Position/Comparison Paper: All Religions Are Ultimately the Same?
Introduction
Six blind men came together to find out how an elephant truly looked liked by touching the elephant’s body. One man touches the leg, saying it is like a pilar. The second man is touching the tusk, describing the elephant as a hard pipe. The third man says the elephant is like a wall while touching the side. Another describes the elephant as a rope while grasping its tail. The fifth man touches the trunk and says it is like a tree branch. And lastly, a man touching the flaps of the elephant’s ear says the animal is like a hand fan. Are all these men necessarily wrong? This story in the Jain tradition is describing how religions can interpret spirituality, and be different …show more content…
To look at the founders in a generic perspective takes away their accomplishment and does not make what they have done be truly remarkable or revolutionary. While looking at the prophets/founders, difference between why the found their religion or how they rediscovered it will become more paramount.
Starting off with the Eastern religions, both are very unalike in the terms of founders. While both are very old, Hinduism has no known founder. There are speculations that the religion came from the Aryans who migrated to the once inhabited Indus Valley, left religious text that is now known has the Vedas (Living Religions 72). This Vedas are the authoritative text among the religion and become distinctive when it come to the rules of the religion.
Contrasting to Buddhism, it was rediscovered by a nobleman, Siddhartha, who relinquished all his valuable after he saw an old man, an ill man, and lastly a corpse when he sneaked out of his palace out of curiosity. After he saw the suffering of man, he encountered a guru which moved him. After, Siddhartha disowned is possessions and family and went on a six year fast. He mediated under a tree for about one month until he had his revelation and became Buddha (an enlightened being). He set rules to how to reach Nirvana set the Four Noble Truths of life. Siddhartha wanted to teach his revelations to people who …show more content…
The Vedas, the Hindus holy texts which describes stories of the of the gods and as well as belief of multiple gods (Living Religions 76). Another major belief which differentiates Hinduism is the concept of the caste system. The caste system is implemented within society to sort people into high class divisions, all the way to upper, middle and lower class, down to the oppressed or untouchables. (In class notes on Hinuism) This sorting into a permanent caste leads to the idea that if you do your dharma (job), then you will develop good karma which finally leads to samsara (reincarnation). To practice good karma to lead into a better reincarnation the Hindus practice forms of yoga. The types of yogas range from being very easily practiced to the common people to types that can only be practiced by certain castes which is not seen in many religions. The practices and beliefs range within the Hindu religion but the most common are very apparent to other major
Introduction
Six blind men came together to find out how an elephant truly looked liked by touching the elephant’s body. One man touches the leg, saying it is like a pilar. The second man is touching the tusk, describing the elephant as a hard pipe. The third man says the elephant is like a wall while touching the side. Another describes the elephant as a rope while grasping its tail. The fifth man touches the trunk and says it is like a tree branch. And lastly, a man touching the flaps of the elephant’s ear says the animal is like a hand fan. Are all these men necessarily wrong? This story in the Jain tradition is describing how religions can interpret spirituality, and be different …show more content…
To look at the founders in a generic perspective takes away their accomplishment and does not make what they have done be truly remarkable or revolutionary. While looking at the prophets/founders, difference between why the found their religion or how they rediscovered it will become more paramount.
Starting off with the Eastern religions, both are very unalike in the terms of founders. While both are very old, Hinduism has no known founder. There are speculations that the religion came from the Aryans who migrated to the once inhabited Indus Valley, left religious text that is now known has the Vedas (Living Religions 72). This Vedas are the authoritative text among the religion and become distinctive when it come to the rules of the religion.
Contrasting to Buddhism, it was rediscovered by a nobleman, Siddhartha, who relinquished all his valuable after he saw an old man, an ill man, and lastly a corpse when he sneaked out of his palace out of curiosity. After he saw the suffering of man, he encountered a guru which moved him. After, Siddhartha disowned is possessions and family and went on a six year fast. He mediated under a tree for about one month until he had his revelation and became Buddha (an enlightened being). He set rules to how to reach Nirvana set the Four Noble Truths of life. Siddhartha wanted to teach his revelations to people who …show more content…
The Vedas, the Hindus holy texts which describes stories of the of the gods and as well as belief of multiple gods (Living Religions 76). Another major belief which differentiates Hinduism is the concept of the caste system. The caste system is implemented within society to sort people into high class divisions, all the way to upper, middle and lower class, down to the oppressed or untouchables. (In class notes on Hinuism) This sorting into a permanent caste leads to the idea that if you do your dharma (job), then you will develop good karma which finally leads to samsara (reincarnation). To practice good karma to lead into a better reincarnation the Hindus practice forms of yoga. The types of yogas range from being very easily practiced to the common people to types that can only be practiced by certain castes which is not seen in many religions. The practices and beliefs range within the Hindu religion but the most common are very apparent to other major