Hinduism

1. Hinduism Origins and Beliefs Religious Texts • Hinduism cant be traced back to a single person or founder • 750 and 550 BC. • Hindu Teachers tried to interpret and explain the hidden meaning of the Vedic Hymns. • Written Down and known as the Upanishands

2. Hinduism Sacred Texts Beliefs • The Upanishads • Written as dialogues • Discussions of how to achieve liberation from desires and suffering • Moksha • Perfect understanding • Understanding between atman and Brahman • Reincarnation • Born again until achieve Moksha • Based on Karma • Souls good or bad deeds • Determines life circumastances

3. Hinduism Changes and Developments Modern day beliefs • The World Soul: Brahman, was sometimes seen as having 3 personalities • Brahma • Vishnu • Krishna – cowherder • Rama- Perfect king • Shiva • Hindus can choose which god or not choose one • 3 paths to Moksha • Right thinking, right action, and religious devotion

4. Hinduism Society • Beliefs strengthened the Caste System • Born to good life came from good karma • Belief that only men in the top three varnas could hope to achieve moksha • People today still turn to religion when it comes to daily decisions

5. Two Other Religions • Mahavira • Founder of Jainism • Born 599 BC and Died 527 BC • Everything in the Universe has a soul and so should not be harmed • Jain Monks • Carry the doctrine of nonviolence to its logical conclusion • Look for jobs that wont harm any creature • Don’t spread their religion with missionaries • 5 million in India

6. Buddhism Origins • Founded by Siddhartha Gautama • Foothills in Nepal • Separated as a child from the rest of the world • Finally left at 29 years • Saw an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a wandering holy man who seemed at peace with himself • Only spiritual life offers protection from suffering

7. Becoming Buddha Founder Sacred Texts • Wandered for 6 years seeking enlightenment, or wisdom. • Explored other religions • Fasted • Meditated • 49 days of meditation, reached an understanding of suffering and became Buddha: • The Enlightened one • Teachings written after his death becamethe Jatakas

8. Buddhism Beliefs • Preached to 5 companions • 1st sermon • Four Noble Truths • Life is filled with suffering and sorrow • Cause is selfish desires for temporary pleasures • End suffering by ending desires • Follow the 8 fold path to become enlightened

9. The Eightfold Path • A Guide to Behavior • Master one step at a time • 1 Right Views • Right Resolve • Right Speech, • Right Conduct • Right Livelihood • Right Effort • Right Mindfulness • Right Concentration • Mastering them leads to Nirvana • Release from selfishness and pain • Not Achieved in one lifetime • Reincarnation

10. Buddhist Beliefs • Repetitive view of history • World is created and destroyed over and over again • Rejected many of the Gods of Hinduism • More focused on “the way” rather than the gods • Rejected the Caste system • Monks and nuns live a life of poverty

11. The Three Jewels • Sangha • The community of Monks and nuns • The Community of Buddhism as a whole • The Dharma • Buddhist doctrine and Teachings • The Buddha

12. Buddhism • Diffusion • Spread to the laborers and Craftspeople • Rejected the caste system • Also spread where Aryan race had less influence • Monks and Nuns • Lived in poverty, nonviolence, and single • Spread teaching through missionary work • Not too successful • Similar to Hinduism • Hindus view Buddha as a reincarnation of Vishnu • So no need to convert

13. Diffusion Through Trade • Traders brought with them the Buddhist teachings and way of life as they traded through the islands of Southeast Asia • Also along the Silk Road • Into China • Korea • Japan • Trade made Buddhism the most wide spread religions of East Asia

14. Two More Empires Seafaring Traders

15. Trade Spreads Culture • Two large civilizations spread their culture over large areas of the world and left lasting impacts • The Minoans of Crete • The Phoenicians of Phoenicia (Lebanon)

16. The Minoans • Dominated trade in the Mediterranean from 2000 BC to 1400 BC • Traded fine painted pottery • Swords • Figurines • And Vessels made of Precious metals over a large area • Along with this the Minoans “traded” culture • Architecture • Burial customs • Much of Minoan Culture is seen in Greece

17. Knossos • The Minoan Capitol City • Advanced Culture • Peaceful • No Fortification • Civilization named for king Minos • According to legend owned a half human half bull monster called the Minotaur • Kept it inside a complicated maze which no one could escape • Labyrinth

18. Minoans • Artwork shows us a lot • Graceful, athletic people who loved sports • Boxing, Wrestling, and Bull leaping • Women are important • Mother Earth Goddess • Priestesses controlled many shrines • Sacrificed bulls and other animals • Excavation site revealed at least one human sacrifice of a 17 year old boy

19. End of Minoans • Ended around 1200 BC • Unclear why • Beliefs that: • Natural disaster • Had previously survived major disasters before but maybe one wakened the civilization • Overpopulation • Invasion

20. Phoenicians • About the time the Minoans Declined a new power in trade in the Mediterranean appeared • The Phoenicians • From modern day Lebanon • Never created a country, just a series of connected city-states spread over a large area • Phoenicia, Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon • Shipbuilders and Traders • First to travel through the Straight of Gibraltar • Some believe made it to present day Great Britain • Some evidence suggests they even made it to around Africa

21. Commercial Outposts • Traded a very valuable Purple Dye • Made of rotten snails • 60,000 snails to make one pound of Dye • Built trade centers all over the Mediterranean • 30 miles apart • About the distance a ship could cover in a day • Most successful colony was Carthage in North Africa • Traded Dye and Papyrus • Also traded goods they got from other lands • Wine, weapons, metals, ivory, and slaves

22. Largest Contribution • Writing System created to record daily transactions • Uses symbols to represent sounds • Phonetic • One sign was used for One Sound • Name Alphabet comes from the first two letters of the Phoenician Alphabet • Alpha and Beth • Introduced the Alphabet to the people they traded with • The Greeks • Learning became more accessible to more people