Let’s do the Hindu that you do!

 No single founder but started in India  Developed and changed over 3500 years  Goal of Life is to achieve union with Brahman (Moksha = release)  You do this by freeing yourself from the selfish desires that separate you from the universal spirit

Brahman Single unifying spirit Brahma The Creator Vishnu The Preserver Shiva The Destroyer

Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma

 Shiva is sometimes shown with a ring of fire surrounding him

 Vedas – collection of prayers and sacred verses  Upanishads – philosophical dialogues about beliefs  Bhagavad-Gita – contains major beliefs

 Reincarnation – belief in the rebirth of the soul in another bodily form  Karma – all the actions that affect a person’s fate in the next life  Right Way = person will be born into a higher level  Wrong Way = a person will be born into a lower level

 Pilgrims come from all over to bathe in the Ganges.  Countless Hindus come to Banaras to die.  It has 1500 temples, most of them devoted to Shiva.  It is a gathering place for the religiously learned and their disciples.

 Dharma – moral and religious duties that are expected of an individual  Dharma is effected by a person’s gender, class, age, and occupation

Mohandas Gandhi He worked to help improve the status of India’s lowest social order – the Untouchables

 Hindus follow the Caste System (earlier in your notes)  Hindus believe the Ganges River is sacred and has the power to wash away sin and evil.  The cow is also considered sacred, and Hindus will not eat beef.  Worship in Temples

 When you think of Buddha, what do you think of?

 Founder – Siddhartha Gautama (Hindu Prince in India – 500 BC)  Beginning – Siddhartha left his wealthy home to search for the meaning of human suffering. While meditating under a sacred tree, he found the answer to his question.  Buddha - “Enlightened One”

1. All life is suffering 2. Suffering is caused by desire for things that are illusions 3. The way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate desire 4. Following the Eightfold Path will help people overcome desire

 Right views  Right intensions  Right speech  Right conduct  Right livelihood  Right effort  Right mindfulness  Right meditation

 Anyone know who these guys are?  How do these guys relate to Buddhism?

 Believe in Karma, Dharma and Reincarnation  Nirvana – union with the universe and release from the cycle of death and rebirth  Sacred Text – Tripitaka; collected Buddha teachings including rules for monks, sermons, and discussions of beliefs  Places of Worship – Temples, Pagodas, Stupas

 Tripitaka means “Three Baskets of Wisdom”

 Pagodas can take many different shapes, depending on the country of influence but all are used as shrines, memorials, or tombs.

 Spread by messengers, traders and missionaries  Mauryan Ruler Asoka converted to Buddhism and sent out many missionaries  Spread to China, Japan, Korea, and SE Asia  Eventually declined in India

 The Dalai Lama a Buddhist leader for the Tibetan sect.  He is believed to be the rebirth of a long line of Dalai Lamas who have been reborn to enlighten others.  Between the 1600s and 1959, the Dalai Lamas were the directors of the Tibetan Government.  The Chinese invaded in 1959 and the Dalai Lama has been in-exile every since