STUDY GUIDE ISLAM, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, CHINESE & JAPANESE RELIGIONS

What are the three abrahamic religions?

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Why do Muslims not consider Muhammad as the founder of Islam?

Islam has existed since the time of Adam, Muhammad just restored it

root word for islam and meaning of word muslim?

islam is derived from Hebrew and muslim means "one who submits to God's will"

How did Muhammad receive his first revelation?

He went to a cave to pray, and an angel came to him named Gabriel. Muhammad memorized the message.

What was Muhammads chief message to humankind?

Islam is centered on the belief of one God, care for the poor and disadvantage, and final judgment based on how people lived their lives on earth

Why is the Qur'an the most sacred writing for Muslims ?

contains the revelations Muhammad received and passed on

Why can it be said that the Qu'ean and the Sunnah go hand in hand?

The Qu'ran may say that Allah commands all to play, the Sunnah shows Muslims how to pray through the example of Muhammad

Name and explain the five pillars of Islam

1)Shahadah witnessing/profession of faith

2)Salah prayer

3)Zakah almsgiving

4)Sawm fasting

5)Hajj pilgrimage

What are the sourced of shari'ah, and what is its role in Islam?

Sources are Qu'ran and Sunnah, Islamic law, its is God's guidance on how to live centered in Muslim life

What are two great Islamic festivals, and what do they celebrate?

Eid al-Fitr(Breaking the Fast): marksthe end of Ramadan

Eid al-Adha(Festival of Sacrifice):Celebrates the end of Hajj and commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael according to the will of Allah

What are the various functions of a mosuqe?

prayer, social occasions like weddings, and funerals

Why are Medina and Jerusalem holy cities for Muslims?

Medina: city to which Muhammad entigrated due to opposition faced because of his preachings in Mecca

Jerusalem:Where Muhammad made his night journey and was taken miraculously to a the Temple of Jerusalem, praying to the deceased prophets Abraham, Moses, and John

Hinduism terms

Bhakti:Devotional way of achieving liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth

Ultimate Reality:Brahman is the highest reality in the universe

Vedas:Ancient scriptures that are the foundation of Hinduism

What was the purpose of a guru?

Guru meaning a Hindu teacher served the purpose of educating boys and girls in philosophical and spiritual matters

What is the difference between shruti and smriti Hindu scriptures?

Shruti developed from oral tradition transmitted only by Vedic priests

Smriti are epics and stories that bring shruti scriptures to light

What is the dilemma of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita?

A boy from a righteous family who is caught between choosing to fight as a member of the warrior caste and his dedication to nonviolence

What are the Puranas?

are smitri stories about the three great gods of Hinduism: Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva

How are Brahman and atman related?

Brahman is the Ultimate or Absolute Reality. The soul is called Atman

What are the three primary male forms of Brahman?

Brahman the creator, Vishnu the perserver, and Shiva the destroyer

How are Karma, samsara, and moksha related?

Maya is an illusion stating that Brahman is the only permanent essence, moksha is the ultimate liberation from samsara aka the endless cycle of rebirth, and karma is the moral law of cause and effect

What are the three paths to liberation?

karma marga (action), jnana marga(knowledge), bhakti marga(devotion)

What are the four pursuits for a Hindu?

1) Dharma the pursuit of righteousness

2) Artha the pursuit of political and material wealth

3) Kama the pursuit of artistic recreational, and sensual pleasure

4)Moksha the pursuit of liberation from the cycle of rebirth through action, knowledge and devotion

Why are natural sites sacred to Hindus?

Natural sites are sacred because Brahman is present in all creation

Why do Hindus visit the Ganges River?

Hindus consider the Ganges River the symbol of life without end and a place for spiritual healing

Buddhism terms:

Buddha: One who has attained enlightenment

Nirvana: Release from suffering, impermanence delusion. and all that keeps the cycles of rebirth

Middle Way:liberation comes from the middle of indulgences and asceticism

What are the four sights Siddhartha Gautama encountered_

A crippled old man (old age), a diseased man (illness). a decaying corpse (death), an ascetic (riches do not lead to inner liberaion)

Differentiate between the sangha and stupas

sangha is the name for a buddhist monastic community and stupas are pilgrimage sites

What are the four noble truth of buddhism?

1)suffering

2)the cause of suffering are indulgences

3) the end of suffering is to end indulgences

4)the path to end suffering is the eightfold path

What are the eightfold paths in buddhism?

1)Right thought

2)right speech

3)right actions

4)right work

5)right effort

6)right mindfulness,

7)right motivations

8)right end of suffering

What are the three jewels of Buddhism?

The Buddha, the Dharma(Buddha's teachings), and the Sangha(Buddhist monastic community).

Why is meditation important to Buddhist?

By engaging right mindfulness and right concentration, Buddhists believe they are well on their way to enlightenment

What are the five precepts of Buddhism?

1) Do no harm to living things

2) Do not take what is not given

3) Do not engage in sexual misconduct

4) Do not lie or gossip

5) Do not use intoxicating substances

What are some of the various Chinese religious traditions that have blended together over the years?

Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism,

Briefly describe these elements of Chinese folk religion: ancestor veneration, divination, and astrology

Ancestor veneration: a religious practice referring to various ways of showing respect and reverence to family ancestors after their deaths

Divination:to attempt to ascertain hidden knowledge or foretell future events by interpretation of omens or through supernatural means

Astrology: Studying stars for messages that can foretell events

What did the celestial masters of Taoism emphasize?

practicing methods of self-perfection

Whata re two main categories of the Confucian Classics?

The Five Classics and the Four Books

What are the Analects?

The teachings and sayings of Confucius

What is the Tao?

The nature of things, all that emanates from the Tao returns to the Tao

What are the 5 common relationships of the Li?

1) Emperor to subject

2) Father to son

3) Husband to wife

4) Older brother to younger brother

5) Friend to friend

Explain the meanings of li and Jen

Li is the practice of the proper way to live; calling for courtesy, etiquette, formality, and respect

Jen refers to humanity and benevolence; a person should be transformed from a life ruled by the passions to one guided by enlightenment and wisdom

What is Wu Wei?

Nonaction or action without action that centers on allowing the Tao to unfold without human interference

Describe the Chinese New Year celebration

Known as the Lunar Year, is the most important Chinese festival and is celebrated for a period of fifteen days. The Chinese prepare for the evnt by cleaning their homes and purchasing items for good omens, say prayers and pay homage.

What is the Ching Ming?

Describe the Chinese New Year celebration

Known as the Lunar Year, is the most important Chinese festival and is celebrated for a period of fifteen days. The Chinese prepare for the evnt by cleaning their homes and purchasing items for good omens, say prayers and pay homage.

What is feng shui?

The Chinese practice of positioning objects especially on gravesites to achieve harmony on belief in yin and yang

Explain the Chinese Rites Controversy

Dispute withing the Catholic Church over wether Chinese folk religion rites and offering to ancestors constituted idolatry

Why do Japanese people believe their nation has heavenly origins?

Japanese people believe that gods(called kami) inhabited the land and were involved in its creation

What role foes the Japanese creation myth play in the Japanese identity?

According to the creation myth, the kami also created the Japanese people and the sun goddess kami Amaterasu descendants are the imperial family

What happened to emperor Hirohito after WWII?

Renounced his divinity as emperor and marked that the Japanese people can practice any religion

How does the derivation of Shinto relate to kami?

According to the Chinese, Shinto is the nature of all things and to the Japanese kami is the nature of all things

Name the two ancient texts that contain the national myth of Japan. What important stories are in these texts?

Kojiki: includes the creation myth and the ancestral genealogy of emperors

Nibon Shoki:A chronicle of Japan's history covering from the creation myth to Japan's history up to the 7th century

Why are harmony and loyalty valued virtues in Japanese religious traditions?

Harmony because the Japanese people live in harmony with the kami and dwell together

Loyalty because it is a principle from the five teachings of Li going to the extreme to which samurai will die for their ruler

What kind of religios expressions may be found in a Japanese home?

A butsudan which is a Buddhist family altar and a kamidana which is a kami shelf

What is harakiri?

the practice of suicide after a shameful event /subukio

How do the Japanese people prepare for the New Year?

In preparation for the New Year the Japanese people clean their homes, purify the local shrines and temples of ancestors graves

What is the significance of the flying carp-shaped windsocks on Kodomo no Hi?

The wind carp was chosen for its characteristics of courage and fortitude which are characteristics parents wish upon their children

What does Obon commemorate?

Japanese people believe their ancestors return home for a brief period and families go to gravesites to light up lanterns and candles to give the spirits light by which to see their way back to the family home

Describe the typical elements of Shinto worship.

The typical elements or procedures in a Shinto worship service are a purification rite involving washing of the hands, face, and mouth; prayer; and an offering, usually of money

Why is the Grand Shrine at Ise significant?

The location of the shrine for the imperial family

What is the purpose of the bronze mirror?

Object used by the kami goddess of mirth to distract sun goddess kami to leave the cave

Who is the kami of Mt. Fuji and what is her symbol?

The Kami of Mt. Fuji is Princess Konohanasakuya and her symbol is the cherry blossom

What is matsuri?

Shinto festivals predominantly celebrated at local or regional shrines

What is the Ching Ming?

Meaning "Remembrance of Ancestors Day" is a day devoted to honoring deceased relatives and the Chinese people gather at cementaries to clean and care for the graves of their relatives

Why is the location of a burial site so important to the Chinese?

The Chinese people believe that evil powers and bad spirits inhabit poorly chosen gravesites

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