Eastern Philosophy

Eastern Religion & Philosophy

• Hinduism• Buddhism• Islamic Philosophy• Taoism• Confucianism• Zen Buddhism• The way of the Warrior- Samurai

Hinduism

• Vedas• Vishnu

Hinduism

• The term refers to the collect faiths that originated in India.

• Hinduism does not have a clear origin.• There is not one “holy book” or text.• There is not a single founder.

Shaivism

• Shiva-• The supreme being

and creator of the universe.

• Parvati, Sakti- wife• Ganesha-child• Nandi- Bull

Saktism

• Sakti- wife of Siva, the female part of the universe.

• Destroyer or destructive force in this realm.

Vaisnavism• Vishnu- Is a

personal god.• Protector in this

realmThe Buddha was an

incarnation of the God Vishnu according to Hindus.

Vedas

• “Those who know it, do not speak it… Those who speak it, do not know it.”

Vedic Scriptures

• Are writing that reveal the hidden nature of reality.

• The Vedas were the religious writings of the Aryans, a nomadic people that invaded India in the around 1500 B.C.

• Hold the universe to be one, monism.

What is the meaning of Life?

• According to some versions of Hinduism the purpose of life is to find enlightenment.

• Most people cannot discover these truths in one lifetime- as such we are reincarnated.

Samsara

• Samsara- The cycle of birth and death. • Humans are basically good, but are

caught up in a cycle of desire of and suffering that is a direct result of ignorance and ego.

• Humans are tormented by many desires.• Desire is the root of evil.

Karma

• Karma- chain of causes & consequences

• Actions we perform today can have consequences for us far into the future… all of our actions will eventually have consequences.

Nirvana

• Nirvana- permanent liberation from life• Liberation from the cycle of samsara, we

cease to exist and become one with the universe.

Buddhism

• Buddha• Four Noble Truths• Eightfold Path

Buddhism• A philosophical tradition, founded by Gautama

Siddhartha Buddha in the fifth century b.c., that took on various forms as a religion and spread throughout Asia; It is a branch of Hinduism

• Buddhism attempts to help the individual conquer the suffering and mutability of human existence through the elimination of desire and ego and attainment of the state of nirvana.

Eightfold Path• The way or practice recommended in

Buddhism that includes:• Right View, • Right Aim, • Right Speech, • Right Action, • Right Living, • Right Effort, • Right Mindfulness, • Right Contemplation.

Four Noble Truths

• Buddha's answer to the central problem of life (1) There is suffering; (2) suffering has specific and identifiable causes; (3) suffering can be ended; (4) the way to end suffering is through enlightened living, as expressed in the Eightfold Path.

Different planes of reality

• For some Buddist, this plane of existence is not the only one.

• You can be reincarnated as a higher or lower being, depending upon your karma at death.