Review and Assess Q. ~ C.4 Sections 3 & 4
1. A subcontinent is a large landmass that juts out from a continent.
2. Dharma is the religious and moral duties of a Hindu.
3. To migrate is to move from one place to settle in another area.
4. Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation, which is the rebirth
of the soul.
5. Under the caste system, a weaver’s son always became a weaver and
a barber’s daughter always married a barber.
6. Buddhism spread to other countries with the help of missionaries.
7. Asoka encourage his people to behave with tolerance, or freedom
from prejudice.
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11. a. Who was the Buddha?
The Buddha was first a young Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama.
He gave up everything to go on a journey to find the cause of and
whether or not there was an end to human suffering. At the end
of his journey he become enlightened, which means he became
an awakened soul. He then spends the rest of his life teaching
others the way to enlightenment by telling them about the “Four
Noble Truths, and to follow the “Middle Way” and “The Eightfold
Path”.
b. What is the central idea of Buddhism, and why did the religion
appeal to so many people?
The central idea of Buddhism is that one must give up selfish
desires in order to avoid human suffering. It appealed to many
people because it taught that suffering would end if people
followed the Buddha’s path. This made life better for people
born into the lower castes, because Buddha taught that everyone
was equal and anyone could share knowledge and reach Nirvana.
c. Buddhism and Hinduism were able to coexist in India for some
time. Why do you think this was possible?
Hinduism and Buddhism were able to coexist because they
shared many of the same beliefs, they were also both
very tolerant religions.
12. a. List Asoka’s achievements as ruler of the Maurya Empire.
- He was militarily strong (ex. Won many battles and
had 9,000 war elephants.)
- After he became a Buddhist, he issued writings of moral advice, such as being truthful, merciful and tolerant of others, and not
to kill animals.
- Made laws that required people to treat each other
humanity.
- Sent out missionaries to spread Buddhism.
- Built hospitals and wells along the roads.
b. How did Asoka’s actions show that he was a Buddhist?
He was concerned about the welfare of his people. He
showed them this by building hospitals and wells along the roads,
posting moral advice, and asking people to treat each other
humanely and with tolerance. Forbid hunting and sacrificing
animals.
c. How did Siddhartha Gautama’s life-changing experience with
suffering compare to Asoka’s?
They were two people who had similar experiences in that once
they witnessed great suffering, they decided to change their
lives and the lives of others to help eliminate it (suffering).