How observing a visible religious activity can help you to understand the part religion plays in the life of an individual or community
How observing a visible religious activity can help you to understand the part religion plays in the life of an individual or community When looking at the role religion plays in the life of a person or community, it is certainly helpful to observe religious activities, such as a festival. However, does observing someone taking part in a religious activity always mean that religion plays a big role in their life? Durga Puja is a Hindu festival which is celebrated every year, and lasts approximately nine days. It's celebrated in the Goddess Durga's honour, to celebrate her victory over evil when she fought and killed the evil Mahishasura, restoring heaven to the Gods. This is an example of Ninian Smart's 'narrative and mythic dimension', the story side of religion. She's invoked for protection from the powers of evil. Durga Puja is a visual source, so we must treat it with some caution. Obviously it has changed over the years, as most religious festivals have. Hindus created it to worship a Hindu Goddess, so undoubtedly it will be influenced by their beliefs. The festival begins with the people offering prayers to their ancestors at the city's river banks. This is called Tarpan. The Second stage is when the Goddess arrives from heaven, amidst a terrific flourish of drums. The main ritual of this stage is unveiling the face of the idol, often modelled on a popular actress.
Describe the presentation of the soul in the Katha Upanishad.
Describe the presentation of the soul in the Katha Upanishad The word "Atman" is translated into English as "soul" or "self." Yet Atman in Hinduism has a much richer meaning than our standard western concept of soul. For example, Atman is understood as divine and equivalent to Brahman, the ultimate reality. Each person's Atman is the same, and each is identical with Brahman. Therefore Atman could also be translated, "Universal Soul," "Eternal Soul," or "All-Soul." The Katha Upanishad speaks at length about the nature of Atman, how one might attain to it and thereby attain to Brahman. Attainment to Atman is dependent on the control of those aspects of the person that are transitory and not eternal like Atman; these include the body, the mind, the intellect and the senses. The Upanishad aims to answer questions that Hindus might have about the soul. Firstly, the Katha Upanishad answers where atman dwells. Chapter two informs the reader that the soul is "set in the heart of every creature" and "hidden in all beings". This suggests that atman is in every living creature and not just human beings. This could also support the idea of reincarnation in that atman is "unborn" and "eternal" and so is transported from physical body to physical body, human or animal. Chapter four also suggests where atman physically dwells, which is that "spirit the size of a thumb, lives in the
Evaluate and analyse the contributions of Ramakrishna to the modern development of Hinduism?
Evaluate and analyse the contributions of Ramakrishna to the modern development of Hinduism? Today, Sri Ramakrishna is revered by millions of people from all different faiths. Some look upon him as a great teacher, some as a saint, and some as a divine incarnation. Great thinkers of the East and West find in his teachings the ring of universal truth and pay tribute to him from all over the world. One main theme that was reinforced by Ramakrishna was his desire to "see in God in all". Ramakrishna believed that true self-realisation only came when everything was transformed into a manifestation of God. "I have now come to a stage of realization in which I see that God is walking in every human form and manifesting Himself alike through the sage and the sinner, the virtuous and the vicious. God in the form of the saint, God in the form of the sinner, God in the form of the righteous, God in the form of the unrighteous." This has become one of the modern principles of Hinduism today. Ideas such as these have allowed Hinduism to stand the test of time and allow many different ways of thinking to be absorbed into Hinduism and therefore survive the wave of western influence. Ramakrishna from an early age became infatuated with the goddess Kali and had many visions of her. This affected his attitude towards all females. His relation with kali was a mother and son relationship,
Describe Hindu belief in respect for all living creatures.
A.i. Describe Hindu belief in respect for all living creatures. Hindus believe the soul (the inner most spirit or true self) is in every living creature. So all living creatures should deserve respect. This is shown by many things in the Hindu society including the fact that all hindus do not eat beef, and many are vegetarian. " A householder should regard, deer, camels, donkeys, mice, snakes birds, and bees as his sons, for what difference is there between his sons and them?" Srimad Bhagvatam They believe that Brahman, the universal spirit, is symbolised in the symbol OM. OM represents all of life and creation and therefore represents male, female and neuter, hence Hindus believe that Brahman is within all living creatures. Hindus also believe the universal soul is the ultimate, so if it is in everything then you should respect everything and therefore killing an animal is exactly the same as killing a human. Some Hindus also believe in the teachings of the school of Advaita Vedanta, which was founded by the Indian philosopher Shankara. Shankara's main belief was the idea of Non-dualism. This is the belief that the inner self is the same energy that gave life to the universe, i.e. the universal soul is the same as the nature of a Hindu's true self. If Hindus believe this, they must have respect for all living creatures because again this shows that the universal
What is the Role and Significance of Hindu Temples?
What is the Role and Significance of Hindu Temples? Unlike in other religions, it is not mandatory for a Hindu to regularly visit their temple. Temples are often visited on auspicious occasions and as a part of pilgrimages rather than as a regular occurrence. This is because Hindus have home shrines where they can partake in home puja, this is considered part of their dharma whilst temple worship is not. However, in England, Hindus are far more likely to regularly visit the temple as it gives them an opportunity to meet with the dispersed Hindu community in the country. This is important as the temple provides a social environment to maintain the bonds between the communities and prevent Hindus feeling alone. The temple is significant in aiding Hindus in retaining their culture. This is especially important in Western countries where the majority of people do not share the culture, here it can be easy to lose tradition. The temple is central to festivals, for example Durga Puja, and is often the focus of pilgrimages. The priests speak Sanskrit preventing the language from dying, this upholds the ties to centuries of Hindus. Furthermore, ceremonies are performed to perfection in the temple ensuring that the rituals continue as a constant. The temple acts as a preserver of the religion in all its glory and tradition. The temple is seen as the dwelling place of God and so is
With reference to a Hindu wedding ceremony, describe and explain the many points of symbolism.
With reference to a Hindu wedding ceremony, describe and explain the many points of symbolism. Ritual is very important within the Hindu religion. If ritual is performed correctly, good karma will follow and if not, the opposite will occur. There are whole books dedicated to ritual such as the Veda, the oldest scripture in the world. Key factors in making the right match include the partner being Hindu, also preferably from the same caste and compatible horoscopically. Also, the horoscopes show what the best date for the wedding to take place is. Although India is a large country and weddings vary, most key points are shared. In India the wedding itself would be at the bride's home but in England a hall is booked. In preparation for the wedding, henna is used to decorate her hands and feet lasting many weeks symbolising her entry into her marriage. A red spot is painted called a 'tilaka' showing she has been blessed by god. She is wearing a red sari, the colour of happiness, with gold jewellery, the best she can afford and black paint around her eyes called kajal. The groom gives her a ring that she wears on her toe. The groom will wear a kurta-pajana; a lose fitting top and trousers and a veil of beads. The bride and groom's parents will worship Ganesh and the family deities asking them to be present at the wedding and make sure everything goes to plan. Throughout the
Christianity and Hinduism seem to have profoundly different views in relation to God and/or existence.
Melissa Thomas Examine and comment on contrasting standpoints about God and/or existence in relation to the topic you have investigated. Christianity and Hinduism seem to have profoundly different views in relation to God and/or existence. For example, creation within Christian belief is ex-nihilo (out of nothing). God created everything in 7 days from the light and darkness, to the day of rest. This can be illustrated by reference to Genesis “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth” From this it is quite clear that God pre-existed before the beginning of creation. In contrast, Hindus reject the concept that something can come from nothing for several reasons such as, the Bhagavad Gita (BG) states the eternality of matter: "Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless” and also, from the Rig Veda: ‘There was neither non-existence nor existence: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it’ - Instead they believe that the sacred sound ‘Om’ (a symbol of Brahman) was the first sound of creation. Creation emerged out of Brahman; he moved from an unmanifest state (without any form) to a manifest one (with form). There was always something before creation, as it is an impossible notion to assume that anything can come from nothing. Although, we could argue that God’s ultimate uniqueness can form the ability
Hinduism and Drug Abuse
HINDUISM AND DRUG ABUSE - RS2 "Hinduism' has many religious and cultural traditions which stem from the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit writings of India. The tradition, therefore, has no clear beginning, and has no single founder or single belief, but there are a number of beliefs and practices which are widely accepted. Practically all Hindus believe in the idea of reincarnation, in which the eternal soul (ATMAN) moves through different species, from one body to another according to 'the law of Kama' ,the goodness or badness of their deeds in this life. The belief that every soul is trapped in a cycle of birth and then death and then rebirth is known as Samsara. The quality of a life that the soul is born into depends on the previous life. The aim of human life, for most Hindus, is to escape from the cycle of birth and death (Moksha), through union with the Supreme BRAHMAN who is present in everything. Behind Hindu practice is So Hinduism is about the sort of life a person should lead in order to be born into a better life next time and eventually become free from rebirth altogether. Every Hindu wants to escape from this cycle so Hindus aim to live in a way that will cause each of their lives to be better than the life before. Living or acting in the right way is known as dharma. Every Hindu has a purusharthas, or life goal, and leading a pure life through purity of
What, according to scholars, were the characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilisation? Discuss the possible influence of this civilisation In Hindu thought and culture
The Indus Valley a lost civilisation A) What, according to scholars, were the characteristics of the Indus Valley Civilisation? (12) B) Discuss the possible influence of this civilisation In Hindu thought and culture? (8) The origins of modern Hinduism have been thought to stem from two Ancient sources1, the Aryans and the Indus Valley Civilisation. The River Indus, in North West India, was home to a forgotten civilisation that is now held to be one of the four great civilisations of the late Bronze Age, the Mesopotamians, the Ancient Egyptians and Ancient China. Yet, it was not until 1921, when the first excavations were carried out by Sir John Marshall on the cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, that the world was alerted to its greatness. This civilisation was an urbanised trading culture that extended much further than the Indus Valley to areas in Pakistan to the coast line of the Arabian Sea. What is known about the civilisation is mainly guess work from the archaeological finds and Aryan hymns. It is a civilisation which holds, perhaps, the key to understanding the origins of Hinduism, for the characteristics of the civilisation has a strong link to Hindu thought and culture. The cities are an important feature of the Indus Civilisation. Flood 2believed that the urban areas developed due to increased agriculture which led to a higher food supply and in turn led to a
The Beginning Of Hinduism.
The Beginning Of Hinduism Hinduism is the oldest of the major world religions. It began so long ago that no one really knows how old it really is, but it goes back at least 5000 years. The Hindus think it has always existed. The name 'Hindu' comes from an old name for people who lived in a part of northern India. The word 'Hindu' comes from the River Indus and in the beginning it described where people lived, not their religion. The Persians were the first people to use the name. There were people living near the River Indus about five thousand years ago. They built large cities and one of them was called Mohenjo-daro. Some archaeologists have dug the city up and discovered many things about the Indus people and their civilization. Today, over 800 million people living in India are Hindus, and there are the same number living in other parts of the world. Hinduism was not begun by any one person but it developed gradually over more than a thousand years. This means that today it has many different 'branches' and its followers have a very wide range of beliefs and ways of worshipping. Hinduism is a way of life as much as a religion, and different Hindus may believe different things without being 'right' or 'wrong'. Holy Books The Hindu religion has many holy books. Some of these are called Shastras. They advise on how people should live their lives. The most important