Mythology and Eastern Religions World Religions Mythology and Eastern Religions

Polytheism poly=many Theos=god Polytheistic religions believe in more than one god.

Important Polytheistic Traditions Mythology Hinduism

Mythology Mythology is the best attempt of primitive people to explain why things are the way they are. Most mythology has more than one god. Persephone returning from the Underworld

Mythology All regions of the world have sets of myths that explain things like the creation of the world, the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun and other phenomena in nature.

Greek Mythology Greek mythology is the collection of stories used by the people of Greece to explain phenomena in the world around them.

Roman Mythology Greek God Roman God Zeus Jupiter King of gods Ares Mars God of war Hermes Mercury Messenger god Poseidon Neptune God of seas Demeter Saturn God of agriculture Aphrodite Venus Goddess of love Hera Juno Queen of gods Hades Pluto God of underworld The Roman Empire adopted the greek system of Gods and changed their names.

The Renaissance The European Renaissance began with the rediscovery of ancient greek art, architecture and literature. The Renaissance helped Greek and Roman mythology become an important part of Western culture.

Mythology in Western Culture Mythological figure Modern culture Nike of Samothrace Nike shoes Roman gods Solar system Cupid Valentines Day Achilles Achilles heel Amazon Women Amazon River Narcissus Narcissism Nike Cupid Amazon Woman

Norse Mythology Some of our days of the week come from Norse mythology Thor the god of thunder Some of our days of the week come from Norse mythology Wednesday: Named after the Norse god Odin Thursday: Named after the Norse god Thor Friday: Named after the Norse god Freyja

Hinduism Hinduism is considered to be the world’s oldest organized religion. It began in India where it is still the dominant religion.

Vishnu Vishnu-The supreme God. All-Pervading essence of all beings, the creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within.

Avatars Vishnu is beyond the capability of humans to understand. It is believed, however, that Vishnu has revealed himself in a lower form (human) several times. Hindus worship all of the people whom are considered to be avatars of Vishnu. A representation of ten avatars of Vishnu

Krishna The most famous of the avatars of Vishnu. He is usually depicted as a young cow-herd or philosopher-prince He is the spokesman in a famous book of Hindu scripture known as the Bhagavad Gita.

Rama Rama and Sita Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He was thought to be a perfect man because of his selflessness and courage. He fought a great battle against Ravanah who had captured his wife Sita.

Reincarnation Reincarnation is the idea that one’s current life situation is the result (karma) of actions in past lives. If you are good in this life, you will receive and better situation in the next life and vice-versa.

Dharma and Karma Karma literally means “actions.” Hindus believe that whatever we do (good or bad) will come back to us in greater abundance than we gave it in the first place. Dharma is the way of living that will insure good karma.

Ganges River The Ganges River is Considered by Hindus to be holy. Bathing in the Ganges is a Hindu ritual.

Holy Cow! If all living things have a soul, then, it stands to reason that killing an animal would be a terrible thing to do. Most Hindus are, therefore, vegetarian. Cows are especially sacred because of their usefullness (for work, fertilizer and dariy products) and their gentle natures.

Salvation-moksha The end result of this progression of lives is to reach a state where the soul becomes dissatisfied with the limits/passions of the body. The realization that true happiness is eternal, not temporal, ends the cycle of life and death (samsara). The soul is free of the body and becomes one with the universe like Vishnu and the other gods.

Yoga Originally, yoga was a Hindu spiritual practice (dharma) to aid in improving the power of the mind to gain spiritual insights and overcome the limitations of the body. Although most people in the West see it as a form of exercise (Hatha yoga) it has no less than five major branches each with a specific purpose.

Hatha Yoga Hatha yoga has several parts: 1-Asanas: placing the body into different positions 2-deep breathing

Asanas Before yoga was used just as an exercise, it was used to condition the body to be able to sit for a long time without being distracted by pain. Deep breathing helps to clear the mind of extraneous thoughts so it can focus on one thing.

Brain Waves Delta-state of sleep Alpha-state of relaxation Beta- normal brain activity; awake and aware Gamma- state of panic, anxiety or agitation

India’s Caste System Some brilliant political leader of India used the idea of reincarnation to keep people from challenging the power of the elite. By creating castes, India’s social classes were set for life. If a person wanted to move to a higher caste, they would have to be obedient in this life in order to get a better situation in the next.

India’s Caste System Rank Jobs/positions Brahmin Priests, philosophers, teachers Kshatriya Warriors and rulers Vaisya Merchants and land owners Sudra Manual worker Pariah (untouchables) Those who did unclean work.

Daoism Daoism is a Chinese religion/philosophy that has parts that are like mythology and others that are like more organized religion.

Historical Background Lao-tzu(570?-490? BC), Chinese philosopher and reputed founder of Taoism. He was born in the province of Henan (Ho-nan) and was a court librarian. According to tradition, he is the author of the Tao-te Ching (Classic of the Way and Its Virtue), a philosophical treatise. By far the most translated Chinese literary work, this small book has had an enormous influence on Chinese thought and culture. It teaches that "the way" (tao) is realized through recognition and acceptance of nothingness; that is, wisdom is understanding that weakness truly equals strength, that happiness depends on disaster, and that passivity is the greatest action.  Herbal Medicine, Tai Chi, Meditation, Feng Shui and Martial Arts are all ways to access the energy that flows and directs to the ultimate reality   Historical Background

Daoism comes from the Chinese word “dao” also pronounced “tao” which means The Way

Chi Many symbols and icons from Chinese culture are becoming increasingly recognizable to the West. What most westerners do not realize, however, is that there is one concept that ties all of these components of Chinese culture together. That concept is “Chi” Chi is the life force (energy) that permeates all life. A major component of each aspect of Chinese culture is to maintain a free and harmonious flow of chi. The yin/yang symbol represents that good and bad energy continually move and flow through all life.

Daoism and Health Chinese medicine is grounded in the idea that there is a direct link between the spirit and the body. Physical ailments are physical manifestations of spiritual problems. Healing, then takes place from the inside out rather than the outside in.

Pressure Points When energy flow is trapped, sickness and disease can occur. This pent up energy can be released by applying pressure or inserting needles

Pressure Points To experience optimal health, spirit, energy or chi flows through the body unencumbered. Sickness occurs when the flow of chi is stopped. There are certain points where pressure can be applied or needles inserted to free up the flow of energy. Each of these “pressure points” is connected to one of the bodies organs or functions

Accupuncture Accupuncure is the practice of inserting needles into certain points of the body where energy can get backed up. The needles free up the energy so that it can flow through the body.

Tai Chi It Tai Chi is the regulation of energy through fluid body movement. It is thought that the movements of tai chi move energy through the body in ways that contribute to health and productivity. is a form of exercize that, although the movements are slow and methodical, have the effect of an aerobic workout.

Herbal Medicine In addition to acupuncture, massage and direct pressure, thousands of years of experimentation resulted in a complex knowledge of plants and their given remedies.

Feng Shui Whereas tai chi and acupuncture regulate the flow of energy of the body, Feng Shui is the regulation of energy of the larger physical world

Feng Shui and You The bagua is often used as a tool to optimize the flow of energy through a house or office. The bagua is placed over the floor plan to match the sections of the bagua with the rooms of the house.

Harmony with Nature Feng shui can be used to design a house that maximizes its function and the flow of energy

Buddhism Buddhism is a religion that began in India in about 400 B.C.

Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha Gautama was a prince in a small kingdom in Northern India/Nepal. Legend says that he was prophesied to either become a great king or a great holy man. His father wanted him to become a great king so he shielded him from religious teachings or knowledge of human suffering. At the age of 29 he went out to meet his subjects. His father tried to remove the old, sick or disabled from Siddhartha’s view. After meeting an old man and learning that all people would die, he became curious and began to make many trips to meet ordinary people. He became convinced that wealth and luxury would not bring happiness and left the palace to live as a beggar. After years of searching and meditation, it is claimed that he reached enlightenment after forty-nine days of meditation.

Budda Siddhartha became “Budda” (awakened one) when he discovered the middle path. The path is a balance between luxury and self denial. He spent his life teaching the way to enlightenment. A budda is anyone has reached englightenment. This means that they have discovered the nature of reality through spiritual cultivation, investigation of the various religions of the time and meditation.

Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism and Shinto

Dharma The teachings or law as expounded by the Buddha. Dharma also means the law of nature based on behavior of a person and its consequences to be experienced (action and reaction). It can also (especially in Mahayana Buddhism) connote the ultimate and sustaining Reality which is inseverable from the Buddha.

Four Noble Truths the noble truth that is suffering" "the noble truth that is the arising of suffering" "the noble truth that is the end of suffering" "the noble truth that is the way leading to the end of suffering

The Eightfold Path Sila: abstaining from un-wholsome deeds of body and speech Right speech Right actions Right livelihood Samadhi: mastery of one’s mind Right effort/exercise Right mindfulness Right concentration Prajna: the wisdom that purifies the mind Right thoughts Right understanding The Dharmacakra is a symbol of the eight Fold path to enlightenment

Zen Buddhism Zen is a sect of Mahayana Buddhism It has had a large influence on Japanese culture because it has a great deal in common with Shinto; a religion that has a strong emphasis on nature.

Zen Beliefs Practitioners of Zen seek to discover truth through acceptance of the present moment, spontaneous action and resisting the urge to judge something as “good” or “bad”. Zen does not rely on scripture but on experience and meditation.

Understanding of the true nature of a thing means not only seeing what is obvious but also what is not obvious or present. Asian art usually focuses on nature. If people are present in art, they are often very small to remind of our insignificance. There is usually a lot of empty space. Zen and Art

Zen Gardens Zen gardens combine the appreciation of nature and the action of caring for the garden.

Zen and Martial Arts Repetition of an action to the point where a person does not think about the action but merely reacts to some force is a reason for a strong connection between Zen and martial arts.

Zen and Martial Arts Most martial arts include the Zen concept of using the energy of another for to one’s advantage. Rather than meet force with force, the martial artist will move away from the force and help it along

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