Sikhism

Sikhism

Part I: 1 paragraph on each

1) What is the human condition?
We are stuck in a cycle of rebirths. We were given human form for the chance to unite with God through free will and choosing to do so. There are two categories of people in this world: gurumukh and manmukh. The manmuks are haumai (“I-I”). They are selfish and focus only on their needs and wants. They succumb to the five vices. These selfish desires block them from being able to unite with God, because there is no room for God in their hearts. However, through life, a manmukh may become a gurumukh. A gurumuk worships God and is pious in his everyday life. A gurumuk follows Sikh teachings, helps fellow members of society through community service and sharing with others, Vand Chhana. The gurumuks have a much better chance of uniting with God, though ultimately it is God’s decision as to who unites with him. Humans are in a state of suffering because of always desiring material objects in life, maya, that distract us and hinder our path to uniting with God.
2) Where are we going/what is the goal?
The goal is to allow our soul, jot, to escape samsara and merge with God through mukti. This is the fifth stage in life known as the Ream of Truth. In this Realm, everything and everyone is equal and the soul is free of desire. This goal ends the cycle of death and rebirth and is the ultimate goal of all Sikhs. However, God is the ultimate judge of who unites with Him or not. One can work hard to become a gurumuk, and influence one’s chance to uniting with God, but ultimately the decision is God’s. This ultimate goal of uniting with God is similar to that of Hinduism, but in Hinduism, God does not decide who escapes the cycle of samsara.
3) How do we get there?
God is part of everything, always thinking about God will influence your actions.
We get there through following the teachings of Guru Nanak through the Guru Granth Sahib, meditation on uniting with God and acts of service/charity. Worship of God is essential, and though one must not worship physical representations of God, one must worship his many names, often through the use of mala beads. These beads aid the believer during meditation, so he does not need to count the number of repetitions, as by fingering the beads, the beads do this for him. Also, the ground for our actions is maya, the real world we live in, which in contrast to Hinduism is very real in Sikhism. Maya is essential for us to be able to practice correct thought, and where we are given a chance, through free will, to demonstrate right actions and distinguish ourselves between manmuks and gurumuks. However, maya can also hinder our efforts because of material distractions.
Do not perform rituals, they bring no spiritual benefit. Just live a holy life thinking and acting as God.

Part II: indepth outline, paragraphs and pictures

1) Describe the 10 most important concepts.
1) There is only one God, Ek Omkara (meaning one God), the creator, sustainer and destroyer. God may have many names and is emphasized to not have just one because there are many different ways of viewing God, and each religion around the world may have their own name. Names given such as Akal Purukh, the Creator, are just descriptions of God. There are no physical representations of him, and the creation of these is prohibited. Because there are no physical representations, the many names of God are worshipped in meditation, often through the use of mala beads, as explained above.
2) God cannot take human form. Therefore there are no human manifestations of God, such as Jesus is in Christianity. However, God has communicated to ten men, Guru Nanak and ten other Gurus. God is in everything.
3) If one can overcome the five cardinal vices, one can achieve salvation. Kam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (worldly attachment), Ahankar (pride) or haumai (selfish ego). As humans, the purpose of life is to unite with God, but we can’t do this if we are polluted with wrong actions such as the five vices. To unite with God we must purify our soul and act with devotion and love to become like the pure nature of God.
4) Rejection of “blind” rituals such as fasting, religious vegetarianism, pilgrimages, superstitions, yoga, and many types of idol worship.
By participating in these rituals, one does not focus on the God within. Meditation on the Lord is more important than debating whether to eat meat or not. Getting caught up in these rituals, one can forget one’s true purpose- to worship and connect with the Lord by escaping samsara.
5) Family life (Grasth) is encouraged. It is discouraged to renunciate family connections and a home, like the way of ascetics.
By avoiding family life, one is admitting one does not know how act in a family and solve conflicts or treat family members correctly, basically one avoids the problems associated with family life. Avoiding family life is like taking the easy path through life. One must take on the challenge of acting with pure actions in everyday life as a member of society. Sikhs view marriage as linking two families rather than just two individuals.
In family life, one can learn all one needs from God. In everyday chores and responsibilities is where one unites with God, and where revelations take place. There are no ashrams in Sikhism, as all these stages, khands, can be found while living a household life. The religious connections to household life developed because in India, it is difficult for people to make time for religious worship, as they are so busy taking care of their families, that Guru Nanak decided to build that factor into Sikhism.
6)
Guru Granth Sahib

The holy book, Guru Granth Sahib is the lasting Guru. There are no living Gurus today though there were Gurus in the past, such as Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak grew up in a Hindu family, rejected the religion and later became Islamic. However, neither of these religions suited him well. He disappeared for three days while bathing in a stream, and after these three days, he returned and claimed God had taken him to His court and communicated a divine revelation. Guru Nanak said that neither Hinduism nor Islam was the true religion of God, and that he would follow God’s true path; Guru Nanak’s new religion called Sikhism. Guru Nanak began a community of Sikh worshippers, and ten total Gurus. After the tenth Guru declared that the Holy Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, was the last Guru, there were no more Gurus.

7) There are no separations of caste, race or sex. Everyone is equally able to worship and connect with God. Everyone is a member of the Lord’s creations, and there are no distinctions. This world is the same as the next world where there are no separations between groups of people.
7b) Rejection of female infanticide, sati (wife burning), and purdah (women wearing veils) because Sikhs believe women are equal to men. Women provide everything in life. They give birth to rulers, continue family lineage, play an integral role in societal professions, are one half of the household, and much more. Women are highly valued in Sikhism for these reasons.

8) Maya and Mukti. We should not be attached to the tangible things in the world. We need to strive to disconnect ourselves form impermanent goods, and much like Buddhism, lose our desire for these things and therefore our suffering. When we lose our attachment to these things, we can free our jot and unite with God. By losing our attachment to these things, it becomes easier to overcome the five vices.

9) Honest labor is highly valued. One must earn one’s living through honest work and not beg or steal from others. One must reap what one sews. If one hurts others through cheating or stealing, one is hurting God because God is in everyone. This would be counterproductive to the goals of the religion.
10) All Sikhs must give back to the community through Vand Chhana, sharing with others. It is a social responsibility along with Seva, community service. At many gurdwaras there is a free community kitchen (langar). This kitchen is open to all people. By sharing with all people, one is sharing with God’s creations and therefore God.

Rituals: Choose 2.

1.
Nam Karan

Nam Karan: Naming of a Child
After a child is born, the parents take the child to a gudwara where a granthi chooses the name for the child. The ceremony involves drinking Amrit (sugar water) and eating Karah Prashad (sacred pudding). The name is chosen through Hukam; the granthi opens the Sri Guru Granth Sahib to a random page, and uses the first letter of the first hymn as the first letter of the child’s name. Sweet water, sacred pudding and Hukam are used in many festivals including the rite of passage into adulthood. Hukam is used because it represents God’s divine order, ordering the book to open to a certain page, communicating God’s message to the parents for the name of the newborn. It emphasizes how God is a part of everything and his role at all stages in life.
2.
Vaisakhi Festival

Vaisakhi- the New Year’s Eve anniversary of the Khalsa Panth, community of all Sikhs who follow Guru Nanak’s teachings, being formed on Earth. Celebrated with special services and procession of the Guru Granth Sahib (nagar kirtan, the entire town’s praise together). It is at the time of the New Year and harvest time, so it is merry and full of festive spiritual humor. It is the celebration of the first five Gurus willing to give their lives to the religion.

Sacred Texts

The main Sikh texts are the Guru Granth Sahib and the Janam Sakhis. Knowledge is passed on mainly through shabad, written knowledge. The Guru Granth is the only authority on Sikhism, and the Janam Sakhis recount the life of Guru Nanak like the early Christian texts of Jesus. Any Sikh can interpret the texts, and this is encouraged since there are no more Gurus, as this would alter the true meaning of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Ganth Sahib is also called the Adi Granth. It contains text from other religions and is the only authority in Sikhism, though it is not a person.
The Ganth Sahib contains devotional hymns, poetry praising God, meditation on the True Guru (God), moral and ethical rules to aid one on the spiritual journey of the soul, salvation and direction on achieving unity with God. The content of the text is worshipped, but since idol worship is not allowed, the physical book is not worshipped. The Guru Granth Sahib contains divine words uttered by the first ten Gurus.

Japji Hymn

The opening to the hymn summarizes the Sikh view of God. It is called the Mool Mantra:

There is Only One God
Truth is Your Name
the Creator, Perfect Keeper, Fearless, Without Enmity, The primary Entity, Without Incarnations, Self-perpetuating; With the Gurus grace: Recite!
True in the beginning, True Through the Ages, True even now and says Nanak will be True in the future |1|

Key to the Guru Granth Sahib and key to the Sikh religion. It describes the brotherhood of man and that God is the key to salvation. This specific passage describes the qualities of God: there is only one who is the constant truth, he is the creator, sustainer, without hostility and lasting forever without reincarnation. God has always been the one truth. This Japji hymn is used during many Sikh rituals. It is recited during morning prayer and during the naming ceremony.

Ardas
Recounts the history of the Sikhs. It contains blessings to God and the Gurus. It contains the large events in the Sikh religion and is read during many festivals.

God is One. All victory is of the Wondrous Guru (God).

May the respected sword (God in the form of the Destroyer of evil doers) help us!

Ode of the respected sword recited by the Tenth Guru.

First remember the sword (God in the form of Destroyer of evil doers); then remember and meditate upon Guru Nanak.

Then remember and meditate upon Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das: May they help us!

Remember and meditate upon Guru Arjan, Guru Hargobind and Respected Guru Har Rai.
Remember and meditate upon respected Guru Har Krishan, by having the sight of whom, all pains vanish.

Remember and meditate upon Guru Tegh Bahadur; and then nine sources of wealth will come hastening to your home.

This section references the 10 gurus who began Sikhism along with Guru Nanak. It reminds Sikhs to remember, thank and pray for these Gurus and the direction they have provided.

Tav-Prasad Savaiye by Guru Gobind Singh
This poem is read after Japji in the morning and details how rituals like fasting and blind following of god are useless because they are not sincere forms of worship.

Scrupulous Jains and hosts of Siddhs, ascetic yogis - I have seen them all.

Warriors and demons, gods who drink amrit, devout believers in a multitude of doctrines.

All these have I witnessed as I traveled the world, yet never a true follower of the Lord.

Without the love and grace of God their devotion is trivial, worthless, lost. (1)

Mighty elephants in gorgeous array, magnificently decked with gold;

Thousands of horses nimbler than deer, their speed even swifter than the wind;

Though their masters be powerful emperors, potentates before whom countless bow.

In the end such greatness crumbles to nothing as barefoot they go on their way. (2)

The line:
All these have I witnessed as I traveled the world, yet never a true follower of the Lord. References the fact that though jains and sidds and ascetic yogis are devout because they alter their lifestyle to rituals praising God, they are not truly praising God because these rituals distract them.


Janam Sakhis
-“life evidences”
-Four books include stories of the life of Guru Nanak. These four books embellish the occurrences in Guru Nanak’s life and possibly add supernatural events and miraculous acts, which may or may not be true. It is compared to early Christian texts recounting the life of Jesus.

Dasam Granth
-a collection of writings of the tenth Guru Guru Gobind Singh. However, these texts do not completely fit the view of the Sikh religion and are therefore not fully accepted. The Dasam Granth inspired oppressed people and encouraged them to rise up against tyranny.

Doctrine/Belief

Key Doctrine
There is only one God (Akal Purukh) who’s advice is given through the Guru Granth Sahib, and through following the beliefs in the text, it is possible for our “jot” to be freed and from the cycle of births and deaths and achieve mukti to be united with God. This key doctrine is what unites Sikh followers. It is the common element that keeps Sikh sects together, and allows them to be associated with the Sikh religion. In many religions, some of the main doctrines can only be interpreted by priests through text, or passed on orally. However, in Sikhism the main doctrine and beliefs are all contained within the Guru Granth Sahib, allowing individuals to interpret the doctrines for themselves.

Cosmology: Humans can influence God’s decision in accepting them to be united with Him, however Humans don’t have full control on the decision. The universe is completely up to God’s will, hukam. God is the creator, sustainer and destroyer and all things come from him. Sikhism agrees with scientific belief because God’s creations are constantly evolving and improving because he is involved with everything. This fits the theory of evolution and survival of the fittest well.



Eschatology
There are five Khands, or stages one must pass through before being united in the Realm of Truth with God. This may occur during life or death. The fourth stage may only be entered through God’s grace (gurprasad), and his permission. These five stages are:

1. Dharam Khand: the realm of righteous action
2. Gian Khand: the realm of knowledge
3. Saram Khand: the realm of spiritual endeavour
4. Karam Khand: the realm of grace
5. Sach Khand: the realm of Truth






Religious Experience

Group/individual experience


Gudwara Bangla Sahib

In Sikhism, centers of worship are called gudwaras. At gudwaras, during festivals, the sangat, or local Sikh community, will gather in praise of God (Kirtan). During the rest of the year, individuals practice throughout the day with prayers: nam japna, kirat karo and vand kakko. Gudwara means “guru’s home”, and each Gudwara is built on a holy site or site of religious significance. The daily practice of nam japna means repeating the Lord’s name breath by breath with full concentration. This will bring happiness and focus to the individual. The individual will feel love for all living things as they are all a part of the Lord, and hurting any living being would be hurting the Lord. Kirat Karo refers to the Sikh emphasis on working justly for one’s living because everyone must work equally for their living, as when one enters the Realm of Truth everything and everyone is equal. Kirat Karo is to prepare us for that. Vand kakko is the belief in giving back to humanity through (seva-volunteer work) because all of humanity is part of God. Every Sikh can read the scripture as it is written in Punjabi, a language originally chosen by Guru Nanak because it was widely spoken by all people. Guru Nanak used many anecdotes to make the teachings easier to understand.

Gender Role

Sikhism believes that all humans are equal in everything, social standing, men vs women etc. Sikhs emphasize their high view of women because they realize that women gave birth to kings, rulers and holy men, provide and raise all people. All people can pray in any temple and participate in religious events. All people are equal because in the Realm of Truth all people are equal as well. However, in Sikh society today, gender equality issues still exist. Men hold the more powerful roles of politicians, doctors and lawyers with women still primarily in the background. So, through action the Sikh community has not followed the teachings of Guru Nanak. However, some of these issues do have to do with the society of the country, and not completely on the ideals of the Sikh religion.

Ethical Issues

-In Sikhism there is no common collection or set of specific ethical guidelines
-However, in Sikh texts equality is emphasized, and with the rejection of ritual Sikhism avoids many ethical conflicts having to do with the killing of animals and so forth.
Legal issues come from the interpretation of the Sikh texts.
Sikhism also emphasizes kirat karro, acting truthfully in life and the workplace. In Sikhism, the world was created through divine force. Also, kirpan is encouraged and means to protect the weak and vulnerable members of society. Guru Gobind Singh created dharma yudh, a righteous set of rules for war, to limit and control the extent and conduct of wars. Other than these beliefs, some ethical guidelines can be found in the Rahit Maryada.

Buddhism 7-11

7) Texts and Monasteries
Describe the specific role of texts in Buddhism and how does it differ from other religious text?
Describe the aspects / role of one of the texts manuscripts depicted on the page.

In Buddhism, the texts are collections of the life of the Buddha who found the path to enlightenment. The texts greatly influenced the monasteries, and the teachings taught there. These texts vary greatly between religions, but the common belief in the journey of the Buddha to Enlightenment, and the teachings he passed on remains the same. These teachings are found throughout the Buddhist texts, such as the ones mentioned below.

The Tripitaka is the earliest Buddhist text and is divided into: Discipline Basket (Vinyana Pitaka) which sets guidelines on how to live the monastic life of the sangha, Discourse basket (Sutra Pitaka) which recounts the life and teachings of Buddha, and Special teachings (Abhidarma Pitaka), miscellaneous collections of poetry, songs and stories from Buddha's earlier lives.
Many Buddhist sacred texts fall under the category of Sutras as well. As sects of Buddhism were created like Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, new texts were created, and certain texts are emphasized or excluded from the religion. Therefore this makes Buddhist texts different from other religions because of the great variation.

These texts differ from those of other religions because they recount the way that others can become like Buddha, and how it is possible. Whereas monotheistic religions would state that humans can never be like God, but should be the best human we can be. In Buddhism, it is possible to achieve the same status as Buddha.
These texts also differ because there is no one central text used between religions.
Overall Buddhist texts differ because: There is no one central text, each sect can create their own religious text, and there is no one central text like the Bible in Christianity.

8) Celestial Beings
Describe / explain the Buddhist concept of the Bodhisattvas.

Bodhisattvas came about because once the Buddha achieved Enlightenment, he simplified his teachings so everyday people could understand them. This was a form of compassion, and the role of Bodhisattvas evolved.
Bodhisattvas are defined as "Buddhists to be". Buddhists believe that once one achieves Enlightenment, the knowledge and joy should be shared with others. This is the role of bodhisattvas. Therefore in Buddhism, it is ok to worship the Bodhisattvas and unite oneself with them. This is called "nembutsu" or "mindfulness of the Buddha".

Symbolism is a crucial element to Buddhist concepts - analyze the significance of three different symbols given on the Celestial Beings pages.

On the statue of Tara:
The third eye in the middle of the forehead represents Tara's all seeing nature
The Open palm represents the favor granting gesture and openness to help all people achieve Enlightenment
The eye on the palm represents Tara's ability to see suffering everywhere in the world, and know that it exists. This contributes to the 1st truth of Buddhism that everything is suffering

9) Chinese Buddhism/ Japanese Buddhism
Describe some aspect of Chinese Buddhism that is uniquely Chinese.

In Chinese Buddhism, the belief is that through practice (meditation, ritual, chanting, teaching and studying Buddhist texts), one gains "merit" in future lives for oneself and also one's family and supporters.
The Buddhas and bodhisattvas from India were altered to Chinese forms. For example, in Chinese Buddhism there are: Kuan Shih Yin, the fat Laughing Buddha and the Buddha of pure land was believed to have come from the mountains in China, instead of from India.

Describe some aspect of Japanese Buddhism that is uniquely Japanese.

Buddhism arrived in Japan from China, and mainly Mahayana Buddhism. Other teachings include: Tendai, Shingon, the Pure Land Schools, the three major sects of Zen Buddhism: Rinzai, Soto and Obaku. Eisai Rinzai, a Japanese monk brought tea bush seeds to Japan and planted them in his school. Since then, tea has been connected to Buddhism because it is said to have the same essence and taste as Zen. Rinzai taught "chado", or way of tea, and that one could achieve Enlightenment through the absorption of all things.

10) Tantric Buddhism
Define (in your own words) what Tantric Buddhism is.

Tantric Buddhism uses meditation, ritual, symbolism and magic. The belief is that Tantric Buddhism achieves Enlightenment much faster than the way of the bodhisattvas. Through reciting mantras, one must realize that all human states are connected, even the opposites such as hate and revulsion are connected to love and desire. By realizing this connection, one can achieve Buddha-nature because these states are nothing on their own.
There are religious artifacts such as the vajra, a double-headed instrument with a bell. One vajra is held in each hand, representing opposites such as male/female, empty/full etc.

11) Overall Analysis / Synthesis:

Describe three important aspects of Buddhism that you learned as a result of this research.

I learned that there are multiple sects of Buddhism that vary greatly, such as Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Mahayana, Theravada, more so than sects of other religions because there isn't one main text, there are different religious artifacts such as vajras and tea, different schools of thought, the Buddha is represented in different ways across Buddhist sects, and Tantric Buddhism has completely different methods from other forms of Buddhism. However, the common beliefs of Buddhism such as the belief in the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble truths and the Eightfold Path carry across the division between the different sects.

Buddhism Vocab

Buddhism Vocabulary

Dukkha-all living things are suffering, temporary and imperfect. It literally means the suffering of all things that are conditioned/manipulated. The things that cause suffering are the stress of pain, the stress of fabrication, and the stress of change. The concept of Dukkha is also the first noble truth.


Tanha-excessive cravings for desire of things that can’t be attained. This is the nature of humans that we must overcome through following the tenets of Buddhism.

Anicca-impermanence, nothing lasts forever. The inevitable fate of all matter. Humans rely on the belief that things last forever and suffering arises as a result of this expectation when these materials perish.

Anatta-a temporary ego. there is no permanent “self” that we think of as our ego, it is a temporary creation. This is our mind as we see ourselves, we often fail to see the bigger picture and that our ego is not really who we are.

Nirvana- a mental state that is empty of self, and therefore there is no suffering, escaping the cycle of birth and death. There is therefore no craving. By following the eightfold path, one can attain Nirvana.

Rhat- In Theravada Buddhism, someone who has reached Englightenment, including the Buddha. There are different types of rhat such as Sammasambuddha, one who discovered the truth on his own and teaches the path to others, Paccekabuddha, those who discover the truth on their own but cannot teach the path to others, and Savakabuddha, those who receive the truth from a Sammasambuddha.


Samsara- literally “journeying” the eightfold path leads from Samsara to Nirvana. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Sometimes described as the opposite of Nirvana. In Mahayana Buddhism, Samsara and Nirvana are mental states. In some Buddhist beliefs, the true nature of the world is both Samsara and Nirvana together.

Buddha- commonly used to mean the first Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama), but now is meant to be a teacher who helps you on the path to enlightenment.
Siddhartha Guatama-grew up as a Hindu and experienced the extremes in life of richness and desire and the sickness, death and poverty. He developed Buddhism and achieved enlightenment. However, after he developed the religion, he didn’t want followers to worship him as God. He believed followers should focus on attaining enlightenment on their own.

Bodhissata- the Buddha-to-be. The Dalai Lama is the bodhissata of compassion. These bodhissatas must still find their way on the path to Enlghtenment like anyone else. However, their fate is still to become a Buddha. Through successive births these Bodhissatas will eventually become Buddhas.

Sangha- a group of Buddhists, can be small or mean the entire community of Buddhists worldwide and anything in between. It helps people who are hurt and confused who choose to turn to Buddhism because other people will be in the same situation. It is beneficial for these people to talk and sort out their problems together. It is progressive in sharing wisdom and knowledge of life. By opening yourself and helping others, you can let go of selfishness and ego.

Dhamma-the law and order of the universe. It also refers to the teachings of the Buddha. Dhamma is the way of life that cannot be changed and is eternal.

Bhavana-generally means development. Usually combined with other words like “citta-bhavana” development of mind. “metta-bhavana” development of lovingkindness. Everything eminates from the mind, therefore control of the mind is the first step in action

Karuna-active sympathy and compassion towards others. In Theravada Buddhism, it is good for one to dwell in a state of compassion because it leads to happiness and cleanses the mind of suffering and worry.

Maya-illusion of the world. Illusion that our emotions are our reality and that is all that matters. To be able to be easily emotionally swayed and hang everything off of events in our lives.

Upaya-skillful means or methods to attain liberation from maya and reach Enlightenment. This is a broad expression and encompasses all Buddhist teachings

Lama- a Buddhist spiritual leader, in Hinduism this is known as a guru. For example, the Dalai Lama is the Buddha of compassion. Sprul-sku lamas are reincarnated lamas who have automatically earned their respect, as opposed to others who have earned respect from their great spiritual development.

Mudras-certain hand gestures used in images of Buddha that represent different meanings. For example Abhaya Mudra is like a cupped hand and means “do not fear”

Three Jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
-these are the common required beliefs between all Buddhist sects.
Buddha- One must learn from the actions of Siddhartha Guatama on his path to attaining Englightenment
Dharma- Learning spiritual direction from Buddhist texts
Sangha-the worldwide community of Buddhists that support one another on their journey to Enlightenment on the Eightfold path

Buddha- take refuge in what Siddhartha discovered and learned through his teachings, but not through him. Anyone can be a Buddha when they achieve englightenment
Dharma-teachings passed on by Siddhartha, the fundamental nature of reality
Sangha-the entire community of Buddhists who support each other in their religious journeys

Theravada Buddhism-in South East Asia. “way of the elders” because it is the oldest of the Buddhist sects. This is the original form of Buddhism focused on the individual and serious meditation and practice were required. This form of Buddhism didn’t accomadate societies as a whole and set almost unattainable standards, so Mahayana Buddhism was developed for the everyday person to participate in and be more suited to meet the goals set in Mahayana Buddhism.

Mahayana Buddhism- in East Asia. “the great vehicle” there are many subsects. It is called “the great vehicle” because it branched off of Theravada Buddhism to create a more universal and achievable religion. In Mahayana Buddhism, there are certain terms for someone who has attained a higher state of consciousness and has reached a level closer to Enlightenment, rather than only one end goal of Enlightenment that you have either reached or not. In general, Mahayana Buddhism added a “gray scale” in between Theravada’s black and white.

Mandala-artwork made of natural materials that symbolizes anyita, the impermanence of life, when it is wiped away

Eightfold Path
-panna: a type of wisdom that must be discovered and can not be taught. Once one has learned this type of wisdom, one has achieved Englightenment.
-Sila- moral conduct and correct behavior to promote peaceful existence in communities. This contributes to “right action”
-Samadhi (effort)-one must demonstrate genuine interest in pursuing Buddhism as a way of living and with the end goal of achieving a state of no desire

Four Noble Truths
Life is suffering. Dukkha. This must first be accepted as truth to proceed
We cause our suffering. Tanha. Excessive craving and desire causes our suffering
We can end our suffering. Through
Through the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold path is a set of steps one must follow to achieve Enlightenment. The path is composed of:

Wisdom:
1. Right View
2. Right Intention

Ethical Conduct:
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood

Mental Development:
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

Buddhism Concepts

1) Buddhism (general overview):
Describe what you think are the three main concepts of Buddhism outlined on pages 60 -61

The three main concepts of Buddhism are dukka, tanha and samma.
Dukka is the belief that everything in life is unsatifactory and filled with suffering. This suffering arises from the clinging and infinite desire that will never be fulfilled; this is called tanha. However, we can choose to overcome that suffering with samma, or the correct way of life as it applies to many actions. For example, right understanding, right thought, right speech, right livlihood, right action, right mindfulness and right concentration. These three "right" ways of life make up the eightfold path, or the way to achieve Nirvana.

2) The Life of Buddha
What do you think are the main / most important elements of the Buddha's life?

The Buddha began life as Siddhartha Gautama, a young man who was spoiled from birth and given all humanly pleasures possible. His father wished to hide him from all the suffering of the world. However, as he ventured out into the world he began to notice sick people, elderly people, poor people and suffering people in general. He met an ascetic one day and followed him, leaving his family to study. He studied for 40 years and achieved Enlightenment under the bodhi tree. He then began preaching Buddhism in northeast India.

The most important elements are that he began life with all human pleasures and from there was awoken to the realities of the world and the innate nature of suffering. It is also important that he demonstrated his interest and out of his own will he pursued the teachings of an ascetic and found the "right" way through life on his own.

Analyze the image and text in the center of the pages titled "The Buddha Conquers Mara" and describe three aspects of the imagery and the symbolism it represents in the life of the Buddha

Symbol of the Buddha's teaching: The wheel that the Buddha holds in his hand is composed of 8 spokes representing the eightfold path which he formed after attaining enlightenment. This teaching is called dharma.

Treasury of Desire: a vase is placed at an altar below the meditation throne representing the fact that all desires must be left behind before one can begin to attain Enlightenment.

Lotus Throne: The Buddha sits on his meditation throne of a lotus flower. The lotus flower still has its roots in the mud and water, but its petals are in the light above water. It is said that when the Buddha was born, a lotus flower sprung up after each of the first seven steps he took.

Overall, this picture is representative of the Buddhist religion because it uses symbolic images to describe certain beliefs. This temple hanging details the life of the Buddha from birth, when he was a boddhista (a future buddha) to Enlightenment. It details his conquest over Mara, the evil one who tried to prevent Shakyamuni from attaining enlightenment.

3) The Buddha Image
Using the smaller images of Buddha as a reference (on pages 64-65) explain at least two different ways the Buddha is represented.

Buddha on a Lotus Throne: This Buddha figure represents the finality of life. It depicts scenes from Buddha's life and at the top shows his inevitable death. By becoming dispassionate, one can become detached and through this one is liberated. Then there is knowledge of this liberation and one achieves Nirvana. After this goal in life has been reached, it is the inevitable way that one then passes away and one's life has been fulfilled. Overall, this Buddha statue represents the goal in life and the destined death of all humans at the end.

Gandharan Buddha: This Buddha was constructed during he 2nd to 3rd century CE because of the type of bun on the Buddha's head is typical of Greek gods. Also when Alexander the Great conquered northwest India where this statue is from. The respect for the Buddha is shown through the ascetic haristyle, the halo around the back of his head, the "mark of a superman" spot on his forehead and many more. Overall, this is the Greek influenced statue of Buddha.

Analyzing the image of the Buddha on page 65 and explain at least five elements / symbols represented in the image.

The monastic cloak is typical of Gandharan style, showing how Buddha is a normal everyday man, no more special that anyone today.

Meditation throne-symbol of the presence of the Buddha. The Buddha sits on top of it and prays

Wheel-turning posture- a position or mudra for the hands common of the "dharmacakra mudra" or wheel turning pose.

Buddha Halo- as stated earlier, there is a halo around the back of Buddha's head that suggests his religious importance.

Marks of a Superman- there is a little tuft of hair between Buddha's eyes on his forehead that is a marking of a "superman". This again shows the reverence for Buddha

4) Stupas, Temples and Relics
What role do stupas play in Buddhism and what sort of symbols are found as a part of stupas?

Stupas used to be ancient burial grounds for the Buddha and other prominent religious figures of the era. However, as they gained importance they were carved out and certain symbols were engraved into them. Stupas have become large relics that remind believers of their symbolism and Buddhist beliefs. In Tibet, the stupa is a dome centered on a five-tiered bass representing the five elements of the world along with the sun resting on the crescent moon representing wisdom and compassion.

Using the stone slab in the middle of the two pages as a reference, what are some of the main features and what do they represent within Buddhism?

The Buddha's life: there is a depiction of the Buddha as a bodhisattva (Buddha to be)

Celestial spirits: bring garlands to the Buddha in veneration

The Wheel of the Law: represents the cosmos and Buddhist concepts of karma and rebirth, as these beliefs are cyclical and recurring like a wheel

5) Devotion
Describe one symbol or act of devotion in Buddhism.

At the Pure Land school the boys are taught to give up all self-serving desires, even the one for enlightenment and devote himself entirely to the power of Amitabha who saves those who have faith and trust in him. It is also ceremonial for the boys to all shave their heads.

Also, for lay Buddhists, being philanthropic and donating food, clothing and other goods are great devotional acts because through these acts, a lay Buddhist is assured a favorable future birth.

6) Cosmology
Describe the main tenets or ideas of Buddhist Cosmology.

In Buddhism, the cosmos is impermanent and was not created. All things living or otherwise must work to achieve Enlightenment, even Gods. There are different realms like castes, for Gods then humans and animals. Below these realms lay the "hungry ghosts" and "hells". The concept of Samsara plays a part because when humans are reborn, they are born into one of 6 different realms.

What are the different types of mandalas and what the main ideas presented in all mandalas?

Mandalas represent the ideal Buddha world. They are a part of Tantric Meditation practice where believers learn to visualize Buddhist realms. These visualizations may be represented through different forms of artwork. Rituals and mantras are associated with these mandalas, and they are believed to posses powerful psychic energy. They represent both the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of the believer's psychic energy. After these intricate beautiful mantras are completed from organic materials, they are destroyed representing the impermanence of life.

Interpret what you think are the three - four most important concepts in the Buddhist "wheel of life"

Clinging: the man plucking fruit from the tree represents the irresistible human yearning for possession and desire life.

Ignorance: represented by a blind man shows human ignorance to the fact that life is suffering and that we can escape this state through our own effort.

Acts of Volition: potters molding their own fate/karma in the pots they produce represent a deed such as right action, right speech and right mindfulness. This shows that by following the eightfold path and discovering one's way through life one can achieve enlightenment.

Hinduism: Themes

Achieving Salvation:
Possible Vocab to use: Krinshna, Maya, Moksha

In Hinduism, the belief is that each person is made of a body and a soul, or Atman. The goal in Hinduism is to unite our conscious mind with our Atman because what our conscious mind perceives as reality is known as maya, or illusion. Maya is the belief that we invest ourselves in our life right now, and don't see the larger picture that our Atman is part of. When we finally realize this, and can step outside of our worries in our finite lives, our Atman will achieve Moksha, and escape the cycle of endless rebirths known as Samsara. To help us with this process, there are four main types of Yoga, or ways to unite oneself with one's Atman. These four types of Yoga are: Jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge, where one studies religious texts to lose numb all other senses through extreme focus so the spiritual sense may be awakened, Bhakti yoga, the yoga of love or devotion for one God where one can lose worldly worry and focus on uniting with one's Atman, Ashtanga yoga, the physical yoga where one must first have moral ethics, then learn to control breathing and focus the mind by banishing all personal thoughts, and finally Karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action, where by acting with good intentions solely for the reason that they are the right thing to do, one does not expect reward and can therefore focus on the most important thing in life and escape selfish desires. By following one of these yogas, our Atman can successfully achieve salvation, and enter into Nirvana where it can reunite with Brahman.

Important figures / deities and/or Concept of God(s):
Possible Vocab to use: Guru, Krishna, Trimurti & Brahman, Trimurti, Avatar, Darshan

There is debate over whether Hinduism is a monotheistic religion or a polytheistic religion. The debate arises because of the following facts about Hinduism. In Hinduism, there is one main god, Brahma who has always been and will always be. Stemming from Brahma are three interpretations of him, the trimurti; Vishnu, Shiva and Brahman. These three interpretations have become deities to help Hindu people understand Brahma better. They each represent one quality of Brahma. For example, Vishnu is the provider of everything needed for the world. Brahman took the material and shaped it into the world we know. Shiva provides a balance of good and evil. Further divisions and sects of Hinduism arise as different depictions of these three deities, such as Vaishnavas, worshippers of Vishnu, Shaivites, worshippers of Shiva, and Shaktas, worshippers of the female version of Shiva. To portray these deities, avatars, or physical representations are used in worship and in festivals. Because of the worship of one God on the surface, and the worship of interpretations of him as deities, Hinduism is both a monotheistic and polytheistic religion.


Sacred Texts / Doctrines
Possible Vocab to use: Shruti, Smirti, Upanishads, Varna

The Vedas are the first recorded religious text in the world, and are records of the Vedic people. Though they do not contain all the main Hindu beliefs of today, they do provide the origins of these beliefs. Within the Four books of the Vedas, the last section, the Upanishads, is perhaps the most influential in the Hindu religion. It provides the philosophical basis for which the Hindu religion was constructed upon. It contains the preliminary beliefs on the Atman, Brahma and Karma which have developed over thousands of years into the system of belief we call "Hinduism" today. The subsequent beliefs that derived from the Upanishads were recorded and retold through Shruti, oral traditon, and Smirti, written tradition. Shruti is passed on with the help of Gurus, religious leaders who have studied with respected Gurus. Smirti is the knowledge passed on through religious texts such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Mahabarata. The Bhagavad Gita passes on Hindu beliefs through one main story about warring families in the larger text, the Mahabarata. The Brahmin caste is typically the one that studies these these texts in Jnana yoga and teaches them to the other castes.

Eschatology / Cosmogony / Cosmology

Hindus believe that time is cyclical. It began with the birth of Brahma and it passes in cycles of Brahma's life such as in the "kali yuga" and the "treta yuga". For Brahma, time passes much more quickly than for humans on earth. For humans, one life cycle begins when the body is created, and an Atman joins the body. When we die, our Atman returns to Brahma, a collection of Atman, and our body ceases to be. However, if during our lifetime we reunite our conscious mind with our Atman, our Atman is freed from the cycle of rebirth and can escape to Nirvana. However, if we do not reunite our conscious mind with our Atman, our Atman is again associated with a new body. If we do not perform our duties in life, and we are a bad person in general, our Atman is associated with a body in a lower caste, and it takes that much longer for our Atman to reach Nirvana.
In terms of time, it has always been, and will always be. Our planet and ourselves may cease to exist, but another planet and world will be reborn, and through it all time will always be there. It is the one constant.

Hinduism part III (4 and 5)

Part IV: Doctrine and Scripture:
From the following link 3 of the important Doctrines to research and describe:

Hindu Doctrine is carried on by means of both Shruti and Smirti.
Shruti is aural documentation, passed down by priests and Smirti is written documentation

Vedas

The vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures that tell the history of the Vedic people. These were the first religious writings and recorded origins of the Hindu religion. There are four vedas:
1. Rig Veda-contains ten books, hymns, Vedic deities, Gayatri mantra and Purusha Shukta prayer
2. Yajur Veda-priestly handbook dictating the performance of yajnas (sacrifices). It is divided into the old "black" and new "white" sections
3. Sama Veda-contains chants and melodies to be sung during worship and yajna
4. Atharva Veda-mantras, hymns, incantations to be sung outside of yajna

Each Veda is comprised of four sections, the first two are focussed on sacrificial rituals, and the last two are focussed on philosophy. The most famous of these are the:
Aryankas
Upanishads


Upanishads
The Upanishads are the last part of each of the four Vedas that are philosophically based. The 108 Upanishads are considered the religious origins of the Hindu religion where concepts such as the nature of the soul and liberation, karma and Brahman are introduced. Of the 108, 13 are the most well-known.

Mahabarata
The Mahabarata is a long story that tells the tale of a war between two families, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. It is the longest poem in the world with 110,000 verses. It teaches many Hindu concepts through its long story such as justice, when violence is ok, duty, qualities of a true leader, warrior ethic, abuse of women and dharma in the role of warrior and priestly castes. The heart of this story is the Bhagavad-Gita, the story of Arjuna, the warrior fighting Kali.

The Vedas, Upanishads and Mahabarata are all connected through their lineage and progression of the Hindu religion. The first Hindu texts were the Vedas, recounting the lives of the Vedic people and primary beliefs, within these, the Upanishads grew in popularity because of their philosophical content. From the Upanishads came the Mahabarata, a story to illustrate the Hindu beliefs in practice.


Part V: Denominations and Practice:

From the following page: Denominations and Practice: choose TWO of the Hindu denominations to describe and explain: (each has a specific link to descriptions):

Vaishnavism- the umbrella term for Hindu sects worshipping Vishnu, or avatars (forms) of Vishnu. Krishna and Rama are two main forms. Vaishnavas practice Bhakti traditions. From the 1100's onward, bhakti practice became popular because it transcended caste barriers. Two main bhakti women saints are Andal and Mirabai. Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect practiced around the world.

Shaktism- the general religion that worships Devi. More specifically, the religion that worships the Devi's forms of female deities such as Kali, Pavarti and Durga. Since Shiva represents the male principle and Shakti represents the female principle, these two concepts are complimentary, and therefore the two religions work together. The Shakti religion emphasizes the oneness of matter and spirit, and therefore worships for material benefit (emphasizing the benefits of the material world, rather than how it can entangle the believer) and liberation and connection with the Atman. Another known aspect of Shaktism is animal sacrifice, and sometimes human sacrifice.

Overtime, Devi has become a symbol for women's strength and women's liberation movements, often with pictures of Devi.

Part II and III Hinduism Project

Yoga

Yoga comes from two meanings of the word 'yoke', which means to unite, and undergo training. Yoga is therefore used to become divine, and unite with the divine spirit while still on Earth. Hinduism believes there are multiple paths, and certain paths will work better for certain individuals than others. The path must be customized. There are 4 main personality types to help one discover which path is right for themselves. However, before beginning the path, one must have a moral base. This means it is filled with truthfulness, cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, non-stealing and non-injury. Perhaps the most important aspect though, is for one to have a strong desire to reach the ultimate goal.

Jnana-yoga (philosophical research and wisdom)

Jnana yoga, or yoga of knowledge is meant for people with strong spiritual aspirations and who are highly reflective. These people live much of their lives in their head, and their thoughts control their lives. These people are often philosophers, witnessing and reflecting on the world around them. The key for these people is to realize they possess more than their finite self; they possess an infinite self. The path to arrive at this stage is through the realization of division between the surface self and the larger self. This path consists of three stages; learning, thinking and witnessing life from the outside.

Astanga/RajaYoga (physical exercises and meditation)

Generally in the body, life force moves up and down the spine. The goal of Astanga/Raja yoga is to bring this life force between emotions and the mind into balance through physical action. Once emotions and the mind are balanced, this energy can move into a place above the space between both eyebrows called the "third eye". The mind is then free of pointless worry and stressful thoughts. The body becomes very calm, and one can begin to focus on the Lord directly.

Karma-yoga (the yoga of selfless action)

Karma-yoga is the yoga of selfless service. When we act with selfless service we expect nothing in return. When we act with selfish service we expect something and have angst and worry about receiving it. Thereby, we are freeing ourselves of our worry and feel at peace with our actions. This is God acting through us to help others. One becomes more connected with God through Karma-yoga.

Bhakti-Yoga (the path of devotional service)

Bhakti-Yoga is the yoga of pure devotion to God. It is the ultimate goal of jnana yoga and karma yoga. Bhakti is the combination of jnana yoga and karma. It is often for the more emotional worshippers than the other two types of yoga. Bhakti yoga is completely selfless, and is all about the worship of God.


Part II

Step 2: Worship: find THREE of the following to focus your descriptions on:


Trimurti

Brahma- the creator and the quality of passion (raja guna) not often worshiped. There is only one temple in Pushkar.
Vishnu-provider and in charge of the quality of goodness (sattva guna) most often worshipped as Krishna and Rama
Shiva-destroyer quality of ignorance (tama guna) represents the male energy of the world while his counterpart, Shakti represents the female energy.


3 Main Focuses

There are three main worshippers in Hinduism. These correspond with the Trimurti. However, Brahma is replaced with Shakti. Therefore these three groups are:

Vaishnavas – worshippers of Vishnu

Shaivites – worshippers of Shiva

Shaktas – worshippers of Shakti
-Shakti is the female version of Shiva
-material energy, Shakti literally means energy
-shakti has many personifications such as: Durga, Kali-cruel and frightening, Pavarti-kindness, Devi-goddess, Mataji-respected mother

Other dieties in Hinduism are all forms of the Trimurti or are another powerful soul on their own.



Puja

Festival worship of the deities. Deities are worshipped by being bathed, dressed and offered food and other offerings. There are usually 16 devotional acts. During puja, pictures and visual symbols are used to help the worshippers connect with the deity through the deity's energy in the object.

Each denomination (sampradaya) has specific traditions during puja.



2 Festivals

In general, the purpose of festivals is to worship deities, focus one's mind on what's really important in life-the spiritual aspect, gather to create a sense of community, to provide spiritual inspiration for one's daily life

Holi-

Holi is celebrated on the last full moon of the year.
There are many legends as to why Holi is celebrated. These include: The Story of Dhundhi (a story about an annoying ogress), The Holika-Prahlad Episode (when Holika carried Prahlad into the flames), The Kamadeva Myth (when Shiva incinerated Kamadeva). The most popular however, is the story of Radha and Lord Krishna.
Krishna would complain that his sister, Radha's skin was so light. Krishna's mother, Yashoda, told him to through colored powder on Radha's skin to see if she darkened. Krishna is depicted as being a prankster and always throwing powder on Radha's face. Today during Holi, images or actors of Krishna and Radha are seen together being carried by the crowd through the parade.

Holi has also become a celebration for the new year, and a celebration of abundance for the new growing season.
Holi today is celebrated by people throwing powders, called abir, of every color on each other. The colors are made from ground dried flowers. The celebration is abundant with color and lasts for several days (the length varies depending on the denomination) .


Diwali

Diwali lasts for 5 days and on the third day, the main day of the festival there is a light show "Festival of Lights" complete with candles and fireworks. On this day, gifts are exchanged as well.

People seek blessings from the Goddess of Wealth.

The festival represents different events in different parts of India. In nothern India, it represent's Rama's return to Ayodhya after he defeated Ravana. In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and in Bengal it is associated with Kali.
For all variations of the festival, the common theme is that Diwali celebrates new life, and therefore people wear new clothes on this day. It also represents the coming of a new sewing season after winter.



Step 4: Pilgrimage: choose TWO holy sites that are visited and explain:
why they are pilgrimage sights
what is done at these locations.


In Hinduism, there are thousands of holy sites, or tirthas. Many are in India, but there are also numerous tirthas around the world.

Varanasi

The most famous is Varanasi, one of seven ancient holy towns. It is on the banks of the Ganges river, 450 miles south of Delhi. Its most famous mandir, or symbol, is the Golden Temple dedicated to Visvanatha/Shiva. It is the city of Shiva, and Hindus flock to the city for liberation. Because it is a very holy city, families bring their deceased family members for cremation, and later so their ashes can be thrown in the Ganges for a safe holy travel to the next life.

Ganges River

Holy sites also include natural features such as rivers and mountains. Water especially is symbollic in Hinduism of sustaining life, use in rituals and cleansing one of stress. Also, if one bathes in water associated with a deity, the believer will be cleansed of sins. In Hinduism there are seven main rivers, but perhaps the most famous is the Ganges river in India.

The Ganges river was named after the god, Ganga. Ganga was portrayed in the Mahabhrata sitting on a lotus riding a crocodile down the river. Most rivers are considered female and personified as goddesses. The Ganges in particular is very holy and used for many spiritual festivals to cleanse the believer. It is used in burial rituals for family members to throw the ashes of their beloved into the river.


Step 5. Two Rites of Passage

Jatakarma- Birth Ceremonies.

When the child is welcomed to the world, the father places ghee (butter) and honey on the child's tongue and whispers the name of God in his ear. After the 11th day, the child participates in the name giving ceremony, namakarana, by putting new clothes on the baby. The child's name is chosen by the name of position of the moon at the birth. A havan, fire sacrifice, and feast follow these rituals. There are several later rituals for the child including:
1. The first outing- when the child first meets the sun, the moon and the temple deity
2. The first haircut
3. The first grains
4. Ear lobe piercing

Vivaha-Marriage

Vivaha is the most important samskara. The couple is chosen by elders based on their astrological signs and tended to work well. The couples had to stay together through life, and if they divorced would be excluded from the society. Couples usually come from the same varna, social class, though sometimes women married men of a higher varna, but the opposite was prohibited. Also, a dowry was included where the family of the woman would give money to her. This was outlawed in India in 1961.
Women were usually married younger to older men because women mature must faster.
There are 8 types of marriages all performed by a brahmana priest. In each ceremony there are 12 common features including exchanging flower garlands, taking seven steps together and receiving the elder's blessings.

Step 6.

Describe the concept of Dharma.

Dharma is described as "religious duty". There are two main dharmas: sanatana dharma and varnashrama dharma. The moral codes are called sadharana dharma.
Dharma is the way of the world, and the duties humans do as a part of that. It is the natural order and function of all living beings.
In order to have or demand rights we must first uphold our responsibility.

Sanatana dharma- the soul's eternal drive to serve God. It is the acceptance of many other religions and beliefs in Hinduism as well as equality among all living creatures.

Varnashrama dharma- refers to the different religious duties in life as they change depending on the stage that the believer is at.


Purpose and meaning of the Four Varnas.

Varnas are one's position in society. This is composed of one's social class ( four varnas) and stage in life (the four ashrams). The individual duties within these division are sva-dharma.

The four main groups are the:

Shudras- worker and artisans for the other groups. Their purpose is to serve the other groups. They are permitted to receive money from the other groups, and the only required rite of passage is marriage.

Vaishyas- the farmers, merchant and business people. They have been spiritually initiated into Hinduism. Their job is to pay taxes to the Kshatriyas, protect animals and land, and create prosperity for the society.

Kshatriyas- warriors, police and administration. Their job is to protect the people of the society, accept challenges, never leave a battle and develop noble qualities.

Brahmanas- the teachers, priests, intellectuals. Their job is to provide the spiritual direction for society, inform and educate society and live frugally.

These four classes are developed so a society can function with everything it needs and so the people can liver harmoniously and work well in their class. They were originally developed because of mutual co-operation and a shared devotion to God.

These classes provide one with a duty in life so one does not get lost and wander around unsure of what to do and how to act. They provide a path for the individual.


Explain the purpose and meaning behind the Four Ashrams.

Ashram means "place of spiritual shelter" and is just that- a place for worshippers to go and focus solely on their spiritual aspirations, and also in general, stages of life. The purpose of the ashrams is to focus on the important stage and duty of life that one is in at the moment. These ashrams are important for their distinction between these stages, and for Hindus to realize everything will come in due time as the mind changes what it wants.

The four main ashrams are: Brahmachari (Student Life), Grihasta (Household Life), Vanaprashta (Retired Life), Sanyasa (renounced life)

Brahmachari (student life)- Students are sent to schools, like boarding schools, to study and memorize scripture. These schools are rigorous and filled with extreme focus.

Grihasta (household life)- the everyday life and development of a family. This requires family responsibilities, that one provide and care for one's family. This varna is more involved in society than the others.

Vanaprashta (retired life)- After the children have left the house and the couple has finished their parenting duties, a man and his wife invest themselves in more spiritual matters. The man will often go on pilgrimage, sometimes with his wife. In whole, the couple will devote themselves to attaining a higher spiritual state.

Sanyasa (renounced life)-This is only available to men who exhibit qualities of a brahmana. A sanyasi is a man who leaves his family and wife and is free to wander, relying on God alone. These men are called sannyasis or sadhus. These men are detached and fearless, wholly dependent on God to protect them.






Part III

Dance and Drama

Dance

Dance and theater were first performed in temples to portray spiritual themes. The official handbook for dance and theater was written by Sage Bharata Muni and called "Natya Shastra". When the Moghul and British Empires invaded, dance and theater became more for entertainment. The two main styles of dance are folk and classical.

Folk

Dandiya Rasa- a dance performed by women during Navaratri with wooden sticks emphasizing the rhythm
Garba- a circular clap dance performed by women during Navaratri
Bhangra-a colorful harvest festival from Punjab mainly performed by men and boys
Giddha- graceful female dance from Punjab

Classical

Kathak- major northern style used to tell stories (katha) using intricate framework
Bharata Natyam- major southern dance style. graceful dance using facial expressions and hand gestures (mudras)
Kathakali-dance from the South. It is an expressive/drama dance using colorful face masks.


Drama

Dance and Drama were often interwoven. Other entertainment forms were popular too. The theatrical portrayal of lilas (divine pastimes) was popular and especially Rama-lila and Krishna lila. These plays show what Rama and Krishna did during their everyday. The actor is often believed to become the deity he is portraying. Today dramas and dances are still performed to educate the world on Hindu beliefs.

Family Life

There are three main views of family in the Hindu religion.
The first is that family is a distraction from the true spiritual path and one becomes trapped in maya (illusion)
The second is that family is the essential building block in varnashrama-dharma society.
The third is that material objects can be used to attain a higher spiritual state with grihasta.

Sannyasa can be achieved by performing household duties.


The basic building blocks of Hindu society lie in the roles of the extended family. In one household, there are members of all ages. This also represents the different ashrams in Hinduism. The elders provide advice for the younger generations, the women have the domestic duties, the men provide the income and property passes from father to son. Men make the decisions, though older women have strong influence as well. Women marry into their husbands family, and become a part of it.

Family relationships: A child can joke with his grandparents, but never with his parents. There is also a dependence in Hindu family life between members. For example, children and the elderly cannot financially support themselves, so they rely on the income of the working members. However, when the working members were young and when they grow older, they will need to rely on the income of the working members at that time. There is a continuous cycle of debt and repaying. Members also support each other through life events such as the birth of a child and a marriage. Marriages are often more stable as well because the entire family relies on the husband and wife, and the marriage is based in more than just emotional ties between the couple.
Today, the extended family is becoming less popular because of modern western trends.

Names: there are specific names for an aunt or uncle depending on their exact relationship with you. For example:

A paternal grandfather: Dada
A maternal grandfather: Nana

12 Concepts

1. The Atman (the Soul): Who are we? What is the real self?

We are composed of a mind, a body and our Atman. Our Atman is distinct from the other two components because it travels though many bodies and minds. It is like the actor behind a mask who plays many roles, never becoming any one of them. The Atman is the real self. We can see life through the Atman by separating our Atman from our mind, and observing our actions from the outside. The Atman is free of gender, color and all ascribing human factors.

2. Reincarnation and Samsara What happens after death, before birth?

Before birth our soul is part of a collective or Brahman. It has no conscious awareness without the body. When we are born, our bodies are a vessel for this Atman, our part of the collective soul. When we die, our Atman returns to this collective and awaits its next body. This cycle of rebirths for the Atman is called Samsara. It is continuous, until the Atman is freed. Hindus believe we are a soul, but possess a body.

3. The Law of Karma Why is there suffering?

Karma can only be affected in Human life because we have free choice. In animals, there is no free choice, and decisions are made on instinct.
Suffering is a combination of our own choices in life. There is suffering when we fail to see the bigger picture in life, and get caught up in our finite desires and issues Also, if we commit impious actions such as harming the five sections of society: women, children, animals (especially cows), saintly people, and the elderly this causes suffering. Suffering also includes being stuck in the cycle of Samsara and not escaping into Englightenment where there is endless fulfillment of desire.

4. Prakriti (Matter) and Guna How does the world work?

The eternal Atman is trapped inside many bodies made of matter (prakti). This matter has three stages (gunas):
1. Creation: fueled by passion (rajas)
2. Sustanance: fueled by goodness (sattva)
3. Destruction: fueled by ignorance (tamas)

People are inclined to focus on one of the modes, determining their life. Goodness: ascend to Enlightenment, Passion: stay on Earth, Destrution: move down to a lower species (one w/ no free will)
Each Guna is controlled by one of the three dieties: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma.

5. Maya (Illusion) Why do we get into difficulty in this world?

We get into difficulty in this world because our soul identifies with our body, and believes they are one. The soul, or Atman, becomes focussed on worldly desires, and enters the circle of disappointment and desire, redoubling its efforts and getting trapped deeper in the circle.

6. moksha (Liberation) What is the goal of life?

Moksha is the goal of Hindu life. To escape Samsara, and free the soul from its attachment to the body. To unify one's Atman with God, and to step outside of worldly desires.

7.God (Brahman / Ishvara) Is there a God? If so, what is He/She like?

In Hinduism there is a god, Brahman; however, Brahman is perceived in many different ways. Here are two:

God Part I: Monism, or advaita. In this way, God is perceived as all inclusive, but his aspects are viewed through the different deities which are all a part of him.

God Part II: Monotheism. God is separate from the different deities, though they are associated and work with him. If one worships the other deities, one is also indirectly worshipping God.

8. Dharma (religious duties) Which is the right way to act?

Sanatana Dharma: duties dealing with faith that are performed by all people

Varnashana Dharms: duties dealing with one's specific role in society. For example, protector (in the military), teacher, service worker supporting the society etc.
Some religions just call themselves Sanatana Dharma because it is more specific than "Hinduism."
All people should adhere to their Varnashana Dharms, which are different for each group, but all people adhere to the same Sanatana Dharma because they are spiritual obligations.

9. One Goal, Different Paths How can we explain Hindu diversity?

There are four goals in Hinduism. They are each stepping stones to the last and ultimate goal, to achieve moksha and fulfill infinite desires. These four goals are:
harma-regulated living to achieve wealth, and to provide a basis for the material life
artha-economic development, growing material possessions and becoming more successful
kama- sensual pleasure, enjoying life's pleasures attained by artha
moksha- uniting the mind and soul and achieving infinite fulfillment of desire
(prema-loving of God, the 5th step)

Hindu diversity exists because each person is trying to achieve a different goal, as well as the million ways to achieve each of these goals. There is an infinite number of paths to achieve these goals. Many religions, such as Christianity and Buddhism, can be a part of Hinduism, because Hindus view them as a means to get to the same ultimate goal. However, the final goal that everyone tries to achieve is moksha, the connection of the mind to the soul to achieve infinite fulfillment of desire.

10. Scripture and Guru (Authority) How are the teachings preserved?

shastra is the term for Hindu scripture
Shabdabrahman- the term for oral teachings, which are considered the most orthodox

Hinduism uses scriptures and teachings to guide the experience of the believer, but from there heavily relies on individual discoveries and experiences to move the believer to his or her next goals.
Many teachings are preserved through oral tradition, not in books. This is because oral tradition is considered the most orthodox means of recording Hindu teachings.

11 .Time When did it all start and when will it finish?

The Hindu concept of time is cyclical and never ending. Every time something is destroyed, it is recreated, therefore showing the cycle of time. There are 4 ages, which are divisions of Brahman's time, which is much longer than time on Earth.
Brahman's one day is broken into 1,000 maha-yugas, or the term for 4 ages on Earth.
Time began when Brahman was born, and will end when Brahman dies.

12. Creation How and why was this world made?

The world was not created once, but many times. Within our universe there are 3 realms. There is the heavenly realm, the earthly realm and the lower realm. The atman, the most subtle of matter, is successively created and matched with a material body to fulfill its material desires. When it is ready, the atman will be returned to the spiritual world.

The world was created by Brahma who sprung from Vishnu's belly button and sacrificed himself for the creation of the world. Therefore everything in the world, including our souls is part of Brahma. The earth was created for those Atman who wished to be separate from God and enjoy worldly desires. However, they must realize these desires lead to a trail of suffering and that they must return to be a part of Brahma again.

Hinduism Vocabulary

HINDUISM VOCABULARY

Sanatana Dharma

Hinduism is referred to by its adherents as Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma is a Sanskrit phrase meaning “the eternal law.”

The Vedas

The Vedas (‘knowledge’) are a large body of texts that originated in ancient India. The Vedas are written in Vedic Sanskrit (oldest layer of Sanskrit literature), and are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. They are composed of four collections of hymns, detached poetical portions, and ceremonial formulas. They are called Rig – Veda, Sama – Veda, Yajur – Veda, and the Atharva – Veda.

Upanishads

They are philosophical texts of the Hindu religion. There are around 200, the first dozen or so are referred to as principal, main, or old Upanishads. The oldest Upanishads date back to the pre – Buddhist era of India.

Bhagavad Gita

Otherwise simply known as ‘Gita.” The text consists of a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Lord Krishna relays yogic and vedantic philosophies to Arjuna.

Ramayana

Tells the story of a man, Rama whose wife is abducted by the demon king. The story explores the reasons and lessons of human existence and concept of dharma (the principle/law that orders the universe)

Atman

Philosophical term used within Hinduism. Identifies the soul whether in global sense (world's soul) or in individual sense (of a person own soul). It’s the eternal soul with “layers” that one must shed to reach Nirvana.

Avatar

Refers to a descent of a deity (an incarnation of a deva (god) from heaven to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being, and is mostly translated as “incarnation” in English, but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation”

Bhajans

Any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine. Anecdotes and episodes from scriptures, the teachings of saints and descriptions of gods have all been the subject of Bhajans.

Brahman

Everything and the ultimate reality, encompassing everything we know, nature of Brahman is described as being transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different philosophical schools.

Brahma

Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti

Trimurti

concept in Hinduism where cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or transformer. The three deities also called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity.”

Vishnu

The preserver and restorer, the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains, and governs Universe

Shiva

God that takes back or destroys, keeps the balance in life ,the Destroyer or transformer of the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine

Darshan

vision from the divine

Gunas

3 qualities of energy
Tamas: dullness/ignorance
Rajas: energy/passion

Sattva

light and clarity, to lead the right path. Living awareness, it’s a term of power due to its purity and meaning and has become the representation for many peaceful social movements, particularly those centered on social justice, environmentalism and vegetarianism.
Guru

has great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others

Ishta-Devata

the form of God one chooses to worship, is a term stating a worshipper's favorite deity

Krishna

the Deity of enjoyment in life, close to Vishnu like the preserver, worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. Some traditions recognize Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider him to be the Supreme Being.

Rita

Universe is divided into Sat(being) and Asat(non-being). Rita governs Sat

Akriti

Any truth worth setting up as the foundation of your religion, the truth must ultimately come from beyond space and time, and it has to be true forever.

Law of Karma

The belief states that our actions in this life influence our status in our next life, Karma is the law of cause and effect. There are three kinds of karma.

Maya

The deity of illusion that things are not connected. There is no division between all things in the Universe. Everything is one and connected.

Moksha

To free oneself from the cycle of death and rebirth into Nirvana

Murti

refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit (murta), means "embodiment.” A murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, and is used to worship divinity.




Puja

It’s a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities, distinguished persons, or special guests. It’s done on a variety of occasions and settings, from daily puja done in the home, to temple ceremonies and large festivals.

Samsara

“the continuous flow,” the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth, (reincarnation).

Smriti

Second source of reference on dharma besides Sruti. Composed after the Vedas and is the reference for traditions of dharma (holy laws of the Universe)

Varna

the name for the original social division of Vedic people into four groups (which are subdivided into thousands of jatis)

Jati

Hindu caste or distinctive social group consisting of thousands throughout India

Yoga

Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness to attain a state of spiritual insight. This is achieved 4 different ways.

- Bhakti
o spiritual love and devotion to God. Nothing else matters, and feeling a spiritual connection with God is the goal
- Jnana
o letting go of emotions and thoughts and being able to focus and let go
- Karma
o Union through action. Acting without being attached to the outcome. This sharpens an individual’s actions and decisions.
- Raja
o bringing the mind and emotions into balance, so attention can be focused on the Lord

Hinduism- Huston Smith

What do People Want?

Throughout life we want different things at different stages. According to Hinduism, there are 4 main things people want.
The first two are titled the Path of Desire.
The first is pleasure. When we begin our life, we take care of ourselves and avoid harm. We seek pleasure and immediate happiness. Hinduism says to go after this and seek what we want. We should follow our desires as long as they don't harm ourselves or others. After we have filled our lives with pleasure, we will find it is too trivial and essentially a private goal. We will want more in our lives.
The second thing we want is worldly success. This is defined as wealth, fame and power. Worldly success is more satisfying to us than immediate pleasure because it is social. The satisfaction from this is much longer than immediate pleasure as well. We need success to support a family and perform our civic duties. Worldly success also supports dignity and self-respect.
Both these wants are acceptable in Hinduism because they are necessary to our deeper understanding of the world. However, they have limitations. Success has the following 4:
1. It does not multiply when shared. Wealth, fame and power must be split, and lessened when shared. However, spirituality multiplies when shared.
2. The drive for success is insatiable. When we have a desire for success or a certain want, we become obsessed with it. Finally, instead of being satisfied when we achieve what we were working for, we become more obsessed with having more.
3. It centers meaning in the self. One person is not big enough for an extensive amount of happiness.
4. Achievements are ephemeral. Our worldly happiness ends when we die. It is not everlasting like spirituality with the soul.

The next two wants are titled the Path of Renunciation.

Renunciation. Renunciation stems from disillusionment and despair. The first meaning of renunciation is that something is not worthwhile to exert one's energy upon, and sacrifice is made. Finally we will begin our search for meaning and value in our lives. This leads to the second meaning of renunciation, which is that of duty.
Duty. In life, we discover that pleasure for just ourselves is not enough. We have a duty to fulfill in society, and to help others. As Huston Smith puts it, we transfer,"the will-to-get into the will-to-give...(19)" We receive longer lasting pleasure from sharing our happiness with others, and extending our pleasure to a larger audience. It brings respect and gratitude from our peers.


What do People Really Want?

The previous wants stated are the desires of all people, however, they will eventually grow tired of these pleasures because they are finite, and last only during this lifetime. We want something on a deeper level. So the question arises, what do we really want?
According to Hinduism, the first thing we really want is being. We want to live so we can experience all life has to offer. We do not want to give up our future and future possibilities.
The second thing we really want is to know. Humans are curious creatures by nature. We always want to know more, and answer all our questions.
The third thing we really want is joy. This is the opposite of despair and sadness, and we seek that which makes us happy.
Overall, what humans really want is liberation from the finite. In Hinduism, the belief is that we want all three of these things infinitely, and we can have them and do have them. This is possible because humans are made of three things: a body, a personality and an Atman-Brahman (infinite soul).

Everything humans want, we can have infinitely through our Atman.

Part 5, Islam

Islam Part 5

By Sara

What is the human condition?

-Allah created the earth and humans, so everything is perfect and good
-humans are the only animals with free choice and therefore have more pressure to follow the correct path and be good people. In Islam, being a “good person” means living life by following the five pillars, and always being grateful to Allah for everything one has
-one must surrender to Allah, meaning one must commit to following and listening to Allah. By surrendering to Allah, humans can escape other, evil forms of slavery
- To surrender one must accept the first pillar of Islam, shahada, believing there is one god, Allah and Mohammad is the prophet (there were other prophets before Mohammad, but he is the last).
-there is no original sin, though there is the belief in Ghaflah which is a sin, forgetting your divine origin
-all the basis for Islamic teachings and history is found in the Koran, the Holy Islamic book transcribed from God’s verbal teachings to Mohammad. Another collection of teachings can be found in the Hadiths, Mohammad’s collection of writings. humans learn how to follow the Islamic path in life through the Koran and the Hadiths.

Where are we going?

In Islam, there is a belief in the afterlife, or Akira. Within Akira, there is Jannah, equated to Heaven, and Jahannam, equated to Hell. Both these places are vividly described within the Koran so Islams have more incentive to reach Jannah. When people die in Islam, they must be buried within 5 days of their death, so the soul will be preserved. After a very long time, there will be a Judgment Day where the souls of everyone who died will wake up, and it will feel like an instant since they died. Everyone in the world lines up in a long line and waits for God to read a list of everything they did in their life, and each person gets a chance to explain everything they did. Allah makes a decision on whether the person goes to Jannah or Jahannam and if they get into Jannah, they skip across the bridge over the crevace of Jahannam. If they are sent to Jahannam, they get a chance to redeem themselves, and Allah can pull them out and send them to Jannah. Souls remain in Jannah for eternity, and can remain in Jahamman for eternity as well if they do not improve.

How do we get there?

In Islam, there is a prescribed way of life as stated in the Hadiths and the Koran. The main rules are called the “Five Pillars”

These are:
1. Shahada- believing that there is one god, Allah and Mohammad is his last prophet.
2. Salat- the requirement to pray five times a day, wherever the believer is
3. Zakat- the practice of charitable giving to those in need. It is the responsibility of Muslims to take care of their fellow Muslims. In Islam, it is permitted to be wealthy, but if they are they must give back to those in need. This eliminated inequality and differences of classes. However, having too much wealth can result in one of the seven sins of greed. The wealthier one is, the more of a challenge they have with rejecting greed.
4. Sawm- the requirement to fast. This occurs during the month of Ramadan, and is required for the following reasons:
a. encourages personal experience for empathy of hungry people
b. shows human life in perspective with the eternity of the universe and the everlasting aspect of Allah
c. makes one contemplate and learn about important life lessons
d. learn to control their urges
e. human fragility and their dependence on Allah
5. Hajj- the pilgrimage of Muslims all over the world to Mecca. It occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijah
a. Represents Mohammad’s initial pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina to become the people’s leader and eventually a force to join rival tribes
b. It worships Abraham because he listened to God’s requests when he told Abraham to kill his only son

It is the duty of all Muslims to follow these five pillars throughout their lives. If Muslims follow these five pillars they will be accepted by Allah into Jannah.

Part III, Islam

Part III

Jannah, Jahannam, Jinns, Qur’an
The concepts of Jannah and Jahannam are the Muslim ideas of where one goes in the afterlife depending on their actions in this life. One must also avoid the jinns, or other pagan gods that explain certain mysteries. These jinns are a challenge for Muslims and can distract a believer from being faithful to the religion, and living in Mohammad’s ways. Muslims must keep their focus on following the 5 pillars, and choosing the correct choices everyday as their jihad. If a Muslim lives faithful to the Qur’an and Mohammad’s teachings they will be judged by Allah before they die and either go to Jannah or Jahannam, heaven or hell. Jahannam is described vividly in the Koran to scare a believer into making the correct choices, to avoid being sentenced to suffering in the afterlife. This is an incentive for a believer to make the correct choices and be rewarded by being sent to Jannah, or heaven instead.

Imam, Medina, Mohammad
God’s chosen prophet, Mohammad, began God’s teachings of Islam in Medina, a city where the people asked him to come be their leader when he began preaching Islam. Mohammad’s teachings began to grow and grow and after he passed away, Imam’s took his place as leaders or prayer in mosques. They are responsible for leading the prayer in Mosques and preaching the Koran and Mohammad’s teachings. However, they are not necessary for a Muslim to follow, since they have a disclaimer saying they do not guarantee to pass on Mohammad’s teachings exactly as they are, since Mohammad would not want divisions within Islam.

Ka’bah, muezzin, mihrab
A muezzin is the person who calls people to the daily prayer 5 times a day. This is done at the Ka’bah, or holy Islam site that pre-dates the religion. The building is cube shaped and many people can pray at the site. However, prayer is not restricted to only this ancient site. Muslims can pray anywhere: at their homes, at school at work, etc. A prayer mat generally accompanies a Muslim during their day as it has markings to help orient the user in praying in the direction of Mecca. Many Mosques also have mihrabs, or niches that point in the direction of Mecca. It is important to pray in the direction of Mecca because this unites all Muslims in the same direction, and emphasizes the importance of the sacred land.

Christian Denominations

Lutheran
Core Beliefs

-Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Ausburg Confession, Formula of Concord
-Doctrine from Bible alone
-God is: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Unique beings, but of the same essence
-believe Christ was resurrected, and this this belief is a test to the believer's faith
-God created man in his image
-Jesus is God and man born of Mary

Catholic
Core Beliefs

-Special focus on Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed
-Trinity central focus of religion
-Jesus is one and the same with God
-believe Christ was resurrected
-Humans were made in the image of God and have free will and the ability to enter into a Communion with God where grace and love flows
-Mary is the mother of God, and was free from sin her whole life

Differences (3)
Lutheran:
-Doctrine taken from Bible alone
-Major Churches: Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
-66 million followers worldwide, definitely not as popular as Catholicism
-Martin Luther is one of the main founders of the religion. He rose up against popular rule at the time saying the relationship between individuals and God is personal, and does not need to go through the Church or require one to pay to repent.
-original language was German
-All believers are Priests in their own way. They don't pray to Saints, but God directly

Catholic:
-Doctrine from Bible, Church fathers, popes, bishops, Seven Ecumenial Councils, Trent, Vatican and other Catholic councils
-no major churches in the US
-1.5 billion followers worldwide, a much more popular sect of Christianity than Lutheranism
-St. Peter is one of the founders of the religion. St. Peter was one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was one of the few who witnessed the Transfiguration. He also denied Jesus thrice.
-original language was Latin
-priests hold a higher connection with God than the everyday person, and believers pray to Saints

Similarities (3)
-Episcopal Church Government, meaning the order of hierarchy in the Church is the same, the bishop is the highest power of a local Church
-Main beliefs such as following in the teachings of Jesus
-believe Jesus taught people should care for and love one another
-believe in the history of Jesus that he was brought up in Jerusalem etc.
-Both sects developed in Europe
-both accept infant baptism where right from birth one can be adopted into the religion
-both focus on the Apostle's Creed as an important part of the religion
-both use both the old and new testaments (common for Christian religions)

Christianity Summary

Christianity Summary

Rituals
Lifetime individual/group: Baptism – Introduced in the Old Testament, this ritual symbolizes the cleansing of the soul. Some believe that it is an act of literally washing away the sins or demons, while others believe it to be more of an act of faith or devotion to God.

Worship: Prayer – Prayer is viewed as sacred in that it involves humans directly communicating with God. Ideally, rather then simply petitioning God for personal needs, prayer should be about spending time to feel connected with God, and also to understand one’s place with God.

Festivals/holy days:
Easter: Pagan/Christian. Celebrates the equinox and Jesus’ resurrection three days after his crucifixion

Sabbath: day when the tomb where Jesus laid was empty and the day was changed from Saturday to Sunday to separate Christians from Jews. Paul gathered Christians and began the first service.

Gender: Genesis: Eve was tricked by the serpent to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, while Adam followed her example. God punished:
Women: pain of child labor and to be ruled over by man
Man: work the land for food
Both: will die and return to earth
Women gained a lower status than men

Sacred Texts:
Key texts: Bible (old testament and new testament. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include the Apocrypha, while most Protestant Bibles do not. The Apocrypha is a set of Jewish texts that come between the testaments.

Composition (how written): The bible is divided into books, and the books are then divided into sections each pertaining to a part of the biblical story.

Development/history of the text:
The Bible is a combination of the Jewish Scriptures and the New Testament (story of Jesus and growth of Christian faith)

Language/versions: Original-Hebrew, Aramic, Greek. New: English, German, Latin, Chinese

Doctrines/Beliefs:
3 founding beliefs –
1. There is one God who created the world and all things in it. This God is a personal God who cares for the well being of humanity and gives us guidelines of how to conduct ourselves.
2. Jesus was an incarnation of God, both human and God. Jesus led the perfect Christian life and through following his teachings, one can do what God truly wants of humans.
3. The Holy Spirit is a force that connects all of mankind to God. This concept emphasizes Jesus’ analogies of God being a tree and all Christians being branches of that tree. Christianity is very focused on the group/community aspect of faith.

Eschatology (nature of God/creation) – The teachings in the bible of what happens in the future. Mainly focused on rapture (God’s judgment) and the second coming of Christ. Some believe that it is not beneficial to dwell on this, as it can be interpreted as predicting God’s plan and believing yourself capable of thinking like God.

Authority (who is in control)
Family: Children obey parents, wife obeys husband, husband obeys Christ
State: Obey laws of land and Government officials
Church: obey Christ and Church laws
God is the ultimate authority and the Bible is His word
Priest
Preacher
Schools of thought (denominations/divisions)
Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran main divisions

Religious Experience:

Specific actions -
Conversion: Foundational experience of Christian life
Belief in God, repentance of sin, confession of Jesus Christ as the Savior
Can be just the personal conversion to Christianity or converted through an act
Baptize-Catholic
Meditation/worship/prayer
Can be through songs of worship
Bowing down before God
Word and Sacraments: Two main parts of a service
Word: read the Bible, sing songs to help understand passages and apply to personal life
Sacraments: Actions done to show “inward grace” rituals (baptize, communion etc.)

Ethics and Moral Authority:

What/who are main authority – God is the ultimate moral authority. Although many do, humans do not have the right to claim any sort of authority due to our many flaws. So it follows that the Bible and the teachings of Jesus are also part of the central authority as they are direct teachings from God.

Ethical/legal issues (old and modern)
Abortion: violation of the 5th commandment “Thou shall not kill”
Cloning: Humans are made in the image of God, we cannot create each other to be in the image of God
Homosexuality: God says it is wrong because the same sex cannot conceive
Marriage in the Bible is defined as being “between a man and a woman”