Development of Hinduism and Buddhism

Introduction Aryans began moving to India – at first they practiced their own religions Then they intermingled with the native people of India and their religions blended People began to question their place in the world, and wondered if the traditional Indian priests should gain so much wealth Out of this turmoil, new religions formed and ideas arose that have continued to influence millions

Hinduism Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that have developed slowly over time Some aspects can be traced back to ancient times Ex. Today a bride and groom marry in the presence of a sacred fire, just as they did centuries ago Hinduism cannot be traced back to 1 founder

Beliefs Hindus share a common worldview Religion is seen as a way of liberating the soul from the illusion, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday life A book, the Upanishads, explores how a person can achieve liberation from desires Hindus are trying to achieve “Moksha” A state of perfect understandings of all things

This understanding does not usually happen in one lifetime That is why Hindus believe in reincarnation The process of an individual soul being born and reborn until Moksha is achieved

During the process of reincarnation, a persons karma follows them Your Karma determines certain circumstances in your reincarnation such as caste, health, wealth, or poverty

Buddhism Developed from the same period of religious questioning The founder was Siddhartha Guatama The prophecy of this time was… If a child stayed home, he was destined to be a world leader If a child left home, he would be a spiritual ruler

His father chose the 1st, and kept Siddhartha at home

Siddhartha’s Quest Always dreamed of the outside world When he was 29, he left the palace 4 times Those times, he saw 4 people: an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man who seemed at peace with himself He believed that the first three were inevitable and that the only way to find refuge from the pain of these three was to be holy

Siddhartha then dedicated his life to searching for religious truth He tried many methods to reach enlightenment and after 49 days, he did He then received the name Buddha, meaning “enlightened one”

Beliefs of Buddhism In his first sermon, Buddha taught what he called the “4 Noble Truths” Life is filled with suffering and sorrow The cause of all suffering is peoples selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of the world The way to end all suffering is to end all desires The way to overcome these desires is to attain enlightenment in the Eightfold Path, which is called the Middle Way

What is the Eightfold Path??? The Eightfold Path was designed like a staircase in which Buddhists must master one step at a time What is the Eightfold Path??? By following this path, they could reach Nirvana release from selfishness or pain Buddha accepted the idea of reincarnation

8 Fold Path: Right Views Right Resolve Right Speech Right Conduct Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration

Buddhism v. Hinduism Buddhism differs from Hinduism in that Buddhism rejected: the Gods of Hinduism the wealth of the religious leaders of Hinduism and the caste system Both have the same final goal: Moksha – Hindus Nirvana – Buddhists Both involve a perfect state of understanding and a break from the chain of incarnations

Buddhism in India Buddhism rejected the caste system, so many early followers were laborers and craftspeople Eventually, Buddhism would fade in India One theory is because Hindus believed that Buddhism was one of the 10 incarnations… thus leaving them with no reason to convert