Origins of Buddhism
Spread Beyond India

Spread in India
Powerful kings in India, Asoka became
Buddhist in 200 BC and began to work
on spreading Buddhism to areas outside
India


Buddhist missionaries spread the
religion to other kingdoms in Asia

Eventually Buddhism spread via the Silk
Road into China, Korea, and Japan

South east Asia near Himalayas

Other Areas: Sir Lanka, Myanmar,
Persia, Syria, and Egypt
Basic Ideas
After Buddha’s death around 483 BC,
500 followers gathered together. They
wanted to make sure Buddha’s
teachings were remembered

Basic ideas came from the Vedas

Rituals were necessary for enlightenment

Fasting

Buddha’s followers spread his
teachings throughout India

Meditation

Within 200 years of Buddha’s death,
his teachings had spread through most
of India

Reincarnation

Nivarna – state of perfect peace

Opposed Caste System (The Varnas)

Buddhism made people feel they had the
power to change their lives

The Four Noble Truths

The Eightfold Path

Largest Buddhist population was
around the city of Bodh Gava in
Northeast India near the Ganges River
Delta
Buddhism splits:
•
Buddhism split into two main sects: Theravada and Mahayana
•
Members of the Theravada followed the Buddha’s teachings exactly.
•
Members of the Mahayana believed that individual interpretation was important.
Origins of Hinduism
Religion
Brahmanism

Polytheism

Priest were called Brahmins
Hinduism


Hinduism believes in many
gods, but they believe that
all the gods are aspects of a
single universal spirit called
Brahman. Three aspects of
Brahman are particularly
important in Hinduism;
Brahman, Siva, and Vishnu
Origins

Based on the Rigveda,
oldest of the Vedas, written
before 1000 BC

Based also on a final group
of Vedas text are
Upanishads from 600 BC

Developed out of
Brahmanism and influences
from other cultures
Teachings

Priest believed fire would
carry a sacrifice to the gods

Brahma

A universal spirit named
Brahman created the universe
and everything in it.
Everything in the world is just
part of Brahman.

Brahma

Siva

Vishnu

Every soul is the architect of
their own life

Vedas

Upanishads


Ideas from Persia and other
Central Asian Kingdoms
Every person has a soul or
Atman that will eventually join
with Brahman.

People’s souls are
reincarnated many times
before they can join Brahman.

A person’s karma affects how
he or she will be reincarnated

Salvation is called moksha

Dharma is a set of spiritual
duties

Karma is the effects that good
and bad actions have on a
person’s soul

Ahimsa – practice of
nonviolence towards all
living things
Polytheism
Jainism/Jains

Mahavira
(Atheist)

559 BC
Gods
Jains React to Hinduism
Origins of Jainism
• 599 BC, established as an alternative to Hindu ritualism
• Based on the teachings of Mahavira, who abandoned his life of luxury to become a monk
Four Principles of Jainism
•
•
•
•
Injure no life.
Tell the truth.
Do not steal.
Own no property (practiced strict poverty)
*By doing these things they could escape the cycle of rebirth and reach nirvana