Other religions in India Islam Sikhism Buddhism Jainism World Religions

Islam Muslims are followers of the prophet Muhammad He was born in the Persian City, Mecca in 570 A.D. He was inspired by Allah (God) and wrote down his messages in the Koran (Quran) Two main branches are called the Sunni and Shi’ah Muslims which differ mainly in administration of the community and holidays

Islam in India 88 million Muslims in India The world’s largest Islamic population Islam was established in India after Muslim invaders took power in the thirteenth century

Five pillars of Islam Creed (One God is Allah) Prayer (5 times a day and go to the Mosques every Friday; pray in direction of Mecca) Fasting (partake in month- long fast of Ramadan) Almsgiving (give to the poor) Pilgrimage (One trip to Mecca)

Five major beliefs of Islam One God (Allah) Angels The prophets (those of the Old and New Testament) Holy books Day of Judgment ◦ Islam is a strongly social faith which seeks to model one’s entire individual and community life in obedience to the teachings of the Quran

Sikhism Founded in the 16 th century by Guru Nanak, a wandering holy man. Believed in one God (Sat Nam) Sikhs believe that by following their religion they will avoid reincarnation Sikhs reject the caste system Believe all should worship and live as equals

The Golden Temple of Amritsar Amritsar is the holy center of the Sikh religion Four main doors Holy book Granth Sahib “The Teacher Book” Bathe in the waters surrounding the temple to cleanse themselves

Five outward signs of faith A Sikh man has long hair (Kesh) tied up in a bun and covered with a turban He wears short pants (Kachha) Carries a comb call kangha Carries a sword called Kirpan Wears a bracelet (kara) which symbolizes the idea that God is without beginning or end. After being baptized, men take the last name Singh, which means “lion” and women use Kaur, which means “princess”

Sikhs: Men and women

Buddhism Founder, Siddhartha Gautama, lived in India in the fifth century B.C. He wanted to “reform” Hinduism Known as Buddha

Reformers By 600 B.C., the Brahman caste became very powerful One day, Gautama walked outside the palace walls and saw: 1-An old man, 2- A sick man, 3-a dead man, and 4-A beggar These images haunted him so he left his family to find the cause of human misery

Background info. For Buddhism Buddha is also known as the “Enlightened One” who has achieved Nirvana (state of perfect peace) Buddha’s teachings were written down in Three Baskets of Wisdom Buddhists strive to become enlightened and freed from desires and cravings

Different sects of Buddhism Theravada Buddhists ◦ Stressed monastic life (monks) Mahayana Buddhists ◦ Worship the Buddha and other enlightened ones as gods Tibetan Vajrayana

Buddhist temples India Tibet

Jainism Grew out of efforts to reform Hinduism Founder, Mahavira, lived around the same time as the Buddha Wanted to break the power of the caste system Emphasizes abimsa, or non Violence

Principles of Jainism Strict vegetarians Purity of life ◦ Asceticism ◦ Elevation of consciousness ◦ Not harming any living creature What are the differences between Jainism and Buddhism?