World Religions:

1. Hinduism

Origin:
Impossible to trace because influenced by so many cultures
Mostly found in India

Beliefs:
Brahman- Single, great universal being
Various aspects of Brahman, called devas, are active in the world to keep order
in nature
Brahman = the creator
Vishnu = the preserver
Siva = the destroyer
Some people believe in thousands of devas and others believe in only one - it
depends on individual

Rebirth and Salvation:
Everyone has atman (soul) that shapes personality & is not destroyed by death
After death, atman released and reincarnated (reborn, also called samsara)
New life shafed by Karma (sum effect of good/bad actions)
Moksha is the liberation/release from the cycle of reincarnation
Nirvana is the state when atman achieves perfect peace & reincarnation is
complete
Achieved through dharma (person's spiritual duties based on class)

Texts:
Vedas-Sacred hymns of praise, means knowledge in Sanskirt (ancient Indian language)
Teach how to practice religion revealed by Brahman
Date back more than 3000 years
Inspired later writings such as sacred epics

Worship: Can take place anywhere (temples, shrines, home)
Priests might recite parts of Vedas
Image of a deva taken to temple
Might offer food, drink, gifts to deva
Pray, meditate, do yoga (teaches people how to focus)
Ganges River can purify an individual, get rid of bad kharma
Cows are sacred animals
Festivals promote return of seasons





2. Buddhism

Origin: Siddhartha Guatama
Buddha means "Enlightened One"
Born to wealthy prince, had luxurious life without knowing about harsh realities
like disease, poverty, famine
At 29, he sees reality and vows to discover why humans suffer
Great Renunciation - leaves family, meditates, fasts, learns the truth (becomes
Buddha)
Teaches his followers way to enlightenment

Beliefs:
Similar to Hinduism as far as reincarnation, but salvation comes from knowing
Four Noble Truths & following the Eightfold Path
Did not follow Hindu gods or caste system
Anyone can reach nirvana (very appealing)

Four Noble Truths:
1. All human life involves suffering and sorrow.
2. Desire for a life of pleasure and material gain causes suffering & sorrow.
3. Renouncing desire frees people from suffering and helps souls reach nirvana.
4. Eightfold Path leads to renunciation.

Eightfold Path:
1. Right Views- seeing life as it really is
2. Right Intentions- living a life of good will; striving toward perfection
3. Right Speech- avoiding lies and gossip
4. Right Action- trying to be law-abiding and honest
5. Right Living- avoiding work that harms others
6. Right Effort- seeking to prevent evil
7. Right Mindfulness- constant awareness of ones self
8. Right Concentration- directing the mind in meditation

Buddhism Splits:
Buddhism grows rapidly, spits into 2 sects
Theravada Buddhism - more traditional, Buddha is great teacher & spiritual
leader, practiced in:
Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Laos, and others
Mahayana Buddhism - Buddha is god and savior, more elaborate ceremonies,
practiced in:
China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan





Abraham:
believed in monotheism
known as the patriarch of Christianity, Judaism, & Islam
believed to have made a covenant with God



3.Judism

Orgins:
Early Hebrews --> Israelites stemming from Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob
Later, Israelites enslaved in Egypt when Moses (raised in Pharaohs palace) told
by God to lead his people from slavery, this is called the Exodus
Before leaving, Moses ask Pharaoh to release them, but he refuses, resulting in
series of plagues/disasters in Egypt
To celebrate freedom, Jews celebrate Passover
Moses receives Ten Commandments

Beliefs:
Monotheistic
Belief in justice & righteousness - ppl. should be treated with kindness & fairness
Emphasize obedience to the law, particularly the 10 Commandments to get
salvation (freedom from the world, acceptance into Heaven by God)

Texts:
Torah (1st 5 books of the Hebrew bible)
Hebrew Bible (Christians' "Old Testament")


Spreading:
Diaspora means the spreading of Jewish religion - eventually, the Jewish
community will begin to spread outside of Judah
Jerusalem remains the Holy Land, as evident by the Western Wailing Wall, place
of sacred prayer for Jews














4. Christianity:

Origins:
Many Christian beliefs rooted in beliefs & customs of Judaism
Stems from Abraham, Isaac & Jacob
Jesus of Nazareth - a Jewish teacher & prophet taught about kindness & love of
God
Born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth
Carpenter who studied prophets' writings
Gains small group of disciples (followers) called apostles

Beliefs:
Jesus, God's son, died to save ppl. from sin
Through God's grace & mercy ppl. are forgiven
Faith leads to salvation
Trinity - God, Jesus, & Holy Spirit are united

Texts:
The Bible - broken down into the Old Testament (Hebrew bible) and the New
Testament (including the Gospels, which are the 1st 4 books of the New
Testament)
Apostle Paul writes most of the New Testament

Spreading:
Starts in the Roman Empire, but spreads throughout the world
Splits into different branches including Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants


















5. Islam

Origins:
Started with Arabs (from Arabian peninsula) who were polytheistic, but
recognized 1 supreme god, Allah
Stemmed from Abraham, Hagar, & Ishmael - Ishmael builds house of worship
called Kaaba in Mecca
Muhammad, orphaned at 5 years old, was troubled by gap in generosity between
average and wealthy, meditated on a hill and received revelations from angel
Gabriel
Islam means peace through submission to the will of Allah

Beliefs:
Monotheistic - Allah is God, he is all-powerful, creator of the universe &
everything in it
To get to afterlife, you must submit to will of Allah

Five Pillars of Islam:
1. Belief: One God, Allah, and his messenger Muhammad
2. Prayer: Perform prayers 5 times a day
3. Charity: Give part of wealth to the poor
4. Fasting: No food/drink from dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage: Go to Mecca once in a lifetime
Shariah (code of law) regulates daily life (i.e. no gambling, pork, alcohol, dishonest
behavior; family life is based on marriage)

Texts:
Quran (114 chapters, or suras) revered as word of God spoken to Muhammad by
Gabriel

Spreading:
Many ppl. didn't like new religion b/c it attacked ideals of greed and corruption,
did not spread quickly
Muhammad gets discouraged and moves to Madinah ("City of the Prophet") - his
journey is called Hijrah
Bedouin: Arabs in the dessert that begin to follow Muhammad
Eventually, Muhammad takes over Mecca with military force, but he dies
Now, all Muslims are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca known as a hajj