Hinduism-Buddhism

Religious changes taking place in India

Hinduism

Evolves very slowlyOver a very long period of timeCannot be traced back to one founderSome aspects of Hinduism trace back to ancient time

Key Beliefs

Atman-your soulBrahman-world soul that unites us allMoksha-the perfect understanding of all thingsTakes a very long timeIt unites Atman w/ Branman-you become “one with the world”

Karma

Good deedsBad deedsThey all come back and affect your next lifeWhat next life?Instant karma’s gonna get you…..

Reincarnation

Hindus believe it takes many lives to perfect one’s soulIt serves to strengthen the caste systemBorn rich? You must have earned good karma in your past lifeBorn poor? You must be working off bad karma from a past life and you have a longer way to go to achieve perfection

Gods

Brahma-creatorThis god will fade and be replaced by Devi-mother goddessVishnu-protectorShiva(remember him?) destroyer

Buddhism

Siddhartha-founderParents kept him isolated from the rest of the world in order to fulfill a prophesy that he would become a world leaderLeaves home at 29Searches for truth,end of sufferingMeditated for 49 days-becomes BUDDHAMeans “enlightened one”

Noble truths

Life is filled w/sufferingThe cause is our desire for world pleasureYou can end suffering by ending desireFollow a path between desire and self-denial

The eight fold path

The right way to live your lifeReincarnation helps you on this long journeyYour goal Nirvana

Similarities/Differences

Buddhism rejects:Caste systemMany gods of HinduismBoth Hindu/Buddhism accept:ReincarnationGoal is to achieve perfect understanding

Buddhist terms

Jatakas-sacred religious writings of Buddha’s lifeSangha-Buddhist religious orderOriginally referred to the priestsNow refers to the whole community

Buddhism spreads

Never takes hold in IndiaVery similar to Hindu- so why convert?Traders main reason it spreads to central Asia and China

Remember

ReincarnationKarmaTakes a long time to become perfectCaste systemBuddhism founder-SiddharthaHindu founder-?????Buddhism-one godHindu-many gods