Hinduism and Buddhism

1
Hinduism and Buddhism

• Hinduism
• Emerged in India c. 1400 B.C.
• One of the Worlds oldest living religions
• No individual founder
• No bible but several religious texts
• Rig Veda oldesthymns, rituals, etc.
  Polytheistic
• Upanishads newerphilosophicalmonotheistic

2

• Structure of Hindu Society/Caste System (4
  Castes)
• Brahmans Priests
• Kshatriyas Warriors
• Vaisyas Merchants
• Shudras Laborers
• (Castes are a religious hierarchy, not an
  economic one)
• Two Classes Outside Caste System
• Sadhus samanas/wandering monks
• Untouchables

3

• Some Essential Concepts of Hinduism
• Reincarnation
• Karma good deeds/bad deeds that determine
  rebirth
• Maya illusion (the earth often represented
  Maya)
• Samsara the false world itself/the product of
  illusion
• Yoga the process of meditation
• Yogi spiritual teacher/adviser
• Atman the individual soul/the divine part of a
  person

4

• Brahman the universal soul (the divine/God)
• Enlightenment/liberation the realization that
  Atman and Brahman are identical
• Reform Buddhism began as a reform to Hinduism
• Buddha did not believe in the Caste System or in
  many of the traditions of Hinduism
• Buddha (c. 563-483 B.C.)
• Named Shakyamuni (known as Siddhartha Gotama)
• He was a prince
• Recognized at birth as special by wise men. They
  believed he would be a special monk or great
  conquerer

5

• The Four Sights - at 29 he left the palace and
  saw
• A sick man
• An old man
• A dead man
• A monk

6

• Wandering He decided to leave the palace and
  seek the truth for himself. He tried to
  following methods to attain truth/enlightenment
• Dharmadoing ones duty to family, etc.
• Asceticismself-denial
• Kamapleasure, especially sexual
• Attainment Nothing worked. Finally, desperate
  for meaning, he sat under the bodhi (bo) tree and
  inteneded not to arise until he attained
  enlightenment or else died. He became
  enlightened and proceeded to teach 4 noble
  truths

7

• Life is suffering
• The cause of suffering is desire/selfishness
• Suffering can be stopped
• The way to end suffering is to follow the
  eight-fold path of BuddhismBasically the
  middle-way avoid excess
• Theory of Dependent Origination at heart of
  Buddhism
• Everything is caused by something else
  (cause/effect)
• Nothing exists on its own
• Nothing is permanent or unchangeable
• Everything can be changed