![]() Hinduism
The followers of Hinduism are called Hindus. There is no known founder of this religion, but it started around 1500 BC in India. The Hinduism religion understands itself to be timeless. It’s a collection of sacred texts and a complex tradition that emcompasses numerous interrelated religious doctrines and practices that have some common characteristics. Hindus understand themselves to have no start or no end. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments as well as personal devotionals create communion with these devas and Gods. But they also believe in a one, universal Supreme Being, Brahma. Some of the divine beings they believe in are Vishnu and Shiva. This means they are monotheistic-polytheistic. The Vedas is their holy book and their holy city is Varanasi.The way to reach paradise, which is called Moksha, is to become one with god; a state of completeness. In order to do this, one must follow the four paths to Moshka. (The Way of Action, The Way of Knowledge, The Way of Devotion, and The Royal Road). Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Brahmacharya, which takes place during the school years, is focused on acquiring knowledge and developing character; Grastha, the middle years, is focused on worldly pursuits and pleasures such as marriage, family and career; Vanaprastha, when one's children reach adulthood, is a time of increased focus on spiritual things; and Sangatsu, in the last years of life, one may abandon the world entirely for a life of contemplation. 14% of people in the world identify themselves in the religion of Hinduism. Savish, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism are the main denominations. Aum is one of the most sacred symbols in Hinduism, it represents a sacred sound. Bindi, a dot on a married women's forehead. Linga the symbol of the god, Shiva. The lotus flower represents beauty.
![]() Words to know- atman: Hindu concept of the eternal soul avatar: Hindu concept of the incarnation or earthly manifestation of a deity bhakti: Hindu concept of devotional service to a personal god. Bhakti: yoga is one of the principal paths to liberation taught in Hinduism. Brahman: Hindu concept for the spiritual oneness of all reality |
![]() Buddhism
The followers of Buddhism are called Buddhists. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in 520 B.C.E in Northern India. He is also the supreme being. Siddhartha observed the suffering in the world and set out to find an antidote. Through meditation and analysis, he attained an enlightened state of being that marked the end suffering and release from the cycle of rebirth. Tipitaka is the holy book and Lumbini is the holy city. Buddhists don't have a concept of "paradise" which is equivalent to those in Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Buddhists believe that our experience of reality in the everyday world is confused, and dream like.The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common to all Buddhism, include the "four noble truths" (The truth, the thruth of the arising or origin, the truth of the cessation, and the truth of the path leading to all of dukkha. Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. While some activities are unique to certain expressions of Buddhism, there are others that are found in most of the popular forms of the belief system. 6% of the people in the world identify themselves in the religion of Buddhism. There are many subdivisions of Buddhism but most can be classified under three major branches. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Among the earliest and most common symbols of Buddhism are the stupa, Dharma wheel, and the lotus flower. The dharma wheel, traditionally represented with eight spokes, can have a variety of meanings.
![]() Words to know- Karma -- The value of mental acts (which are linked to behavior), in relation to their effect on increasing or decreasing Ignorance [for example, "selfish" acts are bad: they reinforce attachment to "self"] Nirvana -- The extinction of the illusory self in a clear perception of the Emptiness of existence; merging of consciousness with the undifferentiated void of reality; withdrawal from Cycle of Rebirth |