1. HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, CONFUCIANISM
Eastern religions
HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, CONFUCIANISM

2. 5 WORLD RELIGIONS JUDAISM c. 2500 BC CHRISTIANITY c. 30 AD
Mesopotamia
JUDAISM c BC
INDIA
HINDUISM
c BC
INDIA BUDDHISM
c. 530 BC
CHINA
CONFUCIANISM c. 400 BC
EUROPE
CHRISTIANITY c. 30 AD
Saudi Arabia ISLAM c. 610 AD
As we know…it is really Judaism that is the ‘FATHER” of all the Western religions! They started this idea of talking about right and wrong, justice and crime, and equality under God with ALL MEN! Christianity carried on those ideas. Islam picked them up and established them in the Arab world years after God started speaking to Abraham about them and 600 years after Jesus tried making them (ideas of morality and righteousness) clearer for the modern world.

3. What is Religion?
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

4. HINDUISM

5. Hinduism: background
Hinduism represents a diverse group of BELIEFS, practices, and texts that have developed over THOUSANDS of years.
Many Hindus claim that their religion has been practices LONGER than any other religion of the world
Hinduism is the major religion of INDIA
- It has about 900 million followers
- Most Hindus live in INDIA
It has no single FOUNDER or single sacred text

6. Beliefs & practices The most important gods are: - BRAHMA, the Creator
Hindus worship a variety of gods that give form to the brahman, or all-powerful spiritual force
The most important gods are:
- BRAHMA, the Creator
- VISHNU, the Preserver
- SHIVA, the Destroyer

7. brahma

8. Vishnu shiva

9. Beliefs & practices continued
Although Hinduism has no single BOOK that is the source of its doctrines, it has many sacred writings that have contributed to its beliefs and practices
- Hindu teachings were recorded in the sacred texts of the VEDAS
Hinduism teaches that the soul is REBORN
- This continuous process of rebirth is called REINCARNATION
- The law of KARMA states that every action influences how the should will be born in the next reincarnation
- if the person lives a GOOD life, the soul will be born into a HIGHER state, perhaps into the body of the Brahman
- if a person leads an EVIL life, the soul will be born into a LOWER state,
perhaps as a WORM

10. “being reborn” CONTINUED…
a person’s reincarnation continues until he or she achieves spiritual PERFECTION
The soul then escapes the process of rebirth and enters a new level of existence called MOKSHU, a union with Brahman

11. Intro to India

12. The Caste system of India

14. Egypt Example

15. Egypt Example

16. BUDDHISM

17. Buddhism: Background
Founded in India about 500 B.C. by a teacher called the BUDDHA
Buddhism has been a dominant religious, CULTURAL, and social force in most of Asia
Today, Buddhism has about 350 million followers
- Most live in TIBET and other regions of China, and in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

18. THE BUDDHA
Buddha is a title given to a person believed to have TRANCENDED the cycle of REBIRTH known as samsara and attained NIRVANA (enlightenment)
The first Buddha and founder of Buddhism was SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA, born in the 500s or 400s B.C. In NEPAL, INDIA
As a young man, Gautama decided to leave his family and palace life to seek spiritual LIBERATION or enlightenment
He became an ASCETIC, a person who denies himself worldly comforts and pleasures
He traveled throughout northeastern India for 6 years
- During his travels he experienced nirvana and discovered the FOUR Noble Truths

19. Beliefs & Practices
The Four Noble Truths

20. The Four Noble truths 1. Life is full of suffering, PAIN, and sorrow
2. The cause of suffering is NON-VIRTUE - or negative deeds
3. The only cure for suffering is to OVERCOME non-virtue
4. The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the Noble EIGHTFOLD PATH

21. BELIEFS & PRACTICES CONTINUED
Eventually, Gautama decided to teach his message
- His followers called him the Buddha, which means the “ENLIGHTENED one”
- For the rest of his life, the Buddha preached the message of how to overcome suffering which is called the DHARMA
Another key belief is the Eightfold Path
- It focuses on the right VIEWS, right aspirations, right SPEECH, right CONDUCT, right livelihood, right mindfulness, and the right contemplation
- This was the path to end a life of SUFFERING

22. Eightfold path

24. BELIEFS & PRACTICES CON’T…
It was believed that if a person led a MORAL life he could achieve enlightenment through MEDITATION
For a Buddhist, the final goal is NIRVANA –union with the UNIVERSE and RELEASE from the cycle of REBIRTH
After the Buddha’s death, his followers collected his teachings in a set of texts called the TRIPITAKA

25. John green – Buddhism

26. Confucianism

27. background
Confucianism is a philosophy based on the ideas of the Chinese philosopher CONFUCIUS
It originated about 500 B.C.
From the 100s B.C. to the A.D. 1900s, it was the most important single force in Chinese life
It influenced Chinese EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, personal behavior, and the individual's duty to society

28. All world religions concerned themselves with ethics, government, and rules… and as a result, they HAVE stayed around!

29. Background continued…
Many people consider Confucianism a religion
However, Confucianism has no CLERGY and does not teach the worship of a God or gods or the existence of a life after death
It is more accurate to consider Confucianism as a guide to MORALITY and good GOVERNMENT

30. Beliefs and practices Confucius lived at a time when China was DIVIDED
He believed that his society could be saved if it emphasized SINCERITY in personal and PUBLIC conduct
He was a brilliant scholar and his goal was to become an ADVISOR to one of China’s rulers

31. Beliefs and practices continued…
Confucius believed everyone had responsibilities
The most important was FILIAL PIETY or respect for one’s parents
He also taught that a ruler was responsible for providing a good GOVERNMENT for its people
VIRTUOUS behavior by rulers, he declared, had a greater effect in governing than did laws and codes of punishment

32. Beliefs and practices con’t…
When Confucius died he was largely UNKNOWN
His FOLLOWERS spread his ideas
Later Chinese empires would look to Confucianism's emphasis on public SERVICE and respect for authority

33. Overview of Confucian & his ideas
Watch this video (about 5 minutes):