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Religion in Asia. Aryans. Moved in after the Indus Valley civilization collapsed Came through the Khyber Pass Language was Sanskrit Their leaders were called rajahs. Hinduism. Formed when the Aryan religion mixed with the old gods of the Indus River Valley Civilization
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Aryans • Moved in after the Indus Valley civilization collapsed • Came through the Khyber Pass • Language was Sanskrit • Their leaders were called rajahs
Hinduism • Formed when the Aryan religion mixed with the old gods of the Indus River Valley Civilization • Became a complex, polytheistic religion • Stressed non-violence • Called ahimsa • Believe in many gods, but three are most important
Brahma • Known as the Creator • Chief god • Has four heads • Believed that the four castes came out of each of his heads
Shiva • Known as the Destroyer • Shown here conquering a demon • Ring of fire represents the cycle of creation, death, and rebirth
Vishnu • Known as the Preserver • Sometimes shown with 4 arms • Usually sitting over water
How it works… • Your soul is called atman • Believe that the soul is reborn • reincarnation • Ultimate goal is union with Brahma • moksha • Dharma is the set of moral duties and obligations each person has
The Caste System • Brahmins • priests • Kshatriyas • warriors • Vaisyas • Farmers, artisans, merchants • Sudras • Servants, any non-Aryan • Untouchables – outside the caste system • “outcasts”
Reincarnation • Karma is your behavior • If you’re good and thus have good karma, you move up in the caste system in your next life • If you have bad karma, you move down
Texts • Most of what we know about the Aryans comes from the Vedas • Collection of prayers, hymns and teachings • Essays about Hindu teachings are called the Upanishads
Hinduism Today • About 80% of Indians are Hindus • Significant minorities of Muslims and Christians, too • The caste system has officially been outlawed and today you can see “untouchables” in decent jobs in the cities • But the caste system remains alive and well (unofficially) in the villages where millions of Indians live
Siddhartha Gautama was a Brahmin priest • Very pampered as a child – never saw pain and suffering • One day he saw a sick man, an old man, and a dead man - realized life was full of pain and suffering
One night, he left his wife and son. • journeyed to seek wisdom • at first, he only gained pain not wisdom • one day while meditating under a tree, the truth became clear to him
He was then called Buddha which means “enlightened one.” • Buddha taught four main ideas known as the Four Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths • Suffering exists. • Desires make us suffer. • End desires = end suffering. • Follow 8-fold path to end desires and reach nirvana – which means no more reincarnation!
The Eightfold Path • right knowledge • right purpose • right speech • right action • right living • right effort • right mindfulness • right meditation Follow the rules to get to Nirvana!
Buddhism Today • It’s a very small percentage of the population in India today • More commonly found in East Asia • It’s a non-theistic religion, meaning there is no deity to worship. • Buddhists do NOT worship Buddha! They revere him as a wise teacher. • When they bow to his statue it is in gratitude for his teachings