Hinduism

According to Hinduism, three Gods rule the world. Brahma: the creator; Vishnu: the preserver and Shiva:
the destroyer. Lord Vishnu did his job of preserving the world by incarnating himself in different forms at
times of crisis.
Basic belief

 “that a person's fate is determined according to his deeds (Karma).

 A soul who does good Karma in this life will be awarded with a better life in the next incarnation.
 Souls who do bad Karma will be punished for their sins, if not in this incarnation then in the next
incarnation and will continue to be born in this world again and again.
 The good souls will be liberated from the circle of rebirth and get redemption which is called
'Moksha' meaning freedom.
 Hindus normally cremate their dead ones, so that the soul of the dead would go to heaven,
except in a few cases of Hindu saints, who are believed to have attained 'Moksha’.”

“Hindus believe in the :

 doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the
universal law of cause and effect).

“atman,” or the belief in soul.

 This 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.”
 Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and
morality.
 Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
 Most don’t eat beef or pork, and many are vegetarians

BUDDHISM

 Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India.
 With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world religions.
 Historically been most prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the
West
 Does not acknowledge a supreme god or deity; it focuses on achieving enlightenment—a state
of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this spiritual echelon, they’re said to have
experienced nirvana.
 Founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary being, but not a god. The word Buddha means
“enlightened.”
 The path to enlightenment -- morality, meditation and wisdom
 Meditation - helps awaken truth
  Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause and effect) and reincarnation (the
continuous cycle of rebirth).

Confucianism

 Confucius was a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E.
 One of the most influential philosophies in the history of China
 Has existed for over 2,500 years.
 Concerned with inner virtue, morality, and respect for the community and its values
 Importance of good moral character, which affects the world around that person with
good moral character
 Example: if an emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent.
 Natural disasters and conflict are the result of straying from the ancient teachings.
 This moral character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,” which leads to
more virtuous behaviors, such as respect, altruism, and humility.
 Confucius believed in the importance of education in order to create this virtuous
character.
 He thought that people are essentially good yet may have strayed from the appropriate
forms of conduct.
 Rituals in Confucianism were designed to bring about this respectful attitude and create
a sense of community within a group.
 Key to Confucius thought: “filial piety,” or devotion to family
 This devotion can take the form of ancestor worship, submission to parental authority,
or the use of family metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the emperor and
his government.
 The family --- the important group for Confucian ethics, and devotion to family could
only strengthen the society surrounding it.”

TAOISM

 Ancient Chinese philosophy that instructs believers on how to exist in harmony with the
universe.
 Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the main
book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching.
 Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe.
 Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after
death.
 Taoism teaches that all living creatures ought to live in a state of harmony with the universe, and
the energy found in it. Ch’i, or qi, is the energy present in and guiding everything in the universe.
 The Tao Te Ching and other Taoist books provide guides for behavior and spiritual ways of living
in harmony with this energy.
 One of the main ideas of Taoism is the belief in balancing forces, or yin and yang.
 These ideas represent matching pairs, such as light and dark, hot and cold, action and inaction,
which work together toward a universal whole.
 Yin and yang show that everything in the universe is connected and that nothing makes sense by
itself.
 Wu wei means – in Chinese – non-doing or 'doing nothing’.
 does not signify not acting at all, but rather not forcing things on their way
 action should be immediately in accordance with the Tao, hence the necessary will be done
without exaggeration, hyperbole or over-eagerness as these are considered obstructive, though
rather in an easy, facile, non disturbing way, leading to overall harmony and balance

 “Wu wei could be characterised by the adaptability of the flow of water in a stream.
 I.e. Water flows without awareness, or naturally, downriver (principle of tao). It might be blocked
by an object (branch or stone), though without contriving to do so, finds it way around the
object. Water acts without motive, it acts with wu wei.

4 teachings of Toism
1. SIMPLICITY, PATIENCE, COMPASSION
“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and
thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord
with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.”

2. GOING WITH THE FLOW

“When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”

3. LETTING GO
“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not
afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

4. Harmony – “Tao engenders One; One engenders Two; Two engenders Three; Three engenders
all things. All things carry the yin (femininity) while embrace the yang (masculinity). Neutralising
energy brings them into harmony.”

5.