hinduism
four main denominations
- Divine Hierarchy of Mahadevas
- savism
- shaktism
- vaishnavism
- smartism
- they have been formed over eons of time
- not physically there
- spirits that help guide, protect, and open new doors for mankind
Beliefs
- most believed in a Supreme God who possess qualities that are seen in multiple deities that come from him
- they believe in a cycle of rebirth, or reincarnation, which is governed by Karma
- there is no single founder of Hinduism
- Barhma, the least worshiped god is depicted with four heads, from these four heads supposedly came the Cedas, the most ancient religious texts for the Hindus. While Brahma created the universe, the other two deities are responsible for the preservation and destruction
- Vishnu is the second Hindu deity, put in charge of the Preservation and restoration of the universe. They believe that Vishnu has been reincarnated 9 times already, and that he will only be reincarnated once more, near the end of the world
- Shiva, the third Hindu deity, or god, is the god put in charge of destruction of the universe so that it may be re-built. According to Hindu beliefs, Shiva's destructive powers are at work even today, destroying illusions and imperfections so that our lives may e more constructive. It's believed that Shiva's relationship with his wife kept him balanced
Gods
- Brahma the creator
- Vishn the preserver
- associated with the sun
- worshiped in northern India
- shiva the destroyer
- worshiped in southern India
Priests
- the priests controlled the religion and its beliefs
- invented reincarnation
- as a priest, they may read, recite, the holy texts to those present, however, any reincarnated Hindu can perform these readings
They had multiple holy holidays
Places of worship
- in their home you will find a decorated shrine that serves as an altar for worship
- temples were made of stone or bricks
- normally you visit the temples during festivals and special functions
- the temple is led by a priest and his helpers
Buddhism
Development
- Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism
- he looked for enlightenment, wisdom, in the forests for six years
- he meditated for 49 days
- then was called Buddha- the enlightened one
- for noble truths
- 1- the way to overcome such desires and attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, called the Meddle Way between desire and self denial
Beliefs
- reincarnation
- world is created and destroyed repeatedly
- Nirvana-release from selfishness and pain
- monks
- Buddhism was spread across Asia- into India
- Hinduism was more popular to Buddhism
- Buddhism affected trade
- Buddhism had different forms
- some Buddhists worshiped Buddha as god
Theravada
- the teaching of the elders, or the ancient teachings
- oldest surviving branch of Buddhism we know of. It is also closest to the original Buddhism than any other form.
- it is the main religion of Sri Lanka, about 70%
- there is about 150 mil Theravada Buddhist in the world
Stupas
- temples
- means heap
- symbolized elements
- are buildings that look like a dome
- contained artifacts and stuff about Buddhism like ashes of dead people
- people meditated in Stupas
- different types that contained different things like scripture or stuff that belonged to the Buddha
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