Prominent Religions in Southern and Eastern Asia

Hinduism Polytheistic religion Major world religion Began about 1500 BC in Indus River Valley Almost all follow these practices: reverence for the Brahmans and cows, prohibition on the eating of meat, and marriage in the same caste. Religious Text: Vedas

All Hindus believe in Karma What you do comes back to you basically. If you do good things- good things will happen. If you do bad things- bad things will happen to you. All Hindus believe in Reincarnation Each person is reborn repeatedly until he or she reaches the final supreme goal of Absolute (Moksha). Then you are released from life and reach Nirvana. All Hindus believe in Darma You are born into a specific social caste. You must do your proper duties in life and you will be rewarded in your next life by being born into a higher caste.

HOLY TRINITY OF HINDU’S FROM LEFT BRAHMA , VISHNU AND SHIVA

HINDU GOD(S) Believe in the universal soul or God (Brahman), as the sole reality who is present in all things. Brahman has no form, and is eternal. Brahman is creator, preserver and transformer of everything. Brahman appears in the human spirit as Atman, or the soul. Often believed that Hindus worship many gods. Really one eternal god (Brahman). The other gods are different aspects of the Brahman. Three principal gods: Brahma: creates the universe Vishnu: preserves the universe Shiva: destroys the universe.

Brahma Brahma - known as the Creator.

Vishnu Vishnu - Known as the Preserver

Shiva Shiva (Siva)- known as the Destroyer.

Other Gods Ganesha - Son of Shiva and Parvati. The Hindu god in a human form but with the head of an elephant

What is the Hindu place of Worship? Most Hindus worship every day at home and have a shrine there. A shrine can be anything from a room, a small altar or simply pictures or statues. Family members often worship together. At the shrine, Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a sacred statue of God, or a god or goddess.

Buddhism Originated through the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama around 500 BC in NE India. He reached enlightenment and was given the name of Buddha. Buddhists believe that one must go through the cycle of birth, life, and death and then become reincarnated. The teachings of Buddha were written down several years after Buddha’s death. Sutras – Buddhists sacred writings They don’t believe in any particular god, so the need for a savior or prayer is unnecessary.

Central Beliefs of Buddhism Reincarnation and Karma Soul strives for enlightenment Good or bad deed performed called Karma and travels with soul to next life When the cycle is finally broken (enlightenment), like the Buddha, the soul enters a state of nirvana (highest bliss) and never returns to earth.

Shinto Shinto means “way of the gods” Ancient religion of Japan Important text – Kojiki or Nihon-gi Followers believe that spiritual powers exist in the natural world They believe that “spirits” called kami live in natural places such as animals, plants, stones, mountains, rivers, people, and even the dead Worship in shrines found in beautiful, natural settings Most important Kami is Amaterasu, the sun goddess Many people practice both Shintoism and Buddhism

Philosophy of Confucius A Chinese philosopher believed that society could become perfect in the people in it exhibited perfect conduct Confucius (551-479 BC) also taught that your well-being depends directly on the well-being of others. This principle is called Jen. There are five texts (Analects) which contain Confucian scriptures. These include poems, history, rituals, and sayings. Some say Confucianism is more a description of how to be a good person than a spiritual practice. After death, people built temples in his honor

What did Confucius teach people? Confucius taught people five basic ideas about behavior: Always be considerate to others. Respect your ancestors. Try for harmony and balance in all things. Avoid extremes in behavior and emotion. If you live in peace and harmony, then you will be in contact with the spiritual forces of the universe, including nature. Confucius taught five basic virtues: 1) kindness 2) righteousness 3) sobriety 4) wisdom 5) trustworthiness

Islam Islam is mostly practiced in Indonesia. It is actually the most populated Muslim country in the world. It is also found in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Philippines, and Pakistan. Many believe Islam was spread to this region through trade.