Introduction to Hinduism

• A particular system in faith and worship is defined as religion.
• Religion includes belief in a god/gods and the activities connected to it.
• Includes designated behaviors, practices, and morals.

HINDUISM

• The word Hindu originates from the Sanskrit word for river, Sindhu.
• In history, refers to followers of Hinduism or those living in the Indian subcontinent.
• One of the oldest, still on-going religions.
• Followers call their religion Sanatan Dharma (external faith).
• The most important Hindu gods are Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer).
• Each god can take many forms, human or animal, to represent various aspects of Brahman.

BRAHMAN

• Brahman means the ultimate reality.
• All living things will return to it after escaping the cycles of reincarnation.
• Hinduism has no set creed or defined structure.
• Focuses more on living a disciplined, unselfish and simple lifestyle.
• It is polytheistic in the practice of worshiping multiple gods.
• Worshiping can take place daily at any time.

Goal of the Hindus

• The ultimate goal of Hindus is moksha, or union with Brahma.
• Hindus must free themselves from selfish desires that separate them from Brahman.
• Hindus believe a person can come closer to achieving moksha by obeying the law of karma.

DHARMA AND AHIMSA

• To escape the wheel of fate, Hinduism stresses the importance of Dharma, the religious and moral duties of an individual.
• These duties vary according to class, occupation, gender and age.
• Ahimsa or non violence is another key moral principle of Hinduism.
• To Hindus, all people and things are aspects of Brahman and therefore deserve respect.

CASTE SYSTEM

• Based on the idea that there are separate kinds of humans.
• Higher-caste people consider themselves purer (closer to moksha) than lower caste people.
• To Hindus, people in different castes were different species of beings.
• A high caste member was purer and therefore closer to moksha than someone from a lower caste.
• Each caste had its own special role in Indian society, depending on one another for their basic needs.

BUDDHISM

• Began in India during 500 BCE from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha, meaning 'enlightened one'.
• Gautama's early life is known mostly through religious writings and literature.
• Buddhists view Buddha is an enlightened being rather than as a god or an incarnation of a god.
• Dharma is the main source of faith and practice for Buddhists.
• Most Buddhists believe in the four noble truths to follow the Eightfold Path.

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

• Buddha taught that life is characterized by DUKKHA, which means unsatisfactoriness, suffering, or stress.
• Central teachings of all schools of Buddhism are based on the four noble truths:
  • DUKKHA (suffering); mental and physical pain, dissatisfaction and frustration.
  • ORIGIN OF DUKKHA (craving); selfish desires like wealth and power.
  • CESSATION OF DUKKHA (Nirvana); state beyond desire and suffering, achieved by eliminating craving (selfish desires).
• PATH TO NIRVANA, which involves the Eightfold Path.

EIGHTFOLD PATH

• Is Buddha's way to eliminate suffering and included in the four noble truths:
  • Right View
  • Right Aspiratlon
  • Right Speech
  • Right Action
  • Right Livelihood
  • Right Effort
  • Right Mindfulness
  • Right Concentration

DHARMA WHEEL & THREE JEWELS

• Dharma Wheel consists of Buddha's teachings.
• Three Jewels are essential elements for enlightenment:
  • Buddha : The Enlightened Teacher
  • Dharma : The teachings and path to Nirvana
  • Sangha : Buddhist community supporting one another

MIDDLE WAY

• The central Buddhist Philosophy rejects both extreme asceticism (self-denial) and hedonism (over-indulgence).
• It Encourages a balanced lifestyle for the happiness of one's self and others.

SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

• Buddhism split into 2 major sects/subgroups:
  • Theravada Buddhism
  • Mahayana Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhists described an afterlife filled with MANY HEAVENS AND HELLS. This sect spread to China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan.
• Theravada Buddhism Closely followed the Buddha's ORIGINAL TEACHINGS and spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
• Dalai Lama is the HEAD OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM.

PHILOSOPHY

• The study of ideals about knowledge, truth, right and wrong, religion, and the nature and meaning of life.
• RELIGION is a structured system of beliefs.
• PHILOSOPHY is a method of critical thinking and rational inquiry.

RELIGION IN CHINA

• Gods, spirits, and ancestors could affect crops, weather, childbirth, and warfare.
• It was important to sacrifice to them.
• The Chinese worship god and their ancestors until now.
• They also had philosophies which guided the way they lived.

CONFUCIANISM

• Confucius was born in the small state of Lu in northeastern China during the time of the Zhao Dynasty, a time of crisis and violence.
• His disciples generally were not the young and enthusiastic, but people who were middle-aged who struggled, born wealthy, the government, or were uneducated.
• Five Basic Relationships:
  • Ruler & Subject
  • Father & Son
  • Husband & Wife
  • Older brother & Younger brother
  • Friend & Friend

FILIAL PIETY

• A code of proper conduct regulated each of these relationships.
• Three of Confucius' five relationships were based upon the family.
• Confucius stressed children should practice filial piety or respect for their parents and ancestors.
• His teachings and sayings were later collected by the disciples of Confucius in a book known as the ANALECTS.
• The five most important virtues are BENEVOLENCE (kindness), RIGHTEOUSNESS, PROPRIETY, WISDOM AND TRUSTWORTHINESS.
• Confucianism was Ethical system, based on accepted principles of right and wrong.
• It became the foundation for the Chinese government and social order.
• Confucian political thought is based on morality and represents the interests of the slave class.
• He transformed the meaning of the term junzi (“son of a prince or ruler”) to gentleman, a person of exemplary conduct who can serve as a model to others.
• Passing the examination called civil service was a way to secure a government position. It was heavily composed of questions about the analects.

Principles of Confucianism

• Filial Piety
• Harmony by social order
• Fulfill their duties
• Better yourself
• Be a good role model

TAOISM/DAOISM

• Taoism was established by Lao Tzu or Laozi.
• He was said to be the author of the Dao De Jing (The classic of The Way and its power)
• It developed during the Zhao Dynasty under the warring states period.
• Tao is the force that gave order to the natural universe.
• Taoism taught that people gained happiness and peace by living in harmony or agreement, with nature by living simple quiet lives.
• True harmony comes from balancing the opposite forces of nature called Yin and Yang.
• Taoism = Harmony with balance, the "Natural Universe", Wu-Wei or effortless action.
• The characters Wu-Wei mean 'nothing' and 'doing' (doing nothing).
• This means people should not force things and let nature guide them, so human actions must be effortless and spontaneous.
• Responded to the social unrest and suffering characteristics of that period.
• Laozi's teachings emphasize the importance of simplicity, harmony and following the natural way of things.
• Practicing nonaction brings one in harmony with Tao.

Impacts of Taoists

• Made main contributions to the sciences of alchemy, astronomy and medicine.
• People should avoid feeling self-important for possessions of honors.
• Taoism encouraged rulers to rule less harshly.

LEGALISM

• Legalists use harsh rules in sharp contrast to Confucius and Laozi.
• A group of practical political thinkers called the Legalists.
• Believe the government should use law to end civil disorder and restore harmony.
• Hanfeizi and Li Si were among the founders of Legalism.
• Legalists argued political institutions should adapt to human behavior and emphasized strong state control and obedience to authority.
• Advocated for strict laws, obedient government followers, and a ruler's distrust of their own families.
• Believed in rewarding good citizens and punishing disobedient individuals with harsh punishments.

QIN DYNASTY

• The rulers who founded the Qin Dynasty employed Legalists to subdue the warring states and unify his country.
• The Qin ruler assumed the name Shi Huangdi, which means “First Emperor”.
• Shi Huangdi and his prime minister, the legalist philosopher Li Si, murdered hundreds of Confucian scholars and ordered "useless” books burned to prevent criticism.

POLITICAL STRUCTURES IN ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

• GOVERNMENT is a body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organizations.
• A small group of persons holding simultaneously the principal political executive offices of a nation or other political unit and being responsible for the suspension of public affairs.

FORMS OF CIVILIZATION IN ANCIENT GOVERNMENT

1.) MONARCHY is a form of government where the position of the head is at the state of HIERARCHY

• Every critical decision is solely based on the monarch's decision (hereditary). 2.) DEMOCRACY was said to be first developed in Athens Greece. Democracy translates to “Demos” (people) and “Kratos” (rules)
• Citizens of a country should take on an ACTIVE ROLE in their government. 3.) ARISTOCRACY was first introduced by Aristotle and Plato (Greek Philosophers).
• Group of individuals who are deemed the BEST rule in aristocratic government, referring to moral and intellectual superiority. 4.) OLIGARCHY designates the rule of the few exercised not by the best but by the person unjustly.
• Rulers and nobles are appointed by their measure of WEALTH. 5.) THEOCRACY which comes from the greek word “theos” (gods/goddesses).
• The government's priests are treated like gods.

POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF MESOPOTAMIA & EGYPT

• Both civilizations were polytheistic and ruled by a pharaoh or king.
• Divine Right is a belief that a monarch receives the right to rule directly from God and not from the people.
• Theocracies controlled and governed every aspect of the citizens' lives.
• Mesopotamia rulers where believed to speak for their gods and to have a direct connection with them, but in ancient Egypt they were considered gods themselves.

GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT GREECE

• Greece is a peninsula surrounded by most sides of the sea.
• The main geographical features are mountains, islands and the sea.
• Mountains meant societies grew and developed independently.
• Sea access gave Ancient Greece the opportunity to grow economically.
• Ancient Greeks used the Aegean Sea (east) from city to city.
• In addition to being an important trade route, the sea provided an abundance of food.
• Polis is a small but autonomous political unit in which all major political, social and religious activities were carried out.
• In some Poleis, the central meeting point was on top of a hill called Acropolis, which served as a place of refuge during an attack or a religious center.
• Agora is an open space that served as a market and an assembly place for citizens was below the Acropolis.
• Direct Democracy is when All laws and policies are decided by the people themselves.
• Representative democracy is when People vote for an elected representative to create rules.

ATHENS

• Direct democracy
• Prioritized education, democracy and philosophy
• Women had no voice in Athenian politics or business

SPARTA

• Diarchy with the council of elders.
• Prioritized discipline, strength and military.
• Women were given more rights and responsibilities.

PERSIAN EMPIRE

• Founded by Cyrus the Great around 500 B.C
• Ancient Persia was located in the Iranian plateau, in what is now Southwest Iran.
• It was considered one of the largest empires at its time.
• Greco-Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Persians and Greeks.

Important Battles

• IONIAN REVOLT: Athens sent soldiers to help the lonians revolt against the Persians under Darius the Great.
• BATTLE OF MARATHON: Revenge for Athenian interface during the previous battle.
• Pheidippides carries the message of victory home to Athens 26 miles.
• BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE: Athens asks other city-states to form an alliance. The Spartans led the army and Athens led the navy.
• BATTLE OF SALAMIS: Naval battle where the Persians' fleet sunk. They are forced to retreat, and would later lose to the Greeks in the battle of Plataea.

Impacts of the Greco-Persian War:

• Athens increases its status among the city states.
• Athens wants a permanent alliance with the city-state but with them remaining in charge.
• Athens organized the Delian League, an alliance of Greek city-states and colonies in the Aegean Region
• Alexander the Great was the king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.
• The Greeks viewed their northern neighbors, the Macedonians, as barbarians.
• He could defeat the formidable Persian empire.

His Legacy:

• Extended Greek and Macedonian rule of a vast area.
• Strengthened Greece's economy.
• Greek language, architecture, literature, and art spread throughout Southwest Asia and the Near East.
• Created a series of new cities and military services.
• Alexandria, which Alexander had found in Egypt, was the largest city in the Mediterranean region by the first century B.C
• Greek language and coinage became common links across trade in his empire.
• He allowed people to keep their culture and religion so long as they recognized his authority.
• Encouraged his generals to marry local princesses.
• Created the Hellenistic Age.
• Hellenistic is derived from a Greek word meaning to imitate.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GREEKS

• The Greeks emphasized education and the pursuit of knowledge.
• Many Greeks could afford to support academics and centers of learning.

Literature and Drama

• Homer wrote famous stories of the Odyssey and the iliad.
• Drama was also important, being the first to develop comedies and tragedies.
• Theaters built were open-air and done in a way that everyone in the audience could hear and see the action.
• The Partheon is probably one of the most famous examples of Greek Architecture.
• Greeks used columns (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian) and displayed murals Mythological scenes in the buildings.
• The Greeks developed basic rules of geometry, including the properties of circles and the relationship between sides and angles of polygons.
• The astronomer Ptolemy thought that the earth was the center and this was believed for 14 centuries.
• Greek artists tried to show ideal human beauty with sculptures.
• Hippocrates is called the 'father of modern medicine” and believed that disease was caused by natural events and not by the gods.
• The Greeks developed the Hippocratic Oath that emphasizes doctor's responsibility for their patients.

Definition of religion and an introduction to Hinduism. Includes the origin of the word Hindu, the concept of Brahman, and the roles of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Hinduism focuses on living a disciplined, unselfish, and simple lifestyle.