Hinduism/Buddhism

Hinduism founding date, and founder

1500 B.C.E. or earlier, about 3000 years ago, no one founder

At what age did Buddha decide to leave home and at what age did he receive his enlightenment?

29 and 35.

Religious leaders of Buddhism

Monks or Lamas

Upanishads

Philosophical reflections of Vedas

What are the Four Noble Truths?

1. Suffering exists 2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires 3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases 4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path

When was Buddhism developed and what ranking is it in terms of largest religions

Buddhism was developed in 520 B.C.E. so 2500 years ago. 4th largest religion

Where and how does Buddhism spread?

Buddhism was spread by sending monks to surrounding territories to share the teachings of the Buddha.A wave of conversion began, and Buddhism spread not only through India, but also internationally. Ceylon, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, central Asia, China, and Japan are just some of the regions where the Middle Path was widely accepted.

How long does it typically take a person to achieve moksha

Many lifetimes/reincarnations

The ultimate goal of existence in Hinduism is to achieve enlightenment known as ...

Moksha, breaking the cycle of reincarnation , joining Brahman

Jainism / What are the beliefs of Jainism

Religion that teaches that every living creature has a soul and no living creature can be harmed

3 paths to achieve Moksha

Right to think, Right to choose a god to devote to, right to action

Dharma

Set of spiritual duties and obligations that must be fufilled to achieve Moksha

Devas

Siva, the destroyer, Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the protector/preserver Vishnu can also become Krishna or Rama

Where does worship occur for Buddhism

Temples or meditation hall

Who did Gautama become after he sat under a tree for 48 days trying to determining the mystery of life

The Buddha/the enlightened one/he who is awake

How does the caste structure dominate every aspect of a person's life

The Caste structure dominates a person's life in that it determines their wealth, power, social status, ability to achieve Moksha more quickly.

Vedas

The Vedas are the most ancient religious texts which define truth for Hindus. They were introduced to India by the Aryans. Hindus believe that these texts were received by scholars straight from God. The Vedas have four compositions and each of these has four parts. They are a conversation between a teacher and a student, discussing how a person can achieve liberation from desires and suffering.

How did the religion of Hinduism develop

The religion of Hinduism developed and evolved over a long time in India, giving rise to a variety of beliefs and practices, and to other religions, including Buddhism

What happened following Buddha's death?

after his death, the community he founded slowly evolved into a religious-like movement which was finally established as a state religion in India during the 3rd century BCE.

What are the Jatakas?

legends about Buddha's previous reincarnations

Eightfold Path

the path to nirvana, comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practiced: right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration

Hinduism practices

yoga, pilgrimages to Ganges River

reincarnation

Belief that the soul is reborn

What led to Siddhartha becoming the Buddha? (What did he do and what was the result?)

After Siddhartha left home due to his restlessness, he began to relentlessly practice a harsh and severe lifestyle along with a group of five other religious people. However, he was unable to find an answer to his questions amidst all his soul searching practices. He increased his efforts until he had starved himself near death, and had to accept the food of a peasant. In doing so, he determined that, rather than lead a life of severity, it was more rewarding to find a balance between enjoying food and drink, and self-mortification. Continuing on with this lifestyle, Siddhartha decided that he would sit under a particular fig tree for however long it took for the answers to come to him. He sat there for days, meditating, and eventually seeing everything, understanding everything and being all knowing. It was then that he became the Buddha. After this, he resisted all temptations, and was able to remain calm in the face of demons, beautiful women, and having his ego uplifted.

Why did Gautama leave the palace and never return

As a child, his father wanted to prevent him from becoming interested in religion, and did not allow him to see any suffering, as he was concerned this would promote charity within Siddhartha. Siddhartha was forced to remain inside a luxurious palace,and never knew what sickness, aging or death was. Eventually, he became restless, and ventured outside, seeing for the first time people of old age, people with little health, and death. With this discovery, he decided that he could not live as he did before, and wanted to discover how mankind could overcome suffering. This began his interest in the old, aging and dead.

What is Brahman

Brahman is a sanskrit word that can be translated into God, or it can be interpreted as a power beyond this universe. Brahman is essentially the power that upholds and supports everything. For some people, it is related to self, as it is the name of the highest class a Hindu can be. But it can also be a higher power. Hindus do not worship Brahman, but they do believe that their deities are part of or a manifestation of Brahman. Hindu's believe that the world has a soul that unites all individual souls known as the Brahman

What are the 4 varnas

Brahmans are the highest regarding class or varna of Hinduism. They are intellectuals or priests and perform religious rites and rituals. Kshatriyas are warriors or nobles who traditionally had power. Then, Vaishyas are commoners or merchants, who are ordinary people who earn a living through farming or trading. These top three classes are known as twice born, because the people within them were born from the womb, and then reborn through initiation, in which boys receive a sacred thread as a symbol of their higher status. Shudras are workers who would traditionally serve the upper classes, including laborers, artists, musicians and clerks. Lastly, the untouchables, or the Dalits are the group of outsiders in the caste system who are living in poverty and are considered too dirty to be touched, hence the untouchable.

nirvana

Buddha's word for release from selfishness and pain

What 3 ways does karma influence life circumstances

Castes, wealth, health, gender

Siddhartha Gautama

Founder of Buddhism

karma

Good or bad deeds

Spiritual leaders of Hinduism

Gurus or Sages

What is different about Hinduism compared to Christianity, Islam or Judaism

Hinduism is a polytheistic religion as compared to the three monotheistic religions.

Where is Hinduism practiced and what is it ranked in terms of largest religion

Hinduism is mostly practiced in India and Southeast Asia. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world.

Where did Hinduism originate

Hinduism originated in around the Indus Valley near the Indus River in modern day Pakistan.

How do Hindus choose to worship

Hindus can choose which of the Devas or other manifestations of Brahman they want to worship, or it can be a family tradition of which Deva they worship.

Differences and similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism

There are many similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism. Both Hinduism and Buddhism originated on the Indian sub-continent around 2000-3000 years ago. Both Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation as something to break and reach either enlightenment or salvation. The purpose of both Hinduism and Buddhism is to reach enlightenment through separate means, for Hindus, a Path of Knowledge, for Buddhists, the Eightfold Path. Additionally, both religions use Dharma as a religious law. With their many similarities being in their common principles and purposes, it overrides the more materialistic differences, such as the Buddhists rejection of the Hindu sacred texts, the Vedas, or the fact that the Buddhists do not believe that there was or is a God. Overall, both are very peaceful religions and have many philosophical similarities, along with a few materialistic differences.

3 types of buddhism

Therevada: Located in South Asia, oldest form, focuses on wisdom and meditation, the people involved are usually immensely devoted to religion and are monks/ they want to be like Buddha in every aspect of their lives. Mahayana: Located in North Asia, a religion that doesn't require as much religious devotion, the people seek guidance from wise beings, salvation of humans Tibetian: Located in Tibet, a mix of above religions, includes Lamas.

What is the final goal of a Buddhist?

To achieve Nirvana, which is a release from suffering and reincarnation

Varna

Varna is a person's regarding class. This is a part of Dharma, as Dharma refers to a person's responsibility within their class. It is essentially a class system or model of social order.

Atman

What every person has in Hinduism/individual soul

enlightenment

Wisdom