LIPA CITY COLLEGES GRADUATE SCHOOL

Eastern Thoughts
(Far Eastern, Indian and Middle Eastern Thoughts)

Submitted to
Professor Ernesto Badillo

Requirement for the Course

Foundation of Education

Jo-Marie Y. Mesada
January 21, 2017
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Telephone Number: 756-1943

Fax Number: 756-3768 local 300

 LIPA CITY COLLEGES GRADUATE SCHOOL
EASTERN THOUGHTS
(FAR EASTERN, INDIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN THOUGHTS)

How do we define religion?

• An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a
group of gods
• An interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group

Educational Implication
• It is important to everyone to have a religion in view of the role that religion plays
in one’s life.
• Since religion influences behavior, one should choose one’s religion wisely.
• One should study one’s religion well and live it.
• Apply the teachings of religion to self, family, community, and the world.

Eastern Religion
• refers to religions originating in the Eastern world —
India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia—and thus having dissimilarities
with Western religions. This includes the East Asian and Indian religious
traditions, as well as animistic indigenous religions.

Indian religions
a. Hinduism
b. Buddhism
c. Jainism
d. Sikhism

East Asian religions

a. Taoism
b. Shinto
c. Confucianism

Middle Eastern Thoughts

a. Judaism
b. Christianity

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c. Islam

INDIAN RELIGIONS

 Religions originating on the Indian subcontinent include Hinduism, Buddhism,

Jainism, and Sikhism.
 The theologies and philosophies of these religions have several concepts in
common, such as:
a. Dharma- moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life
b. Karma-your actions have consequences
c. Maya- literally "illusion" or "magic“, things appear to be present but are not
what they seem
d. Samsara- continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation

Hinduism

 one of the oldest known organized religions—its sacred writings date as far back
as 1400 to 1500 B.C
 The main texts of Hinduism are the Vedas (considered most important)
 Sees God as guiding the world in accordance with the law of karma (good cause
bring good consequence; bad cause, bad consequence)
 Accepts principles of reincarnation and transmigration of souls and of karma

Hinduism can be:

1. Monistic—Only one thing exists; Sankara's school
2. Pantheistic—Only one divine thing exists so that God is identical to the world;
Brahmanism
3. Panentheistic—The world is part of God; Ramanuja's School
4. Theistic—Only one God, distinct from Creation; Bhakti Hinduism.

Buddhism
 a nontheistic Indian Religion and philosophy
 founded around the fifth century BCE in India by Siddhartha Gautama, the
Buddha with the;

Four Noble Truths

1. truth of existence of sufferings
2. truth of the cause of suffering which is ignorance
3. truth of cessation of suffering
4. truth of the path to cessation of suffering

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and the Eightfold Path as its central principles
1. right understanding 2. right livelihood
3. right thought 4. right effort
5. right speech 6. right mindfulness
7. right conduct 8. right meditation
 the Four Noble Truths were revealed by the Buddha in his first sermon after
attaining enlightenment
 The schools of Buddhism are typically divided into Theravada and Mahayana
 a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature
of reality
 teaches practical methods which enable people to realize and use its teachings in
order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives

Jainism
 Jainism is the religion of the followers of Mahavira.
 He is said to be the 24th Tirthankara, or the 24th in a line of teachers espousing
Jain principles.
 Jains reject the Vedas and highlight the practice of austerity.
 Jain faith states that the jiva, or soul, can escape the cycle of rebirth and death
through strict ethical behavior. When nothing remains but the purity of the jiva,
that person is called a jina, or winner, which is the origin of the term Jain.
 Karma is viewed as an accumulation that burdens the soul, causing attachment and
suffering.
 Ahimsa, or non-violence, is central to Jain faith and practice. It is interpreted very
strictly as prohibiting all forms of harm to other living beings. Due to this, Jainism
requires a strict vegetarian lifestyle

Sikhism
 arose as an attempt to harmonize Islam and Hinduism
 It is founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak and the nine human gurus that
followed
 Freedom from reincarnation is tied to remembrance and repetition on one universal
God. God is formless and simultaneously in every form. Sikhs believe that there is
one universal God who is the ultimate creator, sustainer, and destroyer
 The tennents of Sikhism include
1. honest living/earning

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2. tithing and giving alms
3. chanting on God.

EAST ASIAN THOUGHTS

Taoism
 takes its name from the word "Tao" ("the Way"), the ancient Chinese name for the
ordering principle that makes cosmic harmony possible
 the Founder is Lao Tzu
 Taoist propriety and ethics places an emphasis on the Three Jewels of the Tao;
love, moderation, humility
 focuses on doctrines of wu wZi ("non-
action")spontaneity, humanism, relativism and emptiness.

Two kinds of Taoism

1. Philosophical Taoism -and it accepts death as a natural returning to the Tao
2. Religious Taoism - emphasizes health and healing as ways to gain long life or even
immortality
 The character Tao(Dao) literally means “path’ or “way”
 “all things originate from Tao (nature), conform to Tao, and to Tao the last return”
 teaches the eternal principles of the Absolute; the totality of beings and things

Sikhism
 Shinto is an animistic folk religion from Japan.
 Shinto literally means "the way of the gods".
 Many Japanese Shintoists also identify themselves as Buddhists.
 Japanese Pure Land Buddhism is deeply intertwined with the Shinto faith.
 Shinto practitioners commonly affirm tradition, family, nature, cleanliness and
ritual observation as core values.
 Taoic influence is significant in their beliefs about nature and self-mastery.
 Ritual cleanliness is a central part of Shinto life. Shrines have a significantplace
inShintoism, reflecting the animistic veneration of the kami.
 "Folk" or "popular", Shinto places an emphasis on shamanism,
particularly divination, spirit possession and faith healing.
 "Sect" Shinto is a diverse group including mountain-worshippers and Confucian
Shintoists.

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Telephone Number: 756-1943

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Confucianism
 Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social and political thought,
influential in the history of East Asia.
 It is debatable whether Confucianism is a religion or simply an ethical system. It is
commonly associated with legalism but it rejects legalism for ritualism. It also
endorses meritocracy as the ideal of nobility.
 Confucianism has a complicated system governing duties and etiquette in
relationships.
 Confucian ethics focus on familial duty, loyalty and humaneness.
 Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk recognition of the existence of animistic
spirits, ghosts and deities. It approves paying them proper respect, but at a more
fundamental level encourages avoiding them.
 Confucian thought is notable as the framework upon which the syncretic Neo-
Confucianism was built.
 believes that human is originally good; hence, government should rely on moral
example and social education.
 Nature and Principles are good because it is the characteristics of heaven and earth
to create,to produce, to give life, and therefore to love.
 Mend should be the master of their own destines; hence, they “respect spirits but
keep them at a distance”
 the primacy of family and duties of the members must be taught, stressing
harmony, unity, and goodness of ethical life.

MIDDLE EASTERN THOUGHTS

Judaism
 Judaismin the Middle East is mostly in the state of Israel. There are few other
countries in the Middle East with significant Jewish populations, but there are
small, scattered communities. Israel’s population is 75.3% Jewish, with the
remainder made up of Muslims (20.6%), Christians, Druze, Bahá'í and various
other minorities (4.1%).
 One of Judaism’s foundational principles is that God promised the Land of Israel
as an eternal inheritance as long as the Jews followed the guidelines delineated in
the Mosaic covenant. The fact that the Jews were re-gathered back into their
ancient homeland is seen as a fulfilment of this prophecy by many Jews and
Christians after their expulsion in 70 AD by the Romans.

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Telephone Number: 756-1943

Fax Number: 756-3768 local 300

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Christianity
 originated in the region in the 1st century AD, and was one of the major religions
of the region until the Muslim conquests of the mid-to-late 7th century AD.
 it is characterized with its diverse beliefs and traditions compared to other parts of
the old world.
 The life and teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels form the basis of
Christianity

D.H. Th. Vollenhoven president of Association for Calvinist Philosophy

Agreements for Christianity
1. God is the Creator of all things
2. Jesus is the Messiah, Christ, son of God
3. The Holy Trinity includes the Father, the Son, and the Spirit
4. The human being is a sinner who requires redemption
5. Jesus came down to earth to redeem mankind
6. The soul is immortal
7. The Old Testament and the New Testament are the guides
to ideal Christian life
8. Baptism is necessary for salvation
9. There is life after death
Islam
 the most widely followed religion in the Middle East. About 20% of the world's
Muslims live in the Middle East.
 Islam is monotheistic believing in Allah and follows the teaching of the written
sacred text, the Qur'an.
 Islam is believed to be an extension of Judaism and Christianity with the belief that
Muhammad is the final prophet of God, in a long chain of prophets, from Adam on
down to John the Baptist, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. The majority of the
Muslims are Sunni, followed by Shi'a. Smaller sects include the Ahmadiyya.
 comes from Arabic word “al-islam” founded by the Prophet Muhammad and
followers are known Muslims or Moslems.
 Islam means “to surrender”, Muslim means “those who submit”

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Telephone Number: 756-1943

Fax Number: 756-3768 local 300

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 No intermediaries between God and humans. Any person, no matter how sinful,
can bring a plea before God.
 Believes in paradise, an oasis of flowing waters, pleasant drinks, food and sensual
delights.
 It is a theocracy, which means that Moslem laws govern both religion and civil
state: both personal and public laws

Five Articles of Faith

(The Central Doctrines of Islam)
1. There is only one true God who name is Allah.
2. Angels are supernatural beings who are inferior to God, but superior to man.
3. There are four inspired books of Scripture, which God has revealed to man.
4. Allah has spoken to man though many prophets
5. There will be a resurrection of the dead and a judgement day at the end of the
world
References
http://getwiki.net/-Eastern_Philosophy
http://getwiki.net/-Middle_Eastern_Philosophy
https://gotquestions.org/Sikhism.html
https://gotquestions.org/Jainism.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/taoism/what-do-taoists-believe.aspx?p=2
https://gotquestions.org/hinduism.html
https://thebuddhistcentre.com/buddhism
http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_jewish.html
ppt by Monet A. Pablo
Minute Faith video presentations
Powtoons

Lipa City Colleges

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10 G.A. Solis St., Lipa City Batangas

Telephone Number: 756-1943

Fax Number: 756-3768 local 300