* 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

No single founder	Belief in reincarnation & karma	Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
Many Gods & Goddesses	Use meditation	No gods or goddesses
Caste System	Begin in India	No Caste system – stresses equality
Many rituals		Buddha was against rituals
Moksha		Nirvana

 

 

 

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