Started in India by Siddhartha Gautama

Gautama reached enlightenment in 535 BCE and is known as the Buddha

Believe in reincarnationSalvation = Nirvana (release from the cycle of death and rebirth)

No God, savior, prayers or eternal life after death

Guatama became the Buddha or “enlightened one” when figured out the world’s problems and how to solve them!

There are “4 Noble Truths” Everyone suffers Desire causes suffering Ending desire will end suffering To end desire you must follow the

“righteous eightfold path”

Right KnowledgeRight ThinkingRight SpeechRight ConductRight LivelihoodRight EffortRight MindednessRight Concentration

In other words, do the right things in life and you will be peaceful, happy and harmonious!

No longer prevelant in India

Spread to China, Japan, Taiwan, Tibet, Nepal and Vietnam

Now led by the Dalai Lama

May be the oldest religion still practiced today

3rd largest religion in the world – about 900 million followers

Dates back as far as 1500 BCE

Believe in a universal spirit (Brahman) that appears in many different forms

Hindus believe Brahman can appear as any number of other gods

These gods include Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti and Ganesha

Families often build shrines to one of the lesser gods and may worship it almost exclusively

Hinduism has many holy books

The Vedas are the most ancient

There are also epic poems like the Ramayana

Hindus strive to realize the true nature of self, to reach divinity

Dharma – a person’s dutiesSamsara – rebirthKarma – a person’s actionsMoksha – salvation

Confucius (551-479 BCE) was a Chinese social philosopher

Teachings dealt more with political matters than spiritual matters

His ideas didn’t spread until after his death

Eventually became the basis of some of China’s most powerful dynasties

Has been greatly debated over the centuries

After a decline in interest, Confucianism is beginning to gain followers again in China

Stresses the importance of loyalty in relationships

All relationships fall into one of five categories:1. Ruler and Subject2. Father and Son3. Husband and Wife4. Elder and Younger Brother5. Between Friends