Australian Aboriginal activist Pat Dodson states “we belong to the land; our birth does not sever the cord of life which comes from the land- our spirituality, our culture and social life depend on it” (cited in Ellwood, 1988). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people believe to have a spiritual connection to their land whether it is to the plants or animals or persons. Grieves (2008, p. 369) described a “mutual spirit being” which refers to this special spiritual relationship between the people and their
The cauldron, an image or object which recurrently appears in mythology, is no exception to the aforesaid notion. It has various manifestations in cultures across the globe, and comes with a purpose of its own in different realms and times. Yet, interestingly it has never been subjected to a critical inquiry to understand the scope of its vitality in the area of Mythology. The objective of this project, therefore, is to study cauldrons from world mythology in their varied forms and delve deeper into understanding the reasons for their repetitive and common appearance in them. The project, subsequently, seeks to analyze the symbolic quality of a cauldron and finally contend that it is a prospective archetypal symbol.
While no written records surround the origins of the ancient Celts, the archaeological evidence available to us in conjunction with interpreted historical accounts surrounding their origins and beliefs have been used to reconstruct ideas about their religion. There is therefore no complete myth about the origin of the world; however there is the general Celtic belief in the creation of geographical features for example where bodies of water can be attributed to the tears of giants. The principal Nordic beliefs concerning the origins of the universe are embodied in the creation myth which takes place in the magical void Ginnungagap, which is situated between the realm of Niflheim (the realm of ice to the north) and the realm of Muspelheim (the realm of fire to the south). The sons of Bor threw Ymir’s body into Ginnungagap and created Midgard (the human realm), Asgard (the realm of the gods) and Hel (the realm of the dead) from Ymir’s corpse. These realms are arranged in levels connected by various magical pathways around the universal tree
It is also difficult to speak of origins, because an indigenous conception of time connects past actions and people with present and future generations. Time is circular, not linear, as each generation relives the Dreaming activities.
Hindu Religious Traditions Hindu Religious Traditions Abstract "A religious persons' world view recognizes a transcendent dimension to life- that is, that there is a supernatural power beyond humans or dwelling within humans. The quest to know and fulfill this powers' purposes becomes their goal in life". ("The nature and origins of religion", Patricia Hayward). Hindu Religious Traditions The everyday lives of all people are made up of rituals and traditions. The practice of religions, including Hinduism, sanctifies many of these daily rituals into sacred events and observances.
Innate knowledge is a view (that rationalists share) that claims that humans are born with information about the world which isn’t learned through sense experience, we gain this knowledge a priori. Empiricists (like John Locke) say that innate knowledge and ideas do not exist, when we are born the mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate) and we gain knowledge and Ideas through sense experience and if we have no experience of the world therefore it is impossible for us to possess any knowledge. Kant argues that we need innate knowledge and sense experience. Kant was a transcendental idealist. He was an idealist in the sense that we are aware of the real world and a transcendent because he thought that ultimate reality goes beyond our sense experience.
What is Hindu Dharma? One of the major living religious traditions of the world, Hinduism is also recognized as the most ancient. It is different from most others because it was not started by any single individual, seer or prophet, and its origins cannot be traced to a particular period of human history. It is not based on one single book or a set of dogmas; on the contrary, it allows a great deal of freedom of thought, faith and worship. Hinduism is not a single religious faith system because it does not insist on any fixed set of doctrines.
God and Timelessness The attributes of God have and will always be a mystery to mortal mankind. One of the most puzzling aspects of God, which has kept philosophers busy for centuries, is God’s relation to time. Traditionally philosophers like Boethius, Anselm and Aquinas have argued that God is timeless, believing that he does not exist at any point in time and that he does not experience temporal succession. In order for me to be able to make my own remarks on the subject, I will first briefly discuss timelessness in general and what it means to be timeless. How does God connect to the universe?
Furthermore, Ghazali gave the example of astronomical laws based on phenomena which occur only once in a thousand years. These are not arrived by personal observation, but by the knowledge of God and the Divine inspiration. Descartes, similarly, also doubted knowledge as learned since one cannot trust beliefs and knowledge from others. He also doubted the senses as the source of knowledge by arguing that the senses can be deceived. He supported this by giving the example of dreams, which seem like reality when one is experiencing them.
In the Maori world everything has Whakapapa. To define whakapapa, its like stories of creation giving us some senses of beginnings it also associates with layers upon layering (Barlow, 1991). Within the Maori society Whakapapa expressed about the identity were a person is from. It identifies you’re ancestral connections that have been passed down from your generation, it includes knowing who you are and identifying your culture values according to Smith (2011). Whakapapa in the Maori world is linked to genealogies of “rituals and stories” (Smith, 2011, p. 3).