Today we began studying the two major religions of South Asia - Buddhism and Hinduism. Everyone received a guided reading sheet that went along with Chapter 8, Section 1. We broke down into partners, and one partner researched the information on Buddhism while the other partner researched the information on Hinduism. As a review, you should look over that guided reading worksheet and re-read Chapter 8, Section 1. The answers will be on the board tomorrow, because this will serve as a launching point for our discussion of these religions.

In the meantime, here are a few of the concepts we learned today…

• Hinduism has no founder
• Hinduism has several sacred texts, including the Vedas and the Upanishads
• Hinduism involves the worship of many gods, chiefly Vishnu, Shiva, and Krishna
• Some of the major beliefs of Hinduism include karma, reincarnation, the caste system, and dharma
• Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama
• Buddhism is based on Buddha’s teachings, as captured by the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Three Baskets of Wisdom
• Buddhism does not traditionally involve the worship of any gods, although some Buddhists later worshipped Buddha himself as a god
• Some of the major beliefs of Buddhism include karma, reincarnation, the principles of the Four Noble Truths, and the “Middle Way” (or the way of the Eightfold Path)