R ELIGIONS OF A SIA SSWG5d. Describe the various ethnic and religious groups in the region and the effect of geography on their development and their major customs and traditions.

B UDDHISM Founder & Date Siddhartha Guatama (The Buddha) Was actually a prince 530 BC Major Beliefs Four Noble Truths Suffering is a part of life. Suffering is caused by selfish desires for things you don’t have. To end suffering, you must learn to let go of selfish desires and achieve enlightenment. To be freed of selfish desires, you must live a life of moderation and discipline called the Eightfold Path.

B UDDHISM Major Beliefs Karma—what you do comes back to you Reincarnation—your soul is recycled Nirvana—ultimate enlightenment (final reincarnation) Location Started in India, Today mainly in Japan, China, Cambodia, and Thailand.

B UDDHISM The Buddha8 Fold Path

S HINTO Founder & Date No real founder and date Some consider the oldest religion in the world Major Beliefs According to Shinto belief, all objects in nature contain sacred spirits called kami. Plants, rocks, trees and animals. Kami are worshipped at family or community shrines, where the spirits of deceased relatives live. Many different festivals

S HINTO Major Beliefs Shinto rituals emphasize purity and worship of nature. Holy water and salt are used to cleanse and purify things. Another well known example of Shinto rituals involves the making of Samurai swords & sumo wrestling Location Primarily in Japan

S HINTO Sumo WrestlingSamurai Swords

H INDUISM Founder & Date No real founder and date Goes back 4000 years Major Beliefs Many of these beliefs are found in a series of books called the Vedas. Technically monotheistic, but many incarnations (gods & goddesses) Believe in reincarnation, karma, & nirvana Caste system What you do in previous lives determines your caste

C ASTE S YSTEM The Caste system is very rigid, you cannot move up in social class The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste based discrimination The Caste System is declining in urban areas as education improves The Caste System is still prominent in many rural areas 1. Brahmins-Priests 2. Kshatriya-nobles 3. Vaisya-traders, artisans, farmers, herders 4. Sudra-laborers Untouchables

H INDUISM Major Beliefs The Hindu religion includes multiple gods. The most important of these are Brahma, the creator Vishnu the preserver Shiva the destroyer. Location Primarily in India

H INDUISM ShivaOhm symbol

H INDUISM Chutes & LaddersSnakes & Ladders

I SLAM Founder & Date Muhammad 622 AD Major Beliefs Monotheistic Muslim beliefs and practices are spelled out in their holy book, the Qur’an Two major divisions Sunni & Shia

I SLAM Major Beliefs 5 Pillars Declaration of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage Location In Southern and Eastern Asia mostly in India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

ISLAM Banda AcehIslam Map

C ONFUCIANISM ( PHILOSOPHY NOT RELIGION ) Founder & Date The Chinese philosopher Kong Fu Zi Lived from 551 to 479BC. History When Confucius lived, it was a bad time in China with war Major Beliefs He spelled this out in a code of behavior called Li, which requires respect, honesty, hard work, politeness, and generosity. Every person should know their place in society, follow the rules, and be respectful

C ONFUCIANISM Major Beliefs An orderly society was built on Five Key Relationships: ruler and subject parent and child husband and wife Older sibling and younger sibling Friend and friend Location Confucian philosophy is influential in China and Japan.

CONFUCIANISM ConfuciusSymbol