1. Introduction to Hinduism and Buddhism

2. Hinduism Beginnings.
Initially Aryans and non-Aryans followed separate religions
Eventual blending of worship resulted in Thousands of common gods
Made people question the world, their place in it, and basic injustices

3. Hindu practices develop over a long time span
Marriage next to a sacred fire, reciting the Vedas
Scholars tried to organize Hinduism many times but there is no one founder or set of beliefs

4. Origins of Hinduism
Hindus common world view includes liberating the soul from illusions, disappointments, and mistakes.

5. Basic Beliefs
Teachers make distinctions between the atman (individual soul) and the Brahman (the world collective soul)
Moksha - a state of perfect understanding of all things
After you fully understand the relationship you can be released from life in this world
Idea of reincarnation (reborn until Moksha is achieved)

6. Karma
Karma determines the caste you are reborn into depending on good or bad deeds in your life
If good you could be a Brahmin, warrior or merchant. If bad a woman, a laborer, or an untouchable.

7. Changes in Hinduism
Brahman is sometimes seen as having the personality of 3 gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector, and Shiva the destroyer
Brahma faded away a bit ad a great mother goddess grew in popularity
Free to choose the deity they worship
Often follows family lines
Also free to choose the right path to achieve Moksha; right thinking, right action, or religious devotion

8. Beginnings of Buddhism
Siddhartha Guatama, the founder of Buddhism, born in the foothills of the Himalayas
As a baby he depicted the marks of a great man
Quest to see outside world
Saw old age, sickness, death, and a peaceful religious man
Went on a spiritual journey to try to end suffering (sought enlightenment)
Spent 49 days fasting before he determined where life’s suffering originated from

9. Four Noble Truths Everything in life is suffering and sorrow
The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for temporary pleasures of this world
The way to end all suffering is to end all desire
The way to end desire and attain enlightenment is to follow the eightfold path a middle way between desire and self-denial

10. The Eightfold Path
Those seeking enlightenment had to master each step one at a time
The only way to achieve nirvana
Belief in reincarnation, and also that the world is created and destroyed repeatedly
Rejected many Hindu gods and the caste system

11. Religious Community
Because of the rejection of the caste system many early followers were lower class people
Monks and nuns took vows of poverty and could not marry as they did missionary work