Hinduism and Buddhism

AP World History

 Hindu wheel of

reincarnation.

 The "Ashoka Chakra" in the

centre of the white is the wheel

of the law of dharma. Truth or
satya,dharma or virtue ought
to be the controlling principle
of those who work under this
flag. Again, the wheel denotes
motion. There is death in
stagnation. There is life in
movement. India should no
more resist change, it must
move and go forward. The
wheel represents the dynamism
of a peaceful change

Where in the world are Hindus?

map of religion

Hinduism
No single founder
No single sacred text.
Grew out of various groups in India:
The Aryans added their religious beliefs to

those of the Indus Valley.

Our of all its complexity, though, there are
certain basic beliefs

Hindu Beliefs
God is one, but is known by many names.
Everything in the universe is part of the

unchanging, all-powerful force called Brahman.

Brahman is too complex for most people to
understand.
They worship gods that give a concrete form to
Brahman.
Gods are Brahma the Creator; Vishnu the
preserver, Shiva, the destroyer
All are aspects of Brahman
Every person has an essential life, or atman.

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

Brahmins
Kshatriyas
Vaishyas
Shudras
Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

All these deities are but

Manifest forms
(attributes
and functions) of the
impersonal Brahman

What do Hindus believe?

True essence of

life Atman, the

soul, is the
universal god in
you.( Brahman)

Reincarnation

atman is
continually born
into this world
lifetime after
lifetime (Samsara)

More Hindu beliefs

But even the atman is just another name for

Brahman.
The ultimate goal is to attain moksha, union
with Brahman.
Since this usually takes more than one
lifetime, Hindus believe in reincarnation.
Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul in
another bodily form.
Karma; your good or bad deeds affect ones
future, and the future of those around one,
for good or suffering


The five products

(pancagavya) of the cow

milk, curds, ghee butter,
urine and dung are all
used in Puja (worship) as
well as in rites of extreme
penance. Cow dung is
sometimes among the
materials used for a tikal- a
ritual mark on the forehead.

More Hindu Beliefs

All existence is ranked: Brahman, humans,

animals, plants, things.

To help escape the wheel of fate, dharma,
religious duties, can help one acquire merit
for the next life.
Vedas and Upanishads are sacred texts. The
BhagavadGita spells out many ethical ideas.
Ahimsa is another key principle of
Hinduism; nonviolence.

Buddha
Gautama Buddha, from the foothills of the

Himalayas, founded a new religion.

Gautama born about 566 BC
He saw for the first time in his protected
environment, a sick person, an older person,
and a dead person.
Gautama left a happy married life to
discover the realm of life where there is
neither suffering or death.

Buddha
He meditated and fasted. For 48 days he meditated

in one place. He believed he understood the cure

for suffering and sorrow; he was now Buddha.
The Four Noble Truths are the heart of Buddhism:
1. All life is full of suffering, pain and sorrow.
2. The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are
really illusions, such as riches, power and long life.
3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire.
4. The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold
Path

The Eightfold Path:

Right views
Right aspirations
Right speech
Right conduct
Right Livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right contemplation

Buddhism
Final goal of Buddhism is nirvana,

union with the universe and release from

the cycle of rebirth.
Buddhism and Hinduism agree on
karma, dharma, moksha and
reincarnation.
They are different in that Buddhism
rejects the priests of Hinduism, the
formal rituals, and the caste system.
Buddha urged people to seek
enlightenment through meditation.

Buddhism
Buddha preached in northern India and his teachings

spread.
Buddhas followers gathered his teachings into the
Tripitaka.
Gradually Buddhism split into two parts, schools:
Theravada Buddhism. Closely followed Buddhas original
teachings.
Mahayana Buddhism. Made following Buddhism easier for
the ordinary people.

Buddhism declined in India, being swallowed up by

Hinduism which made Buddha another Hindu god.

Task- Individually
1. Read each of the 4 documents and

answer each question below.

2. Create common ideas remember?
What might be your 3 common ideas

Task: In your group

3. On a blank piece of paper draw 3

buckets, one for each common idea.

*Be sure you are able to use all of your
documents

Task- Take a tour

4. As a group, tour around the room and

examine other buckets. Think critically

about their common themes. Ask questions.
5. Return home and edit your buckets if

necessary
6. Inside each bucket, write which documents
you will use.

Final individual task.

6. Write the thesis for this practice DBQ.