Ancient Asian Faiths
Name: ______
Religion / Founder & Symbol / Main Beliefs and Practices / Interesting FactsConfucianism
Philosophy not a religion
Confucianism has influenced Chinese life throughout Chinese history.
Confucianism has influenced Chinese life throughout Chinese history. / Chinese PHILOSOPHY
Philosopher
CONFUCIUS
551-479 BC / Confucianism is a ______based on the ideas of the Chinese philosopher ______. Some central ______and ______of Confucianism was the most important ______in Chinese culture. It influenced _____, education, government, ______, personal behavior, and ______.
Although Confucianism has ______elements, such as ______rituals, Confucianism has ____ clergy and does not ______the worship of a God or gods. Confucianism is more accurately a philosophy that ______especially on questions about ______and ______.
Confucius believed that ______could be saved if it ______moral self-cultivation in personal and public ______. Moral self-cultivation is demonstrated by the actions of the junzi, meaning ______person.
Confucius did not define the ______as an individual of noble ______, but rather as someone with ______moral
______.
Junzi possessed many ______. They respected their parents. They worked for the good of their family, community, and society. Junzi were dedicated to ______.
Confucius also ______a version of the golden rule, the ______that people should ______others as they would like to be treat ______.Confucianism generally focuses on the moral development of______people, including ______and children.
Confucius believed that when junzi were ______, their ______would inspire those beneath them to lead good lives. ______behavior by rulers, he declared, had a greater ______in governing than did ______and codes of ______.
After Confucius ______, his followers spread his ______. The most important early Confucian philosophers were Mencius (391-308 B.C.) and Xunzi (mid-200's B.C.).
Later Confucianism:
The ______Confucians concerned themselves ______with the needs of society. However, ideas from other philosophies helped ______the emphasis to additional areas of human experience. For example, a person's ______to live in ______with ______came from Taoism. This became a more important theme in later Confucian thought.From about A.D. 200 to 600, interest in Confucianism declined in China.______and ______started growing. A revival of interest in Confucian philosophy began in the 600's. By the 700's, candidates for government ______had to take a civil service ______based on ______ideas. The examination carried out Confucius's belief that an ______state must be______on the ______of the advisers who counseled its rulers.
The philosopher ______(1130-1200) became a leader of a movement called ______-Confucianism. Zhu developed a branch of Neo-Confucianism that emphasized the study of ____ and _____.
Li is the underlying ______and ______of the world.
Qi is the “______” of which the ______was ______.
Another influential Neo-Confucian was Wang ______(1472-1529). He argued that people were ______with a ______mind that could _____ them in understanding things and making ______.
. / Confucianism had begun taking shape by the time of the ______Zhou dynasty in China. This dynasty (______) ruled in China from 1045 to 771 B.C. From the time of Confucius to the A.D. 1900's.
Many people consider Confucianism a ______.
Early Confucianism. In the 500’s B.C., when Confucius lived, ______raged among in China. Rapid political change altered the structure of Chinese ______, and many people no longer respected the traditional standards of social behavior. Confucius feared that this ______to orderly social ______would lead to the destruction of ______.
Junzi practiced self-examination to become ______. They were guided by ______rituals and social ______. Confucius included many of these rituals and social customs in ______teachings.
Confucius’s students all were ______, because of the culture he lived in. But some scholars think Confucius may have believed that women also could become ______.
Mencius believed that people were born with ______tendencies. He stressed the need to ______and ______"the natural compassion of the heart" that made people human. He emphasized the past as an ______time and a ______for examining present problems.
Xunzi believed that people were born without _____ natural tendency to become ______. He thought that they could become good ______if they were______by the right ______, ______, and ______.
The first large, unified Chinese Empire began in _____ B.C. Its rulers approved of Confucianism's emphasis on public ______and ______for authority. In 124 B.C., the government established the Imperial University to ______future government officials in ______ideals. The university based its teachings on ______books of Confucian thought called the Five Classics. Mastery of these was ______of ______fitness.
Although the Chinese Communist government ______Confucianism in the 1900’s, this official opposition ended in ______.
Confucianism has influenced Chinese ______throughout Chinese ______.
Taoism
Many scholars used to believe there was an important difference between Taoist philosophy and Taoist religion / Philosophical and religious tradition that began in
400 ad in China and Eastern Asia
Confucianism, a philosophy that developed in China around the same time as Taoism. / Taoism, is a philosophical and religious ______that began in ______, probably around ______B.C.
Taoism has ______Chinese and other East Asian ____, literature,______, philosophy, and ______.
The priests conduct public ______, during which they ______scripture, perform ritual songs and dances, and submit the people's ______to the ______.
Today, however, most ______on Taoism think of it as a single but extremely ______tradition.
There have been many kinds of______.
Many Taoist ______have been written, and Taoists recognize many of these as______scripture.
Over time, it became more ______for Taoists to worship gods. Some Taoists have considered these ______to be part of the Tao.
Two main kinds of Taoism ______in China today. Both have ______where people go to worship.
Zhengyi Tao, or Zhengyi Dao (The Way of Orthodox Unity), has a her ______priesthood. Quanzhen Tao, or Quanzhen Dao (The Way of Complete Perfection), has both male and female monks who live in ______.
Early Taoists believed that people were born virtuous and that moral ______-cultivation destroyed their ______l goodness. For this reason, people should avoid the conventional ______obligations supported by the Confucians. Instead, they should lead a ______life closer to nature. Early Taoists thought that ______in such a way put people in ______with the Tao, as they had been at ______. / _____exact date of start but around 400B.C. The ideas in these ______were partly a reaction against Confucianism.
The word “tao” originally meant ______or ______.
Taoists always have thought that the ______is hard to put into words. They often have described it as the underlying ______of the universe, the mother of ______things, and the spontaneous (naturally occurring) ______regulating the natural ______of the universe. The views of some of the ______Taoists can be found in such ______as the Tao Te Ching (The Classic of the Way and Virtue), also spelled Daodejing; and the Chuang-tzu, also spelled Zhuangzi
According to Confucianism, people can ______a good life only in a well-disciplined ______that emphasizes ______self-cultivation, which includes attentiveness to one’s family, community, and ______. The monks follow a ______diet and practice meditation and special physical ______to live in harmony with the Tao. They also ______scripture and offer prayers to the gods
Hinduism
Religion that believes in many Gods and Godesses / The major religion of India / Hinduism is the major ______of India. Hinduism represents a ______group of beliefs, practices, and texts that have developed ______thousands of years.
___single authority exists in Hinduism, and the diversity within this______has led some scholars to prefer the ______term Hinduisms.
Like most religions, Hinduism has a variety of beliefs about ______(gods and goddesses), life after ______, and personal ______.
Hinduism has ___ single ______that is the source of its doctrines. The most important include the ______, the ______, the______, and the ______.
The Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures and include sections that are ______than the sacred ______of any other major religion. There are ______Vedas—the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda. Each has four parts—the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.
They also describe Hindu ______about how the ______began and how it periodically ends and is ______.
Early ______worshiped gods that represented ______in nature, such as rain and the sun. Some Hindus came to believe that, though ______appear in many separate forms, these forms are part of one universal spirit called ______. Individual Hindus often ______on just a few of the many deities as their ishta devata—that is, their ______deities.
Three important groups of deities center around ______, ______, and ______.
Vishnu is the ______of the universe who takes various human forms called ______.
Shiva is the ______of the universe. Such destruction allows for the ______s renewal.
Shakti refers to a goddess who is known by many names, including Durga, Kali, Parvati, and Lakshmi. As Durga or Kali, she is the feared but just ______of ______.
As Parvati and Lakshmi, she is the beloved of the gods Shiva and Vishnu, respectively.
According to ______Hindu doctrine.
Six ______have become especially prominent. In their traditional ______, they are (1) nyaya, (2) vaisheska, (3) sankhya, (4) yoga, (5) purva-mimamsa, and (6) vedanta.
______deals with logic. ______concerns the nature of the world. ______examines the origin and evolution of the universe. ______is a set of mental and physical exercises designed to free the soul from reliance on the body so that the soul can unite with Brahman. ______categorizes the texts and rituals of the Vedas. ______chiefly interprets the Upanishads, though some forms also deal with such texts as the Bhagavad-Gita.
Caste is a system of ______classes that reflects a general division of ______.
According to several Hindu texts, the Hindu castes are grouped into four main categories, called varnas. In order of rank, these hereditary groups are (1) ______, the priests and scholars; (2) ______, the rulers and warriors; (3) ______, the merchants and professionals; and (4)______, the laborers and servants. In practice,
the caste system includes thousands of jatis (subcastes).
Each jati has its own rules of conduct that usually include a ______occupation. The ranks of jatis in relation to ______another sometimes are disputed.
A group of ______, known collectively as untouchables or ______, has traditionally existed outside the four ______and ranked below the lowest ______caste. But a portion of government jobs and university admissions now are reserved for ______, helping some of them succeed outside their traditional occupations.
Caste distinctions remain strongest in the choice of marriage partners.
Reincarnation and karma.
Teaches that the ______never dies. When the body dies, the soul is ______. This continuous process of rebirth is called reincarnation. The law of karma ______that every action influences how the soul will be born in the next reincarnation. If a person ______a good ______, the soul will be born into a higher state, perhaps into the body of a ______. If a person leads an evil life, the soul will be born into a lower state, perhaps as a ______. A person’s reincarnation continues until he or she achieves spiritual perfection. The ______then escapes the process of rebirth and enters a new level of existence called ______.
Hindu worship
Worship in the home. Typically, ______worship as individuals or families, not as large communities. Many______of Hinduism take place at home. Most homes have a shrine devoted to a deity or ______chosen by the family.
Worship in temples. Individuals and families also visit temples to worship ______. Most Hindu temples have many ______. Each temple recognizes one deity as central. Each shrine portrays a form of the central deity, or sometimes a different deity, in a sculpted image. Priests perform rituals in which they invite the divine being, who is everywhere, to reside in the images.
Hindu temples attract crowds for annual festivals commemorating events in the lives of the ______. Pilgrimages have developed around certain temples and festivals in ______. Other festivals, including______and Holi, take place primarily in the home or neighborhood. Different ______have different calendars and festivals.
Veneration of holy people. Hindus venerate (have deep respect for) ______people, both living and dead, who have achieved special ______status. / It has about 900 million followers. Although most Hindus ______in India, Hindu literature and philosophy have influenced people throughout the ______.
Many Hindus ______that their religion has been practiced for ______than any other religion in the world.
It has many ______writings that have contributed to its beliefs and ______.
The teachings of the ______existed for centuries before they were finally ______down
The Samhitas, the ______part, contain prayers and hymns that are recited in some rituals. The Brahmanas deal with ______and ______and include explanations of the Samhitas. The Aranyakas and the Upanishads ______philosophical ideas.
The Puranas are long verse stories that contain______important narratives about deities and the ______of great Hindu ______.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are long ______. The Ramayana tells of Prince Rama and his attempts to ______his wife, Sita, who has been kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. The Mahabharata describes a struggle for a ______kingdom between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two families who are ______. Generally, the Pandavas are considered the rightful rulers and superior to the Kauravas.
The Bhagavad-______forms a particularly______part of the Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Krishna and the Pandava warrior Arjuna discuss the meaning and ______of existence. Krishna impresses on Arjuna his need to fulfill his duty as a ruler and ______those who want to steal the throne of the Pandavas. ______also teaches that death is not the end of a person, because the ______body is not the final reality.
Some Hindus worship ______in the form of animals, including monkeys and snakes. ______are especially revered because of the gifts, such as ______, that they provide for people. They believe animals as well as human beings have ______
There are ___ schools of philosophy.
Many schools of Hindu thought have developed through the centuries.
The Caste system has complicated ______traditionally govern contact between castes. For example, marriages between people of different castes are rare, and the ______castes are not supposed to eat with ______ones.
By custom, the ______have held such occupations as cleaning toilets, disposing of garbage, and tanning ______hides, which Hindu _____forbids for a member of any of the four varnas. The Indian Constitution of 1950 outlawed untouchability and gave the group full ______. Discrimination against untouchables ______exists. For centuries, various Hindu and non-Hindu groups have criticized the -______and the practices of discrimination in the ______system. The system has weakened, particularly in urban areas. Occupation seldom is tied to caste, and ______with people of other ______is common.
The husband or______usually conducts the daily family worship. Some important ceremonies are performed at ______, including rituals of thanksgiving and rituals connected with such life ______as pregnancy and childbirth. Sometimes a family member conducts these rituals, and sometimes a priest ______the home to perform them.Hindus treat these images as special guests. ______wash and dress the images and bring them food daily. Hindus do not consider this ______worship, because the deities are believed to ______inhabit the images.Some may be______(spiritual teachers) who have developed deep spiritual understanding. Others may be yogis (people who ______yoga) who have gained spiritual power through asceticism (strict self-discipline). ______who venerate gurus or yogis sometimes disagree about who is a ______guru or yogi.
Religion / Founder & Symbol / Main Beliefs and Practices / Interesting Fact
Religion
Jainism
Religion in India
Do not believe in One God / Founder & Symbol / Main beliefs and Practices
Jainism is a religion of ______. It is based on the belief that every ______thing consists of an eternal soul called the ______and a temporary physical body.
The eternal jiva is ______in the body as a result of involvement in ______activities
To ______the jiva, one must avoid such activities as much as ______.
Jain sadhus (holy men) and sadhvis (holy women) represent the______of Jainism.
These men and women try to ______themselves from the everyday world. They are not allowed to kill any living ______. They may not own any property except a broom, ______robes, bowls for food, and ______sticks. They may not live in ______except for brief periods, and they must ______for all their food. The highest goal for sadhus and sadhvis is to ______their own soul ______.
Other followers of Jainism are the laity (people who are not sadhus or sadhvis). The laity support the sadhus and sadhvis and obey less strict rules of conduct.
A teacher called Mahavira, which means The Great Hero, was the main organizer of the religion. / Intersting Facts
Jainism, «JY nihz uhm»,
Each jiva is ______in many bodies before it is finally freed. After being ______, it exists eternally in a ______of perfect knowledge and bliss.
Sadhus may ______them to cease all bodily activity and die of starvation, but this rarely happens.
Most of the laity engage in business activities because suc______do not directly involve killing any living thing. They ______forward to becoming sadhus or sadhvis themselves in a future life.
The ______also do not believe in a ______God
Mahavira was born in the 500's B.C. The Jains believe that he was the 24th in a line of teachers of ______principles. The Jains honor these ______and other holy persons, but they do not consider them to be ______.
RELIGION
Buddhism / Founder & Symbol
born a prince referred to as Buddha is founder
In India around 500 B.C.
The first Buddha and founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, born in the 500’s or 400’s B.C. in Nepal. / Main Beliefs & Practices
One of the ______s major religions. It was founded in India about 500 B.C., or shortly afterward, by a ______called the Buddha.
Beliefs and practices
All Buddhists take refuge—that is,______comfort, guidance, and ______—in (1) Buddha; (2) his teachings, called the dharma; and (3) the ______community he founded, called the ______.
These elements of Buddhism are known as the Three______or Three ______.
He discovered the Four ______Truths. These central teachings state that (1) suffering is part of life; (2) there are causes of suffering, like ______attachment, ignorance, and selfishness; (3) there is a state of ______of suffering; and (4) there is a path that leads to that state.
Eventually, Gautama decided to ______his message and founded a community of followers. After others learned of his discovery, they called him the ______which means Enlightened One. See Buddha.
The dharma. The Buddha ______that existence was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person's ______and well-being in life was determined by his or her ______in previous lives. For example, good ______may lead to rebirth as a wise and ______person or as a ______being in one of the Buddhist heavens. A person’s evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a ______and sickly person or even in one of the Buddhist ______.
The Buddha also ______that as long as individuals remain within the ______of rebirth they will encounter suffering. However, they can transcend this cycle by ______the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path.