The Living Religions

Fellowship of Faiths: Hinduism

Way to Enlightenment: Buddhism

Religion of the Prophets: the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic religions

Hinduism: The Brahman

• The central belief that there exists one Universal Spirit, the World Soul

• Also called the Three-in-One God• And that the world constantly undergoes

change and evolution in repeated cycles• Shiva The Destroyer destroys the old

world, Brahma The Creator creates a new one and Vishnu The Preserver appears on Earth in different human forms to guide Man towards Enlightenment

Hinduism: Tranquility in the Soul

• Man consists of body and soul• The body is like an outer robe one discards

when outworn, ruled by passions, desires and meaningless ambitions

• The soul endures forever, ruled by serenity and the tranquil search for truth

• This truth can only be attained if one submits to fate and rejects the following of virtue solely for its reward

• In other words, each right act must be preceded by right thinking, and each right thinking must be preceded by tranquility, or the state of mind where one is not swayed by the deception of his senses, desires but in calm harmony with their soul

Hinduism: The Caste System

• Brahmins: The Priests and Philosophers. All other castes must do honour to them and even the royal family must show them the greatest respect

• Kshatriyas: Engage in all manner of governmental and legal activities and professions. The upper middle class of Indian Society

• The Vaisyas: Merchants, Farmers and Industrialists who minister to the material needs of their fellow countrymen

• Sudras: Workmen, Artisans, Servants who are forbidden from many religious duties including the studying of the Vedas, the sacred books of Hinduism

• The Outcastes, the ‘untouchable’ offspring of illegitimate unions between castes, and who do tasks considered degrading

Hinduism: Karma

• From good must come good; and from evil, evil

• Every bad and good act is punished and rewarded accordingly

• What we think and what we do determine inexorably what we are or going to be in our next incarnation

• One can kill the body but not the soul• The only way to compensate bad karma in

a future rebirth is to accrue enough merit

Hinduism: The Yogas

• Individual souls, when purified for good, are finally released from the bondage of reincarnation in the flesh. The soul is then joined with the World Soul forever. This state is called Nirvana

• Yogas basically means a mastery of the physical disciplines (ie. prolonged immobility and controlled breathing)

• After complete physical control, comes control of the emotions and moral purity, which makes possible total concentration, to be tranquil

‘a fellowship of Faiths’: Hinduism

• Brahman, the eternal Three-in One God: Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer

• Submission to Fate, since Man is not outside but part of the World Soul

• The Caste System• Reincarnation, as a chain of rebirths in which each

souls, through virtuous living, can rise to a higher state

• Nirvana, the final stage upon the emancipation of the soul from the chain of rebirths

• Yogas, the disciplines which enable the individual to control the body and the emotions

• Dharma, the Law of Moral Order, which each individual must seek himself and follow to reach Nirvana

Buddha• One day, the Prince Siddhartha was told of the four

sights he had seen• That is the way of life. All people are liable to

become ill and suffer pain• All people grow old and that is the way of old age• Whether one is a king or a pauper, sooner to some

and later to others, death comes to all alike• A monk silently begging for his food, his face calm

and his manner serene• The Prince decided to leave his palace to be a

beggar monk.• One day he meditated under a fig tree and drew

many conclusions from the Law of Karma• These later developed into Buddhist teachings

Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths

• The First: Old age is suffering, illnesses are suffering, death is suffering; failures are suffering too

• The Second: The suffering is caused by the physical desires of the body (ie. Desire for pleasure and power)

• The Third: Suffering can be dissolved with the complete annihilation of desire

• The Fourth: The cessation of all desire can be gained by following the Eightfold Path

Buddhism: The Eightfold Path

• Right Belief: Truth is the guide of all men• Right Resolve: To be calm at all times and not

harm any living creature• Right Speech: Never lie, slander anyone or use

coarse language• Right Behaviour: Never to steal or kill• Right Occupation: Never to choose a profession

that is considered bad• Right Effort: Always to strive for that is good and

avoid what is evil• Right Contemplation: of the Noble Truths, in

calmness and detachment• Right Concentration: will then follow and lead to

the path of perfect peace

Buddhism: Nirvana

• When he gains perfect wisdom and becomes master of himself, it is the belief of Buddha that he has gained salvation and is ready to enter Nirvana

• Nirvana is a complex concept, for it is a release from the cycle of reincarnation and the end of individual existence

• Nirvana is also the blissful state in which all suffering ceases and the individual soul is joined with the world soul

The Way to Enlightenment• From good must come good; and evil, evil• Prayers and Sacrifices to the gods are useless,

only understanding the Eightfold Path and practicing the Buddhist Ten Commandments and Ten Perfections lead to perfect wisdom

• The Vedas are not sacred books• The world always was and always will be• People are not divided into castes but rather

those who are good and those who are evil• The purpose of life is not pleasure and happiness,

but the end of individual existence through the practice of the Ten Perfections

• He who can attain perfect wisdom enters Nirvana, and for him the chain of reincarnation is broken

The ProphetThe Lordship over Nature in

Judaism and ChristianityThe Lordship over Nature in

Judaism and Christianity

Judiasm: Fundementals

• The belief in God

• The belief that there is only one God

• The belief that God created this world and the world is not eternal

• The belief that there is only one universe

• The belief that God cares for the world and all its creatures

• God is omniscient and omnipotent

Judiasm: the Ten Commandments

• I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods except for me

• You shall not make any image of likeness of anything in the heaven, earth or water

• You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain• Remember the Sabbath Day, keep it holy• Honour your Father and Mother• You shall not commit Murder• You shall not commit Adultery• You shall not steal• You shall not bear false witness• You shall not covet

Creationist Theory: Genesis

• Genesis 1:26-1:27 • Describes the creation of life in 6 days• Man is created in God’s image• “Let us create man in God’s image”

(Genesis 1:26)• Describes Man as the original supreme

ruler of nature• “You made him ruler over the works of

your hands” (Psalm 8:9)

Michelangelo’s ‘The Creation of Adam’

Judiasm: Life Hereafter

• When a man dies, according to Judiasm, the mortal body is buried in the ground, for man, created from dust, is returned to dust

• The soul of a good man ascends to his Maker, while the soul of a bad man descends to hell, to be meted out punishment for his sins

Christianity: Jesus

• Believed to be the Son of God, also called the Messiah

Overall Differences

• Entire Universe was created about 6 thousands years ago VS.

• The world has always existed through a constant, gradual state of transformation

• The world was and always will be VS.

• The world was created and in the unknown future it will end