Major Eastern Religions
Hinduism (The Eternal Way):
- Hinduism is the oldest practiced religion in the world; it is over ______years old
- Hinduism combines religions present in India at the time and the ______, a book brought in to India by Aryan tribes from Europe
-Hinduism has ______and refers to any religion based on the Vedic traditions
- ______and reach a state known as moksha or mukti
- Hinduism is a ______religion
- In the Hindu tradition, ______is the sound of creation and thus represents everything in the universe, including the religion
- The Holy Trinity (or Trimurti) of Hindu gods (the three most important gods) are:
- ______is the creator
- ______is the preserver and most important of the three
- ______is the destroyer
- Together, they ______; sometimes they are seen as one god
- ______creates the faith to overcome all obstacles.
- ______within the stories of the Hindu tradition as recorded in the Vedas
Buddhism:
- The original Buddhist tradition, which developed around 500BCE in India following the teachings of ______, is known as ______
- Theravada means: ______
- The Four Noble Truths:
- Life is ______
- ______has a cause
- ______
- Learn and follow the ______to alleviate suffering
- The Eightfold Path:
- Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Occupation, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration
- By following the Eight Fold Path, one can reach ______
______
- In Theravada Buddhism, only ______, through a meditative ascetic life, can reach Nirvana and this effort is inwardly focused and for one's self alone
- As Theravada Buddhism spread, another ______known as Mahayana developed around 100CE; Mahayana Buddhism became particularly popular in East Asia
- In Mahayana Buddhism ______can reach Nirvana and the purpose of attaining Nirvana is not just for one's own benefit, but for the benefit of all life
- Zen:Nirvana can be attained by emptying the mind through ______
- Pure Land: Through chanting "______" the follower can reach Pure Land and avoid reincarnation making it easier to attain Nirvana
- Shingon/Vajrayana Buddhism developed around 600CE in India and spread quickly through Asia
- Nirvana can be attained in ______
- ______are often connected to Shingon/Vajrayana
Diagram of Major Buddhist Denominations:
A Quick Primer on Haiku:
- Haiku are generally written in three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5 and a pause at the end of the first line. It can be helpful to start with ideas which do not fit this format, and then condense and refine by interchanging synonyms.
- Haiku have a specific style: the first line sets the scene, the second gives an expressive feeling, and the third makes an observation or records an action. The key is to keep it simple.
- Express a single mood or emotion in your haiku.
- The classic haiku theme is nature and a Kigo, or seasonal reference like falling snow, twinkling fireflies, an emerging crocus cherry blossoms, snow, mosquitoes, summer birds, leaves blowing in the wind, etc. is also required.
Assignment: Write four haiku, one for each season; for extra credit you can illustrate one (or more)