Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response paper - Essay exerciseBuddhism, in turn, refers to a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition stretching over close to 2500 years, including Hindu tradition (Gethin, 1998) while Christianity and Islam derived their foundations from the Bible, which is considered the cornerstone of Judaism (Steinsaltz, 2006), being based on the lives and teachings of Jesus Christ and Mohammed respectively. each and every one of these religions is comprised of a particular set of beliefs and rituals, whose centerpiece is the concept of divinity. The latter not scarcely represents the hub of any religious doctrine, solely also accounts for the major source of either difference or similitude between one and another. In that regard, Hinduism and Buddhism on the one hand, being an amalgamation of various ancient traditions (Ahloowaila, 2009), and Judaism, Christianity and Islam on the other having developed, and respectively build on the notion of the One pre-eternal, omnipresen t, omnipotent, and infinite God epitomize the monotheistic-polytheistic divide. likewise the divinity concept, as developed in the monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs, this paper examines the focal tenet of Hinduism/Buddhism spiritual rebirth/rebirth as against the notion of eternal life in monotheistic religions. The Concept of Brahman-Atman and Its Expansions The consanguinity between Brahman (the Supreme Being) and Atman (a self, or a world for all beings, along with the charitable soul), which is generally described as the frame and the substance of universe, because inseparably united but not identical (Oxtoby and Amore, 2008), is central to Hinduism. Despite some prima facie similarity to the Holy Trinity, the Brahman-Atman relationship genuinely implies certain imperfection. This is not only because of Brahmans need of additional powers and classes in order to go away fully developed, thus necessitating an array of deities as vehicles of those powers, but also, an d perhaps more importantly, due to both components common dependence on each other Brahman is the inner controller of Atman and Atman provides Brahman with corporeal avataras which are Gods physical presence (Hume, 1921 Klostermaier, 1998). On the other hand, according to Klostermaier (1998), avataras are required to make Supreme Vishnu affectionate to humans (Pancaratra doctrine), along with the super-human spiritual beings, called vinhas, an inner presence, named antaryamin the ruler within and arcavatara, which is Gods visible presence in an envision made of either stone or metal. Thus, to put it in a nutshell, Hindu deities need specific attributes in order to become recognized in the material world and to make themselves available to the believers. The fit concepts of Karma and Samsara are characteristic of both Hinduism and Buddhism while the former generally refers to a system of cause and effect, or action and reaction, which is considered a natural law, rather than an act of divine judgment, the latter is defined as a cycle of death and rebirth, or reincarnation (Oxtoby and Amore, 2008). According to the Upanishads, one would be liberated from the Samsara cycle hence to become immortal only if achieved transforming experiential wisdom (Oxtoby and Amore, 2008). Thus, polytheism, as represented by Hinduism and Buddhism, has laid long emphasis on human senses, perceptions, experiences and demands, rather than being