applicable to today’s world and which are not. To the sociologist, references to scrip-
ture are important because they suggest a search for a coherent and consistent way
to live ethically in a world of ambivalence and contradiction. To be selective in our
use of these religious texts is human; to understand that search is sociological.
Eastern Religions
Three other major religions of the world, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism
(plus some minor ones), are called “Eastern” because they arose in Asia, although,
like the Western religions, they have adherents around the world. They have many
beliefs and practices in common, some of which might baffle people raised in a West-
ern religion. They are syncretic religions:It is perfectly acceptable to practice Bud-
dhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, and any other religion you want, all at
the same time. There are many gods (although often religious scholars interpret them
as emanations of a single god). There is no heaven or hell, just an endless series of
reincarnations until you achieve enlightenment (except in Confucianism). There is
no specific sacred book, although sometimes there are vast libraries of sacred texts
to be revered. And there are no regular worship services. Temples are used for
special rituals.
Hinduismdeveloped from many indigenous religions in India around 1500 BCE.
Unlike the Western religions, which rely on sacred texts (and therefore presume that
believers can read), Hinduism is based largely on oral tradition, passed on from one
generation to the next by storytellers. However, there are also many sacred texts,
notably the Vedas and the Upanishads. There are many gods, but most people, most
of the time, revere one of the main three, Brahman (who creates life), Vishnu (who
preserves or maintains life), and Shiva (who destroys or renews life). Some of the
avatars or incarnations of Vishnu are also popular, especially Krishna (portrayed as
a blue-skinned youth) and Ganesha (portrayed as an elephant-headed man). Enlight-
enment is available only after countless incarnations, so most Hindus do not hope
for it to happen in this lifetime; instead, they try to behave in a moral fashion to ensure
a favorable reincarnation. Today there are nearly one billion Hindus (14 percent of
all religious adherents) mostly in South Asia and in Indian communities around the
world.
Just as Protestantism developed as a reaction to the “corruption” of Catholicism,
Buddhismdeveloped as a reaction to the “corruption” of Hinduism. It was founded
by Siddhartha Gautama (560–580BCE), later
called the Buddha, or “The Enlightened One.”
While Hinduism taught that enlightenment
could come only after countless lifetimes of
reincarnation, the Buddha taught that enlight-
enment was possible in this lifetime, through
the “Tenfold Path” of physical and spiritual
discipline. Today there are two main branches
of Buddhism. Hinayana (“The Small Cart”),
which still follows strict discipline, is common
primarily in Southeast Asia and Tibet. The
need for discipline led Hinayana Buddhists
to found the first monasteries, and in some
countries, monks comprise up to a third of the
population. Mahayana (“The Large Cart”)
does not emphasize strict discipline and
thus has fewer monks. There are 376 million
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD 497Buddhist priests practice med-
itation and a strict physical
and spiritual discipline to
reach enlightenment. These
Thai priests pray before their
tea ceremony. n