Moralistic vs. Philosophical Religions

1. Moralistic vs. Philosophical Religions • Moralistic = • Good and Bad • Philosophical = • mind, state of being

2. SIKHISM… • Sikhism is NOT a Polytheistic Religion it is a Monotheistic religion • A way of life and philosophy well ahead of its time when it was founded over 500 years ago and today has over 20 million followers • Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God. It teaches the full equality of men and women. Women can participate in any religious function or perform any Sikh ceremony or lead the congregation in prayer.

3. Hinduism is said to be the world’s oldest religion • You can be Monotheistic • You can be Polytheistic • You can be Agnostic-can’t prove or disprove God • You can be Atheist-don’t believe in God at all. • Hinduism is a very broad religion

4. http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm

5. Teaches that right thinking and self denial will enable the soul to reach Nirvana (a divine state of release from misdirected desire)

6. HELL!!! For Hindu’s • Is designed to justly punish crime • It can last for a MOMENT or a 1,000 YEARS.

7. HEAVEN. • There is no Heaven. • Life is a never-ending circle. Re-death Re-birth Hell Limbo

8. Reincarnation. • Transmigration of Souls. • It is continuous where individuals attempt to achieve that perfect life. • If achieved, individual can be sent to Nirvana and the circle is broken.

9. Hindu’s believe… that a person’s KARMA determines how his soul will be reborn in the next life. KARMA = deeds of action

10. DHARMA PROVIDES A CODE OF BEHAVIOR OR SET OF MORAL AND ETHICAL RULES GOVERNING THE CONDUCT OF EACH SOCIAL CLASS. (AN UPPER CLASS HINDU AND A LOWER CLASS HINDU HAVE DIFFERENT SETS OF RULES (DHARMAS) TO LIVE BY).

11. Hinduism did not become popular outside its homeland. It is tied to India • Hinduism percentage by country When It Did Spread, It Did It Not By Land, But Rather By Sea.

12. The sacred rivers • Hoping either to benefit from its restorative properties or to die and be transported to Paradise, the Ganges and other rivers are a key part of worship in the Hindu faith.

13. ? QUESTIONS ? • Why is the cow sacred? • The Hindu does not worship the cow, has never worshipped the cow, and is not likely to ever worship the cow. • The cow represents a link between man and the dumb animals of Creation. • The cow represents ‘Motherhood’, ‘Mother’s milk’, and gentle nature.

14. What’s with the red dot (bindi)? • Men and women wear the red dot, which is paste, powder, or a sticker. It is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and is a sign that one is Hindu. The colorful sticker versions of the dot are more of a beauty mark or part of a lady’s make-up.

15. Hindus believe… • in one God, one Humanity, and one world. • God is not far away, living in a remote heaven, but is inside each and every soul, in the heart and consciousness, waiting to be discovered. • there is one all-pervasive God who energizes the entire universe. • the concept of God which exists in and gives life to all things (panentheism)

16. Hinduism shows a great capacity to absorbing ideas and adapting to conditions. • When Buddha challenged it, in the 6th century B.C., the Brahmas simply added him and accepted certain Buddhist concept. • Thus Buddhism virtually vanished from India.

17. Christianity reached India at least 1,600 to 1,900 years ago. • The Christian message was absorbed. • In fact, Jesus is the Tenth Incarnation of Vishnu.

18. A way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer a set of practices that are claimed to end, or ease suffering.

19. The Four Noble Truths. • 1. Life = Suffering • To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. • to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; • And we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. • different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering

20. 2. The origin of suffering is attachment. • The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient (temporary), their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow.

21. 3. The cessation of suffering is attainable. (it is possible to stop suffering) - Suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. (Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it).

22. 4. The path to the cessation of suffering is to follow the Eight Fold Path to Nirvana. • Right Faith (do you truly understand. It does not deal with ‘reason’.) • Right Resolve to Resist Evil • Right Speech (not just what you say, but what you think – you should do) • Right Action (how do you conduct yourself)

23. Right Living • Right Effort (does you head, heart, and body work as one?) • Right Thought (intentions, attitudes, aspirations) • Right Meditation (concentration. Whether it be breathing, or letting go to where there is nothing but silence)

24. According to Buddha, man would go through several rebirths before he would be able to overcome his desires. Those who finally rid themselves of all desires would reach Nirvana. In Nirvana, man’s soul would stop it cycle of rebirth and would become one with the universe. Buddhism is the only religion to begin in India’s Ganges River Valley area, but it is #4 in India behind Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.

25. ANIMISM • Sees god in the animals (spirit) which they hunt.

26. CONFUCIANISMDeals with the Li and the HsinLi is the ability to “See”Hsin = The ”Lane” or “Pattern”The “Heart” and the “Mind”

27. Confucius addressed both Buddhist and Taoist issues

28. Taoism / Daoism • Is the root of Chinese philosophy. • The unity of heaven and earth is possible only if Tao is allowed to take its natural course. • To understand Tao is the very secret of life.