Transcript Document 7185215

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Eastern Religions &
Culture
Religion in South Asia
• 80% of India’s
population is Hindu
• Muslims live mainly
in Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and
North India
• Religion influences
language in South
Asia
• Sikhism is a blend
of Hinduism and
Islam
Hindu Beliefs
• Hinduism teaches that there is a
great spirit who can take the form of
many gods.
• To Hindus, all life is holy and all
living things have souls.
• Depending on the way a person
lived, rebirth may return the person
into a higher or lower caste member
or an animal.
• This belief is referred to as
“reincarnation.”
The Caste Pyramid
The Caste
System
• Castes are social groups traditionally
divided into different levels in India.
• The priests, or Brahmans, were at the top
of the caste system followed by the
warriors, the merchants and farmers, and
the servants (you already wrote this in
your pyramid).
• Below the caste system were the
“untouchables.” They did the jobs that
caste members did not want to do and
were considered unclean. They were
forced to live separately from others.
• People tended to accept their caste and
work hard wherever they were because
they believed that they could move up to a
higher caste in their next life (according to
Hindu beliefs—reincarnation)
Arts and Recreation
• Arts and Recreation
strongly influenced by
religious traditions
• Many temples &
shrines in S. Asia
• Cricket and other
British sports are
popular
• Favorite Indian
pastimes include yoga,
chess, badminton, and
polo
Families
• In most cases, South
Asian marriages are
arranged.
• The woman leaves her
family to live with her
new husband’s
extended family
(including his mother,
father, living
grandparents,
brothers, and
unmarried sisters).
Important Leaders from
South Asia’s past and
present
• Mohandas
Gandhi
• Mohammed Ali
Jinnah
• Indira Gandhi
• Jawaharlal
Nehru
• Benazir Bhutto
Moving East…
China’s role in
Southeast Asia
• China has a long and impressive
history of influencing surrounding
nations throughout Southeast Asia.
• It is the largest country in
Southeast Asia.
• It is the third largest country in the
world and is credited with many
inventions still used today.
China’s People
• Communism has changed
the way of life in China.
• Chinese language is
written in characters
unlike our alphabet.
• Major beliefs include:
• Confucianism (system
of behavior—not a true
religion)
• Daoism
• Buddhism
Arts and Recreation in
China
• Landscape painting
and use of ink and
watercolor are
popular.
• Socialist realism is
a type of art that
serves the masses
and supports
communism.
• Popular East Asian
recreations include
swimming, table
tennis, and martial
arts.
The Traditional and the
Modern
• Filial piety/family loyalty
• Large families with many
generations
• Agrarian society
• Foot-binding era of
women
• Written language in
characters
• Religion/beliefs:
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Buddhism
•
•
•
•
•
•
State loyalty
One child policy
Rise of Industry
Changing role of women
Pinyin
There is limited to no
religion
Communism and Mao
The Chinese Communist Party was founded in 1921.
• People wanted social reform
• They wanted to fight western imperialism
Mao became Chairman after the Long March.
The Long March served as a symbol of the dedication
of the revolutionaries to the CCP.
1949, established Peoples Republic of China after
overthrowing the nationalist party in a civil war
China was hopeful and wanted to change its world
image.
Mao’s Hundred Flowers Movement, Great Leap Forward,
and Cultural Revolution proved unsuccessful.
Buddhism
• Buddhism is the majority religion in China.
It was brought to the region by an Indian
prince named Siddhartha Gautama and it
teaches that human suffering is caused by
selfishness or the desire for things.
Buddhism teaches followers to rid
themselves of selfish desires and live in
harmony. Instead of seeking worldly
gains, Siddhartha said that people should
form good thoughts and good behavior.
Siddhartha came to be called the Buddha,
which means the “enlightened one.”
Confucianism
• Confucianism is a set of rules
for behavior established by the
great Chinese philosopher
Confucius. He taught that
family members have
responsibilities to one another
and emphasized a respect for
learning because “learning
brings us closer to perfection.”
Daoism
• Daoism is a religion founded by
Laozi who lived during the same
time as Confucius. “Dao”
literally means “the way” and
teaches to accept calmly
whatever fate brings. It also
teaches that you should leave
things alone and try not to
change them.
Japan’s People and
Their Beliefs
• Japanese consider themselves
to be a homogeneous (all of the
same or similar kind or nature)
group.
• Almost all Japanese belong to
the SAME ethnic group, speak
the SAME language, share the
SAME history and have SIMILAR
values.
Religion in Japan
• Many people in Japan do not consider themselves
to be very religious.
• Most people in Japan are (all at once) • Shinto - belief in kami, or spirits
• Buddhist - believe that suffering is caused by
selfishness
• Confucian - belief system that emphasizes the
importance of honoring one’s parents, of being
honest, respecting others, working hard and
acquiring learning
Shinto
• Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous
faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan
herself.
• Shinto is based on belief in, and worship of, kami
• sacred spirits which take the form of things and
concepts important to life, such as wind, rain,
mountains, trees, and rivers
• Humans become kami after they die and are
revered by their families as ancestral kami.
Characteristic features of
Shinto
•
Shinto is not pessimistic (A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable
or to take the gloomiest possible view)
• Regards the world as fundamentally a good place and human beings
as fundamentally good.
•
Shinto has no founder
•
Shinto has no all seeing, all knowing, eternal, creator God
•
Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion
• Many Japanese follow Buddhism as well as Shinto and for much of
history Shinto and Buddhism were effectively combined in Japan.
•
Shinto has no tradition of missionary work or making converts
Values
• Many Japanese
believe society is
more important
than any one
person.
• At an early age
children in Japan
are taught loyalty
and respect for the
common good (the
group is more
important than the
individual)
Duty and Loyalty
• Responsibility is an important concept in
Japanese culture.
• It is believed that everyone has a certain
position in society and certain
responsibilities.
• People are taught they have special
responsibilities or duties to their families
and their leaders.
• Failure to do one’s duty causes a person to
“lose face.” This brings shame and
disgrace to the entire family.
Origin of tradition of
respect
• Japanese
values of
RESPECT and
LOYALTY
evolved from
the traditions
associated
with samurai
warriors.
Samurai
• Samurai (or bushi)
were members of
the military class,
they were
Japanese warriors.
• They used a variety
of weapons such
as bows and
arrows, spears and
guns; their most
famous weapon
and symbol was
the sword.
Bushido
•
•
Samurai were to live their lives according to the ethic code of bushido
(“the way of the warrior”)
Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one’s master, selfdiscipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
•
The samurai's loyalty to the emperor and his overlord, or daimyo, was
unsurpassed.
•
They were trustworthy and honest.
•
They lived frugal lives with no interest in riches and material things, but
rather they were interested in honor and pride.
•
They were men of true valor.
•
Samurai had no fear of death.
•
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They would enter any battle no matter the odds.
To die in battle would only bring honor to one's family and one's lord.
Death and Dishonor
•
Samurai would commit suicide for a variety of reasons
including:
• avoiding capture in battle
• to mourn the loss of their daimyo
• to regain honor after committing a misdeed or
unworthy act
•
Seppuku--or disembowelment or hara-kiri (belly slicing)-is when a samurai stabs a knife into his abdomen and
literally disembowels himself by cutting out his guts.
•
After the samurai disembowels himself another samurai,
usually a kinsman or friend, slices his head off.
•
A samurai would rather kill himself than bring shame and
disgrace to his family name and his lord. This was
considered an act of true honor.