HINDUISM NOTES
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Hinduism is the world’s 3rd largest religion and oldest continued religion (ABOUT 14% OF THE
WORLD’S POPULATION)
 Unlike other major religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism), there are no founders/prophets
of Hinduism.
o Ideas/beliefs developed over thousands of years from a combination of religious
practices found from different groups of people living in India.
MANY GODS
 Polytheists: Hindus worship many gods. (Estimated 33 million)
 BRAHMAN: The supreme God or life force. Other gods are a part of the universal Brahman.
The three most important forms of Brahman are:
o Brahma: The Creator
o Vishnu: The Protector
o Shiva: The Destroyer
 Hindus believe a part of Brahman (Atman) is found in everyone.
MANY LIVES
 Reincarnation: A belief that each person has many lives.
o What a person does in each lifetime determines what he or she will be in the next life.
 KARMA: Good deeds lead to being reborn as a higher being. Bad deeds lead
to being reborn as a lower being.
 The reincarnation cycle ends when a person has achieved Moksha: when a person’s soul
becomes one with Brahman.
 Hindus believe that animals have the universal life force within them, and thus, many Hindus
are vegetarians.
 4 MAIN GOALS OF HINDUS
o 1) Moksha: release of the soul from the cycle of reincarnation.
o 2) Dharma: The code for leading one’s life.
o 3) Artha: The pursuit of material gains through lawful means.
o 4) Karma: Doing good deeds/acts to be reborn to a higher level.
MANY PATHS TO GODS
 Hindus believe in following their own individual path to God.
 Devout Hindus faithfully carry out their assigned duties, no matter where in the Caste System
they belong.
 Some spiritual practices are very popular in the west.
o Yoga
o Meditation
BUDDHISM NOTES
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Siddhartha Gautama was born a Hindu prince.
He became the Buddha around the year 550 B.C
Buddha means “enlightened one”
Up to age 29 Siddhartha was sheltered from the outside world
o A priest had prophesized that Siddhartha would become a wondering holy man
o Siddhartha was sheltered and given every luxury
o Siddhartha did not see old age, illness, or death until 29.
o He then fled home to search for peace in a world of suffering
4 NOBLE TRUTHS
 1) People suffer because their minds are not at ease.
 2) That condition exists because people want something they don’t have or want their life to
be different.
 3) To end suffering people must stop wanting.
 4) To stop wanting, people must follow the Eightfold path
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS
 Following the Eightfold Path will lead to nirvana
 Nirvana means the end of suffering
 The Buddha believed in the practice of ahimsa
 Ahimsa means nonviolence
 The Buddha rejected the Caste System and the Hindu gods