Study Questions 1. Contrast Brahman and Atman/Anatman in Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddha rejected idea of atman in hinduism. 2. Explain the difference between Dharma in Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhism: teaching or truth concerning the ultimate nature of things Hinduism: religious and social duty, including both righteousness and faith 3. Name the founders and authoritative texts of Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhism: Theravada has the Tripitaka (‘Three Baskets’): Vinaya (monastic rules), Sutra (discourses), and Abhidharma (systematic treatises). Mahayana has a great number of texts, in Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan. Vajrayana has the Kanjur (Tantric texts) and Tanjur (commentaries). Hinduism: The Vedas are most authoritative texts, but the epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata- Bhagavad Gita), the Puranas, and the other works. 4. Explain the view of the afterlife in Hinduism and Buddhism. In other words, how would they answer the question, “What happens to us after we die?” In Hinduism, most Hindus believe that the human soul [is] immortal and believe that when it reaches liberation it will be freed from the shackles of rebirth. The most important thing that determines one's path in the next life is their final thought or action before their death On the opposing, Buddhists prepare for the loss of a loved one through constant teachings, prayers, meditation that death is ultimately inevitable. They believe in reincarnation and karma, in a different way of the view of Hindus, and also that human beings do not have everlasting souls. Furthermore, Buddhists believe in nirvana, or breaking free from suffering though cycles of life and death. 5. Describe the caste system and the Laws of Manu in Hinduism. Laws of Manu: Throughout the first centuries of the common Era many treatises on the nature of righteousness, moral duty, and law had been written. Called the dharmasastras, these are the foundations of later Hindu laws. The most famous of these is “The Laws of Manu.” Manu is the primordial man that was saved form the flood by Vishnu. Codified in 1st century CE. Many of the laws in this text were not followed strictly in many parts of India. Brahmins. Priestly class of the society and they retain authority to teach and learn the Vedas. Royal or Warriors protect the people of the country. Laws are also outlined for the king which shun the vices of pleasure and wrath. Lowest class not permitted to study or teach the vedas and could not accumulate wealth. In practice the caste system is far more complex than this picture and is just as much of a social force as a religious doctrine. Caste System: Caste is used as shorthand to describe the thousands of social and occupational divisions that have developed from the simple fourfold structure laid out by the Hymn to the Supreme Person: priests, rulers, merchants and servants. In actuality there are more than 1,000 jatis (birth groups) in India and people regularly identify themselves by their jati. Underlying this hierarchacal system is the idea that people are born with different spiritual propensities. Ritual practices, dietary rules, and sometimes dialects differ between castes, and inter-caste marriage is still relatively rare. The modern word “caste” signifies both the four broad varnas and the minutely divided jatis. 6. What are the Three Gems of Buddhism. Explain the four noble truths and the eightfold path. Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Eightfold Path: Right understanding, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right meditation.Four Noble Truths: suffering (no living being can escape suffering), origin of suffering( suffering arises from excessive desire/craving), cessation of suffering (only when desire ceases), and the Eightfold Path (possible to put an end to suffering by following this path). 7. What are the three major schools of Buddhism. Give three distinct characteristics of each branch. Theravada: Oldest living form of Buddhism; Conservative; Claims to preserve the original form of Buddhism; Popular in SE Asia. Sri Lanka; Popular support of the monastic sangha through donations; Bhikshu: monk Mahayana: ‘Greater Vehicle’; the form of Buddhism that emerged around the first century in India and spread first to China and then to Korea and Japan. Offered laypeople, not just monks, the opportunity to strive for enlightenment; developed framework in which only represented one manifests in form of Buddhahood; populated the heavens with Bodhisattvas Vajrayana: Third vehicle; "diamond," "Thunderbolt,"; followers call it the third turning of the wheel of dharma; culmination of two earlier vehicles; Tantric Buddhism; uses mantras: sacred symbols. Tibetan Buddhism- Dalai Lama. 8. Discuss the role of women in Buddhism and Hinduism. Hinduism: Women have duties to fulfill in the household and to their religion as well. Their rituals are rarely ever intended for themselves. The rituals performed by women usually relate to the well being of their close ones. A married woman is considered propitious because she can bear children, help her husband increase their wealth. Moreover, women also further the goals of duty, prosperity, and sensual pleasure. Also, in the Hindu tradition, menstruation used to generally be regarded as physically polluting and childbirth in a family is thought to make the family ritually impure. Women also celebrate and perform in other various rituals. Thus, although the role of women is considered auspicious, it focuses in on the face that they should be more caring toward their loved ones. Buddhism: Shakyamuni resisted creating an order of women so there never really were specific guidelines about them because if there was an order, it would cut down the life of his wise teachings. Their way to nirvana, however was the same as men. There are both positive and negative aspects about women in the texts. The positive part is that some texts describe the women as playing an important role, as if they are beneficial to Buddhism. For instance, they had poems in a book of the Pali canon. The negative side to this is that there was a distinct difference in the status between monks and nuns. The females were not allowed to teach males. Overall, the little female order that was present, was very vulnerable because they had little connection to power in politics and were not as large as the power of the male community (Oxtoby 427). In the
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