MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN THOUGHT:

Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism

Reporter: CORPUZ, MICHELLE S.

 HINDUISM
◦ Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars,
with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years.
◦ Today, with about 900 million followers.
◦ Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam.
◦ Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300
B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan.
◦ Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is instead a
fusion of various beliefs.
 Hinduism Beliefs
◦ Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes
referred to as a “way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single,
organized religion.
◦ Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single
deity, known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses.
◦ Brahman – is the Hindu creator god.
◦ Vishnu: the god that preserves and protects the universe
◦ Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it
◦ Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma
◦ Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness and love
◦ Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
 Hinduism Beliefs
◦ Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara and karma.
◦ One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This
philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the
supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the
cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul.
◦ One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions and
thoughts directly determine their current life and future lives.
◦ Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes
good conduct and morality.
◦ Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
◦ Food is an important part of life for Hindus.
Hinduism Symbols
A swastika symbol featured on a tile
at Hindu temple on Diu Island, India.

The om symbol is composed of three Sanskrit

letters and represents three sounds (a, u and m),
which when combined are considered a sacred
sound.
The om symbol is often found at family shrines
and in Hindu temples.
 Hinduism Holy Books
◦ Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book.
◦ The primary sacred texts, known as the Vedas, were composed around
1500 B.C. This collection of verses and hymns was written in Sanskrit
and contains revelations received by ancient saints and sages.
◦ The Vedas are made up of: The Rig Veda, The Samaveda, Yajurveda, and
Atharvaveda.
◦ Hindus believe that the Vedas transcend all time and don’t have a
beginning or an end.
◦ The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, 18 Puranas, Ramayana and
Mahabharata are also considered important texts in Hinduism.
 BUDDHISM
◦ Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the
Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India. With about 470 million
followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world
religions. Its practice has historically been most prominent in East and
Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the West. Many Buddhist
ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other faiths.
Founder of Buddhism
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 didn’t 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.
 Buddhism Beliefs
◦ Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They instead
focus on achieving enlightenment—a state of inner peace and wisdom. When
followers reach this spiritual echelon, they’re said to have experienced nirvana.
◦ The religion’s founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary being, but not a
god. The word Buddha means “enlightened.”
◦ The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality, meditation and
wisdom.
◦ There are many philosophies and interpretations within Buddhism, making it a
tolerant and evolving religion.
 Types of Buddhism

◦ 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
 Buddhism Beliefs
◦ Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence but also
self-denial.
◦ Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four Noble
Truths, are essential to understanding the religion.
◦ Four Noble Truths: Dukka - The truth of suffering.
Samudaya - The truth of the cause of suffering.
Nirhodha - The truth of the end of suffering.
Magga - The truth of the path that frees us from
suffering.
 Eightfold Path
● Right understanding ● Right livelihood
● Right thought ● Right effort
● Right speech ● Right mindfulness
● Right action ● Right concentration
 Buddhism Beliefs
◦ Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma and reincarnation.
◦ Followers of Buddhism can worship in temples or in their own
homes.
◦ Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of conduct,
which includes celibacy.
◦ There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images have
evolved that represent Buddhist beliefs, including the lotus flower,
the eight-spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree and the swastika.
 Dharma
◦ Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that
wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were
important virtues.
◦ Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which
prohibit: Killing living things, Taking what is not given, Sexual
misconduct, Lying, and Using drugs or alcohol.
 Buddhist Holy Book
◦ 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.
 JAINISM
◦ Jainism is a religion in India which emerged in 6th century BCE – the same time as
Buddhism. Today, there are over 4 million Jains, or adherents, around the world.
Their highest goal is to achieve and teach moksha, or liberation of the soul.
◦ Jainism has no single founder. The Jains called their founders tirthankaras, which
means a teacher who makes a way. They believe that about 24 tirthankaras existed
who reached and taught the way to liberation, or moksha.
◦ Unlike many religions, these teachers are not an incarnation of God, but rather
ordinary souls who achieved the highest goal of existence through meditation,
penance, and equanimity. Therefore, a tirthankara is the ultimate developed state of
a soul.
 JAINISM
◦ There are two Jain sects: the Digambara, meaning sky clad, and the Svetambara, or the white
clad. Both have the same basic teachings and principles of Jainism, but differ in beliefs
regarding the life of Mahavira, spiritual roles, status of women, wearing of clothes for
monks, rituals, and texts.
◦ Digambara
◦ They believe that women cannot achieve liberation and be a tirthankara unless they were first born a
man.
◦ They live completely naked and have no worldly possessions.
◦ Images of tirthankaras have downcast eyes and are always presented naked.
◦ Svetambara
◦ Tirthankaras can be both men and women.
◦ Monks wear simple white clothing and possess reading and writing materials.
◦ Images have prominent eyes and are always overly decorated.
 Jainism Beliefs
◦ Among the basic principles of Jainism is to live without violence. They believe that their
jiva, or soul, should not experience karma. Karma dictates the moral quality of a person’s
life. They believe that to be able to attain liberation, a person should get rid of all their
karma.
◦ Mahavira particularly advocated strict asceticism and moral cultivation to attain the path to
Dharma, or truth. His followers believe they can do so with the cultivation of the three
jewels: right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct.
◦ Jain should vow to five abstinences: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya
(no stealing), aparigraha (non-acquisition), and brahmacharya (chaste living).
◦ These five vows are divided into two forms. The Mahavrata, which is followed by Jain
monks and nuns, and the Anuvrata, which is followed by lay people, which is the less strict
version.
 Jainism Beliefs
◦ Jains do not believe in any god. Furthermore, they suggest
that there is no god to maintain the universe, make
judgement, rule, demand worship, or help the people.
◦ Jains believe in the existence of multiple universes which
consists of two classes: jivas, or living souls, and ajivas,
or non living objects.
◦ Jains’ goal is to achieve liberation and not rebirth.
References:
◦ https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism
◦ https://www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism
◦ https://kidskonnect.com/religion/jainism/