6th Grade UBD - Unit 4 - India's Religions Origins and Characteristics

Hinduism- Hinduism arose among the Aryan invaders of India
around 1500 BCE. Modern India is a land of many religions, but
Hindu beliefs and practices are the most dominant.

Buddhism- Buddhism arose out of Hinduism. It shares some of its
beliefs and practices. Buddhism is a religion in which the idea of a
god is not important.

Ashoka’s Conversion- Ashoka was the third Mauryan emperor. He
became a Buddhist and played a large role in spreading Buddhism
throughout Asia.

South Asia has a great
deal of cultural diversity,
or variety. Think about the
idea of diversity. The
United States is culturally
diverse, too. Why do you
think this is so?
(5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

Hinduism has no specific founder.

Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses. All of them are parts of a
single universal god, Brahman. All human souls are a part of
Brahman.

Hindus are expected to carry out their duties, or dharma. They believe
in reincarnation. This is the idea that the soul is reborn in an endless
cycle of life and death.

How well a person carries out his or her dharma determines his or her
karma. People’s karma determines how they will live in their next life.

Religion often has had an
important effect on culture.

It often has helped to define
the levels and roles of the
people in society.

The effect of religion was
especially powerful in
ancient Indian society and
culture.
Video- The History of Hinduism

The founders of most of the
major religions are well known.

The names of Moses, Jesus,
and Muhammad are
recognized around the globe.

Unlike most of the world’s
religions, Hinduism has no
founder and no central
organization.

Historians believe that the
beginning of Hinduism occurred
around 1500 BCE.

Around this time, the Aryan
people conquered India.

Certain beliefs of the early
inhabitants of the region were
absorbed into the religion of the
Aryan people to create
Hinduism.

Hinduism teaches that
everything in the universe
is all part of one god.

The gods and goddesses,
people, animals, and all
objects, are part of this
oneness, or unity.

Hindus believe
that all life is
connected and
should be treated
with respect.
Video- The Practices of Hinduism

Every culture has its own
code of rules for people to
live by.

Often, these rules are created
by leaders or a central
government.

Religious customs often
influence the official laws of a
society.

Hinduism does not have a
particular set of rules or
teachings, but it still
affects the way that
people live their lives.

Hindus believe that the
universe is an endless cycle
of life, death, and rebirth.

Hindus also believe in
reincarnation.

According to this idea,
when a person dies, he or
she is reborn in a new
physical form.

The final goal of life is to
achieve moksha, or the
“union with Brahman.”
Key Term
ReincarnationThe belief that
the soul is
reborn after
death in human
–or some other
form.

How close one comes to
moksha in a lifetime
depends on the law of
karma.

Karma is a positive or
negative force. It is a result
of good or bad actions taken
during a person’s lifetime.

Hindus believe every action
has a good or bad reaction.

These actions and reactions
affect a person’s life.

They also determine how
people will be reborn in
future lives.
Key Term
Karma- Describes
how a person’s
actions in one life
can influence and
affect the next
life.

Hinduism also teaches that
all human beings should act
according to their dharma.

Dharma is the religious and
moral duties of a person.

These duties are connected
to a person’s role in society.

Dharma also depends
on a person’s caste, or
social level.

They also depend on a
person’s age and sex.
Dharma is different for
men and women.

Hinduism also places a value
on human love and family
life.

It encourages a turning away
from material things in old
age.

Dharma helps determine his
or her role in society in the
next life.
Key Term
Dharma- The
religious law that
describes the way
people should live
in order to
maintain the
natural order of
the world.

The cow is the most holy
animal in the Hindu
religion.

Because of this, Hindus
do not eat beef.

In fact, many Hindus eat
only vegetables, fruits,
and grains.

Buddhism was founded by Prince Siddhartha Gautama. He
became the Buddha through meditating and understanding.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Buddha. They are
described in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
These beliefs are based on the Hindu idea of dharma.

After the Buddha’s death, his followers continued to spread
his teachings throughout India.
Video- The Middle Way of Compassion

Buddhism originated in India.

A legend tells the story of Prince
Siddhartha Gautama. When leaving
the palace one day, he saw an old
man, a sick man, a dead body, and a
poor monk.

These sights disturbed him and he
wondered how he could end so
much suffering in the world?

For six years, Prince Gautama
wandered seeking an answer
to human suffering.

Finally, Gautama decided to
meditate his way to truth and
sat down under a tree. He
relaxed his body. He emptied
his mind of all thoughts.

Gautama came to understand
the cause of human suffering
through meditation.

He came to understand the
way around it was inner peace.

The prince had become the
Buddha. The name “Buddha”
means “awakened one,” or
“the one who knows.”

The Buddha’s message
was a simple one. It
presented a way of
action for people to
follow. This way of
living begins with the
Four Noble Truths.
Four Noble Truths
 All life is full of suffering
 The cause of human suffering is desire
 The cure for suffering is ending desire
 The way to overcome desire is to follow the
Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path provided
a system for people to
follow in their daily lives.

Its teachings help people to
live a life somewhere
between a life without
material goods and a life
devoted to wealth and ease.

By following the Eightfold
Path and living a good and
honest life, one could
achieve nirvana.

Nirvana is a state of
heavenly peace and
freedom from desire and
suffering.

Buddhism was
spread throughout
Asia by the Buddha’s
missionary followers
in the centuries
following his death.
Key Term
MissionarySomeone sent on
a religious or
charitable mission
to a foreign
country; often to
convert others to a
particular religion.

Ashoka was a warrior and conqueror. He gave
up his warlike ways and became a Buddhist.

He had laws based on Buddhist teachings
carved on pillars throughout India.

He sent missionaries to other parts of Asia to
spread the teachings of the Buddha.
Video- Ashoka Becomes a Buddhist

Ashoka became emperor
about 265 BCE, and he
set out to extend his
empire by force.

He conquered the last of
India’s independent
kingdoms.

Ashoka conquered other
lands to the west and
extended his kingdom to
cover most of India.

He established very
harsh laws. A person
could be put to death for
even a small crime.

An accomplished soldier,
Ashoka extended the
lands of the empire until
he invaded the Kalingas
around 256 BCE.

Ashoka undertook a
mission to defeat them
and was successful.

With many tens of thousands
killed, the Kalinga War is thought
to be one of the worst battles in
the history of India.

Overcome by the death and
destruction he witnessed,
Ashoka converted to Buddhism
and instituted new policies
throughout the empire.

Ashoka promoted peace,
opened universities, and
established new trade
routes for his people.

He had stone pillars erected
throughout India that told
his story and shared his
religious philosophies with
his people.

What has been the
“muddiest” point so far in
this lesson? That is, what
topic remains the least
clear to you? (4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)