HINDUISM & JAINISM
WEEK 2
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Hinduism/Jainism:No Origin or Founder.
Nature of God/Creator / Hinduism: Gods are in male and female form and represent many different things. Most poplular are Shiva and Vishnu
Jainism: Jinas, Tirthankars
View of Human Nature / Hinduism/Jainism: Karma
View of Good & Evil / Hinduism/Jainism: Good actions have good effects. Bad actions have bad effects. (Karma)
View of Salvation / Hinduism:people worshipped idols, observed several ceremonies, and visited sacred places
Jainism:They strive to achieve moksha, or liberation from the limitations of space, time, and matter through realization of the immortal absolute.
View of After Life / Hinduism/Jainism: Reincarnation
Practices and Rituals / Hinduism: Sculptures,Images,Home,shrines,Meditation,Hatha Yoga,Puja,Kundalini, Yoga Ayurveda
Jainism: Meditation, Take vows
Celebrations & Festivals / Hinduism: Diwali, Holi, Navaratri, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami
Jainism: Diwali, Kartak Purnima, Paryushana
Week 2 - Sources / / /
BUDDHISM
WEEK 3
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Buddhism was taught as an alternative to the ritual oriented Brahamanism of India. The beginning of life and this world are in inconceivable since they have no beginning or end.
Nature of God/Creator / Buddhism teaches us that there is no personal god. Liberation from suffering depends on our own efforts
View of Human Nature / Being neither optimistic nor pessimistic about human nature, but realistic. Buddha set up the four Noble Truths. 1. Life inevitably involves suffering, dissatisfaction and distress. 2. Suffering is caused by craving, rooted in ignorance. 3. Suffering will cease when craving ceases. 4. There is a way to realize this state; the noble Eight Fold Path. They view good and evil by events that act as a cause that sets another in motion
View of Good & Evil / The Buddhist understanding is that good and evil are innate, inseparable aspects of life. This view makes it impossible to label a particular being or group as good or evil.
View of Salvation / The Buddhism described as nirvana. It is a desirable state of mind where the individual reaches the highest degree of transcending consciousness.
View of After Life / They don’t believe in reincarnation. You enter Nirvana which is the state of enlightenment by those who reach it. Life is cyclic until you reach nirvana.
Practices and Rituals / Meditation, Prayer, wheels, Meditation, Mudras
Celebrations & Festivals / Vesak, Magha Puja Day
Week 3 - Sources / / /
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DAOISM & CONFUCIANISM
WEEK 4
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Daoism: The way, is the origin of all being and the decree over the development and change in existing things
Confucianism: The philosopher Kongzi or Confucius is the recognized founder of Confucianism. Originally, Confucianism was composed of a set of political and moral principles with the lessons of Confucius as its basis.
Nature of God/Creator / -Shangdi
-Tian
View of Human Nature / Daoism: emphases on the way of nature and immortality
Confucianism: emphases on the practice of virtue. Setting good models for others to follow to have a structured society
View of Good & Evil / Daoism: They do not believe that life is suffering. Daoist believe that life is always happy but that it should be lived with balance and virtue.
Confucianism: The main belief of Confucianism is ren, signifying excellent character in accord with li, zhong, shu, and xiao. Together these constitute de
View of Salvation / Daoism: To become perfectly united with the natural world and with the cosmic forces that endure it.
Confucianism: Sees both salvation here and now and eternal life hereafter. Tian-given and Tian-identified, potential.
View of After Life / Daoism: What happens after death is not important to Daoist, What they desire is immortality.
Confucianism:The most important thing Confucianism is the bond between human and how people should act in order to make the society better for people.
Practices and Rituals / Daoism: Recital of sacred tests until memorized Meditation Visualization
Confucianism: Ancestor worship,
Celebrations & Festivals / Daoism: Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, Also celebrate a lot of Daoism deities
Confucianism: Birth of Confucius, Chinese New Year, ChongmyoTaeje, Ching Ming
Week 4 - Sources / / /
WEEK 5
SHINTO
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Kami is nature and elements in nature, animals, and forces in the universe. It is the interconnecting energy of the world.
Nature of God/Creator /
Polytheistic- Amaterasu, Ebisu, Hachiman, Izanami, Konpira, Susanoo, Tenjin
View of Human Nature / Shintoism would be theism because there is a belief that all things are Kami.View of Good & Evil / All beings start off as good. Evil enters the world from the outside by evil spirits. In order to free someone from this is by purification.
View of Salvation / Beings are always working on an harmony with nature and they tend to worship Kami
View of After Life / After death, it is alleged that the spirits dwell the other world, where deities exist in. There is not one other world, but a few, containing takamanohara, yomi, and tokoyo. The other world is neither a heaven where the good are rewarded, nor a hell where the bad are punished. It is very much like this world we live in.
Practices and Rituals / Purification, formal readings, prayers, making offerings to kami.
Celebrations & Festivals / Oshogatsu, Setsubun-no-hi, Hina-matsuri, Koi-no-bori, Oshogatsu
Week 5 - Sources / / /
WEEK 6
JUDAISM
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / God, who is commonly defined as having no origin, gender or form, created the world and all its matters, including woman and man in six days
Nature of God/Creator / They believed in one God, one creator.
View of Human Nature / All beings are potentially equal. They are said to be common offspring of the first man and woman.
View of Good & Evil / Judaism does not see it as there being a clash between good and evil. Some religions believed that there are two sides in the universe, one good and one evil, and that they are constantly fighting with each other.
View of Salvation / Jews believe is no need for individual salvation, yet forgiveness, punishment, and sorrow are still important concepts.
View of After Life / Jews believe that rewards and punishments continue after death which is not important.
Practices and Rituals / People who practice Judaism pray three times a day. The Prayers can be done anywhere. In Judaism, rituals and religious are grounded in Jewish law Halakah. Also eating Kosher foods.
Celebrations & Festivals / Shabbat, Rosh HaShannah, Passover, Chanukah, Sukkot
Week 6 - Sources / / /
WEEK 7
CHRISTIANITY
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Same belief as Judaism, The belief That God created heaven and earth in six days from nothing. After creating heaven and earth God created man in his divine image
Nature of God/Creator / -Monotheistic. There is one God and he sent his son, who is part of him and part human to save the world.
View of Human Nature / Reason is a sole gift given by God for humans and allows them to reflect on their own nature and ethics, and from that derive knowledge of God's will for creation. Humanity is tending to sin & have chosen defiance rather than surrender to the will of God.
View of Good & Evil / There is a belief in good and evil and it is tremendously shown in Heaven and Hell.
Christians follow to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive mercy of their sins and a place among those who are blessed by faith in God
View of Salvation / Salvation is made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, which in the framework of salvation is referred to as the atonement.
View of After Life / Christians believe heaven is a place where followers go upon dying in order to enjoy the company of God as well as other believers. Others who’ve lost their way or had sin shall be punished and be sent to hell.
Practices and Rituals / Sunday Worship, Studying and reading of scriptures, baptisms, Prayer
Celebrations & Festivals / Christmas, Lent, Easter, Saints’ Days, Epiphany
Week 7 - Sources / / /
WEEK 8
ISLAM
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe
Nature of God/Creator
View of Human Nature
View of Good & Evil
View of Salvation
View of After Life
Practices and Rituals
Celebrations & Festivals
Week 8 - Sources
WEEK 9
SIKHISM
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe / Sikhism is founded on the notion of the ‘Oneness of Creation’. Sikhs considers the universe was made by Waheguru. The God who created the earth and all forms of life on it. Believed before the earth was created it was just Waheguru that existed and created everything by a single word.
Nature of God/Creator / When God wanted to create the world, He originated out from Nirguna, which means without any qualities or characteristics. To Sarguna state, which means having acquired all His qualities. Guru Nanak recognizes God in three forms. 1) He is inaccessible.2)He is omnipresent. 3)He is within every human being.
View of Human Nature / Sikhs see human life as a chance to unite with the divine spirit.Beings should relish life amongst the remembrance of Kartar and be disciplined by self-restraint, moral clarity, and prayer.
View of Good & Evil / Evil is uncertain from extreme self-centeredness. Cruelty and oppression are the most evil acts. Sometimes human beings suffer because of the self-centered actions of others.Human beings also have the ability to restore the injustices of the world, and thus make the world more fair and compassionate
View of Salvation / To reach salvation one must live a truthful life and reflect on God. Sikhism demonstrates the way to reach salvation and become one with God. Sikhs believe all you have to do is have faith, recite the name of God and remember Him for each possible moment.
View of After Life / Sikhs believe in reincarnation. If the beings lived well in the cycle of life they would reach the divine court. The Sikh belief system chains the idea of reincarnation with the idea of an afterlife in a paradise-like court of God.
Practices and Rituals / Amrit ceremony, Anand Karaj, After a child is born they have naming ceremonies.
Celebrations & Festivals / Vaisakhi, Martyrdom of Guru Arjan, BandiChhor Divas
Week 9 - Sources / / /
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WEEK 10
NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe
Nature of God/Creator
View of Human Nature
View of Good & Evil
View of Salvation
View of After Life
Practices and Rituals
Celebrations & Festivals
Week 10 - Sources
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