This document provides information on Hinduism and Buddhism, including their origins, core beliefs, and practices. Hinduism began around 2000 BC in India and combines beliefs from indigenous Indus Valley peoples and later Aryan settlers. It is polytheistic and emphasizes dharma, karma, samsara, and achieving moksha. Buddhism was founded in the 5th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama and seeks to end suffering through the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path. Both religions believe in samsara and reincarnation, and spread across Asia due in part to King Ashoka in the 3rd century BC.

1. Hinduism and Buddhism

2. Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

3. Rama and Sita

4. Hinduism
• Hinduism is a
polytheistic religion.
This means they
believed in many gods.
It began around
2,000B.C. in the Indus
River valley. Hinduism
is a mixture of beliefs
from the Indus valley
civilization and the
Aryan tribes who came
from the Himalayas
and settled along the
river.

5. • Hindus place great
importance on cleanliness
and ritual bathing. Many
temples have tanks for
public bathing. They have
a deep reverence for water
(it is sacred) because as an
agrarian society living on
the banks of a river, they
depended on it for
nourishment and renewal.

6. • Archaeologist have
found many pregnant
woman figurines
which are
representative of the
mother goddesses
whose fertility and
strength symbolize
rebirth and
continuity.

7. • The Aryans brought
with them the Vedas
which are considered
to be among the
oldest writings in the
world. The oldest,
the Rig Veda, is a
collection of hymns
reflecting Hindu
thought systems.

8. • For many centuries,
the Vedas were
memorized and passed
on orally by the
priests. They were
finally written down in
Sanskrit, the sacred
Hindu language. The
Vedas tell of 33 gods
born of the creator
Brahma. The gods can
take on different
personalities and
names.

9. • Most Hindus choose
a personal household
god and have a
shrine and pictures
of the god in their
home. The god is
usually chosen for a
particular attribute
that the family
admires.

10. • There are three main
gods. Brahma is the
mystical creator, the
supreme presence. He
is a spirit in
everything-rock, plant,
human, animal. All the
other gods originated
from him. His four
faces stand for the four
corners of the
universe.

11. • Vishnu is the
preserver. He
maintains the balance
between good and
evil by returning to
earth in animal or
human form. He has
had 10 avatars
(incarnations) of
which only Rama and
Krishna are still
worshipped.

12. • Shiva is the destroyer
or purifier. He is
associated with the
bull, which
symbolizes virility. He
dances in a halo of
fire representing the
cycle of life and
death or destruction,
purification, and
renewal.

13. • Hindus worship in
their own way. They
choose which god or
gods they want to
worship and how
they will do so. One
has to be born a
Hindu. There is no
converting to
Hinduism.

14. • There are four main
Hindu beliefs.
Dharma is the
ultimate moral
balance of all things.
There is divine order
in nature and
people’s lives. Each
person must balance
his own life.

15. • Karma says that people
experience the effects of
their actions. Actions have
consequences; therefore a
person needs to live in
balance. Samsara is the cycle
of life, death, and rebirth
(reincarnation) in search of
balance. Hindus believe they
are reincarnated many
times. If they have led a
good life, they will return in
a higher form. If they have
led a bad life, they will
return in a lower form.

16. • The goal of every
Hindu’s life is to
reach Moksha, the
state of changeless
bliss achieved when
one has led a perfect
life of religious and
moral integrity
without worldliness.
When this happens,
the soul unites with
Brahman.

17. • Because Hindus
believe that their
ancestors could have
been reincarnated in
animal form and
because their belief in
nonviolence prevents
their killing even for
food, Hindus are
vegetarians.

18. BUDDHISM

19. Buddhism
• Buddhism is a religion that
was born around 500 BC It
is a religion without a god.
Instead, Buddha is a guide
to help people reach
Nirvana. This religion has
been around for about
2500 years. Buddha was
born as Prince Siddartha.
He left his life of comfort
to go into the world.
When he reached Nirvana
he became the
“Enlightened One”.

20. • Nirvana is that state
where a person has
loss of self which ends
the suffering and pain
as the person travels
from one life to
another. Nirvana is
the goal of the
Buddhist.

21. • Buddhists believe that a
person may go through
many lives before
reaching Nirvana. They
believe in the cycle of
life and death and life
again which could
possibly be in the form
of a plant or animal.
This is reincarnation. A
person’s next life
depends on how he
lived the preceding life.

22. • The Hindus believe that
Buddha was the 9th
reincarnation of Vishnu.
• Buddhists are non-
violent and believe that
all beings (people,
plants and animals)
have the seed of
knowledge and
spirituality. For this
reason they are
vegetarians.

23. • The teachings of the religion
are contained in holy writings
and oral traditions which
evolved after Buddha’s death
and were not written down
until 500 years later. These
writings include the
following:
• 1) Laws governing the lives of
monks and nuns.
• 2) Dialogues and teachings of
Buddha.
• 3) Commentaries on Buddha’s
teaching.

24. • Stupas were used to cover
Buddha’s ashes and relics.
They are shaped like a
simple bell. They look like
mounds with a spire on
top.

25. • Four Noble Truths
• 1) There is suffering in
life.
• 2) The cause of
suffering is wanting
something.
• 3) Suffering can end
completely if people
stop wanting things.
• 4) The Eightfold Path is
the cure to suffering.

26. • Eightfold Path
• 1) Right
Understanding
• 2) Right Thought
• 3) Right Speech
• 4) Right Action
• 5) Right Work
• 6) Right Effort
• 7) Right Mindfulness
• 8) Right Meditation

27. • Three Jewels
• 1) Buddhists receive
protection, comfort and
care from Buddha’s
example.
• 2) Buddhists take refuge
in Dharma. Dharma is the
teaching of Buddha. It
also means duty,
goodness, rules, and
truth.
• 3) Buddhists take refuge
in Sangha. Sangha is
commitment to the
community and its
people.

28. • King Asoka’s (Ashoka)
conversion to Buddhism is
responsible for the spread
of Buddhism throughout
Asia. King Asoka was ruler
during the years 265-238 BC
He was a very ambitious
warrior who fought many
battles but during a battle
against the Kalingas more
than 100,000 people were
killed. This caused him to
rethink life and he became a
Buddhist.

29. • King Asoka put up huge
pillars throughout his
empire. Many of these
pillars had depictions of
four lions facing in the four
directions. Lions are a
symbol of Buddha. The
pillars represented the
world axis separating
heaven and earth. This
symbol has become the
national symbol of modern
India.

30. On your map label
the following:
•India
•Indian Ocean
•Harappa
•Mohenjo Daro
•Indus River
•Ganges Rivers
Paste the Hindu and
Buddhist symbols in
the appropriate
location

31. On your map show the spread of Buddhism

32. Does it look like this?

33. Venn Diagram
• Compare and Contrast Hinduism and
Buddhism on your Venn Diagram

34. Finish the rest of
your packet, and turn
it into a booklet.