Hinduism & Buddhism

Hearth – Likely in either the Central Asian plains or Northern India Core – Modern day India Population – At least 900 million…may be closer to 1 billion, 3 rd largest religion in the world Distinctions – Oldest religion in the world Holy Texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata & Puranas

Incredible variety of traditions with multiple origins Relocation, Contagious, Hierarchical* diffusion are responsible for the spread of this faith tradition

Monotheism-One supreme God, pantheistic principle of Brahman that all reality is unity. Trinitarianism-Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad (one God three persons) Henothism- (most common) Recognize a single deity and other gods and goddesses as facets, forms, manifestations, etc. of the supreme God.

Brahma ShivaVishnu Brahma = Creator Vishnu = Preserver Shiva = Destroyer

Transmigration of the soul…reincarnation Samsara-continuing cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth. Karma-accumulated sum of ones good and bad deeds

Pravritti-for those who are in the world Dharma- duty, righteousness in religious life Artha- success in economic life Kama- gratification of the senses Nivritti- for those who renounce the world Moksa-Liberation from Samsara and unification with Brahman

“The truth is One, but different sages call it by Different Names.”

Brahmins Priests and Teachers Kshatriyas Warriors and Kings Vaisyas Merchants and Farmers Shudras Laborers Untouchables Laborers

Wake up in the morning Pay respects to sun (Surya Namaskaaram) Take shower, way of purifying oneself Pray to god in home alter (Puja) Light lamp, use incense sticks, camphor for harathi, see the love of god through statues and paintings Read prayers have offerings (vegetarian, fruits or something you offer daily, no meat/eggs) You treat god as you would treat yourself In temples, they have a bathing and marriage ceremonies of the god Eat Food

Younger Age- You learn the vedas and traditions of your family Middle Age- You preserve the materialistic world; you get married, have kids, have job, provide for family Old Age- provide more and more of your time to doing charity work and serving god

Sankranti – January, Harvest Festival People pay respects to the cow because the cow is used for plowing the fields, cow dung for fertilizer, etc. Dasara – in fall Celebration of good conquering evil Diwali – October, festival of lights Rama killing Ravana or Lakshmi for prosperty Holi – Spring, Festival of colors/love Miraculous escape of one of Vishnu’s devotees

Temples and shrines Worship in temples is not required, people can worship at home with shrines.

All temples have a circular spire as a reminder that the sky is the real dwelling place for god, who temporarily resides in the temple. Temples are built to house shrines for particular gods rather than congregational worships, for example- in Cambodia the Angkor Wat temple is dedicated to God Vishnu. Temples look can change depending where they are located.

Cremation People who are being cremated are washed in water drawn from Ganges river. the body is then carried to the cremation ground as prayers are chanted to Yama (God). A burial is reserved for children and people with certain diseases.

Hearth : Nepal (origination approximately 567 BCE) Core : South East Asia Population: 376 million, with a growth rate of 7.8% mostly based on conversions Tripitaka – collection of the Buddha’s teachings and oral traditions of the faith (compiled by monks about 250 years after the Buddha’s death)

Types of diffusion Expansion: Across the Magadhan Empire Hierarchical Diffusion: From Magadhan Empire to Ceylon, Kahmir, Himalayas, and Burma Contagious: From China to Korea to Japan Changes in where Buddhism is found Communism abolished Buddhism in Mongolia, North Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia. Routes of diffusion Along trade routes from India to China, from China to Korea, from Korea to Japan.

Literally means “the enlightened one” Siddhartha Gautama (Lumbini, Nepal) Origination on the religion is generally based upon his birth (approximately 567 BCE) Born into Kshatriya caste Attained enlightenment at age 35 (approximately 535 BCE) Tripitaka – collection of the Buddha’s teachings and oral traditions of the faith (compiled by monks about 250 years after his death)

Buddha- Siddhartha Gautama: born - sixth century B.C. in Nepal. Buddha means “the enlightened one” Born into the Kshatriya caste One day ventured out into the world and realized the reality of inevitable suffering. One night Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree, and meditated until dawn. He purified his mind of all defilements and attained enlightenment when he was 35, thus earning his the title of the Buddha or “Enlightened One.” For the remainder of the Buddha’s life, he preached the Dharma in an effort to help others reach enlightenment.

1. There is Suffering - Suffering is common to all. 2. Cause of Suffering - We are the cause of our suffering. 3. End of Suffering - Stop doing what causes the suffering. 4. Path to End Suffering - Everyone can be enlightened. The path to the end of suffering is called the Noble Eightfold Path, or THE MIDDLE WAY

1st - Right Views: You must accept the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. 2nd - Right Resolve: You must renounce the pleasures of the senses; you must harbor no ill will toward anyone and harm no living creature. 3rd - Right speech: Do not lie; do not slander or abuse anyone. Do not indulge in idle talk. 4th - Right Behavior: Do not destroy any living creature; take only what is given to you: do not commit any unlawful sexual act.

5th - Right Occupation: You must earn your livelihood in a way that will harm no one. 6th - Right effort: You must resolve and strive heroically to prevent any evil qualities from arising in you and to abandon any evil qualities that you may possess. Strive to acquire good qualities and encourage those you do possess to grow, increase, and be perfected. 7th - Right Contemplation: Be observant, strenuous, alert, contemplative, and free of desire and of sorrow. 8th - Right Meditation: When you have abandoned all sensuous pleasures, all evil qualities, both joy and sorrow, you must then enter the four degrees of meditation, which are produced by concentration.

 Theravada Buddhism - focuses on the teachings of the Buddha rather than on the Buddha himself. Adherents of Theravada practice the Noble Eightfold Path, which emphasizes meditation. Arhats are the ideal type in Theravada, whom all strive to imitate.  Mahayana Buddhism - focuses on the Buddha himself, celebrating him as a divine savior. Salvation comes through the infinite grace of the compassionate Buddha.  Vajrayana Buddhism - “fights fire with fire.” It harness the energy of desire and turns it against itself to propel the individual towards enlightenment. Tibetans practice this.

Dharma Day- marks the beginning of Buddha’s teaching. Sangha Day- the festival that celebrates the spiritual community. Parinirvana Day- Mahayana Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha. Wesak- the most important of the Buddhist festivals Within this spiritual New Year, all energies within one's being are able to become love and recognize the true nature of self. That one is Divine. Wesak Festival

Large Temples where worship takes place not all Buddhist visit a temple regularly many place alters in their homes Statues of different Buddhas. represent different vales or serve different purposes: protection, love & wisdom

1-Lumbini is the location where he was born. 2-Bodh Gaya was the site where his enlightenment occurred. 3-Sarnath the place where his first sermon took place. 4-Kushinara is where Buddah passed away Bodh Gaya Lumbini Sarnath Kushinara

In Buddhist practice, the deceased is cremated. In the Buddhist view, all things must pass. As practiced in many Buddhist countries, a real Buddhist funeral is a simple, solemn and dignified ceremony. Buddhists do not believe that one day someone will come and awaken the departed persons spirits from their graveyards or the ashes from their urns and decide who should go to heaven and who should go to hell. Buddhists believe that when a person dies, rebirth will take place somewhere else according to his good or bad actions.