?
Bhakti Yoga is seeking union with the divine
through loving devotion to manifest deities
• In the home (household shrines)
• In the Temples (priests officiate)
Puja – making offerings to and decorating the deity
images
Darsan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship)
Prasad – taking the divine within your own being
through eating of food shared with the deity
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Brahma, the creator god
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Vishnu, the preserver god
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:
Rama (featured in the Ramayana)
Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata)
(Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively)
Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Shiva, god of constructive destruction
(the transformer)
Appears as Shiva Nataraj,
lord of the dance of creation…
and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha
(the elephant headed remover of obstacles)
And we too are manifest forms
of Brahman!
“We are not human beings
having spiritual experiences;
We are spiritual beings
having a human experience!”
Hinduism is about recognizing the all pervasiveness of the divine
Jainism: The Religion
Jainism is an ascetic
religion of India
Teaches the
immortality and
pilgrimage of the
soul
Denies the existence
of a supreme being
and emphasizes the
art of non-violence.
Jainism: The Religion
Response to Hinduism and rejection of castes system
“Founder”—Mahavira or the last of 23 founders
Tirthankaras—“ford builders” or “crossing builders”
The founders of Jainism
24 Tirthankaras (“ford maker”): great teachers
Going back countless thousands of years before
recorded history
Mahavira (“great hero”) – the 24th and final
Tirthankara – reformer of ancient Jainism
Nataputta Vardhamana
Lived 599 - 527 BCE in northeast India
• 30 years as student (never married)
• 12 years as ascetic renunciant
• 30 years as spiritual teacher (tirthankara)
Mahavira ca. 599-527 BCE
•Parallels Buddha’s life
•Family wealth vs. poverty
•Joined ascetics
•Ahimsa yields true release
•Ahimsa produces Jina
(release from this life or
conqueror over attachment,
hence the name Jain)
Key Figures in Jainism
Above:
Rock image of 24
Tirthankaras
Left: Mahavira
picture
Top: Mahavira
statue
Right: Mahavira
on
LionThrone
Major Tenets
Everything is eternal; there is no allpowerful “God” that has created the world.
When a living being dies, it is reincarnated.
All living beings have souls.
The 3 gems.
Reverence for the deities (Siddhas, Jinas,
and the 24 Tirthankaras).
Vegetarianism, or Fruitarianism.
The great vows, the Mahavrats.
Karma
Karma is the natural moral law of the universe, in
which every good or bad action has a
corresponding effect on the person doing that
action.
According to Jainism there are 2 types of Karma .
Ghati (destructive) and Aghati (non-destructive),
each containing several sub-categories.
The goal of Jainism is to liberate one’s soul, to
become a Jina (spiritual victor). To become a Jina,
one must escape Karma by leading an ascetic and
intrinsically pure life.
Buddhism
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a major world
philosophy.
It is the 4th largest “religion” of
the world, and has about
300,000,000 people living by it.
It explains the purpose of life,
injustices and inequality around
the world.
It also helps people by providing
a way of life that will lead to
true happiness.
The History of Buddhism
It was all started by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha)
who was a prince in Lumbini, 2500 years ago.
He was very unhappy in his royal life, so he set
off on a 6 year journey, exploring other religions.
After his long journey and much meditation he
was finally “enlightened”.
He found the middle path, the key to human
happiness. For the rest of his life he wandered
Asia, preaching his new religion.
What Did Buddha Teach?
He taught the 4 Noble
truths which sum up
Buddhism philosophy.
He also taught the noble
eight fold path
He also taught the 5
precepts
The final goal for the
Buddhist is nirvana,
union with the universe.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
The first was that life is suffering
• You can’t live without death, frustration, etc.
The second is that suffering is caused by craving
and aversion
• Getting what you want doesn’t guarantee happiness, it deprives
you of it
The third is that suffering can be overcome, and
true happiness attained
• If we stop craving useless things, and live each day at a time
(not living in the future) we will be happy and free.
The fourth is that the Noble eight fold path leads
to the end of all suffering
The Noble Eightfold Path
It taught 8 simple rules:
To have a right understanding
To have right thoughts
To use right speech
To do right actions
To deal with right livelihood
To give a right effort
To have a right mindfulness
To use the right meditation
The 5 precepts
Do not take the life of anything living
Do not take anything not freely given
Abstain from sensual overindulgence
Refrain from untrue speech
Avoid intoxication
• Do not lose mindfulness
This is the moral code of the Buddhists
THE “ULTIMATE QUESTIONS”
Nature of the soul
Life after death
Origin of the universe
THESE ARE NOT ADDRESSED
Buddhism rejected the Hindu caste system.
Rather than focusing on priests, ritual and
deities, Buddhism encouraged each person to
seek self-enlightenment, thus a philosophy
instead of a religion.
Spread of Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Emerged between the 3rd Century B.C.E. &
1st Century C.E. – very popular
Reduced obligation on Buddhists
Gave Buddha divine status
Bodhisattvas delay entry to nirvana to help
others
Monasteries accepted gifts that merited
salvation.
Decline of Buddhism
Buddhism
eventually
declined in
India as it
took root in
other parts
of Asia.
Religions Founded in India