Transcript Eastern Religions

Eastern Religions &
Culture
Religion in South Asia (India)
• Hinduism is the major
religion in India.
• 80% of India’s
population is Hindu.
• Muslims live mainly in
Pakistan, Bangladesh,
and North India
• Religion influences
language & daily
rituals in South Asia.
Hindu Beliefs
• Hinduism teaches that there is a great
spirit who can take the form of many gods.
• Because of this, Hindus consider
themselves monotheistic even though our
curriculum calls them polytheistic.
• To Hindus, all life is holy and all living
things have souls.
• Depending on the way a person lived,
rebirth may return the person into a higher
or lower caste or an animal.
• This belief is referred to as
“reincarnation.”
• Note: Cows are sacred in Hinduism and
many devout Hindus are completely
vegetarian
Hinduism
Grew out the Aryan
culture, the Vedas, and
the work of Brahman
priests
Everyone has a moral
duty: dharma
Good actions are
rewarded and bad ones
punished: karma
People are
reincarnated and
either move up or down
on the caste system
based on their karma
Ultimate goal is to be
reunited with the
universal spirit after
living as Brahman
priest
The Caste Pyramid
The Caste
System
• Castes - social groups traditionally divided
into different levels in India
• Below the caste system were the
“untouchables.” They did the jobs that
caste members did not want to do and
were considered unclean. They were
forced to live separately from others.
• People tended to accept their caste and
work hard wherever they were because
they believed that they could move up to a
higher caste in their next life (according to
Hindu beliefs—reincarnation)
Hinduism
Population Patterns
 22% of the world’s
population live here
A rich, complex mix of
cultures
 Six major religions and
hundreds of languages
Human Characteristics
 India
 Many higher caste/class members
speak English (it’s one of the official
languages—India was formerly a
British colony). Hindi is another
official language spoken by millions.
 Hindu majority
 Also Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Christian
 People belong to one of hundreds of
jati
 Social groups/ classes
 Pakistan and Bangladesh
 Mainly Muslims
 Used to be East and West
Pakistan (split away from India
after the British left b/c of religious
tension)
Urbanization
 Urban populations on the
rise throughout South Asia
 Rapid Urban Growth
 People migrate for better
jobs and higher wages
 Cities are overcrowded
Arts and Recreation
• Arts and Recreation in
South Asia are strongly
influenced by religious
traditions
• Art incorporates
worship of Hindu gods
and goddesses
• Cricket and other
British sports are
popular
• Favorite Indian
pastimes include yoga,
chess, badminton, and
polo
Families
• In most cases, South
Asian marriages are
arranged.
• The woman leaves her
family to live with her
new husband’s
extended family
(including his mother,
father, living
grandparents,
brothers, and
unmarried sisters).
Important Leaders from South
Asia’s past and present
(details to follow in our next unit)
• Mohandas
Gandhi
• Mohammed Ali
Jinnah
• Indira Gandhi
• Jawaharlal
Nehru
• Benazir Bhutto
Moving East…
China’s role
in East Asia
• China has a long and impressive
history of influencing surrounding
nations throughout Southeast Asia.
• It is the largest country in East
Asia and the most highly
populated on Earth.
• It is the third largest country in the
world and is credited with many
inventions still used today.
China’s People
• Communism has changed the
way of life in China. Family
structure has changed
drastically (One Child Policy)
• Chinese language is written in
characters unlike our
alphabet.
• Major beliefs include:
• Confucianism (system of
behavior—not a true
religion)
• Daoism
• Buddhism (most popular in
China)
Lifestyle/Celebrations
Celebrations
 Diwali for Hindus
 Ramadan for Muslims
 Buddhists celebrate the
birth of Buddha
 Chinese New Year
(secular holiday) is
considered “The
Largest Human
Migration” on the planet
yearly
Buddhism
• Buddhism is the majority religion in China.
It was brought to the region by an Indian
prince named Siddhartha Gautama and it
teaches that human suffering is caused by
selfishness or the desire for things.
Buddhism teaches followers to rid
themselves of selfish desires and live in
harmony. Instead of seeking worldly
gains, Siddhartha said that people should
form good thoughts and good behavior.
Siddhartha came to be called the
“Buddha,” which means the “enlightened
one.” Buddhists also believe in
reincarnation.
-Four Noble Truths:
The Four Noble
Truths comprise the essence
of Buddha's teachings,
though they leave much left
unexplained. They are
the truth of suffering,
the truth of the cause of
suffering, the truth of the end
of suffering, and the truth of
the path that leads to the end
of suffering.
-Noble Eight-fold
Path
-seeking
enlightenment
Buddhism
Buddhism
Confucianism
• Confucianism is a set of rules for
behavior established by the great
Chinese philosopher Confucius. He
taught that family members have
responsibilities to one another and
emphasized a respect for learning
because “learning brings us closer
to perfection.” Confucianism is NOT
a religion—it is a belief in how one
should behave and how society
should function.
Daoism
• Daoism is a religion founded by
Laozi who lived during the same
time as Confucius. “Dao”
literally means “the way” and
teaches to accept calmly
whatever fate brings. It also
teaches that you should leave
things alone and try not to
change them.
Arts and Recreation in
China
• Landscape painting
and use of ink and
watercolor are
popular.
• Socialist realism is
a type of art that
serves the masses
and supports
communism.
• Popular East Asian
recreations include
swimming, table
tennis, and martial
arts.
The Traditional and the
Modern
• Family loyalty
• Large families with many
generations
• Agrarian society
• Foot-binding era of
women
• Written language in
characters
• Religion/beliefs:
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Buddhism
•
•
•
•
•
•
State loyalty
One child policy
Rise of Industry
Changing role of women
Pinyin
There is limited to no
religion
Communism and Mao
The Chinese Communist Party was founded in 1921.
• People wanted social reform
• They wanted to fight western imperialism
Mao became Chairman after the Long March.
The Long March served as a symbol of the dedication
of the revolutionaries to the CCP.
1949, established Peoples Republic of China after
overthrowing the nationalist party in a civil war
China was hopeful and wanted to change its world
image.
Mao’s Hundred Flowers Movement, Great Leap Forward,
and Cultural Revolution proved unsuccessful.
Japan’s People and
Their Beliefs
• Japanese consider themselves to be a
homogeneous (all of the same or similar
kind or nature) group.
• Almost all Japanese belong to the SAME
ethnic group, speak the SAME language,
share the SAME history and have SIMILAR
values.
• They take great pride in being the same.
Individuality is not emphasized in their
culture like it is here in the USA.
Feudal Japan
Religion in Japan
• Most people in Japan are (all at once) • Shinto - belief in kami, or spirits
• Buddhist - believe that suffering is caused by
selfishness
• Confucian - belief system that emphasizes the
importance of honoring one’s parents, of being
honest, respecting others, working hard and
acquiring learning
Shinto
• Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous
faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan
herself. It is only found in Japan.
• Shinto is based on belief in, and worship of, kami
• sacred spirits which take the form of things and
concepts important to life, such as wind, rain,
mountains, trees, and rivers
• Humans become kami after they die and are
revered by their families as ancestral kami.
• So to review, Japanese believe that
there are spirits (kami) in nature and
Characteristic features of
Shinto
•
Shinto regards the world as fundamentally a good place and human beings
as fundamentally good.
•
Shinto has no founder
•
Shinto has no all seeing, all knowing, eternal, creator God
•
Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion
• Many Japanese follow Buddhism as well as Shinto and for much of
history Shinto and Buddhism were effectively combined in Japan.
•
Shinto has no tradition of missionary work or making converts.
It is
part of Japanese culture uniquely and is only found in
Japan.
Values
• Many Japanese
believe society is
more important
than any one
person.
• At an early age
children in Japan
are taught loyalty
and respect for the
common good (the
group is more
important than the
individual)
Duty and Loyalty
• Responsibility is an important concept in
Japanese culture.
• It is believed that everyone has a certain
position in society and certain
responsibilities.
• People are taught they have special
responsibilities or duties to their families
and their leaders.
• Failure to do one’s duty causes a person to
“lose face.” This brings shame and
disgrace to the entire family.
Origin of tradition of
respect
• Japanese
values of
RESPECT and
LOYALTY
evolved from
the traditions
associated
with samurai
warriors.
Samurai
• Samurai (or bushi)
were members of
the military class,
they were
Japanese warriors.
• They used a variety
of weapons such
as bows and
arrows, spears and
guns; their most
famous weapon
and symbol was
the sword.
Bushido
•
•
Samurai were to live their lives according to the ethic code of bushido
(“the way of the warrior”)
Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one’s master, selfdiscipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
•
The samurai's loyalty to the emperor and his overlord, or daimyo, was
unsurpassed.
•
They were trustworthy and honest.
•
They lived frugal lives with no interest in riches and material things, but
rather they were interested in honor and pride.
•
They were men of true valor.
•
Samurai had no fear of death.
•
•
They would enter any battle no matter the odds.
To die in battle would only bring honor to one's family and one's lord.
Death and Dishonor
•
Samurai would commit suicide for a variety of reasons
including:
• avoiding capture in battle
• to mourn the loss of their daimyo
• to regain honor after committing a misdeed or
unworthy act
•
Seppuku--or disembowelment or hara-kiri (belly slicing)-is when a samurai stabs a knife into his abdomen and
literally disembowels himself by cutting out his guts.
•
After the samurai disembowels himself another samurai,
usually a kinsman or friend, slices his head off.
•
A samurai would rather kill himself than bring shame and
disgrace to his family name and his lord. This was
considered an act of true honor.