...“if you believe in karma and reincarnation, you have more morals than believing in nothing” Personally, I agree with this statement, this is because believing in karma and reincarnation makes a person think in a long term perspective, this means they will think about their actions and positivity and how it may affect them later on or even in another life. The basic idea of karma seems to pop up in a lot of places, for example it doesn’t matter how religious you are or even if you’re not a hindu, it’s the fascinating idea itself . Reincarnation is also a very captivating idea, “You were. You will be” the initiative of the natural process of recycling human energy through birth, growth, decay and death. Reasons for view: People may agree with my belief because if we chose to ignore the workings of karma, we tend to create many problems for ourselves. For example, if we like to have something expensive, but we cannot afford it, it becomes very tempting to steal. If we are smart enough, we may never be caught stealing. However, by stealing, (according to the law of karma) we create problematic situations for ourselves in the future, like poverty, or being the victim of robbers. Therefore, if we chose to ignore karma, the results of our actions will still haunt us. Another reason why I agree with karma is the idea of ultimate justice as everyone will harvest the results of their actions and even if karma would not exist, as long as I try to avoid negative actions, the world...
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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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...fluctuates, varies, eats, sleeps, awakes, acts, fears, rests, has knowledge and perception, attempts to self defend, and reproduces. These and more qualities of the jiva are obvious through a physical body when the soul is present in it but when the soul leaves these qualities cease. These qualities are external features and consciousness (chetan) is the basic inner feature of the soul. This also makes it clear that the body and the soul are separate entities. The concept of the soul learning to extricate itself from the lower self and its attachments to the material world by purifying one’s ethical life is a theory that can be used by all. Karma is the belief that our actions influence the future course of our current live, and our lives to come. Our success or failure in life is directly related to how we treat and interact with others. Karma answers the question of why some people are better in school then others, or why some people are wealthier then other’s. Christian’s would consider those who have great success and happiness to have favor in the sight of God. The concept of Ahimsa (non-violence) is one that is practiced strongly in the teaching of Jainism. Jain theory teaches that all life is scared and that humans have no special right to supremacy. Jain teachings take into consideration even the smallest microscopic life forms and work to protect them by not eating after sunset so as not to inadvertently eating unseen insects and wearing cloth over their mouth to avoid...
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...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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...Joseph Nixon PHI/105 Dialogue between Plato and Aristotle Assignment P: Given the soul is imperishable, souls gather knowledge throughout their existence. Souls carry this knowledge in every earth-bound body they inhabit. The soul has learned everything during its prior worldly interactions as well as it’s time in the other world. It can be assumed a man’s soul has learned how the art of blacksmithing. This man’s soul, when reborn might not have the given knowledge to blacksmith an adequate sword, yet we should not be alarmed should he recall this knowledge. We must assume his soul learned the art of blacksmithing in a former life. A: I understand your argument, but submit the man you describe could learn the art of blacksmithing by simply seeing weapons and swords that have been created. The man can use the swords he has seen in creating one for himself. The man uses “similarity” to form his sword to the sword that has already been created. The man simply learns the art of blacksmithing through previously created weapons. P: How can you assume the man learned the art of blacksmithing? Is it not possible that his soul could have been a blacksmith in a former life. If this man was to create an exemplary sword, how can it be assumed he learned to create such perfection with it being his first time practicing the art of blacksmithing? A: Imagine you had no knowledge of geometry and namely circles. If I drew a circle and asked you to create a circle half...
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...independent religion was based upon the teachings of its founder Mahavira. With the lessons taught by Mahavira and my interpretation of his lessons I was able to create the following framework for understanding and comparing of Jainism. What Does It Mean To Be Human? In Jainism the soul is thought of as uncreated and eternal, and is capable of obtaining a perfect divinity. Followers of Jainism should gain liberation from the continuous cycle of rebirth, by not stirring up any bad karma, particularly any bad karma stemmed from causing harm to any and all conscious beings. What Is the Basic Human Problem? The basic human problem as seen by the followers of Jainism is finding a way of finally stopping the continuous wheel of reincarnation. In short, how does one impede this circle of endless lives and come to an end so that they can live? What Is the Cause Of the Problem? The cause of the basic human problem is the continuous wheel of reincarnation, viewed by followers of Jainism, is the karma that they create. What Is the End or Goal of Transformation? The goal of transformation for the followers of Jainism is accomplished when the soul is liberated from matter. What Are the Means of This Transformation? The means of transformation are obtained for the followers of Jainism when they follow the following vows: 1. They vow non-injury of life (ahisma). 2. They vow to always speak the truth. 3. They vow to...
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...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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...For as long as man has been on this earth, one of the most popular questions without a set answer has been, what happens after we die? Each culture, religion, organization, and any other group of people have had their own views about this subject. One specific answer to this question is reincarnation. The simple version of reincarnation is being re-born. When one dies, they lose their physical being, but their soul lives on into another being according to the Buddhists. The western world has traditionally been quick to dismiss the idea of reincarnation. They do not believe it is possible for someone to be reborn into a new body. The Eastern part of the world has constantly believed in reincarnation. Four million Buddhists, Hindus and other cultures have believed in reincarnation. Although the western world has had growing number of people, it is still overlooked. Reincarnation should not be disregarded so easily however. There is vast evidence of reincarnation beliefs in every period of time, so it is not some notion that was recently just made up for comfort or stability. There are many stories of people who can remember vivid details of their former lives, and even biological evidence such as birthmarks that are a result of an injury in a prior life. Reincarnation can also be a good explanation for child geniuses like Mozart, and even the current Dali Llama. After considering all the evidence and logical reasons reincarnation can be true, it would be hard to still refute it...
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...CHAPTER – VIII CONCEPTS HARMONY WITH ENVIRONMENT The term can be best described as “Ethico moral reponsiveness of business to all the members of the environment.” Man and nature are deeply interconnected and interdependent. The social responsibility of business must ensure that dealings and transactions with its stakeholders are ethico-moral. Ecology or nature is also an important stakeholder. Hnece there is no such right to exploit nature for purely selfish motives. As some one rightly said, “Man, nature, divine are one, attack one, the other two get the impact. They are part of a grand cycle. Hold a global vision and do not be greedy. Dependence of any business on its social and ecological environment is so complete that the very existence, survival and growth of any enterprise depends upon its acceptance by society and environment (who provide all inputs of resources). If it outlives its utility to the Society and environment it has no place and reason to exist. Today, we insist on the social responsiveness and awareness, the ability to relate the plans, policies and programmes to the social environment in such a way that these are mutually beneficial to the organization, society and ecology. The current trend is an organizations’ involvement in social actions. The mission and vision of any organization must express deep involvement in social actions to improve the quality of life in the society and quality of the environment. SELF CONTROL ...
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...Blake Watson November-1-2013 James & Kathleen Hum 140 & Eng 101 5 Page Essay Final World Views/Benefits from Hinduism & Buddhism (Quotes are italicized and the source of the quote is bolded) Although Hinduism and Buddhism are third world country religions that most of us are not familiar with, does not mean we cannot benefit or get something out of them ourselves, whether we believe in them or not. Here in this essay i will be talking about the similarities and differences that contrast between these two massive religions that hopefully, can show a form of common ground between yourself (If you’re an “outsider”) and them. (The religious practitioners). Lets start from the beginning; who were the founders? The answer to that question is quite complex. Buddhism was founded around the 5th century B.C.E. by Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly referred to as “The Buddha” which translates to the literal word enlightened or awakened. The creator and founder of Buddhism. On the other hand, Hinduism has no official founder and most of its practices are based off of concepts formed in Buddhism. Back to the fact that these two religions are third world country religions, what is their purpose? That is the main goal of both religions? The main goal or purpose of Buddhism...
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...Plot Summary Siddhartha grows up with his friend Govinda in a small village in India. They are taught to believe in ancient Hindu teachings by Siddhartha's father, yet the young man becomes restless and decides to go out and explore the world to find answers to his questions. The ancient Hindu teachings seem silly to him, and according to Siddhartha, they offer inadequate explanations of the ways of the world. Govinda leaves the village with him for different reasons; he admires Siddhartha's intelligence and hopes that he shall become successful by staying with him, as his "shadow," following him wherever he goes. They both lead lives as wandering Samanas, self-exiles of society living in self-denial. They suppress all bodily desires by fasting, breathing control, and living in poverty; only the natural world is embraced as truth, and meditation is practiced regularly. After three years, Siddhartha grows weary of this life, too, and decides to accompany Govinda to visit the Buddha in Savathi. Govinda becomes a disciple of Buddha while Siddhartha continues his journey alone, still wishing to understand the world for himself since all teachings have failed to accomplish this, including the ancient beliefs of the Hindus and this new religion of Buddha. However, Siddhartha wishes to have the enlightenment that Buddha has attained by listening to the voice of his Self instead of denying it. It is lust that afflicts him first when he meets the beautiful Kamala in the town of Samsara...
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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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...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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...take many births in lower forms. All forms of living being manifest God and plants and animals, should be worshiped because they give us food. Hinduism has four principles. They are having pleasure, harmony, wealth, and liberation. Pleasure and wealth consume people by causing suffering and the other fulfills them. The purpose of life in Hinduism is to understand one identity as the soul and to fully understand the truth. The entails identifying the wrong and right and how one is meant to live. Hindus strive to became Moksha( or free from the devil or and evil.) They have to do away with all the evil deeds and the wrongs to achieve the status. They live though the practice and correcting living dharma. Connected with Karma or (action) and reincarnation is usually the goal of liberation. Afther they die they are reincarnated. Reincarnation makes the dead body a brand new body. This depends on how one in his or her former life. After some stages of changes, one will became part of god- essence. Contrary to Hinduism where the question on origin is not definitely answered. Christianity believes that the whole universes including human...
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