Hansen/Curtis, 1/e, Ch



World History in Today's World: Snapshot of Hinduism and Buddhism

This activity corresponds to the "World History in Today's World: Snapshot of Hinduism and Buddhism " feature in your textbook. Once you have answered the Comprehension questions, submit your answers and move on to the subsequent questions included in the Analysis and Outside Sources sections. Each section is designed to build upon the one before it, taking you progressively deeper into the subject you are studying. After you have answered all of the questions, you will have the option of emailing your responses to your instructor.

Introduction

As the "Snapshot of Hinduism and Buddhism" feature in Chapter 8 of your textbook suggests, beneath the surface of religious uniformity of South, Southeast, and East Asia, there is considerable diversity. For example, while the vast majority of Indians identify themselves as Hindus, many belong to lively communities of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and even Zoroastrians. Similarly, many Japanese identify themselves as both Buddhist and Shinto (the traditional Japanese religion), as Shinto alone, or as Christian. Further, within the dominant religions of South, Southeast, and East Asia, there is significant diversity of belief and practice. Use the questions and links below to learn more about this diversity and its history.

Comprehension

1. How did today's Indian Buddhists come to the religion?

2. Where has India's modern Buddhist movement been most successful?

3. Where do most of the world's Buddhists now live?

Analysis

1. What factors helped to make Hinduism the dominant religion of India?

2. Review the origins of Buddhism in India in Chapter 3 of your textbook. Compare the response of early Buddhism to the traditional caste system with the response of India's modern Buddhist movement.

3. You read that today several Southeast Asian nations subscribe to Theravada Buddhism. Review "The Buddhist Kingdoms of Inland Southeast Asia, 300–1000" in Chapter 8 of your textbook. How did Buddhism and Hinduism combine to shape the cultures of the region at an earlier moment in its history?

Outside Sources

1. As you read above, another minority religion in modern Indian is Zoroastrianism, about which you can learn more at . Who are the Parsees? From where did they come to India, and what role have they played in Indian culture?

2. Thailand is notable for the fact that Theravada Buddhism is the state religion. Read more about Thai Buddhism at . When and under what circumstances did Theravada Buddhism become the religion of the state? In what ways has the chakravartin ideal shaped the Thai monarchy?

3. As you read, Japan is home to about 90 million of the world's self-described Buddhists. One important movement in Japanese Buddhism is the Sokka Gakki. Go to for an official account of the Sokka Gakki's history, and to for a statement of its philosophy. What are the origins of the Sokka Gakki? How does it resemble and differ from Buddhism as you have studied it so far?

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