1. Two Major Religions from India
Hinduism and Buddhism
Two Major Religions from India

2. Similarities Grew out of Vedic religious traditions
Karma, Dharma, Moksha
Reincarnation
Nonviolence / Ahimsa

3. Hinduism: Origins No single founder
Developed from the overlapping beliefs of Indus and Aryans as well as others
Hinduism is one of the most complex religions

4. Hinduism: Major Beliefs
Everything in the universe is part of the unchanging, all powerful spiritual force called Brahman.
Hindus worship many gods that are part of the Brahman
Brahma: the creator
Vishnu: the preserver
Shiva: the destroyer

5. Hinduism: Major Beliefs
Every person has an essential self or atman which is just another name for Brahman, and the ultimate goal is moksha, or union with the Brahman, thus reincarnation makes this possible
Karma: refers to all actions of a person’s life that affect their fate in the next life, and Dharma: the religious and moral duties of an individual that help escape the wheel of fate.

6. Hinduism: Sacred Texts
No single sacred text:
Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Mahabharata
Vedas and Upanishads recorded Hindu teachings
The Bhagavad-Gita spells out many ethical ideas central to Hinduism such as ahimsa, or nonviolence.

7. Prince Siddhartha Gautama enjoyed a happy life, married and had a son
One day he left the palace and he saw suffering for the first time and set out to discover “the realm of life where there is no suffering or death
One day he sat down to meditate for 48 days until he became enlightened and understood the cause and cure for suffering and pain he then became the Buddha
Buddhism: Origins

8. Buddhism: Major Beliefs
Four Noble Truths:
all life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow
The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions
The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire
The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.
Through meditation a person might achieve enlightenment or Nirvana: the union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth.

9. Buddhism: Sacred Texts
Buddhism spread by Buddha’s teachings and those of his disciples and monasteries grew as centers of learning.
Some of his followers collected his teachings into the Tripitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom”

10. Buddhism Spreads Later split into two major schools of thought
Theravada: more like Buddha’s original teachings
Mahayana: easier for everyday people to follow, and worshiped Buddha as god.

11. Other Differences
Buddhism rejected the priests, formal rituals, and existence of many gods
Buddhists rejected the caste system offering hope of nirvana to all

12. Religions of India Song To the tune of “Mary had a Little Lamb”
India has 2 religions
Hinduism and Buddhism
Both believe in karma, dharma,
ahimsa, and reincarnation
Hinduism is the oldest religion
with millions of gods but no founder
3 of the most important are
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism rejects the caste system
They offer hope to all who want to achieve nirvana
India has 2 religions
Hinduism and Buddhism
Both believe in karma, dharma,
ahimsa, and reincarnation