The Beginning of Hinduism

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The Beginning of Hinduism
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Brahmanism

• Brahmins memorized Vedas and passed traditions
  down from generation to generation

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Beginnings of Hinduism

• Indians beliefs began to change
• Gurus were thinkers and teachers that left their
  homes and went into the forest to meditate about
  life and its big questions
• Ex. Why are we born?
• Ex. How should we live?
• Their ideas were put into writing (Upanishads)
• Vedas and Upanishads became Hinduisms holy
  scriptures

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Epic Poems explained how people should lead their
lives as Hindus

• Ramayana

• Mahabharata

• Moral lessons about right and wrong
• Importance of loyalty and respect

• 200,000 lines long
• Two families at war for control of kingdom
• Moral Issues
• Bhagavad-Gita(Song of the Lord) is a sacred
  section of this poem.

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Beliefs of Hinduism

• Reincarnation
• The rebirth of the soul in a new body
• Karma
• Effects of a persons actions in this and in
  previous lives
• Bad karma brings rebirth into a lower caste or as
  an animal

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Beliefs of Hinduism

• 1 supreme cosmic consciousness, spiritual force,
  or God, called Brahman
• All of the Gods and Goddesses are a form of
  Brahman
• Ex. Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti
• Brahman is the source of all things

• Every person is born with a soul
• The soul is also a form of Brahman

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Hinduism 4 Basic Goals in Life

• Dharma
• A persons duty or what is right and wrong for
  them.
• Ahimsa avoid doing harm to any living being
• Strive for Well Being
• Make a good living with dignity

• Pleasure
• Cannot be only goal we seek
• Moksha
• Liberation from reincarnation
• Persons souls becomes one with Brahman
• Live forever in state of joy

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3 Paths to Moksha

• 1st Path Way of Knowledge
• Brahmins
• True understanding of ones soul
• 2nd Path Way of Works
• Carrying out religious rituals and duties
• Good deeds without expectations
• 3rd Path Way of Devotion
• Path of love
• Worship of Gods and goddesses
• Offerings to the Gods

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Buddhism
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Siddhartha

• Quest for Answers
• Siddhartha was born a prince, but he questioned
  the meaning of life.
• Determined to find answers using
• Meditation
• Fasting
• Learning from different teachers

• Enlightenment
• Found it under the Tree of Wisdom while
  meditating
• Called the Buddha (Enlightened One)
• Spent the rest of his life traveling and teaching
  his ideas

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Teachings of Buddhism
Four Noble Truths
Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human
life. No one can escape sorrow.
1.
Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and
material goods.
2.
People can overcome desire and ignorance and
reach nirvana, a state of perfect peace.
3.
People can overcome ignorance and desire by
following an eightfold path that leads to wisdom,
enlightenment, and salvation.
4.
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Buddhism began in India and then became a major
religion.
Buddhism branches out

• Asoka, one of the most powerful kings in India,
  became a Buddhist and spread Buddhism in India
  and foreign lands.
• Buddhist missionaries traveled the world to
  teach enlightenment.

Buddhism splits

• Buddhism split into two main sects Theravada
  and Mahayana.
• Members of the Theravada followed the Buddhas
  teachings exactly.
• Members of the Mahayana believed that individual
  interpretation was important.

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