Honors History - India

Vishnu

Preserver

Shakti

Female divine and ruthless against evil

Brahman

Spiritual force that makes up everything in the universe

Shiva

Transformer

Atman

Essential self

Maksha

- Ultimate goal of Hinduism
- Union with Brahman
- Cannot achieve in one lifetime

Reincarnation

Rebirth of the soul into another bodily form

Karma

Action and results

Dharma

- Religious and moral duties of an individual
- Depends on one's role in society and characteristics

Caste System

- Social groups which people are born into and can rarely change
- Divided society into ranked groups based on occupation

Caste System Order (top to bottom)

- Brahmins
- Kshatriyas
- Vaisyas
- Sundras
- Dalits/Untouchables

Brahmins

Priests

Kshatriyas

Warriors

Vaisyas

- Herders
- Farmers
- Artisans
- Merchants

Sundras

- Farmworkers
- Servents
- Laborers

Dalits/Untouchables

- Outside the caste system
- Work others wouldn't do

Casts Determined...

- Where they lived
- How they earned a living
- Who they can marry

Casts Were...

Strictly seperated

Founder of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

Four Noble Truths

- Life is full of suffering
- Cause of suffering is rooted in evils and desire
- Cure for suffering is to overcome desire
- Way to overcome desire is the eightfold path

Four Noble Truths Simplified

Everyone suffers because they have humanly desires. The only way to get rid of suffering is to get rid of the desires through the eightfold path.

Eightfold Path Simplified

Living a moral life and meditating, along with following the eightfold path will help you reach nirvana and full enlightenment.

Nirvana

the ultimate goal that results in becoming united with the universe and being released from the cycle of rebirth

Do Hinduism and Buddhism both push meditation?

No, Buddhism pushes meditation and Hinduism pushes rituals

How did Buddha die?

By eating spoiled food

Tripitaka

The Three Baskets of Wisdom that holds all of the teachings, sayings, and golden rule of Buddha's

Theravada Buddhism

- Follows original teachings
- Only Monks and Nuns can achieve Nirvana
- No Gods
- Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia

Mahayana Buddhism

- Everyone can achieve Nirvana
- Prayers were more common
- Believed in many beings
- China, Tibet, Korea, Japan

Monsoon

Seasonal winds that blew from a certain direction for part of the year
- October -> dry and hot
- May & June -> daily down pours

What are the major geographic features of the Indian subcontinent? How did these features impact society?

The subcontinent is a peninsula in the Indian Sea, there was also the Ganges River, the Deccan Plateau, to the north there were the Himalayas, and to the west there was another river. This water provided food and water (obviously) for societies and communities to grow. The Indus River Valley was also able to grow because of this river, which sparked new life and grew the population in India greatly. The Himalayas to the north also helped to protect India from anyone trying to invade from above them.

Who were the Aryans?

The Aryans were a Nomadic group that traveled around until settling and marrying local people. They thrived from 2000 BC to 1500 BC, developing after the decline of The Indus River Valley. They created the Vedas, and influenced the start of the Caste System that was used for hundreds of years following.

What were the Vedas, and what did they say?

The Vedas were a religious text written by the Aryans that discusses the organization of the Caste System, the gods and the ways to worship. It really just outlined the religious values that their society lived by and their interpretations of Hinduism, which were also used later.

How did Hinduism develop, and what are its main beliefs?

Hinduism had no founder nor a religious text, and it developed over 3500 years, as it is one of the most complex religions in the world. They are polytheistic, with thousands of gods, however they all provide evidence for Brahman, the spiritual force that created everything in the universe. They also believe in karma, which is the actions and their results, which will be seen in their next life, after reincarnation. They also believe in dharma which is a person's duties, which is determined by their caste, and cannot be changed.

Explain the connection between Hinduism and the caste system.

Although the caste system doesn't exactly align with Hinduism's main beliefs, it was based off of Hinduism, and came from a few ideas within the religion. Each caste represents a different part of a god, the Brahmins are the head, the Sudras are the feet, and the Kshatriyas and Vaisyas lay in between them on the body. The Castes also determine what dharma you have, and that was a huge part of reincarnation, which was a very important aspect of hinduism.

How did Buddhism begin?

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, after searching for 6 years for the cure to suffering. He meditated under a tree until he was able to find that cure, and once he awoke, he became the buddha, or the enlightened one.

What are the main beliefs of Buddhism? Be sure to know the Four Noble Truths.

The four noble truths state that everyone suffers, but that suffering is caused by greed, desire, and hatred. The only way to stop the suffering is to follow the eightfold path, which lists the steps to achieve nirvana. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism, and it is when you are in full union with the universe and have been released from the cycle of rebirth.

What are some similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism?

They both value nonviolence along with karma, dharma, and reincarnation. Their beliefs about the final goal of life are also very similar, when you come into full union with a spiritual force and therefore aren't going to be reborn again. Buddhism was also based off of Hinduism, and later on, Hinduism adopts many of the Buddhist values as well.

Describe the caste system in ancient India. How did it begin? How did it impact the people?

The Caste system began with the Aryans, especially after the Vedas were created, as they discussed the outlines of it. It gave people their dharma and provided them with certain opportunities, specific to their caste. If you were higher up, you were given more opportunities while if you were lower down you were disrespected or mistreated.