Download Buddhism, Jainism, & Hinduism

Buddhism, Jainism, & Hinduism
A Comparison
Buddhism: Beginnings
• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (563-483BCE)
– Princely lifestyle
– Family in Kshatriya caste
– Abandoned his family & privilege to become a wandering acsetic
(deprive self of all forms of indulgence)
– Later known as the Buddha (“Enlightened One”)
• After 6 years, decided on a Middle Path
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Self-deprivation not getting toward enlightenment
Proposed Four Noble Truths
Belief in Karma
Belief in cycle of rebirth to 3 fortunate realms & 3 unfortunate realms
• Followers took vows of celibacy, nonviolence, and poverty
• Spread throughout India, Central, Southeast, and East Asia after
Buddha’s death
Four Noble Truths
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4.
Life is suffering
Suffering arises from desire
Solution to suffering lies in curbing desire
Desire can be curbed if a person follows the Eightfold Path
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Right views
Aspirations
Speech
Conduct
Livelihood
Effort
Mindfulness
Meditation
Original Form of Buddhism
• Centered on the individual
• Denied usefulness of gods in finding
enlightenment
• Important to live in moderation to minimize
suffering
• Search for spiritual truth through self-discipline &
meditation
• Ultimate reward = nirvana
– Different from Vedic tradition that emphasized
eternal survival of the atman (soul)
– Individuals in Buddhism don’t have a soul-like
component that survives upon entering nirvana
Changes to Buddhism
• Success in spread of Buddhism subverted the
individualistic & atheistic tenets of Buddha
• Monasteries established
– Hierarchy of monks & nuns
• Worshipers erected stupas over relics of
Buddha
• Believers began to worship Buddha as a god
• Early images represented Buddha only
indirectly, but later (2nd century CE) statues
of Buddha and bodhisattvas (enlightened
individuals) began to proliferate
Split of Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism (Great Vehicle)
Embraced new features
Accessible to more people (not just ascetics & monks)
Primary form in North Asia & China, Japan, Tibet, & Mongolia
Aim to become boddhisatvas (enlightened, but delay nirvana to
help others)
– Includes venerations of celestial beings, Buddhas, ceremonies,
religious rituals, and use of sacred objects
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• Theravada Buddhism (Teachings of the Elders)
– Followed most original teachings of Buddha
– Dominant in southern Asia, esp. Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia, and Laos
– Strive to become arhats (saints that achieved enlightenment &
nirvana)
– More philosophical than religious
Jainism:Beginnings
• Founded by Mahavira (540-468BCE)
– Also known as Jina, the conquerer
– Began same time as Buddhism
• Emphasized holiness of life force animating in all
living creatures
• Practiced strict nonviolence
– Wore masks to prevent accidentally inhaling insects
– Brushed off seats before sitting down
• Extreme asceticism
– Ate only what was given to them by others
– Eventually starved to death
Jainism: Beliefs
• Goal to achieve moksha – release from the cycle of
rebirth
– Seen in Vedic religion
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Karma
Universe & everything in it is eternal
Universe has 3 realms: heavens, earthly realm, & hells
“Perfect universal presence” and multiple deities
Jiva – soul attached to a body
– Same size in an ant’s body as a human’s body
– 2 categories: immobile single-sensed & mobile multisensesd
Hinduism’s Evolution
• Roots in Vedic religious traditions
• Reacted to threats of Jainism & Buddhism in
the 4th century CE
• Consistencies
– Brahmin priests retained high social status
• Changes
– Sacrifice less central
– More opportunity for contact between gods &
individual worshippers
– Gods altered with formerly minor deities Vishnu
and Shiva gaining prominence
Hindu Deities
• Vishnu – the preserver
– Benevolent
– Helps in times of need
– Appears on earth in one of many incarnations when
demonic forces threaten cosmic order
• Rama
• Buddha
• Shiva – creation & destruction
• 330 Million gods according to one tradition
– Reflect ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of India
– All seen as manifestations of a single divine force of the
universe
Hindu Beliefs
• Variety of ways to approach god & obtain divine favor
– Special knowledge of sacred truths
– Mental & physical discipline
– Extraordinary devotion to the deity
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Worship in temples
Pilgrimage to famous shrines
Attendance at festivals
Ganges River sacred
Religious duty vary by social standing, gender, and stage of life
Meditation important
Reincarnation
Karma
Vedas – ancient sacred texts
Dharma – fulfilling one’s purpose
Moksha – enlightenment/liberation
Change & Continuity Over Time Essay
Describe the changes and continuities in the
prominence of different religions in Asia
and the Mediterranean from 600BCE to
600CE.
Describe the changes and continuities in the
prominence of different religions in Asia and the
Mediterranean from 600BCE to 600CE.
1. What is the question asking you to do?
1.
2.
What is the time period?
What area of the world am I analyzing?
2. Outline your essay
1.
2.
3.
4.
Baseline
Impact
Things that changed
Things that remained the same
3. Include these other things:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Relevant world historical context
Describe how events in one place relate to the BIG picture
(compare to other regions, global processes)
Discuss WHY things changed & how they were prior to the
change
Contrast the starting point and what remained the same
Describe the changes and continuities in the
prominence of different religions in Asia and the
Mediterranean from 600BCE to 600CE.
Initial Condition
Evidence
Turning Point 1
Turning Point 2
Evidence
Evidence
Justify how the change
relates to the region
or theme in your
thesis
Justify how the change
relates to the region
or theme in your
thesis
Relate the change to
changes occurring in
other regions / around
the world in the time
period
Relate the change to
changes occurring in
other regions / around
the world in the time
period
Ending Condition
Evidence
Continuities: what was something that did not change? How does this relate to the
region or theme in the thesis? How does this relate to other continuities around the
world in the time period?
Additional Resources
• Samples & scores explained:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/
members/repository/ap06_worldhistory_
q2.pdf