The Effects Hinduism, Buddhism, And Islam Have Been On The People Of A Specific Area. Essay, Research Paper

Religions have had a major impact on the lives of people in specific nations or regions. Hinduism in India, Buddhism in Southeast Asia, and Islam in the Middle East have all had major beliefs that have affected political, social, or economic life of the people of their nations. Hinduism’s beliefs have been a social effect where Buddhism’s beliefs have been and economic effect and Islamic beliefs have been a political effect.

Hindus believe a person can come closer to achieving moksha (union with Brahman or creator) by obeying the law of Karma. Karma is all the actions of a person’s life that affect his or her fate in the next-life. People who live a virtuously earn good Karma and become reborn at a higher level or existence or rank at the nest life. Those who do evil acquire bad Karma and are reborn into suffering. To escape this wheel of fate, Hinduism stresses the importance of dharma, the religious and moral duties of an individual. By obeying one’s dharma, a person acquires merit for the next life. This Belief has affected the social life or the people because they believed in and practiced dharma and Karma. By practicing these beliefs, more people become good and crime was weakened. This contributed to the Social life of the people in India.

The Buddha or “enlightened one” was a prince named Guatama in Southeast Asia. He adopted the Eightfold Path as “right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation.” The first two steps involve knowing the four Noble Truths.

1.All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

2.The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life.

3.The only cure for suffering is overcome desire.

4.The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.

Through meditation, a person can achieve his last enlightenment. The final goal is nirvana, union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth. This is an economic belief as people begin to stop eating and everything they do in daily life. They just meditated and did nothing all day. They ate a little rice each day and grew very skinny and weak. People in general just began to stop caring.

Before Islam, the position of women in Arab society varied. Most women in the Middle East were under the control of a male guardian and could not inherit property. But Islam is the belief in the spiritual equality of men and women. The Quran (sacred text of Muslims) prohibited the killing of daughters and ensured protection for widows. Women also inherited a share or their husband’s property. Muslim women also had the right to an education. This proved to be a political change for women as these beliefs enabled them to be important in the Middle East. Before this, they didn’t even count, but these beliefs of Islam is similar to law in other countries. This is why it affects the political life of the Middle East.

Hinduism in India, Buddhism in Southeast Asia, and Islam in the Middle East have all had major beliefs that have contributed to either economic, social or political life of the people. Many religions other than these have also had a major impact on the lives of people in specific nations or regions.