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Essay / Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism: Comparison of Influence
“The mind is its own place and can in itself make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven. » John Milton. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayReligion is commonly interpreted as a belief or worship in an omniscient superhuman entity that is usually held responsible by its followers for the creation, development, and continuation of the planet we live on, as well as of life itself. Most of these entities are intangible. Many religions cite that their divine figure once existed in the flesh and walked the Earth carrying the same burdens as the mere men over whom he presides. These characters have generally endured some sort of pilgrimage, adversity, intense wanderings or experienced some sort of exceptional enlightenment. Most were also known for performing miracles such as resurrecting the dead, healing the sick, and walking on water, among others. As a result of their sacrifice or “service,” they eventually ascend to whatever idyllic spiritual place the religion considers. However, with scientific developments, extensions of our philosophy and increasing knowledge of our history; we began to question the foundations of what we once thought was an inherent part of every individual. John Milton's quote in Paradise Lost shows that the only unambiguous interpretation of religion is that it is a form of hope, a means of explaining what is essentially inexplicable and, therefore, it is extremely taxing for the mind to think. This is why believing that there is someone who “knows best” and that someone is in control of everything that happens here can alleviate what can be a brutal, dispirited and enduring existence. By these deductions, to measure the influence of Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism, hope must be the unit of measurement. Sanātana Dharma – the eternal order. Some consider Hinduism to be the oldest of all the religions that are with us today. The concept of Hinduism is considered to be a kind of fusion or synthesis. Where many people observing many different cultures came together to form religion. Although their sacred text, the Rig Veda, was written over 3,800 years ago, the Hindu synthesis or "second urbanization" is believed to have begun to develop somewhere between 500 BCE and 300 CE along of the sacred river Ganges. Hinduism contains a wide range of philosophies, multiple gods and many ideologies. They worship Brahman, the supreme deity of the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Brahma is responsible for creation, Vishnu for preservation and Shiva for destruction. Hinduism is not necessarily an organized religion and does not have a single "modus operandi" for teaching its values and beliefs. They do not have anything similar to the Eightfold Path or the Ten Commandments. Hinduism had "truths", these being: truth is eternal, Brahman is truth and reality, the Vedas are the ultimate authority, everyone should try to attain Dharma (Dharma is behavior that agrees with these "truths"), individual souls are immortal, and the goal of the soul is to achieve "Moksha" or liberation – liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, where the soul unites incorporeally with Brahman. The elastic interpretation of this religion was decisive in its development. This, combined with the caste system and community practices, influencedthe interpretation and practice of beliefs in the Hindu world. This is part and parcel of Hinduism's influence: many people were not seduced by the austerity and intense observations that many religions were tied to. Today, there are more than a billion Hindu followers, around 95% of whom live in India. This makes it the fourth largest religion in the world, behind Christianity, Islam and non-secular peoples. On the contrary, Judaism is rather illiberal in its practices. Jews are an ethnoreligious group composed of people born Jewish and converts. The Jewish sacred text is the Torah, which is part of a larger text known as the Hebrew Bible. Founded by Abraham, Judaism today has approximately 15 million adherents worldwide (0.2% of the world's population), making it the tenth largest religion in the world. The religion buried its roots in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. It has always been a highly organized religion, evolving from the ancient Israelites around 500 BCE. The three main beliefs of Judaism are monotheism, identity and covenant. Although the covenant is fundamental to Judaism, Jews believe that God cares about the actions of humanity, but they also believe that God has not yet appeared in the flesh. This means that adherents maintain “the Will of God” in each of their actions. This is because they anticipate the arrival of their savior and attempt to beckon him to come through their uncompromising practices. Judaism teaches that a person serves God by learning the holy books and doing what they teach. These teachings include both rituals, as well as moral and ethical rules. Judaism teaches that all people are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Judaism appears to have been subjected to extreme and typically violent scrutiny. From the Assyrian Exile in 740 BCE (they were bullied even before declaring themselves an organized sect), to Tiberius expelling the Jews from Rome in 19 CE, to the Granada Massacre in 1066 CE , to the oppression received from the Holy Roman Empire, through the Holocaust and countless other acts of anti-Semitism towards Jews. The foresight and faith required to persevere despite the seemingly arbitrary despotism bestowed upon them had been extraordinary. About 43% of all Jews reside in Israel and 43% in the United States and Canada, with most of the remainder living in Europe and other minority groups spread across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Throughout the exiles, extermination attempts, and condemnation of their heretics, the Jewish people never let go of their grip. Part of the reason for the exorbitant expansion of Hinduism was due to the fall of Buddhism in Central and South Asia. However, to this day it remains an important religious sect with 520 million adherents worldwide (7% of the world population). It is believed to have begun its development between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE; Buddhism encompasses a variety of beliefs, traditions and spiritual practices. Originating in India (founded in Nepal), Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, more commonly known by his stage name – “Buddha” or “The Enlightened One”. Buddha was a monk, wanderer, sage, philosopher, teacher and religious leader. The religion is not theistic, Buddha was not considered a God. Even if it didn't necessarily seem deadly to his students and the general public. Buddhist worship is called Puja. People chant to show their love for the Buddha. They make offerings of flowers, candles,.