Exploring Religions with Traveler David!

Come learn with me!

By Ben Banyameen

HINDUISM . . . . . . . . . . . 4

SIKHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

JUDAISM . . . . . . . . . . 13

Aboriginal Spirituality . . . 18

ISLAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Buddhism . . . . . . . . . . 27

Table of Contents

HINDUISM

Our first religion is Hinduism!

HISTORY OF HINDUISM

First off, Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world! Hinduism began in a place called "Indus River Valley," now known as Pakistan, and was initially called sanatan dharma which means "the way of life." Hinduism's history is closely linked with political development which include the rise and fall of different kingdoms and empires.

ABOUT HINDUISM

Hindu's believe that there are about 33 million gods, each serving its own individual purpose. Hindu's believe Brahma, the creator god, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer, are the most influential and powerful gods known as the trinity; which is similar to the holy trinity in Christianity: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. One major festival the Hindus celebrate is Diwali. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn and lasts for 5 days. To celebrate Diwali, houses are decorated with candles and colourful lights and huge firework displays are held while families feast and share gifts.

HINDUISM FAITH

Idea of God - Hindus believe in one God who has many different faces

Sacred People - gods and goddesses

Sacred Literature - The Vedas

Place of Worship - Temple or House

SIKHISM

Our second religion is Sikhism!

HISTORY OF SIKHISM

Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. He was born in the village of Tailwind, now called Nanak Sahib, near Pakistan. As the tale goes, one morning, when he was 28 years old, Nanak went down to the river to bathe and meditate but disappeared for 3 days. When he reappeared, he was filled with the spirit of God and told his people, "There is no Hindu and no Muslim." It was then that he began his missionary work and the religion of Sikhism was born into the world.

ABOUT SIKHISM

Sikhism is a religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism are held in the sacred scripture of the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru ,and the nine Sikh gurus that succeeded him. It is often said that Sikhism is both a mixture of Islam and Hinduism with both religions strongly influencing the people of India.

SIKHISM FAITH

Idea of God - Monotheism (Waheguru)

Sacred People - Guru Nanak; Gurus

Sacred Literature - Guru Granth Sahib

Place of Worship - Guruwarda

SIKH FESTIVAL - VAISAKHI

Vaisakhi is a Sikh Festival usually celebrated every year on April 13th or 14th. Vaisakhi refers to the harvest festival in the Punjab region of India and it also marks the day that Sikhism was born as a collective faith in 1699. Vaisakhi is all about community gatherings so people on the street recite the Guru Granth Sahib on the streets if Talwandi, Punjab.

JUDAISM

Our third religion is Judaism!

HISTORY OF JUDAISM

In the Hebrew Bible, it describes how God chose the Jews to be an example to the world, and how God and his chosen people worked out their relationship. Judaism began during The Bronze Age in the Middle East and is explained in the first 5 books of the Bible; God chose Abraham to be the father of people who would be special to God, and who would be an example of good behaviour and holiness to the rest of the world.

ABOUT JUDAISM

Judaism began its history with Abraham where him, Sara, and his children were promised the sacred land of Canaan which is present day Israel. Jewish people solely praise Moses because God (Yahweh) instructed Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt's captivity. Jewish people believe that the Messiah has NOT arrived and disregard the New Testament from the Holy Bible. Jewish people have many traditions, such as the Sabbath, which includes ceasing any form of work as a thanks to God. Jewish people rely on the Ten Commandments brought down from Yahweh and presented by Moses which is very similar to Christianity.

JUDAISM FAITH

Idea of God - G-d (Yahweh)

Sacred People - Prophets such as Abraham and Moses

Sacred Literature - Torah

Place of Worship - Synagogue

JEWISH FESTIVAL - YOM KIPPUR

On September 29th or 30th, all Jewish people from local communities gather for Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year and it means “Day of Atonement" which is the cleansing of souls. For 26 hours, Jewish people abstain from food and drink, do not wash or apply lotions, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from marital relations. Instead, they spend the day in synagogue, praying for forgiveness.

ABORIGINAL SPIRITUALITY

Our fourth religion is Aboriginal Spirituality!

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY

In Native Spirituality, Aboriginals believe that everything that has been created has a spirit inside it. Whether it is in the rising of the sun, the movement of the clouds or even the stillness of a rock. They also believe that their God, whom they call Great Spirit, inhabits all things. The Great Spirit is often called the Creator because in the religion, the people are very in touch with the natural world.