World Religions Q3 Content Test

myth (basic religions)

not a lie, but a story to explain truth

how and why of life

parables are myths

totems (basic religions)

something that represents somethings else

eagle, bear, sun

identity component

mascot, idol

warrior, cross, social media

taboos (basic religions)

actions that must be avoided

touching Ark of Covenant

Sacrifice (basic religions)

something is given to appease, please, or provide for

spiritual disciplines, giving, time, Christ’s death

sacred place (basic religions)

a place that is considered sacred

temple, tabernacle, synagogue, Mt. Sinai, our bodies

holy - set apart, sacred, revered, honored, hallowed

sacred space (basic religions)

a space around a sacred place

mountain around the burning bush, temple

magic (basic religions)

not slight of hand, but the ability to control nature

not like a card trick, witch doctor

immitative magic - voodoo doll

fetish (basic religions)

good luck charm, used to control nature

is not sexual

horseshoe, good luck charm, four-leaf clover

dances (Native American)

intended to appease spirits, gain their favor, intended to tell a story

spirit world (Native American)

nature has many spirits in it

there is one supreme spirit (personal and abstract)

Vision Quest (Native American)

venture out alone into the wilderness around age 13

Medicine Man (Native American)

connected to the spirit world

able to heal others

Peace Pipes (Native American)

way of connecting to the spirit world

could be tobacco, Peyote

Animism (Native American)

all living things have a spirit, but they believe that this spirit is the spirit of the supreme

White people kill everything; Indians seek to prolong life

Sacrifice - sundance (Native American)

self-inflicted pain

taboos (Native American)

avoid the dead and gravesites

Death/Afterlife (Native American)

belief in two souls, neither are immortal

one soul is life/breath - when the body dies it dies

the other soul is the free soul - it leaves the body during dreams and sickness; goes to the land of the dead after death and is free

African Religions

have a belief in one supreme god who created the world, then withdrew (retired, impersonal, not involved)

Lesser spirits (African)

they are believed to be forces much like humans but in the spiritual realm

they can impact humanity for good or evil

can be bartered with, sacrificed to, or flattered to influence them

they are numerous

ex. are mountains, streams, pools, plants, animals, storms

Ancestor Spirits (African)

past relatives who have **direct interest in the well being of those who are still living**, unlike their god

ancestors can affect war outcomes, pregnancies, future, etc

treat your ancestors well now if you want them to do good to you and give you a happy life

Leaders - diviner (African)

works as a healer of circumstances

Leaders - Spiritual curer (African)

works for the healer of the body and the mind

Leader - prophets (African)

only in some societies, their role is to speak on the behalf of the gods

Sacrifice (African)

overarching way of life

can be some drink poured out or could be blood sacrifice

as severity rises, so does the sacrifice

they have done human sacrifice, but it is rare

Rites of passage - birth (African)

twins are favored in some and killed in others

children are not usually named until after the first week because of the high death rate

Rites of passage - puberty (African)

time to become an adult

taught how to act as men and women

boys go through whipping and fasting

girls put on weight by eating a lot

rites of passage - marriage (African)

happens soon after becoming adults

some places allow polygamy and polyandry

rites of passage - death (African)

make the dead very comfortable so they won’t bother you

embalming and mummification of great leaders

some people ponder the question of evil and its origin from the supreme god

Hinduism - historical setting

2000 BC, white invaders to India (Aryan)

have a caste system

Indus Valley Civilization

Caste System (Hinduism)

brahmin, ksatriya, vaisya, shudra, untouchables

BKVSU

Burger King’s Very Salty Unleavened-bread

Brahmin (Hinduism)

priests, scholars, teachers (aryan)

educated people

Ksatriya (Hinduism)

rulers, administrators, warriors

Vaisya (Hinduism)

merchants, artisans, craftsman

Shudra (Hinduism)

laborers, servants to all

Untouchables (Hinduism)

renamed “scheduled castes”

Ghandi referred to them as Harijan “children of God”

mixed caste relationship, foreigners, handles polluted things

caste segregation is starting to dwindle

mantras (Hinduism)

repeated prayers

guru (Hinduism)

one who is liberated in this life

vendata (Hinduism)

philosophy and spiritual of the religion

karma (Hinduism)

major law over life

a moral cause and effect

all thoughts, gestures, decisions, and actions are released into the world and come back to us

circumstances of birth, our caste, and other aspects of life are a result of our own doing

dharma (Hinduism)

the proper actions to do in life

written in the Code of Manu

Samadhi (Hinduism)

trance like experience of union with the Brahman

can be during yoga

Puja (Hinduism)

worship of one or several forms of god

typically done by sacrifice of grain, fruit, flower, incense, etc.

atman (Hinduism)

human souls

samsara (Hinduism)

to wander across

after death, life does not cease but moves to the next body

gods - Brahman (Hinduism)

supreme, eternal, infinite, unknowable, sexless, without past present or future, totally impersonal

gods - Brahma (Hinduism)

creator

he is the least favored of all of them

only has two temples in all of India

gods - Vishnu (Hinduism)

preserver, the god of love, forgiveness, benevolence

engages in life often, enjoys pranks and tricks

has come to the earth in nine forms

gods - Shiva (Hinduism)

the destroyer/dissolver (not necessarily bad)

most popular of the three

god of death, destruction, disease, dance

lesser gods - shakti (Hinduism)

female counterpart of Shiva seen in three aspects

lesser gods - parvati (Hinduism)

shiva’s mate

lesser gods - durga (Hinduism)

beautiful female warrior goddess

lesser gods - kali (Hinduism)

fierce blood thirsty form of power

three ways to salvation (Hinduism)

works, knowledge, devotion

“the plight of human beings is that they are bound up in this world of illusion and ignorance, thinking that it is real, unaware of their true identification with Brahman” - Hopfe

salvation - works (Hinduism)

must follow religious rites with no mistakes

salvation - knowledge (Hinduism)

gain all knowledge to come to state of mind where karma has no effect

salvation - devotion (Hinduism)

be fully devoted to gods, family, and boss in public and private

stages of the upper caste men (Hinduism)

student, household, hermit, wandering beggars (sannyasi)

moral goals (Hinduism)

one of the greatest sins is to kill a cow

pleasantness

patience

control of the mind (every pebble in the water)

not stealing

purity

control of senses

intelligence

knowledge

Holy days - holi (Hinduism)

february and march

most popular

honor Krishna

emphasizes pleasure

holy days - divali (Hinduism)

november

new year

festival of lights

holy days - dasehra (Hinduism)

october

presents are given to honor Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon

Religious Writings - vedas (Hinduism)

the only true Hindu book, all the rest are supplemental

Rig-Veda (Hinduism)

a collection of hymns establishing the origins and mythology of the gods

atharva-veda (Hinduism)

ruituals used in the home

prayers, spells, and incantations to ward off evil

yajur-veda (Hinduism)

knowledge of rites, recited during sacrifices

sama-veda (Hinduism)

mantras recited by the priest during sacrifices

Vedas in four parts - hymns to the gods (Hinduism)

usually considered the oldest of material

vedas in four parts - ritual material (Hinduism)

Brahamanas - this is how to perform sacrifices

vedas in four parts - forest treaties (Hinduism)

aranyakas - the how to for hermits

vedas in four parts - upanishads (Hinduism)

dialogues on existence (philosophy)

probably written around the 9th century BC

Religious writings - Bhagavad-Gita (Hinduism)

a segment of the Mahabharata

this is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna

teaches duty of each caste, acceptance of modes of salvation, and that Vishnu loves and is concerned for humans

ratifies much of the religion

Sects - sankhya (Hinduism)

to remove oneself from the material world

sects - yoga (Hinduism)

meditation is the key to yoga

sects - mimansa (Hinduism)

obedience to laws and rites in the Vedas

sects - vaisheshika (Hinduism)

earth, water, air, fire soul, mind, ether, time, and space are eternal

there is no need for god

sects - nyaya (Hinduism)

concerded with a logical analysis of the world with the basic premise of the Vaisheshika belief of the eternals

sects - vendata (Hinduism)

basically rejects the Vedas, hold to the Upanishadas

monotheists

believe that the human world is not actually real

the real problem is not sin or wickedness but ignorance

number of Hindus worldwide

1 billion

Buddhism historical setting

560 BC

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

nirvana (Buddhism)

the blowing out or extinguishing the flames of desire

not eating pizza if you desire pizza is suffering, but if you don’t have any desires, you are suffering

dharma (Buddhism)

the teachings of Buddha

it is implied to mean moral behavior

(behave in a particular way)

karma (Buddhism)

what is done by you, good or evil, will be repaid back to you

mantra (Buddhism)

a phrase that is repeated

bodhisattva (Buddhism)

one who has reached buddhahood (mahayana)

dalai lama (Buddhism)

lead of the Tibetan sect

founder of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama

Four Noble Truths (Buddhism)

all life is suffering

suffering is caused by desires

the end of suffering is possible

follow the eight-fold path to end pain

Eight Fold Path (Buddhism)

right understanding of reality

right thought

right speech

right actions

right occupation

right effort

right meditation

right concentration

burning incense (Buddhism)

offering to Buddha

ouza (Buddhism)

like a rosary, count recitation of mantras

a bell (Buddhism)

tells you when meditation is over

meditation (Buddhism)

varies according to types of Buddhism

Koan (Buddhism)

verbal puzzles that lead you to enlightenment

A cow passes by a window. Its head, horn, and four legs pass by. Why does its tail not pass by?

reincarnation (Buddhism)

man is alive, man dies, man goes through samsara, all his Karma is still in him, but he is not in the same body, and he can gain the new body’s karma

religious writings (Buddhism)

sutras - broken into three parts, aka Tripitaka (discourse, discipleship, doctrines)

telepathy

from within

Thereveda Buddhism

Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia

Orthodox

He must seek enlightenment on his own with no help

focuses on Buddha as one person

more self-centered

Mahayana Buddhism

China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Nepal

happiness

focuses on the many Buddhas

Buddhas exist to help us reach Nirvana

Pure Land Sect (Buddhism)

belief in a land that can exist without sin and some will go to this place (like heaven)

Syncritism (Buddhism)

mixing of worldviews

a Buddhist might have no problem with Jesus being one of their gods

Intuitive Sect (Buddhism)

also known as Zen Buddhism

one of the schools of Mahayana

favored in the west

focus on the experience (the flashes of truth)

they have many real questions that make a person think, but there is no answer to them (Koan)