1. Summarize the Origin and Key Beliefs of Hinduism

Name: ______Date: ______Period: ______

Chapter 3.2 Reading Quiz

 No single founder, emerged from the Aryans

 Key holy books: Vedas and Upanishads

 Karma

 Dharma

 Samsara

 Moksha 2. Summarize the Origin and Key Beliefs of Buddhism

 Founder: Siddhartha Gautama

 Four Noble Truths: 1. World is full of suffering… 2. Suffering is caused by desire…3. To end suffering, eliminate desire…4. Follow the Eightfold Path

 Dharma, Karma…goal of enlightenment- Nirvana

 Opportunity for ascetics- monks and nuns

3. List 2 similarities and 2 differences between Hinduism and Buddhism  Similarities: both have reincarnation, goal of perfect understanding, karma and dharma

 Differences: Buddha rejected multiple gods and the caste system, though both Hinduism and Buddhism began in India, Buddhism became more popular in SE Asia, while Hinduism remained popular in India

Chapter 3.2: Roots of Hinduism and Buddhism

I. Hinduism Develops Over Centuries

 Hinduism developed over a long period of time

 Important texts: Vedas

 Krishna: non-Aryan god from Vedic times (Mahabharata) continues to be worshipped  Hinduism: cannot be traced back to one founder with a single set of ideas.

A. Origins and Beliefs

 Religion as a way of liberating the soul from the mistakes of everyday existence

 What is the nature of morality? Eternal life? What is the soul? Hindu teacher’s meditations on these ideas compiled into the Upanishads

 Upanishads: dialogues between a student and teacher

 MOKSHA: liberation from reincarnation/perfect understanding of all things

 ATMAN: individual soul of a living being

 BRAHMAN: world soul that contains and unites all atmans

 REINCARNATION: rebirth…SAMSARA- cycle of birth, death, and rebirth  KARMA: soul’s good and bad actions brought from one life to another…influences caste, health, wealth, etc…concept of cosmic retribution

B. Hinduism Changes and Develops

 BRAHMA: World Soul…personality three gods: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the protector; Shiva, the destroyer.

 Vishnu also took on many forms or personalities: Krishna- divine cowherder (Mahabharata), and Rama, the perfect king (Ramayana)

 Hindus today can choose the deity they worship…also different paths to moksha: right thinking, right action, religious devotion

C. Hinduism and Society

 Ideas about karma and reincarnation strengthened the caste system  Usually believed only men in top 3 castes could hope to reach moksha in their present life (“twice-born castes- Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas)

 Good karma brought good fortune and bad karma resulted in bad fortune

 Beliefs of Hinduism and its caste structure dominated every aspect of a person’s life. (dharma)

D. New Religions Arise

 Jainism and Buddhism then arose

 Jainism: founded by Mahavira (599 to 527BCE)… believed everything in the universe has a soul and should not be harmed…sweep ants off path, wear gauze masks to avoid harming insects

o Nonviolent occupations (trade and commerce) o Jains today make up one of the wealthiest communities in India

o Generally preach tolerance of all religions… don’t really focus on conversion…no missionaries…almost all of the 5 million Jains in the world today live in India

II. The Buddha Seeks Enlightenment

 Founder of Buddhism- Siddhartha Gautama

o Born into a noble family from Kapilavastu, foothills of Himalayas in Nepal

o According to Buddhist legend, Siddhartha was born with marks of a great man…world ruler or universal spiritual leader if he left home…his father originally isolated Siddhartha in his palace, he eventually married and had a son

A. Siddhartha’s Quest  Siddhartha was always curious about the outside world

 Ventured out at age 29…saw an old man, sick man, corpse, and a peaceful wandering holy man

 Siddhartha interpreted this to mean that the only a religious life offers a refuge from inevitable suffering in the world

 Siddhartha left after the birth of his son and became an ascetic (wandering holy person)… seeking enlightenment (wisdom)

o Extremes: 6 grains of rice day

o Saw strings of a sitar…too loose won’t play, too tight will snap…middle way

o Sat in meditation under a large fig tree…49 days later, he achieved an understanding of the cause of suffering in this world…then known as the Buddha, “enlightened one” B. Origins and Beliefs

 Buddha gave his first sermon to 5 companions… laid out the Four Noble Truths First Noble Truth: Everything in life is suffering and sorrow Second Noble Truth: The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world Third Noble Truth: The way to end all suffering is to end all desires Fourth Noble Truth: The way to overcome such desires and attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, the Middle Way between desires and self-denial *****Eightfold Path: Right Views, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. This is the Middle Way  NIRVANA: Release from selfishness and pain, (like blowing out a candle)

 In both Hinduism and Buddhism: belief in reincarnation, cyclical view of history  Buddha rejected the multiple gods of Hinduism and the caste system

 Moksha and Nirvana are similar, in that they both involve a release from reincarnation, and perfect understanding

C. The Religious Community

 First five disciples from Buddha’s first sermon, were first monks admitted into the SANGHA, Buddhist religious order

o Eventually sangha referred to entire religious community

o Buddhist laity and Buddhist monks and nuns

 Three Jewels of Buddhism: religious community, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist doctrine or law)

o “I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the law. I take refuge in the community.” D. Buddhism and Society

 Buddhism appealed to laborers and craftspeople due to his rejection of the caste system

 Large following in northeast India (where Aryans had less influence)

 Buddha reluctantly admitted women to religious orders, but feared they would be a distraction to men.

 Monks and nuns took vows of poverty, nonviolence, to not marry

 Missionaries wandered with only a begging bowl

 Monasteries for Women and Men…Nalanda became a great university

 Teachings of Buddha written down shortly after his death o Also includes commentaries, rules about monastic life, manuals on how to meditate, recorded in the first century BC

E. Buddhism in India

 Centuries following Buddha’s death, missionaries spread his faith over large parts of Asia

rd o Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia in the 3 Century BC

o Buddhism also spread to China along Silk Roads (especially after the decline of the Han dynasty)

 Buddhism never gained a substantial foothold in India…maybe Hinduism simply absorbed Buddhism…syncretism between the religions… Buddha was identified by some Hindus as one of the 10 incarnations of the god, Vishnu

 India, still an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists…birthplace at Kapilavastu, fig tree near Gaya…first sermon at Varanasi…STUPAS- sacred mounds, said to contain Buddha’s relics

o Important actions at shrines: circling a shrine, lying face down as a sign of humility, and offering flowers

F. Trade and the Spread of Buddhism

 Missionaries and traders played important roles in the spread of Buddhism

 Traders carried Buddhism beyond India to Sri Lanka…and southeast along trade routes to Burma, Thailand, and island of Sumatra…also Central Asian Trade routes (Silk Roads) to China…from China to Korea and to Japan

 Buddhism as most widespread religion of East Asia