Eastern Religions and Philosophies

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Eastern Religions and Philosophies
A Presentation for SOAR (Sep. 21, 2012) Rajiv
Narula
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Eastern Religions

• Variety of beliefs and practices
• Oldest organized thought processes
• Based on the laws of nature, karma, spirituality
  and righteousness

Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism Sikhism
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All schools of thought accepted respected

• Theistic Formless God
• - Incarnate/ Personal God
• Non Theistic
• Agnostic
• Atheistic
• Belief in self

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Hinduism Guiding Principles

• No founding figure, Inspiration from many books
• 4 Vedas Rig Ved, Yajur Ved, Saama Ved, Atharva
  Ved
• Upanishads
• 18 Purans
• 2 epics, Ramayan and Mahabharat

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A system tailored to your needs

• Not stagnant but ever evolving
• No rules set in stone
• Flexibility in beliefs and customs
• Bhakti Yog
• Karma Yog
• Gyan Yog

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Guiding Principles

• Yama(s)
• Ahimsa Non Harming
• Satya Truthfulness
• Asteya Non stealing
• Brahmacharya Having Ethical Conduct like God
• Aparigraha Non Clinging/Non attachment

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Guiding Principles

• Niyama(s)
• Shaucha Purity
• Santosh Contentment
• Tapas Self Discipline
• Swadhyaya Study of the Self
• Ishvar Praanidhaan Devotion to the higher
  Self/God

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Central tenets

• Karma

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Bliss-Nirvana-Self realization

• Free is that One who wants nothing, yet enjoys!
  What comes - enjoys, what comes not - enjoys,
  never mind!

SIMPLE MATH
Happiness Desires fulfilled/ Desires harbored
Infinite happiness Bliss Desires fulfilled/0
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Fearlessness
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Hinduism A Way of Life

• Most Common Greeting

Namaste I bow to the Divinity in You "I honor
the place in you in which the entire Universe
dwells, I honor the place in you which is of
Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When
you are in that place in you, and I am in that
place in me, we are One."
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Various forms of Worship
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LuniSolar Calendar
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Festivals

• Diwali

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Festivals

• Holi

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Festivals

• Navratri

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Divinity in All Forms

• Mountains

• Rivers

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Divinity in All Forms

• Heavenly bodies

• Motherland

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Divinity in All Forms

• Animals

• Plants

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Gender of GOD ?

• A religion where GOD is not necessarily Masculine
• Saraswati
• Lakshmi
• Durga

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A most loving religion
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Symbolism in Hinduism

• Ganesh- The Remover of Obstacles

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Symbolism in Hinduism

• Vishnu in an Ocean of Milk

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Symbolism in Hinduism

• The ten avatars of Vishnu
• Darwins theory of Evolution

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The ten avatars of Vishnu
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The ten avatars of Vishnu
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Symbolism in Hinduism

• Shivs family

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Symbolism in Hinduism

• Gods and
• Goddesses with
• many hands

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Symbolism in Hinduism

• The TOTAL Package Wealth, Knowledge and Wisdom

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Common Myths

• Many Gods
• Goddesses?
• Not a Polytheistic Religion?

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Common Myths

• Many Gods and Goddesses?
• One in All, All in One !

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Common Myths

• Caste System
• Varnaashram Dharm
• Not assigned by birth but by inherent nature
  deeds
• Equality for all.

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Hinduisms contribution to Science and Technology

• The Worlds first university was established in
  Takshila in 700 BC. Students from all over the
  World studied more than 60 subjects.
• Hindus invented the Number System. Zero was
  invented by Aryabhatta. The place value system,
  the decimal system was developed in
  Aryavarta(India) in 100 BC.
• The Surya Siddhanta
• A textbook on astronomy of ancient India, last
  compiled in 1000 BC, believed to be handed down
  from 3000 BC by aid of complex mnemonic recital
  methods still known today.
• Showed the Earths diameter to be 7,840 miles,
  compared to modern measurements of 7,926.7 miles.
• Showed the distance between the Earth and the
  Moon as 253,000 miles, compared to modern
  measurements of 252,710 miles.

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Hinduisms contribution to Science and Technology

• Sanskrit is considered the mother of all higher
  languages. Sanskrit is the most precise, and
  therefore suitable language for computer software
  a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known
  to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine
  consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• Maharshi Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600
  years ago he and health scientists of his time
  conducted complicated surgeries like caesareans,
  cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary
  stones and even plastic surgery.
• Detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology,
  etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism,
  genetics and immunity is also found in many
  texts.

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Buddhism

• Breaking away from ritualistic Hinduism
• Realization of the Self
• Means for sentient beings to end suffering
  (dukkha) through eliminating ignorance
  attachment, by way of understanding and seeing
  the fruits of action (karma) and thus attain the
  highest happiness (nirvana).

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Jainism

• Non-violence (Ahimsa) is the highest virtue
• Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies
  and achieved the state of supreme being is
  called jina ("conqueror" or "victor").

Very austere to follow
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Sikhism

• Sikhs are ordained to follow the teachings of the
  ten gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the
  holy scripture entitled the Guru Granth Sahib,
  which, along with the writings of Sikh Gurus,
  includes selected works of many devotees from
  diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds

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The Universal Prayer for Peace

• Om dyauh shaantih Antariksham shaantih
• Prithivee shaantih Aapah shaantih
• Oshadhayah shaantih Vanaspatayah shaantih
• Vishvedevaah shaantih Brahma shaantih
• Sarvam shaantih Shaantireva shaantih
• Saamaa shaantiredhih Om shaantih, shaantih,
  shaantih!
• O Supreme Lord, Thy celestial regions are full of
  peace and harmony peace reigns on Thy earth and
  Thy waters. Thy herbs and trees are full of
  peace. All Thy forces of nature are full of peace
  and harmony. There is peace and perfection in Thy
  eternal knowledge everything in the universe is
  peaceful, and peace pervades everywhere. O Lord,
  may that peace come to me!
• May peace radiate there in the whole sky as well
  as in the vast ethereal space everywhere. May
  peace reign all over this earth, in water and in
  all herbs, trees and creepers. May peace flow
  over the whole universe. May peace be in the
  Supreme Being Brahman. And may there always exist
  in all peace and peace alone.
• Om peace, peace and peace to us and all beings!

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II Namaste II