World History: Eastern Religions Ch 5/6

Hinduism

-Major world religion not founded by one human being -Known as the oldest living religion. -Teachings are based on the Vedic literature -include from an Dharma karma

Four Varnas

1-Priests (Brahmins) 2-Warrior Administrators (Kshatriyas) 3-"folk" (Vaisya) artisans, farmers, herdsmen - majority of the population 4 - Sudras - to serve other 3 classes

Moksha

Union with brahman. To achieve moksha, individuals must free themselves from selfish desires that separate them from brahman. Usually not achieved in one lifetime. (ultimate goal, hinduism)

Nirvana

Union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth. (ultimate goal, buddhism) -The Enlightenment that is the extinction of the fires of greed and desire.

Bodh Gaya

a village in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it's dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. A direct descendant of the tree sits within the complex today, along with six other sacred sites, including a lotus pond. (buddhism)

Ashoka

an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 268 to 232 BCE

Arhat

someone who has attained the goal of the religious life. (buddhism)

Brahma

the Creator (hindu god)

Shiva

the Destroyer (hindu god)

Vishnu

the Preserver (hindu god)

Vajriyana

the Tantric tradition of Buddhism, especially when regarded as distinct from the Mahayana tradition from which it developed. (buddhism)

Samsara

the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound. (buddhism)

Mandate of heaven

the right of rebellion against an unjust ruler. The concept of the Mandate of Heaven was first used to support the rule of the kings of the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE), and legitimize their overthrow of the earlier Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BCE).

Kshatriyas

warriors/rulers. The second highest caste out of the four. Pride: born of his nature, lives in valour, exuberance, determination, resourcefulness, bravery in battle, and generosity and noble demeanor, as of a lord of men. (hinduism)

Mohism

was an influential philosophical, social, and religious movement that flourished during the Warring States era (479-221 BCE) in ancient China. Mohism originates in the teachings of Mo Di, or "Mozi" ("Master Mo," fl. ca. 430 BCE), from whom it takes its name.

Kushinagar

where Buddha died. (buddhism)

8 fold path

"Right" views, intent, speech, conduct/actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration (VISALEMC) Buddha saw the 8 fold path as a middle way between a life devoted to pleasure and one based on harsh self-denial. (buddhism)

Untouchables/Modern day dalits

At the very bottom of the caste system. People who were considered so impure because they had jobs such as digging graves, cleaning streets, or turning animal hides into leather. Other castes feared that contact with an untouchable could spread pollution. They had to live apart and sound a wooden instrument called a clapper to warn of their approach. (hinduism)

Sarnath

After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. (buddhism)

Four Noble truths

Buddhism: 1. all is suffering 2. Suffering has a cause, which is desire 3. Suffering can be overcome 4. The weight and desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

Caste system

Caste was closely linked to Hindu beliefs. To Hindus, people in different castes were different castes were different species of beings. To ensure spiritual purity, a web of complex caste rules governed every aspect of life--for example, where people lived, what they ate, how they dressed, and how they earned a living. Rules forbade marrying outside one's caste or eating with members of another caste. High-caste people had the strictest rules to protect them from the spiritually polluted ,or impure, lower castes. (hinduism)

Theravada (sect of buddhism)

Closely followed the Buddha's original teachings. It required a life devoted to hard spiritual work. Only the most dedicated seekers such as, monks and nuns, could hope to reach nirvana. This sect spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Confucius' teachings

Confucius expounded a system of social and political philosophy which he conveyed to a group of disciples. His teachings and sayings were later collected by the disciples of Confucius in a book known in the West as the Analects. Confucius was also traditionally believed to have been the author or at least the editor of the classic Confucian texts called the Five Classics.

Mahayana (sect of buddhism)

Easier for ordinary people to follow. Even though the Buddha had forbidden followers to worship him, Mahayana buddhists pictured him and other holy beings as compassionate gods. People turned to these gods for help in solving daily problems as well as in achieving salvation. While the Buddha had said little about the nature of nirvana, mahayana buddhists described and afterlife with many heavens and hells. This sect spread to China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan.

Brahman

HIndu - Ultimate reality is a single force. -a single spiritual power that existed beyond the many gods in Vedic teaching and that resided in all things.

Karma

Hindu - Action - consequence. -According to this theory, a persons Intentional acts have inevitable consequences and determine the person's future condition in his life and in subsequent lives. (Hinduism)

Dharma

Hindu -Order, truth, duty, law. -Most important concept in Hindu teachings. -Establishes what is right and proper and supportive a good order. -The religious and moral duties of an individual. These duties vary according to class, occupation, gender, and age. -To escape the wheel of fate, Hinduism stresses the importance of dharma. (hinduism, buddhism)

Castes

Hindu-Social groups into which people are born an -During the Vedic Age, class divisions moved more toward reflecting social and economic roles than ethnic differences between Aryans and non-Aryans. -As these changes occurred, they led to a more complex system of castes. -SeimIs often listeningReinforced through Hinduism and is still present in Indian culture.

Reincarnation

Hindu-each person was responsible for their current situation, must act in accordance with dharma to improve their condition in the future Buddhism - People go through a cycle of death and life- Reborn into a new life based on good or bad things you do

Craving

It is an important concept in Buddhism, referring to "thirst, desire, longing, greed", either physical or mental. It is typically translated as craving, and is of three types: kama-taṇhā (craving for sensual pleasures), bhava-taṇhā (craving for existence), and vibhava-taṇhā (craving for non-existence). (buddhism)

Lumbini

Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, in 563 BCE. (buddhism)

Escape

Nirvana is the earliest and most common term used to describe the goal of the Buddhist path. The literal meaning is "blowing out" or "quenching." It is the ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism and marks the soteriological release from rebirths in samsara. (buddhism)

Old chinese writings

Oracle Bone Script. This is the earliest form of Chinese writing, used from the Middle to Late Shang dynasty (approximately 1500 BCE to 1000 BCE). This script was etched onto turtle shells and animals bones, which were then used for divination in the royal Shang court, hence the name "oracle bones".

Construction of the Great Wall

The history of the Great Wall of China began when fortifications built by various states during the Spring and Autumn (771-476 bc)[1] and Warring States periods (475-221 bc) were connected by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, to protect his newly founded Qin dynasty (221-206 bc) against incursions by nomads from Inner Asia.

Period of warring states

The last three centuries of the Zhou dynasty, known as the Warring States period (475-221 bce) describes the three centuries when various rival Chinese states battled viciously for territorial advantage and dominance. Ultimately the Qin state was victorious and established the first unified Chinese state. Besides incessant warfare, and probably because of it, the period saw significant developments in society, commerce, agriculture, philosophy, and the arts, setting the foundations for the subsequent flourishing of Imperial China.

Emphasis of mahayana

The most essential part of the Mahayana is its emphasis on the Bodhisattva ideal, which replaces that of the arhat, or ranks before it.

Daoism/Taoism

a Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu ( fl. 6th century BC), advocating humility and religious piety.

Bodhisatva

a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings. (mahayana buddhism)

Buddhism

a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject. -Rejects the cast system and declares it irrelevant -Promoted meditation and yoga/Mindfulness define clarity -Borrow karma and dharma from Hinduism

Silk road

an ancient network of trade routes that were for centuries central to cultural interaction originally through regions of Eurasia connecting the East and West and stretching from the Korean peninsula[1] and Japan[2] to the Mediterranean Sea. The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk (and horses) carried out along its length, beginning during the Han dynasty (207 BCE - 220 CE). The Han dynasty expanded Central Asian sections of the trade routes around 114 BCE, largely through missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang Qian.[4] The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route

Dukkha

an important Buddhist concept, commonly translated as "suffering", "pain" or "unsatisfactoriness" (buddhism)

Vaishyas

farmers/merchants. The third highest caste of the four. Task: born with his nature, is to till the ground, tend the cattle, venture trade. (hinduism)

Legalists

followers of legalism, or dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith.

Shudras

laborers. The fourth caste of the four. State: suiting his nature, is service. (hinduism)

Sukhavati

or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha. (Mahayana Buddhism)

Technology under Han rule

paper, ship building and rudder, bronze and iron stirrups, fishing reels, wheel barrows, and suspension bridges

Brahmins

priests/teachers. The highest caste out of the four. Virtues: born of his nature, is serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, learning, and to know the truth of things which be. (hinduism)