...“if you believe in karma and reincarnation, you have more morals than believing in nothing” Personally, I agree with this statement, this is because believing in karma and reincarnation makes a person think in a long term perspective, this means they will think about their actions and positivity and how it may affect them later on or even in another life. The basic idea of karma seems to pop up in a lot of places, for example it doesn’t matter how religious you are or even if you’re not a hindu, it’s the fascinating idea itself . Reincarnation is also a very captivating idea, “You were. You will be” the initiative of the natural process of recycling human energy through birth, growth, decay and death. Reasons for view: People may agree with my belief because if we chose to ignore the workings of karma, we tend to create many problems for ourselves. For example, if we like to have something expensive, but we cannot afford it, it becomes very tempting to steal. If we are smart enough, we may never be caught stealing. However, by stealing, (according to the law of karma) we create problematic situations for ourselves in the future, like poverty, or being the victim of robbers. Therefore, if we chose to ignore karma, the results of our actions will still haunt us. Another reason why I agree with karma is the idea of ultimate justice as everyone will harvest the results of their actions and even if karma would not exist, as long as I try to avoid negative actions, the world...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...The Hindu religion is very different than what we have always considered a religion. In reality it is a group of several smaller religions, or beliefs, that are all comprised of the same basis. Most see that there is a uniformity of behavior and not belief. Hinduism, in a general speaking though, is the belief in either several Gods and Goddesses, or the belief in one god that has many different faces. The gods would choose whether you were a good soul or bad soul, and your fate depended upon their choice and your deeds. Those that lived there lives with good karma were able to be liberated from the circle of birth, and given redemption, or Moksha meaning freedom. Those who had bad karma though, were to be punished for their sins by being forced to live in this world and be born again and again (Pecorino & Romano 2001). As said, Hinduism is a religion with various Gods and Goddesses. The three main Gods that are considered to rule the world are, Brahma: the creator, Vishnu: the preserver, and Shiva: the destroyer. For some, they believe that one God controls all three characters. Some people outside the Hindu religion do not believe it is a true religion. Some say that since it does not have one single unified structure that it cannot be. One who felt very strongly about this was Chief justice P.B. Gajendragadkar. In 1995 he was quoted: "When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...The most taught philosophy in the Buddhism religion is that nothing is impermanent. Life never ends, the soul just simply moves on to a new place. Death is only a part of someone’s life, it is seen as just one of the states of transition. A Buddhist scholar Edward Croze said “Death is not to be regarded as a unique catastrophe which happens when one existence comes to an end, but it takes place all the time during the existence. The ideal attitude towards death is based on this awareness and involves acceptance of the process of change.” The Buddhist believe that time does not move in a straight line with a beginning and an end, but in a circle where there is no beginning or end, where things just simply exist. With this philosophy, they believe that the universe was not created out of nothing at a particular point in time, nor will it be destroyed completely. It has always existed and will always exist. Although they believe that the universe will never end, it will go through a continuos cycle of destruction and creation, over and over again. This means that when someone or something is born, it is not a new soul but one that was simply reborn. And when they die, their soul simply moves on to a new place and time. This belief is not exactly classed as reincarnation because it is not the same being that moves from body to body down through the ages. The connection between one life and another is not as simple and is subtler than that. Life is a spiralling chain that reaches...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...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 the smallest microscopic life forms and work to protect them by not eating after sunset so as not to inadvertently eating unseen insects and wearing cloth over their mouth to avoid...
Words: 474 - Pages: 2
...everything in it are equal and are in search of an “eternal oneness” (Weider, L. and Gutierrez, B. p. 58). They believe that upon death they will reincarnate into another life form. The life form they are reborn as will depend on whether they performed good or bad deeds during their lifetime. This is their concept of reaping what they sow, which Buddhist call Karma. The more acts of goodness they accomplish in their life, the closer they get to reaching the state of Nirvana. This level is the highest achievement possible for Buddhist and when it is accomplished it is said that their souls become eternal. The Question of Meaning/Purpose The Buddhists main objective is to perfect their life on earth in order to end the cycle of Samsara, which in it’s simplist form is their reincarnating until they reach the state of Nirvana. The Question of Morality Because “Buddhism is more about an ethic and philosophy than an actual religion” (Hindson, E., Caner, E., p. 155), it stands to reason that they would follow a concept, rather than a god, in terms of modeling their moral identities. As such, they follow the concept of Karma and look to themselves to figure out what is proper conduct in order to...
Words: 775 - Pages: 4
...Joseph Nixon PHI/105 Dialogue between Plato and Aristotle Assignment P: Given the soul is imperishable, souls gather knowledge throughout their existence. Souls carry this knowledge in every earth-bound body they inhabit. The soul has learned everything during its prior worldly interactions as well as it’s time in the other world. It can be assumed a man’s soul has learned how the art of blacksmithing. This man’s soul, when reborn might not have the given knowledge to blacksmith an adequate sword, yet we should not be alarmed should he recall this knowledge. We must assume his soul learned the art of blacksmithing in a former life. A: I understand your argument, but submit the man you describe could learn the art of blacksmithing by simply seeing weapons and swords that have been created. The man can use the swords he has seen in creating one for himself. The man uses “similarity” to form his sword to the sword that has already been created. The man simply learns the art of blacksmithing through previously created weapons. P: How can you assume the man learned the art of blacksmithing? Is it not possible that his soul could have been a blacksmith in a former life. If this man was to create an exemplary sword, how can it be assumed he learned to create such perfection with it being his first time practicing the art of blacksmithing? A: Imagine you had no knowledge of geometry and namely circles. If I drew a circle and asked you to create a circle half...
Words: 762 - Pages: 4
...independent religion was based upon the teachings of its founder Mahavira. With the lessons taught by Mahavira and my interpretation of his lessons I was able to create the following framework for understanding and comparing of Jainism. What Does It Mean To Be Human? In Jainism the soul is thought of as uncreated and eternal, and is capable of obtaining a perfect divinity. Followers of Jainism should gain liberation from the continuous cycle of rebirth, by not stirring up any bad karma, particularly any bad karma stemmed from causing harm to any and all conscious beings. What Is the Basic Human Problem? The basic human problem as seen by the followers of Jainism is finding a way of finally stopping the continuous wheel of reincarnation. In short, how does one impede this circle of endless lives and come to an end so that they can live? What Is the Cause Of the Problem? The cause of the basic human problem is the continuous wheel of reincarnation, viewed by followers of Jainism, is the karma that they create. What Is the End or Goal of Transformation? The goal of transformation for the followers of Jainism is accomplished when the soul is liberated from matter. What Are the Means of This Transformation? The means of transformation are obtained for the followers of Jainism when they follow the following vows: 1. They vow non-injury of life (ahisma). 2. They vow to always speak the truth. 3. They vow to...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...Buddhism has become a religion that millions across the globe have started to participate in. Many people believe in the idea of karma, that if one does good things, good things will happen to them. However, several people do not realize that many Buddhist practices such as karma and reincarnation are rooted in Hinduism. How do the different Hindu and Buddhist prayers compare and how are they used amongst the lay people? These two religions have stark differences with their methods of prayer, so how have lay Buddhists found a balance between Hindu traditions and Buddhist traditions? Buddhism is known as the middle path between the relaxed version of Hinduism and the strict rules of other religions such as Jainism. Buddhism attempts to break...
Words: 1793 - Pages: 8
...When considering Hinduism, it might appear that Karma is the central concept, yet upon further exploration, it can be seen that truly Dharma is the hub of the Hindu’s life and purpose. Karma is the idea that if a person does good, good things will happen in return and they will have a better status and life in the next life, or vice versa. Dharma, on the other hand, is a persons’ duty and a way of living their life (Flood, 1996). Dharma is found in many texts and is determined by a Hindu’s caste and stage of life. If one is faced with a contradiction in life, they should uphold their dharma over karma. What might be considered bad karma, could be disregarded and be thought of as upholding one’s own dharma. Without dharma there could be a...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...they hold to be true. Most Buddhist come from an Asian background with different culture and values. We should not scoff at them and have a superior attitude. Also we should actively listen and understand where there coming from. We want them to be open and receptive to us and not emotionally shutdown. By doing some of these steps they will be more open to hearing my message and truth. One barrier that can exist is that Buddhist believe that the only way to reach enlightenment or nirvana is by following the middle path. They believe in many paths to reach God. There is no heaven for a Buddhist. Once nirvana is reach there is nothingness. Which means the person is responsible for the way they act towards others. They want no bad karma. A Buddhist view sin as a illusion and that desire is misinterpreted as evil. Also some Buddhist might look at Jesus as just another spiritual teacher the way that Buddha was. Some personal challenges that may arise is that Buddhists deny a intimate relationship with any type of god. By showing a Buddhist how you can find love and peace through knowing God may help to overcome that challenge. Another obstacle can be a Buddhist believing that to desire is to suffer. By showing them that it has to be the correct desire and that getting rid of all desire is next to impossible would be a good message to relate to a Buddhist and point to Matthew 5:6 to further justify the...
Words: 278 - Pages: 2
...World civilization study guide Samsara- life cycle (death and rebirth) Moksha- heaven, after completing your dharma from your many lives Dharma- What you are meant to do in your life Karma- How your life will eventually end due to how you forfill your dharma, there is no mistakes in karma or fatalism Dhamma- set of ethics important to your beliefs Kama- Pleasure Artha- Purpose Jiva- soul CASTE SYSTEM Bhramin (top caste) Kshatryia Viasya Sudra Untouchables Animals/insects (outcast) Caste system determines where you are in your journey to moksha, in order to move up in the system you must complete your dharma in your current life time ASOKA: son of Bindusara, one of Bindusara's most trusted sons. Crowned kind at age 35, 269 BC. After going to war and seeing all the pain and suffering of women and children, Asoka converted to buddhism and lead a nonviolent empire. Treated and referred to all of his people as "his children". Asokas edicts include: Prohibitions, Public works, Human relations, Religion, Welfare of the people, and Justice. eightfold path of buddhism: 1. right view 2. right intention 3. right speech 4. right action 5. right livelihood 6. right effort 7. right mindfulness 8. right concentration Hinduism is monotheistic, because all of the gods are a form or variation of one almighty god Brahman could be argued polytheistic***** monkey god: hanuman Elephant god: Ganesha WEAKENING CASTE LINES -The great increase in...
Words: 335 - Pages: 2
...In the Hindu religion, karma is “what determines the direction of one’s rebirth. The word karma comes from a root that means ‘to do’ and implies the notion of moral consequences carried along with every act. Karma is the moral law of cause and effect and belief in karma is a belief that every action has an automatic moral consequence.” In the Hindu belief system karma is tied into reincarnation with the thought that good karma leads to “higher” rebirth, while bad karma could result in the rebirth into “lower more painful forms.” A good pictorial representation of karma would be the typical ying and yang graphic. For those that are unfamiliar it is a circle with a s-shaped wave pattern down the middle, one half is black with a small white circle in it, the other half is just the opposite, white with a small black circle. I believe that this picture illustrates the ebb and flow of karma and shows “that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” clearly. In the Hindu belief “karma is neither good nor bad but only seems that way to the person that is experiencing it.” Likewise, in our ying and yang symbol there is not a good or bad side just a cohesive unit that ebbs and flows based on the current situation. The concept of karma gives us some solid insight into the culture of the Indian people. First it gives us a basis for the Indian acceptance of the caste system. “Good karma in one’s present caste will guarantee rebirth into a higher caste or...
Words: 317 - Pages: 2
...Karma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Indian religious concept. For other uses, see Karma (disambiguation). "Karmic" redirects here. For Ubuntu v9.10 "Karmic Koala", see List of Ubuntu releases#Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala). For the EP by Nada Surf, see Karmic (EP). "Kharma" redirects here. For the professional wrestler, see Kia Stevens. Karma (Sanskrit: कर्म[1] IPA: [ˈkarmə] ( listen); Pali: kamma) in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh religions.[2] Contents * 1 Origins * 2 Views * 3 In the Indian religions * 3.1 Hinduism * 3.2 Sikhism * 3.3 Buddhism * 3.4 Jainism * 4 In Falun Gong * 5 Western interpretation * 6 Spiritism * 7 New Age and Theosophy * 8 Karma and emotions * 9 See also * 10 References * 11 External links | Origins A concept of karma (along with samsara and moksha) may originate in the shramana tradition of which Buddhism and Jainism are continuations. This tradition influenced the Brahmanic religion in the early Vedantic (Upanishadic) movement of the 1st millennium BC. This worldview was adopted from this religious culture by Brahmin orthodoxy, and Brahmins wrote the earliest recorded scriptures containing these ideas in the early Upanishads. Until recently, the...
Words: 3390 - Pages: 14
...deeds, avoid evil deeds, cultivate a life of morality and compassion while developing human dignity for yourself and others as well as developing this for family and society. The common characteristics between Buddhism, Jainism & Hinduism are the following : Goal of Life is Liberation (Moksha) Eternal - The liberation of consciousness from bondage of every kind is Moksha, or ultimate freedom from the limitations of location, knowledge as well as power. Human Suffering – Soul’s Ignorance - enlightenment is a state of freedom from the ignorance that causes suffering Philosophy of Karma - Karma is a spiritual, philosophical and ethical fact. It helps explain inequalities among animals, encourages virtue and allows people to make sense of life's ups and downs. Continuity of Life (Reincarnation) – Reincarnation is a central belief, Since you know you will be coming back, the law of karma will automatically reward the good & punish the evil in the next life. Mystical (Human Experience) – a person has contact with a transcendent reality, an encounter or union with the divine. Self Realization (Direct contact with God/Self) - Self-realization is the maturing of our ego or personality to accept its own evanescence and thus allow space for the true Self to reveal itself. Scripture has no authority over realized person – All Eastern religions can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures Individual – The individual is not really real, the seperateness...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...I found karma to be a very intriguing topic within Buddhism and how they believe something such as intent of actions determine such a major part in the reincarnation of a soul and ultimately liberation from rebirth. Willful intentions, whether good or bad, create a cycle of the soul. While most people feel that karma is “what goes around comes around,” I do not feel like that saying is truly karma in the Buddhist sense. Rebirth seems to be an integral idea of karma and someone’s reality is a reflection of their thoughts and actions, not just doing one thing wrong and getting reprimanded or chastised for it. The substance of the unconscious mind and pressures of desires unfulfilled, dreams unrealized, and incompletion of the soul’s mission to the ultimate afterlife are the keys to karma. The human potential for spiritual and personal growth aids in making karma into wisdom, understanding and virtue. It seems that a Buddhist’s life and character were created by karma and that shaped by imagination and intelligence. I believe they think it is paramount for individuals to achieve a clearer understanding of their personal karma to find out what triggers it and what resolves it so they may actualize their potential and become finally free. In the good sense, karma can inspire change and it spreads good since the belief that everything a person does actively contributes to their past, present and future experiences. It isn’t necessarily about what is good or bad, but the cause...
Words: 777 - Pages: 4
