Hasidim vs. Prophets

Though both try to follow G-d exactly as he teaches, Hasidim and prophets have a lot of differences. Despite these differences, they can still be considered prophets for the way they try to be examples of the true follower of G-d. They stick very closely to the law of G-d and follow every single one. They are exactly like prophets since they don’t go around preaching and trying to convert people. They are more like personal, internal prophets then social ones.

            The things that make them internal prophets are their distrust of power, intolerance, and their agreement with the prophet Isaiah. Both prophets and Hasidim distrust political powers. This is shown by how strongly they opposed a Jewish state without having G-d physically there to build it. Their intolerance is shown when Daniel’s father excommunicates Robert because his father is advocating for a Jewish state in Palestine. They agree with the prophet Isaiah because they both are distressed when people looked to weapons instead of G-d, like again with the state in Palestine.

            They have certain differences from prophets too, like isolation, the gift of being guided, and influence. The Hasidic aren’t really isolated except maybe from people that aren’t Hasidic. They have huge communities where they stick together. They don’t have the gift of being guided like the prophets since they don’t stand in the presence of G-d. Another difference is the influence. The Hasidic don’t preach like the prophets did so they don’t have that kind of an influence.

            The Hasidic can be called modern day prophets but there are a lot of major differences. The similarities are enough to call them prophets though. Both groups have a distrust of power, intolerance, and agreement on certain matters. The major differences include isolation, the gift of being guided, and influence. I feel like they would make good social prophets if they tried though.

Blog Post 22

1)      Zoroastrianism began flourish in Iran during the Persian Empire in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.

2)       Zoroastrianism spread after Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great and it spread through that empire.

3)      When Zarathustra was thirty an angel called Good Thought came to him and brought him as a disembodied soul to Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord. Zarathustra recognized him as the one true god.

4)      The oldest sacred text is the Avesta. The oldest texts in it are the Gathas, his seventeen hymns.

5)      His characteristics and actions were eternal, universal goodness, controller of the cosmos, and the destiny of human beings.

6)      Ethical dualism is the belief in universal forces of good and evil.

7)      Lie is an evil, cosmic force that opposes Ahura Mazda.

8)      They must choose between truth and Lie, between the beneficent spirit and the hostile spirit.

9)      His understanding of human destiny was that after death they were judged. The good go to paradise while the bad go to hell. He also believes in full bodily resurrection of everyone for judgment by fire and molten metal.

10)   The general ethical demands are caring for livestock and fields, always tell the truth, do what is right, and avoid evil people.

11)  The Parsis are Zoroastrians that now live in India.

12)  The Iliad and the Odyssey are commonly regarded as having been the Bible of the Greeks.

13)  It means that the gods had human attributes, none of them are all-knowing or all-powerful, and all have their own specific talents, functions, and limitations.

14)  Aeschylus’s main contribution was that he was mainly concerned with the ideal of divine justice. For example he portrayed Zeus as ruling with order and justice.

15)  An oracle is a mortal that the gods communicate their desires and intentions through. An oracle was a sanctuary favored by a particular god, who communicated in some manner to those who visited the site. The most famous one was the oracle at Delphi where people sought the wisdom of the god Apollo. She was consulted on issues ranging from private matters to far-reaching public concerns.

16)  The three basic aspects are that individuals had to choose to become initiates and went through a ritual, initiates experienced a personal encounter with the deity, and initiates gained spiritual renewal through participation in the religion and hope for a better afterlife.

17)  The Eleusinian mystery honored Demeter and her daughter Persephone.

18)  Dionysus is associated with fertility, vegetation, and the vine. He is often depicted with vines and grapes.

19)  The goal is have the soul escape the body and fully realize its divine, Dionysian nature.

20)  Plato’s theory of knowledge is that we know things in this life partly because we have experienced them in previous lives.

21)  Platonic dualism is the belief that wisdom lies in identifying oneself with the truth of the Forms, rather than with the changing and imperfect material world.

22)   Jesus seemed to have much in common because both were called Savior, and the intimacy of the worshipers’ relationship with Asclepius bore a strong resemblance to the relationship with Christ celebrated by Christians.

23)  Numina were supernatural powers each in charge of a specific function and were thought to inhabit Roman homes, towns, the countryside, fields, streams, trees, doorways, altars, and shrines.

24)  The most powerful Roman deity was Jupiter.

25)  The six planets are Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn.

26)  It was essential to ensure the peace of the gods.

27)  The main rivals were Mithraism and the cult of Isis.

28)  The Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris is that Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces by his evil brother, Isis searched far and wide, finally finding Osiris’s body parts. She mummified him, which brought him back to life and he became god of the underworld.

29)  Augustus encouraged worship of his genius or guardian spirit which was thought to guard the welfare of the entire state.

30)  Christian and Roman rulers clashed over emperor worship because Christians didn’t want to worship the ruler since it would go against their belief in one God. The Romans didn’t like this because it looked like the Christians did not support the state. 

Judaism

1.      The three functions of a synagogue are to be a place where Jews can meet, a place where Jews can learn and teach the Torah and other sacred texts, and a place where they can pray.

2.      When you enter a synagogue, on the eastern wall is the ark where the Torah scrolls are kept which is often covered by a parokhet and the Ten Commandments of the eternal light is above it.

3.      A rabbi is a man who leads and guides the Jewish community he serves. A man becomes a rabbi through rabbinical ordination by passing a test of knowledge of the Torah and Talmud. Most will study in a yeshiva, a Jewish institute of higher learning. He is different from other clergymen because he doesn’t wear anything special, doesn’t have the same restrictions like abstinence, and focuses on making people better by pointing out their good aspects. A rabbi’s role is answer questions, counsel, and inspire.

4.      The Sabbath is a day of joy and a gift from G-d. It is a day of rest and spiritual enrichment and occurs every seventh day.

5.      The Torah is the Old Testament, the entire Jewish bible, and is the body of their laws and teachings. The Talmud is the “Oral Torah” and which states what the scriptures mean and how to interpret them and apply the Laws.

6.      Orthodox Jews follow Jewish law laid down the Torah and Talmud and that G-d gave the entire Torah to Moses. Reform Jews focus more on moral law and monotheism. Conservative Jews believe that G-d wrote the Torah but that there was also a human component therefore it must adapt. Zionist Jews believe that anti-Semitism can be overcome through assimilation and calls for Jews to return to Palestine which is now Israel.

7.      Hebrew is the official language of Israel and it spoken by some five million people there.

8.      Yiddish is the language of Ashkenazic Jews in shtetl found in eastern and central Europe and mean “Jewish”.

9.      Mazal Tov means congratulations. Shalom means hello, peace, or goodbye.

10.  Brit Milah (Bris) is the ceremony of circumcision where a boy enter the Covenant on his eighth day of life. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah is when a boy or girl reaches 13 years old and a day and is legally mature and assumes full responsibility for observing the commandments and for all his/her deeds. A Jewish wedding is done under a chupah (wedding canopy) which symbolizes the home the couple will make together. Afterward they sign a ketubah which is a legal lien on the husband's property which is given to his wife. Then they do Bedeken where the husband lifts the veil of his to-be-wife to see if she is the right person. Then the man arrives at the chupah first and the woman is escorted there by shoshvinim. Then the bride circles around the groom either three or seven times. Then there is a blessing over wine and Birchat Erusin (the betrothal benediction). Then the rings are presented, and the formula of kiddushin pronounced. Then the Sheva Berachot (seven wedding benedictions) which are about the joys of marriage. Then ceremony ends with the groom, or both the bride and groom, breaking a glass which has been wrapped in a cloth to prevent the fragments from hurting anyone.

11.  Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish new year and occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. It is one of their holiest days. Yom Kippur is the day set aside to atone for the sins of the previous year and occurs on the tenth day of Tishri. Hanukah is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. It is not very important and the main tradition is the lighting of nine candles. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan and is related to the Exodus from Egypt in the Bible.

12.  I knew about Passover and that the Torah was basically the Old Testament.

13.  The most surprising thing to me is that Jews don’t really care about Hanukah which I thought was related to our Christmas which would make it a big deal.

14.  One aspect I guess is a little related is going to church on Sunday.

15.  One tradition that is different is the Bat Mitzvah since the only thing I have is a sweet 16. 

Buddhism Questions

1.      Siddhartha Gautama

2.      The four passing sights were that of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic. The first three were important because they taught Gautama about the unavoidable suffering in life and the fourth is important because it gave him hope that there could be an end to despair.

3.      The doctrine of the Middle Way states that a healthy spiritual life depends on a healthy physical life and that you need a balance between the two.

4.      He was meditating under a fig tree and Mara sent every temptation he had at him, even his three daughters Discontent, Delight, and Desire. Gautama did not waver and touched the ground to call upon the earth to be a witness to his resolve.

5.      The Sangha is a Buddhist monastic community. The members are men and women who are called monks and nuns that follow Buddha.

6.      The Three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

7.      The features that are shared are that they both regard time as cyclical, they believe in many worlds with many gods and goddesses, both are considered eternal, and the doctrine of samsara.

8.      The Buddha’s reaction was discontent with the speculative philosophy and sacrificial rituals of the Brahmin class and the rejection of the institutional structure.

9.      The Three Marks of Existence are anatta (no-self), anicca (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering). They are interrelated through change.

10.  Anatta is the doctrine of no-self. You have no self because you are constantly changing. It relates to Atman because it says that Atman does not exist.

11.  According to samsara your bundle of energy gets passed into the next life. The role of karma is the transference of personal identity.

12.  The ones that apply to everyone are do not take life, do not take what is not given, do not engage in sensuous misconduct, do not use false speech, and do not drink intoxicants. The ones for monks and nuns are do not eat after noon, do not watch dancing or shows, do not use garlands, perfumes, or ornaments, do not use a high or soft bed, and do not accept gold or silver.

13.  Possible English translations are suffering, frustration, dislocation, or discomfort. I would describe it as all the negative feelings that you have throughout life that you can’t really handle.

14.  Tanha is desire or craving. It is the cause of dukkha.

15.  The steps are right views, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation.

16.  The difference is that the Buddha achieved complete nirvana through death but enlightened people have only a foretaste of nirvana.

17.  An arhat is an enlightened person. They are free from suffering and desire, have fully realized no-self, have achieved spiritual perfection, are no longer attached to the affairs of the world, are friendly, joyful, compassionate, and even-minded.

18.  It literally means “blowing out” which helps explain how a person’s life energy is blown out like a candle.

19.  The three divisions are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

20.  The main focus is the teachings of Buddhism.

21.  The literal meaning is Great Vehicle. The implication is that it is better than Theravada Buddhism.

22.  It fights desire with desire by trying to stir up emotions within themselves through mandalas, mudras, and mantras.

23.  The Dalai Lama is the head of a clergy called lamas. They are chosen through rebirth originating with the incarnation of a prominent bodhisattva and it sought through supernatural and mundane ways.

24.  The primary geographical regions are Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand for Theravada; China, Japan, and Korea for Mahayana; and Tibet for Vajrayana. 

Compare and Contrast

There are similarities and differences between the experience of Buddhism and Christianity. These two men have greatly been affected by their respective religions and are trying to teach others of their experience. Both religions search for the same things but merely have different approaches. Three things that they have in common that are like this are their experience, their way to happiness, and their reason for loving others.

Both experience their leader in a certain way. The difference lies in the tense that you use. The Buddha was a human being and so is dead and is past tense. Jesus is God so he is present in our everyday lives today and is possible for every person to experience. However, since Buddha became one with the universe he lives in everyone and there is a Buddha in everyone.

Like most religions, through this experience they wish to reach happiness. Buddhism says that if you make others happy, you will be happy because your happiness and theirs are the same. Christians find happiness in the experience of God’s love and in his grace until you reach ultimate happiness in heaven. Buddhists don’t find happiness in nirvana because they become nothing. They also teach that you can’t be happy until you realize that you are nothing.

This leads me into loving others. As religions both Christianity and Buddhism give guides on how we should interact with the people around. They are generally the same but have different explanations. Buddhists believe that you should love everyone because they are all a part of you and you are a part of all of them. Christianity teaches that we should love everyone because they are our neighbor and Jesus is in everyone.

These two men spoke of many similar things with different approaches. These things included the experience they went through, happiness, and loving others. They have different teachings and methods that try to get to similar results. They both strive for the ultimate though they give it two different names. 

Buddhism

Siddhartha was a prince in India that was shielded from the bad in life like aging and sickness, by his father. After almost thirty years, Siddhartha left the castle to roam and he saw an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a spiritual seeker. He had a life of pure pleasure but now knew that there was suffering in the world that was inevitable and it troubled him. He left his wife and newborn son and became a spiritual seeker, trying to reach enlightenment. He tried everything all the way down to starving himself to near death for six years before he realized that it wasn’t working. Finally, while meditating under a tree, Siddhartha defeated the god of desire and reached enlightenment or nirvana. He then proceeded to teach others starting with his friends and eventually had many followers and created a community where monks could stay and learn.

Three Jewels:

1.      I take refuge in Buddha

2.      I take refuge in Dharma

3.      I take refuge in Sangha

4 Noble Truths:
       1. All is suffering (dukkha). 
       2. Suffering is caused by desire. 
       3. If one can eliminate desire, they can eliminate suffering. 
       4. The Noble Eight-fold Path can eliminate desire. 

Noble Eight-fold Path:

1. Right Views.

2. Right Intent.

3. Right Speech.

4. Right Conduct.

5. Right livelihood.

6. Right effort.

7. Right mindfulness.

8. Right concentration. 

Hinduism

1.      Moksha is the Sanskrit word for liberation or release. It is the release from the material world and becoming one with Brahman.

2.      This doctrine is monism. An analogy for this is how there are rivers, lakes, and oceans but they are all bodies of water which connects them and makes them one.

3.      Brahman is the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe. Atman is the eternal self of soul of an individual that gets reincarnated from life to life. They are associated as being the same.

4.      Their function is to provide points of contact with Brahman who is unreachable physically or mentally.

5.      Samsara is the wheel of reincarnation. It is the worldly realm in which rebirth occurs.

6.      It is the Bhagavad-Gita.

7.      The two principles are karma and dharma. Karma is the moral law or cause and effect and determines the nature of each reincarnation based on how good you were in this life. Dharma is the law that karma is based on. It is the ethical duty based on the divine order of reality.

8.      The four classes are Brahmin who are priests, Kshatriya who are warriors and administrators, Vaishya who are producers like farmers and merchants, and Shudra who are servants and laborers.

9.      He encourages him because according to his dharma it is his duty as a warrior to fight in a just cause.

10.  The four stages of life are student, householder, forest dweller, and sannyasin. In the student stage the boy learns and studies the Vedas and other sacred literature. In the householder stage, which is marked my marriage, his goal is to have a career and raise a family. In the forest dweller stage, which is marked by the birth of your first grandchild, the goal is to retreat from worldly bonds in order to fully engage in a spiritual quest. In the sannyasin stage they return to society but remain detached from normal attractions and distractions of social life.

11.  The four goals of life are sensual pleasure (aim to have the utmost pleasure in life), material success (yearning for artha or maerial success and the social power and prestige that comes with it), harmony with dharma (desire to do your duty), and the bliss of moksha (becoming one with Brahman and escaping samsara).

12.  The three paths of liberation are the path of works (Karma Marga) which is for the active in things like raising a family and physical activities, the path of knowledge (Jnana Marga) which is for people with a talent for philosophical reflection, and the path of devotion (Bhakti Marga) which is for those whose emotional attachment comes naturally.

13.  The three most important schools are Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yoga. The task they have in common is the attainment of knowledge over the ignorance that binds the self to samsara.

14.  Three important gods are Vishnu, Shiva, and Kali.

15.  An avatar is an incarnation or living embodiment of a deity. Two popular ones are Krishna and Rama who are both avatars of Vishnu.

16.  That is the Bhagavad-Gita.

17.  Three aspects are household and village rituals, holy places, and cow veneration.

18.  He fueled Hinduism’s tendency to accept all wisdom as lighting the way to the divine.

19.  A significant change was that it was made illegal by the Indian government in 1948.

20.  Sati is the practice of burning a widow. It has been forbidden since 1829 though it does still rarely occur.

21.  A significant development was the separation of Pakistan from India to make a predominantly Muslim country. It turned bloody and a lot of people died on both sides.