Asian Belief Systems:

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Asian Belief Systems

• Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism,
  Zoroastrianism, Jainism Hinduism

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Hinduism

• No founder, no time, began in India
• Beliefs
• Dharma duties to perform in life, determined by
  caste
• Karma good and bad deeds you do
• Moksha ultimate goal, release from reincarnation
  achieving oneness with the Universe
• Samsara the level of births and deaths you are
  at if you have good Karma, you will move up the
  level of Samsara

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More Hinduism

• Ganges river is holy
• Gods (polytheistic)
• Brahma the creator
• Shiva creator and destroyer
• Vishnu Preserver, transcendent love
• Krishna lover and trickster, seducer of wives
  and daughters

• Associated with purity and pollution
• Those who work more intellectual jobs are more
  pure
• Pollution is when people come into contact with
  sweat or excrement to ensure purity you must
  marry within own caste

4
Jainism

• Indian belief system
• Founded by Vardhamana Mahavira
• Practice Ahimsa nonviolence toward all things
• Extremists sweep the ground as they walk to avoid
  killing insects
• Popular among lower class because if all things
  have a soul there should not be classes rejected
  caste system

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Buddhism

• Founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama, a Prince
• Later called Buddha, Enlightened One
• Spread on Silk Road
• Taught Four Noble Truths
• Life is suffering
• Suffering caused by desire
• There is a way out of suffering
• Must follow the Eightfold Path
• Eightfold Path
• Tells how to stop desiring by living a righteous
  manner

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Buddhism comes from Hinduism

• Goal is to reach Nirvana by breaking cycle of
  reincarnation and becoming one with universe
• Altered ideas of
• Dharma combined beliefs of 4NT 8FP
• Karma
• Samsara coming into existence as a moral
  creature
• Brahmins are not necessary, everyone can achieve
  enlightenment on their own without gods or
  goddesses
• Equality among all believers

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Types of Buddhism

• Theravada
• Stricter version means the narrower vehicle
• Emphasized monastic life for men and women
• Claims to be purest form of Buddha's teaching
• Teaches that Buddha was not anything other than a
  mortal man
• Mahayana
• Great vehicle most Buddhists
• Believe other Buddhas came after Siddhartha
  Gautama
• Belief in Bodhisattvas people who have followed
  the Eightfold path and reached enlightenment, but
  gave up Nirvana to help the human race
• Accept Buddha as a god
• Erected Stupas (mounds that symbolize the
  universe) over holy relics and sites
• http//www.shambhalamountain.org/stupa_symbolism.h
  tml

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Era of Warring States

• Last 200 years of Zhou (441-221 BCE)
• Began three philosophies
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Legalism

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Confucianism

• Confucius (Kung Fu Zi)
• Philosopher, believed he could bring an end to
  existing warfare
• Key was finding good leaders
• Most important concepts
• Ren appropriate feelings
• Li correct actions
• Filial Piety respect for ones parents
• Five Relationships
• Ruler to subject
• Father to son
• Husband to wife
• Sibling to sibling
• Friend to friend
• Became major philosophy during Han
• Students compiled his sayings into Analects

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Daoism

• Laozi wrote book called Tao De Ching (Daodejing)
  during Era of Warring States
• Dao the way (of nature of the cosmos)
• Concept of wu wei act by not acting and problems
  will solve themselves
• The less government the better
• Symbol of Yin Yang, represents balance
• How does this work with Confucianism?
• Be Confucian at work, Daoist in time off

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Legalism

• Principle that men is inherently evil and needs
  strict laws and punishment to behave properly
• Strong government stable society
• Used by Qin to end Era of Warring States

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Zoroastrianism

• Ancient Persian religion (600 BCE -1500 CE)
  founded by Zarathustra
• Left his family in search of wisdom, God spoke to
  him
• Beliefs
• World is a blessing and one should take enjoyment
  of it (wealth, sexual pleasure, social status)
• World is battleground between good and evil, each
  person takes part in the struggle
• At the end of time god will judge and send to
  heaven or hell

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Hinduism Dailies

• What are the four main classes of the caste
  system called?
• Which groups are Twice born?
• How do Dharma and Karma relate to each other?
• Why do many lower class people become Jainists?
• What is the major religious text of Hinduism?