Religion

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Question 1

  

Hinduism is the religion mostly practiced by people from India and Nepal. It is the oldest living religious tradition in the world. The religion has a vast array of practices and beliefs that stretch back many thousands of years. Moreover, Hinduism has no particular founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings (BBC, 2009). The main Hindu text is the Vedas which means ‘knowledge’.  

  

The term “Hindu” was derived from the river complex of the northwest, the Sindhu (BBC, 2009). The traditional religion originated around the Indus Valley near the River Indus in the Modern day Pakistan. The Hindus believe that the existence of mankind is a cycle of birth through death and rebirth which is governed by Karma. Karma is the force that is established by an individual’s actions to determine what that person’s next life will be like.   

  

Sacrifice is the most fundamental of all rituals in Hinduism. Most of the Hindu rites and ceremonies are carried out in a temple setting mostly in individual homes. Most of the rituals are normally directed towards the gods and goddesses. 

  

Question 2

  

A pilgrimage is a ritual with a hallowed purpose or spiritual journey. Most people go on pilgrimage to seek inspiration, change of mind and also the deep questioning of their life’s purpose. The Hindus participate in worship and glorification as well as charity especially to priests and temples during pilgrimage. They also listen to talks and receive advices on spiritual life which assists them in self-reflection and contemplation. 

  

Pilgrimage also plays a significant role in Jainism. On pilgrimage, Jains assume the lifestyle and attitudes of a Jain ascetic such as a monk or nun. They occasionally visit temples or locations that are associated with the lives and deeds of the Tirthankaras. Among the most famous holy sites of pilgrimage for Jains is in Shatrunjaya in Gujarat, a holy mountain that contains many temples. 

  

Question 3

  

The Hindus have the belief that there are many gods. However, they still realize and acknowledge that they all come from Atman. The Sikhs on the other hand are Monotheists and believe in only one God. Furthermore, the Hindus are devoted to the various gods and goddesses of Hinduism while the Sikhs maintain the worship of only one god of whom they believe to be their creator. 

  

On salvation, the Sikhs believe that God is generous and loving and hence mankind will reincarnate until he becomes a Sikh and achieves paradise. The Hindus on the other hand believe that God chooses who gets salvation depending on one’s deeds and righteousness. Moreover, the Hindus concept of God is that God is in everything and everything is God, while the Sikhs believe Him to be self created, indestructible, unborn, creator of universe, Guru Nanak is God and Manifest (Diffen, 2012). 

  

Question 4

  

The performance of vows by a lay Jain person enables the individual to live a righteous life and advance towards a more perfect life and conquer desire. The vows prompt the Jain individuals towards non-violence, truthfulness and chastity. They assist in making an individual uphold good moral conduct even when outside the community. 

  

The vows also keep individuals from stealing or misappropriate the goods and properties of others. The vows also keep the Jain individuals from committing unnecessary sin or moral offenses such as thinking or talking ill of others. in the vows, the practice of limiting the quantity that one should possess eliminates the danger of concentration of wealth at one point. This helps to minimize poverty and crime in the society thus resulting in an ideal society.  

  

  

     

 

  

References

  

BBC. (2009, September 29). Introduction to Hinduism. Retrieved from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml

  

Diffen. (2012). Hinduism vs. Sikhism. Retrieved from Diffen: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hinduism_vs_Sikhism

Answer

Here are some example questions that give more information on the religions mentioned. It is important to mention with Hinduism specifically that the sects of the religion vary greatly. Enjoy your answer!1. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, meaning it involves the worship of many Gods. All sects of Hinduism worship many gods, believe in reincarnation (or the rebirth after death into a new body), and originated in India. Hinduism involves many different major philosophies, but most of them are highly concerned with the nature of the universe. Often, these policies conflict greatly. For example, there are some sects of hinduism that believe that free will exists, while others do not. This makes Hinduism a complicated religion for an outsider to understand, as the different schools offer very different belief systems from one another, to the point where they nearly constitute different religions entirely. It is the third most practiced religion in the world, and gave rise culturally to many things practiced in the West, such as Yoga and meditation. 

2. A pilgrimage is a sacred journey undertaken by members of a religious group to a particular place. Often, these places involve sacred objects that are said to imbue power or good luck on those who have visited. For example, many Hindus travel to sites such as holy temples, each of which have their own specific significance. The general purpose is to interact with other religious Hindus and to deepen the understanding of one's religion. Jains often go on non-compulsory pilgrimages, in which they adopt the habits of a Jain monk, in order to deepen their understanding of their religion and become closer to their deity. Jewish children often go on Birthright for the same purpose, where they visit Israel in order to become closer to the birthplace of Judaism.

3. The ideas of God are very different in Sikhism and Hinduism. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that worships a large number of Deities. However, only one of these as seen as 'God'. This god is referred to as Brahman and everything is said to come from this one deity, despite the worship of the lesser deities as well. The Hindu god is considered beyond form or gender, and has no counterpart as it comprises everything, good or bad. In Sikhism, the worship of God is monotheistic. Their God is also said to be formless and genderless, and encompasses all. However, there is no worship of lower Gods in sikhism. The religion, though its deity is very similar to Hindu's supreme God, is the only worshipped deity.

4. In the life of a lay Jain person, the vows are very important. They form a concrete structure in which the Jain individual is ordered to live his or her life. These vows have an effect on the outside community. For example, the Jain vow of nonviolence means that Jains eat a very strict vegetarian diet. This can cause clashes with those that do not follow the religion, and make it so food has to be specially prepared. Jains also believe in celibacy, which means spousal relationships with significant others are as sparse as possible. This can look odd to an outsider. Jains are also supposed to be immaterial and totally truthful, which can especially cause clashes with Western outsiders, as these ideals are often opposite of Western ideals.

Answer

Religion Answers

  

1.     Hinduism revolves around certain religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas. Some common Hinduism beliefs are reincarnation, an absolute being of multiple manifests, following the path of righteousness, the law of cause and effect, and the desire for liberation from the constant cycle of births and deaths. The absolute being that Hindus believe in is called Brahman, but this Absolute is not the only being that they worship. Hindus worship thousands of gods and goddesses that all represent the basic belief in Brahman. Hindus also worship spirits, animals, plants, and planets. The belief in reincarnation is important to the Hindu population. Reincarnation is the belief that a living being can begin a new life after physical death. Some common traditions that Hindus partake in are marks on the forehead, doing pujas (worshiping events) participation in Hindu festivals, life cycle rituals, and visiting temples. These are only a few common ways to participate in Hinduism.

  







  





2.     Pilgrimage is a long journey or search of moral significance. To be more specific, a Hindu pilgrimage can be a journey to a sacred place or shrine of importance. Though Hindus are not required to undertake a pilgrimage, most do go on such a journey. There are many reasons that Hindus partake in pilgrimage. Some reasons for pilgrimage are to remember special people, fix the mind on God, improve spiritual development, atonement of sins, guidance from holy people, perform specific rites, and to self-reflect. Hindus can perform pilgrimage by taking darshan (worshiping specific idols), glorifying, giving, and involving oneself with austerities and penance. 

  







  





3.     The Sikh view of God (Nam) follows a few basic qualities. Some of these qualities are as follows: only God is worthy of worship and meditation, He is the Creator and Destroyer, God is compassionate and kind, God is everywhere, and He is the ultimate Protector of all beings. Hindus share some of these basic qualities with Sikhs. Both believe in worship and offerings. Though Hindus worship multiple deities while Sikhs only worship one God, both believe in worship and offerings. Both Sikhs and Hindus believe in reincarnation. Hindus reincarnate until enlightenment is reached while Sikhs reincarnate until they eventually merge with God. Marriage is believed to be a sacred bonding of a man and woman. Finally, both religions acknowledge the existence of Buddha, the one who is believed to have been the foundation of the Buddhist religion. 

  







  





4.     Vows play a significant role in the life of a lay Jain person. There are twelve vows that Jains follow. The first five are known as the Anuvratats. Non-violence is the first of these vows. The belief in not harming any living thing is key to being a Jain. Then there is truthfulness. Not lying is a quality that Jains try their best to carry with them outside of their community. There are multiple other qualities that Jains must carry outside of their community. Non-stealing, chastity, and non-possession are just a few of these qualities. Three more vows (known as the Gunavratas) that the Jains follow are limit activity area (limit on travel amount), limit the use of resources (limit on food, clothes, etc.), and avoid pointless sins (total avoidance of cruelty and wrong doings). The last four vows (known as the Siksavratas) are the meditation vow (at least 48 minutes a day), the limited activity time vow (moderately different activities), limited simple life vow (take on the life of a monk), and limited the charity vow (give to the poor, monks, and nuns).

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