Hinduism Hinduism originated in ancient India about 4000 years ago It was the religion of an ancient people known as the Aryans. Archeological evidence from the Indus Valley civilization helps to establish Hinduism as the oldest living religion. The general name for God in Hinduism is Brahman. The name of the divine essence within us is called Atman. The Hindus believe in reincarnation. 4 main social positions in Hinduism. Brahmins (priest and teachers), Kshatriyas ( rulers and soldiers), Vaishyas (merchants), and Shudras (workers).

Sacred Text of the Hindus The Vedas: these are the oldest writings of the Hindus. They are a collection of hymns, prayers , and magic spells. The Upanishads: these are stories and parables told by gurus (teachers) to their students. The Mahabharata: this is a story of war between two families. The Bhagavad Gita is a very popular story from this text. The Ramayana: this is a story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife from an evil king.

Diwali is the festival of lights. Light represents knowledge Diwali is the festival of lights. Light represents knowledge. It is celebrated in late October. This is the Hindu New Year.

Mahatma Gandhi

Krishna- A Hindu God

Symbol of Hinduism- Om

Buddhism

Origins of Buddhism About 2500 years ago in India, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama began to question his sheltered, luxurious life in the palace. He left the palace and saw four sights: a sick man, an old man, a dead man and a monk. These sights are said to have shown him that even a prince cannot escape illness, suffering and death. The sight of the monk told Siddhartha to leave his life as a prince and become a wandering holy man, seeking the answers to questions like "Why must people suffer?" "What is the cause of suffering?"

Origins Of Buddhism The Four Noble Truths 1.Human life has a lot of suffering. 2.The cause of suffering is greed, desire and attachment. 3.There is an end to suffering. 4.The way to end suffering is to follow the Middle Path.

The Eight-Fold Path Buddha then taught people not to worship him as a god. He said they should take responsibility for their own lives and actions. He taught that the Middle Way was the way to nirvana. The Middle Way meant not leading a life of luxury and indulgence but also not one of too much fasting and hardship. There are eight guides for following the Middle path.

The Eight-Fold Path Right understanding and viewpoint (based on the Four Noble Truths) Right values and attitude (compassion rather than selfishness). Right speech (don't tell lies, avoid harsh, abusive speech, avoid gossip). Right action (help others, live honestly, don't harm living things, take care of the environment).

The Eight-fold Path Cont. Right work (do something useful, avoid jobs which harm others). Right effort (encourage good, helpful thoughts, discourage unwholesome destructive thoughts). Right mindfulness (be aware of what you feel, think and do). Right meditation (calm mind, practice meditation which leads to nirvana).

Sacred Text in Buddhism The Ripitaka was first written on palm leaves which were collected together in baskets. The Great Treatise of The Stages of The Path of Enlightenment ( Lam Rim Chen Mo). The Tibetan Book Of the Dead.

Images of Buddhism

The 14th Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is the head of Tibetan Buddhism. He is considered the reincarnation of the Buddha of compassion. Dalai Lama is translated as “Ocean of Wisdom.” Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his efforts to establish world peace.

Quote from Nobel Peace Prize speech "The need for simple human-to-human relationships is becoming increasingly urgent . . . Today the world is smaller and more interdependent. One nation's problems can no longer be solved by itself completely. Thus, without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival becomes threatened. Basically, universal responsibility is feeling for other people's suffering just as we feel our own. It is the realization that even our enemy is entirely motivated by the quest for happiness. We must recognize that all beings want the same thing that we want. This is the way to achieve a true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration."