1. Hinduism

2. What is Hinduism? One of the oldest religions of humanity
The religion of the Indian people
Tolerance and diversity:
"Truth is one, paths are many"
Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate Reality
A philosophy and a way of life – focused both on this world and beyond

3. How did Hinduism begin? No particular founder
Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:
Beliefs passed along through oral tradition
rituals and many gods (polytheism)
sacred texts (Vedas)
social stratification (caste system)
Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism

4. One force, brahman, underlies everything.
Despite the complexity of the religion, all Hindus have the same goal and core beliefs.
One force, brahman, underlies everything.
The goal of life is to achieve moksha, or union with brahman.
Every person has an atman, or essential self, and experiences reincarnation.
Karma holds that our actions affect our fate in the next life.
Hindus believe themselves to be Monotheistic
Westerners believe them to be Polytheistic

5. What are the Sacred Texts?
Vedas - four sets of these.
1) Rig Veda – oldest, written about 1500 B.C.E. and codified about 600 B.C.E.
2) Upanishads – mystical and metaphysical section
3) Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)
4) Ramayana
Plus others

6. What do Hindus believe? One impersonal Ultimate Reality – Brahman
Manifest as many personal deities
True essence of life – Atman, the soul, is Brahman trapped in matter
Reincarnation – atman is continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime (Samsara)
Karma – spiritual actions keeps us bound to this world (good and bad)
Ultimate goal of life – to release Atman and reunite with the divine, becoming as one with Brahman (Moksha)

7. They practice ahimsa, nonviolence.
What do Hindus believe?
Hindus believe in dharma, the religious and moral duties of the person.
They practice ahimsa, nonviolence.
While there are many divine manifestations in Hinduism, these are the three most important.
Shiva, the Destroyer
Vishnu, the Preserver
Brahma, the Creator

8. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Shiva, god of constructive destruction (the transformer)
Appears as Shiva Nataraj, lord of the dance of creation…
and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha (the elephant headed remover of obstacles)

9. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Vishnu, the preserver god
Incarnates as ten avatars (descents) including:
Rama (featured in the Ramayana)
Krishna (featured in the Mahabharata)

10. Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu Pantheon
Brahma, the creator god

11. How do Hindus worship?
Bhakti Yoga is seeking union with the divine through loving devotion to manifest deities
In the home (household shrines)
In the Temples (priests officiate)
Puja – making offerings to and decorating the deity images
Darshan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship)
Prasad – taking the divine within your own being through eating of food shared with the deity

12. How does Hinduism direct life in this world?
Varna describes how all societies have diversity in classes.
This is part of the Hindu religious teachings.
Jati, is a hierarchial part of the social caste system, and there are thousands of them.

13. And we too are manifest forms of Brahman!
“We are not human beings having spiritual experiences; We are spiritual beings having a human experience!”
Hinduism is about recognizing the
all-pervasiveness of the divine

14. Buddhism

15. What is Buddhism? Buddhism is a major world philosophy.
It is the 4th largest “religion” of the world, and has about 300,000,000 people living by it.
It explains the purpose of life, injustices and inequality around the world.
It also helps people by providing a way of life that will lead to true happiness.

16. The History of Buddhism
Started by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) who was a prince in Lumbini, 2500 years ago.
He was very unhappy in his royal life, so he set off on a 6 year journey, exploring other religions.
After his long journey and much meditation he was finally “enlightened” while meditating under a Banyan tree.
He found the middle path, the key to human happiness. For the rest of his life he wandered Asia, preaching his new religion.

17. What Did Buddha Teach?
He taught the 4 Noble truths which sum up Buddhism philosophy.
He also taught the noble eight fold path
The final goal for the Buddhist is nirvana, union with the universe.

18. What are the Four Noble Truths?
The first is that life is suffering
You can’t live without death, frustration, etc.
The second is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion
Getting what you want doesn’t guarantee happiness, it deprives you of it
The third is that suffering can be overcome, and true happiness attained
If we stop craving useless things, and live each day at a time (not living in the future) we will be happy and free.
The fourth is that the Noble eight fold path leads to the end of all suffering

19. The Noble Eightfold Path
It taught 8 simple rules:
To have a right understanding
To have right thoughts
To use right speech
To do right actions
To deal with right livelihood
To give a right effort
To have a right mindfulness
To use the right meditation

20. THE “ULTIMATE QUESTIONS”
Nature of the soul
Life after death
Origin of the universe
THESE ARE NOT ADDRESSED

21. Buddhism rejected the Hindu caste system, and therefore was attractive to many. Rather than focusing on priests, ritual and deities, Buddhism encouraged each person to seek self- enlightenment, thus a philosophy instead of a religion.

22. The Decline and Spread of Buddhism

23. Mahayana Buddhism
Emerged between the 3rd Century B.C.E. & 1st Century C.E. – very popular
Reduced obligation on Buddhists
Monasteries accepted gifts that merited salvation.
Gave Buddha divine status
Bodhisattvas delay entry to nirvana to help others

24. Religions Founded in India

25. Janism

26. Jainism: The Religion Jainism is an ascetic religion of India
Teaches the immortality and pilgrimage of the soul
Denies the existence of a supreme being and emphasizes the art of non-violence (ahimsa).

27. Rock image of 24 Tirthankaras
Key Figures in Jainism
Left: Mahavira
picture
Top: Mahavira
statue
Right: Mahavira on
LionThrone
Above:
Rock image of 24 Tirthankaras

28. Mahavira ca. 599-527 BCE Parallels Buddha’s life
Family wealth vs. poverty
Joined ascetics
Ahimsa yields true release
Ahimsa produces Jina (release from this life or conqueror over attachment, hence the name Jain)

29. Jainism: The Religion
Response to Hinduism and rejection of castes system
Believes everything in the universe possesses a soul
Sweep the ground before them

30. Major Beliefs
Everything is eternal; there is no all-powerful “God” that has created the world.
When a living being dies, it is reincarnated according to karma.
All living beings have souls.
The 3 gems:
Right Beliefs, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct
Reverence for the deities
Vegetarianism, or Fruitarianism.

31. Major Beliefs
The goal of Jainism is to liberate one’s soul, to become a Jina (spiritual victor). One must escape Karma by leading an ascetic and intrinsically pure life.
Never very popular because it is very hard to observe all the demands placed upon followers.