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Religions and Philosophies of India

Dharmic Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism

An exploration of the family of religious traditions that arose on the Indian subcontinent — Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism — and of the shared and distinct paths to liberation they have shaped across more than three thousand years.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Vedic Foundations and Hindu Cosmology. From Indus Valley iconography to Vedic religion and the foundational Hindu ideas of Brahman, Atman, and karma.
  2. The Epics, Scriptures, and Ritual Life of Hinduism. Vishnu's avatars, the Goddess, the Gita, the great epics, and the Vedas' ritual sacrifice.
  3. Hindu Philosophy, Society, and Devotional Practice. Upanishadic philosophy, caste, the life stages, Bhakti devotion, and temple worship.
  4. Hindu Practice, Festivals, and Denominations. Hindu festivals, the many paths of yoga, and the major devotional denominations.
  5. The Buddha and the Foundations of Buddhism. The Buddha's life, the Four Noble Truths, non-self, rebirth, and the monastic sangha.
  6. Buddhist Traditions Across Asia. Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, and Buddhism's spread and scriptures across Asia.
  7. Jainism: Non-Violence and Liberation. Mahavira, ahimsa, Jain asceticism, its two monastic orders, and many-sided truth.
  8. Sikhism and Shared Dharmic Themes. Guru Nanak, the ten Gurus, Sikh identity, and themes shared across Dharmic traditions.

This is the starting point of Religions and Philosophies of India: you don't need any prior knowledge of this subject to begin.

Key points

Visual module map

1Vedic Foundations and Hindu Cosmology
2Hindu Philosophy, Society, and Devotional Practice
3The Buddha and the Foundations of Buddhism
4Buddhist Traditions Across Asia
5Sikhism and Shared Dharmic Themes

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

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Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

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Final test

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Optional mini-games

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Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Flood, Gavin. (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Doniger, Wendy. (2009). The Hindus: An Alternative History. New York: Penguin Press.
  • Lopez, Donald S., Jr. (2001). The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History and Teachings. San Francisco: HarperOne.
  • Gethin, Rupert. (1998). The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Dundas, Paul. (2002). The Jains (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
  • Cole, W. Owen, and Piara Singh Sambhi. (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (2nd ed.). Brighton: Sussex Academic Press.
  • Olivelle, Patrick, trans. (1996). Upanishads. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Possehl, Gregory L. (2002). The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.