The Really Big Beliefs Project

More information

Here's some more information about five of the beliefs we investigated that we didn't have room to put in our project. We hope it's helpful!

Cheers,

Tom and Emma

Buddhism

Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama more than 2,500 years ago. Later, it spread into other parts of Asia. There are millions of Buddhists throughout the world. They all follow the teachings of the Buddha, though not in exactly the same way.

There are two main groups. Theravada Buddhists believe that you must gain enlightenment for yourself by following the teachings of the Buddha only. They live mainly in the southern countries of Asia: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Mahayana Buddhists believe that other enlightened people beside the Buddha can help them to reach their own Nirvana. They live mainly in the northern countries of Asia: China, Japan, Korea and Tibet.

There are several different forms of Mahayana Buddhism. These include Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism.

The term 'Buddha' does not refer to a specific person, but to someone who has arrived at complete knowledge and understanding. Anyone can become a Buddha and reach Nirvana if they live their life in the correct way.

Siddhartha Gautama - the founder of Buddhism

Siddhartha travelled the world for many years, looking for a way to solve the problem of suffering that all people endure. While he was sitting under a Bodhi tree he finally received 'enlightenment' and discovered the answer. After this he was known as the Buddha, which means the Awakened One.

Siddhartha believed that people suffer because they are greedy and selfish. Once you stop longing for things, your suffering will stop and you will reach Nirvana - a state of tranquillity. To help you achieve this, you need to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which is a list of eight values for living a good and pure life.

The Noble Eightfold Path

Right View: Keeping an honest and open approach to life's difficulties.
Right Intention: Having good thoughts about how you should treat people
Right Speech: Not using words to hurt people (by telling lies or gossip)
Right Action: Not doing wrong things, such as killing or stealing
Right Livelihood: Having a job that doesn't hurt other people
Right Effort: Working hard at being as good as you can be
Right Mindfulness Remembering: Understanding how important it is to be peaceful and wise
Right Concentration: Clearing your mind so you can think good thoughts

The Five Precepts

Buddhists trust that the Buddha, his teachings ( dharma ) and the Buddhist community ( sangha ) will help guide their lives. But they must also make sure they take steps to lead a good life themselves. They can do this by following the Five Precepts:

not to kill or harm any living things
not to steal
not to commit adultery
not to lie
not to drink alcohol or take drugs.

The Three Baskets

Four hundred years after the Buddha died, his followers wrote down his teachings in books called the Tripitaka, which means 'three baskets'. The name refers to the way the texts were first recorded. The texts were written on long narrow leaves, sewn together on one side. Bunches of the leaves were stored in baskets.

The first basket (or part) contains the rules that monks should follow. The second basket contains the teachings of the Buddha. The third basket contains writings which explain the Buddha's teachings.

Sayings of the Buddha (from The Dharmapada )

If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.

If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

If one man conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men, and if another only conquers himself, he is the greatest of conquerors.

Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer you in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch you.

Christianity

Christianity was begun by Jesus Christ around 2,000 years ago. Today it is practised by nearly 2000 million people worldwide.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to Earth as a man to save all people from their sins and show them the way to God. They also believe that if people are sorry for their sins, God will forgive them and offer them a new life with him, not only in this world but in heaven.

Jesus

Jesus was born in Bethlehem around 4 BC (BCE) to a Jewish couple named Mary and Joseph. An angel of God had appeared to Mary, telling her she would have a child who is the Son of God, and that she was to name him Jesus. She had been chosen by God because she was good and pure.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth and worked as a carpenter. When he turned thirty, he began to teach people about God. He selected twelve followers - or disciples - and together they travelled around Palestine healing the sick, performing miracles and telling people about God, and how He wanted them to live their lives. Jesus gave people two commandments. The first was that they were to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. The second was that they were to love each other as they loved themselves.

Jesus' teachings were unpopular with the Jewish high priests of the time. He was arrested by Roman authorities and 'crucified' - nailed to a cross and left to die. His body was buried in a tomb. Three days later he rose from the dead, in what is called the 'resurrection'. Before he returned to heaven to be with God, he commanded his disciples to carry on this teaching throughout the world. He also told them he would return again to judge the world.

The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible is believed to be the written word of God. It contains 66 books and is divided into two sections - the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament tells the story of the creation of the world, and of God's promise to Abraham and his descendants, the Jews. The New Testament is about God's new promise. It tells how he sent his own son, Jesus, into the world to offer forgiveness and a new life to those who trusted and believed in him.

The Last Supper

The night before he was crucified, Jesus and his twelve disciples came together to eat for the last time at a meal known as 'The Last Supper'. Jesus handed around a loaf of bread and a cup of wine. He told his followers that the bread and wine represented his body and his blood, which he was sacrificing for the sins of Humanity. He then commanded them to remember him by celebrating the supper until he came back to the world once more.

Christians have many different names for this celebration supper: Mass, Holy Communion, the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Some Christians, such as Roman Catholics, celebrate Mass daily.

Denominations

There are many different forms of Christianity. Although they all follow the example of Jesus, they differ in regards to some of the teachings. They can be broadly divided into several main categories:

Roman Catholic
Protestant: for example Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Uniting
Orthodox: Greek, Russian, Rumanian
'Reformed' Churches: Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, Congregational

The Ten Commandments

(Protestant version, from the King James Bible )

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The Ten Commandments

(modern-day Catholic version)

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and with all your mind.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Keep holy the Sabbath Day.
Honour your father and mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.

Hinduism

Hinduism began in India thousands of years ago. Its beginnings can be traced back to 2500 BC (BCE). The name Hindu was first used to describe the people who lived near the Indus River.

Hinduism is not a 'religion'. Rather, it is a whole way of living. There are many different ways to practise Hinduism. Some people pray every day, while others hardly ever pray at all. Some people visit a temple regularly to pray, while others pray at home. For Hindus, God is everywhere. It is left up to individual people to decide what they want to do. However, all Hindus share the same basic beliefs.

Reincarnation

Hindus believe that, when you die, your soul lives on, returning in the body of another human or animal. The quality of your next life depends on the way you have lived your current one. If you live a good life, performing good deeds, then you will be reborn in a higher form. But people who lead bad lives will be reborn in a lower form. This is known as karma .

To break free of this cycle of birth and rebirth (known as samsara ), Hindus aim to gain moksha (salvation). Each time you come back in a higher form, the closer to moksha you get. Once you reach moksha , your soul will exist with the supreme spirit - God, or Brahman.

Gods and goddesses

Hindus do not pray to God in the way that Christians or Muslims do. Instead, they worship hundreds of different gods and goddesses, each of which represents a different aspect or quality of God. Some of these gods look like humans, and others like animals. Each has different powers. Even natural things, such as the River Ganges, are thought to be forms of God. Hindus choose the gods they like best.

Hindu gods and goddesses are often shown with many heads or arms, each holding sacred objects. The three most important gods are Brahma, the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. For one group of Hindus, Vishnu is the main god of worship. For the other, it is Shiva. A third group sees the goddess as being more important and powerful than any of the gods.

Brahma is the creator of the universe. He has four heads, each facing the four corners of the Earth. He also has four hands, one of which is always raised in blessing. His wife Saraswati is the goddess of learning and the arts.

Vishnu is the preserver of the universe. He is often shown sleeping on a giant serpent, or riding astride an eagle. His wife is Lakshmi, goddess of beauty and wealth.

Shiva is the destroyer of evil in the universe. He rides on an enormous bull, called Nandi, and his forehead bears the third eye of knowledge. His wife is the goddess Parvati.

Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, is the son of Shiva and Parvati. One of the most popular gods, he is the lord of success and remover of obstacles. Hindus pray to him whenever they are starting something new.

Parvati is often worshipped as the gentle, kind mother goddess, but she can also appear in other forms. As the warrior goddess Durga, she rides a tiger and holds a weapon in each of her ten hands. As the goddess Kali, she conquers the ugliness of evil wearing a necklace made of skulls.

Vishnu

Hindus believe that Vishnu has visited the Earth nine times to save it from evil. Each time he came he used a different disguise:

Matsya the fish
Kurma the tortoise
Varaha the boar
Narasimha the lion
Vamana the dwarf
Parusha-Rama the warrior
Rama, the ideal man
Krishna, the blue god
Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

Hindus are still waiting for him to visit as Kalki, his tenth disguise.

Holy books

Many Hindus read and study the sacred books as part of their daily worship. They are also used as a guide to living a good life.

The oldest holy books are called the Vedas. Written in Sanskrit, they are collections of hymns which tell us about what the world is like, and how to worship the many gods and goddesses.

The Upanishads explain the teachings of the Vedas. The term means 'to be seated at the foot of the guru to receive the teachings'. They explain the concepts of karma and reincarnation and include the epic poems the Ramayana and the Mahabharata . The Mahabharata contains the well-loved Bhagavad-Gita - the 'Song of the Lord'. In this book, Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna that a person must do their duty selflessly in order to gain salvation.

The Puranas are ancient Sanskrit books of verse about the lives of the gods, kings and saints. They teach people how to worship and love God, and how to live their own lives.

Views on other religions

Hindus believe in harmony among religions. They are convinced that all religions are true and lead to God but they also believe that Hinduism is the best path to God.

Islam

The term 'Islam' means complete submission and obedience to the will of God. It comes from an Arabic word meaning 'peace'.

Islam began in Saudi Arabia and gradually spread to other countries. Today, for a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. More than two billion people from a wide range of nationalities and cultures are followers of Islam.

Muslims believe that there is only one God, whose name in the Arabic language is Allah. They also believe that God had special messengers or prophets, who brought his words about how to live to the people. These prophets include Abraham, Moses, Noah, Jacob, Solomon, John the Baptist and Jesus. However, Muslims believe that God's final message to humanity (and a summary of all that had gone before) was revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.

Muhammad

Muhammad was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in 570 AD (CE). His father died before he was born and his mother soon afterwards, so he was raised by his uncle. He grew up to be honest, sincere and trustworthy. He was disappointed by the way people led their lives, and often went to a cave in the mountains to meditate and think about life.

One day, while in the cave, he received a message from God through the Angel Gabriel. More messages came over the next 23 years. These messages were recorded and became known as the Quran - the Muslim holy book.

Muhammad began to spread the word of God to the local community but his followers were persecuted and forced to leave the area and travel to Medina, 400 kilometres to the north. This event, known as the Hijra, or migration, marks the start of the Muslim calendar. After several years, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca. They forgave their enemies and established Islam. Just over a century later, Islam had begun to spread throughout Arabia and as far abroad as Spain in the West and China in the East.

Common origins

Islam, Christianity and Judaism have common origins. They go back to the Prophet and father Abraham, and their three Prophets are directly descended from his sons: Muhammad from the eldest son, Ishmael; Moses (Judaism) and Jesus (Christianity) from Isaac. Abraham founded the settlement which today is the city of Mecca. He also built the Ka'bah towards which all Muslims face when they pray.

Muslims hold a special place in their hearts for Christians and Jews, as the Quran calls them 'People of the Book' - meaning people who have received previous scriptures.

The Five Pillars of Islam

All Muslims must carry out the following five duties:

1 Faith (Shahada)

Every Muslim believes in the greatness and oneness of God. Anyone who says (and believes) the following words can become a Muslim: There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is his messenger.

2 Prayer (Salat)

Muslims must pray five times a day. This prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and God. Before prayer, Muslims must follow a special ritual of washing, known as 'wudu'.

3 Charity (Zakat)

As everything belongs to God, Muslims should give up a share of their wealth each year to others who are less fortunate. This act of charity will cleanse them from selfishness and greed.

4 Fasting (Saum)

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims go without food or drink from first light until sunset. The fast is to remind Muslims how difficult it is to be poor, hungry and thirsty in a hot place. It also reminds them to thank God for his gift of the Quran, and to grow spiritually.

5 Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Muslims have a duty to try to make the journey to the Ka'bah in Mecca at least once in their lives. About two million people go to Mecca each year.

Worshipping of images

There are no pictures of God or Muhammad or any of the other prophets in mosques. Muslims do not worship any images because any pictures that people can create can only look like people. Muslims only worship God - who has no image.

Morals, manners and dress

Muslims should not commit any action that interferes with the rights of others or harms themselves, including dishonesty, theft, murder, suicide, bribery, forgery, gambling, lotteries, drinking alcohol, eating pork, backbiting, gossiping, slandering, hoarding, destruction of property or cruelty to animals.

They are encouraged to be modest, generous, hospitable, respectful of their parents, honourable in their treatment of women, charitable, and to marry and lead stable lives.

Men's clothing should cover their bodies between their waist and their knees. Women's clothing should cover their entire body, except for their face and hands. This is to give people a deep sense of modesty, purity and respect.

Judaism

Jewish people believe that there is only one God, the creator of the universe, and he alone is prayed to. Although there is only one God, he has many names. His real name is so holy it is never mentioned - no one even knows how to pronounce it. Names used instead include G-d, Lord, Father, helper, healer or 'Hashem' - a word that simply means 'the name'.

Jewish people believe a special relationship exists between them and God, as he chose them to receive his laws. They regard themselves to be his 'chosen people' and that they have special duties and obligations to perform. They also believe that all people should live their lives with love, respect and care for others. They do not recognise Jesus as the 'Messiah' - or bringer of peace - as Christians do. Because there is still hatred and wars in the world, they believe that the Messiah is still yet to come. When he does he will bring complete and lasting peace for all people and all nations.

Rules for living

Jewish people must carry out certain requirements in their daily lives:

they must circumcise male children eight days after their birth
a boy must celebrate his bar mitzvah at 13, taking responsibility for his actions away from his father
they must marry and start a family
they must pray 3 times a day
they must keep the Sabbath day holy
they must strictly follow the laws of diet laid down in the Bible, only eating food that is kosher.

Holy books

The Old Testament of the Bible is the oldest sacred book of Jewish people. They call it the Tanach . The first five books of the Old Testament - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy - are known as the Torah. Parts of them are read from handwritten scrolls in the synagogue each week. They contain laws and instructions for daily living for Jewish people, including the Ten Commandments.

The next eight books of the Tanach are called the Nevi'im . These were written by Jewish prophets and recount the history of Jewish people at that time. The last eleven books are called the Ketuvim . They are a collection of poetry, history, wise words and the psalms of King David.

The Talmud contains discussions and teachings about the Jewish laws and scriptures.

The Ten Commandments

According to the words of the Bible, God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, and gave him the following Ten Commandments on two stone tablets.

I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath in honour of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother; in order that thy days may be prolonged upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.