inent Texts And PhilosophiesEvery religion, based on a specific or obscure faith, has somewhat of an honored text.
Famous books offer significance to beliefs of that religion. These particular religions are verydiversed in their philosophies, but have corresponding reference works. The Bible, the famoustext of Christianity, consisting of sixty-six books basically explains how we should live our livesthrough the eyes of God. Additionally, this book informs of Jesus Christ’s (son of God) birth, life, and resurrection which all are important aspects of the religion.
Jainism, whose book consists offorth-five texts, has principles based upon one’s soul and karma. Finally, Taoism, consisting ofwritten doctrines defines human nature as a mixture of good and evil. Moral behaviorspredominantly unite these texts. The Bible is an anthology, a collection of many different books. Divided into to two parts,the Old Testament, and the New Testament. The Old Testament being applied to all thosescriptures on the basis of Paul’s writings and early Christians who wrote about the ?OldCovenant,? promises God made to Israel.
1 The Old Testament contains archives, lyric works, oracular works, laws, or divine inspirations. The first book of the Bible, Genesis,written by Moses is an extremely vital book. Genesis is a Greek word meaning ?beginning,??origin,? ?source,? or ?generations. ?2 This book explains the history of creation. It clarifies howand when (what days of which) God created the earth, heavens, and man. It also includes thetemptation and fall of man.
Adam and Eve (first man and woman of God’s creation) afterdeceiving God was cursed, giving them knowledge to know good and evil. The TenCommandments, found in the 5th chapter of Deuteronomy are crucial laws of the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments are statues and judgements by God that all people should live by. TheseCommandments of God embodies the prologue, prohibition of any other god and idolatry, the useof the mane of God in vain, observance of the Sabbath, honoring father and mother, prohibition ofmurder, adultery, stealing, giving false testimony, and coveting the property or wife of one’sneighbor. 3 The New Testament written between AD 50 to 150 concerns the focus and doctrinesof Christianity. Christianity is chiefly centered around Jesus Christ whose history is told in theGospels of the New Testament.
Jesus Christ, son of God, ministered about love and fellowship forthree years. At the conclusion of his ministry, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem, where he was crucified. After Jesus dies on the cross, and buried in a tomb, he rose from the dead three days later. Hiscrucifixion and resurrection is the primary focus of Christianity. Revelation the last book of theBible, unveils the character and program of God.
It explains the time in which Christ returns toearth to battle Satan. After which, Jesus will call all his saints up to a New Jerusalem (Heaven). The Bible is read in private devotion and study, and form the element of instruction. 4Interpretation of the Bible is an immense aspect of the Christian religion. The important principlesin interpreting the Bible include, remembering God has informed us of everything we need toknow, interpreting in the light of its historical background, according to the purpose of eachbook, according to the context of verse, according to the convert meaning of words, and alongwith parallel phrases within the Bible. 5Jainism if the name given to the followers of Jina and the religious movement of the Jains.
Even though the is no document concerning the beginnings of Jainism. Hinduism and Buddhismgave rise to Jainism thought. Tirthankaras, the prophets of Jainism offering freedom from theocean of uncommon survival and the cycle of rebirths. Three pioneers of Jaina philosophy includeKundakuunda, Umasuati, and Siddhasena Divakara. 6 Kundakumda, also named Padamanandi andGrdhapiccha belonged to the second or third century AD. He wrote a total of eighty-four worksall in the Prakit language, but 15 are still existing.
His most important work, the Samayasara,deals with the nature of the soul and its contamination by matter. It deals on the transcendentaland secular standpoints. His other works, Pancastikayasara, Pravacanasara7 deal with thefundamental truths, and karma. Karma is the sum total of one’s actions, good or bad.
Umasuati,dates approximately to the fifth centuries AD. He is famous for Tattuarthasuthra, a work dealingwith the meanings of the fundamental principles. In the distinguished work, he discusses thesubstances of dharma and adharma. 8 These formless portions support movement and rest.
Theyoffer the condition for the possibility of movement or rest to souls and matter. His other popularwork included the Prasamaratprakarana. This composition dealt with Ethical issues within Indiantradition. Siddhasera Divakara, the ?widely lingual? philosopher lived in the fifth century AD.
Hiswork called Sammaisutta deals with the seven Jaina standpoints. These standpoints are soul,non-soul, yoga (soul and non-soul conversion of karma), bondage of consciousness stoppage ofnew karma, nirjara- burning up extensive karma, and finally liberation. Other notable theorists areHemacandra (1089-1172), Abhayadeva (11th century), Vadidevasuri (17th century), andYasovijaya (1624-1688). The philosophers of Jainism all formed a systematic viewpoint of Indiantraditions. 9Taoism traditions treat life as an art rather than a science. 10 Taoism represents everythingwhich is spontaneous, imaginative, private, unconventional.
11 This religion adopts an applicationof a yin-yang like concept. Taoism is an influence to Confucianism but differs by definingself-cultivation in purely human terms. Taoist reject the notion that the process of existence canbe reduced to human purposes. They also concern themselves with natural balance of goof andevil.
Taoist text was written by monks and were kept in the canon. Taoist believe in an initiateknown as Tao. Tao, as defined by Taoist, is the ?Supreme State of Being. ? As Lao Tzu says,whatever goes against the Tao comes to an early end. The Tao-tsung is the most comprehensivecollection of Taoist literature. It transmits divine scriptures and instructions on meditativepractices.
It teaches its readers the acts and principles of love and justice. It explains that whenone gains the potential of love he understands wisdom. It gives the message that you can becomea ?Superior Man,? though love. Being a ?Superior Man,? he is in harmony with heaven, earth, hisparents, children, and his fellow men. 12One of his larger works called the San-tungchu-hang dealswith various aspects of conduct.
The second corpus, Shang-ch’ing tao-lei’shin-stang, to thecitations dealing with sacred quarters and cosmic chambers of revealed literature. Taoistsdistinguish between philosophical and religious Taoism. Religious Taoists rituals are directed tothe Tao as absolute divinity. .
They also study the ?inner self? through meditation. PhilosophicalTaoists study the words Lao-tzu, author of Taoist philosophies and they study these books formoral or mystical inspiration. One obvious similarity between all these religions is that they have reverent texts. Writtenphilosophy of a religion is better than oracular for it offers significance and unaltering meanings. Another huge similarity between these religions is that they all teach people how to live they livesbetter. Religion is an extreme aspect of socialization.
It teaches people how they should act in allsituations, what is morally right or wrong. These texts are just reference of their philosophy. Oneparallelism is between Christianity and Taoism both teaching devotion. Jesus Christ, in the Bible,John 13:3413 gave his people a new commandment ?to love one another.
? Jesus says that by thispeople will know that you his disciple. Taoists also say its through love one matures into a?Superior man? in harmony with their surroundings. There is also a comparison between Jainismand Taoism and their highly transcendalistic thoughts. That all should have a relationship to thenature around us. These texts offer an insight into a religion’s philosophies and faiths. Their eminent texts teachpeople how to act.
They give not only its followers but the whole a role in which to live by for theinner self. Its our own responsibilities to live by these behaviors. Religion
