Brahman

In Hinduism, it's more what you do, than what you believe. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman. Brahman takes on many forms that some Hindus worship as gods or goddesses in their own right. The most widely worshiped of these gods are Shiva, Krishna, and Lakshmi. (cite my history lab) Hindus believe that there is a part of Brahman in everyone and this is called the Atman. They also believe in reincarnation, a belief that the soul is eternal and lives many lifetimes…

The Upanishads are sacred books written in India around 800 BCE (Violatti, Upanishads) that provide important information on Indian Philosophy.During this time there was a shift in the focus of religious life due to the growing corruption from the wealthy Priests; it started to focus on meditation and spirituality rather than sacrifices and rituals. The Upanishads are not used as a book of rules but are used for spiritual inspiration. It has many teachings and doctrines on how an individual…

Visvaruchi (the All-gleaming, all-formed) − these seven, flickering about, form the seven tongues of the fire” (English Translation of Mundaka Upanishad, 3). These fires are the fires of the Karma-Yoga which is a work of action to become one with Brahman. The spark is the Atman and the various yogas is the fire poker to stoke the flames and make our fire burn high and bright enough to soon become one with…

1. In what sense are the two notions of Yin and Yang fundamental to the understanding of Chinese religions? According to Mark Cartwright, the Yin and Yan are fundamental to the understanding of Chinese religions because it explains the Chinese principle that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites, for example, day and night, male and female or hot and cold. The two opposites attract and complement each other and, as their symbol illustrates, each side has at its core an…

birthing of the cosmos from the Golden Womb. Certain advocates of both religions believe the Universe passes through endless cycles of creation and destruction that last for trillions of years. Hindus believe that its one true god, called the Brahman. The Brahman has many forms passes through the entire universe and is represented by the holy syllable Om. The Braham is shown in each individual as an eternal spirit called the…

believe in reincarnation, until a Hindu completes their dharma to the best of their ability, they achieve moksha, which is freedom from the cycle of reincarnation. It is all Hindus’ goal to reach nirvana, which is when one’s soul gets reunited with Brahman (the holy trinity of Hindu Gods). In order to be released from the cycle, Hindus must achieve total peace. In Christianity, people live their lives with free will, and at the time of death, God directs a final judgement, and decides whether…

main classes, Brahmin (Priest), have always been the highest ranking of the four classes that make up Hindu society. Traditionally they have been people who engaged in biblical education and teaching; usually in temples or to particular families. Brahmans still follow other traditional occupations such as teacher, government clerk or…

This class was precisely as I had suspected it to be, in that we would touch on various religions, their origins, their beliefs, and the philosophy behind these beliefs. I selected this class in the hope that I would broaden my frame of reference philosophically rather than religiously. And to be quite frank I dispensed with any curious thoughts about religious practices and their origins even before the class started. I make no claims to be an atheist or agnostic, I exist in pretty much the…

What then is the consequence of the two ‘senses’ in Geertz theory, being models ‘of’ and ‘for’ when applied? As mentioned in his second axiom, these grand conceptions of the world “establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men”, which are propagated deep within use of certain upheld symbols. Geertz defines a motive as “liabilities to perform particular classes of act or have particular classes of feeling.” In Advaita, the motivations which propel a person to a…

effects that the law of karma can have upon them. The main goal of Hinduism is for someone to become one with brahman, the eternal reality. Along with karma, the hindu people also believe in the ideas of samsara and moksha. Samsara is the wheel of life where a person continues to be reborn through reincarnation. Moksha is the release from the wheel of life and becoming one with the brahman. Karma plays a role in samsara and moksha because the law of karma is what decides what a person will be…