Hinduism

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Hinduism Buddhism
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Social Systemknown as the Caste System
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Caste System

• Born into your group and it did not change
• Did not mix socially with other castes
• Jobs were assigned by castes

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III. Hinduism

• A. Beginning
• 1. Aryans were polytheistic à ideas slowly
  changed into Hinduism
• 2. A collection of beliefs that came together à
  no founder
• 3. Vedas holy book (passed down from Aryan)
• 4. Believed in Reincarnation, which meant rebirth
  of the soul

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• 5. Karma- how you live in one life will decide
  your next life- controlled by dharma
• 6. Dharma is the divine law
• 7. Ahimsa law required to protect humans,
  animals, insects and plants
• 8. People were incarnated until they met
  spiritual perfection - Nirvana
• 9. Become aware of their spiritual nature and
  achieve oneness with god through Yoga

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• B. Religious Guide Book
• 1. Three sections
• a. Vedas
• b. Upanishads
• c. Bhagavad Gita

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C. Problems

• 1. Hinduism became removed from the common people
• 2. Only the priests were directly involved
• 3. New religion, Buddhism, became a threat, so
  Hinduism changed
• a. Instead of hundred of gods à 3 main gods
  Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
• b. Hinduism became more personal

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IV. Buddhism

• Came about in India
• Founder Siddhartha Gautama
• Became known as the Buddha or Enlightened One

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Story of the Buddha

1. Son of wealthy prince
2. Received every advantage in life
3. This shielded him from harsh realities of life
4. He knew nothing of disease, poverty, or fear
5. Age of 29, he left his palace and saw the
   problems of ordinary people.
6. He vowed to discover the reason for human
   suffering.
7. After 6 years of this, he finally understood the
   truth that forms the basis of life.
8. At this moment, he became the Buddha.
9. He then lived the rest of his life teaching the
   way to enlightenment, the Way of Life.

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E. Buddhas Teachings

• Salvation comes from a life of selflessness.
• The Buddha taught ethics over ceremonies.
• He also believed anyone could reach nirvana,
  regardless of their class.
• The common people liked this, but Brahmins did
  not.