Class Presentations (3): Hinduism, Buddhism, Judiasm

1) The Vedas of Hinduism

-The Vedas are a sacred and ancient text of the Hindu religion. (Primary Text)

-The Vedas are divided into 4 parts:

-Rig Veda: The Rig Veda is the main and most important of the Vedas and could be compared to the Christian Old Testament as far as religious significance. It contains mainly hymns and prayers.

-Yajur Veda: This Veda is a book for the priests, and is used as a script to perform sacrifices (Yajnas). This Veda is made up of two sections: Black & White.

-Sama Veda: This Veda is a dedicated hymnal for the singing of chants during worship and sacrifices.

-Atharva Veda: This Veda contains hymns as well as mantras and incantations, but is not focused on ritual sacrifice. This Veda instead focuses on protection from supernatural entities and healing. This Veda is oriented towards the common man’s side of things.

-Most of Hinduism preaches non-violence, but the Atharva Veda states that it is okay in certain circumstances.

-The Brahmanas, is a separate set of commentaries and notes on the Vedas.  It tells how to perform rituals within the Vedas. This set of text is sometimes included in the Vedas.

2) Monastic Life of a Buddhist

  • The monastic life of Monks of the Buddhist tradition is a very simple, structured and humble life.
  • These Monks follow a monastic code known as Vinaya which contains all of their guidelines. Within these guidelines is the Patimokkha, which is a set of rules for the Theravadin recension that draws from Tipitaka which is the the earliest surviving record of Buddhist traditions and teachings.
  • These guidelines dictates ALL of the Monk’s actions.

-Daily Schedule of a Monk

  1. 0400- Wake up and meditation for an hour followed by group chanting for an hour.
  2. 0600- The Monks walk barefoot around their neighborhood while the people gain “merit” by giving them an offer of food.
  3. 0800- The Monks return to their respective temples and gather in their hall to eat their morning meal, which is the only major meal allowed and likely their only meal for the day. Following this morning meal, the Monks collectively make a blessing for world peace and well being.
  4. Before 1200, some Monks may choose to eat a small solid meal, however this is the last meal of the day that they are allowed.
  5. 1300- Classes begin for all of the younger Monks in the teachings of Buddha, particularly from the Vinayapitaka.  Some of the Monks may choose to study at schools outside the temple for studies in other subjects. This studying lasts until 1800.
  6. 1800- The Monks gather for prayers and meditation for two more hours. They then retire to study individually again before they go to sleep for the night. (this schedule excludes their personal duties)

-The morning food gathering is an extremely historical and important element of Buddhism.  The Monks used to be nomads who begged for food.  They are barefoot during this ritual because they only had robes and a bowl in the early days.  The ritual begins when the Monks line up single file and walk through their neighborhoods.  This is called offering Alms, and gives merit to the donors of this food.

-This is the typical day of a Monk of the Theravadin Recension.

3) The Jewish Holidays of Yam Kippur and Chanukkha

-Yam Kippur

  • Yam Kippur stands as one of if not the most important holidays in Jewish tradition.  It is classified as a Sabbath and thus there is a period of fasting and no work is supposed to be performed during this 25 hour period.
  • According to official restrictions of the holiday that many people do not know about, people are not supposed to bath or wear perfumes or wear leather. Sexual relations are also prohibited during this time.
  • The day is filled with prayer services and rest.
  • The idea is that the holiday is to remove sin or otherwise have it forgiven. It is designed to rid the previous year’s sin and your last chance of the year to repent. This only applies for man’s sins against God though.
  • This Jewish Holiday has very strong spiritual significance to the people of the Jewish faith and particular attention is payed to this holiday.

-Chanukkha

  • The Jewish holiday of Chanukkha is the most known Jewish holiday.
  • The holiday celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple residing in Jerusalem after the Jews won victory against their suppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.
  • The holiday of Chanukkha is also commonly known as the festival of lights because of the familiar image of the 9 candles on the menorah that represent the eight days of the revolt. The ninth candle is used to light the others.
  • Unlike many Jewish holidays, this one in particular does not root itself in a large spiritual religious significance.

Sources For Presentations:

1) www.sacredtexts.com/hin/

hinduism.iskcon.org/tradition/1106.htm

2) Wikipedia (monastic life/ Buddhism)

Buddhanet.net

buddism.about.com

3) www.Jewfaq.org/holiday0.htm

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/juddiasm/holiday4.html

 

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