...Jainism is one of many religions born in India. Jains live and worship in an effort to free the soul through the ethical pillars. The Jiva is that which grows, decays, fluctuates, varies, eats, sleeps, awakes, acts, fears, rests, has knowledge and perception, attempts to self defend, and reproduces. These and more qualities of the jiva are obvious through a physical body when the soul is present in it but when the soul leaves these qualities cease. These qualities are external features and consciousness (chetan) is the basic inner feature of the soul. This also makes it clear that the body and the soul are separate entities. The concept of the soul learning to extricate itself from the lower self and its attachments to the material world by purifying one’s ethical life is a theory that can be used by all. Karma is the belief that our actions influence the future course of our current live, and our lives to come. Our success or failure in life is directly related to how we treat and interact with others. Karma answers the question of why some people are better in school then others, or why some people are wealthier then other’s. Christian’s would consider those who have great success and happiness to have favor in the sight of God. The concept of Ahimsa (non-violence) is one that is practiced strongly in the teaching of Jainism. Jain theory teaches that all life is scared and that humans have no special right to supremacy. Jain teachings take into consideration even...
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...taught or not assures us that we cannot learn new things. Socrates attempts to examine ethical terms and highlight the importance of the soul by questioning Meno, which claims to know what virtue is. They work through a lot of different number of definitions on virtue that Meno proposes that are later on broken down and analyzed by Socrates. In the end they don’t reach a conclusion and neither find an answer for what they were looking for. So, does learning new things seem possible when seeking for answers to questions we never thought before? Socrates affirms that the soul is eternal, therefore when questioning and seeking knowledge our soul has already learned during all this time. At 81c5 Socrates says “As the soul is immortal, has been born often and has seen all things here and in the underworld, there is nothing which it has not learned; so it is in no way surprising that it can recollect the things it knew before, both about virtue and other things.” This means that the soul already knows everything and the idea of learning truth and knowledge is by “recollecting” what has been learned before ones birth. In the dialogue with Meno, Socrates affirms that the truth about reality lies always in our soul. At 86a4 Socrates says “If then, during the time he exist and is not a human being he will have true opinions which, when stirred by questioning, become knowledge, will not his soul learned during all this time? For it is clear that during all time he exist, either as...
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...Death and the Soul—Epicureanism and Stoicism Introduction What happens at death and the idea of the afterlife put human logic and science to a test. However, ancient philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, and Epicurus, use the science of thought in order to understand complex ideas of the nonexistent. As David Lund, put it philosophy can suspend the facts of death in order to help search for life after death (Lund, 6). The ambiguity that science sees can be approach and open-minded thinkers. Life’s mysteries are evaluated by philosophers as results and the phenomenon of death on the physical plain is clear where science is not. The question as to whether or not life is simply a finite experience that disappears and fades to dust, or something more than this, falls into the disciplines of both philosophy and religion. In addition to death itself, the aspect of the soul is likewise a topic of considerable dispute and discussion within these two areas of study. The debate over whether or not human beings are purely physical in nature or something more is inherent within this ongoing discussion. Epicureanism and Stoicism will be explored to this end to better illustrate the varying theoretical and philosophical perspectives that are in place regarding both death and the element of the soul. In doing so, the acts of creativity that are relevant to this, for example, art, architecture, history, literature, music, and religion, will also be explored to better illustrate the...
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...Abstract The human soul has been described by many as the ambience, the true identifier of the human being, the inner dwelling place of our faith, the spiritual “heart” of man, the seat of human consciousness and freedom. I like to define the soul as the full personification of a human that includes his total being that drives his moral and emotional actions. Many have been described as being without a soul. The bible in Ezekiel 18:20 says that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” This means that the soul is held accountable for every actions it takes and has the responsibility of being the check and balance of the human being. Keywords: Consciousness, being, thoughts, feelings, emotions PERSONAL ETHICS STATEMENT: AN ETHICAL SELF (SOUL) According to Willard (2002), “it is God’s intention that our lives should be a seamless manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB) (para. 9). He also stated that “appropriate attention to the care of our souls through His empowerment will yield this rich spiritual fruit and deliver us from the sad list of the “deeds of the flesh” (para.10). I’ve always asked myself questions like ‘what is the strength of my character...
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...© Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1997 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry PRINTED IN INDIA VOLUME 19 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO Publisher’s Note The first series of Essays on the Gita appeared in the monthly review Arya between August 1916 and July 1918. It was revised by Sri Aurobindo and published as a book in 1922. The second series appeared in the Arya between August 1918 and July 1920. In 1928 Sri Aurobindo brought out an extensively revised edition in book form. For the present edition, the text has been thoroughly checked against all previous editions and against the manuscripts of the revised Arya. CONTENTS FIRST SERIES I Our Demand and Need from the Gita II 3 12 20 29 39 47 57 68 81 94 105 114 124 The Divine Teacher III The Human Disciple IV The Core of the Teaching V Kurukshetra VI Man and the Battle of Life VII The Creed of the Aryan Fighter VIII Sankhya and Yoga IX Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta X The Yoga of the Intelligent Will XI Works and Sacrifice XII The Significance of Sacrifice XIII The Lord of the Sacrifice CONTENTS XIV The Principle of Divine Works XV 134 145 158 168 177 188 200 212 224 234 247 The Possibility and Purpose of Avatarhood XVI The Process of Avatarhood XVII The Divine Birth and Divine Works XVIII The Divine Worker XIX Equality XX Equality and Knowledge XXI The Determinism of Nature XXII Beyond the Modes of Nature XXIII Nirvana and Works in the...
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...Life After Death. What the specification requires: • An examination of the arguments for and against life after death. • Reincarnation. • Rebirth. • Resurrection. • Immortality of the soul. Introduction. Humans have refused to accept that this life is all we get for thousands of years. As a result of this refusal, humans have developed various theories to explain that when our bodies cease working, there is some kind of existence that takes place after this. Obviously, before getting into this debate, it is important to agree on what is meant by the word ‘death.’ ‘…when respiration and other reflexes are absent; consciousness is gone…an absolute and total loss of the brain function that cannot be reversed.’ This is a medical definition and is based upon medical methods of determining physical (brain) death. These methods are generally the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG) to determine brain function, an examination of pupil size and reaction and obviously, a check of blood flow (pulse), heart beat and respiration. It is generally accepted that once a body exhibits brain stem death, i.e. that there is no activity in the most primitive part of the brain, that death has occurred. What makes a human being? Theories concerning life after death are all interested in whether or not there is a part of the human body which survives the death of all the physical parts and where (or indeed when) it goes. There are a number of theories...
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... Date: When it comes to the theories about the soul, no one comes close to the right thing than two ancient philosophers Plato and Aristotle, they both had strong beliefs about the soul and body. They both had different views on the idea of soul and body, Plato’s way of viewing this was that the soul was one of the most important and yet single parts of a person which had its core values in the moral concept with ideas, he also believed in the afterlife of a being. But this was not the case with Aristotle, who was more interested in the world as a physical structure and its forces that came with it, he was more observant in his theories which were different from Plato’s view that was basically based on the mere functions of the physical things and their performance. In Plato’s philosophy, he was more of a dualist and totally believed in the entity of body and soul and that the two were separate (Schofield, M. (Ed.), 2013). He stated that the soul was just but immaterial and was the property of the world and its many forms, and that it was given to man and ever since it has been trying to return to the world of forms. He explained I that the soul so not mortal and it would never change in any way. In Aristotle views, he tried to show that the body and soul were two and dependent parts that were found in human beings, they both worked together and supported each other, in other words, his views...
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...The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phaedo, by Plato This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Phaedo The Last Hours Of Socrates Author: Plato Translator: Benjamin Jowett Release Date: October 29, 2008 [EBook #1658] Last Updated: January 15, 2013 Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHAEDO *** Produced by Sue Asscher, and David Widger PHAEDO By Plato Translated by Benjamin Jowett Contents INTRODUCTION.PHAEDO | INTRODUCTION. After an interval of some months or years, and at Phlius, a town of Peloponnesus, the tale of the last hours of Socrates is narrated to Echecrates and other Phliasians by Phaedo the 'beloved disciple.' The Dialogue necessarily takes the form of a narrative, because Socrates...
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...religion filled with many philosophical thoughts about the soul, following your duties, achieving liberation and understanding the consequences of karma. Many of the beliefs in Hinduism makes a person think of life and their own actions they do everyday since it can affect your next life. Hinduism sometimes also makes one wonder if all of these various beliefs and philosophical thoughts are true or not and if you don’t follow your duties (dharma), if consequences really do occur or not in the present life and the next life. Atman, which is the soul, is constantly craving for things and always wants something even after we obtain our desires; it is a non-stop process (Embree 33). The Self (atman) is taken over by pleasure and pain, which is true in life because there are always desires that give us pleasure and make us happy (Embree 36). But one also needs to remember that life has its ups and downs meaning, there always will be a time of pain in life. No one is ever satisfied in life, we are always wanting more and more each day. According to the Upanishadic thinker the material world is not very important, only you, your soul, and the actions you do are important (Embree 36). Nothing else is more important in the world than your personality, which is the self (atman). I don’t completely agree with the Upanishadic thinker that the material world does not matter. It does matter because our actions and the way our soul feels at certain situations, it all comes from the material...
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...The Hindu religion disputably began around 2500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically located along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” by the Persians who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and its inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion. The main deities of the Hindu religion are Brahma and his two deputies named Shiva and Vishnu. The god Vishnu is the creator, and Shiva is the destroyer. One is not looked upon as better than the other. These are not the only gods in Hindu culture. There are many others and all have special skills and talents. The gods themselves also give birth to the idea of avatars, or the form of god when he or she comes to earth. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation from God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier, and Lord Krishna who is the mortal reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. He appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice, general good sense and insight on many subjects. Perhaps the...
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...Ancient India and G HUM 111 World C May 2, 2014 Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece were Ancient Greeks had sculptures depicting gods and goddesses, royalty, animals, and sports, like Olympic events. Greek pottery depicted stories, myths, everyday life, and sports as well. III Classical Notes on India [10] The name of India, so far as is known, first appears in Greek literature in the 5th century B.C. in the works of Hekataios and Herodotos. The word is derived from the Indus river (Sanskrit sindhumeans "river"), and in the Greek as well as the Persian language 'India" originally meant only the Indus region, which then belonged to the Persian Empire. Herodotos, however, already used the term in a wider sense to denote the whole country; and classical Greek usage followed his example. Prior to the time of Alexander, Greek knowledge of India was acquired on the whole by wav of Persia. King Cyrus, founder of the Persian empire and of the Achaemenid dynasty (reigned 559-530 B.C.), added to his territories the region called Gandhara, directly south of the Hindu Kush mountains. About 518-515 B.C. Dareios I extended this conquest southward as far as the Indus river. Thereby the Indus became the easternmost boundary of the vast Persian colossus, which sprawled across all of western Asia to include, after 546 B.C., most of the Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor. Communications between the extremities of this huge polity were now unimpeded by political frontiers...
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...claim that the soul is distinct from the body. The claim that the soul is distinct from the body must be rejected on the grounds that our identity, consciousness and reality (soul) is bound and shaped by sense experience. Any reference to a separate metaphysical entity that moulds our individuality is contrary to experience and our mind/soul, as we know it, is the product of the functioning of the brain, a physical thing. As a dualist Plato maintained soul and body are separate entities, the former being immortal whilst the latter mortal. Plato’s understanding of the soul is deeply rooted in his concept of the Forms, arguing that the soul is both ‘simple’ and essential to obtaining knowledge of the Forms. For Plato, the body is an impediment to obtaining true knowledge, a ‘source of endless trouble’ and subject to change, therefore an unreliable guide to truth. The chariot analogy is used to demonstrate the conflicting nature of the body and soul. The soul is compared to a chariot driver attempting to control two horses that pull in different directions, the mind and body. The body consists of desires and emotions that distract humans from the basis of existence, truth. Kenny uses an example of a young child throwing a tantrum to illustrate the disharmony between the soul and body. The desire that causes the tantrum is driven by irrationality, as is the human body. Plato uses the argument from knowledge to substantiate the claim that the body and soul are distinct. He...
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...table. Be as specific as possible when identifying practices, beliefs, rituals, and historical elements. Cite sources in APA formatting. Core Beliefs | Jainism | Sikhism | | 1.Non belief of a GOD | 1. Devouted to monotheism | | 2. Sees the universe as natural forces in motion | 2.Founder of Skhism was Nanak | | 3.Practices five ethical/moral laws of nonattachment and non harm | 3.Empahsis on finding the divine within the human heart | | 4. Belief in Karma Good/Bad | 4. Belief in Karma Good/Bad | | 5. Belief in recarnation | 5. Belief in recarnatiion | Part 2 Respond to the following questions in 150 to 200 words: 1. What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most important difference? Use specifics to support your answer. Jainism and Sikhism are different in their emphasis I think the most important similarities are Reincarnation and Salvation. Reincarnation is also known as transmigration of ones soul in common with Hinduism.. These two religions believe their souls live numerous times. They believe this is done by being reborn in different ways, such as people or animals. Their souls will move around and change until it has made it to where it will spend eternity. Both religions stress the importance of ones struggle to purify their self to act morally and do good to one anther.The areas of difference would be in the religion of Jainisim there is a strong emphasis on the ideas of non attachment/Ahimsa whereis Sikhism...
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...life comes in 387 AD, when his conversion to Christianity takes place. In Augustine’s conversion to Christianity, he evolved a different approach to thinking. When Augustine writes about the Manicheans, he tends to focus on their materialism, substantive dualism, and their identification of the human soul as a particle of the Light. These three key qualifications from Platonism provide Augustine with a philosophical framework for both the medieval and modern periods. In the Confessions, Augustine gives his most extensive discussion of the books of the Platonists. In the Confessions, he makes clear that his previous thinking was dominated by common- sense materialism. It was the books of the Platonists that first made it possible for him to conceive the possibility of a non-physical substance. It did provide him however with a non- Manichean solution to the problem of the origin of evil. In addition, the books of the Platonists provided him with a framework where he plotted the human condition. According to Augustine the framework for Platonists can account for the difficulties with which life brings about to us, in the same aspect it offers a theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well- being. In this account, Augustine is talking about intent, not about the different types of materialism of the Stoics and Manicheans. The key thoughts of the Neoplatonic ontology are both the resoluteness of its promise and the brilliance with which it complements the...
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...Aristotle psychology is the branch of science which investigates the soul and its properties. Aristotle thinks of the soul as a general principle of life. In view of this Aristotle's psychology studies all living beings, and not merely those he regards as having minds, human beings. So, in De Anima, he takes it as his task to provide an account of the life activities of plants and animals, alongside those of humans. This conception by Aristotle as substantiated by his subject matter which claims that Aristotle’s psychology is concerned with giving an account of all those activities which are characteristics of living things, puts his theory in sharp contrast to the dualistic conception of the soul by Plato and modern psychology which focuses on conscious and intentional state. Plato, unlike Aristotle had conjectured that man is a composite of soul which is non-physical and a body which is physical. Plato’s psychology has it that the soul pre-existed the body and it continuous to exist at the demise of the body and that the soul has independent existence of the body. Aristotle, bearing the weaknesses of Plato’s psychology in mind, decides to put in his say on psychology. To this end, this essay seeks to examine critically Aristotle’s contribution to psychology. In this attempt, the essay will examine Aristotle’s soul and body relationship, his treatment of the soul from natural science and the fact the soul does not survive the demise of the body. To start with, Aristotle puts...
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