Transcript 1 - cloudfront.net

4/15 & 16
RELIGION of SOUTH ASIA & OUTSOURCING
• NOTES: Religions of South Asia
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Hindu
Muslim
Christian
Sikh
Buddhist
Jain
Animist/
Other
South Asia’s
Religious
Demographics
India’s
Religious
Demographics
Animist / Tribal
• The defining concept that unifies animism is the veneration of the soul and the
spirit world. Animistic practices are based on mollifying a spiritual element in
order to achieve a desired effect.
• Some animists believe that it is possible to communicate with spirits and that the
spirits are mediators between humans and gods. Contact is made through ritual
practices and usually involves a medium such as a shaman.
Animist Symbols:
Taveez – amulet worn as protection from evil
Kohl – dark rings placed around babies’ eyes
to ward off the evil eye
1) “PROTESTANT HINDUISM”
DRAVIDIAN (Oral
Tradition)
Southern
Folk Traditions
Nature
Polytheism
-No
Founder
-Caste
-Focus on
external
rituals
VEDIC (Sacred Scripture)
Aryan (Northern)
Brahmin (Hierarchy)
Monotheist
(1 God in Many Forms)
“PROTESTANTS”
JAINISM & BUDDHISM
Reject Gods, Rituals &
Caste
Shift to the Internal
Spirituality
Dr. Venkatraman
at Jain Caves in Madurai
2- JAINISM
• Started between the 9th and 7th century BC, but became popular in
India around the 5th century.
• REJECTS RITUAL practices of Hinduism because
it sees the hierarchy of Hinduism as CORRUPT
• Replaced rituals with STRICT MEDITATION and
asceticism
3-
Jains believe in EQUALITY between all forms of LIFE
AHIMSA: "NON-VIOLENCE
in all parts of a person -- mental, verbal &
physical." Committing any act of violence against a human,
animal, or even vegetable generates negative karma which in turn
adversely affects one's next life.
Satya: speaking truth; avoiding falsehood
Asteya: to not steal from others
Brahma-charya: (soul conduct); remaining sexually monogamous to
one's spouse only
Aparigraha: detach from people, places and material things.
Avoiding the collection of excessive material possessions, abstaining
from over-indulgence, restricting one's needs, etc.
Jains follow a VEGETARIAN
DIET. (At least one information source incorrectly
states that they follow a “frutarian” diet -- the practice of
only eating that which will not kill the plant from which it is
taken (e.g. fruit, nuts, but not carrots, potatoes, rice, etc.)
4- BUDDHISM is the
4th largest RELIGION
in the world with about
365 million followers (6%
of the world's population).
Developed out of
HINDUISM &
JAINISM
5- Siddhartha Gautama lived in the ~5th century BC
and became a spiritual teacher who was given the
honorary title of BUDDHA, or “enlightened one”.
The Buddha taught the MIDDLE PATH that
promoted MEDITATION over rituals, like
Jainism, but did not go to the extreme asceticism that
Jainism does.
6- Buddha taught the FOUR NOBLE
TRUTHS, which explore human suffering along
with the EIGHTFOLD PATH that is a method
to achieve liberation from REINCARNATION.
Buddhists follow these teachings but the do NOT
WORSHIP Buddha. In this way many consider
Buddhism more of a PHILOSPHY than an actual
religion.
7- Although Buddhism began in India,
Most Buddhists live in EAST &
SOUTHEAST Asia today.
SRI LANKA & BHUTAN are mostly
Buddhist.
Baha'i
Founded by Baha'u'llah in 19th-century Persia, Baha’i is a monotheistic
religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. Three core
principles establish a basis for Baha'i teachings and doctrine: the unity of
God, that there is only one God who is the source of all creation; the unity
of religion, that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come
from the same God; and the unity of humanity, that all humans have been
created equal, and that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of
appreciation and acceptance.
Parsi –or- Zoroastrian
Zoroaster taught that good and evil were opposite forces and
that it was a person's duty to make a choice between the two.
Zoroaster followers were persecuted in their native Persia and
fled to the Mumbai area of India – there they took on the
name Parsi (Persian)
8- Islam in South Asia
a) Islam came to South Asia when MUSLIM rulers known as
MOGULS conquered India in the 1500’s
b) Many people in South Asia converted to ISLAM as an escape
from the CASTE SYSTEM.
c) Islam is the 2nd largest religion in India & the MAJORITY religion
in PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH & MALDIVES
d) Follow the teachings of Prophet MOHAMMED, which were
written into their sacred book, the KORAN (Qur'an)
Today there is a substantial population of
Muslims throughout much of South Asia
Muslim
Population by
Percentage
120.00%
Muslim
Population in
Raw Numbers
200,000,000
180,000,000
100.00%
160,000,000
140,000,000
80.00%
120,000,000
60.00%
100,000,000
80,000,000
40.00%
60,000,000
40,000,000
20.00%
20,000,000
0.00%
0
Maldives
Pakistan
Bangladesh
India
Maldives
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
9- Key MUSLIM Beliefs
5 PILLARS
1. ALLAH is God
(MONOTHEISM)
2. CHARITY (Zakat)
3. FASTING during Ramadan
4. PILGRIMAGE to MECCA ,
Saudi Arabia(Hajj)
5. PRAY 5 times a day
10- SIKHISM
• Founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538), who
received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. In
many ways Sikhism COMBINES elements of Hinduism and
Islam.
• Sikhs believe in a strict MONOTHEISM. They rejected
IDOL worship, and officially reject the Hindu concept of
CASTE.
• Sikhs believe in REINCARNATION.
11- Sikh Practice
• Kirpan (dagger) is the symbol of Sikhism - it shows their
ideal of the SOLDIER-SAINT.
• BAPTIZED Sikhs wear TURBANS, and are
recognized by the 5 Ks: uncut hair, small wooden comb, steel
bracelet, dagger, and an undergarment called a kacchera.
• Sikhs believe in 10 prophets, called GURU. Their holy
book is considered to be their 10th guru.
12- Sikhism
• 75% of Sikhs live in the PUNJAB, provinces in
India & Pakistan
• Sikhs have a long history of serving in the
MILITARY, first under the Sikh Empire, then
under the British during colonialism, and now with the
Indian Government.
Judaism
• Although only about 400 Jews live in India,
they have a long history of living in South
Asia.
13- Christianity in South Asia
• Christians believe in 1 God (MONOTHEIST)
• Originated in ISRAEL (Southwest Asia)
• Christians believe JESUS was God who came to
Earth to SAVE people from their SINS by dying on
a CROSS.
• LARGEST religion in the world, with 2.2 billion
people are Christian, but only 2% of Indians are
Christian
14- Christianity in India
•
•
Tradition says that soon after Jesus’s Resurrection, St. Thomas
the Disciple, went to India to spread the Gospel.
Missionaries, such as St. Francis Xavier who co-founded the Jesuit
Order, also evangelized India.
• In the 20th century MOTHER TERESA of
Kolkata also tried to spread Christianity in India by
serving the poorest of the poor, including those who were
dying.
• Many Indian-Christians follow the
MALANKARA -CATHOLIC
traditions
UPFRONT: INDIA at a CROSSROADS
FELLOWSHIP
• Type of grant for educators that pays for research
an area in depth
• Applied for, like admission to college or scholarships
• (13) Chosen from applicant pool
• Promise to share research in return for the help in
doing research (presentations & article writing, etc.)
TRAVEL VISA
• Permission from the country for a non-citizen
to enter it
• Outsourced processing by Travisa
– References in India
– Prove you are NOT from Pakistan
MEDICAL CONCERNS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tetanus Booster
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Mumps-Measles & Rubella
Polio
Typhoid
• Malaria Pills
Varanasi
Trains
Schools
Rural Areas
Cricket
Monsoon
New Delhi
Madurai
Hyderabad
Amritsar
Mumbai (Bombay)
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Varanasi
Agra