2. BUDDHISM

3. BUDDHISM
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama
 Son of a Indian warrior-king
 Gautama renounced his rich life
and became a monk in hopes of
comprehending truth
 Moment of truth: meditating under
a tree where he had an experience
where he understood how to be
free from suffering and achieve
salvation.
 After this, he was know as Buddha
 Buddha= “Enlightened One”
 Buddha spent the rest of his life
traveling around India and teaching
others


4. 4 Noble Truths

5. Desires
To a Buddhist, desire= craving
pleasure, material goods, and immorality
 Desire can only bring suffering


6. Why is the Buddha fat?

His stomach
symbolizes the
size of his soul. It
is also a symbol of
happiness, luck
and generosity

8.  Karma does NOT refer to
Karma
preordained fate
 Karma= good or bad actions a
person makes in their lifetime.
 When you do good, good
things will come in return. If you
perform bad actions, bad
karma is in store for you
 Neutral karma= acts like
breathing, eating or sleeping

9. Reincarnation

6 Realms:
 1. realm of men (free from






conflict of jealously among
the gods)
2. realm of demigods
3. realm of gods
4. realm of animals
5. realm of ghosts
6. realm of hell (untold
suffering)
Those with positive
karma, are reborn into
fortunate realms

10. Reincarnation

11. Basics of Buddhism




Separated from Hinduism
No personal God or divine being. They are not atheist
though, because Buddhist believe in an impersonal force
No form of redemption, forgiveness, no heavenly hope or
a final judgment
Moral philosophy= do good now, and you will be blessed
with a higher state

12. Basics





376 million Buddhists in
the world
(+/- 313, 114, 000 in Asia)
Dominant religion in:
China, Japan, Korea, as
well as southeast Asia
Over 200 different sects
of Buddhism
Over 1,000 Buddhist
temples, monasteries and
centers in the US

13. Sangha




Sangha= order of the brotherhood
(community) who are monks
Must wear a yellow robe, shave their
head and practice meditation
Goal of Sangha= strive to have the
qualities of Buddha
Over 225 regulations which forbid
them to do many things

14. Buddhist Scripture
Variety of Buddhist text
 Buddhist cannon of
scripture= Sanskirt

○ 3 parts:
 1. Vinaya Pitaka= disciplinary
rules for Sanghas
 2. Sutra Pitaka= discourses by
the Buddha
 3. Adhidharma Pitaka= notes on
Buddha’s teachings

15. HINDUISM

16. Julia Roberts on Hinduism

17. Hinduism



One of oldest
religions in
world, probably
the first
Founder: No
specific founder
Originated with
Aryans tribes
who moved to
India and
adapted with
native
Harrappan
people

18. Basics of Hinduism

19. Facts

900 million members
 Many sects, some are:
polytheistic (many gods)
 monotheistic (one god)
 pantheistic (god &
universe are one)
 agnostic (unsure if god
exists)
 atheistic (no god)


20. Basic Beliefs




Reincarnation
Caste System
Brahman (central god or
principle or universal spirit)
Reach Moksha (peaceful
escape from cycle of
reincarnation)

21. 11 Year Old Reincarnated

22. Caste System

=ranked society according to
occupation
 Brahmins (priests)
 Kshatriyas (soldiers, king-warrior
class)
 Vaishyas
(merchants, farmers, Sutras
laborers, craftspeople)
 Harijahns (“untouchable,” poor)
 The caste system was outlawed
in 1948, but it still important to
the Hindu people

23. Scriptures

Vedas=religious
writings, include, hy
mns, sacrificial
writings, teachings,
book of
laws, myths, stories,
legends and epics

24. What is yoga?

25. JAINISM

26. JAINISM
Founder: Mahaiva, born in 599
B.C., believed that everything in the
universe has a soul and should not be
harmed
 One of the oldest religions in the world
 No a break off of any other religion
 Jains are in 34/35 of the territories of
India, making over 5 million members in
India alone


27. Jainism
Jain monks take nonviolence
seriously, sweeping ants off the path and
wearing masks to avoid breathing in
insects
 Jains seek jobs that do not harm any
creature (trade and commerce)
 Make few efforts to convert, and do not
send out missionaries, so most of the
members live in India


28. Jain Temple Animation

29. Basics of Jainism
Religious Tolerance
 Ethical Purity
 Harmony between self and
environment
 Spiritual Contentment
 Karma
 Rebirth
 Importance of the Soul


30. Reincarnation
When a body dies, the
soul goes directly to its
next body (could be
human or animal)
 What you become in your
next life is dependant on
your karma
 How you feel (content or
upset) at your death is
important


31. G
o
d
Jains do not believe in a God or gods but
they believe in divine beings who are
worthy of devotion

32. Scripture
Jain’s scriptures=
Agamas
 Jain monks and
nuns have to
memorize
scriptures
because monks
were not allowed
to posses religious
books as part of
their vows


33. The Soul
The “soul” is called
jiva
 =means a
conscious, living
being
 The body is just a
“container” for our
souls
 When you
die, your jiva, is
reborn into another
life until it achieves
liberation
