Ancient Indian Religions and Philosophies

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Ancient Indian Religions and Philosophies

• Hinduism and Buddhism
• 10. What are the central teachings of Hinduism
  and Buddhism

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Hinduism Basics

• Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion.
  16 of the world, or 900 million people are
  Hindu.
• It has no individual founder -- It is believed to
  be a combination of Indus Valley, Aryan and
  Dravidian beliefs.
• Elements of this religion date back 6,000 years.

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Hindus believe the entire universe is seen as one
divine entity a God who is simultaneously at
one with the universe and who transcends it as
well. This entitys name is Brahman.
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But most people have trouble with this
concept.So Brahman has been divided into over
33,000 other gods.
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The three most important gods
? Brahma, the creator
? Vishnu, the Preserver
? Shiva, the destroyer
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Hindu goal of life

• To unite with Brahman and achieve moksha through
  the cycle of reincarnation, also known as samsara

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To break the reincarnation cycle and achieve
moksha you must

• Do your dharma -- the duty assigned to you based
  on your age, gender, caste, etc. (literally means
  righteousness)
• Achieve good karma -- the accumulated sum of all
  your good and bad deeds. (think of it as credit
  for the next life)
• Be reborn as a higher and higher being.
• Achieve enlightenment.

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To achieve enlightenment, you must

• Think pure thoughts
• Act wisely
• Treat all life with respect
• Practice ahimsa -- nonviolence

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The Caste System Four main castes

• Brahmins--the priests and academics
• Kshatriyas--rulers, military
• Vaishyas--farmers, landlords, and merchants
• Sudras--peasants, servants, and workers in
  non-polluting jobs.

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Plus the outcastes or untouchables-- the
lowest of the low. They are responsible for the
jobs that no one else can do, like preparing the
dead, cleaning sewers, etc. No one else can
touch them.
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Main Hindu Texts

• The Vedas -- four texts of hymns and writings.
  The oldest is the Rig Veda
• The Upanishads -- a collection of dialogues
  between teacher and student about the nature of
  gods and the self
• Epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the
  Bhagavad Gita

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Buddhism Basics

• Buddhists make up 6 of the worlds population or
  350 million people.
• It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who later
  became The Buddha or Enlightened One.
• Some people consider it a religion and some
  consider it a philosophy.

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The Middle Way

• If you tighten the string too much, it will
  snap. If you leave it too slack, it wont play.

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The Four Noble Truths

• All Life is Suffering
• The Cause of Suffering is the desire for things
• The only cure for Suffering is to overcome desire
• The way to overcome desire is through the
  eightfold path

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The Eightfold Path

• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindset
• Right contemplation

• Right views
• Right aspirations
• Right speech
• Right conduct

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Buddhist goal of life
To unite with the universe and achieve nirvana
through the cycle of reincarnation.
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Main Buddhist Texts

• Tripitaka- three breadbaskets of wisdom
• Tibetan Book of the Dead
• Mahayana Sutras

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There are many similarities between Buddhism and
Hinduism

• Ultimate goal of both is to break the cycle of
  reincarnation
• Both believe in dharma and karma
• Both are committed to ahimsa -- nonviolence
• Strive in both to achieve enlightenment
• Neither requires worship in a temple

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But there are also many differences

• No gods in Buddhism
• No caste system in Buddhism
• Anyone can achieve enlightenment in Buddhism

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• HW 10 Read 72-76 Outline