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Growth and Development of World Religions Growth and Development of World Religions Explain how world religions or belief systems grew and their significance. - Hinduism - Judaism Buddhism Christianity Islam Five of the world’s major faiths and ethical systems emerged establishing institutions, systems of thought, and cultural styles that would influence neighboring peoples and endure for centuries. Hinduism • Religion based on the belief that humans and animals reincarnate – Reincarnation: Come back to the Earth many times in different forms. Hindu Origins Hinduism underwent a change that transformed it into a popular religion of salvation Hinduism was initially very complex Changes in eventually resulted in a faith that addressed the needs of ordinary people Hindu Epics: The Mahabharata and the Ramayana • The great epic poems the Mahabharata and the Ramayana show how Hindusim developed its values • Both poems began as nonreligious stories told about the great epic age of classical Indian history (1500-500 BC) • The brahmins revised both and created a major roles for Hindu Gods Ramayana • These groupings of writings is called the Vedas: – Religious writings – songs of praise – Laws and rules • Hindu Beliefs • • The soul does not die with the body, but is reincarnated at death. The caste system demands certain responsibilities; the duty of shudras was to serve, of vaishyas to work, of brahmins to learn the scriptures, and of kshatriyas to govern and fight Individual have social responsibilities – failure to fulfill caste duties is in fact a sin, but if you follow these standards you are brought spiritual rewards • Caste System: Divides people into classes based on wealth • What you do in one life will affect what caste you are born into in another life. Hindu Ethics • As represented in the Bhagavad Gita, only by active participation in the world and the meeting of caste responsibilities was it possible to attain salvation – humans should not become emotionally involved in their actions, but should concentrate on the actions alone, with no thought of their consequences • This led to the emergence of four specific aims of human life Four Principal Aims of Life 1. Obedience to religious and moral laws (dharma) 2. The pursuit of economic well-being and honest prosperity (artha) 3. The enjoyment of life’s pleasures (karma) 4. The salvation of the soul (moksha/nirvana) A proper balance of the first three aims would help individuals attain moksha/nirvana Hindu Gods • Polytheistic: Believe in more than one God • What you do in this life affects the who you are in the next life, so live your life as the gods would want. Hindu Male Gods • Principal Hindu gods are Vishnu, Shiva and Devi • Vishnu evolved into a father-god who works continuously for the welfare of humanity • Shiva a powerful god who represents the cosmic force of change, and the reconciliation of the extremes and opposites of violence and other forces Vishnu perso.wanadoo.fr/revue Shiva www.asiasociety.org/arts Hindu Female Gods Lakshimi and Vishnu www.jorgebastosgarcia • The wives of Vishnu (Lakshimi) and Shiva (Parvati) are powerful goddesses, stemming from a worship of female gods as early as the Indus culture • Devi a supreme Goddess, both tender mother and ferocious warrior; wears a necklace of skulls and rides into battle on a lion She represents the creative power of the universe Dancing Devi www.joelcooner.com/Asian Growth in the Popularity of Hinduism • Hinduism gradually replaced Buddhism as the most prominent religion in India. • Hinduism attracted popular support from the wealthy • Guptan emperors and their supported Hinduism • In India today Hinduism (and even the more recent faith of Islam) have completely eclipsed Buddhism • Most Indian Hindus today are devout followers of either Vishnu or Shiva, although there are thousands of Hindu gods, and animals like the cow are also considered as sacred • Hinduism possesses no Bible or Koran; nor does it have a single personal founder like Mahavira or Buddha • There is no precise body of doctrine – people are Hindu basically if they observe the rules of their caste Hinduism Today • Most Hindis live in India and Southeast Asia today • Ganges River: Sacred place – Scatter human and animal ashes