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Chapter 9: Hinduism and Buddhism Examining Religious Beliefs ! All five of the world religions studied in
this section are based on miracles!! Historians cannot study actions that
leave no direct evidence; they can only study the actions of believers!
! Religious belief creates standards of behavior and religious organizations!
! Creates a sense of the sacred !
Examining Religious Beliefs ! Historians can study:!
! Sanctification of time!! Sanctification of space!! Sanctification of language and literature!! Sanctification of artistic and creative
endeavor!! Sanctification of family and ancestors!! Creation of religious organization!
Hinduism ! The Origins of Hinduism!
! Because of use of Sanskrit, many believed that Hinduism was a product of the Aryan invasion!
! Now believe that Indus Valley people were source of many Hindu beliefs!
! Anthropologists believe that Hinduism is an amalgam of a variety of different beliefs!
! Outsiders, not insiders, see Hinduism as a unified religion !
Hinduism ! Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage!
! Hinduism is confined to the Indian subcontinent and its migrants!
! Broad dispersion of sacred places promotes pilgrimages to important sites!
! Each city and town has its own sites that foster close-knit communities !
Hinduism ! Central Beliefs of Hinduism!
! Rigveda!• Oldest of four Vedas composed 1500-1200
B.C.E.!• 1,028 verses of Sanskrit poetry that invokes
early gods and speculates on the creation of the world!
• Does not claim to offer specific answers!
Hinduism ! Central Beliefs of Hinduism [cont.]!
! Caste!• Rigveda introduced the caste system as result of
sacrifice of Purusha, a mythical creature, into four parts!• Caste is hierarchical and hereditary!• Speculations of purpose include maintaining order
among the diverse people of India, preserving frozen economic system, or suppressing subject people!
• Believe that today’s caste system existed in the past!• Caste was often more important that government!
Hinduism ! Central Beliefs of Hinduism [cont.]!
! Brahmanas (from 900-500 B.C.E.) and Upanishads (800-500 B.C.E)!
• Former discusses rituals and myths; latter contains mystical speculation!
• From the Upanishads Hindus derive!– dharma = religious and ethical duties !– karma = human activities and impact on its atman!– samsara = life cycle of different duties for different stages!– moksha = unification of atman and Brahman!
Hinduism ! Central Beliefs of Hinduism [cont.]!
! The Great Epics!• Bhagavad-Gita is part of Mahabharata!
– A story of duties and meaning of life and death!– Warrior (kshatriya) must fulfill dharma by fighting !– Krishna, blue-skinned god, is non-Aryan!– Story supports bhakti, mystical devotion to god!– Role of women is more prestigious than in
Ramayana, where Rama’s wife Sita was subservient !
Hinduism ! Central Beliefs of Hinduism [cont.]!
! The Puranas!• Focus on Vishna and Shiva, most popular of
the Hindu gods!• Goddesses serve as consorts to powerful male
gods!• Balance the suppressed vision of women
present in earlier Hindu literature!
Hinduism ! Temples and Shrines!
! Shift in Hindu practice in 7th century C.E. !! Personal prayer replaced sacrifice as way to
communicate with the gods!! Result was caves and temples of great beauty that
reflected Hindu beliefs through art!! Sexual passion and union of males and females
entered worship as analogues for passion for gods!
Hinduism ! Religion and Rule!
! Powerful sought support in religion and religion validated power of elites!
! Brahmin priests were used to awe indigenous people after confiscation of local lands!
! Kings rewarded priests with land, court subsidies, and temple bequests in return for support!
Hinduism ! Hinduism in Southeast Asia!
! Brahmin priests and Hindu priests were used as early as the 3rd century C.E. to validate royal authority in rare example of spread of Hinduism outside India!
! Represented an extension of ongoing trade!! Externals of Hinduism--Sanskrit, Indian gods, and
Indian calendar--present by 5th century !
Buddhism ! Origins of Buddhism!
! Developed within Hinduism!! The Life of the Buddha (born c. 563 B.C.E.)!
• Sheltered life shattered by introduction to human suffering at age twenty-nine!
• Reached enlightenment after meditation under tree!• Antidote to pain and suffering is recognition that
temptations are illusions!• Key is Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path!
Buddhism ! The Origins of Buddhism [cont.]!
! The Sangha (groups of monks and nuns)!• Initially open to women; nuns today are in Tibet!• Obedient to order, monks are intellectually free!• Settled into monasteries after abandoning tradition of
begging!• Abandonment of begging led to loss of contact with
common people!
Buddhism ! Emergence of Mahayana Buddhism!
! 200 B.C.E-200 C.E. saw more Buddhist than Hindu shrines in India!
! General councils codify Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism (“Greater Vehicle”)!
! Believed that bodhisattvas facilitated achievement of Nirvana by masses !
! Maitreya Buddha a servant to redeem humanity!! Mahayana Buddhism a challenge to Hinduism!
Buddhism ! Decline of Buddhism in India!
! Buddhist appeal was for warriors and businessmen who felt scorned by Brahmins!
! Decline paralleled decline of Gupta empire!! Many Indians could not easily distinguish
Mahayana Buddhism from Hinduism!! Buddhists relied on Hindu priests to conduct life-
cycle ceremonies!
Buddhism ! Decline of Buddhism in India [cont.]!
! Hinduism became more attractive to Buddhists!• Hindu religion built on common folktales!• Could be Hindu and Buddhist at same time!• Neither group treated women well!
! Began to wane with onset of Muslim traders along silk route!
! Muslims destroy remnants of temples and monasteries upon entering India!
Buddhism ! Jainism!
! Another religion of India, similar to both Hinduism and Buddhism!
! Like Theraveda Buddhism, Jains reject caste system and supremacy of Brahmins!
! Jains practice nonviolence to such a degree that many do not farm for fear of killing creatures in the soil!
! Rely on Hindu priests for ceremonies!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in China!
! Arrival in China: The Silk Route!• First Buddhist missionaries to China in 65 C.E.!• Pilgrimages to India to learn Buddhism included
those of Faxian (early 5th century) and Xuanzang (early 7th century)!
• All traveled the silk route !
Buddhism ! Buddhism in China [cont.]!
! Relations with Daoism and Confucianism!• Fall of Han discredited Confucianism and
opened door to Buddhist ideas!• Mahayana Buddhism similar to Daoism!• In south, Buddhism represented philosophy for
dealing with hazardous life in semi-exile!• Buddhism and Confucianism accommodated
each other!• Buddhist travels promoted Chinese unity!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in China [cont.]!
! Buddhism under Tang Dynasty (618-907 C.E.)!• Divided into eight major sects!• Pure Land variant promised paradise for those who
believed in the ruler of paradise, Buddha Amitabha!• Chan taught the importance of meditation!• Invented woodblock printing!• Only woman to rule China in her own name, the
“Emperor” Wu (625-705 C.E.), used Buddhism to legitimate her rule !
Buddhism ! Buddhism in China [cont.]!
! Buddhism’s Decline in China!• Chinese power in central Asia broken by Islamic power!• Central Asian Buddhism survived only in Tibet!• Tang Emperor Wuzong (r. 840-846 C.E.) feared power of
Buddhism and blamed it for decline of Tang power!– Confiscated Buddhist lands!– Destroyed Buddhist texts !– Forced monks and nuns to leave monasteries and
convents!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in Japan!
! Japan followed Shinto, “the way of the kami,” who were powers and spirits inherent in nature!
! After arrival of Buddhism, kami were seen as minor Buddhas while bodhisattvas and Buddhas were seen as major kami !
! Japanese royal family knew of adoption of Buddhism by Asoka and imitated his action!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in Japan [cont.]!
! Buddhism’s Arrival in Japan!• Arrived 552 C.E. via Korea!• Initial acceptance tied to belief that monks
could work medical miracles!• Acceptance at court came under Prince
Shotoku Taishi (573-621 C.E.)!• Saw Buddhism as a basis of Chinese power
and wanted that power source for himself!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in Japan [cont.]!
! Buddhism’s Role in Unifying Japan!• Japanese creation of Nara capital expanded
imitation of Chinese practices including Buddhism!
• Buddhism joined Shinto as support of government!
• Buddhism facilitated Japanese centralization!• Buddhist wealth and power alarmed many
Japanese !
Buddhism ! Buddhism in Japan [cont.]!
! Japanese Buddhism Develops New Forms!• Saicho monastery, placed far from centers of power,
focused on Tendai variant that held enlightenment achieved by sincere religious devotion!
• Shingon (“True Word”) emphasized mantras!• Amida (Amitabha) favored chanting mantras!• Zen (Chan in China) emphasized defense of state and
the importance of martial arts!
Buddhism ! Buddhism in Japan [cont.]!
! Lasting Buddhist Elements in Japanese Society!• Cultivated an especially pure aesthetic
dimension!• Buddhist emphasis on transience of all life
affected Japanese literature such as the Tale of Genji !
• Merged with aspects of Shinto!
Comparisons ! Both have experienced transformations!! Both have sacred calendars and control of
life-cycle events!! Both have sacred languages!! Both ultimately connect to common people!! Both show flexibility of world religions!! Both show ties between government and
religion!
What Difference Do They Make? ! Hinduism sustains a religion of
polytheism that provides cultural unity for South Asia!
! Buddhism is religion of hundreds of millions of people !