* Be able to compare & contrast Hinduism & Buddhism.
Hinduism:
Know who the Aryans were
Know basic beliefs about dharma, karma, reincarnation & moksha & how they relate to the caste system
Buddhism:
Know central value of Buddhism: compassion
Understand the 4 Noble Truths & that all suffering comes from desire
Understand the Buddhist ideas of impermanence & interdependence
Know what Mindfulness is
*Be able to describe the ego & how Buddhists view it
Know who Asoka was, & why he is important to Buddhism & Indian history
Know the 2 major “schools” of Buddhism, & which is the oldest
Know the 3 Buddhist symbols & what they mean (Endless Knot, Lotus Flower & Wheel)
* Possible essay topic
BUDDHISM: NOTES FOR FRIDAY'S TEST
Compassion - awareness of the suffering of others and the wish to relieve it
(This is the basic value emphasized in Buddhism)
HISTORY:
Founder - Siddhartha Gautama (India/Nepal 563 BC):
Born as Hindu prince; sheltered childhood
Saw suffering; questioned why?
Left family to understand suffering
Meditated under “Bodhi Tree” where he became enlightened
Became known as “The Buddha”, “the Awakened One”
Buddhist View of World:
1) Impermanence – nothing lasts forever
2) Interdependence – all things are linked together through law of cause & effect (Karma)
Meditation – way to reach enlightenment (great understanding of reality)
What Buddhists Do:
Practice Mindfulness – paying attention to your thoughts, feelings & senses at all times
Complete mindfulness – enlightenment
Ego – the idea of ourselves as separate from other beings
Leads to selfish thoughts & wants = suffering
Buddhists stress interdependence & try to live without ego
Main Buddhist Teaching: Four Noble Truths
1) Suffering Exists
2) The cause of suffering is desire & attachments
3) Eliminating desire will end suffering
4) The way to end desire is through the Eight-fold Path
The Eight-fold Path is the way to reach enlightenment
THE EIGHT-FOLD PATH
Wisdom
Right View – know the truth about suffering (4 Noble Truths)
Right Intention – resist self-centeredness
Moral Discipline
Right Speech – no unkind, negative speech
Right Action – respect all life
Right Livelihood – work for the good of others
Mental Discipline
Right Effort – work to free the mind of evil (egocentric thought)
Right Awareness – control your thoughts
Right Meditation – practice the discipline of meditation
The Eightfold Path is not a series of steps to follow in a row!
That’s why it is symbolized by a wheel.
BUDDHIST SYMBOLS
WHEEL: symbolizes Eight-fold Path, the 8 spokes remind us that the 8 steps are all to be followed together
LOTUS FLOWER: symbolizes everyone’s ability to reach enlightenment – the flower rises above the muck
to blossom; our minds can rise above selfish desires & reach enlightenment
ENDLESS KNOT: reminds us that all things are interconnected & interdependent
Asoka Maurya
· Indian emperor; unites most of India; converts to Buddhism after winning a battle
· Creates laws based on buddhist ideas & carves them into stone pillars - Rock Edicts
· Laws are translated into many local langs.
· Kind ruler, allows freedom of religion
· Built stupas - buddhist shrines containing holy relics
· Asoka sent missionaries to spread Buddhism
· After Asoka dies, India returns to many warring kingdoms
Schools of Buddhism
Theravada- The “Way of the Elders”
Oldest school of Buddhism
Found in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, etc.)
Closer to Buddha’s original teachings
Mahayana - The “Great Vehicle”
Developed first century C.E.
Found in Northern Asia (China, Japan, etc.)
Many types (Tibetan, zen, etc)
Mixed with local customs (Buddha a god in some)
COMPARING & CONTRASTING HINDUISM & BUDDHISM
Hinduism Both Buddhism
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No single founder
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Belief in reincarnation & karma
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Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
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Many Gods & Goddesses
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Use meditation
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No gods or goddesses
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Caste System
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Begin in India
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No Caste system – stresses equality
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Many rituals
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Buddha was against rituals
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Moksha
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Nirvana
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Study Guide For HINDUISM Quiz:
Terms to know: nomad, Aryan, Vedas, Varna, caste system, ahimsa, dharma, karma, reincarnation, moksha
The Roots of Hinduism : the Vedic Age (1500BCE – 500BCE)
Aryans were tribal herders who moved into India from the north & brought their culture with them.
Aryans were: nomadic herders à followed their cattle.
warriors à horse-drawn chariots.
Aryans spoke Sanskrit - Eventually developed a written form
Holy works were put into writings called “Vedas” (Books of Knowledge)
The Vedas
* 1200 BCE-600 BCE.
* formed Hindu core of beliefs:
· hymns and poems.
· religious prayers.
· magical spells.
· lists of the gods & goddesses.
The invading Aryans brought a system of 4 main social classes, or varnas:
This social heirarchy became known as the Caste System.
priests, or Brahmans;
warriors, or Kshatriyas;
merchants & farmers, or Vaisyas;
& unskilled laborers and servants, or Sudras.
At the bottom of the system are:
Pariahs, Dalits (untouchables) - class of people who do “unclean” jobs.
They are so low they are outside of the caste system.
One is born into their caste & cannot change it. There was little or no mixing between castes. Your caste determined what work you could do.
Your caste determines:
- What work you could do
- Who you could marry
- If you could own property
2 Epic Poems : Mahabharata & the Ramayana
* discussed dharma & good & evil
* formed basis of India’s religions
Three Main Gods of Hinduism:
Brahma: the creator
Vishnu: the preserver
Shiva: the destroyer
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