Ancestor Worship
Ever since the beginning of the Chinese culture, there was ancestor worship. It was believed that the ancestors remained as spirits, and they remained present in the living's affairs. In exchange for the dead's wisdom, people would perform rituals and give offerings such as food. Special foods would be eaten while thinking about the ancestors, and it was believed that as the person was eating it, the spirits were enjoying the food as well. This kept the ancestors happy, which allowed people to use oracle bones to get their advice. A question would be asked, a bone or turtle shell would be burned with hot metal, and a priest would read the response of the spirits in the cracks formed. Over time, these cracks were started to be written down, and China's first writing system was developed.
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions that developed in ancient India along with Hinduism. Siddharta Guatama was a young prince of Kapilavastu in the foothills of the Himalayas. A seer predicted he would become a great king if he stayed at home, but he would become a universal spiritual leader if he left. Siddharta's father kept him isolated from the sufferings of the world because he wanted him to become a king, but he left the palace after seeing hardships such as old age, disease, death, and seeing a wandering holy man at peace. He decided that only a religious life could offer refuge from sufferings. Siddharta searched for enlightenment for six years, then he sat under a fig tree at a place called Bodh Gaya and meditated for forty-nine days. He found enlightenment and became known as the Buddha, meaning "Enlightened One". Some of the ideas the Buddha had received to understand enlightenment were the Four Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path is a guide to behavior, and one can achieve nirvana if they follow its steps. The Middle Way is the basic teachings of the Eightfold Path, and it counsels people to live in moderation and stay away from extreme comfort or discomfort in the search for nirvana. Buddhists believe that when a person does not attain nirvana throughout their lifetime, they are reborn into the cycle of suffering.
After the Buddha’s death, three main religions arose: Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism. Trading allowed Buddhism to spread to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Sumatra. Traders from Central and Southeast Asia took teachings into China by the Central Asian trade route (the Silk Road) and slowly spread and blended with native Chinese philosophies. Buddhism spread from China to Korea, and from there to Japan. It became one of the most widespread Asian religions. Through trade, it met other religious traditions outside of India and continued to change and develop. The blending also caused smaller traditions within the Theravada and Mahayana to form.
After the Buddha’s death, three main religions arose: Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism. Trading allowed Buddhism to spread to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Sumatra. Traders from Central and Southeast Asia took teachings into China by the Central Asian trade route (the Silk Road) and slowly spread and blended with native Chinese philosophies. Buddhism spread from China to Korea, and from there to Japan. It became one of the most widespread Asian religions. Through trade, it met other religious traditions outside of India and continued to change and develop. The blending also caused smaller traditions within the Theravada and Mahayana to form.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. It also exists among significant populations outside of the sub continent and has over 900 million adherents worldwide. Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings. The teachings are in a collection of religious beliefs that have developed over time. This religion is a way of freeing souls from illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday life. The goal of Hinduism is to achieve moksha, the state of a perfect understanding of all things in Hinduism. Because it cannot be attained in one lifetime, a person will be reincarnated until they achieve moksha. Karma follows each of these reincarnations. Over time there were changes in Hinduism. Brahman was described as the world soul that contains and unites all atmans (a human’s soul) but was later viewed as containing the personalities of three gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector, and Shiva the destroyer. Vishnu took several forms or personalities: Krishna the divine cow herder, and Rama the perfect king. Over time, Brahma slowly faded, and many forms of Devi, a great Mother Goddess, became important. Hindus today are free to worship which god/goddess they want, or they can choose not to worship any at all. However, most follow their family's tradition. Hinduism beliefs control aspects of one's life. They determine what and how to eat, cleanliness, who one should associate with, clothing, etc. The religion also gives guidance to Hindus.