INTRODUCTION

India is a land of diversities. This diversity is also visible in the spheres of their religion.

India is where people of different religions and cultures live in harmony. This harmony is
seen in the celebration of festivals. The message of love and brotherhood is expressed
by all the religions and cultures in India.

Whether it’s the gathering of the faithful, bowing in prayer in the courtyard of a
mosque, or the gathering of lamps that light up houses at Diwali, the good cheer of
Christmas or the brotherhood of Baisakhi, the religions of India are celebrations of
shared emotion that bring people together. People from the different religions and
cultures of India, unite in common chord of brotherhood and amity in this fascinating
and diverse land.

Although different religions are practiced in India, the secular and sovereign nature of
the country remains intact. In fact, all religions collectively play an important role in
maintaining the harmony, culture, history and peace in the country.

BUDDHISM

One of the major world religions.

The philosophy is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha, Siddharta Gautama, a royal
prince of Kapilvastu, India.

Originated in India.

Founded by Siddharta Gautama also known as Buddha. At the age of 29 he left the
comforts of his home to seek answer to the cause of human sufferings. Gautama
became the enlightened one, the Buddha, after wondering and meditation for six
years. On the full moon of May , with the rising of the morning star, Siddharta attained
knowledge at Bodh Gaya. To preach his religion, Buddha wandered in the North East
India for about 40 odd years. His hard work bore fruit and a community or Sangha of
monks and nuns developed around him. The Sangha pursued practice and
propagation of Buddhism. These practices are aimed at ending the suffering of cyclic
existence. Buddhist emphasizes the principles of harmlessness and moderation.
Buddhism does believe in the existence of supernatural beings but it does not ascribe
the power for creation, salvation or judgment to them. Buddhism believes that the
supernatural beings have the power to affect only worldly events.

The fundamental principle of Buddhism is to follow the middle path.

Buddhism teaches its followers to perform good and wholesome actions and to purify
and train the mind.
They believe in the concepts of Samsara, Karma, and rebirth and practice the
teachings of Buddha.

The Buddhists believes in attaining enlightenment through love, kindness and wisdom.

The Buddhists also believe in devotion which is also an important part of their practice
of this religion. (pilgrimage, bowing, chanting & offering are devotional practices)

Buddhism rejects the caste system and does away with the rituals, the priesthood and
the gods that are integral to the Hindu faith.

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

1. A life if full of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

2. The cause of suffering is want.

3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome want.

4. The way to overcome want is to follow the Eightfold Path.

EIGHTFOLD PATH OF BUDDHISM

 Right view is the true understanding of the 4 noble of truths

 Right aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance,
and hatefulness
 Right speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk
 Right action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviours, such as killing, stealing,
and careless sex
 Right livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty
and hurting others, including animals
 Right effort is a matter of exerting oneself in regards to the content of one’s
mind: Bad qualities should be abandoned and prevented from arising
again;good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.
 Right mindfulness is the focusing of one’s attention on one’s body, feelings,
thoughts, and consciousness in such a way as to overcome craving, hatred, and
ignorance.
 Right concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realiza a true
understanding of imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness.

FESTIVALS OF BUDDHISTS

 Vesak (birthday of Buddha)

 Asalha Puja Day
 Magha Puja Day
 Loy Krathong
Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities. Buddhism, in fact, arose out of Hinduism
and both believe in reincarnation, karma and that a life of devotion and honor is a
path to salvation and enlightenment.

HINDUISM

Dominant religion in India.

Also known as “Sanatan Dharma” or the everlasting religion, a term popularised by

Mahatma Gandhi.

Hindu worship, which is known as “puja,” typically takes place in the Mandir (temple) .

Hindus can also worship at home, and many have a special shrine dedicated to certain
gods and goddesses.

They worship the icon or murtis which is considered a reflection of God but not all
Hindus (those who belong to Arya Samaj)

The om is composed of Sanskrit letter and represents 3 sound (a, u, m) which when
combined are considered a sacred sound. The om symbol is often found at family
shrines and in Hindu temples.

Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman, who is believed to
be the supreme God force present in all things.

The giving of offerings is an important part of Hindu worship. It’s a common practice to
present gifts, such as flowers and oils, to a god or goddess.

Hinduism is based on the concept that human and animal spirits come back to earth to
live many times in different forms. The Hindus believe that a soul moves up and down
hierarchy on the basis of behaviour. According to Hinduism a person is born into the
higher class because he/she must have done good deeds in past life whereas a person
is born in poverty and shame because of misdeeds in past life. Central to Hinduism are
the concept of Reincarnation, the caste system, merging with Brahman, fining the
morality, and reaching Nirvana (the peaceful escape from the cycle of reincarnation).

According to Hinduism, the paths to salvation include rituals, devotion and the way of
knowledge (realization of reality and self reflection). If the practitioner follows the path
of these ways, salvation can be achieved.

HINDUISM BELIEFS:
  Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason. It’s sometimes referred
too as a “way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single, organized
religion.
 Most forms of Hinduism are honotheistic, which means they worhip a single deity,
known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers
believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god.
 Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death,
and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect)
 One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. The
philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the
supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the
cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul.
 One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions and
thoughts directly determine their current and future lives.
 Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good
conduct and morality. Hindus rever all living creatures and consider cow a
sacred animal.
 Food is an important part of life of Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork, and
many are vegetarians.
 Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including Buddhism, Skihism,
Jainism.

SECTS OF HINDUISM:

Hinduism has many sects and often divided into the following:

 Shaivism (followers of Shiva)

 Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
 Shaktism (followers of Devi)
 Smarta (followers of Brahman and all major deities)

HINDU CASTE SYSTEM is a social hierarchy in India that divides Hindus based on their
Karma and Dharma. Many scholars believe the system dates back more than 3,000
years.

Many subcategories also exist within each caste. The “untouchables” are a class of
citizens that are outside the caste system ad considered to be in the lowest level of the
social hierarchy.

The caste system determined every aspect of a person’s social, professional, and
religious status in India.

The constitution banned discrimination based on caste.

Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely followed. Many of the old
customs are overlooked, but some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific
caste, are still embraced.

JAINISM

Form less than 1% of the Indian population.

Jains are famous as community of traders and merchants.

Believe to be originated in India.

Founded by Mahavira.

This religion believes in theology of self rather than God.

Mahavira was born in a ruling family of Vaishali, located in the modern state of Bihar,
India. At the age of 30, Mahavira renounced royal life and devoted himself to the task
of discovering the meaning of existence. At the age of 42 he attained enlightenment
and spent the rest of his life meditating and preaching Jainism.

Tha Jain religion rests complete inactivity against all living beings. It is evident from the
Jain monks and nuns wearing face masks to avoid inhaling small organisms. It is for the
same reason all practicing jains try to remain vegetarians.

The followers of Jainism undertake five vows:

 Ahimsa
 Satya
 Asteya
 Bramcharya
 Aparigraha

FESTIVALS:

 Mahavira Jayanti
 Paryushana parva
 Diwali
 Maun-agiraya

SIKHISM

Form about 2% of the population.

In comparison with other religion, Sikh is a younger religion.

The word ‘Sikh’ a disciple and thus Sikhism is essentially the path of discipleship.

The true Sikh remains unattached to wordly things.

Guru Nanak was the founder and he preached universal brotherhood irrespective of
caste, religion and color at Punjab region.

Guru Granth Sahib- holy book of the Sikhs which is the collection of the writings of the
Guru.

No festivals.

The religious beliefs of the Sikhs do not favour fasting or going to the pilgrimages.

JUDAISM

Practiced by minority population in India

According to Judaism, there exists a covenant relationship between God and Jewish
people.

Followers are knows as Jews.

ZOROASTRIANISM

Minority religion.

Considers humans as the helpers of God.

Followers known as Parsis.