Warm Up Have you ever heard any of the following phrases? What goes around comes around… You reap what you sow… What do these phrases mean? What Hindu belief is the basis of these sayings and their meanings?

Hinduism The combination Aryan and the Dravidian culture produced the religion known today as Hinduism. This religion is monotheistic, but also polytheistic at the same time. Hinduism differs from other religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in that there is no one single founder or one set of beliefs that must be followed.

Hinduism (cont’d) There are thousands of Hindu gods and goddesses, but all come from Brahma. Most of the beliefs of Hinduism came from the oral traditions of the Aryans which became the Vedas — or the sacred text — of the Hindus.

Basics of Hinduism Foundation No founder  Ancient way of life that developed into a religion India Circa 2000 B.C. (B.C.E.) Beliefs Monotheistic, but also polytheistic at the same time. Many forms of one god  Brahma Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the maintainer, and Shiva, the destroyer. Sacred Texts or Scriptures The Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad­ Gita Traditions and Customs Spread throughout all of India Caste System Dharma  a person’s observation of customs and laws Karma  a person’s actions deciding the fate of their future lives Samsara (Reincarnation)  after death, the soul begins a new life in a new body Moksha  the state of being released from reincarnation; main goal of Hinduism Guru  “teacher” or “master” Ganges River  Sacred site

Siddhartha Gautama Siddharta Guatama was born into the Kshatriya or warrior caste. He was a prince who was kept isolated inside a beautiful palace and not allowed to see the real world. One day he left the walls of his palace and saw the pain and misery of life. He decided from then on that he needed to find a way of living that would allow people to find peace in life.

Siddhartha Gautama He spent many years trying different ways of life, following different philosophies. Finally he came up with his own way, which is now called Buddhism. Gautama became known as Buddha, which means “enlightened one.” He developed the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These are rules to live by that help people live morally and find the “middle path,” without too much pain or too much pleasure.

Basics of Buddhism Foundation Founder  Siddartha Guatma Northern India (now modern day Nepal) Circa 624 B.C. (B.C.E.) Sacred Texts The Four Noble Truths  the foundation of Buddhism; “Life is suffering” The Eightfold Path  the steps a Buddhist must take to reach enlightenment (Nirvana) Traditions and Customs Asoka’s Missionaries  helped spread Buddhism from India to the rest of Southeast Asia Karma  a persons actions deciding the fate of their future lives Reincarnation  after death, the soul begins a new life in a new body Nirvana  the peaceful state of no desire nor suffering; the state of being released from reincarnation

Asoka Asoka was a famous ruler of India. He became emperor in 268 BCE. After fighting a bloody battle, he was sickened of war and turned his life in a different direction. He became a Buddhist, or someone who followed the teachings of Buddha. He lived peacefully and built roads for travelers, planted trees to give shade, constructed rest houses and dug wells. He considered all his subjects his children and tried to care for them with love and kindness. Many people became Buddhist after Asoka’s example.