Buddhism was founded in the 6th-4th centuries BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who achieved enlightenment. The goal of Buddhism is to reach enlightenment and be at peace with everything through meditation. Buddhists believe the world was not created and have no opinion on its origins. They focus on the present. Hinduism is older and believes the universe cycles through creation and destruction. It has many gods like Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva who take different roles in the cycle. Both religions emphasize concepts like karma, samsara, and dharma.

1. Religions of the East
 Buddhism Hinduism

2. Buddhism
The quest to be at peace with the universe…
Or something like that…

3. What is Buddhism?
 Founded sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries
BCE.
 Hard to be exact with dates a long time ago
 Few people could read, which means few people could
write down what was happening.
 Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a high Brahmin caste
Prince, son of a King
 The goal is to reach enlightenment, or a state of
awakening where you can understand and be at peace
with everything.

4. Creation of the World
 Buddhists take no position on how the world was
created.
 “We do not know HOW or WHEN or WHY it happened,
but the world is here and so are we.”
 That’s a good thing.
 In short, Buddhists have no opinion about how the world
was created!
 Focus your attentions on the present since you cannot do
anything but worry over the past.

6. So how did it come around?
 Siddhartha’s father wanted
him to be King
 Banned him from leaving
the palace grounds.
 29 years old, ventured
outside
 Witnessed the “Four Sights”
 Old man, sick man,
corpse, and a priest at
peace with the world.
 Realized the misery of the
world and of the poor
people in the lower
castes.

7. The Journey Begins
 The Prince decides he needs
to find the answers to life’s
sufferings.
 Sets out on a journey.
 Explores monasteries that
monks help others, meditate,
fast (starve themselves),
pray, and take no wives…
but found no answers to the
sufferings of the world.
 This is a painting of the
Buddha leaving for his
journey! There he goes! 

8. Recreation of Siddhartha

9. Enlightenment at Last
 Comes to the realization
that sufferings are caused
by the ups and downs of
life.
 Through meditation and
concentration, we can
escape from these
emotions and be at total
peace.
 Sat down under the Bodhi
Tree and meditated;
taught many others.
 After a life of peace and
teaching, died at the age
of 80.

10. That’s Buddha’s happy face!
Gross!

11. THE END OF ALL THINGS
 Buddhists have an interesting view of how the world will
end…
 They don’t care!
 Don’t worry about it. It will happen someday and there
isn’t anything we can do to stop it. Focus your energies
on the here and now.
 Live for today and for a better future that you create.

13. Practices and Beliefs
 Believe in samsara, or the cycle of death and rebirth
 1 of 6 forms: Living in hell, hungry ghost, animals, human, lower
god, supreme god.
 Enlightenment brings about release from this cycle.
 Karma is a major force in the universe that gives us what we
earn in this life or the next.
 The Four Noble Truths: How to stop the suffering of the world.
 Noble Eightfold Path: The last of the Four Noble Truths, tells us
how to live at peace and change our ways of thinking.

14. Buddha taking a nap

15. Four Noble Truths
 1) dukka: Suffering of this world.
 2) origin of dukka: Our human cravings and desires
 Be they lust, jealously, envy, pride, stubborness, anger.
 3) cessation of dukka: giving up our cravings for things
that can cause suffering
 4) path to the cessation of dukka: this is the goal of
Buddhism, and the ways of living and thinking that will
lead us from desire and suffering.

16. Hey! Buddha be waving at us!!!
Notice the
symbol?
The swastika of
Nazi Germany
was originally a
Hindu/Buddhist
symbol for good
fortune and
peace.
Hitler used it
because it
symbolized the
Aryan race (the
people who
conquered
India).

17. Monks!!!
 Many people follow the
practice of being a Buddhist
Monk!
 Live on the charity of others.
 Meditate all day and night
 Some never speak
 Wear the simplest of clothes.
 Practice martial arts for
discipline, exercise, and
meditation.
 Chanting
 “OM”

18. Monks are tougher than you or I
 Many practice Martial Arts
as a form of meditation.
 Focusing mind and body to
perform incredible feats.
 Breaking blocks, logs,
and other assorted
building materials.
 Never actually used in
combat
 Only use for meditation
 Monks are nonviolent
 Can’t harm living things

19. Plus, they can do this!

21. Cool stuff
 Meditation is concentration and chanting to relax the
body, release your mind, find enlightenment.
 Through meditation, a great many things are possible.
Pain can be completely
forgotten
Let’s see how this is possible…

22. Tibetan Monks
 Peaceful, nonviolent Buddhist monks.
 Lived for thousands of years in northern Vietnam
 Abide by a strict and simple Buddhist code of life:
 Meditate for up to 8 hours a day
 Live by begging for support from others, and eat only what they can
afford to by from begging.
 Most do not speak (sounds can upset our inner peace)
 Then war breaks out inside their country (Vietnam War)
 Buddhist monks are nonviolent so they protest in other ways.
 The next slide may be upsetting…

23. Protest Vietnam War

24. Checking for Understanding
 Who was the founder of Buddhism?
 What is the goal of Buddhism?
 How was the world created according to Buddhists?
 How did Siddhartha learn of the sufferings in the world?
 What did Siddhartha do when he turned 29?
 How are Buddhism and Hinduism similar? Different?
 What are the Four Noble Truths?
 What is the purpose of the Noble Eightfold Path?
 What is meditation?

25. Hinduism
Older than any old person
you know!

26.  According to Hinduism, the universe was never actually
created but has always been around. It has been
created and destroyed multiple times, we are in the 4th
stage now.
 There is a constant building and destroying that is natural
to our universe, so everything is constantly being created
and destroyed by opposite forces.
 Love, hate
 Hot, cold
 Chocolate, Peanut Butter
 Kobe, LeBron
 Chicken McNuggets or Fish McBites
In the Beginning…

27. Creation!!! EGAD!!!

28.  The supreme creator God in Hinduism is Brahman, and
TECHNICALLY there is only 1 god that shows itself in a million
different ways.
 From Brahman we get everything, both the good and the bad, but
there are gods that are in charge or every aspect of life and death.
It is everything at once, including the other gods.
 Like in Christianity, there is a holy trinity:
 Christianity has the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.
 Hinduism has Brahman (supreme creator), Vishnu (the one who
brings balance to the universe), and Shiva (the destroyer).
The Concept(s) of God(s)

29. Brahman- the Creator• Always depicted as
having many heads
• The other heads are to
remind us that
Brahman is the eternal
source of everything,
including other gods.
• Brahman is everything,
never just one thing.
• Also, since Brahman is
the highest of creation,
the highest level of the
caste system is also
called Brahmin.

30. Vishnu- The Protector Brahman, Vishnu, Shiva
 One of the many gods, but
one of the top 3 in
importance.
 Vishnu appears on Earth to
eradicate evil and restore
dharma, or “balance to the
universe”
 Many tales of Vishnu
inspiring others and
destroying bad people.
 Many arms and hands to
represent his many tasks for
balance, order, peace,
stability.

31. Shiva
 The Destroyer
 The universe is both good
and bad.
 There can be no heroes
without villains.
 Destruction is a natural
and necessary thing.
 Slayer of demons

32.  Avatars: The gods can all take a great many forms when
they come to earth.
 Samsara: Cycle of rebirth that all livings things follow.
 Moksha: Release from the cycle of samsara after living a
perfect life in your position.
 Dharma: Universal balance and order, brought about by
doing your duty or role based on your station in life. In short,
it is your purpose in life.
 Karma: Universal system of reward and punishment. Positive
deeds will see you rewarded, bad deeds will see you
punished in this life or the next.
Important Concepts

33. Reincarnation
 We have been born hundreds of
times in many different forms.
 If we live according to our dharma,
or purpose, we can become
promoted in the next life.
 If we do well for multiple lives, we
receive moksha, or release from this
endless cycle and go join the gods.
 The rebirth cycle is seen as infinite
and tiring, spirits only find peace
and rest in moksha.

34. Why fight the system?

35. Samsara and Caste
 Caste- social ranking in life
 Gives every person their
dharma, or purpose.
 Every level has a specific role
in the universe.
 Lower castes are being
punished for past deeds,
higher castes are being
rewarded.
 No movement up or down
within your lifetime, only when
you are reincarnated.

36. Karma
 The universal concept of
right and wrong, reward
and punishment.
 The universe is always
watching and judging how
well you perform your
dharma and how you
interact with others, and it is
keeping score.
 Good deeds result in
rewards (maybe you found
$20 on the floor, maybe
you are the only person in
your family not to get sick)
 Bad deeds results in
consequences (getting
sick, car breaking down,
losing money, break-up)
 Horrible things may result in
getting reborn in a lower
caste, or maybe into a
tapeworm, or just a rock!!!

37. Not to be confused with…

38.  The practices and beliefs of Hinduism are recorded in the holy
books, the Vedas
 These are a collection of four books, each of a different holy
topic:
 Rig Veda: Book of Mantra
 Collection of songs and hymns
 Sama Veda: Book of Song
 Provides meaning to the songs and hymns
 Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual
 Guidebook of practices for priests
 Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell
 Charms and spells to manipulate the world around you.
The Vedas: Holy Books

39. Kali Yuga- The End of All Things
 Starts when castes are
overthrown and “alien
kings” rule in India.
 Brahman returns to earth as
Kali Yuga, the final
destroyer God, devouring
all.
 Vishnu will merge with the
sun, causing a great
drought that will evaporate
all water on earth.
 Shiva will cause thousands
of years of rain.
 Earth will be destroyed, so
Brahman will make a new
earth and start the 5th
cycle.
Kali Yuga: I said NO PICKLES!!
GROAR!!!!

40. Yoga
 Practice of stretching and
strength training for
meditation.
 Many different positions,
chants, methods.
 Started as a way of
worship and meditation in
Hinduism.

41. Yoga
Why is that guy saluting those dogs?