Download HUMA 2300 – World Religions - Nicole McNeill

Fieldtrip Comparison: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam
Nicole McNeill
Salt Lake Community College
HUMA 2300 – World Religions
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There are many different religions throughout the world. Some of these religions don’t
necessarily “practice what they preach.” Throughout the semester I was able to attend three
different services of three different religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. By attending
these services I was able to determine if these religions truly practiced what the course textbook
claimed they did and what they claimed they did or if it was all just show. It was very interesting
to learn the differences in not only their history and beliefs, but also to see how rituals and
practices were truly carried out.
The first “fieldtrip” I attended was that of a Hindu service. In order to more fully
appreciate and understand this, and any, service it is important to first know what this religion is
all about. Hindus believe that there is only one god, Brahman, which manifests in multiple
forms. Hindus refer to these manifestations as reincarnations of Brahman. This leads in to
another core belief of Hinduism: reincarnation. Hindu practitioners believe that the problem for
humans is an immortal soul, or a soul that is constantly reincarnated based on one’s actions in
life. There are six different levels, or classes, of life and one’s soul will be reincarnated in one of
the levels depending on the life a person has lived; it is possible to move up and down in classes.
This is determined by one’s dharma and karma. Dharma is one’s duty and responsibility, while
in turn Karma is the energy that attaches to a person’s soul through their actions, good and bad.
Hindus don’t have to suffer through reincarnation forever, though. A Hindu can be liberated
from reincarnation by achieving Samadhi and Moksha. Samadhi and Moksha are known as the
ultimate goals of all Hindus and are both achieved while a person is alive. Samadhi is “a state of
consciousness that allows one to see reality as it is rather than the illusion we perceive it to be”
(Intro. to Hinduism Powerpoint, Samadhi). When a person achieves Samadhi Moksha, or
liberation, follows. These are just some of the core beliefs of Hindu. Knowing these concepts and
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understanding them led me to the question of whether or now this would be evident in the
service I was to attend. Overall, they were very present. How were they present? Upon entering
the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple my eye was drawn to the many idols and statues of the many
different gods and goddesses. As the name of the temple suggests, this temple is dedicated to the
worship of Ganesh. Ganesh is known as the “Elephant Headed God” and the Remover of
Obstacles; he is one of the many manifestations of the Saguna Brahmin. It is very common for
practitioners, students in particular, to give offerings to Ganesh in exchange for blessings of
knowledge. Ganesh is not the only god present, though. Vishnu, the Sustainer God, and Shiva,
the Destroyer God, were also represented with statues among many other gods and goddesses.
These statues clearly support the belief of one god, Brahman, in many different forms. They also
support the belief of worshipping this one god in his different forms because practitioners leave
offerings to one or many gods.
Another belief this temple and service demonstrate is that of the Four Yogas: Jnana
Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. Each of these yogas represents a different path
of worship. The Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple allows, supports, and demonstrates all of these yogas
in one form or another. Jnana Yoga is the Way of knowledge and is only available to the higher
castes; I was able to see this represented in the service in the priests at the temple. Karma Yoga is
the Way of Works and teaches that every man and woman has their own responsibilities; I was
able to witness this yoga in the small Hindu family being taught by their father after the service.
This demonstrates Karma Yoga because it is the father’s duty to teach his children not only about
the Hindu religion, but also what their responsibility as a righteous Hindu is. Bhakti Yoga is the
Way of Devotion and is achieved by devoting one’s life and love to god (Brahman); this was
represented by the temple in and of itself. The temple allows Hindus to come and worship their
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god at any time, thus devoting their lives and love to Brahman. The last yoga, Raja Yoga, is the
Way of Physical Discipline; I did not see this particular yoga at the service. Overall, attending
this service allowed me to positively respond the question of whether or not religions truly
practice what they preach. Knowing and understanding some of the most basic beliefs and
foundations of the Hindu religion allowed me to have a positive experience with the religious
service by seeing what I was being taught.
The second service I attended was a Buddhist Chenrezig Puja at the Urgyen Samten Ling
Gonpa. This particular service is focused on Chenrezig and compassion. Before going to this
service I first had to understand some of the basic beliefs and teachings of Buddhism. First, it is
important to understand that Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha which are found in
what is known as the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are: 1) all of life is suffering
(dukkha), 2) the cause of suffering is craving, grasping, and/or desire (tanha), 3) the end of
suffering is getting rid of craving, grasping, and desire, and 4) the way to overcome suffering is
through the Eightfold Path (Matthews, pg 117). The Eightfold Path is another of the most
fundamental beliefs in Buddhism and can most basically be defined as the way a person must
live in order to escape suffering and rebirth. Once a person has escaped suffering and rebirth they
have reached what is known as Nirvana: becoming one with the universe and having absolute
omniscience. An important factor in determining ones status of rebirth is that of Karma. Karma
refers to the action of intention and the “seeds” that are left in one’s mind as a result (Intro. to
Buddhism Powerpoint, Karma). This is important because there is good and bad karma. Rather
obviously, good Karma is the result of a person following the Eightfold Path while bad Karma is
quite the opposite. It is important to note that the Buddhist beliefs of Karma and rebirth and
different than those of Hinduism. In Buddhism Karma is psychological process, not an energy
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like in Hinduism. Similarly, the Buddhist belief of rebirth is different from that of Hindu
reincarnation because in Buddhism, one just lives the life cycle, Samsara, over and over again; it
is not divided into levels.
As I mentioned, the Buddhist Puja I attended was focused on Chenrezig and compassion.
All of the above mentioned core beliefs (the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Karma, and
Samsara) were mentioned and/or discussed in the head priest’s commentary of the service.
Because the service was one emphasized on compassion, the priest mentioned many times that
this would contribute to our good Karma. Developing a sense of love and compassion towards all
people, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we will only become closer to our ultimate
goal of Nirvana. The priest also mentioned the concept of impermanence, or rebirth. He taught us
that if we are to truly understand this concept, that nothing is permanent, we will be able to have
a more compassionate and all together positive outlook on life. For example, when we get cut off
in traffic it won’t matter because nothing is permanent and we don’t know what that person who
cut us of is going through. By showing compassion towards them we are following the Eightfold
Path and achieving positive Karma. Throughout the service the priests and parishioners recited
mantras, chants, and prayers. This evidenced their deep love for Buddha and their commitment
to the Eightfold Path. By attending this service I was once again able to determine that, yes, this
religion practices what they preach; ultimately leading to my having a deeper appreciation.
The third and final service I attended was that of an Islam community at the Khadeeja
Masjid. Islam can be broken down into five key beliefs, or concepts. The first is the belief in
Allah, or “the God.” Muslims, Islam practitioners, choose to give God a title to show respect and
importance. I was told at the service by a practitioner that they chose the title ‘Allah’ because it
does not show gender; and we don’t know if God is male or female. The second core belief is
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that of prophets. Muslims believe that all prophets are equally important. Jesus, however, was the
only exalted prophet. The third core belief of Islam pertains to revelation. The founder prophet of
Islam, Muhammad, received direct revelation from God in order to establish Islam. Muhammad
was also revealed the words of God, the Qu’ran, by the archangel Gabriel. Muslims believe,
however, that revelation is not a privilege extended to every Islam practitioner. The fourth belief
of Islam is that of angels and spirits, both good and bad, known as Jinn. The archangel Gabriel is
an example of the belief in ‘good’ Jinn. Muslims also believe in a ‘bad’ Jinn, or spirit, known as
Iblis who is equivalent to the Christian concept of Satan. The fifth belief of Islam of that of a
Judgment Day; we will all be judged for our actions. Once a person becomes a Muslim (an Islam
practitioner) they must follow certain rules and/or rituals. These are known as the Five Pillars of
Faith. They are: 1) recite the Shahada, or “witness of faith”, which is “There is but one God and
Muhammad is his rasul (messenger); 2) Salat: a Muslim must pray five times a day facing
Mecca; 3) each Muslim must pay a charity tax, or zakat, which is 2.5% of accumulated wealth
after debts and bills are paid; 4) Sawm: a Muslim must fast during the month of Ramadan; and 5)
if able they should make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj (Matthews, pg 344-345).
While attending the Islam service, a Jumu’ah, I was able to see a communal prayer. The
word communal is used kind of loosely because Muslim men and women must worship in
different areas. Since I was upstairs with the women in the balcony area, I wasn’t able to see the
man leading the prayer, but I was able to see both the pillars of Shahada and Salat. Upon entering
the balcony area all of the women would recite something which I assumed was the Shahada.
After this they would offer a prayer; a sermon followed soon after. After the sermon, the whole
community would participate in a respective group prayer, one of the five daily prayers a Muslim
must offer. While I was only able to see two of the Five Pillars of Faith a kind woman
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approached us after the service and discussed her faith with us. She talked about each of the
pillars and shared her experiences with each of them. She also made it clear how thankful she
was for the space she and her fellow women had to worship. This religion also allowed for a
positive answer to my question of whether or not a religion truly practices what is preached.
I’m glad to report that all of the services I attended were a positive experience. I loved to
be able to take what I had learned on paper and truly see and experience for myself. While
religions do differ I was able to learn that basically they all kind of believe in the same thing. All
of these religions believe in a god, although Hindus do believe he manifests himself in different
forms. These religions also have in common the belief that there is problem for humans, but if
we are to follow what their particular god taught, we can escape the problem and achieve some
form of enlightenment. It was very refreshing to see that religious practitioners do truly follow
and practice what they claim to. YES, these religions do practice what they preach, not only in
lifestyles, but also in rituals and practices.
Works Cited
Matthews, Warren. "World Religions: Seventh Edition." Matthews, Warren. World Religions: Seventh
Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2012. 117-118.