10-09-24 (Alliana, Shanzy, Jela Eda)

HINDUISM

Hinduism is one of the oldest Eastern traditions practiced by hundreds of millions of people for about
5,000 years.

Human beings possess dual nature:

 The spiritual and immortal essence (soul)

 Empirical life and character (karma)

It refers to intentional actions that affect one's fortunes in this life and the next.

Humanity's basic goal in life is the liberation (moksha) of spirit (jiva).

Transmigration/Metempsychosis

Hindus believe the atman (Brahman) repeatedly takes on a body until moksha.

If a person has led a good life, the soul goes upward the scale.

The soul of an evil person, on the other hand, may pass into the body of an animal.

Atman

It is the universal self, identical with the eternal core of the personality that after death either
transmigrates to a new life or attains release (moksha) from the bonds of existence

Moksha

It is the transcendent state attained as a result of being released from the cycle of rebirth.

Brahman

 Places a lot of emphasis on the attainment of self-knowledge.

Hinduism's Primary Values

1. Wealth

2. Pleasure

3. Duty

4. Enlightenment
Brahma

Most Hindus believe that Brahman is present in every person as the eternal spirit or soul, called the
atman.

Brahman contains everything: creation and destruction, male and female, good and evil, movement and
stillness.

These are expressed in the trimurti and are:

Brahma, the creator

Vishnu, the preserver

Shiva, the destroyer

Vishnu

Vishnu is considered as the most important god in Hinduism.

Vishnu has come to earth as Rama and Krishna to save the world.

Vishnu is married to Lakshmi.

Vishnu has four arms, which together hold a conch, a lotus flower, a discus and a club.

Vishnu has come down to earth many times, sometimes as an animal, sometimes as human beings.

Dharma

Dharma is an important term in Indian religions. In Hinduism it means 'duty', 'virtue', 'morality', even
'religion' and it refers to the power which upholds the universe and society.

The Upanishads are a collection of texts that contain some of the central philosophical concepts of
Hinduism; and is also considered by Hindus to contain utterances concerning the nature of ultimate
reality and describing the character of and path to human salvation
CHRISTIANITY

Proving the existence of God is as pointless as probing the existence of air.

The problem addressed in the Old Testament isn't atheism, but polytheism: not the denial of
God but the worship of more than one God.

The reality of God is unquestioned in the New Testament due to the conviction that in Jesus of
Nazareth the eternal God became flesh and dwelt among human beings.

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe"

- Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Also known as the Doctor of Grace, was an early Christian theologian and philosopher whose
writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

He was an immensely influential philosopher, theologian, and jurist in the tradition of

scholasticism, within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus and the Doctor Communis.

For Augustine, wisdom is not just an abstract logical construction; it is substantially existent as
the Devine Logos. Hence, philosophy is the love of God.

As a French poetry laments:

Philosophie

J'ai tout lu. I have everything.

J'ai tout vu. I have seen all.
J'ai tout connu. I knew all.
J'ai tout entendu. I have heard all.
J'ai tout eu. I had it all.
Et je suis... un peu perdu. I had lost... I am a bit lost.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart
from me, you can do nothing."
 Evaluate Own Limitations and Possibilities for their Transcendence

A. Forgiveness

When we forgive, we are freed from our anger and bitterness because of the actions and/or
words of another. On the other hand, the hardness of our heart is reinforced by the whole series of
rational arguments.

B. The Beauty of Nature

There is perfection in every single flower, this is what the three philosophies believed. These
kinds of experiences can be truly moments of grace. They touch us deeply and the human heart is
spontaneously lifted.

C. Vulnerability

The experience that we are contingent, that we are dependent for our existence on another is
frightening. We need to acknowledge the help of other people in our lives.

D. Failure

Our failures force us to confront our weaknesses and limitations. Such acceptance of our failures
makes us hope and trust that all can be brought into good. Even if we have sinned, as Augustine had,
there is hope and forgiveness.

E. Loneliness

Our loneliness can be rooted from our sense of vulnerability and fear of death. This experience is
common. However, it is our choice to live in an impossible world where we are always "happy" or to
accept a life where solitude and companionship have a part. With our loneliness, we can realize that our
dependence on other people or gadgets is a possessiveness that we can be free from.

F. Love

To love is to experience richness, positivity, and transcendence. Whether in times of ecstatic

moments or struggles, the love for a friend, between family members or a significant person, can open in
us something in the other which takes us beyond ourselves. Life is full of risks, fears and commitment,
pain and sacrificing and giving up things we want for the sake of the one we love. In Buddhist view, the
more we love, the more risks and fears there are in.
 Recognize the Human Body Imposes Limits and Possibilities for Transcendence

A. Hinduism: Reincarnation and Karma

Essential Hinduism is based on the belief in karma and has its first literary expression in
Upanishads. Everything in this life, say the Hindus, is a consequence of actions performed in previous
existence. Only by building up a fine record, or "karma", can final salvation be attained.

B. Buddhism: Nirvana

Nirvana means the state in which one is absolutely free from all forms of bondage and
attachment. It means to overcome and remove the cause of suffering. It is also the state or perfect
insight into the nature of existence. The Buddhists see one who has attained nirvana as one who is
unencumbered from all the fetters that bind a human being to existence.

C. St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas: Will and Love

For St. Augustine, physically we are free, yet morally bound to obey the law. The Eternal law is
God Himself. According to this law, humanity must do well and avoid evil, hence, the existence of moral
obligation in every human being.

Through prayer, modesty, fasting, and other sound measures that the Church recommends, or
God provides, can purify heart, mind, and body be maintained and daily lived.