Transcript Religions SE Asia presentation ordered

Religions of Southeast Asia
• Buddhism
• Philosophy of Confucianism
• Hinduism
• Shintoism
•
Islam
Birthplaces of Twelve Major Living Religions
Buddhism in Southeast Asia
• Buddhism is one of the important religions of mainland SE
Asia – 360 million adherents worldwide
• Founded in Northeast India in 6th c. BC by Siddhartha
Gautama
• After Siddhartha’s “awakening” or enlightenment, he came
to be called the Buddha (The Enlightened One)
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In the 3rd c. BC Buddhist missionaries traveled throughout
India to Sri Lanka and beyond to most of SE Asia.
• Buddhism began to lose influence in India in the 8 BC. due
to the rise of Hinduism and Islam
Buddha’s Birthplace and Dispersion of Buddhism to
East Asia
Buddha’s Early Teachings: Four Noble Truths
 The truth of suffering,
 The truth of the cause of suffering,
 The truth of the end of suffering,
 The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.
Buddhist Practices
 Meditation - Mental
concentration and mindfulness
 Mantras - Sacred sounds
 Mudras - Symbolic hand gestures
 Prayer Wheels - Reciting mantras
with the turn of a wheel
Burmese Monks
Burmese Nuns
Confucianism in South East Asia
• Confucianism developed in China: a belief system begun by
the moral philosopher, Confucius (551 BC –479 BC)
• Confucianism is a complex set of beliefs emphasizing
harmony, stability, consensus, hierarchy and authority
• There is no priesthood and no formal ritual
• Confucian ideas still have a profound effect in Vietnam,
Singapore, and among Chinese in cities throughout the
region
• There are approximately 6 million Confucians in the world.
Almost all are in SE Asia.
MAIN TENETS OF CONFUCIANISM
• The Sacred Past: Confucius believed people should study the
past to understand how to behave and be virtuous.
• The Social Code (Relationships): Political relationships are
like family relationships, but larger. Rulers should behave
toward their subjects they way fathers do with their children.
Certain rituals of the past should be followed with this code.
• Self-Improvement: Strive to become a virtuous man. If all
become virtuous, there will be harmony in society.
Confucianism
Origins of Hinduism
• Hinduism originated in India; it spread to SE Asia, and other
parts of the world
• It is considered one of the oldest religions in the world and
can be traced to 2000 BC
• In the 1st c. AD, Hinduism was spread throughout SE Asia by
Indian traders who established marketing centers on their
routes
• Today, there are approximately 900 million practicing
Hindus
World Dispersion of the Hindu
Community
Beliefs of Hinduism
• Believe in a Supreme God – Brahman – the force present in all
things
• Every living thing has a soul
• Central belief involves cycle of birth, death and rebirth
(reincarnation) controlled by Karma • Karma is the belief that one’s actions have good or bad
consequences
• Life should be lived according to the dharma (code of conduct)
Practices of Hinduism
 The Ganges is considered sacred, the home of the goddess
Ganga
• annual pilgrimages to the many temples and shrines
located along its shores
• Drink, bathe, and, after death, have their ashes scattered
in the river.
• Bathing in the Ganges is a purifying ritual to wash away
sins
• spreading one's ashes in the water upon death may
improve one's karma and hasten salvation.
Shintoism in SE Asia
• Shintoism is the indigenous religion of Japan
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Approximately 3-4 million adherents worldwide
•
Contains aspects of Buddhism and Toaism – mixture of religious traditions
• “Shinto" means "way of the kami." Shinto beliefs focus on the existence and
power of the kami, or gods, that exist in the world, in nature, and
especially in and throughout Japan.
• A diverse and ancient set of traditional and ritual practices that create
and express the natural relationship between the Shinto gods (called "kami")
and the people and places of Japan.
• Shinto rituals performed at shrines by male priests - Purification rituals are
common
• Many national festivals (matsuri) revolve around Shinto beliefs and celebrate
the seasons, Japanese history, and other Japanese events and traditions
Shintoism does NOT have:
a formal founder
written documents before the 8th century CE
list of formalized ethics
system of dogmatic beliefs or creeds
specific holy book
Shinto Shrines
Origins of Islam in Southeast Asia
• Islam’s roots in SE Asia are debated: some argue that Islam came
directly from Arabia in the Middle East; some say Islam came
from India via the Middle East; others claim Islam was brought
to SE Asia through Muslim Chinese traders
• Islam arrived in SE Asia sometime in the 13th c. long after
Hinduism, Animism and Buddhism
• Islam in SE Asia influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism
• There is great Islamic diversity throughout SE Asia due to the
mix of religious traditions
Review of Islam
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Muhammad is the founder
Holy Book is called the Koran (Quran)
Arabic is the sacred language
Worship in a mosque
Imam leads the worship
Mecca is a Holy City
5 Pillars
Sunni – majority – any holy man could be the
leader after Muhammad
• Shite – minority – the next leader has to be a
descendant of Muhammed
Islam in Southeast Asia today
•
Indonesia most populous Islamic country in the world
(90% Muslim)
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Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and India also have
large Muslim populations
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1.3 billion adherents worldwide
Asian
Religions
Works Cited
Carroll, Beverly J. “Shinto Basics.” World-Religions-Professor.com. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
“Confucianism.” http://www.freehostingguru.com/. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
“Confucianism: The Philosophy Explained.”
http://www.mitchellteachers.org/confucius/philosophy/
ConfucianPhilosophyNotesHandout.pdf/.
Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
Kleinmeyer, Cindy. “Religions of South East Asia.” Northern Illinois University.
June, 2004. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.