Experiencing the Worlds Religions - Essay Example

?Experiencing the Worlds Religions: Chapter 3 Hindusim did not have any varieties, it was practised in one form. However, over four thousand years ago, varieties of this religion began to appear. It is not yet clear if there was any influence by the invasions or migrations of the aggressive tribes of Aryan. It was in the Axis Age where philosophic inquiry and religious experimentation ultimately produced the Upanishads. Spiritual reality can be categorised into two: the external and internal spiritual reality. In Hindu terms, Brahman and Atman respectively. The former represents an outlook that is monistic which sees a subtle essence- human, divine, and cosmic. Atman on the other hand is the innermost spirit within human beings- it is ultimately identical to the Brahman. Other important aspects of Hinduism are karma and rebirth. It is believed that one’s moral consequences will be experienced either in this life or the next. The Gita states that one should first of all strive to meet his or her social obligations. After this, the Gita recommends four paths, that consider one's caste and personality type. Some of this paths may either be practiced individually or as a combination. They include: the paths of action, meditation, knowledge, and devotion. Last but not least, another characteristic of Hinduism includes the vital role of the guru. It is almost equivalent of a saint and acts as both as a spiritual teacher and counselor. Anthology of Word Scriptures: Chapter 2- Divine Law, Truth, And Cosmic Principle All religions regardless of their origin and beliefs, recognize a transcendent Law, Truth, or Principle. These three are believed to govern the universe and the human affairs. In traditions such as Christianity, theistic Hinduism, and Islam, God conceives the Law and makes it the measure for his creation. These traditions have long been the premise on which a particular question has has been posed many a times to theologians- is God bound by the laws he makes, or does He have a discretion to contravene them? In other traditions, the law is viewed as a property of samsaric existence which must be transcended. This is in reference to mostly the Hindu and the law of karma and its Buddhist doctrines. Similarly in Christianity, Paul at one point criticises the law claiming it to be a form of slavery. From the above writings, it is clear that different religions recognise a transcendent law or truth. Regardless of all these differences between religions, they share a caertain respect for the Law which human beings ought not to violate and they do so at their own peril. The universe is fundamentally moral. This is an illustration that there is a divine Principle or natural law working in both realms of nature and human affairs. Anthology of Word Scriptures: Chapter 9- The Major Sins In this chapter, we focus on the specific manifestations of evil. There are various ways through which evil deeds can be classified: sins of the mind, mouth, and the body. However, the majority of evil deeds can be classified into four major sins: murder, stealing, sexual immorality and lastly, lying. Most if not all religions are almost unanimous in their condemnation of the aforementioned sins. Anthology of Word Scriptures: Chapter 11- The Founder This chapter focuses on the life and work those who founded various religions. These are the people who were first to discover that the truth leads to salvation and therefore offered their whole lives in order to enlighten and save others. Some of these people with great souls include; Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, the ancient Hindu rishis, and Confucius among others. It is important to note that each of these founders of religion was unique in their own manner. For the Christian, the religion itself is based on the saving work of Christ. Similarly, in the Islamic faith, Muhammad is the beareer of the message. The many Faces of Sanatana Dharma The word Dharma originates from the Sanskrit root dhri. It means to sustain. Upon translation, Dharma is seen to mean either, religion, duty or religious duty. Experts say that its meaning is more profound than the simplistic, concise English translation it is given. The word is given another meaning- that which is integral to another. A suitable example in this case would be, the dharma of fire is to be hot while the dharma of sugar is to be sweet. Therefore, using the above explanation, it would be safe to say in regards of a person's dharma that it consists of certain duties that sustain an individual. However, this is premised on his innate characteristics. These characteristics are said to be both material and spiritual in nature and this generates two types of dharma: i. Sanatana-dharma. These are the duties which account for the ones spiritual identity as atman and are therefore the same for everyone ii. Varnashrama-dharma. It refers to duties performed according to an individual’s material nature. They can be said to be specific to an individual at that particular time. Most adherents of this concepts and beliefs prefer to refer to their tradition as Sanatana-dharma instead of using the modern term, Hinduism. The Changing Dharma Dharma is constantly changing and it works in more or less the same manner as a doctor who prescribes different medication for different people depending on the nature of the disease and body composition. Hinduism works in a similar manner as it prescribes different duties to different people. Those rules that are applied to women are not the same as those applied to men. It is important to note that the rules of different Varnas also referred to as castes and Ashramas which is basically the four stages of life, vary. However, there are those duties that are applied to all men: truth, control of the senses non-stealing, non-violence, and cleanliness and. They are common to all men. Dharma is dependent on various factors; age, circumstances, time, and the community belongs to. The Dharma of this century may be completely different from one in another century.There are certain conditions under which Dharma at times changes its usual course. This is when there is extreme distress or calamity. During such, times Dharma changes into Apad-Dharma. The term apad in English translates into distress. In one set of circumstances, whatever can be deifned as Dharma can still become Adharma in another scenario. This is why it is said and belived that Dharma’s secret is extremely profound and subtle. REFERENCES Molloy, M (2008). Experiencing the worlds religions. Swami, J (2006). Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism? Voorst, V (1991). Anthology of word scriptures. Read More