Ch. 6 India and Southeast Asia, 1500 BCE

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Ch. 6 India and Southeast Asia, 1500 BCE 600 CE

• Why is India known as a subcontinent?

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India and Southeast Asia, 1500BCE 600CE

• Monsoons

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India and the Vedic Age (1500BCE 300CE)

• After the demise of the Indus Valley
  civilization, Indo- European warriors (Aryans)
  migrate into India
• Oral traditions tell of a struggle between the
  light skinned Aryans, and the darker skinned
  Dasas (native peoples of India)
• Aryans take Northern India
• Dasas forced into Central and Southern India

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Who were the Aryans?

• http//india.mrdonn.org/aryan.html

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India and the Vedic Age (1500BCE 300CE)

• Struggle leads to the development of the system
  of Varna (caste systembased on skin color)
• Aryan Caste system is composed of multiple social
  classes
• Brahmins (priests)
• Kshatriya (warriors)
• Vaishya (merchants)
• Shudras (non-Aryan peasant laborers or
  craftspeople)
• Untouchables
• Caste is for life, determined work, marriage,
  eating arrangements

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Caste System Cont.

• (Brahmins)
• Priests Warriors
• Traders (Shudras)
• Laborers

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The Development of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism

• Disappointment of the rigid social hierarchy
  (caste system) and the religious monopoly of the
  Brahmins leads people to pursue salvation through
  yoga, diet, and meditation
• As Hindu teachers attempt to explain Vedic hymns
  and their experiences through meditation, their
  comments are written down as Upanishads
• Upanishads later become the basis for Hinduism

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Hinduism and Buddhism Develop

• In pairs, examine p. 154-160 in textbook.
• Create a Venn Diagram comparing
• Beliefs
• Practices
• of Buddhism and Hinduism

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Jainism

• Mahavira (founder, 599-527BC) Everything has a
  soul and so should not be harmed
• Jains preach non-violence
• Jains preach tolerance of all religions
• Few efforts convert followers
• http//www.jainworld.com/education/jainsymbol.htm

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Founding of Buddhism

• Buddhism is founded by Siddhartha Gautama
  (563-483BC)
• Isolated inside his fathers palace until the age
  of 29 due to his fathers hopes of him becoming a
  world leader
• Ventured outside four times at the age of 29
• 1st saw an old man
• 2nd saw a sick man
• 3rd saw a corpse
• 4th saw a holy man at peace

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Buddhism

• Interpreted these experiences as every living
  thing experiences these misfortunes, but only a
  religious life can provide refuge and peace
• Siddhartha wandered the forests of India for 6
  years searching for Enlightenment, or wisdom
• After 49 days of meditation, he understood the
  misfortunes and suffering in the world
• This Enlightenment gave him the title of the
  Enlightened One, or Buddha

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Buddhism

• 1st sermon was preached to five companions
• Laid out the four main ideas that he had come to
  understand
• Four Noble Truths
• 1. Life is filled with suffering and sorrow
• 2. The cause of all suffering is peoples
  selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of
  this world
• 3. The way to end all suffering is to end all
  desires
• 4. The way to overcome such desires and attain
  enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path,
  which is called the Middle Way between desires
  and self-denial

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Buddhism

• To achieve enlightenment or Nirvana, Buddha
  stated the need to follow the Eightfold Path
• Right Views
• Right Resolve
• Right Speech
• Right Conduct
• Right Livelihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration
• Anyone capable of reaching Nirvana

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Buddhism

• Rejected many gods of Hinduism
• Rejected the caste system
• Both believe in a perfect state of understanding,
  a break from the chain of reincarnations

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Buddhism

• So what exactly happens when one achieves
  Nirvana?
• "Nirvana" is simply "understanding"Understandin
  g about the very nature of your being.When you
  die with Nirvana, you get absorbed into the
  cosmic consiousness - the very consciousness that
  is part of the creation.If you chose to come
  back to further the creation process, you can (a
  la Buddhism)..if not, you do what the stars and
  planets do at a level inconceivable to
  humans....Humanity is just the beginning of an
  ever evolutionary process....enjoy the
  process....

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Buddhism and Society (concluding facts)

• Many followers were laborers or craftspeople
• Buddha reluctantly admitted women
• Monks and nuns took vows of poverty, nonviolence,
  and celibacy
• Teachings of Buddha are documented in the Jatakas
• Buddhism spread throughout Asia and Indonesia

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The Development of Hinduism

• Hinduism (750-550BC)
• No single founder
• No single set of ideas
• See religion as a way to liberate the soul from
  the illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of
  everyday existence

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Hinduism

• Believe that persons can achieve moksha, a state
  of perfect understanding of all things
• A person must understand the relationship between
  the atman (soul of a living being) and Brahman
  (world soul responsible for uniting all atmans)
  to achieve perfect understanding or moksha
• This understanding comes through a process of
  reincarnation, in which an individual soul or
  spirit is born again
• Karma (the following of good or bad deeds from
  one reincarnation to another)
• Determine life status , opportunity, ect.

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Hinduism

• 3 Gods of Hinduism
• Brahma Creator
• Shiva Destroyer
• Vishnu Protector

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Hinduism

• Worship of a god is not mandatory
• Free to choose from three paths to achieving
  moksha
• Path of right thinking,
• Path of right action,
• Path of religious devotion
• Good Karma results in good fortune, bad karma
  results bad

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Hinduism

• Hinduism and the caste structure developed during
  the Aryan time period still dominate individual
  life
• As a result, Hindus are coerced into looking to
  religion for guidance in order to better their
  chances in future lives

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Buddha Gestures

• DHAMMACAKKA is the first sermon of Lord Buddha.
  In this mudra hands are raised in front of
  chest, while clinching the thumb and forefingers
  of both hands.

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Buddha Gestures

• ABHAYAMUDRA means fearlessness and kindness. In
  this mudra, right hand is raised to level of
  shoulder while palm facing opposite.

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Buddha Gestures

• Third position of mudra is called Right Hand
  BUMISPARA. Bumispara is made of two words Bumi
  and spara, Bumi means earth and spara means
  indicating towards. In this mudra right hand is
  extended towards the earth god, palm facing
  towards self and the fingers reaching below knee.

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Buddha Gestures

• VARADA means generosity. In this position, hand
  is extended towards the earth while palm is kept
  open and outward. This position of Buddhas
  statue shows generosity.

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Buddha Gestures

• VITARKA is next position of the statues, which
  means teaching. Vitarka position is a method of
  teaching to attain Lord Buddha. In this mudra the
  hand is raised while thumb is touching forefinger

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Buddha Gestures

• Dhyana is a position of meditation, where legs
  are placed crossed above one another and the
  hands are place quietly into lap of legs. The
  word Dhyana is derived from pali language jhana
  means meditation.

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Buddha Gestures

• Last position of Buddhas statue is known as
  ANJALI means resepect greeting In this mudra,
  both the hands are raised in front the heart
  while palms touching each other. Anjali mudra is
  the Buddhas way of respecting and welcoming.

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Origins of Judaism

• Hebrews settled in Canaan
• Modern day Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria,
  Egypt
• The land God had promised to the Hebrew people

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Origins of Judaism

• Early knowledge of Judaism comes from the Torah
• Torah first five (5) books of the Hebrew Bible
• Abraham is chosen by God to be the father of
  the Hebrew people
• Moves his people to Canaan (1800 B.C.)
• Hebrews are Monotheists God Yahweh
• Covenant between Yahweh and Abraham protects
  Hebrews
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vSTPVvd_II08

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Exodus

• Famine causes Hebrews to migrate to Egypt from
  Canaan forced into slavery
• Exodus (1300-1200 B.C.) Hebrews fled Egypt
• Remembered during Passover
• Instructed to leave blood of a spring lamb
• Festival of the unleavened bread
• Moses led Hebrews out of slavery

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New Covenant

• Ten Commandments
• Spoken to Moses on Mount Sinai (2 stone tablets)
• Basis for civil and religious law in Judaism
• Formed a covenant between God and the Hebrew
  people

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Desert Wandering

• Moses dies after 40 years of wandering
• Hebrews decide to return to Canaan
• Develop civilization (city-dwellers)
• 12 tribes (self-governing)

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Formation of Israel

• Tribes die out due to lack of structure and
  support
• Tribe of Judah remains ? called Jews (Judaism)
• Kingdom of Israel
• Saul drove out Philistines
• David son-in-law
• established Jerusalem as capital, united the
  tribes, founded a dynasty
• Solomon son of David
• Built trade empire, beautified city
  (templecontain tablets)

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Decline of Israel

• Kingdom divides in two
• Israel
• Judah
• Both succumb to Assyrian attack
• Babylonians destroy Solomons temple
  (Jerusalem)(586 B.C.)
• Persians conquer Babylon and allow 40,000 exiles
  to return to Jerusalem