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Baha'i

The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is
regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded
time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for
its unification in one global society. One of the purposes of the Bahá'í Faith is to help make this possible. A
worldwide community of some five million Bahá'ís, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures on
earth, is working to give Bahá'u'lláh's teachings practical effect. Their experience will be a source of
encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland.

Among the principles which the Bahá'í Faith promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal are:

The abandonment of all forms of prejudice

Assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
Recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
The elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
The realization of universal education
The responsibility of each person to independently search for truth
The establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
Recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge

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Buddhism

The teachings and sayings of Gautama Buddha became the basis of a religion called Buddhism. He is believed
to have been born in the Lumbini garden near Kapilavastu (now in Nepal) in the sixth century B.C. Before he
became the Buddha (the Enlightened), he was called Siddhartha. When Siddhartha encountered an old man,
another afflicted with disease, an ascetic and a corpse, he realized how short-lived are worldly passions and
pleasures. Soon after, he left his family and kingdom and went to forest to lead a simple and unattached life.
This is called the “Great Renunciation”.

After a long period of meditation, Siddhartha attained enlightenment under a pipal tree at Uruvela near Gaya in
Bihar. He was then called the Buddha, the Enlightened one. He went to Sarnath and delivered his first
sermon to five Brahmins, his old friends. This first Sermon is called “Turning of the Wheel of Law”. He
renounced his mortal body at Kusinagara, the capital of the Mallas. This is called the “Parinirvana”.

The order broke into Sthaviravada (in Pali Theravada) and the Mahasanghikas in 383 B.C. while the
Sthaviravadins were believers in the teaching of elders, and Orthodox school, the Mahasanghikas were
members of the great communities. The sect of Lokottarvadin emerged from the latter group whose
philosophy was based on the concept of Lokottara Buddha or Supernatural Buddha.

The major split took place during the reign of Kanishka in 100 A.D. and there emerged two sects: Hinayana or
the Lesser Vehicle and Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle. The Hinayanists believed in the original teachings of
the Buddha and worshipped him in his symbols. This sect spread in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos
etc. but lost popularity in India. The Mahayana religion arose out from the Mahasanghikas and got popularity in
many parts of India, spread to central Asia, China and then to Japan and Korea. They worshipped idols of
Buddha and his incarnations (Boddhisattavas).

In 8th century another sect, Vajrayana or the Vehicle of Thunderbolt came into prominence. They didn't treat
meat, fish, wine, etc. as a taboo in dietary habit and freely consumed them. The Tantrik schools of
Sahajayana and Tantrayana developed from this sect.

Buddhists go on pilgrimages to places associated with Buddha's life. These places include his birthplace,
Lumbini Grove, the place of enlightenment, Bodh Gaya, the place of his first sermon, Sarnarth(Varanasi), and
the place he died, Kusinara.

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Christianity

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ, but it has its roots in the Judaic tradition. The Bible is the sacred book
of Christianity. It is divided into two books - the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament
deals with the period before the birth of Jesus Christ, originally written in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. The
New Testament deals with the life and teachings of Jesus and the Acts of his Apostles which depict the
formative period of Christianity, originally written in Greek andpartly in Aramaic. The first four New Testament
books tell the life, death and resurrection of Christ which is known as Gospels.

Christ was born around 4 B.C. in a Jewish family at Bethlehem in Palestine. He lived a short span of 33 years
which he healed people and performed miracles. The most remarkable feature of his life according to Christian
belief, is that after he was crucified, dead and buried, he rose again on the third day and appeared to his
apostles and disciples before ascending into heaven. The followers of Jesus came to be called “Christians”. In
A.D. 45, the followers of Jesus met in a Council at Jerusalem. They decided to spread his teaching and
evangelize the world.

The Biblical concept of God is rather complex. God is one but has revealed himself in the Bible as three persons
- the father, the son and the holy spirit. The incarnation of Jesus as man, according to theBible, is a part of the
divine plan for the atonement of the sins of mankind. Christian thought regards man as essentially sinful. Ever
since Adam and Eve violated the divine will, the human race has fallen into this sinful state. In general, the
religious services of Christians are mainly aimed at worshipping God in spirit and truth, that is worshipping the
father through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Catholic Church which has 1.2 billion members — slightly over half of all Christians worldwide — does not
view itself as a denomination, but as the original pre-denominational church,a view rejected by other
Christians. Protestant denominations account for approximately 37% of Christians
worldwide.Together,Catholicism and Protestantism (including Anglicanism, and other denominations sharing
historical ties) comprise Western Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox Church, with an estimated 225–300 million
adherents,is the second-largest Christian organization in the world and also considers itself the original pre-
denominational church.

Important Holy Places

Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus

The River Jordan, site of Christ's baptism
Cave dwelling of John the Baptist
Galilee (North Israel/South Lebanon)
Sea of Galilee
Jerusalem is believed to be the site of some of Jesus’s teaching

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Confucianism

Confucianism was founded by Confucius, who was born in the state of Lu, Northern China in 551 B.C.
Confucianism is primarily a body of ethics and can be considered as an institutional religion only; in that it
requires sacrifices to the gods and ancestors. Confucianism does not restrict itself to any formalized theology.
The central concept of Confucian ethics is Zen, which signifies the supreme virtue of love and goodness. There
are no churches, clergy or creeds in Confucianism.

The founder of Confucianism, Master Kong (Confucius, 551-479 B.C.E.) did not intend to found a new religion,
but to interpret and revive the unnamed religion of the Zhou dynasty.

Confucianism is known to the Chinese as “Ju Chaio”(teaching of the scholars) and was the dominant force in
Chinese thought, education and governance for 2,000 years. Confucians generally conduct their lives according
to five cardinal virtues—kindness, righteousness, decorous behavior, wisdom and uprightness. Confucius
taught that the chief ethic was benevolence and one of his prime precepts was “Treat inferiors with
Propriety”.

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Druze

Druze is a relatively small Middle Eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by
a cohesion and loyalty among its members that have enabled them to maintain for centuries of turbulent
history their close-knit identity and distinctive faith. They numbered more than 250,000 in the late 20th
century and live mostly in Lebanon, with smaller communities in Israel and Syria. They call themselves al-
Muwahhidin (“The Monotheists”). The Druze religion has its roots in Ismailism, a religio-philosophical
movement which founded the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt in the tenth century.

The first Druze settled in what is now southern Lebanon and northern Israel. By the time of the Ottoman
conquest of Syria, Druze also lived in the hill country near Aleppo, and Sultan Selim I recognized Fakhr al-Din as
Emir of the Druze, with local authority. Until the end of Ottoman rule, the Druze were governed by emirs, as a
semi-autonomous community.

Although the Druze recognize all three monotheistic religions, they believe that rituals and ceremonies have
caused Jews, Christians, and Muslims to turn aside from pure faith. The Druze religion is secret and closed to
converts. From the theological perspective, the secrecy derives from the tenet that the gates of the religion
were open to new believers for the space of a generation when it was first revealed and everyone was invited
to join.

The Druze are divided into two groups: al-Juhhal (the ignorant) and al-Uqqal (the knowledgeable). Druze
religious books are accessible only to the initiates, the uqqal. The juhal accept the faith on the basis of the
tradition handed down from generation to generation. Men and women adopt a more stringent dress code, and
the spiritual leaders of the community arise from the most influential 5% of the al-Uqqal. The Druze forbid
polygamy, along with the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and pork. Equality between men and women, in
marriage and in religious life, is an important part of the Druze tradition. Women are encouraged to participate
in daily prayer, can take part in religious ceremonies, and are able to initiate divorce.

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Hinduism

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. Hinduism is world's third largest religion after Christianity and
Islam. Hinduism is the dominant religion in India, where Hindus form about 84 per cent of the total population.
Hinduism is also known as “Sanatan Dharma”or the everlasting religion. Hindu religion 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 behavior.

Hinduism has no founder or date of origin. The authors and dates of most Hindu sacred texts are unknown.
Scholars describe modern Hinduism as the product of religious development in India that spans nearly four
thousand years, making it the oldest surviving world religion.

The first sacred writings of Hinduism, which date to about 1200 BC, were primarily concerned with the ritual
sacrifices associated with numerous gods who represented forces of nature. A more philosophical focus began
to develop around 700 BC, with the Upanishads and development of the Vedanta philosophy.

Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God, whose qualities and forms are represented by the multitude of deities
which emanate from him. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by
Karma.

Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always
dependent on how the previous life was lived.

Hinduism preaches optimism, because it reposes confidence in the individual. This is born out by the theory of
incarnation or birth in human form of god. Whenever the universe is overwhelmed by the wicked and whenever
the dharma is threatened, these incarnations take place. These periodic purges are at the basis of the Hindu
division of time (Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali) and the ten incarnation of Vishnu, the "Dasavataras".
Those go to heaven, who have accumulated merit, the others go to hell. Hinduism also emphasizes asceticism,
renunication of worldly life and non-violence, but it does not say that the life of an ascetic is the only way or the
best way, to attain the desired fruits.

The main Hindu scriptures are Sruti (what is heard), Smriti (what is remembered) the Vedas, the Brahmanas,
the Upanishads, the Puranas and epics. The Sruti include deeply religious things communicated to a seer and
recorded. The Vedas, the religious writings, include mantras (hymns of praise), brahmanas (sacrificial rituals)
and Upanishads (108 sacred teachings). The Smriti include the law (books of laws), puranas (myths, stories,
legends) and epics (sets of holy myths including Ramayana and Mahabharata).

The Char Dham (“four abodes”) are four places which the Hindus believed will help them achieve Moksha. Char
Dham are the names of four pilgrimage sites in India that are widely revered by Hindus. It comprises Badrinath,
Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is considered highly sacred by Hindus to visit Char Dham during one's
lifetime. The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of four Vaishnavite pilgrimages.

Varanasi, the world’s oldest city, is the eye of the Indic world. It is to Sanatana Dharma what Mecca became to
Islam and the Vatican to the Catholic Church.

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Islam

The word “Islam” means “Surrender to God”. Those who submitted to this concept became Muslims. The
motherland of Islam is Arabia. Arabia was inhabited by nomadic tribes called Bedouin who roamed the desert
with their flocks. Each tribe was divided into clan and each clan followed its own culture. However, all of them
spoke a single language and went to Mecca for pilgrimage.

Prophet Mohammed was born around 570 A.D, in Mecca. He is believed to have been a descendent of
Abraham, the founder of Judaism. Mohammed received the revelation of Allah, compiled in the Quran, which is
the holy and sacred book of Muslims. It gives explanation of Quranic teaching in the “Sunna”, a collection of
traditions. Both are reinforced by the principle of Ijma, which states the belief that a majority of Muslims cannot
agree in error. The Quran, the Sunna and the Ijma are three foundations of Islam.

Islam does not profess to be a new religion formulated by Prophet Mohammed but is the continuation of all
former religious principles. Islam is strictly monotheistic and believes in absolute submission to God's will.
Every Muslim is expected to fulfil five duties: (i) believe in Allah, the God; (ii) Do Namaz five times a day; (iii)
fast during Ramzan; (iv) give alms to the poor; and (v) visit Mecca at least once in his lifetime.

There are four main bases of the Muslim social institutions - family, marriage, divorce, and institution governing
inheritance. Islam has given full importance to family and laid down certain rules and regulations to maintain
its order. The main objective of family is the preservation of human society and civilisation. The whole socio-
cultural structure is based on it. The Quran and Shariah give basic guidelines for maintenance of social organi-
sation.

Important Places of Worship

Kaaba and Al-Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Worshipers flood the Grand mosque, its roof, and all the areas around it during night prayers
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem

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Jainism

Founded by Rishabhdeva or Adinath, Jainism came into prominence in the sixth century B.C. under
Vardhamana Mahavira, who was born at Kundagrama, near Vaishali in Bihar. At the age of thirty, he left his
home and wandered as a naked monk for thirteen months. He attained enlightenment on the bank of Rijupalka
river, sitting under a ‘Sal’ tree. After living for seventy-two years, he got salvation at Majjhima Pava, now
identified with Pavapuri.

The word “Jina” means conqueror. It is not the conquest of the worldly things, but conquest of oneself, one's
desires and attachments. The prophets and saints of the faith are called “Tirthankaras”. Jainism says world is
not the creation of any god, it exists because of certain universal laws. Jainism is often regarded as a religion of
atheists. Jainas believe that life exists not only in humans and animals, but also in objects like stones, water,
tree etc. The Jiva (life) corresponds to the soul. The soul is corrupted by its contact with matter, hence the role
of Karma, the cycle of rebirth and death. The highest aim should be to release the soul from material bondage.
This is achieved not by the mercy of god but by the effort of the individual himself. A man attains “Nirvana”
when he combines right conviction, knowledge and conduct.

The Jainas are strict vegetarian. The main rule of conduct is Ahimsa or non violence. The Jainas are divided into
two groups, the laymen –Sravaka– and the monks or saints – Sramanas. The lives of both are regulated by
strict codes of conduct, behaviour and movement. They take care to avoid any kind of harm to animals, worms
and insects. Jainism never spread beyond India. There are two groups or sects within Jainism, the
Svetambaras and the Digambaras. The term Svetambara means one who is clad in white and Digambara
means one who is clad with space or with nothing.

The motive and purpose of Jain worship is very different from worship in many other religions - in fact it would
seem that Jain principles make worship both unnecessary and futile.

Famous Jain temples:

The Great Bahubali also called as Gomateshwara is situated at Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district
of Karnataka. The 60 feet gigantic statue of Bahubali is situated in Vindyagiri Hill at Shravanabelagola.
DilwaraJain Temples at Mount Abu is built by marble and counted among one of the finest monuments of
India.
The Ranakpur Jain Temple is located in the Pali district of Rajasthan, between the two beautiful cities of
Rajasthan, Jodhpur and Udaipur on the valley of the Aravalli ranges.

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Judaism

Judaism is the world’s oldest great monotheism and the parent religion of both Christianity and Islam. The
name ‘Judai’ derives from the Latin Judaeus and the Hebrew Yahudi, means the descendent of Judah, who
was the fourth son of Jacob. Judaism recognises one god, sometimes called Elohim or Jehovah. The basic
prayer of Judaism is called the Shema. The basis of Judaism is belief in the living God, who is transcendent,
omnipotent and just who reveals himself to mankind. Judaism is strictly monotheistic. God is the creator and
absolute ruler of the universe. The emphasis in Judaism is on ethical behaviour as the true worship of God.

Judaism elaborates the system of Laws and rituals, such as dietary regulations. Jews have an ordained clergy
and observe the Sabbath, which runs from the sunset of Friday to the sunset of Saturday and is observed with
services of prayer in local synagogues.

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place to which Jews turn during prayer. Due to
religious restrictions on entering the most sacred areas of the Temple Mount (see following section), the
Western Wall, a retaining wall of the Temple Mount and remnant of the Second Temple structure, is
considered by some rabbinical authorities the holiest accessible site for Jews to pray.

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Sikhism

Sikhism, amongst the youngest of the major world religions, originated and primarily developed in the
15th-17th century sub-continental India (South Asia).The founder of Sikhism was Guru Nanak. He attempted to
eliminate the caste system. He was followed by nine gurus. Guru Gobind Singh was the last and tenth guru.
The sacred book of Sikhism is “Guru Granth Sahib”. It includes the selected works of many authors from
diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The religious philosophy of Sikhism is mainly influenced by
Islam and Hinduism. The principal belief in Sikhism is faith in one God – Vahiguru. It advocates the pursuit of
salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. Sikhism's traditions and
teachings are distinctly associated with the history, society and culture of the Indian sub-continent.

Most important place of worship is-Darbar Sahib: The Golden Temple, Amritsar
Other important place of worship: The Five Holy Takhts:These Five Gurdwaras known as the Five
Takhts (Thrones) have a very special significance for the Sikh community. They are considered the seats
of Sikh religious authority. Many important decisions concerning the religious and social life of the Sikh
community were made here.
Akal Takht literally means Eternal Throne. It is part of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
Damdama Sahib is situated in the village of Talwandi Sabo near Bhatinda. This is where Guru Gobind
Singh stayed for nearly a year and compiled the final edition of the Guru Granth Sahib known as the
Damdama Sahib Bir in 1705.
Keshgarh Sahib is situated at Anandpur. It is considered the birthplace of the Khalsa.
Hazur Sahib is on the banks of Godavari in Maharashtra. This is where Guru Gobind Singh left this
world.
Patna Sahib is situated in Patna the capital of Bihar. It was here that Guru Gobind Singh was born in
1666 and spent his early years before moving to Anandpur.
Ten Sikh Gurus

Name Guruship

1. Nanak Dev 1507-1539

2. Angad Dev 1539-1552

3. Amar Das 1552-1574

4. Ram Das 1574-1581

5. Arjan Dev 1581-1606

6. HarGobind 1606-1644

7. Har Rai 1644-1661

8. Har Krishan 1661-1664

9. Tegh Bahadur 1665-1675

10. Gobind Singh 1675-1708

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Taoism

The name “Taoism” comes from Tao, the term used to represent the absolute. Knowledge of the absolute is
not to be attained by study or reason, but by contemplation. The Taoists identified themselves with nature, that
urged the acceptance of all things in their natural state and deplored passions, unnecessary inventions,
artificial ceremonies and governing activities such as war and taxation.

Taoism was founded by Lao Tse, a Chinese philosopher and prominent religious leader. He worked as a record
keeper in the court of the “Chou”. His main work is called “Tao Te Ching”, the Book of the World Law and its
Power. The Taoists opposed rituals, social codes, morals and intellectualism of Confucianism. They believed
that society can be reformed by returning to primitive times. In its teaching, virtue was cast in passive and
feminine term. Taoism developed beliefs concerning the afterlife, which included a heaven and hell, as well as
a cosmology that divided all reality into male and female principles or Yang and Yin. Taoism became concerned
with magic and also provided the basis for many secret societies.

Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism

1.Wudang Mountains, in Shiyan, Hubei Province of China

2.Mount Qingcheng, in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province
3.Mount Longhu, in Yingtan, Jiangxi Province
4.Mount Qiyun, in Huangshan, Anhui Province

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Yazidis

The Yazidis are Kurdish-speaking people that adhere to the religion Yazidism. Yazidism is a religion rooted in
Persian religions blended with elements of pre-Islamic religious traditions, Mithraism, Christianity and Islam. In
addition to the Kurdish-speaking majority, there are significant Yazidi communities that speak Arabic as their
native language. Their ethnicity is obscure despite the fact that they mostly speak Kurdish. Commentators
identify the Yazidis as predominately Kurds but according to some sources, they tend to regard themselves as
distinct from Kurds.

The United Nations recognizes the Yazidis as a distinct ethnic group. A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW)
declares that to incorporate disputed territories in northern Iraq-particularly the Nineveh province- into the
Kurdish region, KRG and Kurdish authorities have embarked on a two-pronged strategy of inducement and
repression. The Kurdish authorities are working hard to impose Kurdish identity on two of the most vulnerable
minorities in Iraq, the Yazidis and the Shabaks. Their principal holy site is in Lalish, northeast of Mosul.

Yazidis discourage marriage outside the community and even across their caste system. Their unique beliefs
and practices, some are known to refrain from eating lettuce and wearing the colour blue, have often been
misconstrued as satanic. At the core of the Yazidis’ marginalization is their worship of a fallen angel, Melek
Tawwus, or Peacock Angel, one of the seven angels that take primacy in their beliefs. Orthodox Muslims
consider the peacock a demon figure and refer to Yazidis as devil worshipers.

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Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is the ancient religion of Persia. It is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. It was
founded about 3500 years ago by the prophet Zarathushtra. Zarathushtra preached that there was one God,
whom he called Ahura Mazda. Ahura means “Lord,” and Mazda means “Wise”, so Zoroastrians call God the
“Wise Lord”.

The basic scripture of Zoroastrianism is a set of 5 poetic songs called the “Gathas,” which were composed by
Zarathushtra himself. The Gathas are composed in a very ancient language known as Avestan, which is
closely related to Sanskrit.

In the Gathas, Zarathushtra preached that the One God, Ahura Mazda, is transcendent, but he is in constant
relationship with human beings and the world God created through his Attributes. These Attributes are how
God reaches the world, and how the world reaches God. Zarathushtra did not specify a fixed number of
Attributes, but soon after the Prophet they were specified into seven. These attributes are called the
“AmeshaSpentas,” or “Bounteous Immortals.” Each one of these embodies an attribute of God, as well as
a human virtue. They are also symbols for the various sectors of Creation over which God watches.

Zoroastrian worship involves prayers and symbolic ceremonies said before a sacred fire. Zoroastrianism does
not teach or believe in reincarnation or karma. Zoroastrianism also believes in the progress of sacred time, and
the eventual end of time. Zoroastrians are roughly split into two groups: The Iranians and The Parsis.

Parsis

The Zoroastrians of India, According to Parsi lore they spent nineteen years on the island of Diu, after which
they set sail again and landed in Sanjan also on the west coast of India.Their populations peaked at 69, 000 in
2001 and stood at about 57, 264 in 2011 Census data.

‘Sugar in Milk’

The most popular one, called Qissa-e-Sanjaan, narrates that an Indian ruler called Jadi Rana sent a glass full
of milk to the Parsi group seeking asylum. His message was that his kingdom was full of local people. The
Zoroastrian immigrants put sugar (or a ring, in some versions of the story) into the milk to indicate an
assimilation of their people into the local society, like “sugar in milk”.

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