Transcript The People and Religions of Asia


 Buddhism
 Began in India
 Started by Siddhartha
Gautama - rich young
man
 500 B.C.
 Born rich tried to deal
with poverty and
suffering

 Buddhism
 Troubled by “why
people suffer”
 Wandered as a monk
 Stopped wandering
 Meditated –
Concentrate really hard

 The Buddha
 Discovered that to be
happy one must reject
greed and desire
 He accepted Hinduism
and Reincarnation
 Rejected the Caste System
and need for priests
 The people called him
“Buddha” or
“Enlightened One”
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 Four Noble Truths
 Sutras-holy writings for
Buddhism
 1. There will always be
pain
 2. Suffering is caused by
greed and desire
 3. By giving up greed
and desire will end
suffering
 4. To achieve Nirvana a
pure state one must
follow the “The Middle
Way.”
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 The Middle Way
 The Eightfold Path – (eight rules
of conduct)
1.
Try to recognize the truth
2.
Try to avoid evil actions and
bad people
3.
Do not say things that hurt
others
4.
Respect other people and their
belongings
5.
Choose a job that does no harm
to others
6.
Do not think evil thoughts
7.
Avoid excitement or anger
8.
Work at meditation, thinking
carefully about what matters.

 What Buddha believed?
 Believed in unselfishness
 Did not believe in Gods
or see the need for priests
 Felt a man could change
evil to good if he followed
the Middle Way
 Eventually one would
achieve perfect peace

 Buddhism today
 6% of the world is
Buddhist
 4th largest religion
 Practiced in
Southern and
Eastern Asia
 Practiced around
the world

 Hinduism
 One of the oldest
religions in the world
 Developed in India
 Taken from the Aryans
 Aryans group that
invaded India 1500B.C.

 Books of Hinduism
 Hymns and rituals known
as the Vedas, of the Book
of Knowledge
 Vedas Holy Book
 4 Books
 Vedas – hymns, prayers
and spells
 Rig Veda – oldest book
 Brahmans – for priests
 Upanishads

 Hinduism
 Polytheism – many
gods
 All gods are part of
Brahman
 Brahman – Supreme
God
 Believe all living things
have souls
 Cows are sacred
 Many are vegetarians

 Reincarnation
 Reincarnation – The
belief that souls don’t
die but are reborn
 They can come back as
people or animals
 Good is rewarded with
better life
 Evil is rewarded with
worse life

 Souls are reincarnated
again and again until
they are united with
Brahman
 Karma – Your actions
follow you in life

 The Caste System
 Social class is
hereditary (inherited)
 Social class does not
change
 Improved in next life

 The Caste System
 Social groups ranked
highest to lowest.
 1. Priests
 2. Warriors/Rulers
 3. Skilled workers,
Merchants, Officials
 4. Unskilled labor/
servants

 Untouchables
 Below all the caste
 Do the jobs most won’t
do
 They are outcastes
(outside of castes)
 Poor and unfortunate
 Can’t interact outside
their caste

 No charity for
Untouchables
 Don’t help them
 They are to remain that
way because they are
punished for their past
life
 No charity for them
 Shinto
Japan’s Earliest
religion
Means, “Way of
the
Gods”

Worship Kami –
divine spirits
Spirits live in
beautiful places
Live in some
mountains and
streams
Stress virtue of
cleanliness
 Practices
Pray
and
perform

rituals to Kami and
other spirits
Does not stress life
after death
Most Japanese
have alter to spirits
for help and
protection

 Shinto - Religion
Worship
nature
Once the
official religion
of Japan
not many
followers
 Confucianism
Confucianism is not a
religion it is a

philosophy
Confucius was born
around 550 BC
Important scholar in
Chinese history
Believed the key to
peace was good
behavior

 Confucianism
Believed in the
Golden Rule
“What you do
not like when
done unto
yourself, do not
unto others.”
5 relationships or
interactions between
people
1. ruler and subject
 Confucianism belief 2. Father and son
3. Husband and wife
4. Older brother and
younger brother
5. friend and friend
If all relationships were
based on kindness the
world is at peace

121 BC Wudi, Han
emperor made it
official philosophy of

 Confucianism and the China
Empire of China
Emperor hired
Confucians
Lasted for 2000 years
until 1949 when
Communists took
over China

 Confucianism and
Modern China
Many still
believe the
philosophy
Chinese
believe in
treating others
fairly
Summary

 Explain the basic practices and beliefs of each of the
following religions and philosophy.
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Buddhism
Hinduism
Shintoism
Confucianism