Learning Log Chapter 6 – Religions and Philosophy

Done by Nicole Ng of Class 109 :D

in India … (:

Hinduism is the first religion in India and thus the oldest, at least 3000 years old. Hinduism started by reading and understanding sacred Hindu texts. Hinduism is developed by mixing the beliefs of the Aryan and Indus people. The worship of many gods, belief in non-violence and reincarnation are the three main features in Hinduism.

Buddhism… in IndiaBuddhism existed 2000 years ago and

developed from the teachings of Prince Gautama Siddhartha. He travelled out of his palace and saw the sufferings of the villagers, thus he tried to find everlasting happiness and end suffering. As he sat under a tree, he realised that suffering was caused by craving, hatred and ignorance. The moment he found his answer is called Enlightenment.

Buddhism(continued)

Buddha told his followers that he was not starting a new religion, but guiding people in the way they live. After his death, his followers made him a god and thus Buddhism became a religion.

impacts of Buddhism

The spread of Buddhism was quick and wide. As it taught that all men were equal, many men from the lower castes (and some from the higher caste) converted to Buddhism.

religions in China

Confucianism:It was started by Confucius, or Kong Fu

Zi, during the Eastern Zhou. He was troubled by the later years of warring and suffering. He wanted people to live in peace and harmony and thus decided that people can achieve that by living by a code of conduct or a set of rules.

Legalism

Legalism doesn’t really guide people in their daily lives. It emphasizes on ‘good government’ instead. People were believed to be selfish and weak and must be harshly punished for committing crime/s.

Taoism in China (:This religion started in the Zhou Dynasty. The

founder of Taoism was believed to be Lao Zi. Taoism teaches that peace and harmony can be achieved by taking care of their health. Inner peace can be achieved by being understanding, humble and thrifty. Taoism became a religion when people began to combine the philosophy with gods and goddesses from Chinese Folktales. Taoism was not as popular as Buddhism.

SEA

Even though SEA wasn’t the birthplace of any religion, other religions had a great impact on SEA. Hinduism was one of the religions which had rulers building numerous temples and the people learning the language.

Buddhism in SEA

This religion arrived c.300 CE. Many Buddhist monuments were built around SEA. One famous example would be the Borobudur complex found in Indonesia and the Ananda temple in Myanmar. Buddhism remains as an important religion in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Islam in SEA

The followers are known as Muslims and they believed their religion was revealed by Allah through the Prophet Muhammad. Islam was bought to SEA by traders, believed to be from the Middle-East.