Download Four S Asia Religions

The Religions of South Asia
BELIEFS, TRADITIONS, AND TEACHINGS OF THE
WORLD’S OLDEST PRACTICING RELIGIONS
Caste System
Introduced into India with the Aryans, who came to India from south
Europe
Social classes also called varnas which are divided into sub groups:
jati
You could not change your caste during your life-you were born,
married and died within your social class
Members were expected to fulfill their dharma (duty)
Caste System
Brahmans
Kshatriyas
• Priests, teachers, and judges
• Warriors and landowners
Vaisyas
Aka-Dalits
Sudras
Untouchables or Outcasts
• Farmers, Traders and
Merchants
• Craftworkers and
Laborers, Peasants
• Street sweepers,
garbage collectors,
and hide tanners
Using Popular Culture to Understand
Judge Judy
Brahman
Kshatriya: Landowner
 Johnny Depp
owns an island
in the Bahamas
Vaisyas: Merchants
 Billy Mays used
to sell Oxy-Clean
(RIP)
Sudra
 Will Ferrell as
Ricky Bobby in
“Talladega Nights”
Untouchables
 Mike Rowe, “Dirty
Jobs”
Hinduism in India
80% of Indians are Hindus
Where did it come from?
Hinduism • traveled to the Indus
River valley over 4000
came
years ago.
from the
were semipractices • Aryans
nomadic herders who
of the
came from central
Aryans
Europe/Russia
** Oldest World Religion
Practiced Today, around 900
million followers**
Basic Hindu Practices
 One is born a Hindu-you
cannot convert easily
Religious Tolerance
- Extremely tolerant of
other religions.
Death
 Cremation occurs
followed by 12
days of prayer
 The deceased’s
ashes are put into
the Ganges River
Ahimsa
 Belief in nonviolence
 Forbids killing, even
for food
 Sacred Sound
“Om”
Hindu Practices
Cows are sacred, but
NOT worshipped!
Hands
 Fingers of the
right hand are
used to eat
 Left hand is
considered
unclean
Many Hindus are
Vegetarians
Hindu Beliefs
Samsara or
Reincarnation
Karma
Good and bad deeds
My Name is Earl-NBC
Ultimate Goal: Moksha
Gain salvation when your
soul merges with god
** written in Sanskrit **
Holy Books
The Vedas
Epic Poems
Collection of hymns, prayers and rules
for rituals and sacrifices
Mahabharata-longest literary epic poem
in the world
Many believe they came with the
Aryans
Struggle between 2 ruling families for the
throne of Hastinapura
The Rig Veda is the oldest dating back
to 1500 BCE
Ramayana-the story of Rama and the
struggle between good and evil
The Upanishads
Stories about the relationship between
Brahman and the individual soul
Brahman is the Supreme Cosmic Spirit
Monotheism vs. Polytheism
Hindus believe that one
God, Braman, takes many
forms—it is monotheistic
AND polytheistic in nature.
The Hindu Trinity: 3 Main ‘Gods’
Brahma
• The Creator
• Has 4 heads
• Rides a swan or lotus
blossom
• Has 4 hands-1 is always
raised in a blessing
The Hindu Trinity: 3 Main ‘Gods’
Vishnu
• The Preserver
• Rides an eagle or
sleeps on a snake
The Hindu Trinity: 3 Main ‘Gods’
Shiva
• The Destroyer
• Carries a trident
• Has a 3rd eye of
knowledge
• Rides a bull
• Also laid the
Ganges River!
Sadhus/Holy Men
Each temple has a priest who recites sacred texts
Marks on their foreheads tell which god they follow
They wear yellow or orange robes
They can be seen often begging for money
Buddhism
A way of life
Buddhism: The “middle way of wisdom &
compassion”
 A 2500 year old tradition that began in Nepal and spread
and diversified throughout the Far East
 A philosophy, religion, and spiritual practice followed by more
than 360 million people
 Based on the teachings of the Buddha
“The Jewels of Buddhism”
The Teacher
• Buddha
The Teachings
• Dharma (natural law)
• Wheel symbolizes how
the Buddha “turned the
wheel of dharma”
Who is the Buddha?
(A Brief Background—do not write all of this down!)
 Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble caste in India, 563





B.C.E.
Raised in great luxury to be a king
Empathy for the suffering of others; at age 29 rejected
the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to
suffering
Followed a strict ascetic lifestyle for six years
Rejected this extreme, sat in meditation, achieved Nirvana
– an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a
Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35
Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others
how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved
What did the Buddha teach?
The Four Noble Truths:
 To live is to suffer (suffering = inevitable)
 The cause of suffering is self-centered desire &
attachments
 The solution is to eliminate desire and
attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”)
 The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold
Path”
How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?
Buddhism rejects…
 Authority of the ancient Vedic texts
 The Vedic caste system
 The Vedic and Hindu deities
 The efficacy of Vedic worship and ritual
 The concept of Brahman
What do Buddhists believe?
 Rebirth (reincarnation) results from attachments (karma)

Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of mind (THE MAIN
GOAL OF BUDDHISM)
 Achieving Nirvana means escape from the cycle of rebirth
Once Gautama Buddha died, after 80 years of life in this
world, having achieved Nirvana and teaching multitudes his
way of life, he ceased to exist as a distinct being
 Buddhism is non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God –
he is just a revered teacher
Jainism
The Basics
 At least 2500+ years old, began in India
 4.5-7.5 million followers
 Seeks to release the soul from the round of rebirth, to
liberate spirit from matter
 Ahimsa – non-violence – is the hallmark of this spiritual
discipline
 No creator god
The History
 Began in India with 24 teachers, called
“Tirthankaras”
 One of the world’s oldest religions—2,500 years??
 Last teacher: Mahavira

Reformed ancient Jainism in his lifetime (599-527 BCE)
 The goal of Jainism is to become a conqueror
(Jina), or an enlightened being who has conquered
material existence & released the soul from
reincarnation/rebirth
Beliefs
 ALL living things contain soul & are considered
JIVA (soul trapped in matter)

humans, plants, animals, water, fire, air beings
 Belief in KARMA  Moksha (no rebirth!)
 How to achieve moksha
 Non-violence (ahimsa) to any & all life forms
 Non-attachment
 Non-hatred
 Asceticism
 Many gods & humans (gods as self-realized
humans??)
They also take Five Vows!
 Strict non-violence (ahimsa!)
 Truthfulness
 No stealing
 Chastity & Celibacy
 Ascetic Lifestyle (living in poverty—no worldly
goods!)
Sikhism
“ Ek O nkar ” : “ Ther e is only one G od”
The Ten
Gurus/teachers
of Sikhism
What is it?
 500-year-old, monotheistic religion found in NW India

**One of the world’s YOUNGEST religions!**
 ~25 million followers
 Founded by Guru Nanak Dev around 1500AD



Nanak: unifying message  uniting Hindu & Muslim in common devotion
to same God
Spirit of the Guru (Nanak) lived on for 200 years through a succession
of human gurus (teachers), who wrote Book of God
Last HUMAN guru established the text, known as “Guru Granth
Sahib” as the final and “forever” Guru
Beliefs
 Belief in ONE God, shared by all religions
 Name is “Truth!”
 Equality in all human beings; rejects caste system
 Karma & reincarnation
 Rejects asceticism
 No rituals, idols, or icons—simple, heartfelt devotion
to God
Practices: The Five “K’s”
 Do not cut hair (men & women) [Kesh]


Men wear turbans to cover hair (Keshki)
Men have beard & mustache that are only trimmed
 Keep a comb to keep the hair clean & presentable (Kanga)
 Steel bracelet worn on right wrist (Kara)
 Wear white: Chastity until marriage, purity (Kachh/Kachera)
 Carry dagger as symbol to protect weak (Kirpan)
Way of Life
 Meditation & personal prayer morning and evening
 Honest & hard work
 Charity
 Service to humanity, God & guru
 Strong family values
 Strong identity with Sikh community
 Some abstain from smoking, drinking & illegal drugs
Prohibited Behavior
 Cannot drink, smoke
 No superstitions & rituals (fasting, pilgrimage, etc.)
 Do NOT get attached to worldly items
 No sacrifice of animals or people
 Cannot live as a reculse, beggar, be a nun (“non-family
oriented living” is prohibited)
 Cannot brag, lie, gossip
 No hierarchy of people—EVERYONE IS
EQUAL!!