Hinduism & Buddhism

Chapter 3, section 2

Beliefs of Hinduism develop

• Hinduism– No single founder– No single, sacred text

• Grew out of overlapping beliefs from diverse groups of India– Probably began when Aryans added the gods of the

Indus civilization to their own– Other people began adding more gods– Hinduism becomes one of the most complex religions– COUNTLESS gods and goddesses

One Force

• BRAHMAN – “God is one, but wise people know it by many names.”– One underlying, unchanging, all powerful spiritual

force• Hindus worship a variety of Gods – Give “concrete” form to Brahman

BRAHMA – the Creator

VISHNU – the Preserver

SHIVA – the Destroyer

Hindu beliefs – Multiple sacred texts

• Hindu beliefs recorded in multiple texts– The Vedas• Upanishads – section of the Vedas that relate to

mystical questions of the Vedas and Hinduism• Use of vivid images to examine the human soul and

connectedness of all life• Literature such as the Bhagavad-Gita also showed

Hindu beliefs

MOKSHA – goal of life

• The goal of each Hindu is to achieve MOKSHA– Joining of essential self (ATMAN) with brahman

• Most people believe it will take multiple lives to achieve MOKSHA {reincarnation}– Each life brings you closer to MOKSHA by laws of KARMA

(humans are closest, but no guarantees)– WHEEL OF FATE centers around…

• DHARMA – religious/moral duties of a person (vary by age/gender/occupation/class)

• AHIMSA – nonviolence. All things are brahman and therefore respected.

DEVELOPMENT OF JANISM

• @ 500 B.C. – Mahariva founds Jainism

• Grew out of Hindu traditions

• Rejects idea only Brahman priests can perform sacred rites

• Emphasize meditation, self-denial, extreme ahimsa

CASTE SYSTEM OF INDIA

BIRTH OF BUDDHISM• BUDDHA = Siddhartha Gautama• Born a prince

– Mother dreamed he would be a prophet

– Dad wanted him to stay in weal• Left family at age of 29 to discover

“realm of life where there is neither suffering or death”

• Wandered for years seeking answers from Hindu scholars – failed to satisfy him

• Forced himself to sit under a tree, meditating, to find the answers to life.

“THE ENLIGHTENED ONE”

• Arises from meditation as BUDDHA (“The Enlightened One”)

• Spent rest of his life teaching the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS– All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow– The cause of these is nonvirtue, or negative deeds, and

mindsets of hatred and desire– The only cure for suffering is to overcome nonvirtue– The way to overcome nonvirtue is through the Eightfold

Path

EIGHTFOLD PATH

• RIGHT…– Views– Aspirations– Conduct– Speech– Livelihood– Effort– Mindfulness– Contemplations

• Final goal – achieve NIRVANA– Release from cycle of

rebirth– Achieve oneness with the

universe– Found through…

• Understand 4 Noble Truths• Live Eightfold Path• Meditate to achieve

enlightenment• NIRVANA

COMPARISON

• BUDDHISM– Belief

• Nonviolence• Karma• Dharma• Cycle of rebirth

– Seek enlightenment through meditation

– Reject caste system

• HINDUISM– Beliefs

• Nonviolence• Karma• Dharma• Cycle of rebirth

– Priests to perform sacred rituals

– Sacred texts– Multiple gods– Caste system