Download World Religions

World Religions
Judaism
This complex offspring of a proud and ancient tribe was born of Abraham, who proclaimed
claimed the power of the One God, and later, Moses, who brought the Ten Commandments
from Mt. Sinai to a land of idol-worshipers. The line of prophets and kings continued,
refining the religion to greater heights.
Jewish tradition holds that they are a chosen people, beloved of God. Jews study two great
works in the Old Testament, the first five books, or Torah, and Talmud, a collection of
centuries old teachings and interpretations. The importance of the family unit, the sanctity
of rituals and holidays, and the realized promise of Israel as the Jewish homeland are the
focal points of Jewish faith.
The principal acts of worship are the daily morning service, which includes two hymns; the
services for the Sabbath, including the reading of the Law and six devotions; services for
the seven Festivals; and the service for the Day of Atonement. The principal Jewish
festivals are Passover or Pesach, Pentecost or Shevuoth, and Tabernacles or Succoth.
Jewish Synagogues:
In an orthodox Jewish synagogue, men are required to wear a head covering (any type of
hat). Women should be modestly dressed (no short skirts or Levis). Men and women will
be seated separately during prayer, women either off to the side or in the balcony. During
morning prayer men put on tfillin and often pray in a tallis. The orthodox minyan (congregation of ten men) for prayer is in the early morning and again after sunset. Almost all of
the service will be in Hebrew and often prayer books will be supplied. On Shabbat (Friday
sundown to Saturday sundown) the synagogue will have its largest attendance. It is wise
to be respectful to the elders.
At a reform or conservative synagogue the main time for prayer is on Shabbat. Often these
synagogues may be closed at other times.
Christianity
This world-encompassing religion began as an outgrowth of Jewish monotheism and
stresses that what had been the property of one small nation was to be the common worldreligion for all time. It claims that although the universe is the self-expression of the One
Good god, the highest self-expression for men is to be found through Jesus the Messiah. It
affirms that human life on Earth is not devoid of significances but has abiding consequences, and it places judgment upon each soul in the hands of the glorified Jesus, the
image of the invisible God.
Jesus Christ taught that the highest law of life is Love. Despite ridicule and persecution he
traveled throughout Palestine ministering to the people with miracles and simple truths.
His Ascension stands as an example of man’s oneness with God.
Since Christ’s Ascension, a complex hierarchy of churches, priests and sects has arisen
throughout the world, dividing into three general groupings: the Roman Catholics, the
Eastern Orthodox and Protestants.
The Eastern Orthodox and Protestants sects define themselves in their differences from the
Roman Catholic Church. For the Roman Catholic, life is organized in the Body of Christ,
and the Church exists to implement this. Its central authority rests with the papacy. The
Pope is the agent to proclaim the will of God to society, and his policies are carried out by
the hierarchy of cardinals, bishops, priests, etc. Doctrines emphasized by the Roman
Catholic Church are the Bible, the infallibility of the Pope, the Immaculate Conception,
and the Bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Central to the practice of the Church are
the seven sacraments, the focus of which is the Eucharist. In the Eucharist “under the
appearance of bread and wine, Jesus Christ Himself is contained, offered and received.”
Baptism is the initial reception of the human being into the Body of Christ. Confirmation
is the sacrament of moral maturity. Marriage is the sacrament which sustains in Christ
human generation and family life. Penance restores union with God which has been
broken by sin. Holy Orders creates and sustains the institution of priesthood by which the
divine organism lives and functions on Earth. Extreme Unction (Last Rites) is the
sacrament which sanctifies death.
In the Eastern Orthodox religions, the difference is one of practice rather than doctrine.
Each national church is autonomous. The Eastern Orthodox churches subscribe to the
papacy as mediated by local churches. The doctrinal authority rests in the scriptures,
ancient creeds and decrees, and tradition. The right of the clergy to marry before
ordination is preserved.
Protestants are united by the teachings of Christ and the use of the Bible as the doctrinal
authority. They are divided into four major groups: Lutheran, Anglican (Episcopalian),
Presbyterian & Reformed, and the Free Church, comprised of Congregationalists,
Methodists, and Baptists. There are various other independent sects such as Unitarian,
Christian Science, Unity and Pentecostal churches.
Catholic/Orthodox Churches:







Reverence and dignity are called for at all times.
The altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved is marked by an eternal vigil light
usually in red glass, either hanging from the ceiling, standing to either side of the
altar or on the Tabernacle itself.
Inside the door is a Holy Water bowl. It is very effective in cleansing the aura before
entering. Dip the fingers of the right hand into the water and make the sign of the
cross on the body touching forehead, solar plexus, left shoulder and right shoulder
(the shoulders are reversed for Orthodox) while mentally turning towards the
indwelling spirit and saying, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit (Ghost). Amen,” thus releasing the purifying energy stored in the Holy
Water.
On entering a chapel or church where the Host is reserved (look for the candle in red
glass) genuflect, momentarily touch the right knee to the floor and make a sign of
the cross again while directing the attention to the Reserved Sacrament, i.e. Christ
external and Christ internal, in your heart. The sign of the cross will focus the
energy which your attention has called forth.
Feel free to look around. Remember to genuflect and make the sign of the cross
whenever moving directly in front of the Sacrament located in the center of the
church. Also genuflect before taking a seat and when leaving.
The area inside the altar rail is consecrated. Even if this area is open do not enter
unless invited by a clergyman.
If you wish to take Communion, go forward and kneel or stand as others are doing.
Keep your hands together in front of your heart. Make a sign of the cross, incline
head back, & stick out your tongue to receive the Host when the priest approaches,
or else place your palms in front of you left over right & receive the Host in your
left palm & pick it up with your right hand & place it in your mouth. Cross yourself
and return to your seat.
Islam
Legend says that on Mohammed’s birth he opened his eyes and said “There is no God but
Allah, and Mohammed is His Prophet.” Mohammed’s basic conception of Deity is that of
absolute transcendent power, and the duty of man is submission. Mohammed attempted to
raise his people from greed and violence with strict rules of conduct and involved prayer
rituals.
The Islamic holy book, the Koran (Qur’an), was compiled by Mohammed’s followers from
rough notes and memory of the Prophet’s lectures which came through direct inspiration.
It is a religion of intense faith and devotion. In Islam the good life is one of disciplined
submission and moderation in food and drink. There are five compulsory practices, or
Pillars of Islam: proclamation of the faith, daily prayers, fasting, almsgiving and
pilgrimage. In Islam there is no meditation between man and his Maker, “who knew him
before he was born and is closer to him than his jugular vein.”
Islamic Mosques:
Except during time of prayer, non-Moslems are allowed in some mosques, particularly in
Turkey. This is not the place for meditation in traditional Hindu postures. Most mosques
prohibit non-Moslems and should you get into these mosques you will be carefully
watched to see if you know each nuance of the worship. One slip may endanger you. If
you sincerely wish to go to a mosque, befriend a Moslem and go along with him. Ask to
learn the ritual washing, to perform the prayer, to hear the Koran; this will endear you to
Moslems. To do so sincerely brings amazement, and to enter Islam by the front door and
do dhikr in its holy places of worship is to sense the intoxicating mystery of creation.
Sufism
Sufism teaches the path of the heart, the unity of religious ideals and the universal brotherhood of man. Dating from the Egyptian Mystery schools, Sufism encompasses a wide
range of esoteric orders. Inspired by the mystical poetry of Jelaluddin Rumi, Sufism
thrived for centuries in close alignment with Islam. With the teachings of Moiniddin
Chisti it prospered in India with much emphasis on realization through music. In 1910
Hazrat Inayat Khan brought Sufism’s universal perspective to the West with the message
that “the heart of man which is open to God is liberated.” Through the inspiration of living
teachers Sufism today finds in music and dance both the meditative and ecstatic qualities
by which men realize God in themselves and their brothers.
Hinduism
Hinduism emerged from the foothills of the Himalayas over 5,000 years ago. Its major
scriptures, the Vedas and the Upanishads, are composed of extensive meditations, hymns,
reflections and commandments on the living of a sacred life. As Hinduism spread throughout India, it assimilated tribal religions, giving it a vast array of gods and goddesses. Its
greatest teachers, Rama and Krishna, are worshipped as incarnations of Vishnu, one of the
Hindu Trinity. Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the Sustainer, and Shiva is the Destroyer
of the Universe.
The foundation of the vitality of Hinduism is the direct transmission of spiritual wisdom
through the guru-disciple relationship. Attunement with the Infinite is achieved through
meditation, in progressive stages of identification with the Great Self, or the Absolute, and
in conquest of the little self. The effect of this is a detachment from the affairs of life,
possible completely with death and when a person is sleeping without dreaming. The
practice of yoga helps to make possible the operation of this attunement in daily life.
The caste system separated the people into four groups: priests & scholars, warriors and
rulers, merchants & farmers, and servants & laborers. Below these four groups were the
untouchables. It is regarded as a natural outgrowth of the reincarnation process by which
individual souls return to Earth many times, reaping the fruits of past actions.
Hindus are very devotional and consider chanting and religious rites a daily necessity.
Wandering monks and ecstatically singing devotees are common sights on the streets and
river banks of India.
Hindu Pujas:
Pujas create a channel for the deity to make itself available to us in the physical world.
Bells, horns and drums all attempt to attract its attention. Brahmin priests chant its names.
Incense is burned to calm the inner atmosphere and, at the height of the puja, burning
camphor, with its purifying qualities, is waved in front of the deity to a chorus of chanting,
prostrating devotees. Offerings of coconuts, flowers, bananas, camphor, and money are
blessed during the puja. The coconuts are broken at the feet of the deity and the bananas
are returned as prashadam (blessed food) then taken by the devotee. This ritual invokes the
living presence of the deity who resides in the celestial world and creates a channel for its
darshan to flow through the image to devotees. For the spiritually unfolded it is a total
union with unifying consciousness of existence.
Hindu Temples:










Hindus say the blessings received at a temple transform all negativity into love. Thus
the vibration in the temple is always of a divine nature.
Take off shoes; leave them at the door. Wash hands, feet and face in washing area
before you enter.
Give an offering for the temple upkeep. Even the most impoverished give a few
pennies.
Traditionally Hindus encircle their temples. Enter from right side and continue to the
right.
Do not lie down or point feet towards statues or shrines.
Keep silent.
Eating, smoking and photography are generally prohibited.
Flowers or fruits taken as an offering should not be tasted or handled.
In most temples of South India men never wear a shirt or any covering over the torso.
In each temple a caretaker will probably escort you around and explain any procedure.
Buddhism
Gautama Buddha, son of a powerful king in northern India, renounced his wealth to seek
the truth. After 49 days of fasting, he realized the Divinity within all beings & returned to
the world to teach the wisdom of the Middle Way. Gautama began with the Upanishadic
background but altered the scheme of it to provide a practical way of living embodied in
the Four Noble Truths of non-attachment and an epistemology within them which he called
the Eightfold Path:
The Four Noble Truths
1. Life always has in it the element of suffering
2. The cause of suffering is desire
3. Desirelessness is liberation
4. The Eightfold Path for extrication from desire is: right* thought, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right exertion, right remembrance, right meditation, right belief.
* right = correct, perfect, ideal
For Buddha, sane moderation was the middle path to be followed. He saw man as a pilgrim
faring towards a meaningful interior life.
In Japan Buddhism developed into Zen (Ch’an in China), the path of intuition wherein
satori, a sudden jolt, or meditation on a paradox (koan), results in realizations of one’s own
Buddha Nature. Emphasis is placed on the doctrine of wu wei or inaction. In Tibet it
blossomed with great art, ritual and music, and in Southeast Asia Buddhism became the
state religion.
Two major schools of practice have arisen - the Southern school, Theraveda, which
stresses personal enlightenment through intense study & abstention from sense stimulation, and the Northern school, Mahayana, including both Tibetan and Zen Buddhism which
emphasizes the liberation of all beings through compassionate prayer and selfless action.
In this century Buddhism’s orientation toward the experience of the Self has brought it a
growing acceptance in the West.
Buddhist Temples:
On entering a Zen Buddhist temple (Zendo) remove your shoes; place your hands together
in gasho (palms together at chest) and bow to the Buddha image. A more formal salutation
is: place hands palm-to-palm to head, then to throat, to heart, and then kneel and touch
your head to ground (do this whole thing three times). Before meditating, bow to your
cushion and other meditators. There is no talking. Never point the soles of your feet at
anyone or at any image, and don't place holy scriptures on the floor.
Sikhism
Sikhism (Sikh means “student” or “disciple”) is a major religion in India. It is based upon
the teaching of Guru Nanak, (1469-1539), a saint revered in India by Hindus, Moslems and
Sikhs alike. The religion of the Sikhs basically consists of the remembrance of the One
Creator of all through the repetition of His Name, the earning of a righteous living, and the
sharing of what one has with others.
After Guru Nanak there were nine other incarnate gurus. The sixth guru, Guru Hargobind,
responding to tumultuous times, turned the Sikhs into warrior saints. Guru Gobind Singh
instituted the brotherhood of baptized Sikhs known as the Khalsa or pure ones. It was he
who gave the Sikhs the symbols by which they are easily recognized --- the turban, uncut
hair and beard, the short sword, and iron bracelet on the right wrist which symbolizes
bondage to the universal Guru or consciousness. Many male Sikhs take the surname Singh
(lion) and females the name Kaur (princess). Gobind Singh passed the line of guruship
back to the Word in the form of a book, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This sacred book of
the Sikhs is treated by the Sikhs both in reverence and ritual as their living Guru.
Sikh Gurudwaras:
Throughout India & the rest of the world you will find Sikh temples known as
Gurudwaras, meaning “dwelling place of the Guru.” They are called this because in each
one is a copy of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This holy book is the living Guru of the Sikhs
and is respected as such. The Golden Temple in Amritsar is one of the most venerated and
vibrant Gurudwaras.
Much Gurudwara protocol is similar to that in other Eastern Temples. Inside there may be
reading going on from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib or there may be music (Kirtan) in Praise
of the One Creator.





Take off shoes; leave them at the door. Wash hands, feet and face in washing area
before you enter.
Upon entering, bow before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib presenting s token offering,
which may be fruit, money, incense, etc. In order to receive, one must first learn
to give.
The head must be covered at all times while in the Gurudwara, Sikhs themselves
wear turbans both in Gurudwara and outside.
Women and men are seated separately.
Seat straight and never stretch your feet out towards the Guru.
Jainism
Jainism has been described as the theological mean between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Mahavira gave five rules to this people of India: 1) Be harmless to all life; 2) Do not lie;
3) Do not steal; 4) Be chaste, avoiding intoxicants; 5) Refrain from selfish desires. All
Jains are vegetarians and actively avoid fighting, fishing and even farming to avoid
harming any living creatures. The most important feature in Jain belief is that the Absolute
is a cor-porate personality of perfected souls, no one of which is supreme. The collective
deity is called Jiva, a small body of enlightened individuals who have achieved blessedness
and are the objects of Jain veneration. Release from the consequences of karma is
achieved by a process of asceticism. No systems similar to Jainism have evolved
anywhere.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroaster spent twenty years in the wilderness evolving his perception of God. He
proclaimed the Supreme Universal Principle, Ahura-Mazda, which is symbolized by fire.
It is taught that man has a choice between good and evil and that worship, pure thought
and righteous action are the surest path to God. A sacred fire burns unceasingly in all
Zoroastrian temples which are found scattered throughout Western Asia and India.
Confucianism
Confucius also made use of the great Tao, but he prescribed an active attitude toward the
world. He was a rationalist who stressed the importance of ethics. To Confucius the duty
of man consisted in preserving the right relationship towards each of one’s fellow human
beings. Life must be vigorous & positive, balanced & moderate, avoiding all extremes.
Confucius declared that man possesses in himself benevolence, justice, propriety and
wisdom and that man has only to obey the law within himself to be perfect.
Taoism
Taoism is based on the idea of the great Tao, which in its simplest form means the
course of Nature. The doctrine attributable to Lao Tzu is a quietist mysticism, a tranquil
spon-taneity in all life. Considered action and independent thought are avoided, as
Nature is so beneficent that is better not to interfere. Taoism teaches:
“Stand before it and there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present.”
The beliefs and thought of Lao Tzu came to be written only because the gatekeeper of the
city refused to let him leave until he had recorded his teachings, called the Tao Teh
Ching, “The Way of Life.”
Shintoism
Shintoism, “the Way of the Gods,” is the collection of the Japanese tribal legends describing the activities and characteristics of greater and lesser gods. Most important is the
Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. The basic teaching of the faith is that gods, man and the whole
of nature are born of the same parents and therefore are members of the same family.
Numerous festivals and daily family rituals actively preserve the Shinto tradition in
Japan.
Shamanism
A shaman is a man of power. Traditionally an integral member of a tribal community,
the shaman is the mediator between the worlds of the spirit and matter. He is doctor,
priest, weatherman, counselor and judge, over and above mundane social duties. Called
Brujo in Latin America, Medicine men in Africa, Kahuna in Hawaii, he is found in every
corner of the planet. The shaman treads the path of visions and self realization.