Hinduism The world’s oldest practiced religion

Goal of Hinduism Moksha: “release or liberation” Escape from the cycle of reincarnation to be united with the Brahman

Basic Beliefs  Spirit is trapped in a cycle of rebirth  People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma (actions) from the present life.  People may be reborn as plants or animals or they may be elevated to a higher caste as a human.

Brahman: essence of reality “There is only one God, but endless are his aspects and endless are his names”

Other “ personalities ” of Brahman SHIVA VISHNU

Krishna Rama Avatars of Vishnu

Goddesses LakshmiSaraswati

Kali

Sacred Cow of India

Caste System n System of social stratification –Aryans put themselves at the top –Lighter skin = higher caste

Castes – form of social stratification n define a person’s social universe –Who they can interact with –Who they can marry n define a person’s standard of conduct –What can they eat? n define a person’s future –What jobs can they perform?

Untouchables n Some centuries later, the Aryans added the category of untouchables n The untouchables performed dirty or unpleasant tasks such as butchering animals or handling dead bodies n Such work made them become so polluted that their very touch could defile individuals of higher status Members of the untouchable class dispose of corpses after the 2004 tsunami

Buddhism It has been said that “as Judaism is to Christianity, so is Hinduism is to Buddhism.” Buddhism arose out of Hinduism as a direct result of the influence of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or “Enlightened One; the religious worldview of the Buddhist is very similar to the Hindu worldview, but it is important to recognize that Buddhism is very much distinct from Hinduism. Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion, comprising around 6% of the world’s population. The 350,000,000 adherents to the religion are found mainly in China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indochina, Korea, and Tibet. There are around 800,000 Buddhists in the U.S.

The life of Siddhartha Gautama Zj_FPzU Zj_FPzU

Origins & Beliefs of Buddhism Like Hinduism, Buddha accepted reincarnation, but he rejected the multiple gods. He shared the concept of enlightenment by a belief in nirvana, or a release from selfishness and pain. The final goals of both Hinduism and Buddhism are similar – both involve a perfect state of understanding and a break from the chain of reincarnation (Nirvana).

Origins & Beliefs of Buddhism In his first sermon, Buddha outlined the Four Noble Truths of his faith: First Noble Truth: Life is filled with suffering & sorrow Second Noble Truth: The Cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world Third Noble Truth: The way to end all suffering is to end all desire Fourth Noble Truth: The way to overcome such desires and attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is called the Middle Way between desires & denial.

The Eightfold Path “What is the Middle Way? It is the Noble Eightfold Path – Right Views, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livlihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. This is the Middle Way.” Buddha, from Samyutta Nikaya Dharma Wheel, often used to symbolize the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path Wisdom 1)Right View – know the truth 2)Right Intention – resist self-centeredness Ethical Conduct 3)Right Speech – refrain from unkind, negative speech 4)Right Action – respect all life 5)Right Livelihood – work for the good of others Mental Discipline 6)Right Awareness – elevate one’s thoughts beyond the haze of emotion and mood 7)Right Effort – free the mind of evil 8)Right Meditation – practice the discipline of meditation

n End of Day 2