Transcript Roots of Hinduism and Buddhism

Roots of Hinduism
and Buddhism
Chapter 2
Section 2
Page 62
Some Background
Knowledge…
 Migrating people from the steppes are called
Indo- Europeans
 The steppes are dry grasslands in Asia
 These people were nomads who herded cattle,
sheep and goats
 Indo-Europeans lived in tribes and spoke own
languages
 These languages are the roots of many
languages spoken today
Aryans In India
 One group of IndoEuropeans were the
Aryans
 They crossed over
northwest mountains
passes into the Indus
River Valley of India
 The Aryans (meaning
“the nobles” in their
native language) called
people in India dasas
(meaning “dark”)
because of the color of
their skin
Blending Religions
 At first, the Aryans and non-Aryans followed
own forms of religion
 As the two groups intermingled, the gods and
forms of their religion started to blend together
 Blending resulted in the worship of thousands
of gods
 Different ways of living and beliefs would make
life complicated for both groups
Hinduism Develops Over
Centuries
 A collection of beliefs developed over a
long period of time
 Scholars have tried to organize the many
popular cults, gods, and traditions into
one big system of belief
 Difficult task because Hinduism can’t be
traced to one founder like in Christianity
or Islam.
Origins and Beliefs
 Hindus see religion as a way of liberating
the soul of everyday disappointments
and mistakes
 Between 750 and 550 B.C. Hindu
teachers tried to explain the hidden
meaning of Vedic (sacred book) hymns
 The dialogues between Hindu teacher
and student were later written down and
became known as the Upanishads
The Upanishads
 The teacher and student explore how a person
can be liberated from suffering and desires
 This is described as moksha- a state of perfect
understanding of all things
 This understanding doesn’t come in one
lifetime, usually through reincarnation
 A soul’s karma (good or bad deed’s) follow’s
through all lifetimes
Hinduism and Changes
 Over the last 2500 years, Hindus have
worshiped many gods
 Today, Hindus may choose the deity (supreme
being) they wish to worship, or choose none at
all
 They are also free to choose the path of
moksha through either:
 the path of right thinking,
 path of right action
 path of religious devotion
Holy Cow!
In Hinduism, the cow is a symbol
of wealth, strength, abundance,
selfless giving and a full Earthly life
Today, in Hindu-majority countries like India and
Nepal, bovine milk holds a key part of religious
rituals. For some, it is customary to boil milk on
a stove or lead a cow through the house as
part of a housewarming ceremony. In honor of
their exalted status, cows often roam free,
even along (and in) busy streets in major cities
such as Delhi. In some places, it is considered
good luck to give one a snack, or fruit before
breakfast. In places where there is a ban on
cow slaughter, a person can be jailed for killing
or injuring a cow.
 In the US children think that they can grow up
to become anyone they want-firefighter, brain
surgeon, teacher, rapper
 Under the ancient caste system in India,
people were born into strict social positions
called castes
 Their children belonged to the same social
class
 Under the caste system, parents knew the
jobs their kids would hold even before the
kids were born.
The Caste System
 According to the Hindu religion, society should
be divided into four broad classes called
VARNAS.
 A person had the same varna that his or her
parents had. And he or she had it from birth to
death — there was no way to change it.
 Hindus did not question the varna system. It
was simply considered a part of the way the
universe works.
 Hindus rank the four
varnas from highest
to lowest. In
descending order of
importance and
prestige, they are the
BRAHMIN, the
KSHATRIYA, the
VAISYA, and the
SUDRA.
The Untouchables
 There is a fifth major class in Hinduism, but it is
considered so low that it doesn't even qualify
as a varna.
 Most people call it the "UNTOUCHABLE" class
because its members are forbidden to touch
anyone who belongs to one of the four varnas.
 If a Brahmin priest touches an untouchable, he
or she must go through a ritual in which the
pollution is washed away.
 "The ‘untouchable’ in India was not only low in
occupational and other privileges, but was
considered unclean in the eyes of the
intermediate and higher caste.
New Religions
 During this period of speculation, two
new religions arise: Jainism and
Buddhism
Jainism
 Jains believed
everything in the
universe has a soul and
should not be harmed
 Jains swept ants out of
their path and wore
masks so they wouldn’t
accidently inhale any
insects, thus killing them
 Jains have a tradition in
working in the trades or
commerce to avoid
violence
Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama- founder of Buddhismwas born into a noble family
 Growing up he had markings of a great man,
such as webbed toes and fingers and a
unibrow
 To ensure greatness, his father followed
prophesy and kept him inside, and he was only
allowed to leave his palace four times
 Siddhartha always wondered about the world
outside
 Siddhartha decided to spend life
searching for religious truth and an end
to suffering
 Wandered through the forests of India
for six years seeking enlightenment
 He meditated under a large fig tree for
49 days
 He achieved an understanding of the
cause of suffering in the world
 From then on, he was known as the
Buddha, meaning “the enlightened one”
Four Noble Truths
 Anyone could reach nirvana- the Buddha’s
word for release from selfishness and pain, by
following the Eightfold Path
 The Eightfold Path was like a staircase, and
those seeking enlightenment had top master
one step at a time
 This was the Fourth Noble Truth
*What are the Four Noble Truths? Go to page 64
The Religious Community
 Sangha refers to the entire religious community
 The sangha, the Buddha and the dharma
(Buddhist law) make up the “Three Jewels” of
Buddhism
 Every day, Buddhists around the world
recognize the importance of the Three Jewels
of their faith by declaring “I take refuge in the
Buddha. I take refuge in the law. I take refuge
in the community.
 Many of Buddha's early followers were the
‘untouchable’s’ because Buddha rejected the
idea of a caste system
 He allowed woman into religious orders, but
was worried about the distraction it would
cause for the men
 Monks and nuns took vows to live a life of
poverty and never marry
 They wandered throughout India, spreading
Buddha’s messages
 The teachings of Buddha were written down
after his death
 As Buddhism spread throughout parts of
Asia, ironically it didn’t gain strength in
India, where it originated
 One theory is Hinduism absorbed
Buddhism
 The two religions constantly influenced
each other
 India has always been an important place
for pilgrimages for Buddhists
 Even today, Buddhists flock to places
associated with the Buddha’s life
 The pilgrims circle around a sacred
object moving in clockwise direction
 They also lie face down leaving flowers
 These three signs: circling a shrine, lying
face down as a sign of humility, and
offering flowers are important rituals in
Buddhist worship
Trade
 Even though missionaries successfully spread
Buddhism, it was traders who carried the
message of Buddhism past South East Asia
through trade routes
 Throughout history, trade has been a powerful
force of spreading ideas
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOC_ntKi3jc