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The World’s Oldest Religion
Hinduism
Symbol – The Sacred Om
Used often in their prayers
Consists of three sounds (ah-oo-m)
These sounds represent the earth, air
and heaven. They refer to the three main
gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Finally the
sounds represent the collections of the
Vedas.
Hindu Fast Facts
date founded
Earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier
place founded
India
founder
none
adherents
900 million
size rank
third largest in the world
main location
India, also United Kingdom and United States
spiritual leader
guru or sage
place of worship
temple or home shrine
human nature
in bondage to ignorance and illusion, but able to escape
purpose of life
to attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of reincarnation
how to live
order life according to the dharma
afterlife
if karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body (reincarnation); if karma resolved, attain moksa
(liberation)
Aum, or Om
Seen as the
sound of the
universe
Brahman: Brahman is the all-powerful spiritual force of Hinduism.
Hindus believe that Brahman is too complex for people to
understand and so it is divided into the many different gods and
goddesses of Hinduism to simplify it.
Because of this Hinduism is often seen as Polytheistic, but some
argue that it is not because all of the gods are part of the one
universal god.
Atman: The individual soul of a human being.
Brahman: The world soul that contains and united all Atmans.
• Leadership – Guru, Holy Man, Brahmin priest
• Sacred texts
– Vedas – oldest of Hindu scriptures
• Older than the sacred writings of any other major religion
• Contain prayers and hymns
• 3 Main Beliefs
– The soul never dies, but is continually reborn (reincarnation)
– Persons achieve happiness and enlightenment after they
free themselves from their earthly desires
– Freedom from earthly desires comes from a lifetime of
worship, knowledge, and virtuous acts
• It spread by tradition (oral and written)
• Never spreads out of India – evangelically – no attempts at conversion
• Rituals
- Ganges River – considered a sacred site, most Hindus make a pilgrimage
to the Ganges to bathe and drink the water. They believe that it will cleanse
and purify them. The sick and disabled believe that it will cure them.
• Death – cremation and ashes thrown into the Ganges. Assures them an
entry into paradise.
Three main Gods:
Brahma – the Creator
From the standpoint of an individual,
Brahma symbolizes one's own mind
and intellect. Since an individual is
naturally gifted with the mind and
intellect, he or she may be said to
have already realized Brahma. For
this reason the worship of Brahma is
not very popular among all Hindus.
He is, however, worshipped by
seekers of knowledge, such as
students, teachers, scholars and
scientists.
Shiva – The Destroyer
Shiva is one of the three main forms of
Brahman, the Supreme Spirit or Power of
the universe. In this role Shiva represents
the power of destruction. But as the old
has to be destroyed to give rise to the new,
he is also seen by his followers as the lord
of creation. The greatest of the Hindu
deities. Shiva has over 100 names.
Shiva is the destroyer of our illusion and
ignorance that stands in the way of our
perfect union and enlightenment.
Vishnu – The Protector
It is believed that Vishnu pervades the
universe by descending to earth in different
forms when the forces of evil threaten to
overcome the forces of good.
Moksha: The ultimate goal of Hinduism. To achieve Shanti, or
ultimate peace. To be released from the cycle of death and rebirth.
Karma
All of the actions in this life that affect
your next life.
Has nothing to do with revenge or retribution
Moksha
Dharma
Union with Brahman
Your Duty - The rules you
must follow to earn good
Karma.
Release from Samsara
Samsara
Being stuck in the cycle of
death and rebirth.
Suffering
Hindu Worship
• Majority of the worship is done at home. Usually an area
of the home has a shrine (puja) dedicated to an
important god or goddess.
• The image itself is not worshipped – Believe that the
gods themselves inhabit the images
The Caste System
The Caste System is a system of social division in India.
There is some debate as to its origins, but it is made up of four main
castes and several sub-castes. You are born into a caste and may not
change your caste within your lifetime.
Brahmins
The top caste, the priests. They are
the closest to Brahman
Kshatryias
Second Caste, the
warriors and princes
Vaishya
Merchants, artisans and landowners
(Skilled workers)
Shudra
The workers, the lowest caste.
(unskilled workers)
Under the Indian Constitution
(1951) caste discrimination and
the practice of untouchability
were made a criminal offense. It
is still in practice in India today.
Each caste has its own Dharma, or duty. You must obey the Dharma of
your caste to earn good Karma and be able to be reincarnated at a higher
caste in the next life.
Cow-Related Practices
The cow remains a protected animal in Hinduism
today, and Hindus do not eat beef. Most rural Indian
families have at least one dairy cow, a gentle spirit
who is often treated as a member of the family.
The five products of the cow — milk, curds, ghee
butter, urine and dung — are all used in worship as
well as in rites of extreme penance. The milk of the
family cow nourishes children as they grow up, and
cow dung is a major source of energy for households
throughout India. Cow dung is sometimes among the
materials used for a tilak - a ritual mark on the
forehead. Most Indians do not share the western
revulsion at cow excrement, but instead consider it
an earthy and useful natural product.
Despite their sacred status, cows don't seem very
appreciated in India. Visitors are often surprised to
see them walking neglected around city streets,
living on garbage from the gutters. But the cow is
honored at least once a year, on Gopastami. On this
"Cow Holiday," cows are washed and decorated in
the temple and given offerings in the hope that their
gifts of life will continue.
Suttee (Sati)
1826
1951
Indian practice whereby a widow burns herself to death either on the funeral pyre of her
husband or soon after his death. The custom may be rooted in ancient beliefs that a
husband needed his companions in the afterlife, though opponents point to it as an
indication of a value system deeply hostile to women. Developed by the 4th century BC, it
became widespread in the 17th – 18th centuries but was banned in British India in 1829.
Frequent instances of suttee continued to occur for many years thereafter, and occasional
instances in remote areas are still reported today.
Dominant religion of Asia
Siddhartha Gautama
The Buddha, began his life as a prince in India.
Birth: Was born into the wealthy warrior caste.
It is believed that before his birth his mother had a dream of an elephant
piercing her side with its tusk. This was interpreted to mean that he would be a
great leader or a wandering holy man.
Childhood
His mother died shortly after his birth. His father lavished him with wealth so he
would never want to leave the palace. He was completely sheltered from the
outside world.
Buddhism Fast Facts
Meaning of name "Buddhism":
System taught by the Buddha
Date founded:
c. 520 BCE
Place founded:
Northeastern India
Founder:
Siddhartha Gautama ("the Buddha"), an Indian prince
Adherents:
360 million
Size rank:
Fourth largest world religion
Main locations:
China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia
Major divisions:
Theravada, Mahayana
Sacred texts:
Pali Canon
Original language:
Pali
Spiritual leader:
Monk (lama in Tibetan Buddhism)
Place of ritual:
Temple, meditation hall
Theism:
Varies: Theravada is atheistic; Mahayana is more polytheistic.
Ultimate reality:
None. Nothing is permanent.
Human nature:
There is no self or soul
Purpose of life:
Theravada - escape the cycle of rebirth, and attain nirvana. Mahayana - Become a boddhisatva then help others attain enlightenment.
Afterlife:
Rebirth or nirvana. Nirvana is seen simply as the cessation of suffering by some and as a heavenly paradise by others
The Three Visions
Siddhartha grew up never knowing much about the outside world.
He married young and had a son.
When he was in his 20’s he went outside the palace and experienced three
visions which changed his life.
1. He saw someone in advanced old age.
2. He saw a very sick person.
3. He saw a dead body.
Siddhartha had never before been aware of human suffering.
He felt his life was a lie and abandoned it to become an ascetic, or wandering
holy man in an attempt to find a way to end human suffering.
Seeking Truth
Siddhartha tried many different ways of achieving
enlightenment.
He tried meditation, fasting, physical discomfort, but
none along worked for him.
He almost starved himself to death at one point.
After that he knew he needed to try something different.
Enlightenment
Siddhartha decided that he would meditate until he discovered the way to end human
suffering.
Bodhi Tree: He sat under a Bodhi tree and said that he would not get up until he had
achieved enlightenment.
He meditated for 40 days amidst temptation, and at the end said that he was “awake,”
he had achieved, Nirvana, or Enlightenment. This is when he became the Buddha, or
“Enlightened One.”
Teachings of the Buddha
The Buddha gave his first sermon in the
deer park where he taught the four main
ideas of his teachings.
Four Noble Truths
1. All life is full of suffering
2. We suffer because we desire things that are
illusions. We want material possessions.
3. The way to not suffer is to overcome our desire
4. To do that one must follow the Eightfold path, or
Middle Way
The Eightfold Path (The Middle Way)
1. Right view
One must understand the four noble truths.
2. Right intention
Know what you really want
3. Right speech
Speak truth and speak well of others.
4. Right action
Do not kill, steal, lie, be unchaste, or take drugs or alcohol.
5. Right livelihood
Don’t do a job that harms others.
6. Right effort
Do your best, always
7. Right mindfulness
Keep control of yourself and your urges.
8. Right concentration
One must meditate to understand the world.
Core beliefs of Buddhism
Buddhism, like most of the great religions of the world, is divided
into a number of different traditions. However, most traditions
share a common set of fundamental beliefs.
One fundamental belief of Buddhism is often referred to as
reincarnation -- the concept that people are reborn after dying. In
fact, most individuals go through many cycles of birth, living, death
and rebirth. A practicing Buddhist differentiates between the
concepts of rebirth and reincarnation. In reincarnation, the
individual may recur repeatedly. In rebirth, a person does not
necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever again. He
compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering leaf
falls off, a new leaf will eventually replace it. It is similar to the old
leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf.
After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to
desire and the self, they can attain Nirvana. This is a state of
liberation and freedom from suffering.
Spread of Buddhism
Convents and Monasteries: The Buddha had many followers, both men and
women. He did not discriminate based on gender.
Death of the Buddha: He died of food poisoning at the home of a friend.
Scriptures: His teachings were collected in the Tripitika, or Three Baskets of
Wisdom.
Teachings
Caste System: The Buddha rejected the caste system. He said all people were
capable of achieving enlightenment in one lifetime. Although not everyone did, so
Buddhism does believe in reincarnation.
Ahinsa: Taught non-violence, same as Hinduism
Meditation: Taught that one should meditate. Yoga and Martial arts are seen as a
form of meditation.