Please respond to the following:

Indian religions are complicated. There are thousands of deities, numerous scriptures, and indigenous tribal customs, all boiled down into what the English mistakenly called Hinduism in the 1800s.

Main discussion questions for the week:

• How do Dharma and the yogas simplify an understanding of this complexity?
• Which of these systems would you incorporate into your life today? Why?
• Why would a guru be necessary to help you understand these two systems?

Having grown up in wealth and then living a life of extreme asceticism, the Buddha found no peace. He arrived at a middle way and for his Dharma he proposed the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. This would break the samsara cycle and lead to nirvana. The challenge is putting the Buddha’s Dharma into action.

Main discussion questions for the week:

Theravada Buddhism is about mindfulness and meditation. Mahayana Buddhism is about compassion guided by wisdom.

• Discuss how either Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism can apply the principles of the Eightfold Path to daily living. 
• Which system would you choose to live by? Why?