Axia College Material

Appendix G Eastern Religion Elements Matrix

Hinduism India Countries of origin India Buddhism Confucianism East Asia, mainly China Daoism East Asia, main China (thought to have been the ways of the Yellow Emporer)

Historical figures and events

Changes occurred when Madhya, Chai Tanya, and Ramanuja founded the Bhakti Movement. Yoga practices were implemented into the Hindu religion which changed the religion.

Siddhartha was the figure that brought forth enlightenment in a new way. He was rich but left all that behind after the Four Sights were revealed to him. He set off to find Supreme Enlightenment. Shakyamuni Buddha was taught the Four Nobles and the Eightfold Path for liberation from suffering.

Confucius who taught Confucianism. Family name was Kong, he was honored as Kong fuzi

The origin of Daoism is thought to be the way of the Yellow Emperor. The texts used are thought to have been written by Laozi. Zhuangzi who left government position to pursue freedom and solitude.

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Central beliefs

The central belief of Hinduism is karma, which is if you do good things, good things will come to you, if you do bad things, bad things will happen. The ultimate goal is to achieve moksha or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation through realization of the immortal Absolute.

Seek eternal rather than temporal pleasure. Theravada is selfdiscipline and selfcontrol but has not ties to deities. To seek Supreme Enlightenment through the Eightfold Path and to strive for liberation from suffering. Be non-violent, nonconfronting, trained mind, and peace will follow through meditation. The belief is that the world has always been. There is no supreme deity. Enlightenment comes within oneself.

Focuses on ways of developing a just and orderly society. Confucius believed Jen could save society through innate goodness, love, benevolence, perfect virtue, humaneness, and human heartedness.

The world is naturally in harmony; Dao is our natural state. The idea of Dao which is unnamable. It is a mystical reality that cannot be grasped by the mind. Experience the unity of all things, cease to feel personal preferences, and take no intentional or evasive action towards the flow of things. They believe in Shangdi, the Lord on High, ruler of the universe, the supreme ancestor of the Chinese. He is not acted though as a creator of God. Daode Jing

Nature of God

Hindus have many deities, the three major groupings are: Saktas, Saivites, and Vaishnavites.

Do not acknowledge any deity.

Texts

Vedas, the oldest Vedic scriptures is Rig Veda. Tantras which teach how to worship the feminine divine.

Buddhacarita which was composed in the first century. Mahayana texts, the Lotus Sutra described Buddhahood and how to achieve it.

Confucian Classics which was later replaced with Mao Zedong. The Confucian Classics were known as the Five Classics and Four Books during the

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Song Dynasty.

Ritual and practice (sacred elements & their meaning)

There are 16 rites prescribed in the scriptures to purify and sanctify in their life cycle: Puja-which is a public worship to allow the sacred presence to be made tangible through devotions employing all their senses, ritual fire ceremonies where offerings are made to the deities in exchange they will be rewarded, and death ceremonies also by fire which is designed to cleanse the body after death and release the soul to the spiritual realm. Fasting and prayer is observed during lunar and solar

Healing rituals which invoked the power of Buddha and dharma to ward off evil spirits and cure afflicted people. Yoga is practiced to clear and train the mind. Tantric practices by teachers to help those achieve to higher learning of Buddhism, the highest of them are lamas. Deity yoga to meditate to embody the various qualities that the practitioner wishes to manifest.

They include the Four Life Passages: birth, death, reaching maturity, and death.

Feng-Shui-involves the study and harmonious placement of graves, temples, and even furniture. They communicate with spirits through sacrifice and ceremonies. Priests speak to the spirits with kind words to please them so they will do no harm. By singing and dancing they are begging the spirits to descend.

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cycles or times during dangers.

Ethics and morality

Karma is the ethically strong teaching that there are consequences for all you do whether good or evil. Moral and ethically principles are truth, non-violence, nonstealing, continence, non-covetousness, cleanliness, contentment, burning zeal, self-study, and devotion to God.

They refrain from violent, harmful speech, and doing things harmful to their bodies or doing harm to the environment. Ethics include being unselfish and seeking enlightenment with meditation. It is believed anyone can seek enlightenment.

One is concerned with self-improvement rather than public recognition, mindful of parents, speaks cautiously but acts quickly, and regards human nature as basically good.

Does not set a standard of morality and goes without labeling things good or evil.

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