WORLD RELIGIONS FINAL STUDY GUIDEPRIMAL RELIGIONS/NATIVE AMERICAN- Common features of primal religionso Relay on oral tradition because don’t have writing The sacred stories still kept unwritten because speech relays on BREATH (“Spirit”)o Animism : all things are connected/alive— Hedonistic (God among)o Shamanism : Shaman has connection to the spirit world in order to combat or negotiate with spirits (good/evil) Shaman is someone who has passed through a terrible illness and gained access to the spirit world through that ordeal Focus on extraction of evil spirits, soul retrieval of a person who is ill and protection against evil influences o No real depiction of an afterlife all people go to the same place - The Aborigines are the most primal religious cult - Space is abstract but Place is concrete and sacred o You don’t own the land, the land owns you- Don’t concern themselves with time, only care about now- No idea of “salvation” or redemption- How do shamans enter trances to visit the spirit world? o Extreme Self-torture (fasting, no sleeping, physical torture)o Drugs (mushrooms)o Trances (dancing and drumming)- Wakan Tonka (“Great Mystery”) : the High God of the Sioux Indians - Quanah Parker: Chief of the Comanches; was most important leader in the Peyote movemento Atracted many to his beliefso Was able to protect the use of peyote for the Indians when the government and Church agencies were trying to prohibit ito Preserved the peyotism against the innovations of others- The Native American Church still exists - Black Elk: Siux Indian medicine mano Many Indians derive spiritual practices from his teachings o Was recorded by 2 white men (very important)o Indians everywhere practice this religiono Peace pipe, sweat log, seeking a Vision path - Most common religion of American Indians today o Catholicism (Christianity)HINDUISM- No single founder, no unified code of faith, no central authority or eternal damnation- Indus River Valley : fertile river valley home to the Dravidian people, where Hinduism first began - Not a congregational religion- Samsara : suffering, eternal cycles of birth and death (main problem)—Name of the worldo Moksha : spiritual liberation from the cycle of reincarnation - Bhakti : loving devotion; a form of yoga—Krishna tells Arjuna this path is easiest. He adds that devotion to the impersonal Absolute is a valid path, but very difficult- The Vedas : the 4 original ancient scriptures—Means “knowledge” from the Sanskrit - Atman : individual consciousness; soul or self- Krishna is an incarnation of whom? Is the most revered incarnation of Vishnu- Swastika : “He is well” (or “It is well.”) sign of auspiciousness and good luck from ancient India.- Kali : a manifestation of Durga—a fierce, destroying mother-goddess; terrible aspect of the divine- Hindu “trinity”—the beginning, duration and the endo Brahma is the creator godo Vishnu is the Sustainer—has 10 incarnations o Shiva is the Destroyer - Ganesha : elephant-headed god “Remover of Obstacles”; son of Shiva- Bhagavad Gita : the “Bible” of Hinduism—Song of Godo Portion of epic poem (the Mahabharata)o Recounts battlefield dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Krishnao Most important Hindu scripture - Mantra : sacred sounds- Mandala : sacred visual forms - Brahman is the absolute realityo Saguna Brahman – God with attributes (immanent)o Nirguna Brahman – God without attributes (transcendent)- Sanskrit : ancient sacred script of India, also called Devanagari (“language of the gods”).BUDDHISM- Comes out of Hinduism- Buddha is a title—“Awake One”- Siddhartha Gautama is known as the historical Buddhao Came to the world to liberate suffering o His first sermon “the Heart Sermon” was in the place called Deer Park This sermon consisted of the 4 Noble Truths - Four Noble Truths : original teachings of Buddha o The Truth of Sufferingo The Truth of the Cause of Sufferingo The Truth of the Cessation of sufferingo The Truth of the Path (the 8-fold path)o Theravada : “Way of the Elders”—original form of Buddhism, practiced in Southeast Asia- Nirvana : the goal of Buddhism; liberationo The freedom of non-attachmento The freedom of no-self- All forms of Buddhism incorporate 3 basis principles: o The Three Marks of Existence Suffering Impermanence No eternal selfo The Buddhist doctrine of Interdependent Origination: nothing has a separate essence, independent of everything else o The 4 Noble Truths- Bodhisattva : an enlightened being who remains on earth or reincarnates in order to save all sentient beings; vows not to enter Nirvana until everyone is enlightened o This is the idea of Mahayana Buddhism - Satori : breakthrough, epiphany episode in Zen- 3 Jewels or Refugeso Buddha —Teachero Dharma —Teachingso Sangha —Fellowship/community- Karma : simply cause and effect, without the mediation of any permanent selfTAOISM- Seek harmony with Forces of Nature- Lao Tzu : “old man” possibly is a legendary figure who wrote the Tao Teh Ching - Tao Teh Ching : is the main text of Taoism (the book of the way and its power)o The image of flowing water is a reoccurring image - Yin and yang : the center symbol of Taoism which symbolizes the marriage of Heaven and Eartho NOT A SYMBOL OF GOOD VS EVIL!o Qi is the universal energy that gave birth to Yin/Yango Yin is female and Yang is maleCONFUCIANISM- Basic Beliefs:o Seek harmony within Societyo Elders are honored o Boys are of more value, then girlso Conserve the pasto People learn from example- Jen : “fellow” feeling; familial devotion; respect for elders; ancestor worship; love and compassion- Shu : “The Golden Rule” –reciprocity - The Analects : the teachings of Confucianism - I-Ching : Chinese book of oracles associated with Confucius.ZOROASTRIANISM- Ahura Mazda : High God over all the daevas in the Aryan religion before Zoroaster JUDAISM- Torah : the 5 books of Moses (“Law”)—fist 5 books of the Old testament- Messhiach : Messiah “Anointed One “CHRISTIANITY- Meaning of Christos: Greek word for Christ “The Anointed One”- Emperor Constantine of Rome —these things are why Christianity has been conservedo Christian persecution is illegal; legal to be Christiano Moves capital to Turkeyo Ecumenical council (Council of Nicea)—created the New
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