MAJOR ASIAN

RELIGIONS

CONTENTS:

• HINDUISM

• As a Religion and Culture

• Principal Gods (Trimurti)

• BUDDHISM

• Features of Buddhism

• SHINTOISM

• As a religious practice

• TAOISM

• Beliefs in China

• Taoism as Philosophy

Taoism as Religion

• ISLAM

• The Founder

• Practices

• JAINISM

• CHRISTIANISM

• CONFUCIANISM

Hinduism

• One of the oldest religion introduced by the Aryans. It remains vigorous with

more than 800 million followers. (Murphey, 2009)

• Labis na naapektuhan ng relihiyong Hinduismo ang kulturang India kung kaya’t napasukan nito ang bawat aspekto ng buhay ng tao maging pang-araw-araw, seremenoyal, o ritwal man. (Imperial, Soriano, et. Al., 2005)

• They are a combination of polytheist and monotheist by nature of religion.

HINDU BELIEFS

• Caste System

Social stratification of the Indian from the Brahmin up to the untouchables.

1. Brahmin – mga pari

2. Kshatriyas – mandirigma

3. Vaishyas – mga mangangalakal at negosyante

4. Sudras – mga manggagawa

5. Untouchables

Reincarnation

a belief that upon death, the physical body is only death and not the soul, thus the soul would still be alive and instead will transfer to another body.

Karma – in every good action, good things will happen. Likewise, in every bad action, bad things will happen. This also will have an effect to the present life of the reincarnated person.

Moksha – the possibility of promotion in the social stratification or Caste System upon doing your dharma

PRINCIPAL GODS

SHIVA

• is a major Hindu deity and is "the Destroyer" or "the Transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine

• has many benevolent as well as fearsome forms. He is often depicted as immersed in deep meditation, with his wife and children or as the Cosmic Dancer. In fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons.

BRAHMA

• is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimūrti.

Symbols

The Four Faces – The four Vedas (Ŗk, Sāma, Yajuh and Atharva).

The Four Hands – Brahmā's four arms represent the four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north. The back right hand represents mind, the back left hand represents intellect, the front right hand is ego, and the front left hand is self-confidence.

The Prayer beads – Symbolize the substances used in the process of creation.

Symbols

The Book – The book symbolizes knowledge.

The Gold – Gold symbolizes activity; the golden face of Brahmā indicates that He is actively involved in the process of creating the Universe.

The Swan – The swan is the symbol of grace and discernment. Brahmā uses the swan as his vāhana, or his carrier or vehicle.

The Crown – Lord Brahmā's crown indicates His supreme authority.

The Lotus – The lotus symbolizes nature and the living essence of all things and beings in the Universe.

The Beard – Brahmā's black or white beard denotes wisdom and the eternal process of creation.

The Vedas Symbolises his four faces, heads and arms

VISHNU

Is the protector and preserver of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all-pervading poet that preserved the universe and maintains the cosmic order of Dharma.

Islam

ISLAM AT A GLANCE

• The word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'.

• Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. The 2001 census recorded 1,591,000 Muslims in the UK, around 2.7% of the population.

• Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia.

• Followers of Islam are called Muslims.

• Muslims believe that there is only One God.

• The Arabic word for God is Allah.

• According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to a mankind to teach them how to live according to His law.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

2. Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day

3. Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy

4. Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan

5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

JAINISM AT A GLANCE

• Jainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation.

• The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and for the health of the universe itself.

• Jains believe that animals and plants, as well as human beings, contain living souls. Each of these souls is considered of equal value and should be treated with respect and compassion.

• Jains are strict vegetarians and live in a way that minimises their use of the world's resources.

• XASt3qrJains believe in reincarnation and seek to attain ultimate liberation - which means escaping the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth so that the immortal soul lives for ever in a state of bliss.

• Liberation is achieved by eliminating all karma from the soul.

• Jainism is a religion of self-help.

• There are no gods or spiritual beings that will help human beings.

Christianism

• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.

• Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

• Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.

• One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection).

• Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God:

• God the Father

• God the Son

• The Holy Spirit

• Christians worship in churches.

• Their spiritual leaders are called priests or ministers.

• The Christian holy book is the Bible, and consists of the Old and New Testaments.

• Christian holy days such as Easter and Christmas are important milestones in the Western secular calendar.

Buddhism

Beliefs of Buddhism

Four Noble Truths

Eight Fold-Paths

Shintoism

• A ritual practice in early Japan which centered around the worship of nature.

• Were later called “Shinto” meaning the way of the gods.

• Manifestations to the forces of nature are said to contain the spirit of “kami”

• In modern Japanese times, the society is still notable for its insistence on cleanliness, at least at home or what is referred to as “private space” , if not always a “public space”

• Japan still sees the beautiness of Shinto shrines, beautiful because they celebrate nature and because they are

located in natural beauty spots, but because of their classical simple architectural styles.

• Shinto shrines have unique wooden gateways called “torii”

Taoism

• The second major moral or religious philosophy of China was Taoism (Daoism) the Tao means “the way”.

• It is rooted from Confucianism, also one of the religious beliefs and practices in China.

• The Tao is the ultimate creative principle of the universe. All things are unified and connected in the Tao.

Beliefs in China

• Taoism is about the Tao. This is usually translated as the Way. But it's hard to say exactly what this means.

• Taoism originated in China 2000 years ago

• It is a religion of unity and opposites; Yin and Yang. The principle of Yin Yang sees the world as filled with complementary forces - action and non-action, light and dark, hot and cold, and so on

Taoism as Philosophy

The legendary Lao-tzu and Tao-Te-Ching.

The Tao is not God and is not worshipped. Taoism includes many deities, that are worshipped in Taoist temples, they are part of the universe and depend, like everything, on the Tao

Civilizationare complex societies. They have cities, organized governments, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system.

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia was the worlds first civilization.

The two rivers that allowed Mesopotamia to succeed were the Tigris and Euphrates.

Its peoples were the first to irrigate fields, devised a system of writing, developed mathematics, invented the wheel and learned to work with metal

SUMER

southern part of Mesopotamia

(3500-2000 BCE)

The first civilization in Mesopotamia

Each Sumerian city and the land around it became a separate city-state.

Each city-state had its own government and was not part of any larger unit.

ZIGGURAT

• gods were worshipped at huge temples called ziggurats

• Polytheistic religion

Position of King was enhanced and supported by religion

Kingship believed to be created by gods and the king’s power was divinely ordained

Belief that gods lived on the distant mountaintops

Each god had control of certain things and each city was ruled by a different god

Kings and priests acted as interpreters as they told the people what the god wanted them to do

CUNEIFORM

Scribes were only ones who could read and write and served as priests, record keepers and accountants

THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

The most famous piece of literature from Sumer is the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh parallel with the story of Noah and the Ark (great flood) in the Old Testament of the Jewish and Christian holy books

Sumerian Inventions

WAGON WHEEL

PLOW

SAILBOAT

number system based on 60

geometry

12 month calendar

However, the Sumerians were not successful in uniting lower Mesopotamia

Akkadians

Leader: Sargon the Great

Sargon unified lower Mesopotamia (after conquering Sumerians in 2331 BCE)

Established capital at Akkad

Spread Mesopotamian culture

However, short-lived dynasty as Akkadians were conquered by the invading barbarians by 2200 BCE

Sargon I

In about 2340 B.C., Sargon conquered all of Mesopotamia creating the world’s first empire.

Sargon’s empire lasted for more than 200 years before falling to invaders.

BABYLONIANS

King Hammurabi’s Bablyon

conquered Akkad and Assyria (north and south)

He build new walls to protect the city and new canals and dikes to improve crops

Economy based on agriculture and wool / cloth

individuals could own land around cities

Artisans and merchants could keep most profits and even formed guilds / associations

Grain used as the medium of exchange > emergence of measurement of currency: shekel = 180 grains of barley; mina = 60 shekels

Mina was eventually represented by metals which was one of first uses of money (but it was still based on grain)

Hammurabi’s Legacy: law code

Code of Hammurabi

To enforce his rule, Hammurabi collected all the laws of Babylon in a code that would apply everywhere in the land

Most extensive law code from the ancient world (c. 1800 BCE)

Code of 282 laws inscribed on a stone pillar placed in the public hall for all to see

Hammurabi Stone depicts Hammurabi as receiving his authority from god Shamash

Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as societal laws

ASSYRIANS

After Hammurabi’s death, Babylon fell apart and kings of Assur controlled more of surrounding area and came to dominate

Kings conquered lands to create empire of Assyria

Deposits of ore allowed for development and use of iron

Assyrian army became most effective military force

CHALDEANS

The Hanging Garden of Babylon

• By 539 BCE, Mesopotamia became part of the vast Persian Empire

(led by Cyrus the Great)

• Persian Empire dominated for 800 years until Alexander the Great

SATELLITE CIVILIZATIONS

Hittites

Persians

CYRUS THE GREAT

HEBREWS

PHOENICIANS

LYDIANS