1

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56

Hinduism is about liberation of the soul from the illusions in the cycle of rebirths through good actions and meditation.
Hinduism is emphasizes the duty to follow the Dharma, which is the timeless order of all life.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It dates as far back as 1500 BC.
Hinduism is polytheistic religion. But all deities are manifestations of One Divine principle, the Brahman (the Absolute).
Hinduism is referred to as the Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Religion).
Hindu is a term used by Persians to refer to the people living in the eastern side of the Sidhu (Indus) river in India.
Hinduism does not have a single founder. It consists of beliefs and practices of the Indus Valley tribes.
Hinduism is a religion of action which focuses on compassion, non-violence, purity, restraint, and self-control.
Ahimsa is non-violence. In Sanskrit, it means do no harm. It is one of the cardinal virtues in Hinduism.
Emphasis on the Dharma makes Hinduism more of a religion of action rather than a religion of belief.
Dharma holds the universe together. It is the cosmic, personal, and social order of life.
Adherence to Dharma means recognizing the different aptitudes, capabilities, and roles that people play in maintaining the social
and cosmic balance of the universe.
Following the Dharma that is suited to ones state of life is the epitome (perfect example) of religious practice as a Hindu.
Hinduism is called Vaidika Dharma (Religion of the Vedas). In Sanskit, veda means knowledge.
Hinduism emphasize right conduct and practice found in the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures.
Vedas emphasize the cultivation of virtues according to the persons standing in society.
The essence of the Vedas is to make man free from rebirth.
Unlike the Torah (Judaism), the Bible (Christianity), and Quran (Islam), the Vedas are not contained in one single volume.
There are two types of Hindu scriptures: Shruti scripture and Smriti scripture.
Shruti (that which is heard) is the main scripture composed of four Vedas: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.
Rig Veda is a collection of hymns called suktas and verses, organized into ten books called Mandalas.
Sama Veda is a collection of chants. It is not meant to be read as a text. It is like a musical score sheet that must be heard.
Yajur Veda is a collection of mantras. It is divided into Sukla Yajur-Veda and Krishna Yajur-Veda.
Atharva Veda is a collection of spells intended to heal diseases or recover from some illness
Each of the four Vedas are divided into four types of literature: Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads
Samhitas are hymns dedicated to the gods.
Brahmanas are instructions on the proper performance of the samhitas and other ritual acts performed by priests.
Aranyakas are commentaries that describe and discuss rituals from various perspectives.
Upanishads are teachings that are central to Hinduism. It explains the concepts of karma, samsara, moksha, atman, and Brahman.
Upanishads is also called the Vedanta, the end of the Vedas. It consists of dialogues between teacher and student.
Karma is action and its consequences.
Samsara is the cycle of birth-death-birth.
Moksha is the end of this cycle. It is liberation.
Atman is a living beings life principle.
Brahman is the ultimate reality that is as formless, without attributes or quality. Maya is the perceived reality, an illusion.
Smriti (that which is remembered) are secondary scriptures. It contains stories and advices from sages.
Smriti include the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Dharma Shastras, Bhagavad Gita, and Puranas.
Ramayana is an epic poem about Rama, who was banished from his kingdom Kosala by his father Daaratha. It ends with his return
to be crowned as king. It was composed by Valmiki.
Ramayana presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages. It depicts the duties in relationships by showing what is the ideal father,
the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife, and the ideal king.
Mahabharata is an epic poem about the war between rival clans the Kaurava and the Pandava for the throne of Hastinapura.
Mahabharata was composed by Vyasa. It is the longest epic.
Dharma Shastras is the law for the Hindus. In Sanskrit, it means Sanskrit: Righteousness Science.
Bhagavad Gita is part of Mahabharata. It is dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna about his duties as warrior.
Puranas are myths, legends and folklore about diverse topics such as cosmogony, cosmology, genealogies of gods.
Om (aum) is the Hindu sacred pratima (symbol). It refers to Atman (soul, self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality).
Om (aum) is its sacred mantra (sound) that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating.
Om (aum) also signifies as the start and end of everything. It is symbolically represented by two statues in front of temple gates.
One statue with open mouth, speaking the A. Another with closed mouth, symbolically speaking UM.
Jati is the Indian word for caste system. It refers to the four varnas (social groups): Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
Caste is a Portuguese term for Jati, which means chaste or pure. Portuguese colonized parts of India.
Brahmins are priests, who officiate temple worship and study the Vedas.
Kshatriyas are political rulers and warriors, who administer justice and defend the territory against invaders.
Vaishyas are merchants, who produce food and exchange them in markets.
Shudras are the laborers, who are considered impure (untouchables) because of the nature of their jobs.
Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi criticized the caste system. He called the Shudras as harijans (children of God).
In 1948, caste system was abolished by the Indian constitution.
Puja is the common way to express worship for deities, done by offering material goods and ritual acts to the altar of god or goddesses.
The goal of the puja is darshan, an intimate encounter where worshipper exchanges glances with god or goddess.
In puja, food offered by worshipper is blessed by the god or goddess. It becomes prasad (sanctified food), a gift from the god or goddess.

57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70

71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102

Divali (Deepavali or Diwali) is the festival of lights. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness, when Rama defeated Ravana.
It is done by cleaning their house, wearing new clothes and light lamps. Divali is also celebrated as the beginning of the new year.
Holi is a festival of colors to celebrate the return of spring. It celebrates the slaying of Holika by Prahlad. It is done by throwing colorful
powder to each other.
Dussehra is related to Divali. It continues to Navaratri, the festival of dance in honor of the goddess Durga.
Makara Sankranti is a festival of harvest. Celebrated on January14 to thank the Sun god Surya for providing life to the fields.
Lohari is a mid-winter festival. It celebrates the rejection of evil by lighting bonfires and throwing nuts, sesame seeds, popcorn on them.
Krishna Janmaashtami is a celebration of the birth of Krishna, a popular god among the Hindus.
Maha Shivaratri is the great night of Shiva celebrated by devotees of Shiva by fasting overnight and then partake the food the next day.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a celebration of the birth of Ganesh, a god who is represented by an elephant.
Guru Purnima is a festival to honor ones teacher. Hindus celebrate it to honor Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata.
Kumbha Mela is the largest Hindu festival. Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river to cleanse them of all sins
Hinduism had six schools of thought: Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, and Vedanta.
Samkhya school is atheistic in a sense that it does not mention any deity in explaining the working of the universe.
Samkhya school is based on Samkhyakarikas, written by Ishvarakrishna.
Samkhya school explains that there are two fundamental principles in the universe: purusha (person) and prakti (nature).

There are three forces in prakti: sattva (good), raja (passion), and tama (decay).
According to Samkhya school, ignorance is not being aware of the distinction between purusha and prakti.
Once purusha and prakti are distinguished in the mind, the evolution of the self becomes complete and liberation is achieved.
Yoga school is the practical application of the Samkhya.
Main purpose of yoga is to activate the qualities of sattva qualities and escape the influence of raja and tama.
There are four main types of yoga: Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga.
Raja yoga is the path of physical and psychic practice. The goal is to facilitate the flow of prana along the different chakras.
Jnana yoga is the path of the rational mind and concentration. The goal is to clear the mind of impurities.
Karma yoga is the path of action in the world. The goal is to do good action to get rid of greed.
Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion. The goal is divine manifestation, for a god or goddess to appear to him.
Yogi is someone who practices yoga.
Asanas are postures that are meant to purify the body and achieve physical balance.
Prana is the invisible psychic energy
Chakras are energy centers of the body.
Kundalini is the most important chakra, which is located at the crown of the head.
Bhakta is a yogi who practices Bhakti yoga.
Mimamsa school is concerned with the proper interpretation of dharma (righteous action).
Vaisheshika school is concerned with knowledge based on perception and inference. Everything is made up of pramanu (atoms).
Nyaya school is concerned with logic. It argues that human beings are capable of drawing conclusions based on evidence.
Vedanta school is concerned with teaching that everything in the universe is part of the Brahman.
Trimurthi (Trinity) consists of Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer.
Yama is the Hindu god of death. He judges the dead. He is the lord of the narakas (hells) and governs the cycle of rebirth.
Ganesha is the Hindu god of wisdom, the remover of obstacles. He is portrayed as having an elephant head.
Kali is the Hindu goddess of time. There is nothing that escapes the all-consuming march of time.
Kali is portrayed with ten arms dancing on the Hindu god Shiva, who lies calm beneath her.
Avatars are incarnations of god or goddess. Rama is the male incarnation of Visnu.
Naraka (hell) is a place of torment. After the period of punishment is complete, the wicked are reborn on earth.
Swarga (heaven) is where the righteous momentarily live in a paradise before their next incarnation.
Sikhism is the combination of Hinduism and Islam. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded by Guru Nanak in 1500 AD.
Mughal empire ruled India from 1526 to 1858. The Mughals are Muslims. They introduced Islam to India.
Taj Mahal in Agra, India was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1624-1658) for his wife.
Approximately 1 billion Hindus. About 95% are in India. About 79.5% of Indians are Hindus.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62

Buddhism is about liberation from the suffering in the cycle of rebirths by extinguishing desire and gaining insight.
Buddhism was founded around 500 B.C. in northern parts of India and Nepal.
Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. It is reaction to Hindu practices.
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion. Although gods (devas) exist, they are not to be worshipped.
Buddhism believes that humans are better than gods because they experience both pleasure and pain.
Buddhism is built around Siddhartha Gautamas experience of enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of Buddhism.
Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini in what is presently known as Nepal.
Siddhartha Gautama was born a Hindu.
Siddhartha Gautama was a prince, son of King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya of the Shakyan clan.
Siddhartha Gautama was married to Princess Yashodhara when he was 29. They had a son named Rahula.
Siddhartha Gautama experienced extreme wealth, which made him spiritually poor.
Siddhartha Gautama was awakened about the suffering in the world with the four sights on his way to his palace.
First sight is an old man, who was scantily dressed, wrinkled, and nearly blind.
Second sight is a sick man, who was moaning in pain.
Third sight is a funeral procession, where people were grieving for the dead man.
Fourth sight is an ascetic, who left home in search of solutions for the problem of old age, sickness, and death.
Siddhartha Gautama decided to join the ascetics called Samana, who practiced severe self-discipline and abstention from indulgence.
Siddhartha Gautama experienced extreme denial of basic physical needs, which destroyed his body. He nearly died from fasting.
Siddhartha Gautama left the Samanas when he graciously accepted a bowl of milk rice from a woman named Sujata.
Siddhartha Gautama realized that we must avoid two extremes: extreme sensual indulgence and extreme self-mortification.
Siddhartha Gautama concluded that enlightenment is not found in severity but in moderation.
Siddhartha Gautama sat beneath a Bodhi tree. He resolved never to stand up until he found enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama was tempted by Mara, an evil spirit, to abandon his quest for enlightenment. Eventually, Mara gave up.
Siddhartha Gautama found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree when he was 35 years old.
Siddhartha Gautama offered a pathway to understand the nature of suffering and how it can be overcome.
Siddhartha Gautama returned to the Shakyan clan as monk. His son Rajula joined him as monk. His aunt Prajapati joined him as nun.
Buddha means The Enlightened One or The Awakened One or The One who Knows.
Buddha is an honorific or title given to Siddhartha Gautama as the central figure in Buddhism.
Buddha is not a god. He was a human being who attained enlightenment.
Four Noble Truths are religious doctrines that summarizes Siddharta Gautamas teachings.
(1) Life is suffering (dukkha).
(2) Suffering is caused desire.
(3) Suffering can be overcome.
(4) Overcome suffering by following the eight-fold path.
Four Noble Truths is Gautamas first sermon recorded in Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (The Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma).
Eight-fold Path is the Middle Way, the mean between the extremes.
(1) Right View (Samma-Ditthi) is the awareness of the law of karma and the Four Noble Truths.

(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

Right Thought (Samma-sankappa) is avoiding thought of anger, greed, and illicit desire.
Right Speech (Samma-Vaca) is avoiding lies, unkind speech, and gossip.
Right Action (Samma-Kammanta) is avoiding actions that harm oneself and others by following the five precepts.
Right Livelihood (Samma-Ajiva) is avoiding lifestyles and occupation that harm oneself and others.
Right Effort (Samma-Vayamo) is doing ones best in doing good things at right time.
Right Mindfulness (Samma-Sati) is learning to be attentive to the present moment.

Right Concentration (Samma-Samadhi) is training the mind to be focused and clam.

Panca Sila (The Five Precepts) are rules intended to regulate behavior or thought. It is the basis of sila (morality) for Buddhists.
(1) I take the precept to abstain from destroying living beings (killing).
(2) I take the precept to abstain from taking things not given (stealing).
(3) I take the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.
(4) I take the precept to abstain from false speech (lying).
(5) I take the precept to abstain from anything that causes intoxication.
Unlike the Ten Commandments, Panca Sila are not rules imposed by a higher authority. They are ideals freely embraced.
Like the Hindus, Buddhists believe in moksha, the liberation from the cycle of rebirth. They call is nirvana or nibbana.
Like the Hindus, Buddhists believe in samsara, the cycle of rebirth or reincarnation.
Like the Hindus, Buddhists believe in karma, that action have consequences.
Like the Hindus, Buddhists believe in ahimsa, the practice of non-violence.
Unlike the Hindus, Buddhists do not believe in jati (caste system). They do not believe that people are segregated according to privilege.
Unlike the Hindus, Buddhists do not believe in atman. They do not believe that there is a permanent soul or self.
Buddhists believe that a human being is made up of five aggregates called khandhas, which disappear in death.
Five khandhas are matter, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.
Buddhism has three schools: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
Theravada Buddhism means The School of the Elders.

63
64
65
66
68
69
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79

80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115

Theravada Buddhism is a conservative form of Buddhism which aims strictly follow the Pali canon and the purity of its teachings.
Theravada Buddhism is the oldest school. It is widespread in southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand.
Theravada Buddhism is also known as Hinayana, which means The Lesser Vehicle because of its focus on personal enlightenment.
Theravada Buddhism highly regard the arahants, wandering ascetics who have attained nirvana through individual meditation.
Theravada Buddhism do not accept women to monkhood. But Siddhartha Gautama ordained his aunt and wife as bhikkhus (nuns).
Theravada monks go on alms rounds to beg for food in exchange for a blessing.
Mahayana Buddhism means The Greater Vehicle because it aims to help others to attain Buddhahood.
Mahayana Buddhism was founded by the monk Nagarjuna, who introduced the term sunya (emptiness).
Mahayana Buddhism encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas, anyone who is committed to help other attain enlightenment.
Mahayana Buddhism accepts women to monkhood as bhikkhunis (nuns).
Mahayana Buddhism is widespread in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Vajrayana Buddhism is Buddhism mixed with shamanism from the Bon religion of Tibetans. It is widespread in Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Vajrayana Buddhism means Indestructible Vehicle.
Vajrayana Buddhism believes that enlightenment can be attained with the help of teachers called lamas.
Some lamas are regarded as incarnate bodhisattvas.
Dalai Lama is an honorific or title given to head of a monastery. Tenzin Gyato is the 14th Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama is also a political figure in Tibet. He is protesting against the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Dalai Lama is exiled in Dharamsala in northeast India.
Vinaya are monastic rules of conduct followed by Buddhist monks.
Tipitaka (Triple Baskets), also known as the Pali canon, consists of the Sutta-pitaka, Vinaya-pitaka, and Abhidhamma-pitaka.
Sutta-pitaka contains the sayings of the Buddha.
Vinaya-pitaka contains the monastic rules of conduct.
Abhidhamma-pitaka contains various philosophical writings.
Triple gems in Buddhism are Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
Buddha, as the first gem, refers to the inspiration from Siddhartha Gautama
Buddha inspires a Buddhist to believe in ones own capacity to be a Buddha through practice of meditation and kindness to all.
Dhamma, as the second gem, refers to Siddhartha Gautamas teaching as a way to liberate oneself.
Dhamma is the Pali translation of the Dharma, which means truth in Sanskrit.
Sangha, as the third gem, is the monastic order founded by Siddhartha Gautama.
Sangha preserves the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and passes them to the next generations.
Sangha is composed of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns).
Thangka is the Buddhist wheel of life that shows the six realms.
Deva-gati, the Realm of Devas (Gods), is populated by beings who have wealth and long life but insensitive to sufferings of others.
Asura-gati, the Realm of Asura (demigods), is populated by beings who are marked by their fierce envy, hate, and jealousy
Preta-gati, the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, is populated by beings with insatiable hunger and craving.
Manusya-gati, the Human Realm, the only realm of the six from which beings may escape samsara.
Tiryagyoni-gati, the Animal Realm, is populated by beings who are ignorant.
Naraka-gati, the Hell Realm, is the most terrible of the Six Realms. It is populated by beings who are always angry.
King Asokha, who ruled the Kingdom of Magadha in northeast India in 272 BC, was the greatest supported of Buddhism.
King Ashoka was converted to Buddhism after feeling guilt over the destructive war against the people of Kalinga.
King Ashoka regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural foundation for political unity.
King Ashoka built temples and monasteries all over his empire.
King Tissa of the Sinhalese Kingdom in Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism in 247 BC.
King Songtsan of Tibet declared Buddhism as its national religion in 7 AD.
Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India is the holiest site for Buddhists. It is where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment.
Buddhism declined with the rise of the Ottoman empire, which introduced Islam in India in 6 AD.
Buddhism declined in northeast India due to syncretism, the mixing of religious ideas.
Vaisnavism (worship of Hindu god Vishu) taught that Buddha was a reincarnation or avatar of Vishnu.
Zen meditation is a Japanese version of Buddhist meditation within the Mahayana school of thought.
Zen means to sit, as meditation is mostly done sitting still.
Budai is the Chinese Buddha. He was a monk who was always smiling and laughing. Hence, he is also known as The Laughing
Buddha.
Maitreya (the future Buddha) will appear on Earth in the future when the Buddhist teaching will have been forgotten by most people.