World Religions

Culture

Define Religion

Different Definitions of Religion

• William James: "the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.“

• Robert Bellah: "a set of symbolic forms and acts that relate man to the ultimate conditions of his existence.“

• Don Swenson: "Religion is the individual and social experience of the sacred that is manifested in mythologies, ritual, ethos, and integrated into a collective or organization.”

• David Edwards:The sum total of answers we give to the problem of our relationship with the universe, we call religion."

World Religions

• What do you know about the different religions practiced around the world?

Mayan Civilization• Native American who lived in Southern

Mexico• Polytheistic-worship of nature gods

– The Mayan religion believed that most peoples souls’ were vanquished to spend their afterlives in the underworld.

– The Mayans believed that every person had an animal companion who shared their soul.

• Excelled in painting, sculpture and mathematics

• Communicated through hieroglyphics• Inventions: made paper and books from

fig-tree bark, calendar based on astronomical measurements

• Sacred Calendar – 260 days, each associated with a particular god or goddess

• Harmonized activities with divine forces

Mayan Civilization

• The cultivation of corn was a sacred duty for the ancient Mayas.

• To the Mayas, corn was a gift of the gods and it played a central role in every aspect of Maya life and culture.

Popol Vuh

• “Council Book”• Used in times of crisis• The book was a “seeing

instrument,”or ilbál, because it was designed to overcome the limits of human vision by offering insight into the future.

Christianity• -monotheistic, God is all-knowing and present everywhere• Beliefs:

– God is the sole creator of the universe.– God sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for the sins of people.– Jesus’ Hebrew name is originally “Yeshoshua”, Jesus being a Greek form of the

word. The Latin rendering would be Joshua.– Jesus is the only means to salvation (Trinity).– Those who do not accept Jesus Christ will go to hell ( a place of eternal

punishment)– Jesus will return to Earth to make a final judgment.– The Bible is the word of God and was “divinely inspired”– The Bible contains stories, images and themes dealing with matters that are

important to the people and teaching cultural values.– Laws: Ten Commandments

Bible: The Creation Story

• Heavens and Earth• Day and Night• Living Creatures• Garden of Eden• Man/Woman• Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil• The Fall

Compare/Contrast ChartQuestions for Analysis Genesis Popol Vuh

What do the creators want the people they have created to do?How do the people meet or fail to meet the creators’ expectations?What do the creators do in response?In the end, how are things resolved?What do these details reveal about the culture?

Bible: The Flood

• Wickedness of Man• Noah • Ark• Birds• Token of Covenant• Qualities of Human Beings

Sumerian Beliefs• Polytheistic • Sumerian religion has its roots in the worship of nature, such as the

wind and water.• Gods in human form were now seen to have control over nature.• Beliefs

– regarded the universe as consisting of heaven and earth. – the dead descended into the nether world, also known as the under world.

They then confronted Utu, who judged their soul. If the judgment was positive the soul would live a life of happiness. It was, however, generally believed by Sumerians that life in the nether world was dismal.

– Man’s role in the universe was to serve the gods.– Each city housed a temple that was the seat of a major god in the Sumerian

pantheon.– Fate was in the hands of the gods

Gilgamesh - Epic• Epic poem:

– Takes place over a long period of time– Reflects the values of a culture– Influence of supernatural beings

• Epic Hero:– Noble birth– Accomplishes great deeds– Represents ideals of a culture/nation– Great warrior– Receives help from a supernatural entity

• Quest Story– Hero goes on a journey to achieve a goal (object or knowledge)– Hero has special powers and special friends that help (or hinder) him.

Gilgamesh: The Flood

• Wickedness of Man• Ea• Utnapishtim• The boat• Birds• Immortality• Qualities of Human Beings

Gilgamesh: Heroism/Gods

Ancient India• Civilization built upon the Indus River• People were skilled hydraulic engineers (reservoirs storing water, sewer system)• Patriarchal Society – women considered inferior, sinful and a source of contamination • Hindu Laws of Manu

– Brides can be as young as 8– Warriors could abduct a bride and murder her family– Warriors may have several wives– Women are forbidden to own property or be independent– A wife could not displease her husband, even after he dies.

• Spoke Sanskrit – language of Hindu scriptures.• Rig Veda “the knowledge of the verses” is a collection of over 1,000 hymns that were

chanted by priests during rituals and sacrifices.• Gods divided the society into four classes (varnas): The Caste System was based on

the concept of dharma “duty”• Brahman – priests (considered the purist class and wore white to distinguish themselves)• Kshatriyas – warriors and rulers (wore red and commanded respect)• Vaishyas - farmers, merchants, tradesman, poets, dancers (wore yellow, membership was strictly

hereditary)• Shudras – servants and menial laborers (wore black); included the dasas (slaves) – legal to beat and kill

a shudra– Outcastes (untouchables) – unlcean, disposing of waste, digging graves, butchers, leatherworkers

Hinduism• Monotheistic – Brahman (abstract spirit that exists everywhere

and within all living things)• Brahman consists of three parts:

– Brahma – the creator– Vishnu – the preserver– Shiva – the destroyer

• Belief of reincarnation – an individual’s soul (atman) passes from one body at death to be reborn in another body.

• Belief in karma – actions in a previous life that affect reincarnation• Goal of existence: moksha (perfect understanding of the universe

and, ultimately, a release from the cycle to unite with Brahman.

Buddhism• Arose as a reaction to Hinduism’s complex rituals.• Began by Guatama the Buddha: sheltered upbringing, renounced the

world, left his family and became a religious ascetic.• Accept the belief of reincarnation.• Ultimate Goal: nirvana - enlightenment and union with the universal

spirit.• No caste system.• Beliefs:

– The way to salvation is through moderation– Follow Buddha’s Middle Way – between desire and self-denial– Meditation, nonviolence and religious tolerance– Four Noble Truths:

• Fact of suffering• Suffering has a cause• Suffering can be ended• Suffering can be ended by following the Eightfold path

– Course of behavior by which the soul could escape reincarnation

Yoga

• Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that aim to develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility, and insight.

• the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that aim to transform body and mind.

• The term yoga is derived from the literal meaning of "yoking together" a span of horses or oxes,[1] but came to be applied to the "yoking" of mind and body.

Ramayana• “Journey of Rama”• Inspired by nature• Guide for living

– Rama – ideal man– Sita – ideal woman

• Author: Valmiki– Wise man who was visited

by Narada (messanger of the gods) to write a story of the ideal man, Rama.

– Written in sloka (curse in a rhymed verse form that conveys grief)

Background Story:• Rama is son to King Dasaratha

(mother gone)• King’s second wife is promised two

wishes.– She wishes her son, Bharata, to be

heir over Rama and Rama must be exiled to the forest for 14 years.

• Rama is married to Sita and has a brother, Lakshmana, who go with him.

• In the forest, they kill a female demon, whose brother, Ravana, rules an island.– Ravana has 10 heads and 20 arms and

kidnaps Sita in revenge.

Ramayana

• Rama searches all of India for Sita and makes an alliance with Sugreeva, the king of monkeys.

• Ravana tries to forces Sita to be his wife, but she refuses to be touched by any male but her husband.

• The war begins…

Heroism

Based on both Gilgamesh and Ramayana, what are the qualities, exhibited by both men, that qualify a man to be a hero? What does the epic suggest about culture and religion? How do the epics provide a moral code for how men and women should live their lives?

Rig Veda

• Creation Myth

Chinese Society• History marked by a succession of dynasties.• Feudalism – different regions controlled by lords who were loyal to the emperor.• Warring States Period – feudal lords began fighting• Built the Great Wall• Commerce: Silk Roads• Women in Ancient China

– Not allowed to go to school– Arranged marriages– Binding of feet (for upper class) – unsuited for manual labor

• Strict Class Structure– The Emperor was the central figure of authority.– Peasants – farmers who raised food for the empire.– Artisans – craftspeople (made tools, weapons and luxury items)– Merchants – sold the goods that artisans made and were controlled by the government– Servants and Slaves – nomads from Mongolia, migrant laborers, entertainers, butchers and

soldiers

Taoism

• Based on the Tao “the way” – the universal force underlying all of life.• Cultivates harmony, balance, energy and flow (as found

in nature)• Yin Yang – duality• Core Teaching found in: Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu• Reflects the beliefs of Buddhism• Considered a mystical way of life: worship of local

deities, mediumship, divination, astrology, energy yoga, and alchemy.

Paradox

• A contradictory truth• Identify the paradox in the passages.• Why do you believe it is written this way?

What affect does it have on your understanding of the philosophy?

Confucianism

• Worldly interpretation of the Tao “the way”• Confucius sought to bring harmony to times of great social unrest.• Worship of ancestral spirits and the cult of the

emperor as the Son of Heaven• Teachings had four themes

– Mutual consideration (The Golden Rule)– Family (Encouraging bonds of loyalty and respect for elders)– Humaneness (courtesy, generosity, honesty and diligence)– Ritual (value of good manner and etiquette

Didactic Literature

• Teach lesson about how to live a moral life• Maxim – a statement of general truth about

human behavior• Anecdote- a brief story that focuses on a

single event to illustrate a truth or teaching.• Parable – brief story to teach a lesson.

Analects by Confucius

• 1. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

• 2. Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

• 3. It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

• 4. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

• 5. What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.

Analects by Confucius

• 6. They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.

• 7. I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.

• 8. If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.

• 9. Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

• 10. Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness

Friday Quizzy

• 1. What is didactic literature?• 2. What cultures believe in a class structure?• 3. Which cultures are polytheistic?• 4. Which cultures are monotheistic?• 5. What religion contains the belief of reincarnation?• 6. What religion believes in the holy trinity?• 7. What religion focuses on moderation?• 8. What is Tao?• 9. What society was based on the cultivation of corn?• 10. Define epic. How does Rama show characteristics of an

Epic hero?

Zen Teachings

• With a partner, summarize your assigned chapter.

• Identify figurative language.• How is the selection didactic?• What maxims (or spiritual teachings) can you

learn from the selection?

Maxims

• Write Three Maxims about how you think people should live.

• Try to make the maxims relate to attitudes and behavior in your family, school and community.

• Get with a partner that shares your ideas. Agree on three between you.

• Write your maxims on the large paper and hang in the hallway.