[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
of the Hindu pantheon have different attributes and powers but are all
visible representations of Brahman. They are believed to answer prayers,
fight evil or provide guidance within the real world. The Hindu pantheon
exists in its full glory today, with each region of the country embracing its
RELIGION
81
own particular deities. In the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
for instance, Ayyappan and Murugan are the incarnations of Shiva and
are worshipped as protectors of the village. Rites and rituals also vary
from region to region with a plethora of temples, priests, gurus and other
spiritual teachers propagating everything from yoga to meditation, self-denial,
contemplation and detachment as a way to seek the truth and liberate the
soul from worldly desire.
OM
Om is the most sacred of sounds in Hinduism and is said to be the
syllable that preceded the universe. According to Hindu mythology,
the gods were made from Om , which is a cosmic vibration that
holds the heavens together. Because of its sacred nature, Om
precedes all Hindu prayer and is also used as the final exclamation,
similar to Amen in Christianity.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism, which originated 2,500 years ago, was born in India at a time
when the idea of reincarnation the constant cycle of birth, death and
rebirth was growing among Hindus. Buddhism focuses on personal spiritual
development and strives for an insight into the truths of life. Its founder is
Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince who advocated purity and goodness
as a way to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
Siddhartha, the son of King Shuddhodana and his queen Maya, was
born in 563 BC at Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, capital of the Sakyan republic,
a region that lies in present-day southern Nepal. The young Siddhartha
was disenchanted with his life of luxury and was particularly traumatised
when he went into the city and saw sickness, death and suffering among the
people. He realised that all living beings had to experience the sufferings
of birth, sickness, ageing and death, and that the suffering was repeated in
each rebirth. He developed a desire to release mankind from this suffering
and, at the age of 29, left the palace and his family and became an ascetic,
renouncing all worldly pleasures. At the age of 35, Siddhartha reached Bodh
Gaya in the northern Indian state of Bihar. Here he attained enlightenment
82
or nirvana, a state of blissful peace devoid of all desire, while meditating
beneath a bodhi tree. He became Buddha, the Awakened One.
For the next 45 years until his death, the Buddha travelled across the
country, teaching the Wheels of Dharma which includes the Four Noble
Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are: suffering
is the condition of all existence; suffering is due to desire, craving and
selfishness; suffering can be overcome; and the way to overcome it is by
following the Eightfold Path, which leads to right viewpoint, values, speech,
actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditation. The Buddha preached
the doctrine of anatta (non-self), refuting the existence of a permanent
self, which he believed was the cause of most of human suffering. He also
preached the Middle Way or Middle Path, which is the practice of moderation,
as opposed to the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. His
medium of communication was believed to be Magadhi, the language
of Magadha.
Buddhism has two main sects, Theravada and Mahayana, though many
more have evolved over the generations, with each sect establishing many
different schools. Mahayana Buddhism came into being at the end of the first
millennium BC, and is widely practised in countries such as China, Tibet, Japan
and Korea. The Theravada sect stresses the importance of monastic life and
austerity and believes in Siddhartha Gautama as the only Buddha; the Mahayana
sect emphasises that enlightenment is open to anyone who follows the path
of devotion and sees Siddhartha Gautama as one of many Buddhas.
During the reign of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (272 BC 231 BC) the
Buddha s philosophy acquired a national status. Ashoka converted to
Buddhism and tried to bring about a moral and spiritual revival in his kingdom.
He is also credited with helping spread Buddhism beyond India; however,
by the 4th and 5th centuries, Buddhism was in decline in India while gaining
popularity in Central Asia and China. It witnessed a revival under the Guptas
(320 550) but declined when royal patronage was withdrawn in subsequent
years, and stupas and monasteries were destroyed. The rise of Hinduism
was another reason for the lack of patronage of Buddhism.
In present-day India, Buddhism is practised by about 7.9 million people
or 0.8 per cent of the population (2001 census).
RELIGION
83
JAINISM
Jainism is the most ascetically demanding of all Indian religions. It preaches
that the way to liberation from the cycle of rebirth is to live a life of
renunciation. It also advocates refrain from doing harm to any living thing,
a concept known as ahimsa. Jainism does not have one main god but has
several lesser deities for different aspects of life.
Modern Jainism was founded by Vardhamana, called Mahavira, a
contemporary of the Buddha in the 6th century BC. Both Mahavira and the
Buddha were of noble birth and renounced all worldly possessions to live
the life of ascetics at about the same time.
The three guiding principles of Jainism, known as the Three Jewels, are:
right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. All devotees must abide
by the five mahavratas (five great vows): non-violence, non-attachment
to possessions, not lying, not stealing and sexual restraint. Jains are strict [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
of the Hindu pantheon have different attributes and powers but are all
visible representations of Brahman. They are believed to answer prayers,
fight evil or provide guidance within the real world. The Hindu pantheon
exists in its full glory today, with each region of the country embracing its
RELIGION
81
own particular deities. In the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
for instance, Ayyappan and Murugan are the incarnations of Shiva and
are worshipped as protectors of the village. Rites and rituals also vary
from region to region with a plethora of temples, priests, gurus and other
spiritual teachers propagating everything from yoga to meditation, self-denial,
contemplation and detachment as a way to seek the truth and liberate the
soul from worldly desire.
OM
Om is the most sacred of sounds in Hinduism and is said to be the
syllable that preceded the universe. According to Hindu mythology,
the gods were made from Om , which is a cosmic vibration that
holds the heavens together. Because of its sacred nature, Om
precedes all Hindu prayer and is also used as the final exclamation,
similar to Amen in Christianity.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism, which originated 2,500 years ago, was born in India at a time
when the idea of reincarnation the constant cycle of birth, death and
rebirth was growing among Hindus. Buddhism focuses on personal spiritual
development and strives for an insight into the truths of life. Its founder is
Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince who advocated purity and goodness
as a way to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
Siddhartha, the son of King Shuddhodana and his queen Maya, was
born in 563 BC at Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, capital of the Sakyan republic,
a region that lies in present-day southern Nepal. The young Siddhartha
was disenchanted with his life of luxury and was particularly traumatised
when he went into the city and saw sickness, death and suffering among the
people. He realised that all living beings had to experience the sufferings
of birth, sickness, ageing and death, and that the suffering was repeated in
each rebirth. He developed a desire to release mankind from this suffering
and, at the age of 29, left the palace and his family and became an ascetic,
renouncing all worldly pleasures. At the age of 35, Siddhartha reached Bodh
Gaya in the northern Indian state of Bihar. Here he attained enlightenment
82
or nirvana, a state of blissful peace devoid of all desire, while meditating
beneath a bodhi tree. He became Buddha, the Awakened One.
For the next 45 years until his death, the Buddha travelled across the
country, teaching the Wheels of Dharma which includes the Four Noble
Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are: suffering
is the condition of all existence; suffering is due to desire, craving and
selfishness; suffering can be overcome; and the way to overcome it is by
following the Eightfold Path, which leads to right viewpoint, values, speech,
actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditation. The Buddha preached
the doctrine of anatta (non-self), refuting the existence of a permanent
self, which he believed was the cause of most of human suffering. He also
preached the Middle Way or Middle Path, which is the practice of moderation,
as opposed to the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. His
medium of communication was believed to be Magadhi, the language
of Magadha.
Buddhism has two main sects, Theravada and Mahayana, though many
more have evolved over the generations, with each sect establishing many
different schools. Mahayana Buddhism came into being at the end of the first
millennium BC, and is widely practised in countries such as China, Tibet, Japan
and Korea. The Theravada sect stresses the importance of monastic life and
austerity and believes in Siddhartha Gautama as the only Buddha; the Mahayana
sect emphasises that enlightenment is open to anyone who follows the path
of devotion and sees Siddhartha Gautama as one of many Buddhas.
During the reign of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (272 BC 231 BC) the
Buddha s philosophy acquired a national status. Ashoka converted to
Buddhism and tried to bring about a moral and spiritual revival in his kingdom.
He is also credited with helping spread Buddhism beyond India; however,
by the 4th and 5th centuries, Buddhism was in decline in India while gaining
popularity in Central Asia and China. It witnessed a revival under the Guptas
(320 550) but declined when royal patronage was withdrawn in subsequent
years, and stupas and monasteries were destroyed. The rise of Hinduism
was another reason for the lack of patronage of Buddhism.
In present-day India, Buddhism is practised by about 7.9 million people
or 0.8 per cent of the population (2001 census).
RELIGION
83
JAINISM
Jainism is the most ascetically demanding of all Indian religions. It preaches
that the way to liberation from the cycle of rebirth is to live a life of
renunciation. It also advocates refrain from doing harm to any living thing,
a concept known as ahimsa. Jainism does not have one main god but has
several lesser deities for different aspects of life.
Modern Jainism was founded by Vardhamana, called Mahavira, a
contemporary of the Buddha in the 6th century BC. Both Mahavira and the
Buddha were of noble birth and renounced all worldly possessions to live
the life of ascetics at about the same time.
The three guiding principles of Jainism, known as the Three Jewels, are:
right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. All devotees must abide
by the five mahavratas (five great vows): non-violence, non-attachment
to possessions, not lying, not stealing and sexual restraint. Jains are strict [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]