Ancient Asian FaithsName: ___________________________________

Religion Founder & Symbol Main Beliefs and Practices Interesting FactsConfucianismPhilosophy not a religion

Confucianism has influenced Chinese life throughout Chinese history.

Confucianism has influenced Chinese life throughout Chinese history.

Chinese PHILOSOPHY

Philosopher

CONFUCIUS

551-479 BC

Confucianism is a _______________ based on the ideas of the Chinese philosopher _______________ . Some central _______ and ____________ of Confucianism was the most important __________ in Chinese culture. It influenced _____, education, government, ______________, personal behavior, and _______________________.

Although Confucianism has ____________ elements, such as ___________ rituals, Confucianism has ____ clergy and does not ________________ the worship of a God or gods. Confucianism is more accurately a philosophy that _____________ especially on questions about ________ and __________.

Confucius believed that __________ could be saved if it _______________ moral self-cultivation in personal and public ___________. Moral self-cultivation is demonstrated by the actions of the junzi, meaning _______________person.

Confucius did not define the _________ as an individual of noble ___________, but rather as someone with _________moral _______________________.Junzi possessed many ___________. They respected their parents. They worked for the good of their family, community, and society. Junzi were dedicated to ________________.

Confucianism had begun taking shape by the time of the ___________ Zhou dynasty in China. This dynasty (__________) ruled in China from 1045 to 771 B.C. From the time of Confucius to the A.D. 1900's.

Many people consider Confucianism a ___________.

Early Confucianism. In the 500’s B.C., when Confucius lived, ___________ raged among in China. Rapid political change altered the structure of Chinese ________, and many people no longer respected the traditional standards of social behavior. Confucius feared that this _________ to orderly social ________________ would lead to the destruction of _____________________.

Junzi practiced self-examination to become ___________. They were guided by ______________ rituals and social __________. Confucius included many of

Confucius also ______________ a version of the golden rule, the ______________ that people should __________others as they would like to be treat __________________. Confucianism generally focuses on the moral development of______ people, including _________________ and children.

Confucius believed that when junzi were ___________, their _____________ would inspire those beneath them to lead good lives. _______________ behavior by rulers, he declared, had a greater ____________ in governing than did __________ and codes of ______________________.

After Confucius _________, his followers spread his _____________. The most important early Confucian philosophers were Mencius (391-308 B.C.) and Xunzi (mid-200's B.C.).

Later Confucianism:The __________ Confucians concerned themselves ___________ with the needs of society. However, ideas from other philosophies helped ___________ the emphasis to additional areas of human experience. For example, a person's __________ to live in _____________with ____________came from Taoism. This became a more important theme in later Confucian thought. From about A.D. 200 to 600, interest in Confucianism declined in China. _______________ and _____________started growing. A revival of interest in Confucian philosophy began in the 600's. By the 700's, candidates for

these rituals and social customs in ______________ teachings.

Confucius’s students all were _______, because of the culture he lived in. But some scholars think Confucius may have believed that women also could become ________.

Mencius believed that people were born with _________ tendencies. He stressed the need to ________________ and ____________________ "the natural compassion of the heart" that made people human. He emphasized the past as an __________ time and a ___________ for examining present problems.

Xunzi believed that people were born without _____ natural tendency to become ________. He thought that they could become good ______ if they were_________ by the right ____________, _________________, and ______________.

The first large, unified Chinese Empire began in _____ B.C. Its rulers approved of Confucianism's emphasis on public ____________ and ___________for authority. In 124 B.C., the government

Confucianism

government ________ had to take a civil service ____________ based on ___________ ideas. The examination carried out Confucius's belief that an ___________ state must be____________ on the ________ of the advisers who counseled its rulers.

The philosopher ______ ____(1130-1200) became a leader of a movement called _______-Confucianism. Zhu developed a branch of Neo-Confucianism that emphasized the study of ____ and _____.

Li is the underlying ____________ and _______________ of the world.

Qi is the “____________” of which the ____________ was ____________.

Another influential Neo-Confucian was Wang _____________ (1472-1529). He argued that people were ___________ with a __________ mind that could _____ them in understanding things and making _________________. .

established the Imperial University to _______________ future government officials in ________________ ideals. The university based its teachings on _______ books of Confucian thought called the Five Classics. Mastery of these was _________ of ____________ fitness.

Although the Chinese Communist government _____________________ Confucianism in the 1900’s, this official opposition ended in _________.

Confucianism has influenced Chinese ________ throughout Chinese _________________.

Taoism

Many scholars used to believe there was an important difference between Taoist philosophy and Taoist religion

Philosophical and religious tradition that began in 400 ad in China and Eastern Asia

Confucianism, a philosophy that developed in China around the same time as Taoism.

Taoism, is a philosophical and religious _______________ that began in __________, probably around ________ B.C.

Taoism has ______________ Chinese and other East Asian ____, literature,___________, philosophy, and ______________.

_____exact date of start but around 400B.C. The ideas in these ___________ were partly a reaction against Confucianism.

The word “tao” originally meant ________ or __________.

Confucianism

The priests conduct public _______, during which they _________ scripture, perform ritual songs and dances, and submit the people's _________ to the __________.

Today, however, most _________ on Taoism think of it as a single but extremely _________ tradition.

There have been many kinds of_________. Many Taoist ________ have been written, and Taoists recognize many of these as_______________scripture.

Over time, it became more __________ for Taoists to worship gods. Some Taoists have considered these __________ to be part of the Tao.Two main kinds of Taoism __________ in China today. Both have _________ where people go to worship.

Zhengyi Tao, or Zhengyi Dao (The Way of Orthodox Unity), has a her _______________ priesthood. Quanzhen Tao, or Quanzhen Dao (The Way of Complete Perfection), has both male and female monks who live in ______________________.

Early Taoists believed that people were born virtuous and that moral ________-cultivation destroyed their ______________l goodness. For this reason, people should avoid the conventional ___________obligations supported by the Confucians. Instead, they should lead a ___________life closer to nature. Early Taoists thought that ________ in such a way put people in _____________ with the Tao, as they had been at _________.

Taoists always have thought that the ______ is hard to put into words. They often have described it as the underlying ____________ of the universe, the mother of ________ things, and the spontaneous (naturally occurring) _________ regulating the natural _________ of the universe. The views of some of the _________ Taoists can be found in such _______ as the Tao Te Ching (The Classic of the Way and Virtue), also spelled Daodejing; and the Chuang-tzu, also spelled Zhuangzi

According to Confucianism, people can __________ a good life only in a well-disciplined _________ that emphasizes __________ self-cultivation, which includes attentiveness to one’s family, community, and ____________. The monks follow a ________ diet and practice meditation and special physical ___________ to live in harmony with the Tao. They also ______ scripture and offer prayers to

Taoism

the gods

Hinduism

Religion that believes in many Gods and Godesses

The major religion of India

Hinduism is the major ________ of India. Hinduism represents a ___________group of beliefs, practices, and texts that have developed __________ thousands of years.

___single authority exists in Hinduism, and the diversity within this__________ has led some scholars to prefer the __________ term Hinduisms.

Like most religions, Hinduism has a variety of beliefs about __________ (gods and goddesses), life after _________, and personal _________________.

Hinduism has ___ single _________ that is the source of its doctrines. The most important include the _________, the _________, the________, and the _______________________.The Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures and include sections that are ________ than the sacred ______________ of any other major religion. There are _______ Vedas—the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda. Each has four parts—the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.

They also describe Hindu ___________ about how the __________ began and how it periodically ends and is _______________.

It has about 900 million followers. Although most Hindus _________ in India, Hindu literature and philosophy have influenced people throughout the ______________.

Many Hindus ___________that their religion has been practiced for ____________than any other religion in the world.

It has many ____________writings that have contributed to its beliefs and _______________.

The teachings of the __________ existed for centuries before they were finally _________ down

The Samhitas, the _________ part, contain prayers and hymns that are recited in some rituals. The Brahmanas deal with ________ and _______________ and include

Hinduism

Early __________ worshiped gods that represented ____________ in nature, such as rain and the sun. Some Hindus came to believe that, though ___________ appear in many separate forms, these forms are part of one universal spirit called _____________. Individual Hindus often _____________ on just a few of the many deities as their ishta devata—that is, their ________________ deities.

Three important groups of deities center around _________, ________, and ____________.

Vishnu is the ______________ of the universe who takes various human forms called _________________. Shiva is the ___________ of the universe. Such destruction allows for the _______________s renewal. Shakti refers to a goddess who is known by many names, including Durga, Kali, Parvati, and Lakshmi. As Durga or Kali, she is the feared but just ___________of __________________.

As Parvati and Lakshmi, she is the beloved of the gods Shiva and Vishnu, respectively.According to ___________Hindu doctrine.

Six _________________have become especially prominent. In their traditional _________, they are (1) nyaya, (2) vaisheska, (3) sankhya, (4) yoga, (5) purva-mimamsa, and (6) vedanta.

__________deals with logic. ____________ concerns the nature of the world. _____________ examines the origin and

explanations of the Samhitas. The Aranyakas and the Upanishads _____________ philosophical ideas.

The Puranas are long verse stories that contain________ important narratives about deities and the __________ of great Hindu ______________.

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are long ________. The Ramayana tells of Prince Rama and his attempts to _____________his wife, Sita, who has been kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. The Mahabharata describes a struggle for a ___________ kingdom between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two families who are ______________. Generally, the Pandavas are considered the rightful rulers and superior to the Kauravas.

The Bhagavad-______ forms a particularly___________part of the Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Krishna and the Pandava warrior Arjuna discuss the meaning and __________ of existence. Krishna impresses

evolution of the universe. ____________ is a set of mental and physical exercises designed to free the soul from reliance on the body so that the soul can unite with Brahman. ___________________ categorizes the texts and rituals of the Vedas. _________________ chiefly interprets the Upanishads, though some forms also deal with such texts as the Bhagavad-Gita.

Caste is a system of _______________classes that reflects a general division of ______________. According to several Hindu texts, the Hindu castes are grouped into four main categories, called varnas. In order of rank, these hereditary groups are (1) __________, the priests and scholars; (2) ________________, the rulers and warriors; (3) _______________, the merchants and professionals; and (4)_______________, the laborers and servants. In practice,

the caste system includes thousands of jatis (subcastes).

Each jati has its own rules of conduct that usually include a ______________occupation. The ranks of jatis in relation to ______ another sometimes are disputed.

A group of __________, known collectively as untouchables or _______________, has traditionally existed outside the four _________ and ranked below the lowest ___________ caste. But a portion of government jobs and university admissions now are reserved for ________________, helping some of them succeed outside their

on Arjuna his need to fulfill his duty as a ruler and ____________ those who want to steal the throne of the Pandavas. _______________ also teaches that death is not the end of a person, because the ___________ body is not the final reality.

Some Hindus worship ______ in the form of animals, including monkeys and snakes. __________ are especially revered because of the gifts, such as _________, that they provide for people. They believe animals as well as human beings have _______

There are ___ schools of philosophy.

Many schools of Hindu thought have developed through the centuries.

The Caste system has complicated _________ traditionally govern contact between castes. For example, marriages between people of different castes are rare, and the __________ castes are not supposed to eat with

Hinduism

traditional occupations.

Caste distinctions remain strongest in the choice of marriage partners.

Reincarnation and karma.

Teaches that the _________ never dies. When the body dies, the soul is ___________. This continuous process of rebirth is called reincarnation. The law of karma ____________ that every action influences how the soul will be born in the next reincarnation. If a person __________ a good ___________, the soul will be born into a higher state, perhaps into the body of a _______________. If a person leads an evil life, the soul will be born into a lower state, perhaps as a _______________. A person’s reincarnation continues until he or she achieves spiritual perfection. The __________ then escapes the process of rebirth and enters a new level of existence called _______________.

Hindu worship Worship in the home. Typically, ___________ worship as individuals or families, not as large communities. Many__________________of Hinduism take place at home. Most homes have a shrine devoted to a deity or ____________ chosen by the family.

Worship in temples. Individuals and families also visit temples to worship ___________. Most Hindu temples have many ______________. Each temple recognizes one deity as central. Each shrine portrays a

____________ ones.

By custom, the _____________ have held such occupations as cleaning toilets, disposing of garbage, and tanning _______________ hides, which Hindu _____forbids for a member of any of the four varnas. The Indian Constitution of 1950 outlawed untouchability and gave the group full ______________________. Discrimination against untouchables _________ exists. For centuries, various Hindu and non-Hindu groups have criticized the -______________ and the practices of discrimination in the ___________ system. The system has weakened, particularly in urban areas. Occupation seldom is tied to caste, and ___________with people of other _____________is common.

The husband or_______ usually conducts the daily family worship. Some important ceremonies are performed at __________,

Hinduism

form of the central deity, or sometimes a different deity, in a sculpted image. Priests perform rituals in which they invite the divine being, who is everywhere, to reside in the images.

Hindu temples attract crowds for annual festivals commemorating events in the lives of the _____________. Pilgrimages have developed around certain temples and festivals in _____________. Other festivals, including________ and Holi, take place primarily in the home or neighborhood. Different __________ have different calendars and festivals.Veneration of holy people. Hindus venerate (have deep respect for) ________ people, both living and dead, who have achieved special _________________ status.

including rituals of thanksgiving and rituals connected with such life _____________ as pregnancy and childbirth. Sometimes a family member conducts these rituals, and sometimes a priest _________ the home to perform them. Hindus treat these images as special guests. _______wash and dress the images and bring them food daily. Hindus do not consider this _______ worship, because the deities are believed to _____________inhabit the images. Some may be__________ (spiritual teachers) who have developed deep spiritual understanding. Others may be yogis (people who ______________ yoga) who have gained spiritual power through asceticism (strict self-discipline). _________ who venerate gurus or yogis sometimes disagree about who is a _______ guru or yogi.

Hinduism

Religion Founder & Symbol Main Beliefs and Practices Interesting Fact

Religion

Jainism

Religion in India

Do not believe in One God

Founder & Symbol Main beliefs and Practices

Jainism is a religion of ___________. It is based on the belief that every __________thing consists of an eternal soul called the __________and a temporary physical body.

The eternal jiva is __________ in the body as a result of involvement in ___________ activities

To ___________ the jiva, one must avoid such activities as much as _____________.

Jain sadhus (holy men) and sadhvis (holy women) represent the___________of Jainism.

These men and women try to _______________ themselves from the everyday world. They are not allowed to kill any living ___________. They may not own any property except a broom, ____________ robes, bowls for food, and ___________ sticks. They may not live in _________________ except for brief periods, and they must ___________ for all their food. The highest goal for sadhus and sadhvis is to _________their own soul ____________.

Other followers of Jainism are the laity (people who are not sadhus or sadhvis). The laity support the sadhus and sadhvis and obey less strict rules of conduct.

A teacher called Mahavira, which means The Great Hero, was the main organizer of the religion.

Intersting Facts

Jainism, «JY nihz uhm»,

Each jiva is ______________ in many bodies before it is finally freed. After being __________________, it exists eternally in a ___________ of perfect knowledge and bliss.

Sadhus may _____________ them to cease all bodily activity and die of starvation, but this rarely happens.

Most of the laity engage in business activities because suc__________________ do not directly involve killing any living thing. They __________forward to becoming sadhus or sadhvis themselves in a future life.

The ___________ also do not believe in a ____________ God

Mahavira was born in the 500's B.C. The Jains believe that he was the 24th in a line of teachers of ___________ principles. The Jains honor these ___________ and other holy persons, but they do not consider them to be __________.

RELIGION

Buddhism

Founder & Symbol

born a prince referred to as Buddha is founder In India around 500 B.C.

The first Buddha and founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, born in the 500’s or 400’s B.C. in Nepal.

Main Beliefs & Practices

One of the ____________s major religions. It was founded in India about 500 B.C., or shortly afterward, by a _________ called the Buddha.

Beliefs and practices All Buddhists take refuge—that is,________ comfort, guidance, and _____________—in (1) Buddha; (2) his teachings, called the dharma; and (3) the ______________ community he founded, called the _________.

These elements of Buddhism are known as the Three_________ or Three _____________.

He discovered the Four _________Truths. These central teachings state that (1) suffering is part of life; (2) there are causes of suffering, like ______________ attachment, ignorance, and selfishness; (3) there is a state of ________________of suffering; and (4) there is a path that leads to that state.

Eventually, Gautama decided to ___________ his message and founded a community of followers. After others learned of his

Interesting Facts

Buddhism has been a dominant religious, cultural, and social force in most of Asia

Today, Buddhism has about 350 million followers. Most live in ___________and other regions of China, and in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Sri Lanka, and mainland Southeast___________.

Buddha is a title given to a person believed to have_____________________he cycle of rebirth known as samsara and attained nirvana(enlightenment).

Buddhist accounts tell that Nepal was born a prince. As a young man, after providing for his wife and young son,________________resolved to leave his family and palace life to seek spiritual liberation as

discovery, they called him the ________________ which means Enlightened One. See Buddha.The dharma. The Buddha _____________ that existence was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person's _______________ and well-being in life was determined by his or her _________________in previous lives. For example, good ____________ may lead to rebirth as a wise and _____________person or as a _______________ being in one of the Buddhist heavens. A person’s evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a ___________ and sickly person or even in one of the Buddhist ____________.The Buddha also __________ that as long as individuals remain within the _______________ of rebirth they will encounter suffering. However, they can transcend this cycle by ___________ the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Middle Way ______________ for moderation and the avoidance of both self-indulgence and extreme self-denial. The__________ Eightfold Path includes (1) knowledge of the _________; (2) the intention to ___________ evil; (3) _____________ nothing to hurt others; (4) respecting _______ morality, and property; (5) holding a_______ that does not injure others; (6) striving to free one's mind of evil; (7) controlling one's ___________ and thoughts; and (8) practicing ______________ forms of concentration.

After the Buddha's death, his followers collected his teachings in a set of texts

a______________ ascetic (a person who denies himself worldly ______________ and pleasures). After traveling throughout northeastern India for__________ years, Gautama experienced __________>

In most Buddhist countries, ___________ are expected to live a life of simplicity, meditation, and study, and to ________ from sexual relations. Some Buddhists become __________for life, but others join the sangha for short _________.

Lay Buddhists also have an important role in the life of the __________. They are expected to honor the Buddha, ____________ basic moral rules, and to support the monks. They pay ________________ honor to images of the Buddha and other objects associated with him.

Lay Buddhist ___________ have shaped history in important ways. In the 200's B.C., the _________________ emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Ashoka and his descendants created close relations between religion and

Buddhism

called the ________________ (Three Baskets). The first part, the Basket of Discipline, deals with the rules for living as a___________.The second part, the Basket of Discourses, consists of sermons. The third part, the _____________ of the Higher Dharma, contains philosophical discussions of doctrine. Later Buddhist traditions have added their own ________________The sangha. The word sangha sometimes refers to the early and often idealized

Buddhist community believed to have existed during the time of the Buddha. It included _________s, ________s, and ____________ and ____________________.

Since that time, the word has come to refer almost exclusively to_______________monks. The monastic community has played an important role in preserving and _______________ . The discipline of monastic life often is considered essential to those who practice the path to _______________________.

Meditation, in many forms, is central to Buddhism. Buddhist schools Various Buddhist ___________, known as yana (vehicles), developed in _______________and other Asian countries. These yana include the Theravada, Mahayana, and ______________________ traditions.

According to some scholars, a fourth vehicle to ________________________exists in the

government in many Buddhist countries, ___________ Sri Lanka and countries in Southeast Asia. In A.D. 1956, B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian layman, led a mass movement in which more than 1 _______________Hindus in India converted to Buddhism.

Among the best-known types of meditation is ______, practiced in ___________ and elsewhere in East Asia. Zen originated in China, where it is called Chan. It is associated with the___________tradition. _______ emphasizes a close relationship between a master and his disciples, and the attainment of a state of spiritual enlightenment called satori. Many followers of Zen believe that __________comes in a sudden flash of insight. Others believe that it must be achieved gradually through a long ____________ of self-discipline, meditation, and instruction.

Vipassana or insight meditation has become increasingly _____________in Asia and among Western converts to_______________.

Many laypersons and monks in the _____________ tradition

Buddhism

adapted traditions of ________________converts and Buddhists living outside Buddhist countries. The various schools share much in common but also differ in important_______________.

The Theravadins view the Buddha as a historical figure. The For Theravadins, the ideal Buddhist is a kind of ____________ called an ___________, who has mastered the teachings of the ____________________.

The Mahayana. The word mahayana means great vehicle. Mahayanists visualize the existence of multiple ___________ with superhuman qualities. They focus on Buddhas in the heavens and on ______________ who will become Buddhas in the future. _________________ believe that these present and future Buddhas are able to save people through grace and compassion. Most Mahayanists accept ___________ of the Theravada scriptures, but they believe that their own later scriptures _____________ a higher level of truth. The Mahayana ideal of ______________ is a bodhisattva, a person who vows to become a Buddha by leading a life of virtue and wisdom. At the highest level, a_________________ postpones entering into nirvana in _______________ to work to relieve suffering through ______________ of compassion.

The word vajrayana means ______________ vehicle. This school is also called the Mantrayana, meaning vehicle of _________ recitation, or tantric Buddhism. It is based on texts called tantra that___________________meditation,

practice this kind of meditation. The ___________ of vipassana is to gain a personal intellectual understanding of the __________ of Buddhist teachings. It employs many techniques,_______________ mental discipline and controlled _________________.

Theravadins emphasize the virtues of monastic life and the authority of the Buddha’s teachings, collected in the Tripitaka.

Most followers of the Mahayana live in ____________, the Korean Peninsula, and Tibet and other regions of China.

. Major centers of Vajrayana Buddhism are in the _____________________ regions, in Mongolia, and in ---------------, where the tradition is called Shingon. Vajrayana Buddhism accepts most Mahayana ______________, but it gives special attention to a close relationship between a spiritual _______________called a guru and a small group of disciples.

Buddhism

recitation, and ______________________.

Followers generally keep many of their __________and practices secret from outsiders.

The disciples spend much time reciting spells called mantras, ______________sacred dances and gestures, and meditating. Many deities (gods and goddesses) and guardian spirits inhabit the universe of the_______________. Attempts to visualize these deities and spirits, and the use of __________, are important aspects of tantric teachings and rituals.Some branches of Vajrayana Buddhism stress sexual ________________________.

Religion

Shintoism

Polytheistic

Founder & Symbol

Oldest surviving religion on Japan

Not sure who founded or whne it was fonded

Main Beliefs & Practices

Shinto, «SHIHN toh», is the _________ surviving religion of ______________.

Shintoists worship many ___________ (gods and goddesses), called kami.___________ are the basic force in living beings and in nature, including mountains, _______, rocks, and _________. Shintoists also consider kami to be the____________ force in such processes as creativity, disease, growth, and healing._______________ emphasizes group rituals.

Other___________________deal with such basic goals as long life, __________, abundant harvests, and good ___________. In general, matsuri are lively ___________dedicated to local gods.

Interesting Facts

New Religions became popular in Japan. Many of these were ______________ denominations that centered around the ____________ of a particular person. Most promote group worship, charity work, and the ____________ of _______ and _______________.

Modern Shinto does ________ have an elaborate _________________. In the past, however, numerous works were __________about intellectual aspects of kami, their actions, and their impact on individuals, ______________, and the

No one knows when or how Shinto began. Scholars believe that __________ Shinto was a combination of local _________ (religious groups) Unlike many religions, On some occasions, Shinto priests lead ______________ called matsuri. One of the most important ______________ is the Great _________________ Ceremony. It consists of a confession of sins committed by individuals and by the __________ as a whole, followed by a request that the kami remove the ___________ conditions caused by these sins.from the Japanese islands and from mainland Asia. The term ______________ came to refer to the whole of kami-__________ religion around the A.D. 1400's to 1500's. Shintoists have always worshiped the kami through ________________. Beginning about the A.D. 500's, Buddhism and Confucianism began to influence Shinto. ______________ ceremonies were used for funerals and memorial services. Under the ___________________of Confucianism, Shinto developed such moral standards as honesty,_____________, and _________for elders and _________________.

In the late __________'s, the Japanese government invented __________ Shinto, which stressed patriotism and the divine origins of the Japanese __________. After Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, the emperor denied that he was ___________, and the government abolished State Shinto.During the 1800's and 1900's, hundreds of

universe.

Shinto stories ________ in the Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) and the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), both written in the late A.D. _______and early 700's. These stories tell how the _________created the world and established customs and __________.

Shintoism

Religion

Sikhism

Founder & Symbol

Religion in India

History. _________founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 in a village called Talwandi, in Punjab (now Nankana Sahib, in Pakistan).

Main Beliefs & Practices

Sikhism is a religion that originated in India. The majority of Sikhs live in the northwest Indian state of __________. There are also sizable Sikh populations outside of India, particularly in Canada,__________, the United States, the __________, and countries in East Africa.

Beliefs and practices. Sikhism is a ______________faith—that is, Sikhs believe in one God, whose essence is called Naam (pronounced «nahm» ), or the Divine ___________. According to Sikhism, God is formless, all-powerful, without gender, and beyond __________ understanding.

Sikhs believe in the___________ (rebirth) of the soul into any one of __________ million life forms, including human beings.

he goal of each living being is to achieve liberation from the __________ of death and rebirth, and reach union with God. The main obstacle to union with __________is humai, a combination of ego (the conscious self) and selfishness, with which all people __________ born.

To become free of humai, one must lead a life focused on God and _____________ on God's

name. This kind of meditation, called Naam Simran, is a central teaching of___________. The holy book of __________is the Guru Granth Sahib, also called the Adi Granth (First Book). It contains the teachings of the human ___________ gurus (spiritual

Interesting Facts

There are about ______million Sikhs (followers of Sikhism) worldwide.

The word ________comes from the Sanskrit word shishya, which means disciple or learner.

Sikhs believe _________ in family life. They reject asceticism (self-denial or self-punishment for ____________reasons) and celibacy (unmarried life)

Sikhs also must practice honesty, _____________, and community __________________.

The ____________, at the heart of any Sikh community, is a place to _____________, spend time

with fellow ____________, and listen to readings from the Guru Granth Sahib. It is also a place where Sikhs practice langar (free kitchen), which involves members of a Sikh _________________ preparing ____________food for their

Shintoism

teachers) and others and is considered the final guru. It serves as an ___________ guide for Sikhs and as the basis of all worship.

The Guru Granth Sahib is kept in a place of worship called a gurdwara, meaning _____________ to the guru.

In 1526, ______________ India was conquered by Muslims from what is now Afghanistan, who founded the Mughal Empire. The 10 human gurus lived under Mughal rule, a period of_______________ for Sikhs.

_________________authorities killed the 5th guru in 1606 and the 9th guru in 1675. In 1699, in response to continued persecution, the 10th guru, ______________ Singh, created the _________ military community known as the Khalsa, meaning fraternity of the pure. He instructed Sikhs to be baptized and dedicate their lives to __________ progress, service, and fighting oppression.

He introduced the __________ of Sikhism known as the five k's—the kara (steel bangle), kirpan (a small sword), kes (uncut hair), kangha (comb), and kachh (short breeches). He___________ all men to add the name Singh, meaning lion, to their name and all _________the name Kaur, meaning princess.

congregation.

According to tradition, when he was about 30 years old, he received a revelation from God while ____________in the River Bein. Nanak undertook long and difficult __________ to spread God’s word. He taught the oneness of God and the equality of all human beings. Upon his death, __________ chose a successor, to whom he gave the title guru, to continue his work. In all, there were 10 human gurus, each having __________status. Most Sikhs believe Guru Nanak’s spirit passed from guru to guru. They often refer to the _____ as Nanak I, Nanak II, and so on.