World Religions: Asia and Persia (Full Semester)

This class is an introduction to the history and culture of India, China, Japan, and Persia through the lens of seven major world religions .  

Ne prerequisites or background knowledge required, just an interest in world history and cultures is needed!

The class is structured as a lecture presentation (with slides to keep as a PDF) with student participation and questions with the instructor throughout and at the end of each class.  The style is like a university classroom, but with the material and lessons presented for a younger class.  

This class is prepared especially for young learners.   The material will be made approachable just for them.  For parents, the following is a (very) technical and detailed list of topics and terms for each week of the course.  The actual weekly lessons will be delivered so that young learners will easily find it informative and engaging!   

Week 1 – Hinduism 
Topics include the Indus River Valley civilization (circa 3300 BCE), the syncretization with Ancient Persian religion (circa 1800 BCE), the Persian fire god Agni in Hinduism, Brahman (ब्रह्मन), the Trimurti and Pantheon (Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer), the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Laws of Manu (Manusmṛti), Bhagavad Gita, and Mahabharata, the cosmological concepts of vasudhaiva kutumbakam and the Veil of Maya, the paths of Karma Yoga (action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Raja Yoga (asceticism), Jnana Yoga (knowledge), the sadhu, and the concepts of Saṃsāra, Mokṣa, Ahisma, Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि), Dharna, Adharma, and Karma.

Week 2 – Buddhism 
Topics covered include the legends surrounding Siddhārtha Gautama (c. 560-480 BCE) and his transformation into the Buddha, the origins and distinctions between Theravāda (Hīnayāna), Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna, and Huayan as well as their geographic distribution of these movements in southeast Asia, the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, the doctrines of Dukkha and Tanha, the eight-fold path, the Wheel of Dharma, the five skandhas of the anatman, the Buddha Nature (Buddha-dhatu) of Mahāyāna, quotes from the Nirvana Sutra, Pratītyasamutpāda or the Twelve-Fold Chain of Dependent Arising, and the Metta Sutta.   

Week 3 – Taoism 
Topics covered include filial piety, ancestor veneration, polytheism in early China (11th Century BCE), beneficial light spirits (Shen) and evil dark spirits (Kuei) and the place of sacrifice, rituals, and propitiation, the cosmological mystical forces of Yin and Yang, The I Ching (Yi Jing) and divination, the historical origins of Shang Ti and the development of T’ien / Tiān, 天, Lao-tzu (Laozi) the founder of Taoism (also known as Daoism), the Daodejing (“The Great Book of Dao and Virtue”), the Dao (the Way) and the cosmological forces of Qi / Ch’i and Ziran, the virtue of “effortless action” (wuwei), Taoism as reflected in Tai Chi, discussion of Taoist quotes from the Tao Te Ching, and Taoism today.  

Week 4 – Confucianism 
Topics covered include reconstructing the biography and legends of Confucius (Kong 孔 with honorific fuzi 夫子), feudalism in ancient China, hierarchy and flourishing in Confucianism, the cosmological mysticism of Li and Jen as social ideals, Confucianism as virtue ethics, becoming a “Son of Heaven” ( 天子 or Tiānzǐ ), Mencius (Mengzi” 孟子) and the Analects of Confucius, Confucian quotes from the Analects, Confucianism under Chairman Mao and Confucianism’s resurgence today.  Finally, Miura Baien (1723-1789) and Neo-Confucianism in Japan.  

Week 5 – Shinto 
Topics covered include the sun goddess Amaterasu (天照), the historical developments in the 6th Century that lead to a nationalistic self-understanding of Shinto (from shen and tao, meaning “the way of the gods”) which is also known as kami-no-michi (“the way of the kami”), the kami in animism and ancestor veneration, house shines, Tori gates, 1889 and the Tokugawa Shogunate, State Shinto (Jinja), Domestic Shinto, Skuha / Kyoha Shinto, Aesthetics (Mono no aware, Wabi, Sabi, Yūgen), and the contemporary emergence of Shinto as a world religion beyond Japan.  

Week 6 – History of Persia and India
From the ancient Persian migrations circa 1800 BCE, to the Muslim Sultanes that continued until the institution of British rule in 1858, the history of the Indian subcontinent for millennia reveals a fusion of traditions known today as Indo-Persian culture.  Students are provided with an overview of this history, then provides in-depth presentations on four religions found today in India that are associated with this history: Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Jain, and Bahai.  

Week 7 – Zoroastrianism 
One of the oldest living religions, Zoroastrianism originated in Persia before migrating to India nearly four millennia ago.  It would also have a profound influence in the development of Judaism due to historical engagements and conflicts with the Neo-Assyrian Empire and Babylonia.  Students learn of the history of the ancient Persian Empire and religion in the Middle East and India, the life and teachings of their prophet Zoroaster, worship and ceremonies, and death rituals (that is, “sky burials”).  

Week 8 – Jainism 
A reformist movement of the 6th Century BCE, Jainism arose as a countermovement to the caste system and the Vedic literature of Hinduism.  Nataputta Vardhamana, known to his followers as Mahavira (great hero) and a Tirthankara (spiritual bridge-maker), is a founder of this new religious movement, who taught doctrines on “crossing over” to Nirvana.  Jainism emphasizes the path of asceticism, non-violence (ahisma), truth, right conduct, strict vegetarianism, and detachment from worldly pursuits.  Students learn about the practices of Jains for the monastics and the observant laity, as well as their religious festivals (including Paijusana and Divali), and their place in Indian society today.

Week 9 – Sikhism 
Originating in the Punjab region in the 16th Century, Sikhism emerged between devotional Hinduism and mystical Islam by their first teacher, Nanak. In a time of conflict, he taught a harmony and synthesis between these religions, finding a shared sacred reality.  Students learn about the life and teachings of Nanak, Shik religious life, holy days, and its historical development to the present day.

Week 10 – Bahai 
Beginning as a sect of Shi’ite Islam, Bahai emerged from mystical Sufi inspiration concerning the oneness of all religions.  A new religious movement, it began in 1844 by Ali Muhammad who declared himself the 12th Iman and “Bab-ud-Din” (the gate of faith).  Students learn of the history and teaching of Bahai, their relation to traditional Islam, their emphasis on the equality of men and women, the need for formal education of all believers, and social ethics—as well as their distinctive and beautiful temples in India and elsewhere.