Transcript Eastern Religions

RELIGIONS OF THE EAST
Hinduism and Buddhism
HINDUISM
• Hinduism has no single founder, no single
scripture, no commonly agreed set of
teachings, and no known date of origin
• Hinduism is a way of life
• Very complex with countless gods and
goddesses
• Major religion of India today
Hinduism
• Everything in the universe is part of the
unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force called
Brahman—The ABSOLUTE
• Brahman resides in everything and unites
everything in the universe
• Different gods/goddesses symbolize different
aspects of Brahman
Hindu Gods
Three main gods of Hindu
Brahma—the creator
Vishnu—the preserver
Shiva—the destroyer
The gods can take many forms, human or animal
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Hinduism
• Hinduism believes that every individual has an
essential self or atman
• Ultimate goal of a Hindu is achieving moksha
or union with Brahman
• Moksha gives a person perfect understanding
of all things
• Must free yourself from selfish desires
• World known to our senses is called maya—
this gives people sorrow and pain
Maya
Hinduism
• More than one lifetime required to achieve
moksha
• Believe in reincarnation or the transmigration
or rebirth of the soul in another bodily form
Hinduism
• Get closer to moksha by obeying laws of
Karma—all actions in a person’s life that effect
his or her fate in the next life
• Cycle of rebirth symbolized by the wheel in
Indian art
• Hindu beliefs include the authority of the
Vedas—most ancient religious texts which
define truth for Hindus (passed on orally for
hundreds of years before written down)
Hinduism
• Hinduism stressed the idea of dharma—the
religious and moral duties of an individual to
escape the wheel of fate--code of conduct
• Dharma is the natural universal law whose
observance allows humans to be contented and
happy and avoid degradation and suffering
• Hindus believe that dharma is the very
foundation of life
• Duties vary according to caste—obey and acquire
merit in next life
VEDAS
• Vedas include hymns of praise to God, rituals and
prayers to guide the priests in their duties
(eventually written down in Sanskrit)
• They concern worship and meditation
• Rig-Veda (1028 hymns) are the oldest of the
Vedas
• Important texts include the Upanishads (central
concept is Brahman), Bhagavad Gita (obedience
and duty) which is part of the Mahabharata
(greatest epic poem of India) and Ramayana
(good overcoming evil)
Jainism
• Mahavira, a Hindu teacher founded Jainism
• Jainism is a religion that emphasizes
complete non-violence and asceticism
• Incorporates the traditional Hindu concepts
of karma, reincarnation but rejects the Veda
scriptures, castes and the idea of a creator
god
• Goal of life is to reach liberation by a life of
purification and discipline
JAINISM
• Five Great Vows—1) non-violence 2) Truth 3)
non-stealing 4) celibacy 5) non-possessiveness
• Monks and nuns do not eat when it is dark or
in front of a layperson
• They do not except food that is cooked for
them
• They do not wear shoes or stay in one place
for a prolonged period of time
JAINISM
• Do not touch the opposite sex
• They wear single white clothes or nothing at
all
• Do not create art or get involved in social
matters
• Monks expected to be homeless, shave their
heads and beg for food
JAINISM
• Must be vegetarians or fruitarians (eat only
fruit, nuts and milk)
• During meditation they chant mantras
• All life is sacred even the smallest insect
• Death by starvation is the ultimate for Jains
Hinduism
• Hindus commonly practice yoga—the physical
and mental discipline harmonizing the body
with the soul
• In Hinduism the cow is revered as the source
of food and the symbol of life—should never
be killed
MAURYAN EMPIRE
• Empire divided into provinces which were
ruled by governors appointed by ruler—
subdivided into districts
• Trade flourished—capital city rivaled even the
great Persian cities
• Chandragupta converted to Jainism in later life
• Abdicated after 25 year reign—ascetic who
self-starved
MAURYAN EMPIRE
• Asoka was the third emperor of the Mauryan
dynasty—”reign of virtue”
• Considered ancient India’s greatest ruler and
one of the greatest men in history
• In the history of Buddhism he ranks second
only to Buddha
• His coronation was in the year 269 B.C.E.
• 8 years into his reign he annexed Kalinga
ASOKA’S RULE
• At the bloody battle his army killed over 100,000
people and took 150,000 captives
• Only aggressive war of his reign (believed to have
converted to Buddhism two years prior)
• Four years later he publicly issued edicts
proclaiming his profound sorrow and remorse for
his actions
• Devoted the rest of his life to non-violence—gave
up hunting, royal luxuries and the use of meat in
royal kitchens
ASOKA’S RULE
• Established and endowed hospitals for men
and animals—banyan trees planted on
highways for shade, mango trees were laid to
provide fruit, wells were dug, watering places
constructed and rest houses established
• Declared all his subjects as his children—urged
subjects to practice non-violence and noninjury toward fellowmen and animals; revere
parents, teachers, mendicants and elders
ASOKA’S RULE
• Be kind to inferiors such as servants, serfs, and
beasts of burden; be truthful and respect
beliefs of others (protection of all religions)
• Cruelty to domestic and wild animals was
prohibited
ASOKA’S RULE
• Recorded ethical doctrines by inscribing them
on rocks, sandstone pillars, and cave walls
(Rock Edicts and Pillar Edicts)
• Sent out missionaries to spread Buddhism
• Built over 8,000 temples and 1,000 stupas or
tombs in honor of the Buddha
ASOKA’S RULE
• Central regions of empire governed directly
from capital while outlying domains were
divided among four viceroys
• Council of ministers advised the king
• Proclaimed a non-expansionist policy and
urged peaceful co-existence
GUPTA EMPIRE
• Known as India’s Golden Age
• The Kushan Empire had collapsed and
Chandra Gupta I united most of northern India
• Great period of intellectual advancement
• Literature and art flourished during this period
• In mathematics the Indian numeral system
(commonly known as Arabic numerals) was
developed—first to develop concept of zero
GUPTA EMPIRE
• Developed decimal system based on ten
• In astronomy Indian scholars said the earth is
round and rotated on it’s own axis
• In medicine developed techniques for plastic
surgery
• Indian physicians excelled at caesarean
sections, bone setting, and skin grafting
GUPTA EMPIRE
• In literature great works were written in
Sanskrit including fables and folk tales that
inspired many Islamic literary works (Ali Baba
and Forty Thieves and Aladdin and His Magic
Lamp)
• The Karma Sutra written which is considered
the standard work on human sexual behavior
• The game of chess was believed to have been
developed during this period
GUPTA EMPIRE
• Government was highly decentralized unlike
the Mauryan government
• King at top of hierarchy—entire territory
divided into provinces with a Viceroy
overseeing region
• Villages controlled by headman with a council
of elders—a lot of discretion given to viceroy
• Gupta empire declined due to weak rulers and
invasions
INDIAN CIVILIZATION
• Contributions also include rust-free iron
Buddhism
• Arose in India
• Founded by Siddharta Gautama
• Great Renunciation—gave up all his worldly
possessions to search out questions
• Why does suffering exist?—What is the value
of life and death?
• Became the “Enlightened One” or Buddha
Buddhism
• Developed the idea of the Four Noble Truths
– 1) life is full of suffering, pain and sorrow
– 2) cause of suffering is desire for material things
– 3) cure suffering by overcoming desire
– 4) overcome desire by following the Eightfold
Path
Eightfold Path
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Right view
Right intention
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
• Key to success is the
Middle Way
• Moderation in all things
• Eightfold Path is a way
of life between life
devoted to pleasure
and one based on harsh
self-denial
• Unselfishness is the key
Buddhism
• Honesty, charity and kindness to all living
things
• Avoid evil words and actions
• Ultimate goal is to achieve nirvana or union
with the universe and release from the cycle
of rebirth—brings perfect peace
Comparison between Hinduism and
Buddhism
• Both accept the law of
Karma, dharma,
reincarnation and nonviolence
• Buddhism rejected
Hinduism’s priesthood,
formal rituals, existence
of many gods and caste
system
Buddhism
• Both men and women became followers of
Buddhism
• Complete equality of all believers
• Live in monasteries and convents
• Sacred text is Three Baskets of Wisdom
Schools of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism
• Closely follows original
teachings
• Devote yourself to hard
spiritual work
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Views Buddha as a god
Confucianism
• Founded by Confucius (Kung Fu Zi)
• China’s most influential philosopher/scholar
• Believed that a good society was one that
preserved peace and order among individuals
and between the people and their
government
Confucianism
• Sayings compiled in The Analects
• Concerned with worldly goals to ensure social
order and good government
• Grew up during period of civil war in China
• Chinese civil service exam based on
Confucian teachings
• Chinese government based on Confucian
ideas
Basic Relationships
• Father to son
• Unequal
• Elder brother to
younger brother
• Unequal
• Husband to wife
• Unequal
• Ruler to subject
• Unequal
• Friend to friend
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Older people superior to younger people
Men superior to women
Mother’s of sons should be respected
Everyone in the relationships had duties and
responsibilities
• Correct behavior brings order and stability
• Woman’s duty to ensure stability of family and
promote harmony in the home
Confucianism
• Taught filial piety—respect for one’s parents
and elders above all other duties
• Values of honesty, hard work, reverence to
ancestors and concern for others
Confucianism
• Believed that people are naturally good
• Best ruler was a virtuous man
• Education is very important
Legalism
• Grew out of the teachings of philosopher Han
Fei Zi
• Authoritarian philosophy and demands
unquestioning obedience to authority
• Man is by nature evil
• Greed was motive for most actions and causes
most conflicts
• Achieve order by passing strict laws and
enforce them with harsh punishments
Legalism
• Concerned with politics and believes that a
highly efficient and powerful government is
the key to restoring order
• Rich rewards to those who carry out duties
well
• People are incapable of loyalty, trust and
honesty
• Censorship is ok to be used by government
Daoism
• Founded by Laozi or Old Master
• Wrote The Way of Virtue
• Dao means “the way” which is the universal
force that guides all things—force that can
only be felt
• Goal is to become attuned to the dao
• Person must withdraw from the world and
contemplate nature to understand the dao
Daoism
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Live in harmony with nature
People should not strive for learning, riches or power
Don’t participate in public affairs and shun politics
Rulers should leave the people alone—striving to
make things better tends to make them worse
• People should be allowed to return to the natural
state of ignorance and contentment
• Best government is the one that governs the least
Daoism
• Popular religion with common people
• Magical practices and charms for unseen
forces
• Concerned with a person’s life in this world
• Daoist priests probably invented gunpowder
• Experimented with alchemy—turning
worthless metals into gold
Maurya Empire
• First great Indian empire forged by
Chandragupta Maurya
• Used secret police to maintain control
• Most honored of the Maurya emperors was
Asoka—converted to Buddhism and rejected
violence
• Asoka spread Buddhism outside of India
Chinese Dynasties
• Qin dynasty will be established by Shi Huangdi
or First Emperor
• Based on Legalist principles—used torture,
jails and murder
• Books burned to limit knowledge
• Most remarkable achievement was building
the Great Wall of China (connected old walls
and built new additions)
Chinese Dynasties
• Han dynasty built by Liu Bang (Gao Zua)
• Appointed Confucian scholars as advisors
• Most famous of Han emperors was Wu Ti (Di),
the warrior emperor
• Defeated the Huns
• Opened the great Silk Road (4,000 miles) to
Fertile Crescent