HINDUISM BUDDHISM and TAOISM Coastland University Common elements
HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, and TAOISM Coastland University
Common elements Emphasis on: Acceptance of things the way they are Overcoming desire Humility Recognizing that a human life is always extremely short and personal achievements are strictly limited Belief in a particular way of life: “dharma” Belief in a universal principle of merit: “karma”
Common elements View of good and bad is more like learning to ride a bicycle than learning spelling Rather than a personal god who metes out punishment for breaking rules, these religions are based on universal forces or principles which lead to pain and discomfort if they are ignored (like someone who rides a bicycle recklessly can get hurt)
Hinduism An ethnic religion of the Indian subcontinent
HINDUISM- Started 1300 BC A label that includes a wide range of: Religious practices Customs Beliefs Sacred places Deities Hinduism is tolerant of this variety and does not condemn certain religious practices or beliefs as evil
Origins of Hinduism Indo-Europeans were polytheistic and worshipped cattle Brought their beliefs to the Indus Valley by relocation diffusion from 1, 400 BC Rig Veda (oldest Indo-European document, written ca. 1, 200 BC) is the foundation of Hinduism The diversity of religious practice in India suggests a process of syncretism (combination of cultures) during a phase of expansion diffusion
Fundamental beliefs of Hinduism Reincarnation Karma Caste system (4 main castes or varnas, many sub-castes or jatis) Brahmin- Ruling Kshatriya- Highly esteemed Vaisya- Middle Shudra- Common Sanctity of the cow
Five Major Doctrines Truth is one, Sages call it by different names Rig Veda, 1. 164. 46 – there can be many different expressions All Mankind is One Family Diversity is good Law of Karma - As you sow, so shall you reap Borrowed from the Bible That mode of living which is founded upon total harmlessness towards all creatures or [in case of genuine necessity] upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest morality Against Biblical teaching Whenever there is a decline of virtue, God incarnates Himself on earth to uphold righteousness Bhagavad Gita 4. 7, 4. 8 www. hindunet. org
Brahman/Paramatman Brahman is the supreme reality Brahman has two aspects, transcendent (impersonal and unknowable) and immanent (personal and knowable) In the impersonal aspect, Brahman lies outside the realm of human description and can only be sensed as a presence within oneself and the rest of the universe God is “immanent, ” the universe is the manifestation rather than the creation of God In the personal aspect, Brahman can be known in various forms—the many Hindu deities and the rest of creation
Deities (gods/goddesses) Brahma: creative force Vishnu: sustaining force (incarnated as Krishna and others) Shiva: force of renunciation, release, self-mastery Hanuman (incarnation of Shiva who has Rama in his heart) : epitome of devotion Ganesha (son of Shiva & Parvati): remover of obstacles Saraswati (Brahma’s consort): human creative force, arts & sciences Lakshmi (Vishnu’s consort): prosperity, love, beauty, delight Kali/Parvati/Durga (Shiva’s consort): power, transformation, destroyer of evil
Representations of Deities Hanuman service, devotion, intelligence, strength Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) divine love Saraswati arts and sciences, knowledge, purity Shiva Renunciation, self-mastery
Ganesh Remover of obstacles Source of knowledge (legend attributes the Mahabharata to Ganesh) One of the most commonly-seen icons
Buddhism An offshoot of Hinduism that is dominant in regions other than its cultural hearth
BUDDHISM An outgrowth from Hindu mysticism (tradition of wandering ascetics) Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) lived about 563 BC in the foothills of the Himalayas Raised as royalty Exposed to hardship & suffering in his 20 s Lived as ascetic for 6 years Achieved enlightenment or nirvana by adopting the “middle way”; taught for 45 years throughout India
Branches of Buddhism Therevada (Hinayana) SE. Asia and Sri Lanka Focus on meditation & personal perfection Mahayana China, Japan, Korea, Tibet Belief in enlightened beings (bodhisattvas) who have perfected themselves to the point they are capable of leaving the cycle of death and rebirth because they have reached nirvana Bodhisattvas remain in human form to help others reach nirvana (perfect contentment, release of attachments, and release from cycle of death & rebirth)
Buddhism § Four Noble Truths § Life is suffering (dukkha) or “out of joint” § Cause of Dukkha is “desire for private fulfillment---craving and aversion” § There is a means by which such a resolution is possible overcoming craving and aversion gives rise to freedom from suffering § 8 fold path leads to this freedom
Buddhism Eight Fold Path suggest a way to behave that provide the optimal conditions to shift our thinking and resolve the Four Noble Truths.
The Eightfold Way 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. right understanding right thinking right speech right conduct right livelihood right effort right mindfulness right concentration What does this all mean? Compassion, patience, serenity achieved through meditation and selfdiscipline Spiritual work is required The eightfold way leads to Nirvana Sanskrit for "to extinguish“: means to extinguish ignorance, hatred and earthly suffering More religious iconography
Buddhist Iconography “The hollow of the bell symbolizes the wisdom cognizing emptiness. The clapper represents the sound of emptiness. The eight lotus petals are the four mothers and four goddesses and the vase represents the vase containing the nectar of accomplishment. ” Buddha Dharma Education Association http: //www. buddhanet. org. au/buds tudy/buddhism/history/b_bell. htm
The Buddha Image The Buddha is the enlightened person, a role model to emulate not a god to try to please or placate
Buddha Founder: Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha (“the enlightened one”) 563 BC – When Daniel wrote the book of Daniel! Four sights insights: 1. 2. 3. 4. Old man (aging inevitable) Sick man (sickness inevitable) Corpse (death—human fate) Monk (salvation through withdrawal from the world) 1. Sitting under the bodhi, Tree of Wisdom, reached nirvana (unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed)
Nirvana State of perfect spiritual independence Four Noble Truths + Noble Eightfold Path = Dharma
Four Noble Truths 1. Life is suffering (dukka) 2. Cause of suffering: desire (for permanence) 3. End suffering: eliminate desire (attachment) 4. Eliminate desire: Eight-fold path (the “middle way”—between extremes of selfindulgence and self-denial)
Eight-fold Path Wisdom: 1. Right belief—understanding 4 Noble truths 2. Right thought—free from ill will and cruelty Morality: 3. Right speech—no lying, harsh, or vain talking 4. Right conduct—good ethics 5. Right occupation—no harm to any living thing Withdrawal from the world: 6. Right effort—avoid, overcome, develop, maintain 7. Right mindfulness—fully conscious of self 8. Right meditation—on a single object, wholeness
Later Buddhist developments— Mahayana (“Greater Vehicle”) Buddha began to be worshipped as a god— relics Boddhisatvas (“enlightened being”) could help others; served as examples of spiritual excellence Buddhist monasteries accepted gifts as acts of generosity that merited salvation Educational institutions promoted the faith
Vajrayana “Vehicle of the Thunderbolt” Tantric (manuals)—male and female energies become the focal point of spiritual development. Process of visualization
Tantric Mandala
Coming of Age
Maitreya Waiting 5, 670, 000 to descend to this world to rescue humanity ‘Messiah’ figure—mountain will split
Buddhism Today 99. 4% of Buddhists are in Asia (. 34% in North and South America) Comprise 6% of the world population
THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM I. Buddhism under the (Hindu) Gupta empire (320 -550 C. E. ) A. Buddhists worship Buddha as a sort of divine guide to enlightenment. B. Hindu brahmins allow worship of Buddha as AVATAR of Vishnu. C. Buddhist monks and nuns live in monasteries. D. Lay population supports monks and nuns through charitable donations. E. Relics of the Buddha, housed in shrines F. Buddhist cults stressing personal devotion (= bhakti) – Faithful gather for fasting, meditation, spiritual exercises.
TANG China (618 -907 AD ) A. Confucianism and Buddhism become entrenched. (Later Tang emperors suppress Buddhism. ) B. Buddhism (1 st Mahayana, then Theravada) spreads to Korea/Japan/Vietnam. C. Confucianism does not spread so easily. D. Japan: Buddhism is adopted in 7 th c. C. E. and coexists with SHINTOism (indigenous religion with gods representing forces of nature). Itsukushima Shinto shrine, Japan
TAOISM – evolved from Buddhism and Hinduism A philosophy about how to live life well Derived mainly from the writings of Chuang Tzu (ca. 250 BC) and Lao Tzu (6 th c. BC) Teaches a “way” or “path” that is beneficial to one who follows it Eliminates unhappiness & conflict Facilitates achievement of goals Aligns oneself with universal forces
Assumptions of Taoism Going with the flow of the universe (the Tao) is the most effective way to get things done Animals, children, even drunks go with the flow; the rest of us have to unlearn our habits of resistance and force If you are doing something the right way (living in the Tao) you will achieve your goals without feeling that you have exerted yourself If others become angry with you or admire you too much this is a sign that you are failing to go with the flow (follow the Tao) One who lives life well lacks nothing, because he or she desires nothing that is difficult to obtain Accept that things need to run their course, and do not resist the natural tendency of things to work out in a certain way Is it any wonder that Taoists make use of water metaphors?
Chuang Tzu on sensation Love of colors bewilders the eye and it fails to see right. Love of harmonies bewitches the ear, and it loses its true hearing. Love of perfumes fills the head with dizziness. Love of flavors ruins the taste. Desires unsettle the heart until the original nature runs amok. These five are enemies of true life. Yet these are what men of discernment claim to live for. They are not what I live for. If this is life, then pigeons in a cage have found happiness! (12: 15, p. 118)
Chuang Tzu on humility If a man is crossing a river and an empty boat collides with his own skiff, even though he be a bad-tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, he will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, and yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, he would not be shouting, and not angry. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you. . Who can free himself from achievement, and from fame, descend and be lost amid the masses of men? He will flow like Tao, unseen, he will go about like Life itself with no name and no home. Simple is he, without distinction. To all appearances he is a fool. His steps leave no trace. He has no power. He achieves nothing, has no reputation. Since he judges no one, no one judges him. Such is the perfect man: His boat is empty. (20: 2, 4, pp. 168 -171)
Lao Tzu on action The Tao abides in non-action, Yet nothing is left undone. If kings and lords observed this, The ten thousand things would develop naturally. If they still desired to act, They would return to the simplicity of formless substance. Without form there is no desire. Without desire there is tranquility. In this way all things would be at peace.
Tao To name Tao is to name no-thing. … Tao is a name that indicates without defining. Tao is beyond words and beyond things. It is not expressed either in word or in silence. Where there is no longer word or silence Tao is apprehended. (25: 11, p. 226)
New Trend – Catholics and Buddhists
- Slides: 43