Page 20 - 100 Events That Made History

Shiva, one of the
World shown as a dancer.
most powerful Hindu
gods, is sometimes
religions

founded

Different ways of explaining

life and the UNIVERSE

The major world religions are very old.
Each in its own way has shaped the lives
of millions of people over thousands of
years. These religions have also had
a huge effect on other parts of life, like
art, buildings, learning, and music.
Hinduism
Unlike many religions, Hinduism was
not founded by one person and does not
have one set of rules. Its beliefs date back
4,000 years to the Aryan people of northwest
India. BRAHMA, the creator, is the chief god
among the many whom Hindus worship. Their
sacred writings include verses called the Vedas.
There are 900 million Hindus worldwide.

Did you know?
Both Buddhists and Hindus
believe in a cycle of
birth, death, and rebirth
in a new body
(reincarnation).

Buddhism
An Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama,
born in 563 BCE, rejected his riches when he saw
what suffering there was in the world. After years
of fasting and hardship, he sat beneath a tree to do
some serious thinking. He learned that happiness
comes from getting rid of bad feelings. He is known
as THE BUDDHA (“awakened one”). Today,
488 million people follow his teachings.
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