Hinduism

Christianity Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Emperor Constantine the Great decriminalized Christianity in the Roman Empire by the Edict of Milan (313), later convening the Council of Nicaea (325) where Early Christianity was consolidated into what would become the State church of the Roman Empire (380). The early history of Christianity's united church before major schisms is sometimes referred to as the "Great Church" (though divergent sects existed at the same time, including Gnostics, Marcionites, and Jewish Christians). The Church of the East split after the Council of Ephesus (431) and Oriental Orthodoxy split after the Council of Chalcedon (451) over differences in Christology,[6] while the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church separated in the East–West Schism (1054), mostly over the authority of the bishop of Rome. Etymology Beliefs Creeds Concise doctrinal statements or confessions of religious beliefs are known as creeds. Jesus

Buddhism Indian religion or philosophy based on the Buddha's teachings Buddhism ( BUU-dih-zəm, BOOD-), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (transl. "doctrines and disciplines"), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha.[3] It originated in present-day North India as a śramaṇa–movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravāda (lit. Etymology Buddhism is an Indian religion[22] or philosophy. Followers of Buddhism, called Buddhists in English, referred to themselves as Sakyan-s or Sakyabhiksu in ancient India.[25][26] Buddhist scholar Donald S. The Buddha Ancient kingdoms and cities of India during the time of the Buddha (circa 500 BCE) – modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan Enlightenment of Buddha, Kushan dynasty, late 2nd to early 3rd century CE, Gandhara Worldview The cycle of rebirth Saṃsāra

Nondualism Nondualism, also called non-duality, "points to the idea that the universe and all its multiplicity are ultimately expressions or appearances of one essential reality." It is a term and concept used to define various strands of religious and spiritual thought. Its origins are situated within the Buddhist tradition with its teaching of the two truths doctrine, the nonduality of the absolute and the relative, and the Yogacara notion of "pure consciousness" or "representation-only" (vijñapti-mātra). The term has more commonly become associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Adi Shankara, which took over the Buddhis notion of pure consciousness and provided an orthodox hermeneutical basis for heterodox Buddhist phenomology. Advaita Vedanta states that there is no difference between Brahman and Ātman, a stance which is also reflected in other Indian traditions, such as Shiva Advaita and Kashmir Shaivism. Definitions[edit] Dictionary definitions of "nondualism" are scarce. Tantra[edit] 1.

High culture "High culture" is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture. In more popular terms, it is the culture of an upper class such as an aristocracy or an intelligentsia, but it can also be defined as a repository of a broad cultural knowledge, a way of transcending the class system. It is contrasted with the low culture or popular culture of, variously, the less well-educated, barbarians, Philistines, or the masses.[1] Still similarities can be noted between high culture and traditional-folk culture as they can be all conceived as the repository of shared and accumulated traditions functioning as a living continuum between the past and present. Concept[edit] T. S. In both the Western and some East Asian traditions, art that demonstrates the imagination of the artist has been accorded the highest status. High Culture in Western Civilization

Taoism Taoist rite at the Qingyanggong (Bronze Ram Temple) in Chengdu, Sichuan. Taoism, or Daoism, is a philosophical, ethical, and religious tradition of Chinese origin that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (also romanized as Dao). The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle", and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. While Taoism drew its cosmological notions from the tenets of the School of Yin Yang, the Tao Te Ching, a compact and ambiguous book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu), is widely considered its keystone work. Taoism has had profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, and clerics of institutionalised Taoism (Chinese: 道士; pinyin: dàoshi) usually take care to note distinction between their ritual tradition and the customs and practices found in Chinese folk religion as these distinctions sometimes appear blurred. Spelling and pronunciation[edit]

Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy is traditionally divided into six āstika (Sanskrit: आस्तिक "orthodox") schools of thought,[1] or darśanam (दर्शनम्, "view"), which accept the Vedas as authoritative texts.[2] Four other nāstika (नास्तिक "heterodox") schools don't draw upon the Vedas as authoritative texts, and develop their own traditions of thought. The āstika schools are: The nāstika schools are (in chronological order): Cārvāka, a materialism school that accepted free will existsĀjīvika, a materialism school that denied free will exists Each school of Hindu philosophy has extensive epistemological literature called Pramana-sastras.[3][4] In Hindu history, the distinction of the six orthodox schools was current in the Gupta period "golden age" of Hinduism. Overview[edit] Epistemology[edit] Epistemology in Hindu philosophy is called Pramāṇa (Sanskrit: प्रमाण).[5] It is a key, much debated field of study in Hinduism since ancient times. Classifications and characteristics[edit] Samkhya[edit] Yoga[edit]

Judaism Judaism (from the Latin Iudaismus, derived from the Greek Ἰουδαϊσμός, and ultimately from the Hebrew יהודה, Yehudah, "Judah";[1][2] in Hebrew: יהדות, Yahadut, the distinctive characteristics of the Judean ethnos)[3] is the religion, philosophy and way of life of the Jewish people.[4] Judaism is a monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text (part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible), and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Mishnah and the Talmud. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship God established with the Children of Israel.[5] Judaism includes a wide corpus of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Judaism claims a historical continuity spanning more than 3,000 years. Defining character and principles of faith Defining character Glass platter inscribed with the Hebrew word zokhreinu - remember us Core tenets 13 Principles of Faith:

Vedas Ancient scriptures of Hinduism The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the Atharvaveda. The Vedas (,[4] IAST: veda, Sanskrit: वेदः, lit. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.[8][9] Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).[8][10][11] Some scholars add a fifth category – the Upasanas (worship). The Vedas have been orally transmitted since the 2nd millennium BCE with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. The various Indian philosophies and Hindu denominations have taken differing positions on the Vedas; schools of Indian philosophy which acknowledge the primal authority of the Vedas are classified as "orthodox" (āstika). Etymology and usage Rigveda

Origins of Judaism This article discusses the historical roots of Judaism throughout the 1st millennium BCE. For the origins of the modern-day religion of Judaism, see Origins of Rabbinic Judaism. From the 5th century BCE until 70 CE, Israelite religion developed into the various theological schools of Second Temple Judaism, besides Hellenistic Judaism in the diaspora. The text of the Hebrew Bible was redacted into its extant form in this period and possibly also canonized as well. Historical background[edit] Pre-monarchic (tribal religion)[edit] The central founding myth of the Israelite nation is the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt under the guidance of Moses, followed by the conquest of the Promised Land (Canaan). Monarchy (centralized religion)[edit] The United Monarchy of the 11th to 10th centuries BCE was one of the political entities of the Levant during the Early Iron Age. Babylonian exile[edit] Second Temple period[edit] Other scholars[who?] Development of Rabbinic Judaism[edit] See also[edit]

Vedanta Vedanta (/vɪˈdɑːntə/; Hindustani pronunciation: [ʋeːd̪aːn̪t̪], Devanagari: वेदान्त, Vedānta) is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. The term literally translates to "the end of Veda" or "the conclusion of Veda," and originally referred to the Upanishads, a collection of foundational texts in Hinduism (considered the last appendix or final layer of the Vedic canon). By the 8th century,[citation needed] it came to mean all philosophical traditions concerned with interpreting the three basic texts of Hinduist philosophy, namely the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and was eventually recognized as distinct from the other five astika schools. Vedanta is the most prominent and philosophically advanced of the orthodox schools and the term Vedanta may also be used to refer to Indian philosophy more generall. There are at least ten schools of Vedanta, of which Advaita Vedanta, Vishishtadvaita, and Dvaita are the best known.[3] Etymology[edit] History[edit]

Flood myth "The Deluge", frontispiece to Gustave Doré's illustrated edition of the Bible. Based on the story of Noah's Ark, this shows humans and a tiger doomed by the flood futilely attempting to save their children and cubs. A flood myth or deluge myth is a symbolic narrative in which a great flood is sent by a deity, or deities, to destroy civilization in an act of divine retribution. Mythologies[edit] The Mesopotamian flood stories concern the epics of Ziusudra, Gilgamesh, and Atrahasis. In the Genesis flood narrative, Yahweh decides to flood the earth because of the depth of the sinful state of mankind. Claims of historicity[edit] Nanabozho in Ojibwe flood story from an illustration by R.C. The geography of the Mesopotamian area was considerably changed by the filling of the Persian Gulf after sea waters rose following the last ice age. Adrienne Mayor promoted the hypothesis that flood stories were inspired by ancient observations of seashells and fish fossils in inland and mountain areas.

Asceticism Lifestyle of frugality and abstinence of various forms, often for spiritual goals Pursuing enlightenment, Buddha first practiced severe asceticism before recommending a moderated middle way.[1] In Christianity, Francis of Assisi and his followers practiced extreme acts of asceticism.[2] Asceticism has been historically observed in many religious traditions, including Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Pythagoreanism and contemporary practices continue amongst some religious followers.[6] Etymology and meaning[edit] Dom Cuthbert Butler classified asceticism into natural and unnatural forms:[13] Religions[edit] Self-discipline and abstinence in some form and degree are parts of religious practice within many religious and spiritual traditions. Abrahamic religions[edit] Christianity[edit] Christian authors of Late Antiquity such as Origen, St. Evagrius Ponticus: monastic teaching[edit] Islam[edit] Sufism[edit] A Sufi Muslim ascetic (fakir) in Bengal during the 1860s