Blog Post 22- Ancient Western Religions

Ancient Western Religions:

1.) When and where did Zoroastrianism begin to flourish?

The religion of Zoroastrianism began in Persia (ancient Iran) in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.

2.) How did Zoroastrianism spread beyond its place of origin? 

Zoroastrianism spread beyond Persia (along with other aspects of Persian culture) after the area was conquered by Alexander the Great in 328 B.C.

3.) Briefly describe the religious experience Zarathustra had about the age of thirty.

When Zarathustra was about thirty years old, the Angle “Good Thought” appeared to him, and brought him before Ahura Mazda, (the “Great Lord”), in the form of a disembodied soul. He recognized Ahura Mazda as the one true god. After this revelation, he preached “the radical message of monotheism to his polytheistic society.”

4.) Name the sacred text of Zoroastrianism. What is the oldest material in this text and who wrote it?

The Avesta is the oldest text of Zoroastrianism. The oldest material is the Gathas. They are the first seventeen hymns that he wrote.

5.) Summarize the characteristics and actions associated with Ahura Mazda. 

Ahura Mazda means  the Wise Lord. The Ahura Mazda is “eternal and universal goodness, controlling the cosmos and the destiny of human beings”.

6.) What is ethical dualism?

Ethical dualism is “the belief in universal forces of good and evil”. It is Zoroastrianism’s most distinctive feature.

7.) What is the Lie and how does it relate to Ahura Mazda?

The Lie is an “evil, cosmic force”. The Lie opposes Ahura Mazda, the eternal and universal goodness in the universe.

8.) What must humans choose between in the Zoroastrian cosmic scheme?

Humans must choose between the Truth and the Lie. Just as Ahura Mazda’s two children had to choose between the truth and the lie, one chose Truth and one chose the Lie, all human beings must follow that same path of choices.

9.) Summarize Zarathustra’s understanding of human destiny.

Zarathustra believed that after death, an individual would undergo judgment. This judgment would mean for the individual to cross “the Bridge of the Separator” (a bridge that spans over an abyss of “horrible torment”(similar to the River Styx in Greek mythology) , but eventually leads to paradise), and are then the ethical records of that specific individual are read and judged. If you have lived a good life, you are allowed to enter papadise, however, if you led an evil life, you are cast into the abyss. They also believe in "a final bodily resurrection of everyone, good and evil alike".

10.) What are the general ethical demands of traditional Zoroastrian life?

The general ethical demands of traditional Zoroastrian life are "centered on agriculture", and include living a simple life, always telling the truth and doing what is right.

11.) Who are the Parsis, and where do most of them live today?

The Parasis are those who still practice Zoroastrianism today and "combine a wide variety of features from the Zoroastrian tradition". Today, most Zoroastrians live in India.

12.) What is commonly regarded as having been the Bible of the ancient Greeks?

The Illiad and the Odyssey, by Homer, are commonly regarded as having been the Bible of Ancient Greeks.

13.) Explain the meaning of this sentence: “The gods of the Olympic Pantheon are arihropomorphic.”:

As arihropomorthic is a greek word that means "of human form", this statement means that the Greek gods often behave more like humans, rather than like gods.  

14.) What was Aeschylus’s main contribution to the understanding of the gods of the Olympic Pantheon? Give an example.

15.) What is an oracle? What was the most famous oracle of Ancient Greece and why was it consulted?

An oracle is "a sancuary favored by a particular god, who communicated in some manner to those who visited the site. (The word oracle refers to the god's message itself, or the medium through which it is communicated.)". The most famous oracle of Ancient Greece was the Oracle at Delphi. It was consulted when Greeks "sought the wisdom of [the Greek god], Apollo."

16.) Briefly identify the three basic aspects of the mystery religions.
1. "Individuals had to choose to become initiates" (they went through a form of initiation ritual)
2. "Initiates experienced a personal encounter with the deity."
3. "Initiates gained spiritual renewal through participation in the religion, and (as with most mystery religions), hope for a better afterlife."

17.) What mystery religion honored Demeter and Persephone?
The myster religion par excellence honored Demeter, the goddess of grain and her daughter, Persephone.  

18.) What is the god Dionysus associated with and how is he depicted in Greek art?

The god Dionysus is associated with wine and grapes, and in greek art is depicted drinking wine, and "living prosperously".

19.) Name the goal of the ascetic practices of the orphics.

20.) What is Plato’s theory of knowledge?

21.) What is Platonic dualism?

22.) Why did Jesus seem to have much in common with the ancient Asclepius?

23.) What were “numina” and what sort of things were they thought to inhabit?

24.) Who was the most powerful roman deity?

Zeus was the most powerful roman deity (as similar in Greek mythology).

25.) Identify the six planets of our solar system that were named after Roman deities.

1.Mercury

2.Venus

3.Mars

4.Jupiter

5.Saturn

6.Neptune

 

26.) Why did the Roman state consider it essential to maintain official worship practices?

27.) Which mystery religions were the main rivals of Christianity in the later Roman Empire?

28.) Briefly summarize the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris.

29.) Briefly describe the sort of emperor worship encourages by Augustus.

30.) Why did Christians and Roman rulers clash over emperor worship?

Judaism Questions

Judaism:Holy Items:
1.) What are the three functions of a synagogue?
      1. Beit Knesset (House of Assembly): The synagogue is a place for Jews to meet and share in the community of their neighbors. (the "hub" of the Jewish community).
      2. Beit Midrash (House of Study): People gather in the synagogue to study the Torah, as study is a form of worship for Jews.
      3. Beit Tefilah (House of Prayer): It serves as a place to pray to God, and it brings the members of the Jewish community together.
2.) What does the layout of a synagogue look like? Check out the various items and then identify the purpose and location of the following:
- Ark: The Holy Ark is located along the Eastern wall of the Synogogue. The Ark holds the Torah scrolls (when they are not being used). It sits underneath the ner tamid, "the eternal light", and is covered with a parokhet (a special curtain that covers the ark. ). "The ark serves as the focus of [a Jew's] prayers."

- Torah Scrolls: The Torah Scrolls are located in the Ark (when they are not in use). They are covered by cloth "mantles", which are designed very elaborately. They are open at the bottom, and have two holes at the top for the two handles of the Torah.


- Ten Commandments:

3.) What is a rabbi/

- How does a Jew become a rabbi?

- How does a rabbi differ from a clergyman?

- What is the rabbi's role?

4.) What is the nature Shabbat (also aknown as Sabbath)? When does it occur?

5.) What is the Torah? What is the Talmud?
This is what a Torah Scroll looks like:

6.) There are different branches of Judiasm. Describe the following:
     1. Orthodox:

2. Reform:

3. Conservative:

4. Zionist:

Language:

7.) What is Hebrew?

8.) What is Yiddish?

9.) Define the following Yiddish terms:

10.) Rites of Passage- Define and describe the following:

1. Brit Milah (Bris):

2. Bar/ Bat Mitzva:

3. Jewish Marriage:

11.) Holidays:- define the following:

1. Rosh Hashanah:

2. Yom Kippur:

3. Hanukah:

4. Passover:

12. What is something you knew about Jewish traditions that this confirmed?

13. What is the most interesting (or surprising) information out of all of this?

14. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition that is similar to a tradition in your life?

15. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition that is different from a tradition in your life?

 

 

 

 

Buddhism Chapter Review

1.) What was the name of the man who later became the Buddha and founded the religion of Buddhism?
The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama.

2.) What were the four passing sights? Explain their significance to the origins of Buddhism.
The Four Passing Sights:
       1. Age: Siddhartha, while on his first trip outside the palace, passed by a decrepit old man. As he had never seen old age before, he was greatly troubled when he realized that this fate in store for everyone, including himself.
       2. Sickness/ Disease: On his second trip outside the palace, he saw a diseased man, and again was greatly disturbed by this. He could not understand how people could enjoy life when disease posed a constant threat for them.
       3. Death: On his third trip, he saw a corpse for the first time. This devistated him more than the other two sights, as this showed him that death is inevitable for all things. These first three sights were lessons about the reality of suffering, and "the impertanent nature of life's pleasures".
       4. Asceticism: This fourth passing sight gave Siddhartha hope. The wandering ascetic that passed by him showed Siddhartha that there was a way to overcome the despair that the first three sights brought. It was this last sight that prompted him to leave his palace and begin a life of homelessness.

-These four sights prompted Siddhartha to put an end to old age and death, which brought suffering and saddness to all who experienced it. These four sights created the basis for the religion of Buddhism.

3.) Explain the doctrine of the Middle Way.
The Middle Way:
After Siddhartha left the palace, he joined a group of ascetics that practiced fasting. Siddhartha practiced with them for six years, and pushed himself to the brink of starvation. Then one day, he came across a man teaching his son to restring a mandolin. The man told his son that he could not tie the strings too loose, or else it would not play, however if they were too tight then they would break. The key to creating the best sound was to find a balance between the two. It was this that made Siddhartha realize the key to a successful life, was balance. The teaching that he instilled rejected both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self- denial of asceticism, and "focused instead on a practical approach to spiritual attainment".

4.)  Describe the event of Gautama's attainment of enlightenment.
The Buddha's Enlightenment:
Siddhartha Gautama meditated under several different teachers. He then took up ascetic practices, which were based on te belief that one could free the spirit by "denying the flesh". He practiced this so determinedly, that he almost starved to death. After these practices failed to enlighten him (on the meaning of life), "he abandoned this way, and looked instead into his own heart and mind." "He decided to trust his intuition and learn from direct experience." He sat underneath a pipal tree and vowed to remain there until he gained enlightenment. He stayed there forty days and finally on the full moon in May, Siddhartha (the Buddha), attained "Ultimate Freedom". For the remainder of his life, the Buddha traveled through Northern India, and spread his understanding and teachings.                                                                                                               

5.) What is the Sangha? Who are it's members?
The Sangha is the Buddhist community of monks and nuns. It is one of the three jewels of Buddhism.

6.) What are the three jewels of Buddhism?
 The Three Jewels of Buddhism:
          1. The Buddha (the yellow jewel)
          2. The Dharma (the Blue Jewel)
          3. The Sangha (the Red Jewel)
"The ideals at the heart of Buddhism are collectively known as the "Three Jewels", (also known as "the Three Treasures".). By having these central principles in your life, you become a Buddhist.

7.) What features of Buddhist cosmology are shared with Hinduism?

8.) Describe the Buddha's reaction to early Hinduism.

9.) Identify the Three Marks of Existence. How are the interrelated?
The Three Marks of Existence:
       1. Anatta (no- self)
       2. Anicca (impermanence)
       3. Dukkha (suffering)
These three marks are all characteristics that summarize the "changing nature of reality".

10.) What is the doctrine of anatta? How does it relate to the concept of Hinduism?
The doctrine of anatta states that there is no permanent self. It is one of the three marks of existence in Buddhism.

11.) According to the Buddhist doctrine of samsara, what is actually reborn? Explain the role of karma in the Buddhist understanding of samsara.
In Buddhism, samsara is the rebirth of a person's soul after one of their lives on earth is at an end. This doctrine means that although the body of the person is gone, the soul of the person is able to come back to life in a different form (as an animal, etc.).

12.) List the Five Precepts, which apply to all Buddhists. Then list the fice additional precepts that apply to monks and nuns.
The Five Precepts:
    1. They cannot steal.
    2. They cannot harm living things.
    3. They cannot lie.
    4. They cannot take part in sexual conduct.
    5. They cannot drink intoxicating drinks.

    
13.) What are some possible English transitions of the term dukkha? Explain it's meaning in your own words.
Dukkha means "suffering", "fustration", "dislocation", or "discomfort". It is the first of the Four Noble truths as well as one of the three marks of existence in Buddhism.

14.) What is tanha? How is it related to dukkha?
Tanha is the second of the Four Noble Truths. It means "desire", "thirst" or "craving". Tanha is selfish desire, and it is the cause of dukkha, ultimate suffering.

15.) List the steps of the Eightfold Path.
The Noble Eightfold Path:
1.) Right Understanding or Perfect Vision
2.) Right Judgement or Perfect Emotion
3.) Right Speech or Perfect Speech
4.) Right Action or Perfect Action
5.) Right Livelihood or Perfect Livelihood
6.) Right Effort or Perfect Effort
7.) Right Mindfulness or Perfect Awareness
8.) Right Meditation or Perfect Samadhi.
The Noble Eightfold Path is a "further unpacking" of (an expansion of ) the Threefold Way. This path is the most widely known of the Buddha's teachings.

16.) What is the difference between the Buddha and the other humans who attain enlightenment?

17.) Define and briefly describe the character of an arhat.
An arhat is "one who has become enlightened". It is the ideal type for Theravada Buddhism. An arhat is someone who has achieved enlightment and will achieve nirvana at the end of their life on Earth, rather than being reborn into samsara.

18.) What is the literal meaning of the word nirvana? How does this help explain the concept of nirvana?

19.) What are the three divisions of Buddhism?
The Three Divisions of Buddhism:
    1. Theravada (Way of the Elders)
    2. Mahayana (Greater Vehicle)
    3. Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism)

20.) What is the main focus of Theravada Buddhism?

21.) What is the literal meaning of the name Mahayana, and what are the implications of this meaning?

22.) How does Vajrayana Buddhism "fight fire with fire"?

23.) Who is the Dalai Lama? How is each Dalai Lama chosen?
The Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibetian Buddhism, in the Vajrayana sect.

24.) What are the primary geographical regions of the three divisions of Buddhism?