|
The Religions and
Philosophies of Asia
 Asia
is richly diverse in its religions and
philosophies.
Asia is predominantly made up of the Indian sub-continent,
China, and Japan. The following chart provides an
general overview of the major religions and philosophies that
originated in Asia. They include
Hinduism,
Buddhism,
Taoism,
Confucianism,
Shinto,
and
Sikhism. The religions and philosophies are diverse with various internal sects have
differing beliefs, such as the various forms of Buddhism.
The picture to the left displays the Bamiyan Buddha, carved
into a mountain in Afghanistan. It was unfortunately
destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Use these charts when reviewing comparisons and contrasts
between the religions and philosophies of the world for the
purpose of drafting thematic or document-based essays.
|
Religion & Followers |
Origins |
Belief
Structure |
Holy Books |
|
Hinduism
(750
million) |
Ancient
India |
- One god,
Vishnu, who
comes in many forms
-
Moksha -escaping
reincarnation
-
Karma - actions taken
by a person
-
Dharma - moral duty
-
ahimsa - nonviolence
- caste system
|
The
Vedas,
Upanishads,
Ramayana,
Mahabharata, and
Bhagavad Gita |
|
Buddhism
(325
million) |
India
c. 500 BCE then spreading into China |
|
The
Tripitka or the Three
Baskets of Wisdom |
Taoism
(480 million) |
China
c. 500 BCE |
- founded by
Lao Tze
- The Way
- harmony with nature,
Yin and Yang must be in balance
- the Yin - Earth, dark,
female, night
- the Yang - Heaven,
light, male, day
|
Tao-te-Ching |
Confucianism
(5
million) |
China
c. 500 BCE |
|
The Analects |
Shinto
(3
million) |
Japan
CE 500 |
- The Way of the Gods
-
Kami - gods/deities
-
animistic with spirits
dwelling in natural things. ex. god (kami)
of wind (kazi)
|
Kojiki,
Nohon Shoki |
|
Sikhism
(16
million) |
India
CE 1500 |
- foundation in
Islam
and Hinduism
- One God is worshipped
but lesser gods exist
- reincarnation
|
Guru Granth Sahib |
The Monotheistic
Religions
 Monotheism
refers to a religion that contains the belief that there is
only one god.
Polytheism
is the belief that there
are many gods. There are three main monotheistic
religions existing in the world today and they share many of
the same characteristics.
Judaism,
Christianity, and
Islam have many commonalities in their
foundation, religious doctrine, belief structure, and
spiritual principles. In fact, the similarities far
outweigh the differences, an interesting point when the
numerous episodes of conflict are taken into account.
The following chart offers comparisons and contrasts between
the three major monotheistic religions. For the sake of
clarification, the Christian religion is divided into
Roman Catholic,
Protestant, and
Eastern Orthodox.
|
Religion & Followers |
Origins |
Belief
Structure |
Holy Books |
Holy Sites |
Judaism
(15 million) |
Palestine
c. 2000 BCE |
|
Torah and
Talmud |
Jerusalem |
Christianity
(2
billion) |
Palestine
c. CE 30 |
- One God
- Ten Command-ments
- Jesus was the Son of
God
|
Bible (Old
Testament/
New Testament) |
Jerusalem |
Islam
(1
billion) |
Arabia
CE 622 |
|
Qur'an |
Mecca,
Jerusalem, Medina |
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