R

ELIGIONS OF

A

SIA

SSWG5d. Describe the various ethnic and religious groups in the region and the effect of geography on their development and their major customs and traditions.

B

UDDHISM

   Founder & Date  Siddhartha Guatama (The Buddha)  530 BC History  Prince raised in luxury but gave up everything Major Beliefs  Four Noble Truths     Suffering is a part of life.

Suffering is caused by selfish desires for things you don’t have.

To end suffering, you must learn to let go of selfish desires and achieve enlightenment.

To be freed of selfish desires, you must live a life of moderation and discipline called the Eightfold Path.

B

UDDHISM

 Major Beliefs   Karma—what you do comes back to you Reincarnation—your soul is recycled  Nirvana—ultimate enlightenment (final reincarnation)  Location  Although Buddhism started in India, today it is practiced mainly in Japan, China, Cambodia, and Thailand.

 Misc.

 Buddha was actually a Hindu originally

B

UDDHISM

The Buddha 8 Fold Path

S

HINTO

 Founder & Date   No real founder and date Some consider the oldest religion in the world  Major Beliefs   According to Shinto belief, all objects in nature contain sacred spirits called kami. This includes plants, rocks, trees and animals.   Kami are often worshipped at family or community shrines, where the spirits of deceased relatives live.

Many different festivals

S

HINTO

   Major Beliefs     Shinto rituals emphasize purity and worship of nature. Holy water and salt are used to cleanse and purify things. Bells, drums or gongs are used to attract good kami or scare away bad kami. Another well known example of Shinto rituals involves the making of Samurai swords Location  Primarily in Japan Misc.

 According to tradition, the emperor of Japan is a descendant of the sun goddess and therefore a god himself

S

HINTO

Sumo Wrestling Samurai Swords

H

INDUISM

 Founder & Date   No real founder and date Goes back 4000 years  Major Beliefs    Many of these beliefs are found in a series of books called the Vedas. Technically monotheistic, but many incarnations (gods & goddesses) Believe in reincarnation, karma, & nirvana  Caste system  What you do in previous lives determines your caste

H

INDUISM

  Major Beliefs  The Hindu religion includes multiple gods. The most important of these are    Brahma, the creator Vishnu the preserver Shiva the destroyer. Location  Primarily in India  Misc.

 According to tradition, the emperor of Japan is a descendant of the sun goddess and therefore a god himself

C

ASTE

S

YSTEM

    The Caste system is very rigid, you cannot move up in social class The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste based discrimination The Caste System is declining in urban areas as education improves The Caste System is still prominent in many rural areas 1.

2.

3.

4.

Brahmins-Priests Kshatriya-nobles Vaisya-traders, artisans, farmers, herders Sudra-laborers  Untouchables

H

INDUISM

Shiva Ohm symbol

H

INDUISM

Chutes & Ladders Snakes & Ladders

I

SLAM

 Founder & Date   Muhammad 622 AD  Major Beliefs   Monotheistic  Allah Muslim beliefs and practices are spelled out in their holy book, the Qur’an  Two major divisions   Sunni Shia

I

SLAM

  Major Beliefs  5 Pillars      Declaration of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage Location  The largest Muslim populations in Southern and Eastern Asia are found in India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

ISLAM

Banda Aceh Islam Map

C

ONFUCIANISM RELIGION

) (

PHILOSOPHY NOT

 Founder & Date   The Chinese philosopher Kong Fu Zi Lived from 551 to 479BC.

 History  When Confucius lived, it was a bad time in China with war  Major Beliefs  He spelled this out in a code of behavior called Li, which requires respect, honesty, hard work, politeness, and generosity.

 Every person should know their place in society, follow the rules, and be respectful, especially of their parents.

C

ONFUCIANISM

  Major Beliefs  An orderly society was built on Five Key Relationships:      ruler and subject parent and child husband and wife Older sibling and younger sibling Friend and friend Location  Confucian philosophy is influential in China and Japan.

CONFUCIANISM

Confucius Symbol

D

AOISM

/T

AOISM

C

HINA

    Founder and Date  No real founder  First recognized in 4 th century BC History   Before the Communist revolution, Taoism was the strongest religion in China After the government began destroying any non-communist religions its numbers have significantly reduced Major Beliefs   The Tao, “the Way”, is the ultimate creative principle of the universe Promotes, harmony, being virtuous, and self development  Taoists practices, meditation, feng shui, fortune telling Location  China

M

ISC

: S

IKHISM

& J

AINISM

  Sikhism     Founded by Guru Nanak Monotheistic Salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God.

Equality a big deal Jainism  4.2 million followers     believe in extreme nonviolence everything has a soul Strict vegetarians Do not believe in gods or spiritual beings, more a religion of self-help