...Buddhism has become a religion that millions across the globe have started to participate in. Many people believe in the idea of karma, that if one does good things, good things will happen to them. However, several people do not realize that many Buddhist practices such as karma and reincarnation are rooted in Hinduism. How do the different Hindu and Buddhist prayers compare and how are they used amongst the lay people? These two religions have stark differences with their methods of prayer, so how have lay Buddhists found a balance between Hindu traditions and Buddhist traditions? Buddhism is known as the middle path between the relaxed version of Hinduism and the strict rules of other religions such as Jainism. Buddhism attempts to break...
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...The Hindu religion is very different than what we have always considered a religion. In reality it is a group of several smaller religions, or beliefs, that are all comprised of the same basis. Most see that there is a uniformity of behavior and not belief. Hinduism, in a general speaking though, is the belief in either several Gods and Goddesses, or the belief in one god that has many different faces. The gods would choose whether you were a good soul or bad soul, and your fate depended upon their choice and your deeds. Those that lived there lives with good karma were able to be liberated from the circle of birth, and given redemption, or Moksha meaning freedom. Those who had bad karma though, were to be punished for their sins by being forced to live in this world and be born again and again (Pecorino & Romano 2001). As said, Hinduism is a religion with various Gods and Goddesses. The three main Gods that are considered to rule the world are, Brahma: the creator, Vishnu: the preserver, and Shiva: the destroyer. For some, they believe that one God controls all three characters. Some people outside the Hindu religion do not believe it is a true religion. Some say that since it does not have one single unified structure that it cannot be. One who felt very strongly about this was Chief justice P.B. Gajendragadkar. In 1995 he was quoted: "When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it...
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...The most taught philosophy in the Buddhism religion is that nothing is impermanent. Life never ends, the soul just simply moves on to a new place. Death is only a part of someone’s life, it is seen as just one of the states of transition. A Buddhist scholar Edward Croze said “Death is not to be regarded as a unique catastrophe which happens when one existence comes to an end, but it takes place all the time during the existence. The ideal attitude towards death is based on this awareness and involves acceptance of the process of change.” The Buddhist believe that time does not move in a straight line with a beginning and an end, but in a circle where there is no beginning or end, where things just simply exist. With this philosophy, they believe that the universe was not created out of nothing at a particular point in time, nor will it be destroyed completely. It has always existed and will always exist. Although they believe that the universe will never end, it will go through a continuos cycle of destruction and creation, over and over again. This means that when someone or something is born, it is not a new soul but one that was simply reborn. And when they die, their soul simply moves on to a new place and time. This belief is not exactly classed as reincarnation because it is not the same being that moves from body to body down through the ages. The connection between one life and another is not as simple and is subtler than that. Life is a spiralling chain that reaches...
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...The Nature of Karma in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism People of all religions partake in traditional ceremonies, have special symbols to represent what they worship, peruse different sacred writings and hold diverse theological beliefs. One tradition that is very common among Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, is the law of karma. The religious tradition is defined as the “universal causal law by which good or bad actions determine the future modes of an individual’s existence (Olivelle). This tradition has inimitable meaning in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, with slight differences. Hindus believe that people are reborn into another life after this one and that the law of karma suggests that a person’s mental and physical actions are binding to the cycle of birth and death. The idea of karma states that actions in one’s present life will determine the condition of the next life. When people begin their current life, karma accumulates because of their actions. And when they die, they will be reborn into another life, as either a human again or in another form, depending on the quality of the former life. The ultimate goal of Hindus is to attain liberation by escaping what is known as samsara, through a process called moksha (Frisch). In Hinduism, “a man becomes pure through pure deeds, impure through impure deeds (Fisher 77). Like the Hindus, the Jain believe that one’s behaviors and motives entice karma. A person's karma from past lives determines the quality of present life...
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...Identity Buddhists believe that the universe and everything in it are equal and are in search of an “eternal oneness” (Weider, L. and Gutierrez, B. p. 58). They believe that upon death they will reincarnate into another life form. The life form they are reborn as will depend on whether they performed good or bad deeds during their lifetime. This is their concept of reaping what they sow, which Buddhist call Karma. The more acts of goodness they accomplish in their life, the closer they get to reaching the state of Nirvana. This level is the highest achievement possible for Buddhist and when it is accomplished it is said that their souls become eternal. The Question of Meaning/Purpose The Buddhists main objective is to perfect their life on earth in order to end the cycle of Samsara, which in it’s simplist form is their reincarnating until they reach the state of Nirvana. The Question of Morality Because “Buddhism is more about an ethic and philosophy than an actual religion” (Hindson, E., Caner, E., p. 155), it stands to reason that they would follow a concept, rather than a god, in terms of modeling their moral identities. As such, they follow the concept of Karma and look to themselves to figure out what is proper conduct in order to...
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...Karma is the belief that the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences; basically, it is an effect, the cause being the actions of a person. In Buddhism, karma is viewed as a moral principal. In Jainism, karma is viewed as a way of moving up or down in status. Being prevalent in both Jainism and Buddhism, karma’s role in Jainism is a way to make life better mentally and spiritually, therefore, is considered more important in Jainism. First, I’d like to discuss karma in Buddhism and why it has a significance. Buddhism, like Jainism, recognizes inequalities in mankind. Being a religion and a way of life, they feel there is a way to explain these inequalities and that it is not purely accidental; karma being one of those explanations. The other three reason Buddhism gives for these inequalities are heredity, environment, and “nature and nurture.” Karma in the Pali term means action or doing. Any kind of intentional act is regarded as karma as intentional means there has to be thought put into it. Karma can be either good or bad, depending on the action taken by the person. If the action is unintentional or involuntary, then there is no karma present. The whole idea of karma is that a choice, whether good or bad, is being made, causing a reaction. Being good and making good choices will lead you to be happy while being bad and making bad choices will lead you to be unhappy. ("Basic Buddhism: The Theory...
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...INTRODUCTION "Countless rebirths lie ahead, both good and bad. The effects of karma (actions) are inevitable, and in previous lifetimes we have accumulated negative karma which will inevitably have its fruition in this or future lives. Just as someone witnessed by police in a criminal act will eventually be caught and punished, so we too must face the consequences of faulty actions we have committed in the past, there is no way to be at ease; those actions are irreversible; we must eventually undergo their effects." His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from 'Kindness, Clarity and Insight' The Sanskrit word Karma (or kamma in Pali) literally means action. In Buddhism however, karma mainly refers to one'sintention or motivation while doing an action. The Buddha said: “It is volition that I call karma; for having willed, one acts by body, speech, and mind.” AN 3:415, from In the Buddha’s Words, p. 146. (In the west, the word karma is often used for the results of karma; the Sanskrit words for the effects or results of karma are 'vipaka' or 'phala'. ) The shortest explanation of karma that I know is: 'you get what you give'. In other words; whatever you do intentionally to others, a similar thing will happen to yourself in the future. Causing suffering to others will cause suffering to ourselves, causing happiness to others will result in happiness for oneself. Perhaps our biggest to understanding or even believing in karma may be time. The 're-actions' or results of our actions...
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...I found karma to be a very intriguing topic within Buddhism and how they believe something such as intent of actions determine such a major part in the reincarnation of a soul and ultimately liberation from rebirth. Willful intentions, whether good or bad, create a cycle of the soul. While most people feel that karma is “what goes around comes around,” I do not feel like that saying is truly karma in the Buddhist sense. Rebirth seems to be an integral idea of karma and someone’s reality is a reflection of their thoughts and actions, not just doing one thing wrong and getting reprimanded or chastised for it. The substance of the unconscious mind and pressures of desires unfulfilled, dreams unrealized, and incompletion of the soul’s mission to the ultimate afterlife are the keys to karma. The human potential for spiritual and personal growth aids in making karma into wisdom, understanding and virtue. It seems that a Buddhist’s life and character were created by karma and that shaped by imagination and intelligence. I believe they think it is paramount for individuals to achieve a clearer understanding of their personal karma to find out what triggers it and what resolves it so they may actualize their potential and become finally free. In the good sense, karma can inspire change and it spreads good since the belief that everything a person does actively contributes to their past, present and future experiences. It isn’t necessarily about what is good or bad, but the cause...
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...In the Hindu religion, karma is “what determines the direction of one’s rebirth. The word karma comes from a root that means ‘to do’ and implies the notion of moral consequences carried along with every act. Karma is the moral law of cause and effect and belief in karma is a belief that every action has an automatic moral consequence.” In the Hindu belief system karma is tied into reincarnation with the thought that good karma leads to “higher” rebirth, while bad karma could result in the rebirth into “lower more painful forms.” A good pictorial representation of karma would be the typical ying and yang graphic. For those that are unfamiliar it is a circle with a s-shaped wave pattern down the middle, one half is black with a small white circle in it, the other half is just the opposite, white with a small black circle. I believe that this picture illustrates the ebb and flow of karma and shows “that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” clearly. In the Hindu belief “karma is neither good nor bad but only seems that way to the person that is experiencing it.” Likewise, in our ying and yang symbol there is not a good or bad side just a cohesive unit that ebbs and flows based on the current situation. The concept of karma gives us some solid insight into the culture of the Indian people. First it gives us a basis for the Indian acceptance of the caste system. “Good karma in one’s present caste will guarantee rebirth into a higher caste or...
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...Karma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Indian religious concept. For other uses, see Karma (disambiguation). "Karmic" redirects here. For Ubuntu v9.10 "Karmic Koala", see List of Ubuntu releases#Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala). For the EP by Nada Surf, see Karmic (EP). "Kharma" redirects here. For the professional wrestler, see Kia Stevens. Karma (Sanskrit: कर्म[1] IPA: [ˈkarmə] ( listen); Pali: kamma) in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh religions.[2] Contents * 1 Origins * 2 Views * 3 In the Indian religions * 3.1 Hinduism * 3.2 Sikhism * 3.3 Buddhism * 3.4 Jainism * 4 In Falun Gong * 5 Western interpretation * 6 Spiritism * 7 New Age and Theosophy * 8 Karma and emotions * 9 See also * 10 References * 11 External links | Origins A concept of karma (along with samsara and moksha) may originate in the shramana tradition of which Buddhism and Jainism are continuations. This tradition influenced the Brahmanic religion in the early Vedantic (Upanishadic) movement of the 1st millennium BC. This worldview was adopted from this religious culture by Brahmin orthodoxy, and Brahmins wrote the earliest recorded scriptures containing these ideas in the early Upanishads. Until recently, the...
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...death is a natural transition for the soul, which survives and, guided by karma, continues its long pilgrimage until it is one with God. After many lifetimes of following karma, the soul is fully matured in love, wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no longer a need for physical birth, for all lessons have been learned, all karmas fulfilled. That soul is then liberated, freed from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Evolution then continues in the more refined spiritual worlds. Similarly, after we graduate from elementary school we never have to go back to the fifth grade. We have gone beyond that level in understanding. Karma plays an important role in this evolution by determining how a person’s soul is transferred to another being. If a person does good deeds and has a good conscious their soul enters the next higher stage of its journey. For example: if it is already human than the next stage would be a human in a higher caste, or if they do bad deeds and have corrupt conscious their soul is “downgraded) to a lower stage in its journey. This Hindu view of the soul's evolution answers many otherwise bewildering questions, removing the fear of death while giving assurance that each soul is evolving toward the same spiritual destiny, for the Hindu believes that karma and reincarnation are leading every single soul to God Realization. Another “tool” that Hindus use other than practicing good karma is Yoga. Yoga helps them achieve this by bringing people’s minds and soul closer...
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...partnership in search of eternal oneness”. (Weider/Gutierrez p.67) The Hindu religion has four goals in the meaning/purpose of life. Pleasure, wealth, harmony and liberation. The first two consume the individual as it causes evil and suffering. The other two fulfill the individual. True salvation is to abandon the evil desires (pleasure and wealth) and become liberated (moksha). (Hindson/Caner p.263) Hindus believe that they should release all evil desires and egos and therefore they live through spiritual practices. Yoga, mental discipline and good deeds to all life forms. (Hindson/Carner p.264) Hindus believe in karma and by doing good deeds you receive good karma. Hindus believe in reincarnation, which is where you are born again in a new different body. (Merriam-Webster) Life is an illusion and to end the cycle of reincarnation one but eliminate all desires. You can do this by doing good deeds which leads to good karma and climbing the ladder of existence, ultimately wanting to reach Nirana. (Weider/Gutierrez p.69) (Hinderson/Caner p.263) Part Two: Hinduism much like Christianity both believe in God and that god created them. However, the...
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...1. What concepts are the most important in understanding Hinduism? Which concept do you agree the most? Why? Give examples of how you have experienced those concepts in your life. Hindus believe in karma, which literally means “deed or act”, but more broadly describes the principle of action and reaction. Simply stated, karma is the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words, and deeds. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, involving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth is attained. There are good karma and bad karma, which are stored reactions that gradually unfold to determine our unique destiny, and this is what I experienced in life about bad karma. We’re going to step back in time to about 2004 for this story. I was ten years old, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. My ten years old birthday present from my dad is a little Dachshund, brown in color. You know how it were when you’re ten, you keep all of your toys or dolls clean and tidy. So do how I treat my Bubble. Oh, this is how I name my little Dachshund. Because this is the very first time I raise a pet up, I treat him like my baby, pour all my time and love on it, I won’t missed the every single moment to stay with Bubble. Everyday before and after class, I stay will Bubble, we play together, eat together, study together, watch animation together, play piano together, draw...
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...Finding the Buddha's Light in Groundhog Day “A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a good movie can make you feel alive again, in contact, not just lost in another city. Good movies make you care, make you believe in possibilities again” (Pauline Kael). What this American film critic said in her book illuminates a fact that a good movie does not just entertain people, but also let people learn some of life’s philosophies and enlightenments. It is easy to find philosophies and enlightenments in Groundhog Day, which caused a sensation in the early 1990s and is still popular today. Groundhog Day’s considerable success is about more than just the performance of the humorous and witty plot, but also demonstrates many of life’s philosophies to the audience. These philosophies shown in the film have an enormous resonance to the Buddhist concept that makes people glad to use this film to spread Buddhist philosophies. The key reason for Groundhog Day being a valuable instrument in the teaching of Buddhism is its relevance to the Buddhist philosophies of reincarnation, love, and self-salvation. One key reason Groundhog Day is a valuable instrument in teaching Buddhism is its relevance to the Buddhist philosophy of reincarnation. One aspect of reincarnation in Buddhism is the endless cycle of life which is normally regarded as being reborn into a new existence after death, called Samsara in Buddhism. And Samsara...
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...Hinduism is a religion filled with many philosophical thoughts about the soul, following your duties, achieving liberation and understanding the consequences of karma. Many of the beliefs in Hinduism makes a person think of life and their own actions they do everyday since it can affect your next life. Hinduism sometimes also makes one wonder if all of these various beliefs and philosophical thoughts are true or not and if you don’t follow your duties (dharma), if consequences really do occur or not in the present life and the next life. Atman, which is the soul, is constantly craving for things and always wants something even after we obtain our desires; it is a non-stop process (Embree 33). The Self (atman) is taken over by pleasure and pain, which is true in life because there are always desires that give us pleasure and make us happy (Embree 36). But one also needs to remember that life has its ups and downs meaning, there always will be a time of pain in life. No one is ever satisfied in life, we are always wanting more and more each day. According to the Upanishadic thinker the material world is not very important, only you, your soul, and the actions you do are important (Embree 36). Nothing else is more important in the world than your personality, which is the self (atman). I don’t completely agree with the Upanishadic thinker that the material world does not matter. It does matter because our actions and the way our soul feels at certain situations, it all comes from...
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