World Religions
| Hinduism | ||||||
| Judaism | ||||||
| Shintoism | ||||||
| Taoism | ||||||
| Confucianism | ||||||
| Buddhism | ||||||
| Christianity | ||||||
| Islam | ||||||
| Spiritualism and Spiritism | ||||||
| Conclusions | ||||||
The Buddhists have a saying: "A thousand monks, a thousand religions." This is true also for all other faiths, as well. Still, the position of the various schools of religious thought as herein expounded are according to the thoughts expressed by the principal proponents or founders inasmuch as, in many instances, the original concepts may have been changed according the varied interpretations of their less enlightened followers. In any case, the objectionable features in the teachings and in the practices which have resulted because of such changes should not be allowed to depreciate the value of the original concepts and teachings.
In India, when the world was young some 4,500 years ago, the Vedas, the Indian Holy Scriptures, were prepared. Embodying the complicated combination of religious beliefs and social customs of the Indians, they later became the chief source of the teachings known in an earlier form as Brahminism and later on as Hinduism. The Hindus believe in personal gods. The most important among them are Brahma, the Father of All, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Siva, the Destroyer. They believe in the transmigration of souls, which teaches that at death, the soul transfers into some other creature, be it human or animal, as a direct consequence of one’s karma or the effects of one’s thoughts and deeds. This process continues until such time that the soul is able to attain to the state of Nirvana, and free itself from the rounds of rebirth, old age, disease and death.
Four Castes
As far as the human form of life is concerned, the Hindus believe in four progressive castes. These are the Brahmans or the priests, the Kshatriyas or the temporal rulers and soldiers, the Vaishyas or the merchants, artists and farmers and the Sudras or laborers. All who fall outside these four main groups are considered as outcastes or untouchables, the lowest of the low.
Four Goals
Hinduism lays stress on the need for self-realization and the awareness of deeper realities that overshadow our material and physical existence. Consequently, therefore, advocates of Hinduism believe that man has four basic goals in life.
The first and foremost goal is to attain to the union of Atman, the individual soul, with Brahman, the supersoul or God, which alone can bring eternal happiness.
Another important goal is the fulfillment of all normal human desires, including the enjoyment of a life of pleasure, even sexual pleasure. So, to the Hindus, there is no truth to the teaching that sex is evil. And to the Hindus, it is acceptable for a person to enjoy life’s pleasures. Many people feel, mistakenly, that sex and other worldly pleasures are bad for the soul. To the Hindus, however, these worldly pleasures are perfectly natural and should be experienced first before we can actually outgrow our desire for them and advance to the more spiritual goals in life.
A third goal is participation in economic activity and contribution to public welfare. Finally, these goals are to be pursued while one undertakes to live the right kind of moral or ethical life.
Four Stages of Life
In the pursuit of these goals, man enters into four stages of life. He first becomes a student who initiates studies mainly in preparation for the material aspects of life.
Then, he becomes a householder, at which stage, he is able to pursue three of the four goals, namely, a life of pleasure, participation in economic activity and right living.
Subsequently, as he advances in age, he might decide to retire and live the life of a hermit. Here, he withdraws from his business or professional activities. Likewise, he relinquishes direct family responsibilities and duties and enters a hermitage for further study of the more spiritual realities or otherwise engages in deeper reflections into the meaning of life. This is not a cop-out as some may think, but the hermit is withdrawing from his worldly involvements in order that he may be able to prepare himself for much greater service.
Finally, given the opportunity and the inclination, one could become a spiritual pilgrim, which is characterized by one’s complete renunciation of self and of all personal attachments, even family ties. After which, the pilgrim turns to a life of service to others. The pilgrim goes where God directs and helps whomever is worthy, all the while, trusting to divine providence by receiving needed material aid from those who are the recipients of his spiritual services. In every instance, however, such material aid comes to him never as a favor, but as a matter of right. In his travels, he promotes love and understanding. He provides guidance to all who ask and who are willing to listen by sharing the wisdom he has attained to over the years.
The Hindu Way to Salvation
Spiritual guidance is provided to the unenlightened through the Avatars or highly advanced beings under a system of discipleship whereby these Avatars, gurus or spiritual masters teach disciples or students the way towards their own salvation. According to these gurus, eventual salvation comes by way of:
- Devotional service,
- The accumulation of knowledge, or
- The rendering of service to fellowmen or the accumulation of good karma.
While this practice does not enable one to reach his eventual goal, he, at least, moves a step nearer to it. This suffices many, until the time comes, in their subsequent incarnations, that they are able to pursue the more spiritual goals directly to attain to their own salvation.
4,000 years ago, evil priests rose to power and changed the laws to suit their own selfish aims. The teachings were distorted and darkness ruled the land. People, naturally, became all confused. And, consequently, through their fear and ignorance, many turned to the worship of idols. But a few masters remained true to the faith. In Chaldea, a pious Brahmin named Terah had a son whom he named ABrahm, after the One. And in order to counter such idol-worship and to bring the people back to God, God spoke through Abraham to the Hebrews. And through Abraham, God slowly revealed different aspects of Himself. Subsequently after, this religion became known as Judaism, which means the religious belief of the Jewish people, the descendants of the ancient Hebrews.
Basic Beliefs
The Jews came to believe in one God and the oneness of all creation. They believe in the fatherhood of God and that all men are brothers, equal in the sight of God. Hence, they do not have lesser divinities or saints. They espouse to no special belief in an individual afterlife or in salvation. Instead, they believe in living good lives in this world and achieving such immortality as they can through their descendants. They believe in the coming of a Messianic period and not in a Messiah in which peace and earthly perfection will prevail. They believe, likewise, in charity as a way of life and the whole-hearted performance of prescribed rituals. The Jews have no priests; instead, they have rabbis. A rabbi is a teacher-adviser who is concerned mainly with the deeper and more spiritual aspects of life. However, their pronouncements or suggestions are not mandatory, but are subject to voluntary acceptance. The principal beliefs of all branches of Judaism are monotheism, virtuous living, tolerance and peace.
The Law of Moses
It was through Moses that God gave the laws to govern the early Jews. Sometime at about 1300 BC, God issued the Ten Commandments. They are:
- I am the Lord, your God. You shall not have strange gods before Me.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
- Remember to keep holy, the Sabbath day.
- Honor your Father and Mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s things.
In ancient Japan, some 2,500 years ago, the Japanese professed to a combination of nature and ancestor worship. All Japanese believe that they are descendants of the sun-goddess, Amaterasu, and that all of them are members of one family headed by the Emperor. Being a part of one family, individual Japanese are more inclined to subjugate their own personal interests to the interest of the whole family, which ultimately resulted in their total subservience to their Emperor. This subservience in turn was subsequently exploited politically, culminating in World War II and the renouncing by the Emperor of his divinity as well as the discouragement of this religious thought. However, the teachings on selflessness, simplicity and simple living have been retained, while the strong traits of discipline and self-esteem are part of the ancient Japanese tradition.
Shintoism is, however, not exclusive. The Japanese people were free to accept other religions. Today, most Japanese are Buddhists, Buddhism having been introduced in Japan as early as 600. A few or less than 1% are Christians through the efforts of St. Francis Xavier beginning 1549.
In China, about the year 600 BC, Lao Tse taught Taoism or "The Way" stressing simplicity and acceptance. He frowned on the use of force to effect change and espoused, instead, an effortless way of living. He spoke against reformers with their long lists of rules to follow and advocated doing what comes naturally. He urged men to follow the unstructured way of nature, the Tao. The man of Tao is anxious about nothing, forces nothing and is content just letting things be as they are, the way nature does. The Tao can be demonstrated by a pond of muddy water. No amount of stirring can clear it. But left alone, all the mud and other impurities settle down to the bottom and the pond becomes clear by itself. Ardent followers are also enjoined to value the Three Treasures of love, moderation and humility.
More than this, Lao Tse asserts: "He who tells does not know and he who knows does not tell." This simply means that the deeper meaning of Tao cannot be taught by anyone to anybody. Instead, each student making his own journey through life must find out its meaning for himself.
Some fifty years later, another philosopher and teacher named Confucius (Kung Fu Tse) prepared a compilation of wise sayings urging men to a right mode of life and a respect for the teachings of the wise men of old. He provided a system of ethics or right conduct. Confucius taught not of God, but, rather, of goodness. He taught men to be honest, upright, faithful and obedient to those in authority, while laying stress on social service. He taught that: "What you wouldn’t want others to do to you, don’t do to them." The teachings of Confucius set forth in the Confucian Canon includes Five Classics, which are collections of ancient poems and other works of the wise men of old, with one of them supposed to have been authored by Confucius and his first disciple, Mencius.
A few centuries afterwards, Buddhism spread its influence in China and took hold. Subsequently, an integration or merger of these three schools of thought — Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism — came into being and is now widely accepted, while only a few espouse the Christian and Muslim faiths.
At about this same time in India, the people were disillusioned with their religion. The religious authorities were degenerate and self-seeking and thought only of their own personal gain. And so, the people were turning away from their old beliefs. Since some people felt that animals were better than humans, they turned again to worshipping animals as gods.
The Story of Gautama
Into this world was born a prince, Siddharta Gautama, son of a warrior king, a high Hindu raja. Because of a prophecy that the son would be a prophet of great renown, the king, who desired so much that his son succeed him and inherit his kingdom, determined to do all things possible in order that the prophecy should not come true.
He decreed that Gautama be prevented from knowing of the evils and sorrows beyond the palace confines. All his travels were to be supervised and he was to meet only his caste-equals. But Gautama would not be so restrained. Sensing that he was being so protected, he determined to obtain freedom from such restrictions.
One day, in defiance of his father’s orders, he slipped out of the palace grounds to learn what he could on his own. Outside, he saw an old, old man, trembling with age and illness, toothless, blind with cataract and senile. For the first time in his life, Gautama came to realize that old age comes to everyone, and with its coming, the body of man ceases to retain the activeness, strength and beauty that his own body then presently enjoyed.
Next, he saw an emaciated man, miserable and moaning while he picked yellow scabs from his disease-ridden body. Gautama was shocked and his mind began to question why these things happen.
But then further on, at the side of the road, he came upon a scene that would leave a very deep and lasting impression on him. Here was death staring him in the face, a naked corpse, discolored and odorous, covered by a dense cloud of flies opened to his gaze.
While he was meditating on all that he saw and was greatly troubled, he chanced upon a well-clad, serene monk, calm and tranquil, untroubled by the misery and suffering all around him. And thinking that old age, disease and death awaited all of mankind and that by being a religious, one could attain peace and contentment, he resolved that he would become as that monk. So, presently, he left the palace and he became a seeker after truth, searching for the answers to the mysteries of life.
For six long and hard years, he sought out all the leading teachers of his time, asking, learning all he could from each of them, until all the teachers could teach him no more. But still, he did not have the answers. Until, finally, he resolved that he would not stop meditating until he did find the answers. A few days later, he experienced an illumination, and he had his answers. And, at that moment, he became the Buddha, the "Enlightened One." Afterwards, he formulated the way of life that became known as Buddhism.
Influence of Hinduism
It must be remembered that Buddhism is based on the principles of Hinduism and espouses certain of its fundamental beliefs. Included among them are Transmigration or the return of the soul into other forms of life; Karma or the consequences of one’s actions and Nirvana, which is the state of being a pure spirit, pure, so far as lack of lust for physical things are concerned.
The Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path
Gautama, the Buddha, therefore enjoins man to follow the "Middle Way" of life between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification through man’s recognition of the Four Noble Truths which are:
- Human life holds the possibility of suffering.
- Human suffering is caused by desire or craving for the things that are of the world.
- When one ceases to crave for a thing, then one ceases to have suffering connected with that thing; suffering ceases with the complete cessation of cravings.
- Man can free himself of these cravings by following the Noble Eightfold Path.
- Right viewpoint — We should be aware of our real self, the Spirit Self, thereby obtaining an understanding of spiritual realities untrammeled by the illusions in the world.
- Right aspirations — We should direct our strivings toward our spiritual objectives.
- Right speech — We should always speak with love and consideration for others as our guide.
- Right behavior — We should return love for hate and good for evil.
- Right mode of livelihood — We should engage in an occupation that is beneficial and never harmful.
- Right efforts — We should act purposefully with due regard to our own individual capacity and personal preferences.
- Right mindfulness — We should discipline our thoughts and emotions.
- Right contemplation — We should listen intuitively to correctly determine our true needs.
Branches of Buddhism
One branch or form of Buddhism is Lamaism, which flourished in Tibet before the Communist takeover of that country. This form of Buddhism developed as a consequence of Tibetan customs and traditions and was very advanced in the metaphysical sciences as expounded by Lobsang Rampa.
Another branch of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism, which teaches that one must first experience before he can know the truth. According to this school, truth cannot be known by just listening to the spoken word, or by reading the printed page. While all are enjoined to read and study Scriptures and to listen attentively to the learned lectures of wise men, all these serve only to guide us. All such studies must be accompanied by actual related experiences before we may more fully understand. One picture is worth a thousand words, but one experience is worth a thousand pictures.
In the little town of Bethlehem in Palestine, 2,000 years ago, there was born in a lowly manger, a male child, son to the carpenter Joseph and his wife, Mary, who belonged to a subject people, the Jews, under the rule of the Roman conquerors. This child was later to be called the Son of God, the King of kings. Coming into the world at a time when the world had turned itself away from God, through him, God gave to the world His love, His truth and His light.
The people had departed from the teachings of the old prophets. Driven by their lusts for the things of the flesh, they had forgotten God and thought only of their own selfish interests. The principles and teachings of Judaism were cancelled out by the corruptness of its high priests and the deafness of its followers. The need for God’s guidance was great. And God sent Jesus.
While Jesus is the Master of the World, he, like Gautama, the Buddha, before him, went into actual preparation for the first 30 years of his life, learning from others, and remembering what others did not know. For he comes from above. He is not of this world. He comes from Heaven.
When it was time for him to do his Father’s work, he taught and preached with great authority surpassing that of all his elders and even the prophets before him. His life and teachings are embodied in the New Testament Gospels. And all that he taught can be summarized into two great commandments — "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself." By his works, the world knows him. And all who are of the Truth listens to him.
The followers of the teachings of Jesus, the Christ, were later on called Christians. And, subsequently, the Christian Church was organized under the leadership of Peter and Paul and spread all over the world.
Islam
Archangel Gabriel Visits Muhammad
Despite the growth of Judaism and Christianity in some Arabian communities in the 600s, much of Arabia lay steeped in ignorance, superstition and idol-worship. The tribes being constantly at war with one another, any real peace and unity could only be achieved if everyone could come to agree on a common ideal, a faith perhaps especially formulated and acceptable to the Arab psyche, according to their then level of evolvement.
At this time, Gabriel, the Archangel, visited a Godly man named Muhammad, who is believed by many to be a descendant of Abraham and Ishmael, and told him that God had chosen him to preach and spread Islam, which means, submission to the will of Allah.
The Archangel being highly regarded by both Christians and Jews alike, Muhammad could not but be tolerant and accepting also of these earlier faiths, in fact recognizing his kinship with them. It is recounted that before tackling the last phase of his mission, he was taken up to heaven by the Archangel to meet with Jesus and the Old Testament prophets and God, Himself, to receive his final instructions.
The messages from God delivered by Archangel Gabriel to Muhammad formed the early foundational basis of what were later written down by Muhammad’s followers and subsequently incorporated into the Qur'an, the Holy Scriptures of Islam.
The Spread of the Faith
The first convert of this new faith was Muhammad’s wife, Khadija, and with her encouragement, Muhammad began to win other followers. He preached against idols in favor of the One God. And this preaching brought him many enemies from among those who worshipped such idols, especially those whose livelihood depended on the businesses related to their devotional worship.
Eventually, Muhammad and his followers were so persecuted that fearing for their life, they were forced to flee to Medina. However, this flight, called "Hegira," became the turning point of his career. After having pacified all the warring tribes there, he was acclaimed the new ruler and military commander of the city. And, encouraged by this success, he moved on Mecca and conquered it, as well. He then proceeded to destroy the idols and built the ancient Kaaba shrine, the Sanctuary of Allah.
In victory, Muhammad was generous and merciful, offering friendship to all including Christians and Jews, regarding them as his brothers. However, just as the Jews rejected Christ, the Christians and the Jews in general rejected Muhammad as God's latest messenger and prophet. Muhammad realizing the futility of winning them to Islam concentrated his efforts rather more on his own people and their needs. And from then on, tribe after tribe voluntarily submitted to his leadership, until at Muhammad’s death, all of Arabia stood united under Islam.
The Five Pillars
The doctrine of Islam is based on the Qur'an and the Sunna or traditions. The Sunna recounts the sayings and deeds of Muhammad. The Five Duties of a believer or the Five Pillars of Islam are:
- Recital of the Creed. In its shortest form, the creed is: "I testify that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is His prophet." Acceptance of the creed implies belief in God, the angels, the inspired books, the prophets, the Day of Judgment, and God’s predestination of good and evil. The latter is the basis of the fatalistic attitude of the Muslim. Even in the face of life’s many hardships and tragedies, he willingly submits to the wisdom of God, and in faith, he declares: "It is the will of Allah."
- Prayer. The Muslim worships five times a day facing Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammad. Phrases of his prayers and the postures of his body are all prescribed. Worship is preceded by ceremonial bathing. And on Friday, the Muslim holy day, prayers and a short sermon are held in the mosque under the leadership of the Imam.
- Fasting. All throughout the month of Ramadhan when the Qur'an was revealed, the faithful fast. They do not eat or drink between dawn and sunset.
- Almsgiving. All believers are expected to give alms to assist needy fellow-Muslims.
- The Pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims who are physically and financially able are expected to make a pilgrimage to the Holy City at least once in their lifetime.
Basic Beliefs
A believer is bound in the principle of mutual help and entrusted with the furtherance of good and the repression of evil. Emphasis is placed on equality and brotherhood. Muslims believe that man stands alone in direct relationship with his God, surrendering himself to His mercy. Hence, there are no organized churches, no priests and no sacraments.
Impelled by circumstances as a result of the wars, the Arabs were encouraged to take in the widows of comrades killed in battle as their wives to help them and provide for their needs. Polygamy then came to be widely practiced and was adopted into the faith. However, Muhammad limited the number of wives to four or less, depending on the capacity of the men to provide for their needs. Women were granted rights to possess or inherit property and could even divorce their husbands under certain conditions. Slavery was condemned. Eating pork was forbidden and drinking wine, prohibited.
Major Sects
There are two major sects of Islam; The Sunnites, who believe in the Sunna and who form the majority; and the Shiites, who reject the Sunna simply because certain other caliphs participated in the formation of the Sunna. These latter are followers of Ali, Muhammad’s blood relative, who hold that Ali, alone, is the rightful successor to Muhammad.
Spiritualism and Spiritism
Strange Occurrences
From the highly suspicious Spiritualist phenomena of table rapping, trumpet voices, materializations, apparitions, all the shaking and quaking every which way and other occurrences delving in the supernatural: and inspite of all the fake mediums, the fake healers and the ghost-busting activities of non-believers; there has emerged a new philosophy and teaching.
Spirit communications or divine revelations are as old as man. It is simply that man in those early days did not have the capacity to understand the principles governing their operation.
The Philosophy behind the Phenomena
With the resurgence of communications with the spirits of the departed at about the 1850s, a wealth of information concerning the life that waits beyond the Earth have begun to filter in to the world. A Frenchman named Allan Kardec through a series of sessions or seances with the aid of mediums who were able to receive these communications from higher beings, prepared a compilation of these communications and incorporated the same into a book entitled ‘The Spirits’ Book.’
Published in 1850, this book became the basis of Modern Spiritualism/Spiritism. It was entitled as such because the contents of the book were provided by a special team of highly enlightened Spirit teachers composed of John, the Evangelist, St. Augustine, et. al. Their mission, impossible, was to introduce new and advanced concepts of spiritual realities to the people of the world, thereby preparing them for the advent of the Golden Age. However, the information contained in ‘The Spirit’s Book’ is only the beginning. And, subsequently, supplementary information continue to be provided by means of communications through various mediums or Spiritualist and Spiritist study centers in many parts of the world.
Fundamental Beliefs
Spiritualism is basically a belief in the spiritual nature of man. Emphasis is given to love, righteousness and service to fellowmen. Early beliefs include the existence of God: existence and survival of the spirit; the reality of the Spirit World; brotherhood of all creation; and mediumship as a means of communication with the Spirit World.
Foretold by Jesus Christ
In the Philippines, Spiritism is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In the book of John 16:12.13, Jesus said, "Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you cannot understand it now. Albeit, when the Spirits of Truth and Holiness come, they will guide you into all truth." In addition to what most Spiritualists early into the movement believe as enumerated above, the Spirits of Truth include and emphasize Reincarnation and the Law of Karma, infinite progression of the spirit entity; personal responsibility and salvation through individual effort as central to their basic teachings, effectively clarifying and upgrading the present interpretations of the Christian Churches regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The differences in the teachings of the various religions are due largely to the inevitable spread and adoption over time of degraded and corrupted versions of the teachings in place of the original. Subsequent followers and students not being of the same high order as their Prophets, their understanding was less than perfect. Consequently, as they passed on to the succeeding students their flawed interpretations, the original and true divine teachings were effectively replaced or obscured. Further, aggravated by differences in language and culture caused by a lack of communication between the various peoples of the world, sad but true, misinformation and confusion is now pervasive and widespread.
However, with increased communication and racial integration, and as everyone of us continues to push forward in our development, all these differences will eventually be resolved and the real teachings will reemerge and come together, united in the One Truth.
Regardless however, the different religions represent the many faces of God and His divine teachings. To different people, God reveals Himself in different ways.To the Hindus, God lays stress on the knowledge of self in its various aspects. To the Shintoists and the Taoists, He teaches selflessness and simplicity. To the followers of Confucius, He stresses goodness and social service. To the Buddhists, He espouses a "Middle Way" of life. In addition, the realities of the spiritual worlds beyond Earth have largely been confirmed through the mystic experiences of the more advanced adepts belonging to both the Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
To the Jews, He is Yahweh, the One God with human attributes. And over the centuries, in line with the spiritual development of man, He became transformed, through the teachings of Jesus Christ, from the jealous and vengeful God of the Old Testament prophets, to the God of love and justice, truth and beauty of the present generation.
To the Muslims, He teaches the principles of mutual help, the furtherance of good and the repression of evil. Further, Allah enjoins that in their trials and hardships in life, the Muslims should predispose themselves to submit to His divine will. It is inferred here, of course, that Allah is all-powerful and just: that He loves us all; and like a good father to his children, He sends us only the very best. Therefore, we really should welcome or, at least, be resigned even to hardships and sorrows because although we may not understand now, they have a divine purpose under heaven, a counterpart spiritual benefit all according to His divine will.
And to the Christians and Spiritualists, God teaches His divine ways of love, righteousness and service. Also, to the Spiritualists and Spiritists, He clarifies and confirms the old eternal truths and spiritual realities, which until now have not been readily available to the greater masses of people.
In all of these religions, emphasis is on love, righteous living and the development of character. This is the essence of all religious teachings. This is what is important. And with righteousness, truth unfolds.
But in the pursuit of truth, no one and no religion has a monopoly, because there is truth in all. And in order to attain to the whole, we must draw from each of the parts. For all men are God’s children. We are, all of us, part and parcel of the One God. And nothing and no one exists outside God. We are one.
posted by Angel Luz @ 9:51 PM
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