Hinduism and Buddhism

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What is Polytheism?

• Poly = many theo = belief • Belief in more than one god

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Where did these religions develop?

Hinduism and Buddhism developed in South Asia.

What is Hinduism?

• Hinduism is the national religion of India.

• It has no single founder

• Hindus worship many gods and goddesses, but they have a belief in one Spirit, Brahmam, that is made up of these many gods and goddesses.

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Hindu beliefs

• The Spirit exists in every living thing and is seen in gods and goddesses

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What are the origins of Hinduism?

• Hinduism developed in India.

• The Aryans ruled India for over 1,000 years.

• They introduced new ways of living such as the caste system.

What is the caste system?

• The Aryans divided people into three classes (“caste” means social group)– Priests– Warriors– Working people

– The caste system is a rigid social structure that emerged over thousands of years. .

How is the caste system related to Hinduism?

• Those at the top of the caste system are seen as more spiritually pure. – Brahmins– Kshatriyas– Vaisyas– Shudras– Dalit

The Caste System

• Brahmins are the privileged or highest caste. • Ksatriyas as the warriors and rulers were

originally obligated to protect the community. • The Vaisyas as farmers and traders were

supposed to make money to improve the economic conditions of the country.

• The Sudras serve the three higher classes with diligence and humbleness.

• The outcasts or untouchables (Dalit) are the poorest, most ill-treated people in Hindu society.

The Caste System

• The higher a person's caste, the more that person is blessed with the benefits and luxuries life has to offer.

• The caste system was outlawed in 1948.• It is still important to the Hindu people of

India.

What is reincarnation?• The idea that the soul is reborn after death

into a human or other form of life.

• Hinduism is based on the concept that human and animal spirits reincarnate, or come back to earth to live many times in different forms.

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Reincarnation and the Caste System

• The belief in reincarnation has resulted in a caste system.

• Traditionally, Hindus believe that the way a person has lived in a previous life determines which caste a person is born into.

• Ex. If you’re good in this life, you’ll be born into a higher caste in the next life.

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Karma!

• The law of the deed. • A person’s every

action affects his or her fate in the next life.

• "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.“

• "What goes around, comes around."

Karma

• My Name Is Earl follows former lowlife Earl, who discovers karma from Carson Daly and decides to turn his life around by undoing every bad deed in his life one by one.

• “Do good things and good things happen... do bad thing's well... bad thing's happen.” -Earl

Reincarnation and Food

• Hindus believe that all living things contain a part of the divine Spirit. Therefore, all life is sacred.

• Hindus honor cows as a sacred animal so many Hindus do not eat cows.

Why don’t Hindus eat cows?

• All Hindus avoid eating beef since they adore the cow.

• While all animals are considered sacred, the cow has been singled out as particularly sacred because they:

• Have given years of faithful service in helping man till the soil and pull the carts

• Provide man with food, milk.

Why don’t Hindus eat cows?

• Provide man with fuel, in form of cow dung, to heat his home and cook his food.

• In Hindu mythology the cow was created by Brahman on the same day as the Brahmins thus it is an animal venerated above all others.

• Symbol of motherhood.

What are the origins of Buddhism?

• Buddhism developed in India.

• Its founder, Siddhartha Gautama, was a Hindu of high caste.

• Gautama led a privileged life.

What made Gautama leave?

• He learned of those who were sick and poor.

• This made him sad so he gave up his privileged life.

• He decided to leave his wealth, his comfort, his wife, and his newborn son, to become a monk.

Why is Gautama now known as “Buddha?”

• One day, while sitting under a fig tree, an understanding came to him. This understanding was a way to end suffering.

• He earned the title of Buddha, which means "Enlightened One".  

What are the Four Noble Truths?

• The basis of Buddhist teachings. • His journey to find the meaning of life had

concluded. The Buddha realized that life is ruled by Four Noble Truths: – Life is filled with suffering – The cause of suffering is desire. – The cure for suffering is to overcome desire.   – The way to end desire and achieve salvation

is to follow the Middle Way.

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What is the Middle Way?

• A guide to correct conduct, including ethical or moral rules.

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The Middle Way:

• In brief, these are the laws of the Eightfold Path: – To know the truth – To intend to resist evil – To not say anything to hurt others – To respect life, property, and morality – To work at a job that does not injure others – To try to free one's mind from evil – To be in control of one's feelings and

thoughts – To practice appropriate forms of

concentration

Being the best you can be…

• Buddhism teaches that being the greatest is an absolute achievement free of comparison.

• True achievement does not come from competition or comparison.

What does Buddhism value?

• Buddhism values love, wisdom, goodness, calm, and self-control.

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Buddhism v. Hinduism

• Buddhism values reincarnation and non-violence.

• Buddhism rejects the caste system. According to Buddhism, all people are equal.

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