Midterm Study Guide REL 1300 03 Introduction to World Religions Terms Ideas Festivals Groups Sects Anatman no soul The doctrine that the human person is impermanent temporary a changing combination of components Atman human soul Hindu traditions The self The deepest self the identity that remains beneath ones changing self Brahman the supreme being Surpasses Human thought and the universe itself Yajnavalkya refers to Brahman as the hidden inner controller of the human soul Atman The early Vedic Brahman was a cosmic power present in vedic ritual controlled by the Brahmin In the Upanishads or the later vedic Brahman was an impersonal supreme force pervading the cosmos Knowing Brahman entails entering a new state of consciousness recognizing the supreme unity behind the diversity of existence Brahmins Ritual specialists that perform sacrifices Come from a hereditary class Perform sacrifies with fires Ritual actions aim for a good life in this world Caste System Caste system articulated in this hymn Purusa sukta A Vedic Creation Hymn From his mouth came the priestly class From his arms the rulers From his legs the producers From his feet the servant class Dharma Duty Law Proscribed behavior Dharma firm lasting teachings Truth The Buddha s first sutra the Wheel turning Discourse Core Four Noble Truths Tripitaka Buddhism s sacred texts The Buddha s first sutra marks the moment when the wheel of dharma the lasting teachings were set back in motion The core of the Buddha s first sermon or sutra are the 4 Noble Truths or 4 Facts of Life that permeate the existence of all who live Tripitaka the three baskets of sacred texts Sutra Discourse Vinaya Monastic Discipline Abhidharma additional teachings Written in Pali Harappan Culture Writing system Urban Civilization Builders who lived in planned cities 1750 BCE Harappa Civilization disappears Indo European invasions 1800 BCE Indo European culture dominant by 1500 BCE 18th century CE Linguists note broad similarities between Greek Latin Persian and Sanskrit Common ancient language Igbo ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria They speak Igbo which includes various Igboid languages and dialects Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa In rural Nigeria Igbo people are mostly craftsmen farmers and traders Their supreme being is far removed from human begins and has created lesser spirits to handle specific problems Humans should avoid appealing to the Supreme Being except in matters of great importance or when appeals to lesser spirits have repeatedly failed Karma action ritual action In the Upanishads the word karma means a system of rewards and punishments attached to various actions May require several lifetimes to work out The concept of karma implies a continuing cycle of death and rebirth Koan used to facilitate spontaneous englighetnement Associated with zen Rinizai Zen sect uses 48 koans called the Mumonkan in training Discipline a story dialogue question or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the great doubt and test a student s progress in Zen practice A paradoxical thought exercise used in the Chan Zen tradition to provoke a breakthrough in understanding by forcing students to past the limitations of verbal formulations and logic Monotheism worship of only one god Judasism Christianity and Islam Pluralism granting of equal support acceptance or influence in decision making to more than one religious group Idea of the practice of any religion is beneficial to society as long as the practice does nothing to harm others Improving our understanding of our neighbors religions is beneficial to society Samsara continuing cycle of death and rebirth Reincarnation To achieve liberation from this cycle requires a transforming experiential wisdom Those who attain that wisdom become immortal without death Higher wisdom is not connected with any Vedic or book it is only through the experience of enlightenment that one is freed form the birth and death cycle Secularism Exclusion in principle of all religious groups institutions and identities from public support and participation in public decision making Recreational arguments for Sunday closing are secularist Syncretism common wherever different religions have interacted over a long period of time It is the idea that new traditions have developed that integrates ideas and practices from both indigenous and foreign traditions Show clear signs of influence from religions not native to the Americans The Four Sights Buddhism Four Sights 1 Old Man 2 Sick Man 3 Dead Man 4 Shramana Wanderings Attempts at extreme asceticism The Middle Path Temptation by Mara Enlightenment Triple Gem of Buddhism 1 Buddha 2 Dharma teaching 3 Sangha community monks Bhakti Loving devotion to a deity seen as a gracious being who enters the world for a benefit of humans Wandering poet saints Alvars Centered on Vishnu and Shiva in all forms Open to everyone not caste conscious Tamil heritage Separate from Sanskrit Poems often refer to Ramayana Mahabharata and the Puranas The Bhakti movement co existed peacefully with the other movements in Hinduism It was initially considered unorthodox as it rebelled against caste distinctions and disregarded Brahmanic rituals which according to Bhakti saints were not necessary for salvation They also rejected distinction between religious communities In the course of time however owing to its immense popularity among the masses and even royal patronage it became orthodox and continues to be one of the most important modes of religious expression in modern India The bhakti tradition in north India has as its object of devotion a less specific even formless divine being They expressed their devotion either in poetry or in silent meditation because they believed divinity to be without form Hence worship had nothing to do with physical images and they expressed their devotion differently North India Bhakti Explicit rejection of the caste system No Temple based worship and Bramanic rituals Use of poetry and silent meditation Worship centered on formless divine being Rama or Krishna This difference separates the north bhakti tradition from its southern counterpart and is partially explained by the fact that a Muslim sultanate had been established in the north since the early 1200s and a synergistic relationship had developed between Hindus and Muslims Bindi Bindi and Tilaka are probably the most common visual sign of Hindu culture The bindi or red dot is traditionally
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