SMARTS DIMENSIONS OF RELIGION

Smarts Dimensions Due to the vastness of the subject of religion there is a need to make the study of it more manageable; there is a need for an ordered strategy. Ninian Smart is a Professor of Religious studies at Lancaster University.His work has concentrated on the characteristics that are found commonly across different religious traditions.

7 DimensionsSmarts Dimensions The practical and ritual dimensionThe experiential and emotional dimensionThe narrative or mythic dimensionDoctrinal and philosophical dimensionEthical and legal dimensionSocial and institutional dimensionMaterial dimension

1. Practical and RitualIn all religions people come together for different purposes, and when they do, the words they say and the things they do tend to follow a certain pattern. This formalised behaviour is a ritual, of which, there are a number of different types:Rites of Passage or Initiation rites Initiation rites are most often associated with the transition from childhood or infancy into adulthood. Rites of worship or devotion There are both communal and private acts of worship or devotion.

2. Experiential and emotionalAll religions regard an inner experience as very important, and such experiences are often highly emotional. They are understood to be contacts with gods or spirits, or insights into truth. Immediate experience: the believer is in direct contact with the unseen world.Mediated experience: the believers understand that it is through some person, object or act that they are united with the unseen world.

3. Narrative or mythicalThis is the story side of religion and refers to the sacred stories within various religious traditions which seek to explain the meaning of various aspects of reality i.e. the origins of the world, death.

4. Doctrinal and philosophical This refers to the beliefs and values which play an important part in all the major religions because there comes a time when a faith has to formulate some kind of intellectual statement of the basis of faith i.e. the Catholic faith believes in the trinity, three persons but one God.

5. Ethical and Legal Every religion has a code of approved moral conduct.What is regarded as morally good or morally evil is not the same in all religions.This dimension expresses the law that a tradition incorporates into its belief system.It refers to various religious moral codes which seek to regulate the lives of believers in approved ways i.e. in Buddhism, there are the Five precepts or virtues that are universally binding.

6. Social and InstitutionalIn one way or another, all religions become organised, and they organise the world around them. It is this organisation of religion that we call social structure.Sacred Time: Almost every religion has a religiously based calendar, and the religious calendars of no two religions are alike.Sacred Persons: Religions also mark out and set aside ritual experts, spiritual guides and leaders.

7. Material This refers to the visible and symbolic forms usually expressed as buildings, works of art, even special places of pilgrimage i.e. Mecca, the River Ganges.

Major Religions of the World

Major Religion Statistics

Australia & the Major ReligionsTable of the Major Religions

Hinduism

Rituals & Passages Rites of Passage: Hindu rites of passage are called samskaras. They serve to purify the soul, and mark the various stages of life. The first rite is before conception.Jatakarma birth ceremonies (plus others in childhood) Upanayana initiation (the sacred-thread ceremony) Vivaha marriage Antyeshti funeral and rites for the dead Rites of Devotion: Puja the ritual that honours a god or goddess as a divine guest, usually in a temple, but can also be a domestic ritual.

Experiences and EmotionalKarma-yoga (the yoga of selfless action) - It is the way that leads to the attainment of God through selfless work Jnana-yoga (philosophical research and wisdom) It is the path of knowledge. Astanga/RajaYoga (physical exercises and meditation) - How to develop concentration and how to commune with God Bhakti-Yoga (the path of devotional service) - God can be realised only by means of a love as ardent and all-absorbing as the conjugal passion

Narrative and Mythical Vedas are the most ancient and sacred Indian scriptures organised in four collections (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva) and consisting of hymns of praise, ritual/ceremonial manuals and mysticl/philosophical treatises. The Upanishads are a continuation of the Vedic philosophy, and were written between 800 and 400 B.C. They elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united with the ultimate truth (Brahman) through contemplation and mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma-- the cumulative effects of a persons' actions.

Epics: A text usually very long depicting a total view of creation and society and exploring the deepest concerns of humansMahabharata: speaks of the nature of god, the nature of the devotee and the way in which the devotee communications in a devout way with GodRamayana: The Ramayana is a moving love story with moral and spiritual themes.Bhagavad Gita: This is one of the most popular and accessible of all Hindu scriptures, required reading for anyone interested in Hinduism. The book discusses selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating many different threads of Hindu philosophy.

Doctrinal and PhilosophicalIn the long history of Hinduism, there has never been a set of beliefs established by an elite group to which all believers must give assent. Instead Hindus operate on a set of assumptions about reality and the world.However, the core of Hinduism is the belief in Brahman, the underlying universal life force that encompasses and embodies existence.

Belief overview Almost all Hindus believe that the real self (atman) is distinct from the temporary body made of matter (prakriti). The eternal soul identifies with matter and is entrapped by maya (illusion). Impelled by lust, greed, anger, etc., he undergoes samsara (the cycle of repeated birth and death).

Each soul creates its unique destiny according to the law of karma (the universal law of action and reaction). Under the influence of eternal time and the three gunas (material qualities) he moves throughout the creation, sometimes going to higher planets, sometimes moving in human society, and at other times entering the lower species.

The goal of most Hindus is moksha, liberation from this perpetual cycle, through re-identification with the eternal brahman (Supreme). Hinduism accepts different paths towards this common goal (union with God). Nonetheless, it stresses strict adherence to universal principles through the practice of one's dharma (ordained duty) as revealed through authorised holy books and usually received through the guru (spiritual mentor).

Trinity That the Supreme Reality is One and can be worshiped in any form is a concept unique to Hinduism. Hinduism gives form and shape to these "works of Infinite with the Hindu Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - "Brahma", the creator, "Vishnu" the sustainer and "Shiva" the destroyer or the annihilator of the Universe.

Ethical and Legal In the Hindu framework, attention is placed on relationships between individuals as members of groups possessing different qualities and social requirements. Dharma is a complex set of teachings to be understood and practised from the beginning to the end of ones life. It focuses on upholding harmony with the order of the world. Purity and pollutionClass and caste

Social StructuresHarmony and balance are achieved by means of ordering human groups in different levels, each one having obligations and privileges. These are called the four varnas.Brahmin priest/teacherKshatriya warrior/kingVaishya farmer/merchantShudra servant to the other three classes.

MaterialShrines are found in Hindu homes and are used to worship the God/Goddess of that house. Temples

Symbol The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o) and the symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning. It represent several important triads:the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven the three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva the three sacred Vedic scriptures - Rg, Yajur, and Sama Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. Hindu people greet each other by placing their two hands together and slightly bowing the head, whilst saying namaste or a similar phrase. They adopt the same posture when greeting the temple deity or a holy person. Thus when greeting another person, a Hindu is offering respect to the soul within (atman) and also to God within the heart (Paramatman).

Lotus (padma) symbol of purity/transcendence. Growing out of the mud, it is beautiful, and though resting on water, it does not touch it. Conchshell used during arati: one of the four symbols of Vishnu. The others are the lotus, club and disc. Swastika an ancient solar sign considered to invoke auspiciousnes. Trident (trishul) the symbol of Shiva; often carried by Shaivite sannyasis (renunciates). Kalasha coconut circled by mango leaves on a pot. Often used in rituals such as the fire sacrifice. Cow symbol of purity, motherhood and ahimsa (non-violence). Lotus feet (of guru or deity) touching the feet of superiors shows an attitude of submission and service. Dipa/lamp symbol of light.