Blog Post 22 - Ancient Western Religions

THIS PACKET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ!!!!
1.  Ancient Iran in 600 BCE
2.  Zarathustra began to preach and was able to convert the Persian king, who led the dominant army.
3.  An angel named Good Thought brought him before God and he realized that there was only one true God and so began to preach monotheism.
4.  The sacred text is called Avesta.  The oldest part of it are called the Garthas which are 17 hymns written by Zarathustra
5.  He is eternal and universally good.  He controls the cosmos and human destiny.  He is also the creator.
6.  Belief in universal forces of good and evil.
7.  The hostile spirit chose the Lie.  There is probably more to this but I can't read the packet.
8.  Good & Evil (Angels & Demons)
9.  After death individuals go to judgment by crossing a bridge of torment and pain.  They walk across a bridge over an abyss and the good get into paradise while the bad fall to their death.
10.  Agriculture.  Care for livestock.  Worship 5 times a day.
11.  They are the modern day Zoastrians who live in India.
12.  The Iliad and the Odyssey.
13.  They have human attributes.
14.  He celebrates Zeus' divine power and wisdom with his play, Agamemnon, which portrays human suffering as necessary.  
15.  The oracles are mortals with whom the gods have direct contact.  The most famous is the oracle at Delphi to whom Apollo was worshiped.  Delphi was thought to be the center of the earth.
16.  Mystery religions had initiates who had to undergo rituals.  During initiation, the initiate experienced an encounter with the deity.  Initiates got spiritual renewal and hopes of a better afterlife
17.  The mystery religion at Eleusis, near Athens.
18.  He is the god of fertility, vegetation, and wine.  He is depicted with vines and grapes.
19.  Lead a pure life, also be vegetarian, so that the soul will realize that it is divine.
20.  Plato thought that body and mind were separate.  He believed that truth was not something the body could experience.
21.  The mind was the only thing that could perceive truth and the body was incapable of such truths.
22.  Both healers were called Savior and venerated in similar manners by their people.
23.  They are the supernatural powers in charge of certain things.  They inhabit homes, towns, trees, doors, altars, and shrines.
24.  Jupiter
25.  Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury
26.  The worship and favor of the gods brought welfare and peace to the state.
27.  The mystery religions from Greece, Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor.
28.  Isis and Osiris were lovers until Osiris was hacked to pieces and spread about the land.  Isis found them all, mummified him and made him ruler of the underworld.
29.  It was the emperor's guardian spirit and his divine knowledge.
30.  Worship of the emperor would have contradicted their monotheistic view.

D*** It Feels Good To Be A Jew

Holy Items
1. What are the three functions of a synagogue?

A synagogue acts as a hub for social interaction amongst the Jewish folk.  They can worship, recreate, and celebrate.  Jews also use synagogues for study and worship.  The Torah is kept there and is studied in groups of people to promote synergy.  As for worship, it is done three times a day as required.

2. What does the layout of a synagogue look like? Check out the various items and then identify the purpose and location of the following:
Ark- On the eastern wall is an ark.  They are all differently ornate and hold the Torah behind a highly ornate curtain.  Sometimes there will be multiple Torah scrolls so there are multiple shelves.

Torah Scrolls- contain Jewish teachings on parchment made from the skin of a kosher animal.  They are kept in cloth coverings and must be clearly written, not be faded, and free of error.  It is forbidden to touch them

Ten Commandments- The ten commandments are also called the mitzvot.  There are 13 of them and they stress emphasis on God, human and family, and  human and human.  

3. What is a rabbi? A Jewish scholar or teacher who has been appointed a leader.

How does a Jew become a rabbi? Some rabbinical programs require 4 years in college, field training, internships, and a year lived in Israel.

How does a rabbi differ from a clergyman? Rabbis have no powers.

What is the rabbi’s role? He is a counselor, teacher, spiritual leader, and role model.

4. What is the nature Shabbat? (also called Sabbath) When does it occur? It is a day of rest given on Sunday.  Jews pray and eat more on this day.

5. What is the Torah? What is the Talmud? Torah is the law of God according to Moses. Talmud is Jewish civil and ceremonial law.

FYI: This is what a Torah Scroll looks like…

6. There are different branches of Judaism. Describe the following…
Orthodox: follow only the Torah, Talmud, and first 5 books of the bible in belief that God gave Moses the whole thing and that it has not been altered.

Reform: Believes the Torah is an ever changing thing.  These Jews keep up with modern times and change their beliefs as they see fit.  They also practice in the vernacular.

Conservative: Members of Judaism that did not fully adhere to either Reform or Orthodox.

Zionist: spawned from political activist Theodore Herzl, this branch aimed at ending anti-semitism

***Take a break and listen to some Klezmer music…(this will only work if Quicktime is loaded!)***

(What the hell is Quicktime?)

Language
7. What is Hebrew? A Semitic language that almost died out completely due to Aramaic.  It was revived in the 1920s and is currently spoken in Israel and is an official language.

8. What is Yiddish? "Jewish" language built upon Hebrew backgrounds.  It was extremely popular in Russia until it began to decline and is now the second most popular language spoken in Israel.

9. Define the following Yiddish terms:
Mazal Tov: Congratulations

Shalom: Hello, Peace, or Goodbye

Mitzvah: commandment

10. Rites of Passage – Use this link to define and describe the following:

Brit Milah (Bris): circumcision

Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The name for a child who has reached his maturity and must accept his responsibilities.  Bar for boys at 13 and Bat for girls at 12. 

Jewish Marriage: A ceremony to complete companionship and the security it provides.  This is done in a ceremony under a cloth to symbolize the home about to be made.  Then a legal document is signed and the groom checks to see if it his bride and they live happily ever after.

11. Holidays – Use this link to define the following:

Rosh Hoshanah Jewish New Year

Yom Kippur Days of fasting to celebrate atonement and repentance.  It is the most venerated day for Jews.

Hanukah Eight day celebration starting on Dec. 25 in honor of the "rededication" of the temple

Passover Jewish festival celebrating the release of the Israelites from Egypt.

12. What is something you knew about Jewish traditions that this confirmed? I am familiar with Jewish weddings and what occurs during them.

13. What is the most interesting or surprising information out of all of this? I did not know that Yom Kippur was the number one holiday celebrated by Jews.

14. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition which is similar to a tradition in your life? The idea that the synagogue is a place of study.  My church offers tutoring services and I help kids study all the time.

15. What is one aspect of Jewish tradition that is different from a tradition in your life? Praying three times a day is not something I make sure to do.

Buddhism Packet Questions

1. Siddhartha Gautama
2. Old man, sick man, dead man, and an ascetic.  The first three made him realize suffering and how it pertains to everyone in the world.  The ascetic made him see a way which he could escape these sufferings.
3. Siddhartha was starving to death and realized that starvation does not lead to salvation.  Therefore there is no need to completely deny one's self by not taking care of one's self.
4. He sat under a tree while being tempted by the three daughters of the demon Mara.  He resisted them all and reached enlightenment that night.
5. A sangha is a group of Buddhist monks or nuns.
6. Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
7. Reincarnation and Karma
8. He did not like all of the gods and the idea of worship.
9. Anicca is the desire that causes Dhukka. Anatta is the cessation of Dhukka through the cessation of Anicca
10. Anatta is the exclusion of self while Atman is the complete external world for which self is given up
11. Karma determines into which thing your soul will be reincarnated
12. No killing, stealing, misconduct, lying/cheating, or intoxicants.  For monks: do not eat after noon, do not use cosmetics, do not accept money, no fine arts, no sleeping in nice places
13. Suffering- pain caused by desire, jealousy, hate
14. Tanha is the desire, jealousy and hate mentioned in question 13
15. Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and right knowledge and liberation.
16. Buddhas refrain from Nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment
17. An Arhat is one who has become enlightened, probably Theravada
18. Nirvana means blow out.  Your spirit cease to exist when Nirvana is reached like a flame ceases to exist when you blow it out
19. Mahayana, Theravada, Vajrayana
20. Buddha's doctrines
21. Large vehicle- most popular branch
22. It uses desire to show the irrelevance of life
23. He leads Tibetian Buddhism. He is not chosen. When he dies, he is reincarnated and the high lamas try and find his reincarnation
24. Theravada- Southeast Asia; Mahayana- East Asia; Vajrayana- Tibet and Mongolia.
25. 

Buddha Intro

Siddhartha Gautama was once a wealthy man who lived inside of a castle because an oracle told his father that Siddhartha would either be a religious man or a ruler.  His father wanted him to be a ruler so Siddhartha was kept indoors to tempt him away from religious life by way of women and food.  However, after going outside of his palace he came to four sights that made him think over life and existence.  Eventually he left the castle to become a wandering holy man.
The 3 Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha who is a teacher, the Dharma which provides moral laws, and the Sangha which is a Buddhist community.  The threefold path is a similar way to Nirvana through ethics, meditation, and wisdom.  Buddha's teachings are all based around four truths that he discovered about suffering: 1. all existence is suffering, 2. Desire is the cause of suffering, 3. suffering is ended when desire is ended, and there is a path that leads from suffering. The Buddha's extensive approach to Dharma is known as the eightfold path which is as follows: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and right knowledge and liberation.

Hinduism Questions

1. They are primal because they come before traditional religious practices
2. The Ancestors turned the formless land into a landscape. They created humans and before they left, created natural landmarks, rock paintings, etc.
3. The Ancestors' spiritual essence
4. Totem- an object believed to have spiritual significance Taboo- an act that defies religious customs or beliefs.
5. Rituals bring in the Ancestors' spirit into the human being
6.  The Ancestors during the Dreaming, taught them to the humans
7. Initiation gives the person meaning in his/her life
8. 8.       Death is symbolized by the taking out of two teeth or marking scars on the back or neck
   9.      Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
   10. Ife is where the universe began
   11. Heaven is where the Orishas live.  It is divided into upper and lower segments, with the most powerful Orishas residing in the upper areas while the other Orishas remain in lower heaven.  Earth is where life dwells.
   12.   Olorun is the mother of all Orishas. She created the form that Obatala shaped.
   13. Orishas are the children of Olorun.  They control the aspects of life.  They are important because Yorubas believe that their lives are dedicated to one specific orisha, and that is how they orient themselves.
   14. Obatala is the Orisha that created life and form. He is the emissary of Oludumare.  His wife is Yemaya and together they gave birth to all the other Orishas.
   15.   Tricksters are neutral Orishas- doing good or bad things
   16. Ancestors are either familial, being worshiped by their family, or Deified, being worshiped by most Yorubas because of their contributions to Yoruba history
   17. They lead the rituals and bring the gods and ancestors into an earthly communication
   18.   Divination is seeking the outcome of one's future so that correct choices will lead to a good life.
   19.   Humans crossed a land bridge between Russia and Alaska called the Bering Strait.
   20. Most of the Plain Indians follow the same religion
   21.   Wakan Tankan created everything and is made of 16 other deities
   22.   Inktomi taught the Indians useful things but also taught some falsehoods
   23.   Death releases 4 souls in a person. 3 are reborn and one is judged to determine whether it can continue on through the Milky Way or have to return as a ghost.
   24.   Vision quests reward supernatural prowess in areas like hunting and curing.
   25.   Sweat lodges are sealed tents where steam is released in an effort to sweat a person profusely, cleansing them physically and spiritually.
   26.   Participants gain either a visit from and animal or an inanimate object.  Sometimes this will be a guardian spirit that protects them for the rest of their life.
   27.   A woman with an outstanding moral character
   28. It is the center of the universe or the supreme god. For the sun dance it represents the lunar month
   29.   Mutilators believe that since their body is theirs only, it is the only suitable sacrifice to give
   30.   Aztec tradition is done with many people in a city. It is similar to other primal religions because it links myth with ritual
   31.  Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
   32.  Quetzalcoatl created everything. Teotihuacan is the city for the cosmos
   33.   Quetzalcoatl provided the golden age of cultural brilliance. He became the role model for Aztecs
   34.   The age of the fifth sun. They thought the sun would be destroyed and replaced for the next age.
   35.   There are four cardinal directions to the universe and at the center is their Great Temple
   36.   Heart and mind are the center of humans and are what links the earth and the cosmos together.
   37.   The Knowers could talk to the gods and make sacrifices to them
   38.   Aztecs mistook Cortes for a God so they embraced him and in return, he enslaved them all.
   39.   The day of the dead reunites the dead spirits with their families.  The Aztecs had similar traditions in reuniting with their dead.
   40.   Axis Munid, Rituals, and Myths.

40 Primal Questions

1. They are primal because they come before traditional religious practices
2. The Ancestors turned the formless land into a landscape. They created humans and before they left, created natural landmarks, rock paintings, etc.
3. The Ancestors' spiritual essence
4. Totem- an object believed to have spiritual significance Taboo- an act that defies religious customs or beliefs.
5. Rituals bring in the Ancestors' spirit into the human being
6.  The Ancestors during the Dreaming, taught them to the humans
7. Initiation gives the person meaning in his/her life
8. 8.       Death is symbolized by the taking out of two teeth or marking scars on the back or neck
   9.      Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
   10. Ife is where the universe began
   11. Heaven is where the Orishas live.  It is divided into upper and lower segments, with the most powerful Orishas residing in the upper areas while the other Orishas remain in lower heaven.  Earth is where life dwells.
   12.   Olorun is the mother of all Orishas. She created the form that Obatala shaped.
   13. Orishas are the children of Olorun.  They control the aspects of life.  They are important because Yorubas believe that their lives are dedicated to one specific orisha, and that is how they orient themselves.
   14. Obatala is the Orisha that created life and form. He is the emissary of Oludumare.  His wife is Yemaya and together they gave birth to all the other Orishas.
   15.   Tricksters are neutral Orishas- doing good or bad things
   16. Ancestors are either familial, being worshiped by their family, or Deified, being worshiped by most Yorubas because of their contributions to Yoruba history
   17. They lead the rituals and bring the gods and ancestors into an earthly communication
   18.   Divination is seeking the outcome of one's future so that correct choices will lead to a good life.
   19.   Humans crossed a land bridge between Russia and Alaska called the Bering Strait.
   20. Most of the Plain Indians follow the same religion
   21.   Wakan Tankan created everything and is made of 16 other deities
   22.   Inktomi taught the Indians useful things but also taught some falsehoods
   23.   Death releases 4 souls in a person. 3 are reborn and one is judged to determine whether it can continue on through the Milky Way or have to return as a ghost.
   24.   Vision quests reward supernatural prowess in areas like hunting and curing.
   25.   Sweat lodges are sealed tents where steam is released in an effort to sweat a person profusely, cleansing them physically and spiritually.
   26.   Participants gain either a visit from and animal or an inanimate object.  Sometimes this will be a guardian spirit that protects them for the rest of their life.
   27.   A woman with an outstanding moral character
   28. It is the center of the universe or the supreme god. For the sun dance it represents the lunar month
   29.   Mutilators believe that since their body is theirs only, it is the only suitable sacrifice to give
   30.   Aztec tradition is done with many people in a city. It is similar to other primal religions because it links myth with ritual
   31.  Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
   32.  Quetzalcoatl created everything. Teotihuacan is the city for the cosmos
   33.   Quetzalcoatl provided the golden age of cultural brilliance. He became the role model for Aztecs
   34.   The age of the fifth sun. They thought the sun would be destroyed and replaced for the next age.
   35.   There are four cardinal directions to the universe and at the center is their Great Temple
   36.   Heart and mind are the center of humans and are what links the earth and the cosmos together.
   37.   The Knowers could talk to the gods and make sacrifices to them
   38.   Aztecs mistook Cortes for a God so they embraced him and in return, he enslaved them all.
   39.   The day of the dead reunites the dead spirits with their families.  The Aztecs had similar traditions in reuniting with their dead.
   40.   Axis Munid, Rituals, and Myths.
   

   
   

Yoruba Girls!!!

1. Where are they located, both in location and the type of geography.




The Yoruba religion formed as large numbers of people were taken as slaves.  Yoruba, being a language as well, allowed the enslaved to combine their beliefs into one religion, influenced by Catholicism.  This new religion had originated on the West Coast of Africa but had spread to the Americas and Caribbeans because of slavery.  Now it is extremely popular in Nigeria, Benin and Togo.
http://www.howard.edu/library/reference/cybercamps/camp2002/YorubaFaith.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm

2.What is their cosmological view of the world?
Yorubas believe that the Supreme God, Olorun, combined Her scorching glory with that of her eldest daughter's Oludumare.  Their glory is water and they tipped the water to form stars and the oceans.  Oludumare instructed her "emissary," Obatala, to climb down a golden chain dropped from heaven and to pile dirt into the waters below.  Obatala was also given a hen which he placed on the pile of dirt so that the hen would spread it with her feet.  After Obatala finished he returned to heaven where Oludumare sent a chameleon to see that the Earth had been successfully created.  Before, Olorun retired, Oludumare gave Obatala another emissary named Yemaya. Together they gave birth to many more powerful beings called Orishas.  Together their powers form the world we know today.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm
http://www.orishanet.org/ocha.html
http://anthonyuu.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/yoruba-religion-and-the-rapture-of-being-alive/

3. Explain and describe some of their sacred symbols (at least 3).
Yorubas use lots of art in order to focus their worship towards whichever Orisha they choose.  Art is a large part of their worship ceremonies.  Pottery, seen as a craft, is vital to their story of creation.  From Olorun's pot flowed the powers of creation.  Finally,women wear geles, or headwraps.  This symbolizes imperfection in humans and their drive to be like Yemaya.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=mzwp

4. What are their sacred locations?
Because of the dispersed Yoruba traditions, there are no sacred places above Church or their place of worship.
http://www.howard.edu/library/reference/cybercamps/camp2002/YorubaFaith.htm

5.  Identify their most important gods (good, bad, and trickster).  More than the name of the god is needed here.
Olorun is the mother of all the Orishas.  From her glory comes the creation of the universe.
Though there are no evil Orishas, Eleggua, can be considered "bad."  He decides what happens in the worlds and so he allows for evil.
Shango is the god of earthly pleasures and symbolizes temptations.  He has relations with most of the female Orishas, even the married ones and is cited for his hot temper.

6. What are their totems, fetishes, and taboos?
Yorubas partake in large worship ceremonies with drums, dancing, and singing.  Yorubas have a system of life called the Ifa divination.  In this aspect of the religion one must study and master teachings of Olorun.  Because of the European influence, many of Yoruba's totems have been destroyed.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm

7. What is the role of the shaman?  How do they view magic?
Yorubas do not have Shamans.  However, they belieive in magic, witchcraft, and sorcery.  Magic is used to term good things in the world.  For example, healing, success, and positive feelings are considered magic.  Witchcraft is a female attempt to harm someone with psychic powers.  Sorcery is an attempt to harm someone through evil rituals.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ifa.htm

8. Identify and describe at least 2 or 3 rituals.
Yorubas have rituals for almost any situation including, improving financial status, becoming fertile, or getting married.
The ritual for worshiping Oludumare takes place outside to show her limitless power.  A circle is drawn in chalk, a kolanut is placed in the center of the circle and cold water is poured on to it.  The nut is then split in half and offered to Oludumare.
A daily ritual for whichever Orisha is chosen has the participant stand before a shrine, either a personal home shrine or a public one, pour water onto a kolanut, ask for something and then split the nut in half.
http://obafemio.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/4/2/5142021/04-1_162.pdf

9. Images that reflect the art of the people, the people themselves, and their geography.
See above.