COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS World Religions: Narrative, Mysticism, Philosophy, ritual, history What is Religion? • Religion is philosophical action that arises from the dedication and identification of a person or people with a larger tradition or narrative. Through religion, individuals look for transcendence of their particular circumstance in relation to God. • Not all religions are monotheistic, so "gods" might replace God, above, but religion tends to point toward a singular ultimate reality. • "Ultimate reality" is another common substitute for "God," but this downplays the personal manner by which this reality is known. Major Religions • Hinduism has roots in the Vedic tradition extending back to 1500 B.C., but formalized by about 400 A.D. It is ostensibly polytheistic, though many Hindus consider themselves monotheists. • Buddhism had its origin in India around 500 B.C., based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. While there are many forms of Buddhism, they all focus on the universal need for nirvana, or non- existence through detachment. Many Buddhists consider themselves monotheistic or atheistic. • Taoism has its origins in Chinese religions going back at least to the 4th century A.D. Taoism emphasizes harmony with nature. Major Religions • Confucianism bases its teachings on those of Kong Fu Zi (Confucius- Grand Master Kong), emphasizing the duty humans have to one another, in particular Filial Piety, or the duty one has to one's parents and children. • Judaism: has its origins about 2000 B.C. or earlier. Describes the relationship of a singular people and God. The focus of Judaism is the return to a covenantal relationship with God for all humanity. • Islam: has its origins in the teaching of the prophet Muhammed (600 A.D.). Heavily influenced by Judaism and Christianity, and identifies itself as the true heir to the monotheistic religion of Abraham. Hinduism: core concepts • Dharma: literally means "sacred duty" or "that which sustains." The dharma is the principle of order in the universe. Each of us have our own duties, dictated by our circumstances, and fulfilling these duties means keeping the universe in order. Dharma is performed out of devotion to God, not attachment to oneself, others, or material things • Adharma: chaos. The neglect of dharma leads to chaos in the universe and in our own lives. This is also caused by disordered attachment to things or people, causing us to neglect our duty. • Karma is action. Karma binds us to existence if it is possessive. It becomes baggage that we carry around with us. If Karma is disinterested, and arises from dharma alone, then it frees us to attain liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth. Hinduism: core concepts • Yoga is discipline. karmayoga is disciplined action that we perform without concern for the fruit or consequences, but only because it is our duty. Karmayoga liberates us. • Samsara: the cycle of rebirth. Liberation from samsara is moksha. • Atman: the soul. We all have an eternal soul, which is bound to samsara and rebirth. Through Atman we get in touch with Brahman, ultimate reality. For some, Atman is Brahman, realized only at moksha. Hinduism: The Bhagavad-Gita The Bhagavad-Gita, or song of the Lord, is the central part of a longer work called the Mahabarata, which concerns a war that took place in the Kurukshetra region of the Punjab. The Mahabarata (the longest poem ever written) concerns a conflict between two sets of cousins: the 5 sons of Pandu and the 100 sons of Dhristarashtra. • Pandu was the younger brother of Dhritarashtra, who was in line for the The Bhagavad-Gita : throne of Kurukshetra. However, Dhritarashtra was born blind, and so his younger brother Pandu assumed the the Pandava Brothers throne. • Pandu, however, could not have children because of a curse that forbids him from having sexual relations with his wives. Pandu reigns for a long time before retiring to the forest. • Before he dies, Pandu is helped by five gods while living in the forest to have five children. These are the Pandava. • The Panadava emerge from the forest, and return to Kurukshetra, where Dhritarashtra is reigning until one of the Panadava are old enough. Bhagavad-Gita The Five Pandava and the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra are educated alongside of each other in the court of Kurukshetra. Arjuna, one of the Pandava, becomes a favored pupil especially of Drona, the master of the bow and the one instructing all the cousins in the art of war. The eldest Pandava, Yudishthira, has the legitimate right to the throne, but the eldest of Dhritarashtra’s sons, Duryodhana, is jealous and conspire to exile the Pandava for a period of thirteen years. • Duryodhana underhandedly defeats Yudishthira in a game of dice, and the Pandava go into exile for a period of 13 years. Meanwhile, Duryodhana assumes the throne. • The Pandava return, but the sons of Dhritarashtra refuse to step aside. War becomes inevitable. • The 18 day battle concerns most of the text of the Bhagavad-Gita. • The poem is recited by Sanjaya, the bard and charioteer of Dhritarashtra, to whom the gods give knowledge of all things present or future, public or private, as a boon to Dhritarashtra. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT ZFolAfels Yoga: Discipline, necessary to purify action (karma) and Bhagavad eventually reach Moksha. Yogi: One who practices Yoga Gita : Yoga Papa: sin; violations of dharma leading to attachment Four Types of Yoga 1. Karma Yoga: the yoga of action. Since we are temporal beings, we cannot avoid action. Action which is in accord with dharma is purified. 2. Raja yoga: royal yoga is meditation; the practice of mindfulness and perfect self-awareness detaches the yogi from the maya (illusion) of the world. 3. Jnana yoga: the yoga of knowledge comes from insight and study of those things which are real. This is the yoga of self- consciousness of the soul in relationship to Brahmin and of understanding particular things. 4. Bhakti yoga: the yoga of devotion to a personal god; derives from the insight into the self from the relationship to a god. Bhagavad Gita: Samsara The Four Stages of Life: Ashramas 1. The first Ashrama: Brahmacharya: the celibate student. The student leves home and studies with a guru to attain spiritual and practical knowledge. 2. The second Ashrama: Grihastha; the Householder. Beginning with marriage, the grihastha begins pursuit of wealth (artha) and sexual pleasure (kama). This stage should end when the hair grays and the skin wrinkles. 3. The Third Ashrama: Vanasprastha, or hermit. Having become a grandfather, the Vanaprastha lives in a hut in the forest with his wife, and maintains little contact with the family. He renounces all material and sexual pleasure. 4. The Fourth Ashrama: Sunnyasa: the Wandering Ascetic. Having attended his own funeral, the Sunnyasa devotes himself completely to God, and maintains no possessions and home. He merges with God and wanders homeless until death and moksha. Samsara • Some dualistic Hindu traditions maintain that ultimately the god Vishnu and the soul are not the same, but only by grace can moksha be attained: • 6th teaching, stanza 39 • Other monistic traditions maintain that it is only illusion that separates the Atman and Brahman. • The cycle of Samsara traps the soul and in some sense is created by the soul. • After death, if the yogi has failed, he lives in a palace for endless years created by his own virtue. • While there, he meditates and learns from his past life and is born with wisdom in his next life. • The yogi finds his way through many rebirths. This is superior to men of penance, action, and knowledge (6: 45, 46) • The Caste system became solidified Caste System: around the time of the Bhagavad the 4 Varnas Gita (1st c. A.D.). • The Moghul (Islamic) rulers of India Brahmins: discouraged the castes starting Priests and teachers. around the 12th c. A.D. • The upper Castes and centers of Kshatriyas: Warriors power, esp. cities, followed the lead and rulers of the Moghuls. The Brahmins began Vaishyas: to accept jobs to support themselves famers, and their temples. merchants • Rural resistance to the Moghuls, esp. Shudras: among the lower castes, solidified the laborers castes. Dalits: Outcastes: • The British exploited the caste system, Street sweepers, allied themselves with the Brahmins, latrine cleaners and restored their privileges. • Metaphysics: the three Gunas • All reality s composed of three Gunas, or elements: 1. Tamas: ignorance and inertia, dark, dull, and passive 2. Rajas: passion, greed, addiction, lust, manic, obsessive 3. Sattva: lucidity, balance, harmony • The yogi is able to see these elements in all things and balance them in himself, thus reaching moksha at death. If one of the gunas predominates a person at death, then he will be reborn in an appropriate caste: • Sattva- Brahmin • Tamas- Shudra Hindu Creation • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6hVl84sjg • In the beginning, The god Vishnu floated asleep on a bed of snakes. The waters were the source of all causes, and the snakes represented time as it extends and contracts. • The sacred syllable OM broke the silence and awakened Vishnu. • Om consists of three sounds, that represent the powers of the three main gods: 1. Brahma shakti: creative power 2. Vishnu Shakti: sustaining power 3. Shiva Shakti: destructive/transformative power Hindu Creation • Brahma emerged and created the world by dividing the lotus flower into three parts. • The division also happens when the sound Om divides the unity of the waters (causes). • This separation formed: 1. Purusha: divine consciousness 2. Prakriti: primordial matter Hindu Creation Prakriti in turn formed the three gunas and the five Tattvas: 1. Earth 2. Fire 3. Wind 4. Air 5. Space • The gunas and tattvas coalesced in different combinations to form created things.