Vocabulary• Sect- a smaller group of people that have
differing beliefs from the larger group.• Brahman- the collective soul.• Swami- Hindu religious teacher.• Sutra- Buddhist text.• Caste System – belief system whereby social
class is hereditary and do not change.• Vedas/The Books of Knowledge – a book
containing prayers, hymns and rituals of the Hindu religion
Hinduism• Developed in India• 1500 BCE Aryans
moved to the Indus Valley
• Vedas and other Aryan beliefs led to the development of Hinduism
• Polytheistic• The religion spread
throughout India
Hindu Beliefs• All gods are part of a
supreme spirit (Brahman)• All living thing have souls
(animals and people)• Cow is sacred• Many are vegetarians (no
meat)• Reincarnation• Karma• Caste System
Caste System1. Priest2. Warriors and rulers3. Merchants. Traders and
farmers4. Peasants, field workers ___________________5. Untouchables
NOT allowed to marry outside of their caste, many jobs determined according to caste, and the government is trying to abolish this system.
Hinduism vs. other religions• During King Asoka’s
(crowned 273 B.C.E) rule, Buddhism increased in India and Hinduism following decreased.
• Hinduism became popular again.
• Buddhism and Jainism practices mixed with Hinduism.
• 7th Century CE Islam becomes established.
• Islam 2nd most practiced religion today.
• 80% of Indians are Hindu.
Vocabulary• Buddhism – a belief that people could find
peace if they could reject • Buddha – the name given to priest of the
Buddhist religion; also known as “The Enlightened One”
• Four Nobel Truths – four phases of the Buddhist religion
• Nirvana – name given to reaching a state of perfect peace in the religion of Buddhism
• The Middle Way – the goals that were to be accomplished by following what Buddha called the Eightfold Path (eight rules for conduct) in the religion of Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama• Rich• Founded Buddhism
around 500 B.C.• Troubled by poverty and
suffering• Left home and became a
monk• Wanted to know why
people had to suffer• Meditated and thought• Concluded that to find
peace one had to reject greed and desire
Gautama Cont…
• Gautama accepted reincarnation and karma but did not agree with the caste system.
• His followers called him Buddha or Enlightened One.• He taught the Four Noble Truths: 1. Life brings pain2. Suffering and sorrow caused by greed for material things3. End suffering by giving up desires (Nirvana)4. The Middle Way