�����There were two important religions in the time of Ancient India, Hinduism and Buddhism. These two religions were very different, yet both had a strong impact upon the people of this ancient time and place. Hinduism came first and then Buddhism arose.
�����Hinduism is thought to have been brought by Aryans when they attacked the people of the Indus valley. The Aryans, being nomadic, did not at first settle in the land they had conquered. After many years they began to live in the cities. The Vedic Age is the time period when the Aryans brought the myths and hymns to India, which date back to 1500 B.C. These hymns were very important; each one was for a different religious ritual. All of the hymns were put into four different collections known as Vedas, which were written down in 1400 B.C. The wisest Hindu teachers had their students memorize comments such as, �What is life? What is morality?� As well as other questions known as Upanishads. There were four basic beliefs of the Upanishads. First, Brahman is the might spirit, he creates and destroys. Second, Atman is the soul/spirit of Brahman and he is everywhere. Third, the inner self of each living thing is reborn as a new body as it dies, this is known as reincarnation. Fourth, all Hindus must seek to reach mosksha, which is a state of perfect understanding. Those who reach mosksha will not suffer reincarnation and will merge with Brahman.
�����Eventually the Aryan civilization developed a ranked society know as the caste system. Each different rank came from a different part of Brahman as follows: Brahmins, the priests, came from Brahman�s mouth; Kshatriyas, the members of the warrior class, came from Brahman�s arms; Vaishyas, the crafts people, came from Brahman�s legs; Shudras, the laborers, came from Brahman�s feet; and Untouchables, members not part of the caste system. The caste system kept each family line the same, having the people with power, keep their power and having the people without power, continue to have no power. Each rank had it�s own dharma. The dharma is the duty of the members of that rank. If a member of a rank followed his or her duties, then that person would have better karma. Karma is a cause and effect power. It is an ethical law that states that if a person has moral actions, then they shall be reborn into a better rank, if the person has immoral actions, then the person shall be born into a lower rank. The Vedic Age ended around 530 B.C. This was also around the time of the beginning of Buddhism.
�����Buddhism arose as one man�s reaction to the rigid caste system and rituals of Hinduism. Before he was known as Buddha, he was known as Gautama. Stories say that he lived a very rich and plentiful life, never experiencing human suffering. One day while riding in his chariot, he observed this for the first time. He saw a terribly sick man, another who was old and feeble, he saw a man who had died, and he saw a monk begging for food. He realized that life was pain and suffering, and that the only way to escape suffering was to seek wisdom. He then left his family, around the age of 29, and joined five other men who were seeking wisdom. He began to eat only a grain of rice a day and became very weak. He thought that through harsh discipline and suffering, he would attain wisdom. However, not gaining any wisdom and only suffering pain, he tried other ways. He finally found enlightenment, or nirvana, after meditating under a tree for seven days. He later called the tree bodhi, which means tree of wisdom. He set out to teach people what he had learned and gained the title Buddha, the Enlightened One. Buddha began his teaching with the five other wisdom seekers. He taught them what he called the Four Noble Truths. First, life is suffering and sorrow. Second, the cause of pain is self-centered cravings and desires. Third, to end all pain, one must end all desires. Fourth, people can overcome their desires by reaching Nirvana through the Eightfold Path. To complete the Eightfold Path, one must do each one, one at a time. Right knowledge, right purpose, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. If one completed all of these steps, then he would reach nirvana, a release from all pain and pleasure. Buddha also taught his followers about the importance of life, and to never harm a living thing. Buddha died around 500 B.C. The spread of Buddhism was limited until the Indian emperor Asoka became a convert and supported missionary activities. He ended war and dedicated himself to Buddhism and the spreading of it throughout the world. Soon, Buddhism, spread throughout China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, where it is, today, practiced the most.
�����Although now, Hinduism is the primary religions of India, Buddhism is spread through many parts of Asia and there is even a magazine called �Buddhism Today�, which can be found here
�����Many people still follow each of these religions, and incorporate them into their everyday lives. The caste system still exists in India, but in some places it is now a little less rigid. Both religions made an impact on different civilizations and are incorporated in people�s lives.