1. Moksha is the Hindu term that means liberation or release of their inner selfs from being reincarnated continuously.
2. Monism- something such as thinking about categories can describe monism. For instance, there are thousands of different types of trees such as oak, maple, or poplar. However, all of these trees are under the category of tree allowing them all to be considered one. Monism is like this because it describes all reality as one.
3. Brahman- is the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe, beyond human perception.
Atman- is the eternal "self" or soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next.
Consistent with the idea that all reality is one, Hindus believe that Brahman is Atman or Atman is Brahman; they are one in the same.
4. Hindu gods are extensions of the one reality and help provide humans with a way to contact either Brahman or Atman in their own ways and characteristics.
5. Samsara- is the wheel of rebirth/reincarnation. Humans' "self" is reincarnated over and over until it reaches moksha.
6. Bhagavad-Gita
7. Karma and Dharma.
Karma- the idea of actions causing certain effects and determine into which life a person is reincarnated.
Dharma- one of the four goals and the duty that each human has in life.
8. Brahmin-priests
Kshatriya- warriors and administrators
Vaishya- farmers, merchants, and artisans
Shudra- servants and laborers
9. Krishna encourages Arjuna to fight with the idea that the atman is separate from the physical body therefore if you kill the body the "self" continues on to a new body.
10. Four Stages of Life
1. Student- around puberty, a boy starts studying the Vedas
2. Householder- pursuing a career and raising a family
3. Forest Dweller- begins at the birth of the first grandchild and begins the spiritual quest.
4. Sannyasin (ascetic)- forest dwellers return to society but are detached from attractions and distractions of social life.
11. Four Goals of Life
1. Sensual Pleasure (Kama)- the seeking of pleasure within the limits of dharma
2. Material Success (Artha)- social power and prestige along with an accumulation of material things.
3. Harmony with Dharma- a desire to duty and an ethical approach to life.
4. Bliss of Moksha- the final goal of life, to acheive the bliss of moksha or release from reincarnation.
12. Karma Marga, Path of Works- for the active, people engaged in day-to-day tasks like having a family and career.
Jnana Marga, Path of Knowledge, for the philosophical, a person who can dedicate time to learning and meditation.
Bhakti Marga, Path of Devotion, for the emotional, consists of worshiping deities.
13. Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yoga. All three regard the attainment of knowledge over the ignorance that binds the self to samsara.
14. Brahma- the creator, although hardly worshipped
Vishnu- the preserver, protector
Shiva- destroyer, making way for new creation
15. Avatar- an incarnation of a deity sent to earth for divine purpose. Krishna and Rama are avatars of Vishnu
16. Bhagavad-Gita
17. Household and village rituals- Hindus have many deities that they pray to and have shrines for them in their homes that they pray to.
Holy places- pilgrimages are made to holy places and festivals are held, or a holy place could be a river or other nature.
Cow veneration- the cow represents life
18. He lead India to independence and influences Hinduism's tendency to accept all wisdom as lighting the way to the divine.
19. The government has outlawed discrimination of outcastes and tried to increase their rights in society.
20. Sati is the practice of ritual suicide of a widow where she is burnt alive. Sati today is forbidden.
21. In 1947, India was partitioned dividing a piece of India into Pakistan for Muslims. The migration to Pakistan and India was bloody.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Yoruba: A Religious Tradition
Location & Geography: The Yoruba are located mainly in Western Nigeria and Benin/Togo of the continent Africa. They consist of several states such as Ife, Oyo, Ijebu, Remo, Awori, Egba, Ijesa, Ekiti, Ilaje, and Ondo. These states experience coastal & interior plains, rivers and highlands. Several rivers flow and intersect in Yorubaland; it lies north of the Gulf of Guinea and west of the Niger River- some of Yoruba spills into Benin here. (ProQuest: History Study Center: http://www.historystudycenter.com/search/displayMultiResultReferenceItem.do?Multi=yes&ResultsID=13BBF9E6C22&fromPage=search&ItemNumber=1&QueryName=reference, Google Images, Wikipedia)
Cosmology: The Yoruba have divided reality into two worlds; one world considered Earth and the other named Heaven. Similar to other religions, Heaven is the invisible or unknown place where the gods and the passed on live. Likewise, Earth is where the living dwell, the tangible place that provides a home for the Yoruba people. The Yoruba also believe that evil or vicious humans live on the Earth too and are capable of causing disaster and evil mischief. Additionally, there are people that connect with Heaven and Earth collaboratively because it is important for the Yoruba to harmoniously interact with those in Heaven and understand the future. ("Primal Religion Traditions": http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/cms/lib/MN01001540/Centricity/Domain/1841/Primal%20Religions%202b.pdf)
Sacred Symbols:
1. Yams: The Yoruba people thrive on farming and a main crop for them are yams. Yams symbolize all of the farming and a thanks to their ancestors and gods. The people offer yams to gods before celebrations or daily meals.
2. Cowry shells: These shells are symbols of the connection with a supernatural world and communication with the gods or the divine of that world. Priests use them to read people and how the supernatural forces are in them or some how affecting them.
3. Palm nuts: These are also used to connect with supernatural occurrences in people and in the natural world.
4. Akoko tree: This tree is a symbol for sacred locations for the Yoruba and is considered a sacred tree. The tree is used for some medicines and is valued by the people.
("Yoruba Religion": http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/yoruba.html)
Sacred Locations: The Yoruba used to have sacred groves outside of all the villages or cities, most in time dwindled away but there are some that still exist. For instance, a large grove today is "Osun Sacred Grove". Osun is the fertility god of the Yoruba and the grove is filled with places to worship and artwork like sculptures of Osun or other gods. The Yoruba people also stem creation from the Ile-Ife area and consider the city of Ife to be sacred because of their roots and trace of creation back to this city. Like many other primal religions, the Yoruba have an axis mundi, a place they consider to be the center of the universe. Ife is the Yoruba center or axis mundi. Additionally, any place where an ephemeral experience occurred would be considered sacred to the Yoruba. ("Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove"- http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1118, "Primal Religious Traditions"-handout)
Important Gods: The important gods include the good, the bad, and... the trickster figure. In the Yoruba religion their are many gods, most of them under the category of god as these gods intercede for the people and represent main aspects of life such as fertility. There are not many particular "bad" gods, just gods that represent things such as war or storms that destroy the land. And lastly, there are trickster gods that encompass both characteristics of good and evil or bad.
"Olorun"- Olorun is the top or first god and wields power over the universe however he does not interact with humans nor is interacted with by humans.
"Orisha-nla"- This god is a good god, an "orisha" which is just any god beneath Olorun. She is given the credit for creating the Earth.
"Ogun"- This is the god of iron and war who actually was a human on earth before earning divinity. He was king of the sacred city Ife in the beginning and after he died he was deified.
"Oya"- She is a god who favors destruction and being a catalyst for various things.
"Esu"- Esu is the trickster figure in the Yoruba religion, a god that contains both good and evil. He can mediate between heaven and earth but is also mischievous and gets humans into trouble. He is an important figure because of his dynamic and he is widely worshiped.
("Godpaths": http://www.godpaths.com/yoruba-religion.html , "Primal Religious Traditions"-handout)
Totems, Fetishes, and Taboos: Fabric Totem: The Yoruba create fabrics with beads that the shaman wears and are considered totems because it has significance for the person who wears it, the shaman, and enshrines much of the religion and culture in this object. The Yoruba however do not seem to have any totems represented in animals whereas in another account, it is written that a totem was anything and each family had a totem such as Erin the elephant. ("History of Yoruba"-http://books.google.com/books?id=7XSiGw4_qlAC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=totems+of+Yoruba&source=bl&ots=u0Zf4WkfIk&sig=3wjQtFhgP9ukL_AaRJReHM8ADX8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sE4FUYfeNO6P0QHktIDoBA&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=totems%20of%20Yoruba&f=false, "Creation in African Thought"- http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/creation-in-atr.htm, "Beadwork"- http://www.cyberrug.com/yoruba_beadwork_5803.htm)
Fetishes: Love Lock Fetish: The name sounds like what it was, a way to lock away the love of someone else with prayers and an object consisting of locks. The importance of a fetish is the spiritual power behind the object and its purpose for whoever has one. (Yoruba Fetish- http://www.authenticafrica.com/yorlovlocfet.html)
Taboos: Taboos are like rules or restrictions among people in the religion and in the Yoruba religion, the divinities have things that are taboo to their being or to the people who are in charge. For instances it is taboo to drink palm wine if you worship Orisha-nla or it is prohibited. Other taboos are established around the palace and there were duties for people to communicate with deities and things such as birth or death were taboo around the palace. (Traditional Taboo- http://maxwellsci.com/print/crjss/6-9.pdf)
Shaman and Magic: The role of the shaman in the Yoruba religion is to serve as the healer or medicine man. He uses spiritual divination, dances, rituals, and also herbs to heal the people. The Yoruba see illnesses as things to be gotten rid of but they also look at germs like helpful things to that do certain things in the body such as digestion or fertility. Thus they use magic as a form of medicine and divination in effort to try and receive good things. Magic therefore is a means to get things either fixed or manipulated in their favor. (African Shamanism- http://shamanportal.org/shamanism_african.php, Yoruba Religion- http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm)
Rituals: Orisha of Ayede: Iponmi Day Ritual: This is a water carrying ritual that occurs at the end of other various festivals and celebrations. The streets are taken over in a celebration of honoring people and orishas with mainly song and dance.
Isinku: This is a combination of rituals performed under the category of a funeral. The funeral ritual is designated to those who die of old age. The funeral takes place over the course of seven days, some days of most importance are Ojo Isinku, Itaoku, Irenoku, and Ijeku. Ojo Isinku is the first day and the preliminary actions occur such as gathering things and initial songs and dances performed. Itaoku is the third day, a day of feasts and celebration. Irenoku is the fourth day and again filled with play or light-hearted activities The final day is Ijeku, marking the end of celebration and sacrifice and the opportunity for new life to begin. ("Yoruba Ritual Archive"- http://www.international.ucla.edu/africa/yra/, "Yoruba"- http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart/kristen/yoruba.htm)
More Pictures:
Location:
Geography:
Cosmology: The Yoruba have divided reality into two worlds; one world considered Earth and the other named Heaven. Similar to other religions, Heaven is the invisible or unknown place where the gods and the passed on live. Likewise, Earth is where the living dwell, the tangible place that provides a home for the Yoruba people. The Yoruba also believe that evil or vicious humans live on the Earth too and are capable of causing disaster and evil mischief. Additionally, there are people that connect with Heaven and Earth collaboratively because it is important for the Yoruba to harmoniously interact with those in Heaven and understand the future. ("Primal Religion Traditions": http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/cms/lib/MN01001540/Centricity/Domain/1841/Primal%20Religions%202b.pdf)
Sacred Symbols:
1. Yams: The Yoruba people thrive on farming and a main crop for them are yams. Yams symbolize all of the farming and a thanks to their ancestors and gods. The people offer yams to gods before celebrations or daily meals.
2. Cowry shells: These shells are symbols of the connection with a supernatural world and communication with the gods or the divine of that world. Priests use them to read people and how the supernatural forces are in them or some how affecting them.
3. Palm nuts: These are also used to connect with supernatural occurrences in people and in the natural world.
4. Akoko tree: This tree is a symbol for sacred locations for the Yoruba and is considered a sacred tree. The tree is used for some medicines and is valued by the people.
("Yoruba Religion": http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/yoruba.html)
Sacred Symbols:
Sacred Locations:
Important Gods: The important gods include the good, the bad, and... the trickster figure. In the Yoruba religion their are many gods, most of them under the category of god as these gods intercede for the people and represent main aspects of life such as fertility. There are not many particular "bad" gods, just gods that represent things such as war or storms that destroy the land. And lastly, there are trickster gods that encompass both characteristics of good and evil or bad.
"Olorun"- Olorun is the top or first god and wields power over the universe however he does not interact with humans nor is interacted with by humans.
"Orisha-nla"- This god is a good god, an "orisha" which is just any god beneath Olorun. She is given the credit for creating the Earth.
"Ogun"- This is the god of iron and war who actually was a human on earth before earning divinity. He was king of the sacred city Ife in the beginning and after he died he was deified.
"Oya"- She is a god who favors destruction and being a catalyst for various things.
"Esu"- Esu is the trickster figure in the Yoruba religion, a god that contains both good and evil. He can mediate between heaven and earth but is also mischievous and gets humans into trouble. He is an important figure because of his dynamic and he is widely worshiped.
("Godpaths": http://www.godpaths.com/yoruba-religion.html , "Primal Religious Traditions"-handout)
Orishas:
Totems, Fetishes, and Taboos: Fabric Totem: The Yoruba create fabrics with beads that the shaman wears and are considered totems because it has significance for the person who wears it, the shaman, and enshrines much of the religion and culture in this object. The Yoruba however do not seem to have any totems represented in animals whereas in another account, it is written that a totem was anything and each family had a totem such as Erin the elephant. ("History of Yoruba"-http://books.google.com/books?id=7XSiGw4_qlAC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=totems+of+Yoruba&source=bl&ots=u0Zf4WkfIk&sig=3wjQtFhgP9ukL_AaRJReHM8ADX8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sE4FUYfeNO6P0QHktIDoBA&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=totems%20of%20Yoruba&f=false, "Creation in African Thought"- http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/creation-in-atr.htm, "Beadwork"- http://www.cyberrug.com/yoruba_beadwork_5803.htm)
Fetishes: Love Lock Fetish: The name sounds like what it was, a way to lock away the love of someone else with prayers and an object consisting of locks. The importance of a fetish is the spiritual power behind the object and its purpose for whoever has one. (Yoruba Fetish- http://www.authenticafrica.com/yorlovlocfet.html)
Taboos: Taboos are like rules or restrictions among people in the religion and in the Yoruba religion, the divinities have things that are taboo to their being or to the people who are in charge. For instances it is taboo to drink palm wine if you worship Orisha-nla or it is prohibited. Other taboos are established around the palace and there were duties for people to communicate with deities and things such as birth or death were taboo around the palace. (Traditional Taboo- http://maxwellsci.com/print/crjss/6-9.pdf)
Totem and Taboo:
Shaman and Magic: The role of the shaman in the Yoruba religion is to serve as the healer or medicine man. He uses spiritual divination, dances, rituals, and also herbs to heal the people. The Yoruba see illnesses as things to be gotten rid of but they also look at germs like helpful things to that do certain things in the body such as digestion or fertility. Thus they use magic as a form of medicine and divination in effort to try and receive good things. Magic therefore is a means to get things either fixed or manipulated in their favor. (African Shamanism- http://shamanportal.org/shamanism_african.php, Yoruba Religion- http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm)
Shaman and Magic:
Rituals: Orisha of Ayede: Iponmi Day Ritual: This is a water carrying ritual that occurs at the end of other various festivals and celebrations. The streets are taken over in a celebration of honoring people and orishas with mainly song and dance.
Isinku: This is a combination of rituals performed under the category of a funeral. The funeral ritual is designated to those who die of old age. The funeral takes place over the course of seven days, some days of most importance are Ojo Isinku, Itaoku, Irenoku, and Ijeku. Ojo Isinku is the first day and the preliminary actions occur such as gathering things and initial songs and dances performed. Itaoku is the third day, a day of feasts and celebration. Irenoku is the fourth day and again filled with play or light-hearted activities The final day is Ijeku, marking the end of celebration and sacrifice and the opportunity for new life to begin. ("Yoruba Ritual Archive"- http://www.international.ucla.edu/africa/yra/, "Yoruba"- http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart/kristen/yoruba.htm)
More Pictures:
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Primal Religious Traditions-Packet Questions
1. Primal religions came before the formal, widely practiced religions. They are mythic, ritualistic, have oral tradition, and are diverse among small groups.
2. Landscape, various forms of life, human beings, tribes, territory, language, social rules, and customs.
3. The spiritual essence of the Ancestors.
4. Totem: something natural (like a rock) that serves as a symbol for an individual or a group with religious significance. Taboo: assigning certain sacred activities/objects to certain groups or persons and which then are forbidden to others.
5. In ritual, the Aborigines can access the sacred power of the Dreaming.
6. The Ancestors taught the first humans ritual in the Dreaming.
7. The initiation rituals give young people spiritual identity and redefine it in the tribe and the rituals serve as a symbolic death and spiritual rebirth.
8. Two lower middle teeth knocked out and buried, circumcision.
9. Western regions of central Africa: Nigeria, Benin, Togo.
10. Yoruba believe Orisha-nla created the world beginning in Ife.
11. Divided into Heaven and Earth, Heaven being the home of gods and ancestors, Earth being home of human beings, both good and deviant humans (like witches).
12. Olorun: High God, serves as the original, overarching power in the universe but does not interact with humans.
13. Orishas: lesser deities but significant because they have sacred power and can help or hurt humans.
14. Orisha-nla: creator of Earth, Ogun: first king of Ife, became deified and named god of iron and war.
15. Mischievous, supernatural being that disrupts the natural order of things.
16. Family ancestors: gain supernatural status by good reputation and old age; exclusive to family worship, Deified ancestors: important human figures, worshiped by many.
17. Ritual practitioners mediate between gods and ancestors and humans to fulfill religious need.
18. Divination is a way of revealing someone's future; important because it determines how you will lead your life.
19. Twenty to thirty thousand years ago from Asia across the Bering Strait.
20. Representative of American Indian religion; serves as a model of pan-Indian religion and unites tribes across North America.
21. Wakan Tanka: The Lakota name for supreme reality, refers to sever separate deities (16 of them).
22. Inktomi is the Lakota trickster figure, involved in the myth of creation.
23. Four souls depart from a person and journey along the "spirit path", meet an old woman for judgement and if they pass judgement, parts will be reborn in new bodies.
24. Spiritual power to ensure greater success.
25. Sweat lodge: a dark, airtight hut made of saplings covered with animal skins; it represents the universe. Stones are heated and put in the middle, when water is poured on them, the person sweats a lot which is purifying him or her.
26. A typical vision involves either an animal or some object with a message that comes with it; some people end up getting guardian spirits to guide them.
27. A woman of outstanding moral character.
28. Axis mundi (in general): the axis (center) of the universe. In the Sun Dance it is represented by a cottonwood tree.
29. They understand that the only thing they own, therefore the only thing suitable enough for sacrifice, is their body.
30. Highly developed civilization and large population but myth and ritual are interrelated, human sacrifice occurs and it predates Catholicism.
31. Present-day Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
32. Quetzalcoatl in Teotihuacan.
33. A prince who ruled as priest-king who was the earthly devotee to the god Quetzalcoatl. He served as a perfect role model for authority figures.
34. Age of the Fifth Sun, the present sun would be destroyed and the last to exist.
35. The spatial world has four quadrants protruding from the center of the universe, connecting the earthly to the many-layered heavenly/ underworld realm.
36. Divine forces in the head and heart made humans seem powerful and significant enough to be considered axis mundi.
37. Could communicate with gods and make offerings with language.
38. The Aztecs perceived Cortes as the returning Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl because he had a feathered helmet and they thought he was the feathered serpent and gave him gifts.
39. The celebration joins the living and dead through festive and spiritually meaningful rituals which the Aztecs also used to do.
40. All-encompassing nature of religion, change, and loose boundaries between supernatural and human worlds.
2. Landscape, various forms of life, human beings, tribes, territory, language, social rules, and customs.
3. The spiritual essence of the Ancestors.
4. Totem: something natural (like a rock) that serves as a symbol for an individual or a group with religious significance. Taboo: assigning certain sacred activities/objects to certain groups or persons and which then are forbidden to others.
5. In ritual, the Aborigines can access the sacred power of the Dreaming.
6. The Ancestors taught the first humans ritual in the Dreaming.
7. The initiation rituals give young people spiritual identity and redefine it in the tribe and the rituals serve as a symbolic death and spiritual rebirth.
8. Two lower middle teeth knocked out and buried, circumcision.
9. Western regions of central Africa: Nigeria, Benin, Togo.
10. Yoruba believe Orisha-nla created the world beginning in Ife.
11. Divided into Heaven and Earth, Heaven being the home of gods and ancestors, Earth being home of human beings, both good and deviant humans (like witches).
12. Olorun: High God, serves as the original, overarching power in the universe but does not interact with humans.
13. Orishas: lesser deities but significant because they have sacred power and can help or hurt humans.
14. Orisha-nla: creator of Earth, Ogun: first king of Ife, became deified and named god of iron and war.
15. Mischievous, supernatural being that disrupts the natural order of things.
16. Family ancestors: gain supernatural status by good reputation and old age; exclusive to family worship, Deified ancestors: important human figures, worshiped by many.
17. Ritual practitioners mediate between gods and ancestors and humans to fulfill religious need.
18. Divination is a way of revealing someone's future; important because it determines how you will lead your life.
19. Twenty to thirty thousand years ago from Asia across the Bering Strait.
20. Representative of American Indian religion; serves as a model of pan-Indian religion and unites tribes across North America.
21. Wakan Tanka: The Lakota name for supreme reality, refers to sever separate deities (16 of them).
22. Inktomi is the Lakota trickster figure, involved in the myth of creation.
23. Four souls depart from a person and journey along the "spirit path", meet an old woman for judgement and if they pass judgement, parts will be reborn in new bodies.
24. Spiritual power to ensure greater success.
25. Sweat lodge: a dark, airtight hut made of saplings covered with animal skins; it represents the universe. Stones are heated and put in the middle, when water is poured on them, the person sweats a lot which is purifying him or her.
26. A typical vision involves either an animal or some object with a message that comes with it; some people end up getting guardian spirits to guide them.
27. A woman of outstanding moral character.
28. Axis mundi (in general): the axis (center) of the universe. In the Sun Dance it is represented by a cottonwood tree.
29. They understand that the only thing they own, therefore the only thing suitable enough for sacrifice, is their body.
30. Highly developed civilization and large population but myth and ritual are interrelated, human sacrifice occurs and it predates Catholicism.
31. Present-day Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
32. Quetzalcoatl in Teotihuacan.
33. A prince who ruled as priest-king who was the earthly devotee to the god Quetzalcoatl. He served as a perfect role model for authority figures.
34. Age of the Fifth Sun, the present sun would be destroyed and the last to exist.
35. The spatial world has four quadrants protruding from the center of the universe, connecting the earthly to the many-layered heavenly/ underworld realm.
36. Divine forces in the head and heart made humans seem powerful and significant enough to be considered axis mundi.
37. Could communicate with gods and make offerings with language.
38. The Aztecs perceived Cortes as the returning Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl because he had a feathered helmet and they thought he was the feathered serpent and gave him gifts.
39. The celebration joins the living and dead through festive and spiritually meaningful rituals which the Aztecs also used to do.
40. All-encompassing nature of religion, change, and loose boundaries between supernatural and human worlds.
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