Download Hinduism

Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism...the beginning




The Aryans believed in
many gods and
goddesses.
Their priest is called
Brahma.
They wrote down their
ancient hymns and
epics in Sanskrit.
Over the years the
Aryan religion evolved
into the Hindu religion.





It is one of the world’s
oldest religions.
Today it is the third
largest religion in the
world.
Reincarnation
Goal is to become one
with Brahman
All life is sacred



Hindus tend to think of all
of the gods and
goddesses that they
worship as different parts
of one universal spirit—
called Brahman.
The search for this
universal spirit is
described in the ancient
religious writings known
as the Upanishads.
This is the belief that
every living being wants
to be reunited with
Brahman and that this
happens when a person
dies.
Salty Water

An easy way to
understand this—a soul
becomes one with
Brahman is like a lump
of salt thrown into the
water. The lump of salt
is gone, but the water
tastes salty. The salt
has become part of the
water.
Four main ideas of Hinduism




Karma
Reincarnation
Dharma
Caste System
Karma


Karma—the
consequences of how
a person lives their
lives. It means that if
you do your duty and
live a good life, you
will have good karma.
This will bring you
closed to Brahman.
It may take you many
life cycles to get to
Brahman.
Reincarnation and Dharma



Reincarnation—the idea of passing
through many lives to reach the Brahman.
A person lives their life and may be born into
a higher level because of their karma.
Dharma is the divine law. It requires that
people perform their jati. This how they earn
the reward of a better life in their next life,
they must perform their duty.
Caste System





Dividing society into smaller
groups
Each caste has its duties
The caste system was
similar to India’s social class
system, except that one
could not break out of one’s
caste.
Really only works in small
villages
Closely linked to the Hindu
religion
Siddhartha Gautama





Buddhism was founded
by Siddhartha Gautama.
He was a prince, born
around 563 B.C.
He was wealthy, handsome,
happily married and with a
son…he seemed to have it
all!
He traveled one day beyond
the walls and realized that
people were ill, poor, and
homeless.
This was the first time that
he was aware of suffering.



He left his family and his riches to search for
the answer to a great riddle— “Why did
people suffer and how could their suffering be
cured?”
He meditated under a great tree for 49 days
and finally he understood.
He then spent the rest of his life telling people
of his discoveries.
The origins of Buddhism



Because of the caste
system, which was
crushing to those in the
lower class many came
to question the Hindu
ideas.
Buddhism became
popular because of its
rejection of the caste
system.
With Buddhism there
was no caste system!
Buddhism—What is it?



Siddhartha/Buddha believed that the only
way to find truth about the world was to give
up all desires. By doing this, pain and
sorrow would vanish.
If a person gave up all desires, he or she
would reach nirvana—a state of wisdom.
Nirvana came from the Sanskrit word for
blowing out a candle flame.
The Four Noble Truths

The core of Buddha’s teaching is called the
Four Noble Truths.




1. Life is full of suffering
2. People suffer because they desire worldly
things and self-satisfaction.
3. The way to end suffering is to stop desiring
things.
4. The only way to stop desiring things is to follow
the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path describes the steps to
eliminate suffering.




1. Know and understand the Four Noble Truths.
2. Give up worldly things and don’t harm others.
3. Tell the truth, don’t gossip, and don’t hang
speak badly of others.
4. Don’t commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or
living an unclean life.




5. Do rewarding work.
6. Work for good and oppose evil.
7. Make sure your mind keeps your senses under
control.
8. Practice meditation as a way of understanding
reality.
A special kind of Buddhism developed



•
For years people followed traditional Buddhist practices, but then
people began to disagree…Buddhism split into two different
groups.
Theravada which means teachings of the elders and Mahayana
which teaches that Buddha is a god who came to save people.
Tibet is a country in central Asia where Mahayana Buddhism
mixed with traditional Tibetan religion and Hinduism to create a
special kind of Mahayana Buddhism.
A type of government, in which government is run by religious
leaders is known as theocracy.
•
In Tibet, religious leaders, called lamas, headed the government.
•
The Dalai Lama was the government leader, and the Panchen
Lama was the religious leader.
Check for understanding






What is one of the world’s oldest and largest
(3rd) religions?
Hinduism
What is karma?
The consequences of how a person lives
their lives.
What is reincarnation?
The idea of passing through many lives to
reach the Brahman



Who was the founder of Buddhism?
Siddhartha Gautama
Why did many people accept Buddhism?
There was no caste