SSE 8

ASIAN STUDIES
 Let Us Review!

How did the

status of women
Describe ASIA’S differ in East or
Asian SOCIAL South Asia from
Culture and SYSTEM that of women
Society in Southeast
Asia?
 ASIAN
RELIGIONS
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify the various religions in Asia

2. Describe each religion in terms of origin

3. Explain how the religious beliefs in Asia

contributed in its cultural development

4. Differentiate Asian religious beliefs compare to

West
RELIGION
 RELIGION

It is an organized system of belief, worship,

respect, custom, and belief centered on one
or more recognized Gods.

Human belief that there is a powerful

being or force that is supreme
 Types of Religion

Monotheism Polytheism
Worship Worship and
and belief in belief in more
one God than one God
 RELIGION

4,200
The estimated number of religions
in the world.
 OUTLINE

Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism

JUDAISM
 JEW
Israelites
Magen David or Shield of David
▪ World’s oldest monotheistic religion

YAHWEH
JUDAISM

Adan and
Eve
 JUDAISM

Abraham Moses
• Considered as the Father • Savior of Israel from
of Judaism Egypt

• Had special covenant with • Exodus

Yahweh
• 10 Commandments
• God’s chosen race
 KOSHER LAW
It forbids eating an animal they consider
unclean such as pork.

Food that is not allowed is called treif or trefah.

KIPPAH
Torah

Jewish Sacred Text

▪ Shabbat

▪Day of rest and prayer for Jews

▪Typically begins at sunset on
Friday and lasts until nightfall on
Saturday
▪Orthodox and Conservative Jews
may refrain from performing any
physical labor, using any
electrical device or other prohibited
activities
Jewish people worship in holy places known as
synagogues, and their spiritual leaders are called
rabbis
 PESACH

Pass Over: Exodus

Judaism and Persecution

▪ The Holocaust – the Nazis murdered more than 6

million Jews
 How did religious beliefs of Judaism
contributed to the cultural development
of West Asia
CHRISTIANITY
▪ Most widely practiced religion in the world
▪ 2 billion followers
▪ Centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
▪ Born to a young virgin named Mary in the town of
Bethlehem

▪ His birth is believed to be a supernatural event

▪ Impregnating Mary via the Holy Spirit

▪ Baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist

▪ Started his public ministry

 ▪ Jesus traveled with 12 appointed disciples
(apostles) teaching large groups of people and
performing miracles
▪ Jesus’s Teachings
▪ Love God

▪ Love your neighbor as yourself

▪ Forgive others who have wronged you

▪ Love your enemies

▪ Ask God for forgiveness of your sins

▪ Jesus is the Messiah

▪ Death and Resurrection
▪ Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to
death

▪ Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor, issued the

order to kill Jesus

▪ He was crucified and his body was laid in a tomb

▪ Three days after, His body was missing

▪ Authors in the Bible say the resurrected Jesus

ascended into Heaven
▪ Christian Bible
▪ A collection of 66 books

▪ Divided into the Old Testament and the New

Testament

▪ The Old Testament describes the history of the

Jewish people, outlines laws to follow and details
the lives of prophets, and predicts the coming of
the Messiah

▪ The New Testament was written after Jesus’s

death; provides accounts of the life and death of
Jesus; letters offering instructions for how the
church should operate
Christianity

▪ Christianity
▪ According to the Bible, the first church was
organized 50 days after Jesus’s death

▪ Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts

▪ Early Christians considered it their calling to

spread and teach the gospel

▪ Paul the apostle preached the gospel and

established churches throughout Europe and
Africa
Christianity

▪ Christianity
▪ The reformation of the Catholic Church was
caused by a criticism of a German monk who
said that the Bible didn’t give the Pope the sole
right to read and interpret scripture

▪ This resulted to the creation of Protestantism and

different denominations of Christianity
Christianity

▪ Types of Christianity
1. Protestant

■ Different interpretation of the Bible and understanding

of the Church

■ Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist,

Assemblies of God

2. Catholic

■ Governed by the Pope and Catholic Bishops

ISLAM
“Peace”
ALLAH

Only God of
Muslims
 Muhammad
▪ Born into a prosperous merchant family about 570 C.E

▪ Entered the family business

Only God and
ofserved as a camel driver
and trader
Muslims
▪ According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named
Gabriel visited Muhammad in 610 C.E while he was
meditating in a cave
 Muhammad
▪ He taught that there was no other God but Allah and
that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.
Only God of
▪ In 622, he traveled to Medina, the journey known as
Muslims
Hejira/Hijira, and marks the beginning of the
Islamic calendar
▪ It indicated the proper days of Islamic holidays
and celebrations, including Ramadan
Sunnis and Shia

▪ When Muhammad died, there was a debate

over who should replace him as leader

▪ This led to a schism in Islam, and two major

sects emerged: the Sunnis and the Shia
 SUNNI ISLAM SHIA ISLAM

• Make up nearly 90% of • Believe that only the

Muslims worldwide caliph Ali and his
descendants are the
• They accept that the real successors to
first four caliphs were Muhammad
the true successors to
Muhammad
 ISLAM

▪ The youngest of the great world religions

▪ The second largest religion in the world after

Christianity with about 1.8 billion Muslims
worldwide
 After Muhammad’s death, a series of leaders,
known as caliphs, became successors

▪ Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law and close

friend
▪ Caliph Umar, another father-in-law of Muhammad
▪ Uthman, Muhammad’s son-in-law
▪ Uthman was also killed, and Ali, Muhammad’s cousin
and son-in-law, was selected as the next caliph
Qur’an
▪ Considered the most important holy book among
Muslims

▪ Written in classical Arabic

▪ It contains 114 chapters which are called surahs

▪ Contains some basic information that is found in

the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations that
were given to Muhammad
Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief

in Muhammad
2. Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon,
afternoon, sunset and evening)
3. Zakat: to give to those in need
4. Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
5. Hajj: to make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once
during a person’s lifetime if the person is able
A mihrab is a decorative feature in the mosque that indicates the
direction to Mecca, and therefore the direction to face during
prayer

▪ Men and women pray

separately
▪ Muslims may visit a
mosque five times a
day for each of the
prayer sessions
 MISBAHA

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▪ Muslim Holidays

Eid al-Adha
▪ Celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to
sacrifice his son for Allah

Eid al-Fitr
▪ Marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month
of fasting
 Sharia Law
▪ Islam’s legal system
▪ Faith-based code of conduct directs Muslims on
how they should live in nearly every aspect of
their lives
▪ Requires men and women to dress modestly
▪ It also outlines marriage guidelines and other
moral principles for Muslims
▪ If crimes are committed, the law is known for its
harsh punishments
 How did religious beliefs of Islam
contributed to the cultural development
of the West and other Asian region?
If you were given the chance to become
the animal of your choice, what would it
be and why?
HINDUISM
 HINDUISM
▪ World’s oldest religion
▪ Roots dating back more than 4,000 years
▪ Third largest religion behind Christianity
and Islam
▪ 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India
▪ No specific founder
▪ It is not a single religion but a compilation of
many traditions and philosophies
 3 Pangunahing Simbolo ng Hinduism

A U M
Simula Pag-unlad Hangganan
BRAHMA VISHNU SHIVA
Main Gods of Hinduism

BRAHMA Creator

VISHNU Preserver

SHIVA Destroyer
 HINDUISM
Samsara (the continuous cycle of life,
death, and reincarnation)

Karma (the universal law of cause

and effect)

People’s actions and thoughts directly

determine their current life and future lives
 HINDUISM

It holds that living creatures have a soul, and

they are all part of the supreme soul; the goal
is to achieve “moksha” or salvation, which
ends the cycle of rebirths

End Goal: Happiness and Peace

• Hindus strive to achieve dharma
-is a code of living that emphasizes good
conduct and morality

• Hindus revere all living creatures and

consider the cow a sacred animal

• Food is an important part of life; most don’t

eat beef or pork and many are vegetarians
▪ The primary sacred texts, the
Vedas, were composed around
1500 B.C

▪ Collection of verses and hymns

written in Sanskrit and contains
revelations received by ancient
saints and sages
Mahatma Gandhi
▪ Mahatma Gandhi

▪ Between 1757 and 1947, the British controlled India

▪ At first, the Hindus were allowed to practice their
religion without interference
▪ But later, Christian missionaries sought to convert and
westernize the people
▪ Mahatma Gandhi, a well-known politician and peace
activist, led a movement that pushed for India’s
independence; assassinated in 1948
▪ British India was split into India and Pakistan
Hindu Gods

1. Brahma: the god responsible for the creation of the

world and all living things
2. Vishnu: the god that preserved and protects the
universe
3. Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to
recreate it
4. Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma
5. Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness and love
6. Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
7. Saraswati: the goddess of learning
 RITUAL

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cntraveler.com
Holidays
 HOLI
Festival of Spring
“

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pinterest.com
nationalgeographic.com
 DIWALI

Festival of Lights

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 How did religious beliefs of Hinduism
contributed to the cultural development
of South Asia
BUDDHISM
Buddhism

▪ A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama

(“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in
India
▪ Lived during the 5th century B.C
▪ Born into a wealthy family as a prince in
present-day Nepal
▪ He was moved by sufferings in the world
▪ He decided to give up his lavish lifestyle
and endure poverty
Buddhism

▪ Buddhism History
▪ When Gautama passed away around 483
B.C his followers began to organize a
religious movement
▪ Buddha’s teachings became the foundation
for what would develop into Buddhism
▪ In the 3rd century B.C, Ashoka the Great,
the Mauryan Indian emperor, made
Buddhism the state religion of India
Buddhism

▪ Buddhism History
▪ Over the next few centuries, Buddhism
began to spread beyond India
▪ In the 6th century, the Huns invaded India
and destroyed hundreds of Buddhist
monasteries
▪ Islam began to spread quickly in the
religion during the Middle Ages, forcing
Buddhism into the background
Buddhism

▪ Buddhism beliefs
1. Followers don’t acknowledge a supreme god or
deity, instead they focus on achieving
enlightenment – a state of inner peace and
wisdom; nirvana
2. Buddha is considered an extraordinary man, but
not a god; it means enlightened
3. The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing
morality, meditation and wisdom; it helps awaken
truth
Buddhism

▪ Buddhism beliefs
4. Buddhism is an evolving religion with its many
philosophers and interpretations
5. Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an
organized religion, but a “way of life” or a
“spiritual tradition”
6. Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-
indulgence and self-denial
7. The Four Noble Truth are essential to
understanding the religion
Buddhism

▪ Buddhism beliefs
8. Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the
law of cause and effect) and reincarnation (the
continuous cycle of rebirth)
9. Followers can worship in temples or in their
own homes
10. Buddhits monks or bhikkhus, follow a strict code
of conduct, which includes celibacy
 Buddhism

▪ Dharma
▪ Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma”
▪ He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience,
generosity and compassion were important virtues
▪ Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which
prohibit:
1. Killing living things
2. Taking what is not given
3. Sexual misconduct
4. Lying
5. Using drugs or alcohol
Buddhism

▪ Four Noble Truths

1. The truth of suffering (dukkha)
2. The truth of the cause of suffering
(samudaya)
3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
4. The truth of the path that frees us from
suffering (magga)
Buddhism

Eightfold Path
▪ The Buddha taught his followers that the end of suffering
could be achieved by following the Eightfold Path
1. Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
2. Right thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right speech (Samma vaca)
4. Right action (samma kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
Buddhism

Types of Buddhism
1. Theravada Buddhism
▪ Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia,
Laos and Burma
2. Mahayana Buddhism
▪ Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea,
Singapore and Vietnam
SHINTO
Shinto
▪ Considered as the largest indigenous religion
in Japan with 4 million followers
▪ No founder; no scripture; no clear moral code
or philosophy
▪ Consolidation of local nature-worship cults
Shinto
▪ Divinity
▪Attributed to nature and its manifestations, such as
mountains, big trees, waterfalls, or unusual rocks, which
contain kami (divine spirit)
▪There is no absolute god, but multitude of gods; god of
fire, wind, water, seas, mountains, rivers, etc.
▪Goddess of the sun (Amaterasu); the great goddess;
considered as the ‘primary god’ of Shinto
▪The gods are enshrined in shrines, jinja (for praying)
and altars in Japanese homes
 There is an
estimated
80,000-100,000
Shinto shrines in
Japan
Shinto
▪ Shinto shrine
▪ Has virtually no images or idols but
symbols
▪ Inner sanctuary contains a bronze mirror, a
sword and jewels
Shinto
▪ Shinto shrine
▪ A place for praying
▪ People visit shrines if they need or want something
▪ Most shrines are surrounded by tall trees, others are
tiny things, such as a birdhouse
▪ They usually face south and sometimes to the east,
but never to the north and west, which are regarded
as unlucky directions according to the Chinese
principals of feng shui
▪ The most famous shrine is at Ise, the chief center of
the Sun Goddess cult
Shinto
▪ Shimenawa
▪ A traditional rope made of twisted straw
that is often hung between the uprights of
a torii or within the shrine
Shinto
▪ Shinto grounds
1. Main shrine (haiden) – a place of worship
2. Main sanctuary (honden) – a sacred place
where the kami is believed to dwell
3. Hut-like pavilion (chozuya) – place for
purification
Shinto
▪ Torii
▪ simple open gateway is erected in the
approaches to every temple and many
shrines to signal sacred ground ahead
▪ It symbolizes the boundary between the
secular everyday world and the infinite
world of the kami
▪ When passing the torii gate, bow heads to
be prepared for the visit
Shinto
▪ Ritual purity
▪ Physical dirt, death, childbirth, illness, menstruation,
and sexual intercourse are seen as polluting and had
to be cleansed
▪ Modern Japanese society is still notable for its
insistence on cleanliness
▪ Running water
▪ is seen as pure and purifying
▪ Tiny spring and pool with dipper are provided in the
forecourt of every temple and shrine where the
worshipper can clean him/herself before entering the
sacred area
Shinto
▪ Worship
▪ Worshippers or visitors must first rinse their hands
and mouth with pure water to purify their bodies
1. Take a ladle in your right hand
2. Scoop water and pour over your left hand
3. Shift the ladle to your left hand and rinse the right
4. Shift the ladle again to your right hand and scoop to
pour it over one’s palm
5. Take a small sip of water to rinse your mouth
6. Wash your left hand once again
7. Return the ladle face down to the chozu bowl
Shinto
▪ Worship
8. Proceed to the altar
9. Offer some coins or bills in the offering box
10. Bow twice deeply
11. Clap your hands twice
12. Bow once deeply, express gratitude and pray for
the fulfillment of your wishes
Shinto
▪ Shinto priests
▪ Perform purification rituals and ceremonies
▪ Preside over weddings and funerals
▪ To become a priest – complete a university
curriculum (Shinto); attend a training program and
complete the training course; or take a certification
test
▪ Assisted by female shrine attendants and ceremonial
dancers (miko)
DAOISM
Daoism
▪ Second major religious philosophy of traditional
China
▪ Ancient Chinese philosophy and religion
▪ Dating back 2500 years
▪ Dao (“the Way”) was used to refer to people’s
obligations to play their proper social roles
▪ Main principle is to follow the Dao
▪ Silence or even inaction is one of the basic axioms
of Daoism
▪ The cosmic world of nature is what matters
Daoism
▪ The chief text is Dao De Jing (“Classic of the
Way”)
▪ A cryptic collection of mystical remarks whose meaning
even in Chinese is unclear
▪ “The name that can be named is not the eternal name”
or “The Way that can be spoken of is not the true Way,
which is inconstant”
▪ Do not rely on an external god to find balance but
through own actions
▪ Much of the content is attributed to Laozi (Lao Tze or
Lao Tzu) (“The Old One”), a contemporary of Confucius
Daoism
▪ The chief text is Dao De Jing (“Classic of the
Way”)
▪ On one point, the Dao De Jing is clear
▪ “Those who understand don’t talk; those who talk don’t
understand”
▪ Their message is to relax, go with the flow; stop trying to
“improve” things, and model yourself on water, flowing
around obstructions, adapting to what it is, and seeking
the lowest places
▪ Whatever is natural is good
Daoism
▪ The other major figure of Daoism is the
philosopher Zhuangzi
▪ encouraged disengagement from the
artificialities of socialization
▪ cultivation of our natural “ancestral” potencies
and skills, in order to live a simple and natural,
but full and flourishing life
Daoism
▪ Grew as a religion as it merged with folk beliefs,
animism and worship of natural forces, believed
in the supernatural, and a variety of mystical
practices
▪ Priests, temples and monastic orders
developed under the influence of Buddhism
▪ However, later Daoists practiced magic and
alchemy and pursued the search for elixirs of
immortality
Daoism
▪ As it acquired a mass following, it developed a
pantheon of gods and immortals offering help to
people in trouble
CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism
▪ Began more than 2,500
years ago in China
▪ Although considered a
religion, it is actually a
philosophy
▪ It is based upon the
teachings on
Confucius, which are
grounded in ethical
behavior and good
government
Confucianism
▪ The teachings of Confucius focused on three
areas: social philosophy, political philosophy,
and education
▪ His teachings were gathered into a book called
the Analects
▪ The temple at Qufu city, Shandong province,
China was dedicated to Confucius
Confucianism
▪ Confucius taught that relationships are based
on rank
▪ Persons of higher rank are responsible for
caring for those of lower rank
▪ Those of lower rank should respect and obey
those of higher rank
▪ Conflict resolution through mediation
Confucianism
▪ Confucius and Mencius
▪ Confucius (551 – 479 B.C.E) was a son of a
minor official in one of the smaller states of
eastern China
▪ Became a teacher and adviser to local rulers
▪ Several of his students became his disciples
▪ After his death, his students began writing his
teachings
▪ His most famous follower was Mencius (372-289
B.C.E.)
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ The role of age and gender in structuring the
hierarchy is clear
▪ Stressed the vital importance of self-cultivation
and education as the only true assurance of
morality
▪ Anyone can be a sage through self-cultivation and
by following virtuous examples
▪ According to Confucianism, people are born
naturally good and naturally inclined to virtue but
need education and the virtuous example of
superiors to stay that way
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ Confucius emphasized “human-heartedness”,
benevolence, respect for superiors, filial loyalty, “right
relations”, and learning as cures for chaos and as the
formula for achieving the “great harmony” that was
his chief objective
▪ People must want to do right, and that can be achieved
only by internalizing morality
▪ Force and law are seen as ineffective as well as
unnecessary in a properly run society
▪ When force or punishment has to be used, the social
system has broken down
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ Although they were conservatives and supporters
of a hierarchical social order, their doctrine also
allowed for individual ability and dedication,
based on the conviction that everyone is born
with the seeds of virtue
▪ No priests are necessary, only self-development
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ Reflected that the greatest of all blessings was the
enjoyment of a long life or “enjoyment of living”
▪ Emphasis on the pleasures of good food, the
production of children, and the attainment of a ripe old
age surrounded by one’s descendants
▪ More human-centered and like Hinduism, more life-
celebrating
▪ Hard work, achievement, and material prosperity
and its enjoyment were valued and pursued
▪ But the enjoyment of leisure, of nature, and of what
Confucius called “self-cultivation” were also important
goals
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ During Confucius time, reference to a supreme
being (shangdi) had given way to a different
concept of an impersonal “Heaven” (tian)
▪ Natural calamities were taken as portents of
Heaven’s displeasure at the unvirtuous
behavior of rulers and as pretexts of rebellion
▪ The natural world was seen as the model for the
human world
Confucianism
▪ Confucian view
▪ Confucius did not expound of life after death, but he
did approve of “ancestor worship”
▪ Formal Confucianism merely extended respect for
one’s elders to those who had gone before, valuing
them as models and performing regular rituals in
small household shrines to keep their memory alive
▪ It was the duty of the eldest son to perform rituals
on the death of his father
▪ Mencius – of all the sins against filiality, the
greatest was to have no descendants – male
descendants
 References
1. Abulencia, A., Lodrino, R., Antonio, E., Imperial, C., & Soriano, C. D. (2020).
Kayamanan: Araling Asyano. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.
2. Cruz, R., Jose, MD., Mangulabnan, J., Mercado, M., & Ong, J. A. (2015).
Araling Asyano: Tungo sa Pagkakakilanlan. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.
3. Samson, MC., Antonio, E., Dallo, E., Imperial, C., & Soriano, C. D. (2019).
Kayamanan: Araling Asyano. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.
4. Murphey, R. 2014. A History of Asia. Pearson Education South Asia
Pte. Ltd. Singapore