Transcript Eastern Religions

Eastern Religions
It both is and is not;
neither is, nor is not.
Hinduism
The Worlds Oldest
continuously practiced
relgion.
Polytheistic or
Henotheistic
Literally means “eternal
law
Hinduism is formed of
diverse traditions and
has no single founder
Buddhism
The Buddha — the "Awakened
One" — called the religion he
founded Dhamma-vinaya — "the
doctrine and discipline."
Shortly after his Awakening, the
Buddha delivered his first sermon,
in which he laid out the essential
framework upon which all his later
teachings were based.
This framework consists of the
Four Noble Truths, four
fundamental principles of nature
(Dhamma) that emerged from the
Buddha's honest assessment of
the human condition.
He taught these truths not as
metaphysical theories or as
articles of faith, but as categories
by which we should frame our
direct experience in a way that
conduces to Awakening
The Four Noble truths and eightfold
Path
1. Dukkha: Suffering exists:
The first truth is that life is suffering i.e. life
includes pain, getting old, disease, and
ultimately death. We also endure
psychological suffering like loneliness
frustration, boredom, fear, embarrassment,
disappointment and anger.
2. Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering.
The second truth is that suffering is caused
by craving and the needing to control things.
It can take many forms: the desire for fame;
the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations,
like fear, anger or jealousy.
3. Nirodha: There is an end to suffering.
The third truth is that suffering can be
overcome and happiness can be attained;
that true happiness and contentment are
possible. lf let go of our craving and learn to
live each day at a time (not dwelling in the
past or the imagined future) then we can
become happy and free. We then have more
time and energy to help others. This is
Nirvana.
4. Magga: In order to end suffering, you
must follow the Eightfold Path.
The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path
is the path which leads to the end of suffering
Eightfold path:
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right
Contemplation
Therevada
Theravada, the "Doctrine of
the Elders," is the school of
Buddhism that draws its
scriptural inspiration from the
Tipitaka, or Pali canon, which
scholars generally agree
contains the earliest surviving
record of the Buddha's
teachings. For many
centuries, Theravada has
been the predominant religion
of continental Southeast Asia
(Thailand, Myanmar/Burma,
Cambodia, and Laos) and Sri
Lanka. Today Theravada
Buddhists number well over
100 million worldwide. In
recent decades Theravada
has begun to take root in the
West.
Mahayana
Mahayana Buddhism
emerged in the first century
CE as a more liberal,
accessible interpretation of
Buddhism.
As the "Greater Vehicle"
(literally, the "Greater OxCart"), Mahayana is a path
available to people from all
walks of life - not just monks
and ascetics.
Mahayana Buddhism is the
primary form of Buddhism in
North Asia and the Far East, n
as Northern Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhists accept
the Pali Canon as sacred
scripture with the
Theravadans, but also many
other works, called the Sutras.
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna
Buddhism founded by the
Buddhist monk Bodhidharma.
The word Zen is from the
Japanese pronunciation of the
Chinese word Chán (禪), which in
turn is derived from the Sanskrit
word dhyāna, which can be
approximately translated as
"meditation" or "meditative state."
Zen emphasizes wisdom in the
attainment of enlightenment. As
such, it de-emphasizes theoretical
knowledge in favor of meditation.
The emergence of Zen as a
distinct school of Buddhism was
first documented in China in the
7th century CE. From China, Zen
spread south to Vietnam, and east
to Korea and Japan.
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion
that prescribes a path of nonviolence towards all living
beings.
Its philosophy and practice
emphasize the necessity of selfeffort to move the soul towards
divine consciousness and
liberation.
Any soul that has conquered its
own inner enemies and
achieved the state of supreme
being is called a jina
("conqueror" or "victor").
Historians date the foundation
of the organized or present form
of Jainism to sometime between
the 9th and the 6th century BC.
Jainism may have had its roots
in the Indus Valley Civilization.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic
religion founded during the 15th
century in the Punjab region, by
Siri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is the
fifth-largest organized religion in
the world and one of the fastestgrowing.
This system of religious
philosophy and expression has
been traditionally known as the
Gurmat (literally 'of the gurus').
Punjab of India is the only region
in the world with a majority Sikh
population.
Sikhs embody the qualities of a
"Sant-Sipahie"—a saint-soldier.
One must have control over one's
internal vices and be able to be
constantly immersed in virtues
clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhi advocates the pursuit of
salvation through disciplined,
personal meditation on the name
and message of God.