How Does Religion Affect The Lives Of Its Followers
Elizabeth Cress
3/7/16
World Studies
Mr. Ressler
How Religion Affects the Lives of its Followers Religion plays a big part in the everyday lives of its followers. The followers of a religion can be affected by their religion both positively and negatively, depending on the interpretation of their religion. All religions are similar in this aspect. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism all have their own interpretations on how they should live life which ends up affecting how they live their lives. Hinduism has been around since 1500 BCE, and has grown from when it began in India to what it is today. According to religioustolerance.org, “Hinduism has grown to become the world’s third largest religion. It claims about 950 million followers” (HINDUISM: The World’s Third Largest Religion). The beliefs of Hinduism are recorded in sacred texts. These texts include the vedas and upanishads. According to the World Cultures textbook, “the Vedas contain eternal truths that were revealed to wise men. The Upanishads help to explain the ideas contained in the Vedas” (Ahmad, Iftikhar). These two texts are important and work together because one tells about what was said and the other explains what was meant. An …show more content…
important group of books to the Hindu religion is the Mahabharata. An excerpt from the Mahabharata states: “Enjoy the pleasure bestowed on you, and bear the pain bestowed on you, wait patiently for what time brings, as does the farmer with the fruit. Let us overcome the angry man with gentleness, the evil man with goodness, the miser with generosity, the liar with truth.” (Document 3)
Two lessons the Mahabharata teaches about the life of a Hindu are to enjoy what is given to you and if you wait you will be rewarded for all the good done. The important people in Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Gandhi, Ramanuja, Lord Swaminarayan, Dayananda, and Saraswati. These people are important because they help set the belief system for the Hinduism religion. Brahma is the creator god of Hinduism. Hinduism is bigger today because of the religion spreading, which was through trade, conquest, and colonization. Hinduism impacts the lives of its followers because they live by their interpretation of the religion. They believe in five principles. The first principle is that God exists as on Absolute and one Trinity, which is made up of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. This means that they believe in one and only one god. The second principle is that all humans are divine. This means that every life on earth is worth saving because they were created by Brahma for a reason. The third principle is that there is unity of existence through love. This means that the best way to create and achieve unity is by caring and loving everyone. The fourth principle is that there is religious harmony. This means that harmony can be found by looking to religion for help. The fifth principle is the knowledge of the three G’s, which are Ganga, Gita, and Gayatri. The Ganga is a sacred river, the Gita is a sacred script, and the Gayatri is a sacred mantra. Hindus live their lives according to the Hindu Caste system. There are four major castes that all emerged from Purusha, the first human being. According to document 7, “The Brahmins are the priestly class, born from the mouth of Brahma. The Kshatriyas are warriors and rulers, senators, presidents, majors, born from the chest of Brahma. The Vaisyas are farmers, merchants, lawyers, and doctors. The Sudras are unskilled workers, born from the feet of Brahma. There are up to 3,000 subcastes, with the untouchables at the bottom.” (Document 7)
The caste of Brahmins are associated with the mouth because they are the people that are the voice for Brahma. Their interpretation of this religion affects how they live their daily lives by the roles of women in the religion. Women had few rights and their duties were to marry, wait on her husband, and bear sons. Along with this, women were not allowed to hold any power. Hinduism is similar to Buddhism because both have millions of followers that look to the religion for help and guidance. Buddhism began in Northern India during the sixth century BCE and is a way of life for many people. According to religioustolerance.org, “Buddhism currently has about 376 million followers and is generally listed as the world’s fourth largest religion in the world” (Buddhism, Based on the Teachings of Siddhartha Gautama). Their beliefs are found in the sutras, Tripitaka, Mahayana, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The sutras are believed to be the actual words of the Buddha. The important people in Buddhism are Siddhartha Gautama, Mahakasyapa, Anoka the Great, and Mahinda. Although Buddhism spread quickly, it did not spread as much as Hinduism. According to the World Cultures textbook, “Buddhism spread quickly across South Asia.
Buddhist missionaries also carried the new ideas to other parts of Asia. As people in other cultures adopted Buddhism, they adapted the Buddha’s teachings to their own needs” (Ahmad, Iftikhar).
Buddhism did spread, but not as efficiently as other religions, and mainly spread across South Asia. Even though Buddhism did not spread as well, it still affected the lives of its followers. The followers of Buddhism live their lives based on their interpretation of the religion. The Buddhist faith has three main principles. One of the principles is karma, which is moral thought and action. Another one of the principles are the four noble truths. According to a Chinese Buddhist canon text, the four noble truths
are, “1. The Nature of Suffering (Dukkha): ‘This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; separation is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.’ 2. Suffering’s Origin (Samudaya): ‘This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.’ 3. Suffering’s Cessation (Nirodha): ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.’ 4. The Way (Marga) Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: ‘This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.’” (Document 6)
According to the four noble truths, the cause of suffering in want, desire, and lust and the only way to end suffering is to follow the eightfold path and do what is right. The last principle is the eightfold path, which is split into three, the right view, the right conduct, and the right practice. An excerpt from “On the Nature of Man”, written by Zong Mi, states, “Confucius, Laozi, and the Buddha were perfect sages. They established their teachings according to the demands of the age and the needs of various beings. They differ in their approaches in that they encourage the perfection of good deeds, punish wicked ones, and reward good ones; all three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect.” (Document 5)
According to Zong Mi, Confucius, Laozi, and Buddha should be respected because they all have the same goal and that is to have all people be good. This ties in with the principle of karma because in order to be a good person, they have to think about what is the right thing to do, and then they have to act upon their decisions. The Buddhist faith also has three main practices, Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna. Sila is about morality, Samadhi is about meditation, and Prajna is about enlightenment. Buddhists practice Sila because if everyone practices morality, then the world will be a better place because everyone would be thinking about what the right thing to do is. They practice Samadhi because meditation helps calm the mind and body, which can help to relax a person and leave them in a better mood. Buddhists also practice enlightenment because they want to be able to be the best they can possibly be and reach this level of knowledge and understanding. Judaism began in Israel around 2000 BCE and is a part of about fourteen to fifteen million people’s lives worldwide.
Works Cited
"HINDUISM: The World's Third Largest Religion." HINDUISM: The World's Third Largest
Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. .
"Buddhism, Based on the Teachings of Siddhartha Gautama." The Religion of Buddhism. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 Mar. 2016. .
Ahmad, Iftikhar. World Cultures: A Global Mosaic. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2004.
Print.
Document 3
Document 5
Document6
Document 7
3/7/16
World Studies
Mr. Ressler
How Religion Affects the Lives of its Followers Religion plays a big part in the everyday lives of its followers. The followers of a religion can be affected by their religion both positively and negatively, depending on the interpretation of their religion. All religions are similar in this aspect. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism all have their own interpretations on how they should live life which ends up affecting how they live their lives. Hinduism has been around since 1500 BCE, and has grown from when it began in India to what it is today. According to religioustolerance.org, “Hinduism has grown to become the world’s third largest religion. It claims about 950 million followers” (HINDUISM: The World’s Third Largest Religion). The beliefs of Hinduism are recorded in sacred texts. These texts include the vedas and upanishads. According to the World Cultures textbook, “the Vedas contain eternal truths that were revealed to wise men. The Upanishads help to explain the ideas contained in the Vedas” (Ahmad, Iftikhar). These two texts are important and work together because one tells about what was said and the other explains what was meant. An …show more content…
important group of books to the Hindu religion is the Mahabharata. An excerpt from the Mahabharata states: “Enjoy the pleasure bestowed on you, and bear the pain bestowed on you, wait patiently for what time brings, as does the farmer with the fruit. Let us overcome the angry man with gentleness, the evil man with goodness, the miser with generosity, the liar with truth.” (Document 3)
Two lessons the Mahabharata teaches about the life of a Hindu are to enjoy what is given to you and if you wait you will be rewarded for all the good done. The important people in Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Gandhi, Ramanuja, Lord Swaminarayan, Dayananda, and Saraswati. These people are important because they help set the belief system for the Hinduism religion. Brahma is the creator god of Hinduism. Hinduism is bigger today because of the religion spreading, which was through trade, conquest, and colonization. Hinduism impacts the lives of its followers because they live by their interpretation of the religion. They believe in five principles. The first principle is that God exists as on Absolute and one Trinity, which is made up of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. This means that they believe in one and only one god. The second principle is that all humans are divine. This means that every life on earth is worth saving because they were created by Brahma for a reason. The third principle is that there is unity of existence through love. This means that the best way to create and achieve unity is by caring and loving everyone. The fourth principle is that there is religious harmony. This means that harmony can be found by looking to religion for help. The fifth principle is the knowledge of the three G’s, which are Ganga, Gita, and Gayatri. The Ganga is a sacred river, the Gita is a sacred script, and the Gayatri is a sacred mantra. Hindus live their lives according to the Hindu Caste system. There are four major castes that all emerged from Purusha, the first human being. According to document 7, “The Brahmins are the priestly class, born from the mouth of Brahma. The Kshatriyas are warriors and rulers, senators, presidents, majors, born from the chest of Brahma. The Vaisyas are farmers, merchants, lawyers, and doctors. The Sudras are unskilled workers, born from the feet of Brahma. There are up to 3,000 subcastes, with the untouchables at the bottom.” (Document 7)
The caste of Brahmins are associated with the mouth because they are the people that are the voice for Brahma. Their interpretation of this religion affects how they live their daily lives by the roles of women in the religion. Women had few rights and their duties were to marry, wait on her husband, and bear sons. Along with this, women were not allowed to hold any power. Hinduism is similar to Buddhism because both have millions of followers that look to the religion for help and guidance. Buddhism began in Northern India during the sixth century BCE and is a way of life for many people. According to religioustolerance.org, “Buddhism currently has about 376 million followers and is generally listed as the world’s fourth largest religion in the world” (Buddhism, Based on the Teachings of Siddhartha Gautama). Their beliefs are found in the sutras, Tripitaka, Mahayana, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The sutras are believed to be the actual words of the Buddha. The important people in Buddhism are Siddhartha Gautama, Mahakasyapa, Anoka the Great, and Mahinda. Although Buddhism spread quickly, it did not spread as much as Hinduism. According to the World Cultures textbook, “Buddhism spread quickly across South Asia.
Buddhist missionaries also carried the new ideas to other parts of Asia. As people in other cultures adopted Buddhism, they adapted the Buddha’s teachings to their own needs” (Ahmad, Iftikhar).
Buddhism did spread, but not as efficiently as other religions, and mainly spread across South Asia. Even though Buddhism did not spread as well, it still affected the lives of its followers. The followers of Buddhism live their lives based on their interpretation of the religion. The Buddhist faith has three main principles. One of the principles is karma, which is moral thought and action. Another one of the principles are the four noble truths. According to a Chinese Buddhist canon text, the four noble truths
are, “1. The Nature of Suffering (Dukkha): ‘This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; separation is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.’ 2. Suffering’s Origin (Samudaya): ‘This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.’ 3. Suffering’s Cessation (Nirodha): ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.’ 4. The Way (Marga) Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: ‘This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.’” (Document 6)
According to the four noble truths, the cause of suffering in want, desire, and lust and the only way to end suffering is to follow the eightfold path and do what is right. The last principle is the eightfold path, which is split into three, the right view, the right conduct, and the right practice. An excerpt from “On the Nature of Man”, written by Zong Mi, states, “Confucius, Laozi, and the Buddha were perfect sages. They established their teachings according to the demands of the age and the needs of various beings. They differ in their approaches in that they encourage the perfection of good deeds, punish wicked ones, and reward good ones; all three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect.” (Document 5)
According to Zong Mi, Confucius, Laozi, and Buddha should be respected because they all have the same goal and that is to have all people be good. This ties in with the principle of karma because in order to be a good person, they have to think about what is the right thing to do, and then they have to act upon their decisions. The Buddhist faith also has three main practices, Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna. Sila is about morality, Samadhi is about meditation, and Prajna is about enlightenment. Buddhists practice Sila because if everyone practices morality, then the world will be a better place because everyone would be thinking about what the right thing to do is. They practice Samadhi because meditation helps calm the mind and body, which can help to relax a person and leave them in a better mood. Buddhists also practice enlightenment because they want to be able to be the best they can possibly be and reach this level of knowledge and understanding. Judaism began in Israel around 2000 BCE and is a part of about fourteen to fifteen million people’s lives worldwide.
Works Cited
"HINDUISM: The World's Third Largest Religion." HINDUISM: The World's Third Largest
Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. .
"Buddhism, Based on the Teachings of Siddhartha Gautama." The Religion of Buddhism. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 Mar. 2016. .
Ahmad, Iftikhar. World Cultures: A Global Mosaic. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2004.
Print.
Document 3
Document 5
Document6
Document 7