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RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITY Almost every branch of Paganism
believes in a God and a Goddess.
College of Education God is the masculine aspect of the
Department of Social Science unifying spirit, and the Goddess is the
feminine aspect.God and Goddess are
Module No. 10 further broken up into three sub
categories.
Oldest religion of The World Deities Define:
God
Objectives: Son – creativity, high energy,
self-sacrifice
At the end of the lesson the student will Father – rule maker, judge, provider,
be able to: hunter
 Understand the relevance and the Sage – wisdom, leader, tenacity,
importance of the Topic. eloquence.
 Appreciate the differences in Goddess
terms of religious belief of 9 Maiden – innocence, warrior, beauty.
oldest religions. Mother – fertility, empathy, love,
 Learn how to respect the nurturing.
differences and to Crone – gatekeeper, transition,
 Describes the significance of the compassion, death, rebirth.
oldest religions in the world.
Pentacle
Reporters:
-Also commonly
MATIGA, Khristalene T. referred to as the
MORALES, Charize Ann pentagram
ORTIGUERO, Freddie P. Jr. -Five pointed star
within a circle used
PAGANISM to represent the five elements:
1. Earth
- is a religion based upon pre-Christian 2. Fire
beliefs, but continues to evolve. 3. Water
It is a blanket term which covers several 4. Spirit
nature-based religions such as Wicca, 5. Water
Asatru and Druidry.
- Latin paganus- refers to those who Code of Morality
lived in the country.When Christianity
began to grow in the Roman Empire, it Many faiths, Pagan and non-Pagan alike,
did so at first primarily in the cities have codes of morality. An example is
- Paganism found to date back centuries the Wiccan Rede. It says ―An it harm
to several different cultures in all around none, do what ye will.‖
the world.
Magic
God and Goddess  Paganism is the belief in magic.
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 Formalize prayer Hinduism

 Worship a diety,alter situations in (Sanathana Dharma)
reality and plethora of other things.
 Done by oneself or group  Hinduism is the third largest religion
 Magick cannot be used to interfere in the world, with approximately 900
with someone‘s free will. million adherents
 It is also the oldest known religion in
Beliefs the world today
 Reincarnation  The origins cannot be ascribed to
- Lessons of a past life can be any single founder or a specific time
remembered in this life through a or a single place
type of meditation known as past life Origin:
regression.If one fails to learn  People living in the Indus Valley.
his/her lesson in this life, one must  Later became Hindus.
repeat that life until he/she can attain  Religion became Hinduism.
wisdom.
 Divination- Commonly known Wisdom – Vedas: the Holy Writings
methods of divination are tarot cards, -Vedas are a collection of Hindu writings
palm reading, and crystal ball -Considered to be world‘s oldest writings
gazing. Word ‗Veda‖ means ―to know‖ -Vedas
 Karma - The concept of Karma has are believed to be divinely given (god
several different names. If given) or revealed knowledge -Vedas
something ―evil‖ is done, it will come are divided into
back on you. If something ―good‖ is
done, it will also come back on
you.Some sects believe the energy
comes back in multipliers, such as
the three or ten.Karma effects your
next life if you cannot overcome your
Karmic debt.

HINDUISM
4 scriptures: the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda,
Sama Veda, Atharva Veda each Veda

1. ―Mantras‖ –
2. Brahmanas ―priests‖ – provide
information and explain the rituals,
ceremonies and importance of saying
prayers.
3. Aranyakas ― the forest books‖–
written for hermits and saints who lived
simple lives isolated in the forest -
contain meditations and asceticism
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4. Upanishads ―sitting down near‖ – 2. Artha: earn material prosperity:

writings about the origins of the universe, money. (This allows you and your
characteristics of God and the presence family to live a secure life).
of the atman or soul in all living beings - 3. Kama: seek happiness, pleasure,
are religious conversations between holy emotional fulfillment (love, friendship,
men that ordinary people could listen to. community).
4. Moksha: seek freedom from
BELIEFS ignorance, spirituality, and
self-knowledge.
 Reincarnation- This is the
concept that the soul is immortal, HINDU GODS
and all life forms are reborn into a There are hundreds of different Hindu
new entity after death. The key word gods, and not all Hindus worship all the
is entity: you do not have a gods. Sometimes families have a certain
guarantee of being reborn as a favorite god they worship, or regions in
human being. The soul travels from India have favorite gods.
one body to the next.
 Karma -is the concept that if you - The Big 3
do good deeds, good things will Believes the spirit of the universe
happen in your life. If you do bad takes the form of three main gods.
deeds, bad things will happen to you Hindus can choose to pray to all of these
in life. Further, if you live a good life forms, some of them, or none.
(doing good deeds, being a spiritual Brahma: The Creator
follower of Hinduism), you will be Vishnu: The Protector
reincarnated into a higher form, if Shiva: The Destroyer
you live a bad life, you will be
reincarnated into a lower form. - Kali is the kick-ass goddess of death
 Moksha Moksha-is when your and radical transformation
soul becomes free from the cycle of Kali wears a a necklace made from
rebirth, and is no longer reincarnated. men's skulls
This happens after you reach the
highest level of rebirth, and you can - Ganesha is one of the most
can‘t be born into a higher form. well-known and loved Gods
When you reach Moksha, it means He is the first born son of Shiva
you have had all of life‘s experiences, The Lord of Good Fortune
learned all of life‘s lessons, and Provides prosperity and fortune
reached a perfect understanding of Also the God of knowledge
the universe. Instead of being
reincarnated, your soul becomes WHERE DO HINDU WORSHIP?
one with god. -Worship in Home
have a small shrine that contains an
FOUR GOALS OF LIFE OF HINDUISM image of the family‘s chosen god, and
1. Dharma: be a good, virtuous, objects associated with them
moral person. -Worship in the Madir
the Hindu place of worship is called a
mandir or temple.
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SOME IDEAS OF HINDUISM -Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian

religion that may have originated as
The Caste System early as 4,000 years ago.
- world‘s first monotheistic faith
- it‘s one of the oldest religions still in
existence.
-Zoroastrianism was the state religion of
three Persian dynasties, until the Muslim
conquest of Persia in the seventh
century A.D. Zoroastrian refugees,
called Parsis, escaped Muslim
persecution in Iran by emigrating to
India.

- The caste system is the basis for social Zoroaster

Whether one is born into a high or low

cast depends on the cycle of rebirth and
depends on the deeds of one‘s previous
life.
- a system where people are born into
certain social classes, and they
CANNOT change their social class. Your
social class is determined by Karma: if
you are a good person you will be born
into a higher social class in your next life. The prophet Zoroaster (Zarathrustra in
Under the Caste System, who you can ancient Persian) is regarded as the
marry, what jobs you can have, and founder of Zoroastrianism, which is
where you can live are restricted by your arguably the world‘s oldest monotheistic
social class. The system is less frequent faith.
than it was in the past, but still exists in
rural areas of India today. Most of what is known about Zoroaster
comes from the Avesta—a collection
ZOROASTRIANISM of Zoroastrian religious scriptures.
It‘s unclear exactly when Zoroaster may
have lived.

According to Zoroastrian tradition,

Zoroaster had a divine vision of a
supreme being while partaking in a
pagan purification rite at age 30.
Zoroaster began teaching followers to
worship a single god called Ahura
Mazda.The priest of Zoroastrian
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Persian Empire Some Zoroastrians also recognize the

evergreen cypress tree as a symbol of
eternal life.

Zoroastrian Beliefs

Fire—along with water—are seen as

symbols of purity in Zoroastrian religion.
fire temples-places of worship
Each fire temple contains an altar with
an eternal flame that burns continuously
and is never extinguished.
Zoroastrianism shaped one of the Sky burials-for the dead
ancient world‘s largest empires—the build dakhmas (towers of silence)-
mighty Persia Empire. It was the state circular,flat-topped towers.
religion of three major Persian dynasties. Ossuaries-lime pits where they
burries d the bones and other elements.
Cyrus the Great, founder of the
Achaemenid Persian Empire - devout Zarathustra
zoroatrianism. He ruled by the Many Europeans became familiar with
Zoroastrian law of asha (truth and Zoroastrian founder Zarathustra through
righteousness) but didn‘t impose the nineteenth century novel Thus
Zoroastrianism on the people of Persia‘s Spoke Zarathustra by German
conquered territories philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Parsi Religion
Judaism (9th – 5th century BCE)
Parsi are followers of Zoroastrianism in
India. According to Parsi tradition, a
group of Iranian Zoroastrians emigrated
from Persia to escape religious
persecution by the Muslim majority after
the Arab conquest.

Zoroastrian Symbols

Faravahar - is an ancient symbol of the

Zoroastrian faith.
- It depicts a bearded man The foundation for all other Abrahamic
with one hand reaching forward. He religions, and the oldest monotheism still
stands above a pair of wings that are around (though by no means the first –
outstretched from a circle representing that is alleged to be a variation on
eternity. ancient Egyptian faith called Atenism,
Fire - it represents light, warmth and has which disappeared in the 14th century
purifying powers. BCE), Judaism originated in the
kingdoms of Israel and Judah, which first
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appeared in the Levant around the 9th

century BCE. The religion morphed into
its current form in the 6th century BCE,
evolving from the worship of a state god
based in a polytheistic worldview into
that of a one ‗true‘ God, codified in the
Bible. If it is today followed by an
estimated 11–14 million people, its two
successor faiths – Christianity (1st
century CE) and Islam (7th century CE)
– are the world‘s most popular, with a
combined 3.8 billion adherents.

Once a dominant religion on the Indian

subcontinent (before the rise of reform
Hinduism in the 7th century CE), Jainism
It is monotheistic religion developed
has fairly obscure origins. Its followers
among the ancient Hebrews. Judaism is
believe in the tirthankaras, omniscient
characterized by a belief in one
preachers of the Jain path, whose
defining characteristics are marked by
asceticism and self-discipline. The last
two tirthankaras are known historical
figures: Parshvanatha (8th century BCE)
and Mahavira (599 – 527 BCE). Yet
archeological evidence proving the
existence of Jainism only dates back to
transcendent God who revealed himself
the second century BCE. Jains are said
to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew
to number six to seven million
prophets and by a religious life in
worldwide.
accordance with Scriptures and
rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the
complex phenomenon of a total way of Jainism is an ancient religion from India
life for the Jewish people, comprising that teaches that the way to liberation
theology, law, and innumerable cultural and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness
traditions. and renunciation.

The essence of Jainism is concern for

Ancient Israelites proved to be the most the welfare of every being in the
lasting and influential. It is this particular universe and for the health of the
claim—to have experienced God‘s universe itself.
presence in human events—and its
● Jains believe in reincarnation
subsequent development that is the
differentiating factor in Jewish thought. and seek to attain ultimate
liberation - which means
escaping the continuous cycle
Jainism (8th – 2nd century BCE)
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of birth, death and rebirth so Confucianism (6th – 5th century BCE)

that the immortal soul lives for
ever in a state of bliss.
● Liberation is achieved by
eliminating all karma from the
soul.
● Jainism is a religion of self-help.
● There are no gods or spiritual
beings that will help human
beings.
● The three guiding principles of
Jainism, the 'three jewels', are
right belief, right knowledge and
right conduct.
● The supreme principle of Jain
living is non-violence (ahimsa).
● This is one of the 5 mahavratas Confucianism must invariably be traced
(the 5 great vows). The other to one man – in this case, the Chinese
politician, teacher, and philosopher
mahavratas are
Confucius (551 – 479 BCE) – it is worth
non-attachment to possessions, noting that he himself maintained he was
not lying, not stealing, and part of a scholarly tradition dating back
sexual restraint (with celibacy to an earlier golden age.
as the ideal).
● Mahavira is regarded as the
Though the most humanistic and least
man who gave Jainism its spiritual creed on this list, Confucianism
present-day form. does provide for a supernatural
● The texts containing the worldview (it incorporates Heaven, the
teachings of Mahavira are Lord on High, and divination) influenced
called the Agamas. by Chinese folk tradition. Since the
● Jains are divided into two major teachings were first compiled in the
Analects a generation or two after
sects; the Digambara (meaning
Confucius‘s death, the tradition has gone
"sky clad") sect and the through various periods of popularity and
Svetambara (meaning "white unpopularity in China, and remains one
clad") sect. of the leading influences on modern
● Jainism has no priests. Its Chinese folk religion. Strict
professional religious people Confucianists are said to number about
six million.
are monks and nuns, who
lead strict and ascetic lives.
Confucianism was founded by
Confucius; it promoted ―ancestor
worship, strong filial bonds and
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moderate living‖. This system of thought home, he would become a king, and if
advocates humanistic ideologies. As he left home he would become a spiritual
translated into our own practice, it leader. His family chose to keep him
becomes ―bayan muna bago sarili‖. sheltered at home, not allowing his to
leave the palace.
Confucian teaching rest on three
essential values; Gautama lived in luxury and safety in the
walls of the palace.
1. Filial Piety - is represented by the
Chinese character xiao shows an old
Siddhartha Gautama
man supported by a young man. It also
aims to strengthen the family which in
turn breeds a strong nation.
2. Humanness - ren : has a a sense of
person together with others. A human
being is together with other human
beings, a human being in a society.
3. Li or ritual - is the bond of people
being sacralized. Being a ritual, it also
means to say doing things appropriately.

Buddhism

Gautama felt that the world had so much

more to offer than his home, so at age
29 he snuck out.

In his time outside, he realized that the

world outside was the opposite from
what he was used to at home. He first
sees an old man, sick man, then a
copse, followed by a holy man who
seemed to be at peace with him. He
decided then that his mission in life
would be to find inner peace and
freedom from the suffering in the world.
The founder of Buddhism is
Siddhartha Gautama. To reach religious enlightenment, he first
tried, fasting debating others, and
He was born into a wealthy family and wondering through forests.
prophecies stated that if he stayed
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It was only after meditation for 49 days Concentration

under a tree where Gautama was able to - Right Effort
reach enlightenment (perfect - Right Mindfulness
understanding of the world) and earn the - Right Concentration
title ―The Enlightened One‖, otherwise
known as The Buddah. Teaching of the Buddha

The Four Noble Truths Teachings of Siddhartha Gautama

- Know the truth
- Say nothing to hurt others
- Pratice meditation
- Control your thoughts
- Resist evil
- Free your mind of evil
- Work for the good others
- Respect life

Teachings of the Buddha 5 Moral

Precepts

The Buddha made 5 suggestions based

on his own experience.
- Do not harm any living things
After his meditation, the Buddah - Do not steal – take only what is
discovered the Four Noble Truths, which given
became the core beliefs of Buddhism. - Do not say unkind things
- Avoid over-stimulation
 Dukkha- Truth of Suffering - Avoid alcohol and drugs that can
Samudaya- Truth of the Cause of cloud the mind
Suffering
Nirodha- Truth of the Ending Suffering Comparison to Hinduism
 Magga- Truth of the Path
Buddhists and Hindus both believe in
Eightfold Path reincarnation.
The Buddhists belief in Nirvana is
Buddhist must follow the eight fold path similar to the Hindu belief in Moksha:
in order to reach nirvana, a release from both are a state of perfect understanding
pain. and release from the cycle of
reincarnation. However, they profoundly
Wisdom disagree in regard to several matters:
- Right Understanding
- Right Aspiration 1. Multiple Gods: Buddhists don‘t
MORALITY believe in many God. The focus
- Right Speech of Buddhism is about reaching
- Right Action enlightenment.
- Right Livelihood
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2. Caste System: Buddhists saw

the preferential treatments the - Gods from the Chinese folk tales.
Brahmin were receiving in their The God who divided the sky and
culture and found the concept to earth.
be unhelpful to society. As a - The Goddess who created
result, Buddhists reject the caste humankind.
system.
3. Reincarnation: The fundamental Era

The end of Spring and Autumn period

(770-476 BCE)

The story of Li Er (571-471 BCE)

Gained the name Lao Zi – wise master –

for himself after spending three years
studying in the capital.

Confucius met Lao Zi

They both believe in this life cycle

process through the degree of your
Karma.

Taoism

―I know birds can fly, fishes can swim,

beast can walk. But I do not know what
dragon can do. Lao Zi like a dragon,
knowing so much that he can be anyone
he wants. He is a true master.
-Confucius on Lao Zi
Tui and La, your ocean and moon have The story of Li Er (571-471 BCE)
always circled each other in an eternal
dance. They balance each other. Push Later in life, Lao Zi wrote Dao De Jing
and Pull, life and death, good and evil. which later becomes a fundamental text
(YIN and YANG). of Daoism.

The Beginning Lao Zi died at the age of 101.

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Concepts: - Male
YIN
THE DAO (OR TAO) - Night
- The ―Way‖ - Dark
- The ―Path‖ - Structure
- Cold
The source of life - Moon
The energy of the universe - Fluid
- Death
The ultimate goal = To live in harmony - Calm
with the Tao - Female

THE DE (OR TE) Duality forming as a whole.

Virtue, Inner Power, Integrity The nature of change balances to
halves.
Three Treasures
Compassion or Kindness WU- WEI
- Love others like loving oneself.
Simplicity or Frugality - ACTION WITHOUT ACTION
- Live in simpilicity, stay away from - NON-DOING
material or physical desires. - Let the nature runs its course
Humility or Modesty
- Not expressing assertive SHINTOISM
authority.

TAIJI/ YIN – YANG

YANG
- Day
- Light
- Function Shintoism is a Polytheistic belief that
- Hot express love and respect for nature.
- Sun
- Dryness Comparison to the “West”
- Birth  Paganism in Europe
- Expressive  Many tribal beliefs in Africa
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 Practices of native cultures in North Morality is based upon that whish is of

and South America benefit to the group. ―Shinto emphasizes
right practice, sensibility, and attitude.‖
KAMI
Kami is a general term Shinto deities Shinto
and spirits. Unlike most other religions of the world,
Some kami are compared to the ―Gods‖ Shintoism has NO:
of the west, but are different in many Identifiable founder
ways, too.  Body of religious laws
 Written Scriptures or Holy Text
Kami can also be forces of nature,  A very loosely organized priesthood
important people, or even natural
objects. The four Affirmations of Shinto

A special rock. a large tree, or a Tradition and the family:

waterfall, can be considered Kami.
The emperor of Japan was considered - The Family is seen as the main
a Kami. force for traditions to be
preserved. Main celebrations
Gods: relate to birth and marriage.

Love of Nature:

- Nature is sacred; to be in contact

with nature is to be closed to the
Gods. Natural objects are
worshipped as sacred spirits.

Physical Cleanliness:

- Follower of Shinto take baths,

wash their hands, and rinse out
their mouth often. Shinto stresses
Izanagi no Mikomoto (“Exalted Male”)
purifying that which is unclean,
Izanami no Mikoto (“Exalted Female”)
such as dirt, wounds, and
disease. Touching the dead is
Beliefs
considered unclean.
Believers reverse ―musuhi‖, the Kamis‘
creative harmonizing power. They aspire
Matsuri:
to have ―makoto‖, sincerity or true heart.
- The worship given to the kami
This is regarded as the way or will of
and the ancestral spirits.
Kami.
Shinto holds a generally positive view
of Human Nature”. Thus all human life
and human nature is sacred.
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References:
Hinduism:
https://www.slideshare.net/srgeorgi/hind
uism-slides
Hinduism:
https://www.slideshare.net/ryanleblanc/h
induism-48949837?next_slideshow=1
Paganism:
https://www.slideshare.net/jinnykins905/
the-beauty-of-paganism
Judaism:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/articles/th
e-8-oldest-religions-in-the-world/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judais
m
Jainism:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/j
ainism/ataglance/glance.shtml#:~:text=J
ainism%20is%20an%20ancient%20relig
ion,health%20of%20the%20universe%2
0itself
Confucianism:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confuc
ianism
Buddhism:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhi
sm
https://www.ancient.eu/buddhism/
https://www.net/erinlord/buddhism-prese
ntation-10553839
Taoism:
https://www.ancient.eu/Taoism/#:~:text=
Taoism%20(also%20known%20as%20
Daoism,a%20philosophy%20and%20a
%20religion.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Daois
m
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/
Chinese_Customs/taoism.htm
Shintoism:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto
https://worldreligions.wordpress.ncsu.ed
u/shintoism/
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialscience
s/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/chapter
_2_religions/Shintoism.htm
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