“Bhagavad Gita” The Bhagavad Gita is a text from the chapter Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata epic which is comprised of 700 verses. It is an extended dialogue between Prince Arjuna, similar to epic heroes such as Hector and Achilles, and Lord Krishna who is an “incarnation of the divine spirit.” This section of the work is entitled the Bhagavad Gita , the Song of God and is considered to be one of India’s most important documents of philosophy and religion. The evolution of the Indian culture and religion began when the Indus River valley was invaded by the Indo-Aryans in about 1500 B.C.E. The Indo-Aryan invaders were subjected to a highly spiritual and advanced culture. They shared their culture with the Achaens and Dorians of Ancient Greece and Rome but adapted their ways to those of the Indus River valley.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel HIS 112 World Religions Lynda Dickey Central Arizona College Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to the tribal system of ancient Israel, give a description of the structure and lineage of the thirteen tribes of Israel, describe the function and purpose of each tribe within the tribal system, and present differing opinions regarding the structure and formation of the tribes. The Thirteen Tribes of Israel In the Old Testament, the book of Genesis outlines the history of Israel through the use of genealogy. The sons of Jacob make up what is known as the tribes of Israel. The tribe was the fundamental social unit of ancient Israel. Tribes were composed of the family from which it originated, extended families, and members who had no blood relation to the tribal family.
Durkheim believed that social order and stability only existed if people were integrated into society by value consensus. He saw religion as an important part as it provided a set of beliefs and practices which connected people together to attain this. For Durkheim the main quality of religion was not a belief in gods or the supernatural but a primary difference between the sacred and the profane which originates in all religions. The sacred are things that are regarded as special, set apart and forbidden such as the holly Qur’an which holds meaning, whilst the profane are the ordinary, everyday, non-sacred things such as going to work which holds no meaning. Durkheim underlines that the sacred does not need to have a god or other supernatural things but can be anything that people regard as sacred such as an animal which was shown in his study of the Arunta tribe, where family members come together occasionally to perform rituals which involved worshiping a sacred totem (is a sacred object having symbolic importance to a group) such as an animal which signified the clans identity.
All people have the right to follow their own path to God without condemnation or coercion from others. * Sikhism emphasizes a moral and ethical life. A Sikh should represent moral responsibility and righteousness. * Sikhism rejects all forms of rituals such as idol worship, pilgrimages, fasting, and superstitions. * Sikhism teaches service to others.
Matthew was formerly a Tax Collector and he also was one of the twelve Disciples. This book was written around 60-65 AD. The purpose of The Book of Matthew was to prove that Jesus is the Messiah “Anointed one” the eternal King. It was written specifically to the Jews, emphasizing the Fulfillment of the Prophecy. This book was probably written in Palestine or nearby.
The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. The goal of our life is to lead an exemplary existence so that one may merge with God. Sikhs should remember God at all times and practice living a virtuous and truthful life while maintaining a balance between their spiritual obligations and temporal obligations. The true path to achieving salvation and merging with God does not require renunciation of the world or celibacy, but living the life of a householder, earning a honest living and avoiding worldly temptations and sins. Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of
It is thus a way of life or a value system. The word 'Religion' is used for the lack of a better synonym for 'Dharma' in English language. Hinduism describes Dharma as the natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and to save himself from degradation and suffering. Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life. Hindus consider Dharma the very foundation of life.
Hindu Religious Traditions University of Phoenix Hindu Religious Traditions According to Mahatma Gandhi, “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today” (All Great Quotes, 2008, ¶ 7). Being a Christian, this writer did not regard these words as disrespectful toward Christianity. Although the Bible is the major foundation of Christianity, multitudes of sacred elements are the basis of Hinduism. In the following paragraphs, this writer will discuss several sacred elements and religious traditions that one might consider significant when describing the Hindu belief system. Hindu and Hinduism are terms that can be difficult to define not only accurately but also universally.
The article “The History of Hinduism” talks about the Indus Valley Civilization as an origin of the Hinduism and discuss the "Aryan Invasion” hypothesis. Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, and the first evidence of it was dated 2000 BC. Since its great age and absence of a founder, the early history of Hinduism is very hard to rebuild. According the author of this article, because the most early writings are already interpreted, the scholars have to believe in the “educated guesses based on archaeology and the study of contemporary texts.” In fact, in 1921, the first evidences of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization were discovered along the Indus River, and it was found that it is originated as early as 7000 BC. There were physical evidences founded that supports the idea that this region is the origin of the Hinduism.
Supposedly, there were Sutras from the tradition before Lord Mahavira, that is from Lord Parshvanath's time and even from before that, when ascetics were known as Nirgranthas. Those sutras were called as "Purvas". The word purva itself means 'before'. The Agamas mention fourteen purvas which are described in the twelfth anga of Jinvani which is called 'Dristivāda'.