Tommy works the night shift at the World Beliefs Museum.

Tonight he was very tired and angry, and he just wanted to go home.

Tommy needed to clean the exhibits, so he went to get a broom.

When he came out, something seemed a little off...

The Exibits had come to life!!!!!

Hi. I'm Siddhartha Gautama and I founded Buddhism in the 6th century BCE. I was a sheltered prince, but decided to see the suffering in the world and became a monk.

Exhibit 1: Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama "Buddha"

Origininated in India

Wow! What was that like?

Tommy is still shocked, but Siddartha's story seems interesting.

As a monk, I started to understand suffering and pain. One day, I meditated under a Bodhi Tree and that was when I finally understood how the world works. I came up with the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 fold path.

AHA!

1. Life= Suffering

2. Desire=Suffering

Overcome desire= no suffering

4. Following the eightfold path=overcoming desire

Wow! But, what is the eightfold path, and what was the purpose of all of this?

The eightfold path is how you get to Nirvana. Nirvana is an escape from the cycle of rebirth, where we are at peace.

We live in moderation, which gives us good karma, so we can achieve Nirvana.

That makes sense. What are some other things you do to practice your religion?

Well, we don't worship a God, but we do have sacred texts called the Sutras.

An important place of worship is Bodh Gaya, the site of the original Bodhi tree.

What about....

Tommy started to ask another question, but Siddhartha Guatama had turned back into a statue! Just then, he heard a rustling from the Hinduism exhibit.

Exhibit 2: Hinduism

Origininated in India

Hindu god Vishnu

Hello, I am Vishnu the Preserver, one of the three main Devas of the Hindu religion, which is so old the time of origin and founder are unknown. Some people worship only us Devas, while some worship up to thousands of other Gods as well.

Do you guys follow the 8 fold path like the Buddhists?

No, but we do both believe in reincarnation. Hindus believe that if you get more good karma than bad in a lifetime, you will be reincarnated into a higher caste.

We also believe in Moshka. If you have enough good karma, your soul can be reunited with Brahman (the god who holds souls) and be freed from the cycle of reincarnation. This is similar to Nirvana, which the Buhddists believe in.

How do you worship these gods?

We usually go to temples, small shrines, or we even worship at home. We also have the Vedas which help guide us.

Hey, what's that thing?

Timmy noticed a symbol near Vishnu.

This is the Om/Aum. It symbolizes reality and the universe. It is also the first sound we make during any prayer.

Wow, that's really---

Vishnu the Preserver had turned back to a statue just like Siddhartha! He looked to the next exhibit and realized it had come to life!

Exhibit 3: Judaism

Origininated in Mesopotamia

Founder: Abraham

interesting

Hello I am Abraham. I lived in Ur, Mesopotamia. I founded the religion Judaism in 2000 BCE. We only worship one God.

That's so interesting, how did your religion spread? My friend is Jewish, but I don't know much about it.

Well, Judaism spread out of Mesopotamia because Jews were not welcome many places and were forced out. People didn't like how we only believed in one god. Jews don't seek to convert other people, so we only spread when we move.

How did you worship then?

Jerusalem, Israel was promised to the Jews through the covenant of God. My people worship using the holy Torah and Talmud at the Synagogues.

And with that, Abraham turned back into a still statute. Tommy thought to himself...

I can't wait to tell my friend all I learned about his religion's history!

Tommy turned around and realized that the Christianity exhibit was shining brightly. He went to investigate.

Exhibit 4: Christianity

Origininated in Judea

Founder: Jesus

Hello, I am Jesus the Messiah. I founded the Christian religion in 63 BCE.

Wow! Do you go to synagogues?

We actually go to church to worship a single god. I am God's only son who was crucified on a cross, which you can see on the church. We use the bible to learn about our history and beliefs.

Well, what are these beliefs you are talking about.

The main differences between us and the Jews, is me. Christians believe that I am the messiah, while Jews are still waiting. Christians also believe that I was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, which is why it is a holy city to us.

We also have the 10 commandments from God. These are our rules for life.

Wait! Come back!

Tommy watched Jesus turn back into a statue.

On to the next exhibit, I guess.

He walked over to the Islam exhibit.

Exhibit 5: Islam

Originated in Mecca

Founder: Muhammed

Hello there, I'm Muhammed, founder of Islam in 570 CE.

I have met a lot of people today that were nontheistic, monotheistic, or polytheistic. Which one are you?

We are monotheistic. Actually, we worship the same god as the Jews and Christians. Muslims call this god "Allah."

We worship in mosques using our sacred text: the Qur'an.

Wow! Do have the same beliefs as the Jews and Christians as well?

We are similar but definitely not the same. We all believe that Jerusalem is sacred. Muslims have been there for a long time, and one of our important mosques are there.

Cool!

But, we have something they don't: the Five Pillars. these are our foundational beliefs and are very important to follow.

We also have the Sharia law, which is basically our legal system and code of conduct.

This thing behind me is a widely used symbol.

Can you tell me more about-

Just like that, Muhammad had turned into a statue.