Discussion Qs from Zak and Stefanie. Please respond now while your reading is fresh in your minds. We'll come back to presentations after Spring Break.
- According to Hinduism, what/who is their God? Are there multiple Gods or one singular God? Can you become your own God? ("I am brahman")
- Is Hinduism a religion or a set of guidelines?
- What are your views of karma and reincarnation? How are they intertwined
- What is meant by "living like a child" as mentioned on page 36?
- Is it possible for women and people of lower levels of the caste system to reach enlightenment? Is this fair?
1. Hinduism is not known as an exclusively monotheistic doctrine. Brahman is the one universal, supreme Spirit and Brahman is often referred to as the Absolute. When Hindus say "I am brahman", I don't think they are actually referring to themselves as "God", but rather they are making a more personal connection with Brahman and hoping to find similar qualities in themselves and Brahman so they can achieve a higher spiritual level in themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think Hinduism is more of a set of guidelines followed by a region of people rather than a doctrinal religious, but it initiates a level of spirituality by the people who follow and believe in it.
Personally, I believe in karma. I believe that if someone does something terrible, they have it coming for them in there life and it isn't limited to being reciprocated in the same way they hurt another individual. Reincarnation is trickier. Sometimes I think the concept is way out of whack, but other times I do not think it is that far fetched. When I say this, I mean that some people and things (like animals) remind me of others in my life who have passed.
To "live like a child" is to live a simplistic life. Children don't know about all the stresses in the world until they get older, so focusing on the simple things in life and trying to see the good in everything would be similar to "living like a child".
Technically, I guess it is not necessarily possible to reach enlightenment since they don't have the resources to do so, but I believe they can reach enlightenment in their own way and that it can be modified based on your circumstances and your life as an individual.
hinduism is not exclusively monotheistic, rather the concept of God varies from one sect to the next. "The philosophical system of Advaita or non-dualism as it developed in the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, especially as set out in the Upanishads and popularised by Adi Shankara in the 9th century, would become the basis of mainstream Hinduism as it developed in the medieval period. This non-dualism postulates the identity of the Self or Atman with the Whole or Brahman, and can be described as monism or pantheism."
ReplyDeleteBrahman can be defined as "the unchanging reality amidst and beyond the world" it is the highest level of reality or consciousness bliss. one can realize Brahman in the discovery of their own true self.
I believe Hinduism is different to different people. Some practice it as religion, while other pull bits and pieces of their beliefs and follow it as guiltiness in life. i believe neither to be right or wrong.
I firmly believe in reincarnation. being mostly Buddhist myself I see a great deal of value in looking to our past lives for guidance. I also beige in karma in the sense that you get out of the work what you put in. You should always be kind to others an be an honest person.
in living like a child it is meant to live care free, children don't know the stresses that come with age, we all wish to return to the bliss and naiveté of childhood at some point in our lives.
i believe anyone can reach enlightenment, it is all about how you live your many lives and what you learn from them.
Rebecca, I thought it was interesting to have a Buddhist in our class. There is much I don't understand regarding the concept of reincarnation. Particularly, can you describe how a person looks back to their previous lives for guidance? Does a person have the innate ability to grasp this, or is it through meditation? Also, sometimes people joke at being reincarnated as a bug or small animal as punishment for bad karma, is this a belief you hold or does it rise from ignorance of Buddhism?
DeleteInteresting reflection in saying that Brahman is found by the discovery of ones self. I too believe that if someone says they are Brahman, it means that they have found enlightenment and are one with their beliefs. Since Brahman means to expand, it means this person has been able to expand their knowledge and understanding enough to become enlightened.
DeleteBrahman is the Absolute God of Hindus. He holds the highest place, as the creator or all. He is the Light of delight, the Ruler and the Lord, without a beginning and end. He is indestructible and indescribable. They are not exclusively a monotheistic religion but have many gods and goddesses. The gods are merely and expression of Brahman who is ultimately the one supreme God of truth. You can get to heaven by simply being a good person. It is a religion of freedom and does not force anyone to accept any form of worship.
ReplyDeleteHinduism influences the way people live and view themselves. There are four types of dharma with the first being the Universal Cosmic law. This regulates the laws or nature. The Hindus believe they are part of nature and wants to become in harmony with it and the universal path. Next, Social dharma which are the everyday responsibilities such as family and communities. This is an important aspect of moral and religious law. Then we have Human law which are molded by out desires, experiences and tendencies. The Hindus believe that they should follow their own path than that of others. Last is Human law which is the natural expression and evolution of the human body, mind body and soul.
I do not believe in reincarnation or karma. I am a Christian and firmly believe that God has control of my life and has set my path when he created me in the womb. My salvation does not rest upon being a good person. It can only be found in accepting Jesus as my personal lord and savior. Hinduism have the correlation being that the way you live your life good or bad, determines what you will be reincarnated into in their next life.
Living like a child simply put is that the Hindus are not to rely solely on ordinary knowledge because it does not break the chains of bondage. The path to freedom requires extensive special knowledge. It is worthless for us to know the ultimate nature of reality and the self. Once broken from the ordinary mentality, he becomes sage. After extensive exposure to the scripture and being an expert one should stop learning and return the state of a child. This is still unclear how to achieve the full knowledge of freedom. Ordinary information is alright for the conventional world but it is worthless for knowing the ultimate nature of reality and the self.
Those women who are not born into the upper caste system are denied “enlightenment” in this lifetime. It is not fair to deny a person the right to practice her own faith based on the random family she was caste into. To the Hindus, this is normal to their way of life and it may be deem unfair in their eyes.
Based on our class discussion, I've come to the conclusion that Buddhism is more like a set of guidelines than a religion. Buddhism as a structure of morality and conscious is much more free-flowing than Western religions in particular, and lacks a strict doctrine that can only be interpreted in one way. Catholicism for example has a laid out set of rules that need to be followed such as receiving sacraments, whereas Buddhism consists of ideas that can influence a subjective viewpoint towards right and wrong. Put simply, Catholics would say "You must do this by this way to live a moral life," but Buddhists would say "You must do what is right, however you can." I also am influenced by my own beliefs and traditions when I say that Buddhism is a set of guidelines, because there is a lot of what I consider a sign of religion missing. For example, a big part of Western religions is the community as a whole works together to help each other and takes part in group worship in the form of church. Buddhism does not hold ritual masses and doesn't emphasize a need for them like Catholicism does. In my study of Buddhism, I've learned that even in Buddhist communes, monks often meditate by themselves. Conversely, in the Catholic religion there is no way to receive the necessary sacraments without going to a mass. As such, the foundation of religion is held up by its followers' group effort to support each other in living a moral life, and because Buddhism is missing that "we" factor I see it as a set of guidelines.
ReplyDeleteAfter class discussion regarding Hinduism, I have come to understand it as a set of standards provided to the followers regarding how they should live their lives. As other students have pointed out, each sect of Hindus might believe in the higher being of Brahman a little differently than the rest. This tells me that while there are guidelines that Hindus must follow, however there is some flexibility in their their belief system. It is not necessarily monotheistic due to the fact that Brahman is defined as the unearthly essence that encompasses and supports our world. How each sect interprets that may vary.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that karma and reincarnation could exist. In regards to karma I just feel that if someone surrounds themselves with negativity by their actions and thoughts, it is easier for them to fall victim to negative events in their life. In regards to reincarnation, i feel we can all agree that this world is a very complicated place and it's impossible to truly find ourselves and learn about our world in one lifetime. If the higher being feels the person has not lived to their time out adequately, he may place them back on earth rather than allow them to cross over to the other side. They are related in that someone who receives more bad karma might not understand this world well enough, so they may spend more time on earth in order to grasp what it means to be human.
When the phrase "living like a child" is used, to me that means that we as a species have allowed our lives to become immensely complicated and as a result has led to hardships. By saying we should live like a child is to say we should revert back to simpler times when we didn't need all of things like fancy gadgets to keep us happy. Simplicity is peace.
Lastly, it should be possible for women and people in lower castes to reach enlightenment, however I realize it is more difficult for them.
After class discussion regarding Hinduism, I have come to understand it as a set of standards provided to the followers regarding how they should live their lives. As other students have pointed out, each sect of Hindus might believe in the higher being of Brahman a little differently than the rest. This tells me that while there are guidelines that Hindus must follow, however there is some flexibility in their their belief system. It is not necessarily monotheistic due to the fact that Brahman is defined as the unearthly essence that encompasses and supports our world. How each sect interprets that may vary.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that karma and reincarnation could exist. In regards to karma I just feel that if someone surrounds themselves with negativity by their actions and thoughts, it is easier for them to fall victim to negative events in their life. In regards to reincarnation, i feel we can all agree that this world is a very complicated place and it's impossible to truly find ourselves and learn about our world in one lifetime. If the higher being feels the person has not lived to their time out adequately, he may place them back on earth rather than allow them to cross over to the other side. They are related in that someone who receives more bad karma might not understand this world well enough, so they may spend more time on earth in order to grasp what it means to be human.
When the phrase "living like a child" is used, to me that means that we as a species have allowed our lives to become immensely complicated and as a result has led to hardships. By saying we should live like a child is to say we should revert back to simpler times when we didn't need all of things like fancy gadgets to keep us happy. Simplicity is peace.
Lastly, it should be possible for women and people in lower castes to reach enlightenment, however I realize it is more difficult for them.
I like Hinduism and the concept of living a simplistic life. I think a different way of saying this would be to "wake up and smell the roses". I know I get very caught up in material things and social media and forget to observe the beautiful world we live in. We like to complicate things and waste our time and money on people and things that don't deserve it and I think if we stopped this and took time to appreciate the little things, we would be much happier.
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