Belief system/ Religion
What are people's belief? How does it effect them?
Hindui
With approximately one billion followers, Hinduism is the world's third largest religion by population. Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana Dharma, "the eternal law" or the "eternal way" beyond human origins.
Vedas
The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in Sanskrit and called the Vedas. Hinduism does not just have one sacred book but several scriptures. The Vedas scriptures guide Hindus in their daily life. They also help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society.
Origin
Movement
Belief system
The belief in reincarnation, karma, and dharma also provides the religious justification for the existence of the rigid social structure known as the Caste System. Samsara, or reincarnation, is a central teaching of Hinduism.
Practices
Hindu practices include rituals such as puja (worship) and recitations, meditation, family-oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages. Some Hindus leave their social world and material possessions, then engage in lifelong Sannyasa ascetic practices to achieve moksha.
Code of conduct
Practice noninjury, not harming others by thought, word or deed, even in your dreams. Live a kindly life, revering all beings as expressions of the One Divine energy. Let go of fear and insecurity, the sources of abuse. Knowing that harm caused to others unfailingly returns to oneself, live peacefully with God’s creation. Never be a source of dread, pain or injury.
How does it affect daily life.
Buddhism
Buddhism, founded in the late 6th century B.C.E. by Siddhartha Gautama (the "Buddha"), is an important religion in most of the countries of Asia.
Holy books or book
The Tripitaka (Pali Canon), Mahayana Sutras and the Tibetan Book of the Dead are three major noncanonical Buddhist texts. The Pali Canon, which means “the word of Buddha,” includes some of the Buddha's discourse, but it also incorporates the teachings of his pupils.
Origin
The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) during the 5th century BCE.May 20, 2014
Buddhism does not teach of a creator god, nor of a beginning to man or the universe. "The Creation is cyclical, having no start and no end. For Buddhists, it is part of the wheel of suffering to which we are attached through rebirth. Creation is seen as just part of this wheel"
Movement
Belief
The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common to all Buddhism, include the "four noble truths": existence is suffering (dukhka) suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment (trishna) there is a cessation of suffering, which is nirvana; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering
Practices
Code of conduct
Moral conduct for Buddhists differs according to whether it applies to the laity or to the Sangha or clergy. A lay Buddhist should cultivate good conduct by training in what are known as the "Five Precepts". These are not like, say, the ten commandments, which, if broken, entail punishment by God. The five precepts are training rules, which, if one were to break any of them, one should be aware of the breech and examine how such a breech may be avoided in the future. The resultant of an action often referred to as Karma depends on the intention more than the action itself. It entails less feelings of guilt than its Judeo-Christian counterpart. Buddhism places a great emphasis on 'mind' and it is mental anguish such as remorse, anxiety, guilt etc. which is to be avoided in order to cultivate a calm and peaceful mind.
Final resting place
How does it affect daily life?
The teachings of the Buddha have been a way of life for millions of people in the East for over two and a half thousand years. Yet, in the West, it is only comparatively recently that many have turned away from materialism to seek answers in Buddhism. Part of the reason for this development may well lie in Buddhism’s age-old refusal to demand blind faith from its followers. As the Buddha himself always insisted that people see for themselves the truth of his teachings, we hope that you may be encouraged by this brief introduction to explore further for yourself the rich and varied religious philosophy that is Buddhism.
Judaism
Judaism has about 13 million followers throughout the world, mostly in USA and Israel. Aproximately 270,100 people in the UK said that their religious identity was Jewish (2011 census).
Judaism originated in the Middle East over 3500 years ago.
Holy books or book
Holy Books. The most holy Jewish book is the Torah the first five books of the Hebrew Bible which was revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago. The Torah, together with the Talmud (commentary on the Torah), give the Jewish people rules for everyday life.
Origin
The origins of Judaism lie in the Bronze Age polytheistic Ancient Semitic religions, specifically Canaanite religion, a syncretization with elements of Babylonian religion and of the worship of Yahweh reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible.
Movement
Beliefs
Judaism thus begins with ethical monotheism: the belief that God is one and is concerned with the actions of humankind. According to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), God promised Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation.
Practices
Code of conduct
Confucianism
The philosopher Confucius (or Kongzi, c. 551 to c. 479 BCE) is the recognized founder of Confucianism, also referred to as the Ru-jia doctrine or School of Literati as it is known by Western scholars
Holly book
Chu Hsi (1130-1200), a major Neo-Confucian thinker, designated four texts as containing the central ideas of Confucian thought: two chapters from the Book of Rites, namely, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean; the Analects, and Mencius.
Origin
Today elements of Confucianism are present in the societies of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and several other countries today. The basic history of Confucianism, as well as its basic tenets, will aid in understanding its impact in Korea.
Movement
With the start of the communist regime in China in 1949, many of the leading intellectuals left the mainland to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Notable figures of this second generation (1950–1979) include individuals like Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan, and Xu Fuguan, all three students of Xiong Shili. Mou Zongsan, in particular, was well-versed in the ancient Chinese philosophical traditions and argued that Kant was, in many ways, a Western Confucius. These three, together with Zhang Junmai, issued in 1958 the New Confucian Manifesto consolidating their beliefs and drawing attention to their philosophical movement.
Belief
Confucianism was the code of ethics adopted as the official religion of most of the great empires in the region since the Han Dynasty. Everybody has some sort of religious belief. Confucianism provides a simple skeleton of ethical and religious beliefs that most Chinese flesh out by other religions such as Daoism.
Practices
Code of conduct
Christianity
Founders
Holy book
Origin
Movement
Beliefs
Practices
Code of conduct
Final resting place
Islam
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ), who was born in A.D. 570 at Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is often regarded as the founder of Islam. He was the last prophet to be sent by Allah. However the first prophet was Adam.
Holy books
Qur'an
The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims, revealed in stages to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. Qur'anic revelations are regarded by Muslims as the sacred word of God, intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments.Jul 14, 2011
Origin
The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam. The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus.
Beliefs
Belief in the Books of God: Muslims believe that God revealed holy books or scriptures to a number of God's messengers. These include the Quran (given to Muhammad), the Torah (given to Moses), the Gospel (given to Jesus), the Psalms (given to David), and the Scrolls (given to Abraham).
Practice
Certain sacred practices and rituals are very important to Muslims. They are a significant way that followers of Islam remember history, express conviction, and grow in devotion.
Some rituals are practiced daily, like prayer; others are practiced annually, like those aligned with specific Islamic holidays. The religious practices and rituals of Islam are relatively few in number, but great in importance. The Five Pillars of Islam are five practices regarded by all sects of the Islamic religion as essential to the Muslim faith.
Code of conduct
Forgiving Spirit
The Quran and Hadith (recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) both heavily emphasize the importance of being forgiven and being willing to forgive others. In Surat 24:22, the Quran says, "Pardon [people] and overlook [their faults]. Don't you love that Allah should forgive you?" Forgiveness, according to the Quran, should take such a central role in everyday life that an individual not only readily forgives others for any offense, but is so focused on the good in others that they do not even notice the offense. If the offense is intentional and cannot be ignored, forgiveness is still required in addition to repaying the offense with kindness and good deeds.
Respect for Family
Family is a very fundamental element of Muslim society. The Quran particularly emphasizes respect for one's parents, especially mothers; in fact, the Prophet said that paradise is at the feet of mothers. Respect for the family is also very important. Muslim children have a right to be raised in a loving, nurturing environment, and the Quran says, "Allah commands you to ... give to the relatives." When parents become ill or elderly, nursing homes are never an option; Muslims consider it a very great privilege to care for them. Becoming impatient or annoyed with elderly parents is regarded as despicable. Instead, the Quran says one should pray, "My Lord, have mercy on them as they brought me up when I was little."
Piety
Muslims are expected to place Islam at the center of their lives and Allah at the front of their minds. This is fulfilled primarily through adherence to the five pillars of Islam, which include a proclamation of faith (shahadah), daily prayer (salat), fasting (sawm), charity (zakat) and a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). In addition to these basic duties, Muslims should also display piety in everyday life by giving freely to help the needy, being kind and generous with one's spouse and even treating animals gently. It is also important to read the Quran daily and memorize as much as possible.
Responsibility
Muslims are responsible for their own actions, for the spiritual health and well-being of their community and for teaching non-Muslims about Islam. Islam heavily stresses free will; on the day of judgement, when each Muslim meets Allah, he or she alone is held responsible for adhering to Islam's teachings. Within the community, Muslims are responsible for preserving the social order by marrying a suitable mate, raising good Muslim children, participating in communal prayers and working together for the greater good. Outside the ummah, Muslims are responsible for sharing their faith in a non-aggressive way. The Quran encourages Muslims, "O you who believe, be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice."