In Hinduism, there are four main ways to reach towards the divine reality, whether the ultimate goal is a better life, union with the divine, or a release from life. Each yoga puts on its followers a set of actions that help lead the practitioner towards their goal. The yogas are Jnana yoga, Bhakti ...

There are many stories, legends, and religious texts in Indian literature that attempt to teach its reader lessons and morals. In many of these literary works, there is a teacher, known as a guru, who tries to offer guidance in spiritual and philosophical matters. "The Yoga of Knowledge,"" an excer...

Goal of Realization Some individuals spend time searching for the real importance of life, and find themselves probing religion. In some cases they've been through most, studying all aspects and not finding fulfillment. The Buddhist goal of enlightenment and obtaining nirvana teaches that real...

Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the oldest religions known to man. Although they may share common concepts, there are differences. One of the major differences of the two religions is: Hindu believes in Atman, the eternal self and Brahman as eternity in nature while Buddhism disapproves this kind o...

Brandon Schmidt REL. 102 10/10/01 Teachings of Bhagavad-Gita The definition of religion in our course is the "human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy." In the Bhagavad-Gita the beliefs of Samsara, which is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth of individuals, are inte...

Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, also know as Buddha or the enlightened one. Is credited with the founding of Buddhism, Siddhartha was most likely born in 563 b.c. according to scholars. The son of a king of a petty kingdom, he was said to become a great leader and man at birth according to sage...

Meditation Webster's dictionary defines meditation as "to reflect on; ponder, to engage in contemplation," which it really is, although, many people believe that meditation is a means of developing a more spiritual or religious life. Meditation does not necessarily have to be religiou...

Marriage responsibilities- Hindu- set at birth, many restraints, idea of pativratya or good wife=obeys husband as an inferior (eat after, walk after, sleep after, sit behind). Death of wife before husband leaving many sons is happiest death for women. China- no place for single women, arranged at...

Dharma is the world's most ancient culture and the religion of over one billion of the earth's inhabitants. It is often referred to as Hinduism, but more correctly know as the ancient vedic culture. The approximate meaning of Dharma is ¡§Natural Law. This term is not is open to alteration, jus...

Buddhism has a very long drawn out origination starting in about 565 B.C. with the birth of Siddhartha Gautama. The religion has guide lines in two forms in which Buddhist followers must follow the "Four Noble Truths" and the "Eightfold Path" There are many aspects of this religion that can be explo...

I was sitting on the bed, totally relaxed one sunny Sunday afternoon. Two Siamese cats were stretched out, contentedly purring by my side. A wren was happily singing outside in a nearby tree. I was leisurely cutting strips of cloth for a project. Gradually it dawned on me that I was in an alpha, or ...

Clerical celibacy is an important trait of Buddhism, and celibacy has also been mandated for various periods in the lives of many followers of different Eastern religions. To the Western mind that associates clerical celibacy with conceptions of sex-as-original-sin or of the priest as wed t...

As you may or may not know, almost all religions have some sort of a prime leader who the people worship to. This leader is usually the person who basically began the religion and decided what its beliefs will be based on. This person marks that point in time where we can refer back to and say "...

Many religions begin as individual quests, but almost all religions are eventually incorporated into a cultural system. The Path of Knowledge and Classical Hinduism of India, as well as Confucianism and Daoism of China, are all examples of how religions ultimately adapt into the cultural society. ...

Sin begins in the realm of consciousness. When we are young we are taught by our guardians that which is "right" from that which is "wrong". We grow up with the understanding that stealing our playmate's toys or hitting our grandparents is wrong and therefore, a s...

Buddhism is probably the most accepting religion in the world, as its teachings can exist with any other religions. Its followers view their life pessimistically. The emphasis of the religion is on compassion, love, and the hope that if they behaved in the world now that the next world will be even...