The Eastern

Religions
(Buddhism and Hinduism)
Abalorio Leslie D.
 Eastern Religions

• The Eastern religions are the religions that originated in

East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have
dissimilarities with Western religions.
• This includes the East Asian religions, Indian religions as
well as Animistic Indigenous Religions.
Hinduism
Hinduism
• Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. It is an Indian
religion and dharma, or way of life.
• Originated in India. Widely practised in the Indian
subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia.
• Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and
some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana
Dharma, "the eternal tradition", or the "eternal way", beyond
human history.
• The use of the English term "Hinduism" to describe a
collection of practices and beliefs is a recent construction: it
was first used by Raja Ram Mohun Roy in 1816-17.
• The word "Hindu" is much older, and it is believed that it was
used as the name for the Indus River in the northwestern
part of the Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan and
Northern India)
• Hinduism was henotheistic.
• Hinduism has been described as a tradition having a
"complex, organic, multileveled and sometimes internally
inconsistent nature". Hinduism does not have a "unified
system of belief encoded in a declaration of faith or a
creed", but is rather an umbrella term comprising the
plurality of religious phenomena of India.
Main Symbol
• Aum is the main symbol of Hinduism.
• Sacred sound and spiritual icon.
• It is the sound heard in deepest
meditation and is said to be the most
suited for God.
• Also refers to Atman and Brahman.
Hinduism Caste System
The caste system divides Hindus into
four main categories:
1. Brahmins who were mainly teachers
and intellectuals and are believed to
have come from Brahma's head.
2. Kshatriyas, or the warriors and
rulers, supposedly from his arms.
3. Vaishyas, or the traders, who were
created from his thighs.
4. Shudras, who came from Brahma's
feet and did all the menial jobs.
Hindu place of Worship
• Shrine
Most Hindus worship (puja) every day at home and have a shrine
there. A shrine can be anything from a room, a small altar or simply
pictures or statues. Family members often worship together. At the
shrine, Hindus make offerings to a murti. (A murti is a sacred statue of
God, or a god or goddess)
• Mandir
The Hindu building for communal worship is called Mandir (Hindu
Temple). The temples are dedicated to different gods and are the
focus of religious life. Outside India, people mainly gather at the
mandir at the weekend.
Hinduism's Holy book
The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written
in Sanskrit and called the Vedas.
• Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several
scriptures.
• The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They
also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and
society. Hindus have developed their system of worship and
beliefs from the scriptures.
There are two main categories of the Hindu scriptures:
1. Shruti ("that which is heard") -consists of the four Vedas
and Upanishads scriptures.
2. Smriti ("that which is remembered") -composed of
traditional texts, including the Dharma Shastras (legal and
ethical texts), the Puranas, and the folk/historical legends
known as the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Hindu Holy Scriptures
1.The Vedas
• Rg-Veda (Rigveda)
• Yajur-Veda
• Sama-Veda
• Atharva-Veda
The Vedas are the oldest religious texts in
Hinduism. The word Veda means knowledge.
It is believed that the Vedas were orally
revealed by Brahma to certain sages, who heard them
and passed them down in an oral tradition.
2. The Upanisads - These consider the nature of the
individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul
(Brahman.) One of the Upanishads contains the earliest
reference to the reincarnation of the soul in different
bodies (transmigration) of the soul.
3. Ramayana - Contains the story of Rama
and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped
by the demon king Ravana but is later freed
by Rama with the help of the monkey god
Hanuman. The poem is about how good will
always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita
are held up as role models for the perfect
husband and wife.
4. Mahabharata - An epic poem telling the
story of a war between two branches of a
family. The Bhagavad-Gita forms part of this
and means "The Song of God."
5. The Puranas - A collection of ancient
tales about the different incarnations and
the lives of saints.
Hinduism God and Goddesses
In 33 million Gods in Hinduism, Hindus
believe in one supreme God who created
everything and contains every
characteristic in the universe. The
supreme God is made up of many different
gods who can take the form of humans or
animals. The three most important Hindu
gods
(Trinity or Trimurti)
• Brahma (the Creator)
• Shiva (the Destroyer)
• Vishnu (the Protector)
Other Hindu deities (gods) include:
• Krishna - (worshipped as a god but also considered to be an avatar of
Vishnu, one of the forms that the god took when visiting Earth)
• Ganesh - (the Remover of Obstacles)
• Hanuman - (the Monkey-God)
• Lakshmi - (the goddess of wealth and good fortune).
Four Purusarthas
(Goals in Human Life in Hinduism)

• Dharma: Righteousness, Duty

• Artha: Wealth
• Kama: Desire
• Moksha: Liberation
Hinduism Forbids
Harm or Eat Cows
• Cows are considered to be sacred animals among Hindus because they
produce milk for people.
Feet
• Feet are seen as unholy in Hinduism. As such, most temples require
that people take off their shoes before entering.
Organ Donation
• Hindus believe that those who donate their organs will be born without
those organs in the next life.
Menstruation
• Menstruating women are considered to be unclean and are not allowed
to enter temples, the puja room of their home, touch holy books or
worship.
Hinduism in Southeast Asia
Countries
• Indonesia = 1.7% (of the • Brunei = 0.2%
total population) and (by more • Cambodia = 0.1%
than 83% of the population in
Bali.) • Laos = 25%
• Malaysia = 6.3% • Myanmar
• Singapore = 5.1% (Burma) = 0.5%
• Philippines = 0.1% • Thailand = 0.03%
• East Timor = 0.5% • Vietnam = % 0.001
Buddhism
• Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama
(“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India.
• Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520
million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known
as Buddhists.
• Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development
leading to Insight into the true nature of reality.
Buddhism Symbol
Dharmachakra
• One of the most popular symbols is the
Dharmachakra, or eight-spoked wheel,
which represents the Buddha and
Buddhism. Stupas, architectural
mountain-shaped monuments, symbolize
Buddha's enlightened mind, while
footprints or the swastika symbolize his
presence.
Founder of Buddhism
(Siddhartha Gautama)
• Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of
Buddhism who later became known as
“the Buddha,” lived during the 5th
century B.C.
• Gautama was born into a wealthy
family as a prince in present-day
Nepal. Although he had an easy life,
Gautama was moved by suffering in
the world.
• He decided to give up his lavish lifestyle and endure poverty.
When this didnt fulfill him, he promoted the idea of the
“Middle Way,” which means existing between two
extremes. Thus, he sought a life without social indulgences
but also without deprivation.

• After six years of searching, Buddhists believe Gautama

found enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. He
spent the rest of his life teaching others about how to
achieve this spiritual state.
Types of Buddhism
The three main types that represent specific geographical
areas include:
• Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Cambodia, Laos and Burma
• Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan,
Korea, Singapore and Vietnam
• Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia,
Bhutan, and parts of Russia and northern India
Each of these types reveres certain texts and has slightly
different interpretations of Buddha’s teachings.
Dharma

• Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that

wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were
important virtues.
• dharma means "cosmic law and order", as applied to the
teachings of Buddha and can be applied to mental constructs
or what is cognized by the mind.
• In Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for
"phenomena".
Buddhist Forbids
Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which
prohibit:
1. Killing living things
2. Taking what is not given
3. Sexual misconduct
4. Lying
5. Using drugs or alcohol
Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught, are:
1. The truth of suffering (dukkha)
2. The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
4. The truth of the path that frees us from suffering
(magga)

Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and

how to overcome suffering.
Eightfold Path
The Buddha taught his followers that the end of
suffering, as described in the fourth Noble Truths, could be
achieved by following an Eightfold Path.
• In no particular order, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism
teaches the following ideals for ethical conduct, mental
disciple and achieving wisdom:
Eightfold Path
1. Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
2. Right thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right speech (Samma vaca)
4. Right action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
Buddhist Holy Book
Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures. Some of
the most important are:
• Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are
thought to be the earliest collection of Buddhist writings.
• Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred
teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists.
• The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text describes the
stages of death in detail.
Buddhism in Southeast Asia
Countries
• Indonesia = 0.7% • Brunei = 8%
• Malaysia = 19.2% • Cambodia = 97.9%
• Singapore = 33% • Laos = 40%
• Philippines = 0.1% • Myanmar
• East Timor = 0.02% (Burma) = 90%
• Thailand = 94%
• Vietnam = 16.4%
Thank You for Listening