Buddhism

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Hinduism and Buddhism
World Studies May 11
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Overview of Hinduism

• Hinduism is the worlds third most popular
  religion, with over 900 million followers
• About 70-80 of the population of India regard
  themselves as Hindus
• Hinduism is not a single unified religion
• The word Hinduism doesnt appear in English until
  1829. Its origins are debatable

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Beliefs of Hinduism

• No single founder
• No single sacred text
• The Vedas, Upanishads, and Ramayana are just a
  few
• Polytheistic?
• Belief in all powerful God
• Many, many incarnations of god

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Brahma, the Creator
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Vishnu, the Preserver
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Shiva, the Destroyer
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Beliefs of Hinduism

• Universe is made up of an unchanging, spiritual
  force called brahman
• Every person has an essential self-atman (soul)
• Achieving moksha is the ultimate goal of
  existence
• To become a part of the brahman
• Reincarnation-rebirth of the soul-continue
  working toward moksha

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Karma

• Karma-actions in life that affect a persons fate
  in next life
• Good karma-reborn at higher level of existence
• Bad karma-reborn into suffering
• What goes around, comes around.

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Dharma

• To escape the cycle of birth/death Hinduism
  stresses dharma
• Religious and moral duties of an individual
• The universe has placed you
• Helped ensure social order by supporting caste
  system

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Ahimsa

• Ahimsa-non-violence
• All people and things are aspects of brahman
  should be respected

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Beliefs of Buddhism

• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha
• Follows the truths he discovered on his path to
  enlightenment

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Four noble truths

• All life is full of suffering, pain and sorrow
• Cause of suffering is desire for riches, power
  and long life
• Only cure for suffering is to overcome desire
• Way to overcome desire is to follow Eightfold
  Path

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Eightfold path

• To reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold
  Path
• Nirvana-union with the universe and release from
  cycle of rebirth

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Comparisons

• Similarities
• Stress non-violence
• Believe in karma, enlightenment and cycle of
  rebirth
• Differences
• The Buddha rejected priests, formal rituals, many
  gods of Hinduism
• Buddhists rejected caste system

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Buddha 19c Thailand
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Buddhas head 2c Pakistan