Religions and Culture of the world

Essay Instructions:

1.Hinduism offers as one explanation for its many gods that humans need concrete representations of the formless absolute. Also, finite minds can perceive the infinite only in a limited way, according to taste and temperament, cultural background, and other factors. As a result, a rich tapestry of mythology develops around many different deities to explain different perceptions.
This forum connects back to Discussion Forum #3 already completed in this class that discussed mythology and the impact on modern people. I want you to revisit this topic after watching the following video:
Watch the video East Meets West at ted.com
The speaker discusses the different perceptions of east and west based on different perceptions. How does mythology impact the goals and behavior of people from different cultures? What is the subjective truth of Alexander and how was it primary in motivating his actions? What is the subjective truth of the yogi and how is it primary in shaping his actions? How can understanding this be important in today's globalized world where India is poised to become a major social and economic power of the world? How is understanding Hindu mythology important in doing business between east and west?
2.Both Jainism and Buddhism claim certain jobs are not appropriate for anyone on a spiritual path. For the Jains, that would be any occupation that inflicted harm even on animals. Consider life today. Can you identify any occupations that you think conflict with a spiritual path? What are your reasons? Given this, what occupations would be open to you if harming none were your motivations in conducting a purposeful life as a Buddhist or Jain?
3.Many people cannot see the point in being detached or in feeling neutral to both pleasant and unpleasant things in the world. But sometimes the Buddhist logic is inescapable. The concept of no-self is perhaps the most difficult idea in Buddhism. What is this concept? Explain the usefulness of this when dealing with everyday experience, and post an example where this would be helpful.
Related to this, some people may think that the concept of detachment or no-self leads to a depressing and bland life. You may change your mind when you watch the following video on Happiness:
http://www(dot)ted(dot)com/talks/lang/en/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html

How does the speaker relate happiness with belief and behavior? How could his discussion be applied to everyday life (whether one is a Buddhist or not)?

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Religions of the World.
Question 1
Culture is considered to be the abstract values, beliefs, and people’s perception of the world that are reflected in people’s behavior. Mythology is therefore an attempt by various cultures to understand themselves. The world has instilled in us a certain of thinking such as how we are born when the sun rises but fails to understand why we are born, why the sun rises of the reason for our existence. Therefore, every culture tries to come up with its understanding of the world and life. The teachings are therefore passed from generation to generation impacting the behaviors and beliefs of people. With this understanding, individuals can thus have a unified reaction to nature.
Alexander meets a Gymnosophist, a person referred to as a naked wise man in India. This story shows how easy it is for people to view the world differently. Alexander grew up believing in heroes thus he worked hard to be a great man like the heroes. The Gymnosophist had a different way of looking at things as he believed in many lives. The story affects our behavior in that we tend to associate with Alexander when things are going right for us. When we fail, we associate with the Gymnosophist’s thinking of many lives. We tell ourselves that the period will pass and in the new life, we will be happy again.
The story of Alexander and the Gymnosophist shows that cultures can influence one’s behavior. Consequently, the behavior will influence the interactions between the two worlds which include business. Business between the East and west is likely to be affected by the business models of both sides. The West has strict and organized business models, unlike the East where businesses are not run like institutions. Therefore, understanding the Hindu mythology is important to maneuver through the diverse, and unpredictable nature of the Indian market.
Yoga is a business that is booming in the west as it is estimated that 20 million people in the United States practice some form of yoga. CITATION ADL12 \l 1033 (ADLER) The Hindus however think that Yoga has lost some of its ways. They view Yoga as more than a breathing exercise and stretching technique therefore they sense a major disconnect between yoga and Hinduism. As India is poised to become a major social and economic power of the world, there are efforts to take back Yoga and address this disconnect. There is a chance for teaching the Yo...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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Religions and Culture of the world

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