Jainism x2

Jainism

Explanation of God/the attacking of God

God had to make the material world because if not then he is not the creator. But if he made the Material world, then the world is only his will.

-If God is perfect, why did he feel the need to create?


Jainism attacks "God" only to explain the existence of the world

To have one is to have another. If God is perfect then he must also be imperfect.

Does God have a good reason to create the world or was he just fooling around for no reason?

             If there was no purpose to the creation of the world then what is the purpose of a "God"?

These are all points that were brought up amongst the creation of the world and/or the explanation of God. I think Jainism doubts God, but I don't think they are completely against the idea of God. I think the proof of God is necessary.

Jainism

Jainism

I think Jainism is one of the hardest religions for me to be able to accept. The fact that the religion is against any harm to any living thing seems to be a hard concept. I mean even if I wasn't being physically harmed by a spider or a strange looking bug, I feel the need to kill it. If I was in a position where I could be in possible harm, I would have no doubts of trying to harm/kill whatever was going to harm me or anyone around me.

I think that is the hardest concept for me to get past in Jainism but almost any other concept or idea of Jainism I can easily accept and seem very similar to Buddhism.

Reincarnation: Is it real or not?

Reincarnation:

Do you believe in it?

Or NOT?

 

 

 

 

 

I have thought about this often. Wondering if I have lived a "past life" or if after this life I will be able to live again. I don't really know what I believe. It is common for me to joke around and say that: "In my past life I was..." or "In my next life I will..."

 

I don't know whether to take myself serious with this question or to continue to joke around. I do lean towards believing reincarnation could be possible, but I also think that there are plenty of people who believe that it is impossible.

 

I also think a lot about those who have died. Especially my family, thinking that they could be looking down at us and guiding us through our own lives.

 

I cannot say that I believe in it or not because I still haven't decided what I want to be true.

Hinduism

Hinduism

 Just like the other religions, Hinduism, I believe, was formed to fix a problem for from community tradition. Hinduism was supposedly formed in the Indus River Valley where there were sophisticated cities and a population of 40,000 people. The area was advanced in their plumbing system, weaponry and they had a settled/peaceful society. The area traded internationally and had a writing system. A bathing ritual, yoga, meditation and statues of goddesses were all important in the new religion which is the oldest living religion today.

Hinduism, I believe, was formed to help the communities of the Indus River Valley to create a way of life. Something to believe in while working hard as a nomadic people.

Hinduism and Vedic Religion

Vedic Hymn

 

 

 In class, we talked about the Vedic religion and a certain Vedic Hymn from Philip Novak's book, The World's Wisdom.

 

 

       

Then even nothingness was not, nor existence.

There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.

What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping?

Was there then a cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?

 

There is an attempt to find the origin of earth and/or life.
We discussed that if the world couldn't come from nothing or something, then "creation" started with the existence of a God. How did God come into existence?


I'm not really sure if I believe any "creation" stories that exist in any religion or community. Rather, I believe that something happened that no one truly understands that allowed for the creation of the Earth or possibly God.

I'm still debate with myself if Earth came before "God", or if "God" came before Earth...or if God really exists.



Asra Nomani

Asra Nomani and...Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam

 

Asra Nomani received outstanding controversy to one of her books called Tantrika,  which was about her experience when researching about a Tantric sex phenomenon. Tantric is a term, from Tantra, that refers to a religious ritual/meditation of a human body in a sexual way.

 

In Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam, Asra Nomani talks about her pilgrimage. She also discusses about the rights of Women in the muslim world. Before I actually talk about the book, I wanted to talk about Asra Nomani and do research on her to understand her more.

 

 

Asra Nomani was born into a Muslim family and actually grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia. I actually found it interesting that she graduated college with a degree in liberal studies which is very similar to what I am doing with my own Professional Studies major. She also earned her her Master's in International Communication which is similar to what I want to do with my life by going to South Korea after I graduate and eventually earn my own masters in either Social Work to work with Biracial children in Asia or Major in Communication to become an interpreter or something of the sort.

 

 

Asra Nomani had a child out of wed-lock and eventually challenged a rule at a Mosque in Morgantown, West Virgina. The way she is able to challenge the people of her own faith allows me to realize how strong she is and she seems to be a very independent woman.

 

I want to be a strong woman like Asra Nomani.

Pre-Axial/Post Axial

Pre Axial vs. Post Axial Religious Traditions

 

 A lot of the Pre-Axial religions started in between 700-300 BCE and included Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism that were born out of China, India and other Asian countries. These religious traditions allowed a major shift in thinking in many different communities.

 

I relate a lot to the Pre-Axial traditions, and these are the ones that I have come to like to study about most since I have been in college and have come to like Asian culture/religion. These religions were focused on maintaining harmony.

 

 

 

Post Axial Religions are religions that are slightly younger than Pre-Axial religions and they allow a transformation to occur, usually amongst humans. These religions focus on the end of time and trying to fix the problems of the "end of the world".

 

 

I believe I relate to Confucianism/ other Asian Religious traditions because I like to maintain harmony amongst my friends and I would like to be able to believe in peace in the world, which is often brought up amongst the Pre-Axial religions.