Key Concepts in Major World Religions

Buddhism

The Tripitaka

Hinduism

The Vedas

Judaism

The Tanakh/Torah

Christianity

the Bible

Islam

the Qur'an

Samsara

Cycle of death and rebirth

Moksha

Escaping the cycle of samsara

Rigveda

Hymns of praise

Yajurveda

Melodies for chanting

Samaveda

Sacrificial formulas

Atharvaveda

Spells, charms, and practical life

Torah Practices

The torah is kept inside an arc

Yad

Used to read the Torah without touching it with a bare hand

Buddhist Scriptures

The discipline basket that compromises the collection of rules given to the community of the Buddhist believers (called sangha)

Jewish Rites

Jewish girls have a bat mitzvah when they turn 12 years old

Bat Mitzvah

A coming of age ceremony for Jewish girls

Islam History

In 630 BCE Muhammed returned to Mecca and led the destruction of all 365 idols in the Kabbah

Caste System

To create an economic and social closed system to prevent corruption of a country's culture

Sunni Muslims

90% of Muslims, disagree with the idea that a leader has to be directly descended from Muhammed

Shiite Muslims

10% of Muslims, believe in succession/leadership based on blood relation to Muhammed

Orthodox Judaism

A branch of Judaism characterized by strict adherence to traditional Jewish law (Halakha) and belief

Reform Judaism

A major denomination within Judaism that emphasizes the evolving nature of the faith and places greater importance on ethical principles than on ritual or ceremonial practices

Khanda

Often mistaken as one of the Five Ks of Sikhism but is not

The Middle Path

Not being extremely permissive in life but also not constantly torturing yourself

Sikhism Founder

Guru Nanak started and founded Sikhism

Yom Kippur

Also known as the day of atonement, a solemn day of fasting happens on the 10th of the Jewish New Year

Holi

The festival of colors, occurs in March, marking the end of winter and honors the triumph of good over evil

Cults vs Religion

Cults will often steal things from other religions to make themselves seem legit