Download Cody Bottoms Mr. James Bailey ERH-211X

Cody Bottoms
Mr. James Bailey
ERH-211X-03
3 May 2015
Help received: Spell Check
ERH-211X-03 Reflective Essay
Comparative Religions has allowed me to explore the religions of the world in a great
amount of detail that I have never looked into before. In this class I have explored religions that
include Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All of
these religions have opened my eyes up to the possibilities and viewpoints that people of other
cultures hold, and such it I now easier to understand them and know why they think what they do
and act how they do. It has come to my attention as well that all of the religions have a moral
code that they are inclined to follow regardless of which religion they come from, and these
moral codes all support having a semblance of balance and order. The moral codes of these
religions seem to be the force that holds the population of followers together and maintains
order. Through looking at a film on Hindu monk life on a show called “Around the World in 80
Faiths” and doing a short report on the monastic life of Buddhist monks I gained great insight
into the lives of these monks and how much dedication they put into their lives and the respect
they garner from their communities as well. First, it is important to note the codes that help to
guide their actions and lives.
To go through all of the religions’ codes, Hinduism has the Dharma, Buddhism has the
Eight-Fold Path to follow, Confucianism has their five humanistic values, Daoism has “The
Way” and balance, Judaism has the Ten Commandments along with Christianity, and the Islamic
religion follows what is known as Sharia Law. I observed through class and reading of the
textbook, God is Not One, that all of these religions regardless of deity structure or other beliefs
that all of the religions based all of their actions on a moral code to follow. The Hindu Dharma
structure is actually represented in a few forms of religion and is a universally oriented code of
living that dictates virtues, conduct, rights, laws, etc. The Buddhist tradition bases many things
off of its sibling religion, Hinduism, and this is where we get the Eight-Fold Path. The EightFold path is my favorite moral code as it is the most in-depth and workable of the codes. The
Eight-Fold Path consists of having the right view or vision, having the right conduct to those
around you and yourself, having the right speech i.e. not harmful, having right action, having
right livelihood that is morally good, having right effort which is pacing diligence in the right
areas of one’s life, having right mindfulness and being open to learn new things, and lastly
having right concentration to filter your life. Next, Confucianism holds its Humanistic values of
Ren or humanness, Yi or justice, Li or proper rite, Zhi or knowledge, and Xin or integrity. The
Daoist religion has “The Way” which is essentially action through inaction and it is used to
maintain balance. The Ten Commandments that are shared between Judaism and Christianity
are a, quite literally set in stone, guide to live one’s life by: they are very clear and get straight to
bread and butter. The Ten Commandments are as follows: You shall have no other gods before
me, you shall not make idols, you shall not take the name of the lord in vain, remember the
Sabbath day, honor your father and mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,
you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, you shall not covet.
The Ten Commandments are essential to the moral strength of both Judaism and Christianity.
Lastly, Islam holds on to Sharia Law for their standards and this deals with almost every aspect
of Muslim life. These codes are important to the followers of the religions, but even more so to
the monks, priests, rabbis, etc. of the religions.
Some of the most dedicated people in a faith are the holy advisors of that faith, and I
learned just to what extent they lived these codes out in their lives through research I did for a
report and class presentation on both Hindu monks and Buddhist monks. They base literally
every part of their day on fulfilling the will of these codes and their god or gods and more often
than not give up all of their worldly possessions to do this. These monks lived and breathed their
religion. Monks of the Hindu faiths often would go on pilgrimages into the mountains to live
alone for long periods of time just so that they could meditate on things and develop themselves.
Hindu and Buddhist monks often fast as well to purify their bodies and make an offering
In conclusion, this comparative religions class has given me a much deepened
perspective on world religions and a greater appreciation for the ideas of other peoples and
religions in general. It has shown me the values held by all of the religions we have studied
shown that sometimes the most important seeming aspect besides the god or gods of the religion
is the moral code that comes with the religion and how people live according to that code.
Comparative religions has given a much broader and deeper understanding of the studied
religions and how they work.
Works Cited
Class notes
Class presentations (found on E-Portfolio)
Hinduonline.co/HinduReligion/AllAboutHinduism3.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV7P533M3DO
Prothero, Stephen. God is Not One. New York: Harper Collins, 2010. Print.