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Asian Religious Traditions.pdf
This document provides an overview of several Asian religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. It describes the origins and basic beliefs of Hinduism, such as the Aryan migration to India around 1500 BCE, the Vedic scriptures, concepts of dharma, karma and samsara, and the caste system. For Buddhism, it outlines the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path taught by Gautama Buddha in the 5th century BCE. It also briefly discusses key figures, sacred texts, places and symbols in both Hinduism and Buddhism before noting some branches of Buddhism and the Period of Warring States in China.
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Asian Religious Traditions.pdf
- 1.
- 2. Aryan Migration • Indo-European pastoralnomads • crossed Hindu Kush into India c. 1500 BCE
- 3. c. 1500-500 BCE= Vedic Age • Vedas = songs, hymns, and prayers honoring Aryan gods • Rig Veda = passed orally, then written in Sanskrit c. 600 BCE
- 4. Sacred texts: • Upanishads •Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad Gita) • Kamasutra
- 5. Basic beliefs • Brahman= the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe, beyond the reach of human perception and thought • reincarnation of atman (the inner soul) • karma: impersonal cosmic force; sum good or bad of a person's actions determines next rebirth
- 6. Goals: • dharma: rightfulliving in accordance with religious and moral laws • artha: honest acquisition of wealth to provide for family and society • kama: pleasure in social, physical, and sexual activities • moksha: salvation of the soul; union with Brahman breaking cycle of reincarnation
- 7. Polytheistic or Monotheistic? Main“trinity” = aspects of Brahman: • Brahma, the creator • Vishnu, the protector • Shiva, the destroyer
- 8. Polytheistic or Monotheistic? Avatarsof Vishnu: • Krishna, god of compassion, tenderness and love • Rama, warrior-king; symbolizes ideal person
- 9. • jati =caste system hierarchy • based on skin color from light-skinned Aryans to dark- skinned Dravidian natives • strict rules re: interaction and intermarriage = limited social mobility • varnas (social classes): 1. Brahmins (priests) 2. Kshatriyas (rulers, aristocrats, warriors) 3. Vaishyas (landowners, artisans, and traders) 4. Shudras (landless peasants) 5. Dalits aka Untouchables (unpleasant labor ex: butchering animals, handling corpses)
- 10. Patriarchy • purdah =female seclusion • sati = widow’s self-immolation on husband's funeral pyre
- 11. Key figures • gurus= spiritual teachers • Adi Shankara = consolidated and clarified main beliefs of Hinduism • Ramanuja = believed emotional devotion with a deity was more important than an intellectual understanding of Brahman • bhakti cults = emotional devotion to god/goddess • Mira Bai = religious poet; reflected openness of bhaktic cults to women
- 12. om: "the soundof the universe" repeated as a mantra in meditation yoga: exercises designed to achieve a liberated, content state of being through a physical, mental, and spiritual balance
- 13. Sacred places • GangesRiver • Benares, the city of Shiva = 2000+ temples, 500,000+ idols
- 15. c. 500 BCE:Siddhartha Gautama achieved nirvana became Buddha, the Enlightened One
- 16. Four Noble Truths: 1.Life is suffering. 2. Suffering is caused by desires. 3. The way to end suffering is to end desires. 4. The way to end desires is to follow the Eightfold Path.
- 17. The Eightfold Path: 1.Right Views 2. Right Resolve 3. Right Speech 4. Right Conduct 5. Right Livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration
- 18. Sacred texts: • Tripitaka/PaliCanon • Sutras • Tibetan Book of the Dead
- 19. Key Figures • sangha= Buddhist community • bodhisattvas = Buddhist saints • Dalai Lama • monks and nuns Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama, 1940-present
- 20. Sacred places • stupas= shrines containing relics of the Buddha • Buddha’s birthplace at Kapilavastu • tree near Gaya where Buddha was enlightened • site of Buddha’s first sermon near Varanasi
- 21. Symbols • wheel ofdharma • lotus flower • mandalas
- 22. Branches: • Theravada • Mahayana •Tibetan • Pure Land (China) • Chan (China)/ Zen (Japan) Leshan Giant Buddha, China
- 26.
- 29. wu wei =actionless action
- 30. Assignment: 1. Create agraphic organizer mapping the relationships between Brahma, Brahman, Krishna, Rama, Shiva, and Vishnu 2. Create a graphic organizer mapping the relationships between Brahmins, Dalits, Kshatriyas, Shudras, and Vaishyas 3. Identify which lands Hinduism spread to. 4. Identify which lands Buddhism spread to.