Rels 272 Final Exam: Cumulative.

Eastern World Religions.

Emic:

Insiders point of view

Etic:

outsiders point of view

Emic/ Etic Core assumptions:

Belief,Behaviour, Material goods

Existential Assumptions:

is it real?

Normative Assumptions:

is it right?

Five Institutions of society: G

Government

Five Institutions of society: R

Religion

Five Institutions of society: E

Education

Five Institutions of society: E

Economics

Five Institutions of society: F

Family

West: Hedonism

The Philosophical belief is that pleasure and happiness are the ultimate goals in life. It prioritizes seeking pleasure and avoiding pain as the guiding principles for decision-making.

Eastern belief: Asceticism

It involves abstaining from worldly pleasures, and material possessions.

Western belief of Acquisitiveness

excessive interest in obtaining money or material things.

Monotheism: Western belief

One God

Polytheism: Eastern Belief

Many Gods

Pantheism: East and West

God in everything

Religions that truth is revealed

Christianity, Judaism, Mulsim’s

Religions that pursued after truth and had a commitment to pursuing truth ex?

Buddhism

Western supreme value of human life gives what ?

Choice, ex when to die how to die?, ex contraception is widely accepted.

West: Faith is determined by

The individual.

Eastern beliefs: Faith is determined by

Family choices, its a united allegiance

Animisim

All life is animated.

Totemism

The belief that animals & humans have a lot of similar characteristics and share a mystical relationship.

Characteristics of Animism

Holistic, Spiritual, Mythical explorations of the world, Creation myths/ narratives, Rhythmical.

What is Mana

A source that is collected and used for our Spiritual benefit, like accumulation of power.

Magic Vs Religion: Magic is

Controlling, Manipulative, Dominative of the supernatural, Human initiated and centre, Ritualistic- Often spoken.

Magic Vs Religion: R

Gains favour, Supplication-to make a humble appeal, Seeks to influence the supernatural, Deity centred.

Three kinds of magic, 1. Fetishistic

Magical objects

Three kinds of magic, 2. Shaminstic

Involves a spiritually possessed person, person centered.

Three kinds of magic, 3. Popular/ Folk

address the common ills of a community and the rituals are relatively simple and often change over time.

Sacred Persons: Shaman

A Self-Validated practitioner of magic

Sacred Persons: Priest

A stand in for believers

Shaman Two kinds: Ecstatic, ex

a state of bliss, transcendence, and communion with the sacred. God becoming human, Witchdoctor

Shaman Two kinds: Non- Ecstatic, ex

Human becoming a God, Sorcerer.

What is a Witchdoctor? give an example

Ecstatic: Breaker of curses, who wants to do good for their community, Ex: Naturopathic healer.

What is a Sorcerer ? give an example

Non-Ecstatic: Curse creator, incites evil by tapping into dark energy to do harm. Ex: Vodoo man

What does it mean to have Ecclesia

gathering of those summoned, speaks to crowds of people or has a gathering.

Shaman Characteristics

No ecclesia, self validated, part-time, male or female, serves individuals

Priest Characteristics

Ecclesia, office validated- appointed, full-time, often male, serves large groups.

Sin & The Afterlife: Social Sin

Things against the rights of the human person, starting with the right to life

Sin & The Afterlife: Sin against the Creator

an act of offence against God

History of Hinduism: Who were the Ayran’s

Spoke Sanskrit, were agriculturalists

History of Hinduism: Dravidians

Probably from Australia, fishermen, had an undiscovered language.

Blended Animistic Beliefs: Dravidians Vs Ayrans

Ritual purity linked to water, socio-religious unity.

Lingam: Characteristics, Fertility Figrure

Long, Hard, Giver ( like a penis )

Yoni: Characteristics, Fertility Figure

Round or oval shaped, Soft, Receptor, ( Like a vagina )

Which early Hindu setters had Holy/ shamanistic persons

Dravidians

History of Hinduism: These people had Nature Deities

Ayrans

Caste System determinants:

Race, Culture/ Language, Labour/ Lifestyle.

Caste System: Brahmins

Educators, law makers, scholars, doctors, writers, poets, land owners, and politicians.

Caste System: Kshatriyas

The rulers and warriors of the society.

Caste System: Vaishyas

Agriculturalists, traders, money lenders, and those involved in commerce.

Caste System: Sudras

artisans and labourers, exist to serve the other three castes.

Caste System: Out-casts

Pariahs, Harijans.

Who were the Varnas? What are their characteristics?

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas. Often characterized by their lighter shade, were descendants of the Aryans

Who are the superiors among the Varnas?

Men, because they could reach self-actualization.

4 paths to self-realization: Karma Yoga

Action and selfless services.

4 paths to self-realization: Bhakti Yoga

Devotion.

4 paths to self-realization: Rāja Yoga

Meditation

4 paths to self-realization: Jñāna Yoga

Will and intellect.

Hinduism: ( Yoga )

To yoke or unite oneself with God.

Who were the Shudras? What are their characteristics?

Descendants of the Dravidians. Often people that were black or a darker shade in skin-tone.

Hinduism: Brahman

An overarching life-force that encompasses reality.

Hinduism: Maya

Meaning a state of illusion, due to the belief that there is anything outside of Brahman.

Hindu Gods: Brahma

The 4 headed deity, creator of reality, Omniscient; all-knowing, omnipotent having unlimited power; able to do anything.

Hindu Gods: Sarasvati goddess of

education, creativity, and music.

Hindu Gods: Shiva ( Auspicious one )

The destroyer: mover of obstacles.

Hindu Gods: Shiva’s depictions

Lord of the dance, The Lingam, Yogi or Meditator, sustainer of all things. Dances ( squashes the demon of ignorance )

Hindu Gods: Ganesh

Son of Shiva and Parvati, God of blessing.

Hindu Gods: Consort of Shiva 4 manifestations; Parvti

feminine counterpart of Shiva, Mother of Ganesh

Hindu Gods: Annapurna

The mother, goddess of food and nourishment, Consort of Shiva

Hindu Gods: Consort of Shiva ; Durga

The Warrior; a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons.

Hindu Gods: Consort of Shiva 4 manifestations; Kali

Goddess of death, represents the force of time, carrying both destruction and creation of life and the universe.

How does Kali save you?

Kills you before your karma becomes to great and you are re-born into a lower caste.

Hindu Gods: Vishnu

The preserver, as he slept the world or “ reality “ emerged from his naval on a lotus flower, creator of Brahma.

How many Avatars or ( incarnations ) does Vishnu have ?

10

Hindu Gods: How does the world end ? Why?

As Shiva dances and beats his drum louder, it will wake Vishnu. The world will then collapse back into Brahman because Vishnu dreams of our existence.

Vishnu’s Avatars: Fish

Matsya appears to warn people of the coming flood.

Vishnu’s Avatars: Tortoise

Samudramanthana appears to save the earth from a massive cosmic mishap to avoid the feud between the demons and the gods.

Vishnu’s Avatars: Boar

When a demon named Hiranyaksha dragged the earth to the bottom of the sea, he appeared as Varaha in order to rescue it.

Vishnu’s Avatars: Lion

Narasimha appears to kill Hiranyakashipu, to end religious persecution and calamity on earth, thereby restoring dharma.

Vishnu’s Avatars: Dwarf

Vamana is a symbol of the power of the divine to overcome evil and restore balance to the universe.

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Parshurama

Descended on earth to remove the evil, aggressive, and an expert in warfare.

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Rama

The prince, also the God of Protection, the hero of Ramayana and the ideal husband and man.

What was Prince Rama's quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys.

Ramayana

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Sita

An incarnation of Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, wealth, and beauty, seen as the ideal wife and woman.

Who is the wife of Vishnu? What is she known for

Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune.

Shiva Avatar Gods: Hanuman, what did he do?

The Monkey, God of Wisdom, Strength, Courage, Devotion and Self-Discipline. Led the monkeys to help Rama.

Diwali: Hinduism, Northern India

The celebration of Prince Rama and Sita’s return. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Krishna

God of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love. Characterized as a lover, father, warrior, and prince.

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Govinda

Cow heerder or (Protector of the Land)

Vishnu Avatar God that came from Lakshmi: Radha goddess of

love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion.

A human avatar of Vishnu. Appeared so he could mislead those who deny the (Vedic) knowledge:

Buddha

Vedic Hinduism:

A polytheistic sacrificial religion involving the worship of numerous male divinities (and a few goddesses), most of whom were connected with the sky and natural phenomena.

Vishnu Avatar Gods: Kalki

Appears in one of the four periods in the endless cycle of existence and to destroy the wicked and to usher in a new age.

Hindu Belief: Samsara

( The problem ): The vicious cycle of life, death, and re-birth.

What is Moksha? what is the point of it?

( The solution ): Spiritual liberation from rebirth that allows for a union with Brahman.

The union of the soul with Brahman:

Atman.

How does one achieve Moksha:

You must have enough good karma.

What is Karma:

Deeds or words that are a locked sequence of events that determine ones path. You can have good or bad versions.