Hindu

family; my dad and uncle owned land in India, which allowed my mom and my aunt to be homemakers. I have a younger brother and two first cousins; we all belong to the Patel family and Hindu community. I have been taught to believe in god since my ,childhood. Hindu community has taught me many things I have read various Hindu religious books which have taught me how to have a happy and positive life. My life took a big turn when my mom decided to put me in a boarding school. I was…

3. Linga – The Symbol or Phallus The Sanskrit word Linga is the term for the emblem of the Hindu God Shiva. It is the depiction of Shiva in a column or pillar form. It represents the phallus, but at the same time it is the representation of the cosmos and a symbol of fertility, life and regeneration. Linga does not only specific a phallus but it is a word which translates best as a symbol indicating a distinguishing mark, a characteristic of gender or sex. Linga worship is also known as Nirguna…

In spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India - Book Review The nation of India is one of the world’s largest democracies, a regional and upcoming world superpower that is now often compared to the mighty China. Its importance to the international community is magnanimous, but often neglected. The book In spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India is a great and illuminating work on the vast and diverse nature of India. The book is written by the British Edward Luce who among…

Christianity developed in the Middle East from the early monotheistic traditions of Zoroastrianism and Judaism. The ancient polytheistic religions of the Fertile Crescent saw gods as fallible and largely Earthly individuals who could be appealed to through offerings. In contrast, Abrahamic scholars believed in an omniscient cosmic entity that favored his followers with prosperity in exchange for exclusive worship. In place of sacrifice, obedience, moral behavior, and prayer were offered.…

documentary of religion (Evangelical Christian). The film revolves around children attending a Christian summer camp and their devotion to Christianity and several other religious practices. The readings “Staying Grounded in a High-Rise Building” and “The Hindu Gods in a Split-Level World” each represents a different religion in America and there origin. There is a significant comparison in religious practices between the film and the readings in regards to the role of ritual and the body,…

Nara period in Japan in the 700s. The pair artwork Buddha standing in Asian art museum include the two separate status. One of them depict Braham (Bonten) and another one depict Indra (Taishakuten). Brahman and Indra or Bonten and Taishakuten were Hindu gods but some how they combine into Buddhist myth and they attend as the Buddha. The two sculpture were created for Kofukyji temple that one of the most important temples at capital of japan in Nara period. The artwork impressed me because it is…

et al., 37). By Tylor and Frazer’s definition of religion as the “belief in a spiritual being”, the act of the Devas asking help from Brahma shows that they look up to and trust him for spiritual guidance. Although the Devas are holy people in the Hindu religion, the hierarchical order of society is reinforced in that they still must consult Brahma because of his wisdom. He tells the Devas, “Let us seek the help of the one, to whom all the gods, the Asuras, the animals, the birds, the trees and…

interests . So, with the case of Dabholkar his interests were of religious charlatans and right-winged extremist groups he despised like the Sanatan Sanstha who were responsible for the 2008 bombings in theaters because the movies were portraying Hindu gods in a “bad light”. And his murder highlighted how Atheism and different sects Hinduism are “religions” not just belief vs. non-belief systems. Yet they all have “truth” claims regardless. The centrality of non-belief in New Atheism connects…

Some religions in the documents presented focused on social behavior in the world, some were very spiritual and did not revolve around this world, and some of these ideas are expressed through artwork of certain religions. Certain religious attitudes from 600 B.C. to 600 C.E. had similar beliefs while others were very different. For example, Christianity is monotheistic while other religions such as Hinduism are polytheistic. The religions also had different views of life after death, or if…

The Vedas are ancient scripts from an unknown religion in India, first recorded in about 1500 BCE. The four sacred text collections that compromise the Vedas are: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. The first, Rig Veda means hymn knowledge and describes how the universe was created from a being that existed before existence, and created the universe by his sacrificing himself. From this being its pieces constructed everything known, while specific pieces were used to refer to the…