October 31 (Monday)- No School.
November 1(Tuesday)- Participated in the state student voting poll for president, senate, etc., talked about the test, and continued notes. Notes on Buddhism and Islam below. Notes on Juadism, Christianity, and Hinduism here.
November 2 (Wednesday)- Continued notes.
November 3 (Thursday)- Continued notes talked about test.
November 4 (Friday)- Test.
Buddhism:
- Buddha was the founder of Buddhism in 560 BC
- Buddha means "the awakened one"
- He grew up in a wealthy family but decided to follow a path of self-denial
- He did not find truth until he sat down under a tree, now known as the Bo tree
- There he was "enlightened" and obtained the knowledge he had been looking for
- He discovered four noble truths and the Eight fold Path to Nirvana, or ultimate bliss
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism (Student Friendly)
- Existence is suffering
- The cause of suffering is craving and attachment
- Suffering ceases at some point and turns to Nirvana
- There is a path to Nirvana which is made up of 8 steps called the Eightfold Path
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism (Official)
- Suffering is the unavoidable accompaniment of physical existence. "All life is suffering."
- All suffering is caused by desire
- All personal desire, all ambition, must be extinguished by the person who wishes freedom from suffering and it can all be extinguished by walking the Path
- The Path which leads to freedom from suffering is a narrow path
The Eight-Fold Path
- Right view
- Right intentions
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right concentration
- Right mindfulness
- Buddhists believe in reincarnation
- One must stop the cycle of rebirth as a suffering, selfish individual, and must attain Nirvana
- About 1% of Americans are Buddhist
- Buddhism like Hinduism have several things in common like reincarnation, karma, and dharma
- But buddists don't have caste system, Hindu gods, or Hindu priesthood
Buddhism Information:
- Worship Practices
- Meditation- deep thought and reflection
- Importance of lotus flower
- Believer can blossom while rooted in the impurity of the world
Major Buddhist Sections
- Theravada
- As close as possible to Buddha's teaching
- Mahayana
- More accepting of the changing world
- The Dalai Lama- The present spiritual leader of Buddhism
- 14th Dalai Lama
- Has been DL since 1950
- Has been in exile in India since 1959
Islam
- The Islamic crescent and star is the international symbol for Islam
- Islam means "submission (to Allah)" in Arabic
- "Allah" is an Arabic word which means "the One True God"
- Muslims believe that Quran is God's word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel
- Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, although they do believe he was a prophet
- Islam is very family-oriented
- The primary means of transmitting the religion are through the family
- Muslims are people that practice Islam
- .6% of U.S adults follow Islam
Groups
- Sunni
- Arabic for "Tradition"
- Accepted the succession of Muhammad's elected successors
- The majority of Muslims in the world are Sunnis
- Shiite
- Arabic for "Faction"
- Believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali
- They rule Iran and also have a sizeable presence in Iraq and Syria
- One of the main differences is their beliefs about who were the leaders following the death of Prophet Muhammad
History of Islam
- Founded in 622 AD
- Founded by Muhammad in Saudi Arabia
- Muhammad is considered to be a prophet, a messenger of Allah (God)
- Two Major Sects
- Sunny
- Shiite
5 Pillars of Islam
- Shahada (witness)
- Is the Muslim procession of faith
- This is their testimony of faith that they say twice a day
- Salat (daily prayer)
- Performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10
- Face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Sawm (fasting)
- Abstaining each day during Ramadan
- Is the holiest day for Islam
- It marks when Muhammad had the Quran revealed to him
- Sawm helps Muslims develop self-control, gain a better understanding of God's gifts and greater compassion towards the deprived
- Not only is food forbidden between dawn and sunset, but also things like smoking, chewing gum, negative thoughts and sexual activity
- Zakat (Almsgiving)
- Is giving money to the poor
- This is a compulsory gift of 2.5% of one's savings each year
- Giving in this way is intended to free Muslims from the love of money
- It reminds them that everything they have really belongs to God
- Hajj
- Pilgrimage to Mecca that all physically/financially able Muslims should make at least once in their life
- Mecca is the most holy place for Muslims
- Takes place during days 8-13 of the 12th month of the Islamic Lunar calendar
- They circle the Kaaba seven times, pray a lot, drink from a holy spring, walk to Mount Arafat to pray, feast, cast stones at the three pillars to represent fightng Satan's temptation, shave hair, and run between some hills
Islamic Law
- Sharia Law outlines laws for Muslims and is based from the Quran
- Many African and Middle Eastern countries laws are based on Sharia Law
- 5 major crimes
- Theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery, and falsely accusing another of adultery
Food Laws
- Very similar laws to the Jewish kosher foods
- No alcohol, pork, blood, no pork fat products, scavenger animals
- Food must be prepared similarly to the Jews
- Slice to the jugalar
- Drain blood
Issues Facing Islam Today
- Radical Islamic Terrorists
- ISIS
- Al-Qaeda
- Racial profiling
- Thinking they are terrorists because they are Muslim
- Women's rights
Why do Muslim Women Wear Burkas?
- The Koran calls for both men and women to cover and be modest
- The Koran does not explicitly say you have to cover yourself in burkas
- Dress is open to interpretation and has been shaped by centuries of cultures
Comments