1. What does religion mean to you?
What is Religion? A belief system or way of living life with rules and expectations
Definition- the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices
What does religion mean to you?
something one believes in and follows devotedly
usually has some form of “higher power”
Why do you think religion causes so many conflicts and wars in the world when it is supposed to promote peace?
What religion are you? Why do you practice that religion?

2. Numbers Christianity: 1.9 billion people Islam: 1.4 billion
Hinduism: 800 million
Buddhism: 325 million
Judaism: 13 million

3. Ancient Civilizations: India- Buddhism and Hinduism

4. Belief Systems: India Hinduism
Considered the world’s oldest religion – over 3,000 years old.
The world’s third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.
- over 900 million followers
The dominant religion in India and Nepal (80%) of the pop. In both.

5. Belief Systems: India Hinduism
Hinduism claims to have many founders, teachers and prophets who claim first hand experience of God.
Hindus recognize one God, Brahman, who is the cause and foundation of all existence.
The gods of the Hindu faith represent different expressions of Brahman.

6. Belief Systems: India Hinduism Hindus recognize three principal gods:
- Brahma, who creates the universe
- Vishnu, who preserves the universe
- Shiva, who destroys the universe.

7. Belief Systems: India Hinduism
Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, (Samsara = reincarnation) governed by Karma.
Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived (karma).
Moksha is the end of the death and rebirth cycle.

8. “The Wheel of Life” (Samsara = Reincarnation)

9. Belief Systems - India Hinduism: The Ganges River and Varanasi/Benares
After a Hindu is cremated, the ashes are usually scattered in water.
The Ganges River is considered the most sacred place to scatter ashes.
Varanasi (Benares), one of the oldest cities in the world, is seen as a desired place to die.
- Anyone who dies here breaks the cycle of life and achieves moksha.

10. Varanasi / Benares - Cremation

11. Hindu Men Bathing in the Holy Ganges River

12. Belief Systems: India Hinduism – Religious Texts
The Vedas are the most ancient religious Hindu text and define the truth.
Hindus believe that the texts were received by scholars directly from God and passed onto generations by word of mouth.

13. Belief Systems: India Hinduism – Religious Texts – The Vedas
The Vedas are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus.
They got their present form between BCE and were introduced to India by the Aryans.
*Aryans were nomadic peoples who are the earliest descendants of modern day Indian people*

14. Belief Systems: India The Caste System
The Aryans introduced the varna system (varna = estates or classes) to India.
Varnas are the historical division of society into 4 broad classes:

15. Belief Systems: India The Caste System
The Brahmins – priests and teachers – the highest caste
“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness--these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.”
- Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 18, Verse 42

16. Belief Systems: India The Caste System
2. The Kshatriyas – warriors, soldiers
“Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership are the qualities of work for the ksatriyas.”
- Bhagavat Gita, Ch. 18, Verse 43.

17. Belief Systems: India The Caste System
3. The Vaishyas – merchants and artisans
4. The Sudras – unskilled laborers and servants
“Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.”
- Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 18, Verse 44

18. Belief Systems: India Outcastes – Untouchables – “Dalits”
Too low to be in the caste system
Considered “impure” from birth
Perform jobs that are traditionally considered “unclean”
- scavengers
- clean toilets and sewers
- handle dead bodies
- many Dalit girls forced into prostitution

19. Bindi Bindi- religious symbol of hinduism worn by women
The red colored bindi is applied as a V shape with a white I inside it, showed they were worshippers of God Vishnu.
While the followers of Shiva applied ash colored powder as horizontally on their foreheads as three lines.  A red bindi means married in women, black bindi was worn in Southern parts of India by unmarried girls to ward off bad luck.

20. Belief Systems: India Buddhism Is 2,500 years old.
Originated in Nepal when it was part of India.
Currently 376 million followers worldwide.
There is no belief in a personal God. It is not centered on the relationship between humanity and God
Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent - change is always possible

21. Belief Systems: India Buddhism
Founder: Siddharta Gautama (580 - ) born in Nepal.
He was born into a royal family, and his privileged life insulated him from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age and death.
Once he left his royal surroundings he saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. He learned that sickness, age, and death are inevitable. He decided to give up his royal lifestyle and become an ascetic.

22. Belief Systems: India Buddhism
Buddha became a wandering monk, devoting himself to meditation and denying himself of material pleasure.
After six years of asceticism, he concluded that suffering was not the answer.
He devoted his life to the “Middle Way” a life without luxury or poverty.
Most important Buddhist doctrines:
- Four Truths for the Spiritually Noble
- The Eightfold Path

23. Belief Systems: India Buddhism - Four Truths for the Spiritually Noble
Suffering is a fact of life.
- Birth, aging, sickness, death, encountering the unpleasant, separation from the pleasant, and not gaining what one desires
2. Origin / Cause of suffering:
- Unsatisfied cravings, desires
- Negative deeds and actions

24. Belief Systems: India Buddhism - Four Truths for the Spiritually Noble
3. Cessation of suffering = nirvana.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering.
- that path is known as the Eightfold Path.
Like in Hinduism, Buddhism recognizes reincarnation and karma. Your karma determines what form your reincarnation will take.

25. Eightfold Path

26. How will we achieve Nirvana?
Today we will be experimenting with Yoga.
This is designed to help you not think about the world around you but rather yourself and your body.
Flush the problems of life and think about yourself.
Take this seriously!