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Buddhism According to Webster? s definition, Buddhism is not a religion. It states that religion is the belief in or worship of God or gods (Webster? s New World Dictionary pg. 505).

The Buddha was not a god (About Buddhism pg. 1). There is no theology, no worship of a deity or deification of the Buddha (Butter pg. 1) in Buddhism. Therefore Buddhists don? t pray to a creator god (Buddhism FAQ? s pg. 1). Consequently, Buddhism is categorized as a philosophy, but is still regarded it as a religion.

The name Buddhism comes from the word? buddha? which means to wake up and thus Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening (What is Buddhism pg. 1). Fittingly, Buddha literally means?

awakened one? (Buddhist Basics pg. 1). Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering (About Buddhism pg. 1). They dedicate their lives to showing others the way to end the viscous cycle of samsara, or reincarnation. Buddha are enlightened beings who had the opportunity to reach the ultimate goal, but turned back to help the rest of the world get to where they were. The ultimate goal is to attain Nirvana. Nirvana simply means cessation (The Goal pg. 1).

It is the cessation of passion, aggression and ignorance (The Goal pg. 1). Nirvana is the highest happiness (What is Buddhism pg. 5). It has become equated with a sort of eastern version of heaven. (The Goal pg. 1). The way to reach Nirvana is to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow- to let the Self die (Hesse pg. 11).

Freedom from the Self liberates (About Buddhism pg. 1). Once Nirvana is achieved one can escape the cyclical repetition of life, in which one is reincarnated over and over again. In Buddhism, the world is in flux, coming into existence and passing away (Buddhist Basics pg. 5). It is a continuous cycle.

Time is often viewed to be like that of a river. If you? ve seen a river you? d have seen that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; It was always the same yet every moment it was new (Hesse pg. 83). Breaking this cycle was the main goal of the Buddha.

This has been the way of thinking in Buddhism, since its beginning. Buddhism emerged in India more than 2. 5 thousand years ago as a religious and philosophical teaching (Buddhism pg. 1). In fact Buddhism is the most ancient of the four world religions (Buddhism pg. 1). They have many followers. Although an exact number cannot be calculated, for various reasons, one can speak of approximately 400 billion lay practitioners and 1 billion Buddhist monks and nuns in the world (Buddhism pg. 1). Buddhism was not started by the first Buddha, for there have been many Buddha (Buddhist Basics pg. 1), but by the historical Buddha.

Siddartha fasting as a Ravana. The historical Buddha was born in approximately 563 B. C. E. in Northern India (Who is Buddha pg. 1). His birth took place in the to of Kapilavastu (located in today?

s Nepal) (Introduction to Buddhism pg. 2). He was named Siddartha, which means? he whose aim is accomplished? (Introduction to Buddhism pg. 2). Siddartha? s parents were King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya, who ruled the Sakyas (Introduction to Buddhism pg. 2).

Being the historical Buddha, his compassion and patience were legendary (What is Buddhism pg. 3). He is seen as a timeless mirror of mind? s inherent potential (Who is Buddha pg. 1). His teaching make being fearless, joyful, and kind (Who is Buddha pg 1). Although Buddha felt that nobody finds salvation through teachings (Buddhism FAQ? s pg. 1), he did have Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha; the law of the Buddha (FAQ?

S pg. 1). Because of the way he felt about teachings, Buddha strongly encouraged his followers to? be a lamp unto themselves? and put his teachings to a test (Buddhist Basics pg. 2).

His Dharma consisted of The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. These are the central teachings of the Buddha (Tokyo n. pag. ). Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka The First Noble Truth is that there is suffering. If people were to look at their own lives and the world around them they would realize that life is full of suffering.

We suffer because we are constantly struggling to survive (Butter pg. 2). Suffering may be Physical or Mental (Tokyo n. pag. ). Physical suffering comes in many different forms.

An example of such suffering is aged people. They cannot hear as well, see as far or clearly, or move as liberty as they used to be able to. The truth is that the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death is unavoidable (Tokyo n. pag. ). Besides physical suffering, there are also various forms of mental suffering. This suffering usually occurs due to one?

s attraction to impermanent pleasures. An example of this is a person finding a new friend and being elated while side by side with the new found companion, but when separated, they feel the pain of loneliness. These are also examples of what causes the suffering, which is the next truth. The Second Noble Truth is that suffering has a cause.

The direct causes of suffering are desire, or craving, and ignorance. (Tokyo n. pag. ) Craving is the deeply- rooted longing, of all living beings, for the pleasures of the senses. For instance, people always want things like delicious foods, entertaining movies, or good company. The problem with this is that it is a continuous cycle. After you eat you will be hungry again, after the movie will get bored, and after your friends leave, you will be lonely. The same holds true for people who wish to own the best and newest products.

They will never be satisfied because there will continue to be newer and better things. This is the case in America today and look where we are. The other cause of suffering is ignorance. This is also the cause of craving.

The search to find out why we crave always leads back to insurance. If we knew that satisfying those frivolous needs accomplished nothing we would have no reason to do so. If people would develop their minds and acquire enough knowledge they would be able to see the truth. They would be able see that suffering has an end, which is the Third Noble Truth. The end of suffering is the final goal of the Buddha? s teaching (Tokyo n.

pag. ). This can be experienced by anyone. When thoughts of anger and greed arise in one? s mind unhappiness, suffering, is experienced, but when they cease these thoughts the suffering temporarily abates. To end the suffering indefinitely, one must completely remove the desire, ill will, and ignorance. There is a path which leads to the end of suffering and that is the Fourth Noble Truth.

Kandy, Sri Lanka Buddha on hill at Sri Maha Bodhi Viagra The path to end suffering is called the Noble Eightfold Path. The central theme of this path is meditation (Butter pg. 2). During this meditation mantras are used. They believe that when certain sounds and words, called mantras, are said many times they arouse good vibrations within a person (Buddhism FAQ? s pg. 1). The Noble Eightfold Path consists of eight factors: Right Understanding Right Thoughts Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration 1.

Right Understanding is the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. In other words, it is the understanding of oneself as one really is. The main idea of Buddhism is Right Understanding. Buddhism is based on knowledge and practical concepts, as opposed to unsubstantiated beliefs. 2. Right Thoughts are threefold.

The first are the thoughts of renunciation. The second are Kind Thoughts which are opposed to ill-will. Finally, the third are thoughts of harmlessness that are opposite to cruelty. 3. Right Speech deals with refraining from falsehood, stealing, slandering, harsh words and frivolous talks. 4. Right Action deals with refraining from killing, stealing and unchastity. It helps one to develop a character that is self-controlled and mindful of right of others. 5.

Right Livelihood deals with the five kinds of trades which should be avoided by a lay disciple. They are trade in deadly weapons, trade in animals for slaughter, trade in slavery, trade in intoxicants, and trade in poisons. Right Livelihood means earning one? s living in a way that is not harmful to others. 6. Right Effort is fourfold. This means the endeavors to discard evil that has already arisen, prevent the arising of unwise evil, develop that good which has already arisen, and promote that good which has not already arisen.

Effort is needed to cultivate Good Conduct or develop one? s mind, because one is often distracted or tempted to take the easy way out of things. The Buddha teaches that attaining happiness and Enlightenment depends upon one? s own efforts.

Effort is the root of all achievement. If one wants to get to the top of a mountain, just sitting at the foot thinking about it will not bring one there. It is by making the effort of climbing up the mountain, step by step, that one eventually reaches the summit. Thus, no matter how great the Buddha? s achievement may be, or how excellent His Teaching is, one must put the Teaching into practice before one can expect to obtain the desired result. 7. Right Mindfulness is also fourfold.

It involves mindfulness with regard to body, feeling, mind, and mental objects. Right Mindfulness is the awareness of one? s deeds, words, and thoughts. 8. Right Meditation means the gradual process of training the mind to focus on a single object and remain fixed upon the object without wavering. The constant practice of meditation helps one to develop a calm and concentrated mind and help to prepare one for the attainment of Wisdom and Enlightenment ultimately.

Despite all using the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths there is more than one form of Buddhism. Amidst the spread of Buddhism to places like Eastern Asia, Buddhism was varied and altered to fit different cultures. These variations can largely be divided into three major groups or? vehicles? (Buddhist Basics pg. 2).

The first of the three is Hinayana school, aslo known as the Theravada school, School of the Elders, and the lesser vehicle. This school is widely practiced in Southeast Asia. This is the oldest and probably the most strict of the three. It also regards itself as the closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. While Hinayana focuses on the Four Noble Truth and the Eightfold Path just like the other schools, it is still different. Its emphasis is on personal rather that collective liberation (Buddhist Basics pg. 2).

This is based on the Buddha? s thought that one cannot enlighten another. This looking out for number one mentality is probably why this school is the lesser vehicle. Another reason may be that it would take a smaller, lesser, vehicle to take only person to Nirvana, as opposed to helping others come along.

Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka This is the desire of the Mahayana, which means? great vehicle? (Wangu pg. 50), school. This school developed in India during the first century C. E. As was mentioned before, They desire to liberate all beings (Buddhist Basics pg. 3). This is based on the question of if an enlightened individual could enter Nirvana while others are still suffering.

Because of this the ideal becomes the bodhisattva- literally, a being of wisdom (Wangu pg. 52), or one who postpones entry into Nirvana and who is consciously reborn to help humanity. The bodhisavatta is similar to the sacrificial role of Jesus in Christianity (Wangu pg. 53). Mahayanist strongly emphasize compassion as the ultimate form of practice (Buddhist Basics pg. 3). This all inclusive approach is most likely the reason as to why it is called the great vehicle. There is also the reason of the size of vehicle it would take to transport the people to Nirvana. There is also a third school which came from the Mahayana school.

This is the Tantrayana school, also known as Vajrayana or the diamond vehicle. It began in India during the seventh century and is mainly practiced in the Himalayan regions. The teachers are known as Yoga Guru. This school developed out of the Mahayana teachings in Northeast India around 500 C. E.

and spread to Tibet, China, and Japan (Buddhist Basics pg. 4). It teaches not to suppress energy but rather to transform it (Buddhist Basics pg. 4). Tantrayana stresses the interwove ness of things; the interdependence of existence, and the continuity of cause and effect. The principle meditative practice is that of the? sacred outlook, ?

or seeing appearances as pure. Rituals include the repeating of the sacred utterances, mantras, emulating their gestures, madras, and the systematic arrangement of symbols, such as the mandala, on which the process of meditative visualization, yantra, is based. Buddhism is very logical. It is not based on blindly believing its teachings.

The Buddha himself urged his own students to not merely follow him, but to put his teachings to the test, study the way of the Buddha and realize the path for themselves. To study the way of the Buddha is to study oneself. To study oneself is to forget oneself. To forget oneself is to be enlightened by everything (Buddhist Basics pg. 6). Buddhism is a philosophy, regarded as a religion that teaches you how to escape the Self in order to attain Nirvana. Hinduism hinduism The term Hinduism refers to the civilization of the Hindus (originally, the inhabitants of the land of the Indus River).

Introduced in about 1830 by British writers, it properly denotes the Indian civilization of approximately the last 2, 000 years, which evolved from Vedas the religion of the Indo-European peoples who settled in India in the last centuries of the 2 nd millennium BC. The spectrum that ranges from the level of popular Hindu belief to that of elaborate ritual technique and philosophical speculation is very broad and is attended by many stages of transition and varieties of coexistence. Magic rites, animal worship, and belief in demons are often combined with the worship of more or less personal gods or with mysticism, asceticism, and abstract and profound theological systems or esoteric doctrines. The worship of local deities does not exclude the belief in pan-Indian higher gods or even in a single high God. Such local deities are also frequently looked down upon as manifestations of a high God. In principle, Hinduism incorporates all forms of belief and worship without necessitating the selection or elimination of any.

It is axiomatic that no religious idea in India ever dies or is superseded-it is merely combined with the new ideas that arise in response to it. Hindus are inclined to revere the divine in every manifestation, whatever it may be, and are doctrinally tolerant, allowing others including both Hindus and non-Hindus whatever beliefs suit them best. A Hindu may embrace a non-Hindu religion without ceasing to be a Hindu, and because Hindus are disposed to think synthetically and to regard other forms of worship, strange gods, and divergent doctrines as inadequate rather than wrong or objectionable, they tend to believe that the highest divine powers are complement one another. Few religious ideas are considered to be irreconcilable. The core of religion does not depend on the existence or nonexistence of God or on whether there is one god or many.

Because religious truth is said to transcend all verbal definition, it is not conceived in dogmatic terms. Moreover, the tendency of Hindus to distinguish themselves from others on the basis of practice rather than doctrine further de-emphasizes doctrinal differences. Hinduism is both a civilization and a congregation of religions; it has neither a beginning or founder, nor a central authority, hierarchy, or organization. Hindus believe in an uncreated, eternal, infinite, transcendent, and all-embracing principle, which, comprising in itself being and non-being, is the sole reality, the ultimate cause and foundation, source, and goal of all existence. This ultimate reality is called Brahman. As the All, Brahman causes the universe and all beings to emanate from itself, transforms itself into the universe, or assumes it?

s appearance. Brahman is in all things and is the Self (atman) of all living beings. Brahman is the creator, preserver, or transformer and reabsorbed of everything. Although it is Being in itself, without attributes and qualities and hence impersonal, it may also be conceived of as a personal high God, usually as Vishnu (Vishnu) or Siva.

This fundamental belief in and the essentially religious search for ultimate reality that is, the One is the All have continued almost unaltered for more than 30 centuries and has been the central focus of India? s spiritual life. In some perceptions, Hinduism has been called? atheistic? . In other perceptions, and this is perhaps the more common one, it is labeled? polytheistic? .

The term? polytheism? acknowledges the presence of a God-figure in a religious system, but in the plural. Thus it is said that Hindus worship many such beings we call God. But obviously this implies a very profound difference in the understanding of what such a? God?

could be. It is often said that Hindus worship three gods and they are in fact called the? Hindu Trinity? . The gods involved are: Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The first is supposed to create the world (at the beginning of each cosmic cycle), the second to maintain it in being, and Siva, at the end of a cosmic cycle, to destroy it again. But then a further idea is added which is ignored by the proponents of the theory of a Hindu Trinity.

What is added invariably implies that, over and above these three figures lies a single reality. This? one above the three? controls the activities of the creation etc. Brahma and the others, who carry out these functions, are merely manifestations of that highest being, or they relate to it in some other, equally secondary, form. This concept of a single, all powerful, eternal, personal and loving God, is the concept of Bhagavan.

But who is this Hindu Bhagavan? At least to us the outside observers he is not one, but many. Siva, Vishnu, Krsna, Rama, Karttikeya and Ganesa may be mentioned as the most important Bhagavan figures. But to speak of many Bhagavan's has nothing to do with? polytheism? , for in terms of Indian society, different groups have their one and only Bhagavan. In most cases a particular Bhagavan-figure may look the same as deva.

By? looking the same? is meant here: possessing the same external characteristics (including name) and having the same or very similar stories told by his mythical deeds. From this follows that the individual (or, in practice, far more often, the group to which he belongs, and this is more frequently by birth than by choice) makes a decision as to how to regard such a figure. Vishnu could thus be the Bhagavan for some people, a minor manifestation of Siva for others, a going for a third group, possibly an evil demonic being for a fourth and Isvara for a fifth.

But this does not mean that every single religious individual in India ends up with a Bhagavan. Although those Hindus who particularly worship either Vishnu or Shiva generally consider one or the other as their? favorite god? and as the Lord and Brahman in its personal aspect, Vishnu is often regarded as a special manifestation of the preservative aspect of the Supreme and Shiva as that of the destructive function.

Another deity, Brahma, the creator, remains in the background as a demiurge. These three great figures (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) constitute the so-called Hindu Trinity (Trimuriti, the One or Whole with Three Forms). This conception attempts to synthesize and harmonize the conviction that the Supreme Power is insular with the plurality of gods in daily religious worship. Although the concept of the Trimurti assigns a position of special importance to some great gods, it never has become a living element in the religion of the people. Brahma, the first of the three Hindu gods, is called the Creator; he is the father of gods and men, the Vedic Prajapati, the lord of creators. The term is used for the Absolute, or the Ultimate Principle, beyond which nothing exists or has any reality.

In the Upanishads, Brahma is said to be beyond all description. This universe was enveloped in darkness unperceived, indistinguishable, undiscoverable, unknowable, as it were, entirely sunk in sleep. The irresistible self existent lord, un discerned, creating this universe with the five elements, and all other things, was manifested dispelling the gloom. He who is beyond the cognizance of the senses, subtile, indiscernible, eternal, who is the essence of all things, and inconceivable, himself shone forth. He, desiring, seeking to produce various creatures from his own body, first created the waters, and deposited in them a seed. This (seed) became a golden egg, resplendent as the sun, in which he himself was born as Brahma, the progenitor of all worlds.

The waters are called nara, because they are the offspring of Nara; and since they were formerly the place of his movement (ravana), he is therefore called Narayana. Being formed by that First Cause, indiscernible, eternal, which is both existent and non-existent, that male is known in the world as Brahma. That lord having continued a year in the egg, divided it into two parts by his mere thought. In the Mahabharata and some of the Puranas, Brahma is said to have issued from a lotus that sprang fromthe navel of Vishnu. In picture Brahma is represented as a red man with four heads, though in the Puranas he is said to have had originally five. He is dressed in white raiment, and rides upon a goose.

In one hand he carries a staff, in the other a dish for receiving alms. A legend in the Matsya Purana, gives the following account of the formation of his numerous heads: Brahma formed from his own immaculate substance a female who is celebrated under the names of Satarupa, Savitri, Sarasvati, Gayatri, and Brahmani. Beholding his daughter, born from his body, Brahma became wounded with the arrows of love and exclaimed, ? How surpassingly lovely she is! ? Satarupa turned to the right side from his gaze; but as Brahma wished to look after her, a second head issued from his body. As she passed to the left, and behind him, to avoid his amorous glances, two other heads successively appeared.

At length she sprang into the sky; and as Brahma was anxious to gaze after her there, a fifth head was immediately formed. At present times Brahma is not largely worshipped by the Hindus. It is said that the universe will come to an end at the end of Brahma? s life, but Brahmas too are innumerable, and a new universe is reborn with each new Brahma.

VISHNU is called the second person of the Hindu Trimuriti or Trinity: but though called second, it must not be supposed that he is regarded as in any way inferior to Brahma. In some books Brahma is said to be the first cause of all things, in others it is as strongly asserted that Vishnu has this honor; while in others it is claimed for Siva. As Brahma? s special work is creation, that of Vishnu is preservation. In the following passage from the Padma Purana, it is taught that Vishnu is the supreme cause, thus identifying him with Brahma, and also that his special work is to preserve: In the beginning of creation, the great Vishnu, desirous of creating the whole world, became threefold; Creator, Preserver, Destroyer. In order to create this world, the Supreme Spirit produced from the right side of his body himself as Brahma; then, in order to preserve the world, he produced from his left side Vishnu; and in order to destroy the world, he produced from the middle of his body the eternal Shiva Some worship Brahma, others Vishnu, others Shiva; but Vishnu, one yet threefold, creates, preserves, and destroys: therefore let the pious makes no difference between the three.

In pictures Vishnu is represented as a black man with four arms: in one hand he holds a club; in another a shell; in a third a chakra, or disease, with which he slew his enemies; and in the fourth a lotus. He rides upon the bird Garuda, and is dressed in yellow robes. This deity is worshipped not only under the name and in theory of Vishnu, but also in one of his many incarnations. Whenever any great calamity occurred in the world, or the wickedness of any of its inhabitants proved an unbearable nuisance to the gods, Vishnu, as Preserver, had to lakeside his invisibility, come to earth in some form, generally human, and, when his work was done, he returned again to the skies. There is no certainty as tothe number of times he has become incarnate. Ten is the commonly received number, and these are the most important ones.

Of these ten, nine have already been accomplished; one, the Kali, is still future. Some of these Avatars are of an entirely cosmical character; others, however, are probably based on historical events, the leading personage of which was gradually endowed with divine attributes, until he was regarded as the incarnation of the deity himself. These are Fish (Matsya), Tortoise (Korea), Boar (Varaha), Man-Lion (Narasimha), Dwarf (Ravana), Rama-with-the-Ax (Parasurama), King Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and the future incarnation, Kali. Preference for any one of these manifestations is largely a matter of tradition. Thus, Ramayana Krishna are the preferred ones. The classical narrative of Rama is recounted in the Ramayana by the saga Valmiki, who is the traditional author of the epic.

Rama is deprived of the kingdom to which he is heir and is exiled to the forest with his wife Sita and his brother Laksmana. While there, Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. In their search for Sita, the brothers ally themselves with a monkey king whose general, Hanuman (who later became a monkey deity), finds Sita in Lanka. In a cosmic battle, Ravana is defeated and Sita rescued. When Rama is restored to his kingdom, Sita? s chastity while captive is doubted.

To reassure them, Rama banishes Sita to a hermitage, where she bears him two sons and eventually dies by reentering the earth from which she had been born. Rama? s reign becomes the prototype of the harmonious and just kingdom, to which all kingdoms should aspire. Rama and Sita set the ideal of conjugal love; Rama? s relationship to his father is the ideal of filial love; and Rama and Laksmana represent perfect fraternal love. In all but its oldest form, the Ramayana identifies Rama with Vishnu as another incarnation and remains the principle source for Ramaism (worship or Rama).

In the Mahabharata, Krishna is primarily a hero, a chieftain of a tribe, and an ally of the Pandava's, the heroes of the Mahabharata. He accomplishes heroic feats with the Pandava prince Arjuna. Typically he helps the Pandava brothers to settle in their kingdom, and when the kingdom is taken from them, to regain it. In the process he emerges as a great teacher who reveals the Bhagavadgita, the most important religious text of Hinduism.

In the further development of the Krishna myth, it is found that as a child, Krishna was full of boyish pranks and well known for his predilection for milk and butter. He would raid the dairies of the goes (milkmaids) to steal fruit, milk, and butter, and would accuse others for his misdeeds. Krishna is the most celebrated deity of the Hindu pantheon. He is worshipped as an independent god in his own right, but is also regarded as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu.

In the course of life he was supposed thane had 16, 108 wives and 180, 008 sons. In the epic he is a hero, a leader of his people, and an active helper of his friends. Shiva is the third person of the Hindu Trinity. As Brahma was Creator, Vishnu Preserver, in order to complete the system, as all things are subject to decay, a Destroyer was necessary and destruction is regarded as the peculiar work of Siva. It must be remembered that, according to the teachings of Hinduism, death is not death in the sense of passing into non-existence, but simply a change into a new form of life. He who destroys, therefore, causes beings to assume new phases of existence the Destroyer is really the re-Creator; hence the name Siva, the Bright or Happy One, is given to him, which would not have been the case had he been regarded as the destroyer, in the ordinary meaning of that term.

According to the ancient Indians, Shiva primarily must have been the divine representative of the fallow, dangerous, dubious, and much-to-be-feared aspects of nature. He is considered as the ultimate foundation of all existence and the source and ruler of all life, but it is not clear whether, Shiva is invoked as a great god of frightful aspect, capable of conquering impious power, or as the boon-giving Lord and protector. He is both terrible and mild, creator and agent of reabsorption, eternal rest and ceaseless activity. These contradictions make him an ironic figure, who transcends humanity and assumes a mysterious grandeur of his own. His myths describe him as the absolute mighty unique One, who is not responsible to anybody or for anything. As a dancer, his pose expresses the eternal rhythm of the universe; he also catches the waters of the heavenly Ganges River, which destroys all sin; and he wears in his headdress the crescent moon, which drips the nectar of everlasting life.

Sometimes in the act of trampling on or destroying demons, he wears around his black neck a serpent, and a necklace of skulls, furnished with a whole apparatus of external emblems, such as a white bull on which he rides, a trident, tiger? s skin, elephant? s skin, rattle, noose, etc. He has three eyes, one being on his forehead, in reference either to the three Vedas, or time past, present and future and in the end of time, he will dance the universe to destruction. It is said that without his consort Mother Goddess, no Hindu god is much use or value to anyone. He may strut about, but his powers are limited.

To be complete he requires a Devi, Goddess, who takes many different names and forms, but always embodies Shakti. In some myths Devi is the prime mover, who commands the male gods to do work of creation and destruction. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, all three have their own consorts. Sarasvati, the goddess of wisdom and science and, the mother of Vedas, is Brahma? s life. She is represented as a fair young woman, with four arms; with one of her right hands, she is presenting a flower to her husband, by whose side she continually stands; and in the other she holds a book of palm-leaves, indicating that she is fond of learning.

In one of her left hands, she has a string of pearls, called Sivamala (Shiva? s garland) and in the other a small drum. Lakshmi, or very commonly known as Sri, is the wife of Vishnu. Sri, the bride of Vishnu, the mother of the world, is eternal, imperishable; as he is all-pervading, so she is omnipotent. Vishnu is meaning, she is speech; Hari is polite, she is prudence; Vishnu is understanding, she is intellect; he is righteousness, she is devotion; Sri is the earth, Hari is the support. In a word, of gods, animals, and men, Hari is all that is called male; Lakshmi is all that is termed female; there is nothing else than they.

Lakshmi is regarded as the goddess of Love, Beauty, and Prosperity and is also known as Haripriya, The beloved of Hari, and Lokamata, The mother of the world. Uma or Kali, is the consort of the Hindu god Shiva in her manifestation of the power of time. As Shiva? s female consort and a destructive mother goddess, she inherits some of Shiva? s most fearful aspects.

She is frequently portrayed as a black, laughing, naked hag with blood stained teeth, a protruding tongue, and a garland of human skulls. She usually has four arms: One hand holds a sword, the second holds a severed human head, the third is believed by her devotes to be removing fear, and the third is often interpreted as granting bliss. Kali is beyond fear and finite existence and is therefore believed to be able to protect her devotees against fear and to give them limitless peace. The canon of Hinduism is basically defined by what people do rather than what they think. Consequently, far more uniformity of behaviour than of belief is found among Hindus, although very few practices or beliefs are shared by all.

A few usage are observed by almost all Hindus: reverence for Brahmans and cows; abstention from meat (especially beef); and marriage within caste (jan), in the hope of producing male heirs. Most Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, or the Goddess (Devi), but they also worship hundreds of additional minor deities peculiar to a particular village or even to a particular family. Although Hindus believe and do many apparently contradictory things, each individual perceives an orderly pattern that gives form and meaning to his or her own life. No doctrinal or clerical hierarchy exists in Hinduism, but the intricate hierarchy of the social system (which is inseparable from the religion) gives each person a sense of place within the whole.


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