Download South Asia religions

Compare and contrast the prominent
South Asia Religions
religions in Southern Asia.
Religions in India
Religious patterns
Hinduism
Hindus
82.4%
Muslims
12.0%
Christians 2.3%
Sikhs
2.0%
Buddhists
0.7%
Jains
0.5%
Other Religions 0.6
 Cultural origins near
the Indus River Valley
Hinduism is predominant in India
 Brought by the Aryans
from Russia & Central
Asia
Islam is predominant in Pakistan and
Bangladesh
 Diffused south and
east down the Ganges
Sikhism thrives in northern India
 Absorbed beliefs from
other religions
Buddhism is predominant in Sri Lanka
Hinduism
HINDUISM is one of
 No single founder
the world's oldest
religions
Over 2/3's of the
world's Hindus live in
India; large numbers
reside in Africa also
National religion of
India
 No single doctrine
 Believe in one
spirit with many
gods and goddesses
(polytheistic)
 Vedas is sacred
text
Hinduism is the third largest religion
in the world with over 700 million
followers
Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism are
outgrowths of Hinduism
Each family or individual determines
the deity (god) or deities (gods)
he/she will worship
Hindus believe in many gods,
numbering into the thousands.
They recognize one supreme spirit
called Brahman ("the Absolute.")
The goal of Hindus is to someday join
with Brahman.
Until that union takes place,
believers are in a continuous process
of rebirth called "reincarnation."
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Reincarnation
Belief that every living thing has a
soul. When a living thing dies, its soul
moves into another living creature.
Souls are reborn in a newly created
life.
At death, the Hindu's deeds (karma)
determine what the next life will be.
Brahma- creator
of the universe
Karma
 Right conduct, deeds
 Good behavior is
rewarded - reborn in
higher caste.
Vishnu - the
preserver
Dharma
 Moral and religious
 Every person’s
dharma is different.
Daily duties
Worshipping God
Reciting scripture
Honoring parents and elders
Place of Worship
 Followers work to break this cycle of
birth, death, and gain release.
This release is called moksha -
“never to be born again”.
The soul becomes one with Brahman.
punished - reborn in
lower caste.
Feeding animals
Ganesh the god of Wisdom
duty.
 Bad behavior is
Helping the poor
Shiva the Destroyer
India’s Caste System
 Hindus worship in a
temple called a
mandir, which
means “dwelling”
 Contains shrines of
different dieties
Came from legend: When Brahma
created humans, his mouth became
the priests, his arms - warriors &
rulers, his legs the merchants, and
his feet the unskilled workers.
Basic precept:
All men are created unequal
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Outcastes were people who didn’t
belong to any caste. They did work
that no one else would do
The Caste System discriminates
against the poor people
You had to marry someone within
your caste
Hard to move up into a higher
caste
 Originated in India
but spread to East
& Southeast Asia
Buddhism
 Founded by
Buddhism
Siddhartha
Gautama in India
around 500 B.C.
 He objected to
strict caste system
of Hinduism.
 He believed all
people or animals - non-violence
called “ahimsa”
 Does not center
 Second fastest growing religion
around the worship
of any gods
(Enlightened One) because he
understood the roots of suffering
If people followed Buddha’s path,
their suffering would end
They would then find “nirvana” or
lasting peace
Buddha wanted to find the
 Goal is not to hurt or kill
meditation &
understanding of
the truth
Gautama was called the Buddha
people were
created equal.
causes of human suffering
 Centers around
The “Enlightened One”
in world
Buddhism
Believe in reincarnation
Believe in dharma & karma
One must reach “nirvana” (inner
peace) to be free from cycle of
reincarnation
Diffusion of Buddhism
Four Noble Truths
Sorrow & suffering are part of all life
People suffer b/c they desire things
they can’t have
The way to escape suffering is to stop
wanting things
End desire is to follow the middle
way or Eightfold Path
5 Precepts to the Eightfold Path:
Do not kill
Do not steal
Do not lie
Eightfold Path to the
Middle Way
 Right understanding
 Right purpose
 Right speech
 Right conduct
Do not commit adultery
 Right means of earning
Do not consume alcohol or take drugs
 Right effort
a living
 Right awareness
 Right meditation
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Religious contrasts
Hinduism
Religious contrasts
Buddhism
Hinduism
 Men are not equal
 Men are created equal
 Absorbed from
 Absorbed from
other religions
Islam
God - Allah
(monotheistic)
Hinduism
 No single founder
 Founded by Gautama
 Still in India today
 Spread to East/SE Asia
 Has many dieties
 Buddha is primary
 Reach Moksha for
 Reach Nirvana for
inner peace
Worship of one
Buddhism
focus
inner peace
Religious comparisons
Hinduism
Buddhism
 Meditation
 Reincarnation
 Non-violence
 Vegetarian
 Strict moral codes
 Originated in India
 Worship in temples
 Shrines in homes
 Not concerned with
wealth or material
possessions
Founded by the prophet Muhammad
Daily Rituals
in the 600s A. D.
 Muslims pray five times daily in their
It has about 850 million followers,
Muslim traders
most of them middle east and
southeast Asia
brought religion to
India
Fastest growing
People who believe these ideas are
called Muslims.
religion in world
mosques (churches).
 While praying, they face the holy city of
Mecca (in Saudi-Arabia) and sometimes
kneel with faces to the ground.
 All Muslims are required to make a
pilgrimage (trip to a sacred place) to Mecca
at least once in their lifetime.
Muhammad
Five Pillars of Islam
Religious contrasts
Hinduism
 There is one God and Muhammad is his
 Polytheistic
 Prayer five times daily, facing Mecca.
 Vedas - sacred text
 The giving of alms(charity) to the poor.
 Absorbed from
messenger.
 Fasting during Ramadan for purification
and submission.
 If body and income allow, a Muslim must
make a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in his
lifetime.
 Many idols
other religions
 Vegetarians
 Venerate cows
 Cremate dead
 Caste system
Islam
 Monotheistic
 No idols
 Koran - sacred text
 Intolerant of other
religions
 Eat beef
 Sacrifice cows
 Bury dead
 Social equality
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