OTHER WORLD RELIGIONOTHER WORLD RELIGION

World Religions by Percentage and Size of World Population--2009

World Religions by Percentage

Christians 33%

Muslims 21%

Hindus 13%

Nonreligious 11%

Chinese universists 6%

Buddhists 6%

Ethnoreligionists 4%

Atheists 2%

Other 3%

Christians 2,271,727,000

Muslims 1,449,614,000

Hindus 913,455,000

Nonreligious 773,947,000

Chinese universists 388,609,000

Buddhists 387,872,000

Ethnoreligionists 266,281,000

Atheists 148,346,000

Other 228,306,000

World Religions by Population

David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.

Essential Differences between Eastern Religion and Christianity

CHRISTIANS

- God himself is known (In Jesus Christ)- Believe in humankind innate and separation from God- Believe in forgiveness of sins- Salvation comes from above

EASTERN RELIGIONS

-God is impersonal and not knowable- no sense of original sin or indwelt sin- endless REINCARNATION- liberating oneself from the wheel of birth, death and rebirth

HINDUISM

The world’s oldest living tradition

By:Group II

What is Hinduism? One of the oldest religions of humanity The religion of the Indian peopleGave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, SikhismTolerance and diversity: "Truth is one, paths are many"Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate RealityA philosophy and a way of life – focused both on this world and beyond

What is Hinduism?

No founding fatherNo group of religious leaders.Not all Hindus agree on a sacred text.Hindus may worship at a shrine, temple, at home or outside.The Ganges River is considered sacred.

History of Hinduism

Hindu – from Sanskrit word INDUSIndus River Valley Civilization (Pakistan) - 5000 years agoAryans enter 4000 - 3500 years agoVedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:

rituals and many gods (polytheism)sacred texts (Vedas) – wise sayingssocial stratification (caste system)

Upanishads (metaphysical philosophy)- “sitting near” one’s teacher - 2800 – 2400 years agoVedic Tradition develops into HinduismBhagavad Gita “Song of the Lord” – A.D100 – Hinduism’s favorite bible

• Modern Hinduism developed primarily from the Vedas

• Vedas are large body texts that originated from Ancient India

• Vedas concentrate on worship of deities –Ex: Indra, Varuna, Agni, and Soma

ritual.

Development of Hinduism

The Three Major Movements That Influenced Hindu Thought

• Upanishadic– Hindu scriptures that consist of the core teachings of

Vedanta– Dated to the Early Middle Ages around the 3rd to 8th

centuries AD

• Jaina– Practices Non-Violence and also gave rise to

Buddhism Created the concept of Puja• “Pu”= Flower and “ja”= Offering

• Buddhist– Influenced Moksha and Karma in Hinduism– Followed philosophical streams of thought– Shramana Religion

Practices of Hinduism

• Practices involve seeking awareness of God and blessing from Devas

• Hinduism has developed many practices meant to help one think of divinity in everyday life

PUJA

• Puja is an act of worship or veneration• Puja can be performed at home in a

room that is dedicated to sacred religious practices or at a temple

• Visiting temples is not required and they have no “Sabbath Day”

• Hindus also do not claim to belong to any denomination

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VIOLENCE AND DIET

• Most Hindus advocate the practice of ahi or non-violence and respect for all life

• Hindus embrace vegetarianism to respect higher forms of life.

• Note: Vegetarianism is not a requirement

• Most avoid meat on holy days• Cow-slaughter is legally banned in

almost all states of India

What are the Sacred Texts?• The two classes of sacred text are shruti—that which

was seen or heard by rishis (seers), and smriti—what is remembered, outside the Vedas--of lesser authority.

• The Vedas (2000 BC- 600 BC) were earliest, being mostly instructions to priests concerning sacrifices. They are four:• Rig-Veda (“veda of hymns”); Sama-Veda (“veda of chants”),

Yajur-Veda (“veda of sacrifice”) and Atharva-Veda (“magic charms”)– These four vedas are in turn each divided into three

parts: samhita (collections of hymns), brahmana (details of sacrifices) and upanishad (moving from ritual to philosophic treatises).

CASTES -A hereditary system of social stratification that dates back to the 1500s BC when the Aryan (Indo – Europeans) invaded India.-Hindus believe that this is a part of cosmic law of cause and effect, part of the “ladder of life”- there are four primary caste and thousands of subcaste- caste is hereditary and for life for no one can move from one caste to another.-This determines person’s social status and vocation

• Members of a caste rely on each other for support

• Each caste has an occupation(s) and contributes to the good of the whole

• Rigid, hereditary membership into birth caste

• Marriage only among member of same caste

• Occupation choices restricted • Personal contact with other castes

restricted• Acceptance of fixed place in society

Brahmins—thinkers/knowers

Vaisya—provide food for the belly

Sudra—do the work

Ksatriya—doers

Each caste is born out of Brahma (the creator)

At the top of the caste system were the Brahmans, or the priests and leaders. These individuals we few in number. They were the only ones who were allowed to teach in schools and go to school, however the Brahman women could do neither.

Underneath the Brahmans was the Kshatriya, or the warriors. This group was not large in number. The Kshatriya were in the army or leaders in a way different from that of the Brahmans. Women could not be warriors but they could belong to this class.

Under the warriors were the vaishyas, these individuals were traders or farmers who owned their businesses or farming land. This group was made up of a great deal of people in India.

Vaisyas – Skilled Traders, Merchants

Second to last were the shudras, who were servants and farmhands who did not own their own land or businesses and who were employed by other people in a higher class.

Jobs include gardeners, potters, and clothes washers

At the very bottom of the caste system, technically not belonging to a class at all, were the untouchables. The untouchables held the worst jobs in society, usually collecting garbage and cleaning up human waste…

The slaves in India were thought to be below the untouchables and were not classified at all. They were not even seen as human but rather

as property.

• Belong to no caste• Expected to do the

“dirty” jobs• Come in contact with

animal skins, dead bodies and human feces

• Avoid contact with “caste” Indians for fear of “pollution”

Living in ancient India, you were defined by your caste.

There was no way for an individual or their children in India to escape their caste and move up. Not even death could break the cycle.

There were extremely strict rules surrounding the caste system in India. People from different castes could certainly not marary each other or even become friends and they were not even allowed to eat in the presence of another class.

COW-Cows cannot be killed and consumes grain needed to feed India’s masses. - its veneration comes from the Vedic literature and form the Hindu belief that the cow is a living symbol of Mother Earth and of the divine blessings she bestows upon humankind- its reverence symbolizes reverence for all animals- the reason why Hindus are vegetarian-Another reason is the belief that animals contain reincarnated souls

BELIEFS IN HINDUISM

• Atman: the essential self, the human soul

•This is eternal•part of the Brahman•Nonviolence

–Every living thing has an atman

• Brahman: the single supreme force of the universe; universal soul or spirit

•Sustains the universe•Only a few people can fully understand it

•Many gods are worshiped as part of the Brahman

BELIEFS IN HINDUISM

Karma: every deed in a person’s life affects a person’s fate in a future life

- from Sanskrit word “actions”• Reincarnation: rebirth of the soul• Karma determines where you are

reincarnated in the caste system–Good Karma = higher in caste system–Bad Karma = lower in caste system

BELIEFS IN HINDUISM

REINCARNATION• Def: rebirth of the soul in

another bodily form• Dates back 800BC within the

Uphanishads• The belief that a person’s

soul never dies. It reappears after death in another person or in animal form.

• Symbol: wheel of life• SAMSARA – the process of

reincarnation

BELIEFS IN HINDUISM

• From Sanskrit word “deed”• Def: Religious and moral duties of an

individual• These vary based on class (caste), gender,

job and age• By obeying your dharma, you acquire merit for

the next life• You need to overcome your own desires and

ambitions to perform your duties.

DHARMA

BELIEFS IN HINDUISM

• Moksha: freeing your atman/soul from your body

• The ultimate goal of all Hindus• Your atman is reunited with the Brahman and you

will have true peace or state

of supreme blessedness

atman

Brahman

THE PATHS TO ENLIGHTENMENT OR MOKSHA ARE;

Knowledge – comes from studying with gurus or teachers and reading sacred scripturesContemplation – disciplines and psychological exercises that concentrate one’s attention on the atmanDevotion – singing hymns of praises, offering sacrifices and making pilgrimage to sacred places like Varanasi, Hinduism’s holiest city located in North central India on the banks of the sacred Ganges River (Hindus bathe to wash away bad karma)Works – acting out of one’s duties to society

What are the spiritualpractices of Hinduism?

• The Four Yogas - seeking union with the divine:– Karma Yoga – the path of action

through selfless service (releases built up karma without building up new karma)

– Jnana Yoga – the path of knowledge (understanding the true nature of reality and the self)

– Raja Yoga – the path of meditation– Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion

• Guru – a spiritual teacher, especially helpful for Jnana and Raja yoga

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

– Darsan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship)

– Prasad – taking the divine within your own being through eating of food shared with the deity

Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu

Pantheon

Brahma, the creator god

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)

(Each shown with his consort, Sita and Radha, respectively)

Who do Hindus worship? – the major gods of the Hindu

PantheonShiva, 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)

What about the goddesses?Devi – the feminine divine

Saraswati, goddess of wisdom, consort ofBrahma

What about the goddesses?Devi – the feminine divine

Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune, consortof Vishnu

What about the goddesses?Devi – the feminine divine

Parvati, divine mother, wife ofShiva

What about the goddesses?Devi – the feminine divine

Durga, protectress

Kali, destroyer of demonsPlus about 330 million other deities

All these deities are butManifest forms (attributesand functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

All these deities are butManifest forms (attributesand functions) of theimpersonal Brahman

HARE KRISHNA MOVEMENTHare Krishna – from HARE meaning “Lord’ and KRISHNA being the avatar of Vishnu – a form of Hinduism found in United states Europe and Latin America.INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (ISKCON)-founded in United States in 1956 by “His divine Grace” Swami Prabhupada (died in 1977), who claimed to be a “representative” of Krishna- Bhagavad Gita, its primary scriptures- believes in both karma and reincarnation- does not believe in a plurality or pantheon on Gods or in the caste system- has temples and communes in the cities- followers distribute evangelistic literature- structured communities with rules regarding food, drink, dress, devotions and celibacy.-One attains Krishna “consciousness” by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and medidating on “Lord” Krishna- the followers hope that one day enable them to escape the wheel of death and rebirth

HINDUISM VS. CHRISTIANITYCHRISTIANITY

-Single, sovereign, personal God-Salvation comes by grace through faith- Christ saving death is offers to everyone

HINDUISM

-Believes in a universal soul and in thousands “Gods”- salvation (from samsara) comes through knowledge- believes in reincarnation

BUDDHISMBUDDHISM

BUDDHISM: The Middle Way

-began as a reform movement within Hinduism - became successful in various parts of India for hundreds of years, and then died out- begin to grow outside Asia as immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Southeast Asia and increase in number in the West

BUDDHISM

• Siddhartha Gautama, founder– born in Nepal, in 556BC–He was a reformer who

tried to limit the power of the brahman, or priest, caste in India

• Siddhartha lived a life of luxury in northern India

• His father, a ruler of a small kingdom; did not allow him out of the palace because they did not want him to see or experience the suffering of life in India

• One day, he snuck out of the palace.

• Outside of the palace walls he saw people with no homes, no food. He saw sick people and suffering.

• the only happy man he saw was a serene and peaceful hermit

• Realizing the reality of human suffering, Siddhartha left his wife and child (The Great Renunciation) and embarked on a quest for peace and serenity.

• This came to him six years later while sitting under the famous tree BODHI tree ( the tree of knowledge or enlightenment) , probably a fig tree in North Central India

• the cause of suffering is desiring or craving things that are worldly and temporal.

• The way to peace and serenity is the Middle way

• Middle Way – the way of moderation between pleasure and denial, between self-indulgence and asceticism

• Siddhartha became known as “Buddha”, a Sanskrit word meaning “Enlightened One” or has found or attained enlightenment.

• The Buddha decided that he would leave his life of meditation to teach others the way to end suffering.

• He gathered disciples, founded monasteries and teach others until his death in 486 B.C at the age of 80.

• he came to be highly venerated (as deity by some) and statues and temples were built in his honor

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BUDDHISM’s TRADITION

THERAVADA – the Doctrine of the Elders, is very conservative- it teaches that to find enlightenment one must devote his r

her life to the way of Buddha the highest form of which is monasticism.

MAHAYANA – the Great Vehicle, believes that enlightenment is possible with the help of bodhisattvas, saintly personages who postpone final enlightenment in order to help others

MAHAYANA BUDDHIST – practice love and compassion and devote themselves to the teachings of Buddha.

- more liberal and popular and the larger of the two traditions.

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- There are an estimated 360 million Buddhist, principally in countries like Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. China and Japan making Buddhism the fourth largest religion in the world

• The Four Noble Truths1. Suffering is universal

2. The cause of suffering is want/desire

3. The only way to end suffering is to end desire• Nirvana: condition of wanting nothing• Sanskrit word meaning “to blow out” the flame of desire

4. The way to achieve nirvana is to follow the Eightfold Path

• Compassion for all creatures, kindness, truthfulness, meditation

Buddhism

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• Ultimate goal of Buddhism:

– End suffering by achieving nirvana. Once you are in the condition of wanting nothing, you will be Enlightened, or understand the universe and cause of human suffering

Buddhism– Beliefs

• Similarities with Hinduism

1. Belief in reincarnation

2. Belief in nonviolence

• Differences with Hinduism

1. Does not believe in universal being or spirit or that men and women have souls

2. Have no caste system

3. there is something one can do to escape the misery and suffering of his life rather than waiting for a future

Buddhism– Beliefs

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ZEN BUDDHISM

- the word Zen comes from Sanskrit word meaning “meditation”- developed in China in the 500s A.D and later expanded to Japan- in Japan it is highly esteemed as a path to self - discipline- A popular form of Buddhism in the West - came to the fore after World War II- in United States, there are some one hundred Zen Temples and centers nearly one million adherents- followers practice meditation according to strict rules in order to achieve enlightenment called SATORI more quickly than through traditional Buddhism, thus escaping the wheel of Reincarnation- Expresses itself I variety of ways: judo, calligraphy, poetry, the ikebana and the seemingly formless and rock garden each of which has religious significance

BUDDHISM VS. CHRISTIANITYCHRISTIANITY

- believes in God who created the world & who revealed himself in Jesus of Nazareth- practice of the “two love commandments” (God and Neighbor)- looking forward to resurrected life

BUDDHISM

-does not believe in God or higher being- practice the eightfold path- looking forward to escaping the bondage of samsara (rebirths) and to absorption of the finite (self) into the infinite.