ÇAĞDAŞ DÜNYA UYGARLIKLARI

Hinduism is the oldest major religion.

The terms Varna and caste are different. The former has a ritual and ideological rationale while the other deals with socio-economic status.

The terms Varna and caste are different. The former has a ritual and ideological rationale while the other deals with socio-economic status.

Finally, there were foods for the lower castes, called Tamasic.

Wealthy or upper caste women favoring saris made of silk imported from China and other women using cotton.

Hinduism thrives in the world today. Although the great age of Hindu expansion between 1000 CE and 1200 CE is over, the world has seen, since that time, the Cholos of South India rule Sri Lanka and the Maldives and control much of the maritime provinces of South Asia from the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea.

The Khmer Empire centered in Cambodia was initially Hindu. At its height, this empire ruled over Cambodia as well as parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Its capital at Angkor Wat, although now partly Buddhist, is considered the site of one of the greatest examples of Hindu architecture in the world.

Buddhism is the religion named after Siddhartha Gautama.

The Buddha initially maintained that there were three truths about life in this world: sickness, old age, and death.

The most ubiquitous item in popular culture of Buddhist origin is the Laughing Buddha figurine.

Sanskrit is the language of sacred texts or Vedas, the Epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the Puranas, and the Upanishads. The modern descendant, Hindi, is the most widely spoken language in India today. The Islamic version is called Urdu. The correct option is C.

There was originally a simple three-caste structure.

The correct option is D.

The second group was the Kshatriya who represented the heart. They symbolized defenders of society and were politicians, soldiers, and administrators. The Vaishya or individuals engaged in world pursuit of business and commerce. The correct option is A.

Traditionally, according to the Vedas, meals could be divided into three groups:

The correct option is A.

Clothing follows a similar pattern. A dhoti kurta is an outfit that is often worn by married Hindu men. It is composed of a generously cut cotton shirt called a kurta covered by the dhoti. The latter is a long piece of material that ties around the waist and spreads down to cover most of the legs. Many Hindu women wear a sari, a word of classical Sanskrit origin meaning “cloth.” Those who do not and have not adopted western-style clothes sometimes will wear a pair of loose-fitting trousers and a long tunic. This outfit is called a salwar kameez. Women who cover their heads might wear a chunni or a shawl. The correct option is B.

The earliest of these works are the Vedic Scriptures, dating back to before 1000 BCE. They are four in number and constitute hymns to various aspects of the deity. They were accompanied by the Brahmanas, which are commentaries on the Vedas. Between 700 and 300 came the Upanishads. These were philosophical tomes – often called the most ethereal writing ever, anywhere - that indicated how an individual soul or “Atman” could be united with the “Brahman,” the universal soul. The classical period of Hinduism begins by 400 BCE and ends about 500 CE and is characterized by two great literary epics: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Ramayana, recounts the life of Rama, a legendary prince who, among other tasks, sets out to rescue his wife Sita from a demon king. This epic is centered on the various aspects of bhakti-devotion, faithfulness, determination, and loyalty. The correct option is D.

400–500 CE Hinduism returns as the dominant religion of India. Temples and monuments are built to honor Hindu ideas, gods and beliefs. This is the era of the Hindu Renaissance. The correct option is E.

Hinduism has a caste system attached; Buddhism does not. Neither spread through military means. Hinduism tends to be more polytheistic (belief in many gods), but it maintains belief in one universal force, absolute monism, which however appears in three major forms — Brahma, the creator deity; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer (meant to be ridding the old for the new). Buddhism was initially quite simple, with its precepts embodied in the Four Noble Truths. It assisted the believer to a self-realization beyond the material world. But when it arrived in East Asia, it became more polytheistic. Moreover, in contrast to the tenets of religions such as Hinduism, which hold that only a few can only achieve ultimate enlightenment, Buddhism is open to all. However, the Buddha initially maintained that there were three truths about life in this world: sickness, old age, and death. After years of reflection, he developed a philosophy that is followed and practiced today. It does resemble Hinduism as it believes that life on earth is an illusion. The correct option is C.

In Buddhism, it is believed that life on earth is an illusion. To escape from this illusion, one must seek nirvana (nothingness). Human suffering is caused by desire which, in turn, is caused by materialism. Materialism creates pursuit which leads to frustration, then suffering and unhappiness. To eliminate this suffering and achieve nirvana, an individual must follow an eight-fold path: right activities, right concentration, right effort, right intentions, right livelihood, right mindfulness, right speech, and right views. In this way, one can escape the cycle of birth and re-birth. By this eight-fold path, one can avoid materialism and its attendant problems. The correct option is B.

The original version of Buddhism, known as Theravada Buddhism (sometimes also called the Lesser Vehicle), prevails in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Cambodia. It tends to be more philosophical and monastic. It places emphasis on attaining nirvana in a later life via a monastic life in the interval. It is a “council of elders” which places the focus on the first Buddhist or Pali Canon as the accepted scripture. Hence, the sobriquet of the lesser vehicle is given. As recounted, this type of Buddhism is practiced throughout southeast Asia. The correct option is D.