Religion 212 - Discussion Two - Week 2

The Spiritual Conquerors
Jainism - Hindu Way of Life - The Sanatana Dharma (The Eternal Religion).

Explain the Hindu conceptualization of the Divine. Discuss how Hindus ascribe to polytheism (a belief in many personal divine Gods and Goddesses) and yet many also believe in monism (a belief in One Ultimate Reality).

The Hindu conceptualization of the Divine consist of spiritual expressions that convey worship and praise to one God but with allowance to followers of Hinduism to express faithful communion of devotion in many forms to God’s personification in the form of nature, trees, sun, idols, animals and other forms of religious representation. Although, these religious representations are projective to worship the breakdown reflects an evolved movement that compels curiosity as relayed that these three (Lord Shiva – The Destroyer, Lord Vishner – The Protector and Lord Brahma – The Creator) facilitate and serve different purposes. The demi-Gods are a manifestation of these three through the process of creation and incarnation.

Hindus ascribe to polytheism by its ability to allow worship or belief by its representation and assemblage of Gods and Goddesses that are protective and merciful in nature and which serves a purpose of spiritual relayance and also still retain the identity of one true God as the herald and the eternal flame of Love. Because of this steadfast retainership of the one true God this is the purposeful stabilizer that an omnipotent higher unseen presence is here with us always and the usual representation reflects comfort, security for its presence and tangible physical touch and visibility. Therefore monism is a continuous belief and the One Ultimate Reality is conceptualized, supported and a self-facilitator in itself.

Explain the key ways in which the teachings of the Vedas influence the daily lives of Hindus.

The key ways in which the teachings of the Vedas influence the daily lives of Hindus are that it acts as a literary guide to adherence to sacredness. The Vedas are some of the oldest literary records that originated from Indo-Aryan civilization and are spiritual enlightenment that encompass all aspects of life and represents spiritual Hindu and as such its philosophical value is ageless and represent the highest religious authority in Hindu. Further these texts are reverend as the Word of God whose breath wrote such of enlightened thought.

Also, the Vedas serve as a facilitator to instilling wisdom, knowledge or visions through interpretations and is considered a manifestation of the language of Gods. Further it contains societal duties, norms, rituals, religious practices, taboos and other political realizations. Because of these societal norms are continuously enabled as well as structural protectives of cultural beliefs that allow the affecting of daily lives of the Hindu and prevention of over-expansion, acceptance and influence from Western exposure thereby helping them retain identity of self.

Discuss the beliefs of the Jains and how they see the Divine. How do their beliefs about God and Divinity differ from other religions.

The beliefs of the Janis do not see the Divine as an attachment or necessary facilitator in the change and alteration of self. As such the viewpoint is that all humans are imperfect but through careful control of senses and thought this can serve as a corrector when the need to eliminate negative Karma exists, discipline the mind and body and live by strict ethical principles.
Further emphasis is made on the non-attachment to materialistic worldly goods, non-violence and submersive state to peace, irradication of karmic burden, freedom from friends and relatives to provide fruitfully to the world, celibacy, physical penance and fasting, material simplicity and freedom from samsara (The continued round of birth, death, and rebirth).

Their beliefs about God and Divinity differ from other religions because the Jains are not placing emphasis on a divine entity but are placing more emphasis that self is the revolving sphere and the continued practices to attain the state of “Jina”.
As such the individual self is the only need in the evolving of the one. Through penance, corrective practices, non-violence, consideration of all, selfless giving, love, compassion, peace, harmony and unified state of one then this is the attributed state of bliss without the worship of a divine idol, omnipotent presence or deity.

Thank you.

Felicia

References:
Fisher, M. P. (2014). Living Religions. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytheism
http://hinduism.about.com/cs/vedasvedanta/a/aa120103a.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism

Response to Co-student

I agree that the Hindus view God as supreme but as monotheism and with polytheism (the established deities and semi-Gods) that are worshiped to help facilitate and keep the moralistic and social norms correct in society. As such their beloved deities are worshiped and love without restraint and fear.

Veda (scripts or texts) not only influence Hindus they are blood that is within this race and as such they are vital to maintaining of correct social norms and society in this country and help keep cultural heritage safe for the next generation. The Vedan mantras is what I am familiar with and have tried and found them successful in alleviating stress and keeping logically focused.
Jains are self-taught sometimes and this religious is more focused on the evolving of self and correct living.

Thank you.

Felicia