REL 140 Religion and Culture John Scholte, Assistant Professor Grossmont College Mid-Term This Mid-Term Covers the Introduction to the course, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism video lectures and textbook readings. Answer each question as thoroughly as we you can with at least two or three paragraphs. You can complete this Mid-Term while watching the video lectures and reading your textbook. Each answer should show that you have watched the video lectures and read the textbook by citation. For the video lectures you should cite the time within the lecture that is the primary point of your answers. For your textbook quotes you must cite the page. This Mid-Term is DUE on or before September 26, 2021. No late exams will be accepted! I look forward to reading and grading your exams and I have faith that you will do well. 1. List the attributes that make a religion 2. What are the religious and philosophical questions religions come to answer? 3. Why should we respect the teachings of a religion that we don’t follow and can’t understand? 4. What normally occurs to the teachings of a religion years after its founder dies? 5. What are the one-word definitions for each of the religions we are covering in class? 6. Hindus refer to their religion as other than Hinduism. How do they refer to it and what does that mean? 7. What are the Four Limitation to worldly desire? 8. What are the different Paths of Hinduism? 9. What are the three real desires in Hindu Teaching? Explan. 10. What is the light within according to Hinduism? 11. What are the Four Ways of Liberation? 12. What is a Mantra and what is the greatest of all Mantra’s? 13. What is the Infinite Self? 14. Give a summation of Jivas and Atman. 15. Karma is more than cause and effect. Explain how. 16. Note what you learned watching the Supplemental Video “My Life My Religion Hinduism.” 17. From what religion did Buddhism spring forth? 18. What were the major milestones in Siddhartha’s life? 19. What are the Four Noble Truths? Summarize each. 20. What is the most basic problem according to Buddhism concerning the human condition? 21. What are the six moments in life when suffering becomes apparent? 22. What did the story of Folke and his unfaithful wife clarify for us concerning Buddhism? 23. What were the two extremes that Buddhism avoids? 24. List the elements of the Eight-Fold Path. 25. What were the Five Precepts and what are they similar too in Judaism and Christianity? 26. What is the meaning behind The Three Vows? 27. What are the major differences between Theravada and Mahayana? 28. How would you define Nirvana? 29. How is sexuality intertwined with one school of Buddhism? 30. Who is one of the most recognizable leaders in the Buddhism religion and what does his name mean? 31. Why is it so difficult to classify Confucianism as a religion? What are some other possibilities it could be? 32. What was Confucius’ feelings about the gods? 33. How did Confucius get his name? What is the best translation of the name Confucius? 34. What hampered Confucius career and teachings while he was alive? 1 35. What were the three primary ways to cultivate virtue in the Confucianism? 36. Summarize the concept of The Way. 37. What is the Mandate of Heaven? 38. How did David Hume illustrate the thought of Destiny in Confucianism? 39. What are the two realms in Confucianism? How do they fit with the Middle Way? 40. Summarize the Doctrine of Self-Cultivation. 41. What does the saying, “Straight over the crooked, makes the crooked straight” mean? 42. Summarize Confucianism’s proper method to the way we approach why we do what we do. 43. Summarize what the “rites” are in Confucianism. Give a modern-day example. 44. Why should the “rites” be exercised? 45. How is education and government seen as champions of ethical principles? 46. How did Mencius and Xunzi differ as disciples of Confucius? 47. What created the vacuum that gave Confucianism it’s start? 48. Explain the concept of “Li” and “Qi.” 49. Because Taoism is not a dogmatic religion in what form is it’s teachings presented? 50. What does “Lao-Tzu” mean and what legends grew up around the name? 51. List and briefly explain the three meanings of the Tao. 52. Give a brief explanation of the Philosophical Tao and a relevant example of its use. 53. Briefly explain “wu wei.” 54. What is the primary teaching of Practical Taoism? 2

Examination

REL 104 Religion and Culture

John Scholte, Assistant Professor                                                                            Mid-Term

Grossmont College

 

Student:

1. List the attribute that makes a religion

The common belief in a supernatural being.

Moral code with the supernatural origins.

Presence of a scared object, place and time of worship.

Forms of communication example prayer.

Performance of ritual acts focused on the sacred place, object and time.

Common religious feeling.

2. What are the religious and philosophical questions religion come to answer?

What is going on in the universe? Does God exist? Where did the universe come from? Why are we here? Why be moral? How should we live? Why is there evil?

3. Why should we respect the teaching of a religion that we don’t follow and can’t understand?

It will help us in understanding and even respecting other people who hold beliefs that differ from ours. Some people place a lot of importance on religion in their lives; we need to respect to believe whatever they want.

4. What normally occurs to the teaching of a religion years after its founders dies?

The teaching of the religion change at different circumstances, events and problems tend to arise that were not present when the founder was not alive hence, cannot be directly addressed to the founder. (Introduction video 5 0:33-0-44).

5. What are the one-word definitions for each of the religions we are covering in class?

It is the belief in spirits or supernatural who has a controlling power.

6. Hindus refer to their religion as other than Hinduism. How do they refer to it and what does that mean?

Hindus refer to their religion as San?tana Dharma, which can mean either external dharma, religion, or the external order. The term comes from the Sanskrit language, which literally translates to an external law, which is the religious way of life of Hinduism

7. What are the four limitation to worldly desires?

The four limitations of worldly include desire being the cause root of karma, leads to loss; it is the greatest enemy to all humankind, and the gateway to hell. One should live towards a desire less action in accordance with one's dharma

8. What are the different paths of Hinduism?

Path of devotion also called Bhakti Yoga it deals with the ritual. It involves taking the image of the divine being and worship and it becomes the emotional lifestyle.

Path of knowledge knows as Jnana yoga it is the most difficult dealing with inner self-involving thing understanding and examining oneself.

Path of duty or work also called Karma Yoga .It is the aspect of human being given a gift for instance opportunity to work. Work should be done without expecting anything in return.

Path of mental concentration called Raja Yoga. It deals with mind peace and the only way to balance is through balancing the outward life. (Hindu lecture 6 4:23).

9. What are the three real desires in Hindu teaching? Explain

Desire for pleasure. This is what you want but is view positively .It is always privatized in return does not satisfy. Secondly is the desire for liberation. All human beings desire this for absolute being, complete joy and total knowledge. Thirdly is the desire for worldly success, this is all about power wealth that is in this world. It is not completely satisfied whereas viewed as positive desires.

10. What is the light within according to Hinduism?

Light (Diya) implies good things; good luck .It signifies the non-existence of evil forces portrayed by darkness, which is related with evil spirits.

11. What are the four ways of liberation?

Liberation means to release .Hinduism conceive that each soul is free for liberation through following: the path of knowledge (Jnan), path of devotion (Bhakti), path of duty (karma) and path of mental concentration (Raja). (Hindu lecture 6 0:-23)

12. What is a Mantra and what is the greatest of all Mantras?

Mantra is usually a world repeated to one to memorize and increase concentration. It also increases meditation. Gayatri prayers incorporates all the ideas and forms the largest and greatest universal prayer.

13. What is the infinite self?

Is the eternal core of a person that after death it either drift to a new life or attains freedom (Moksha) from the pledge of existing?

14. Give a summation of Jivas and Atman

Jivas is the concept of one’s world –involvement Atman is the universal self of the eternal core.

15. Karma is more than cause and effect. Explain how

Karma is the action one does during his or her lifetime, which has a great impact in future. Hinduism did not specify bad and good karma. It is very scientific in that if you put your hand in hot water, it hurts immediately but because karma is intangible, it becomes hard to understand. Karma deals with the mind, good motivation leads to positive actions for example our thoughts, which are always self-centered. They can lead us to suffer therefore karma shape our karma.

16. Note what you learned watching the supplemental video “my life my religion Hinduism”

The key points is the “atman,” the belief in the soul therefore, living being have a soul and all being part of supreme soul.

17. From what religion did Buddhism spring forth?

Founded in late 16^th century B.C.E by Siddhartha Gautama being the religion in Asian countries. Not until the writing in 1^st and 2^nd century where we see that Buddha was born in (ca.563 B.C.E) in Lumbini.

18. What are the major milestones in Siddhartha’s life?

Birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini at 563 BC. The name means one who obtains property.

563-547 BC stays in palace of his father at Kapilavastu being raised by his aunt.

547 BC there was where he marries his beautiful cousin and spend thirteen more years.

533BC the four sights. He lives the palace for and excursion and encounter what purposely covert from him. He sees old man being cremated and realizes there is old age and death.

533BC the renunciation. His 29^th birthday he leaves the court and travels across river Anoma he shaves his air and hands his garments to groom Channa.

April/May 528 BC Enlightment. While meditating under a Bondi tree a great enlightment revealed his the way to salvation where he spends 7 weeks there.

June/July 528BC Buddha found his five disciples and he teaches them. This marks the beginning of Buddhist. He establishes s great reputation by converting thousands of people to dhamma. Later returns, to his father who died in 523.

He spends 45 years following enlightment and is very successful by attracting thousands of people. Buddha passes into Nirvana at age of 80 because of food poisoning.

19. What are the Four Noble Truths? Summarize each

Suffering exist. It states that suffering is real and universal example pain, sickness loss and the impermanency of desire.

There is always a cause of suffering. The desire of having and controlling things is usually attached to suffering example the desire to shun unpleasant consciousness like anger.

There is an end to suffering. There is an end to all the attachment that hold us; it ends with final complete freedom starting from our minds.

For us now to end suffering we need to follow the Eight-Fold paths, which guides on how to do it. This path accomplishers it all.

20. What is the most basic problem according to Buddhism concerning the human condition?

Human beings are exposed to desires and yearnings but even while we try to satisfy them, the satisfactions tend to be temporary

21. What are the six moments in life when suffering becomes apparent?

Moments of pain, hunger due to lack of food, suffering a grief, humiliation, poverty, loneliness.

22. What did the story of folke and his unfaithful wife clarify for us concerning Buddhism?

Buddhism should not engage in sexual misconduct viewed as negative expression of cravings.

23. What were the two elements that Buddhism avoids?

Unpleasant sensation, like anger or jealousy.

24. List the elements of the Eight-Fold path

Right view.

Right resolve.

Right speech.

Right actions.

Right livelihood.

Right efforts.

Right mindfulness.

Right concentration. (Video 3 1:11)

25. What were the five precepts and what are they similar too in Judaism and Christianity

Do not kill, do steal, do not use harmful speech, do not partake in intoxicants and do not commit sexual misconduct. Similarities include there is one God, good, mighty, creator who reveals his word to the man by answering prayers .They also believe in future life.

26. What is the meaning behind The Three vows?

The vows of poverty means to free her from being captivated by material thing to be free to serve others. The vows of obedience means obedience to Jesus. The willing of searching the will of God not through command and vows to charity means to imitate Jesus being a chaste. According to Robert E. Van Voorst, freedom her from the inclusiveness and desires of a man and thus being free to serve God with all her love.

27. What are the major differences between Theravada and Mahayana?

Theravada try to become Arhats and gain liberty from the phase of samsara whereas Mahayana believe in achieving enlightenment by following the teachings of Buddha.

28. How would you define Nirvana?

Formal where there is no sense of self, grief or desire the subject is released from question of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.

29. How is sexually intertwined with one schools of Buddhism?

It teaches that sensual enjoyment pleasure and sexual desires are hindrance to information.

30. Who is one of the most recognizable leaders in the Buddhism religion and what does his name mean?

Dalai Lama to mean the foremost spiritual forerunner of the Gelug.

31. Why is it so difficult to classify Confucianism as a religion? What are some of other possibilities it could be?

It is characterized by a scheme of social and moral philosophy instead of religion. It puts ethics on education, respect of children and even loving devotion.

32. What was Confucius feeling about the gods?

Felt that there is no god but a force called Toa know as great ultimate. The power of Tao flows all over their lives.

33. How did Confucius get his name? What is the best translation of the name Confucius?

It was a Latinized world Mandarin a Chinese title for” master Kong” It means opening master. The name is gender-neutral.

34. What hampered Confucius career and teachings while he was alive?

Being the first teacher in china, he revolutionized education by providing education to all. He established proper, ethical and social standard as basics viewing education as means of revolution.

35. What were the three primary ways to cultivate virtue in the Confucianism?

Engage in with different exemplars, which was the society, commitment to study, observation of rituals and having a character builder.

36. Summarize the concept of The Way.

Way also, called truth correspond to a certain approach to life, tradition and politics. This concept treats all the approaches equally and necessary keeping the virtue of humanity.

37. What is the Mandate of Heaven?

It is the established idea that a ruler duty is to retain the approval of gods. Confucian thought that heaven advised directly upon the sovereign. Natural disaster was a sign for dynasty losing.

38. How did David Hume illustrate the thought of Destiny in Confucianism?

 In the origin and result of human life, there occur nearly superior objectives past human control. He explains that cause and effect are discoverable through practice.

39. What are the two realms in Confucianism? How do they fit with the Middle Way?

Theory and theology. It act as the key to obtain property in that heaven and earth and earth are in place we obtain peace, everything grows.

40. Summarize the Doctrine of Self-Cultivation.

It is a Chinese philosophy that customs an essential level of appreciative Confucianism. The goals is to achieve reliant set on individual moral tilling.

41. What does the saying, “Straight over the crooked, makes the crooked straight” mean?

The deformed, the informed rather not straight once corrected becomes the first part conventional, clear, pleasant then even attractive.

42. Summarize Confucianism’s proper method to the way we approach why we do what we do.

It is the philosophy built on communal respect to others, how are we expected to associate with one .In doing this it will henceforth bring peace, harmony and stability in society. The scheme of social and moral way of life rather than religious conviction because it is based on what we should do, feeling, habit or thoughts.

43. Summarize what the “rites” are in Confucianism. Give a modern-day example.

They are mainly four: capping and pinning, which is usually done through initiation transformation from childhood to adulthood. Secondly is wedding .It is important in society because it brings families together and thus become the cultivation of virtue. Thirdly Funeral when one dies an ecology is given and tied a red tie to keep off the spirits. Lastly, rituals to the ancestors’ meant to remember and revere the spirits of the dead.  Example is the first we encounter them but the last one is usually by Christian Catholics in remembering those who dies the contrast is they connect the spirits with God (Confucianism video 6).

44. Why should the “rites” be exercised?

 Since they usually done as a mark of a new stage in life, it aids in raising a sense of rejuvenation. It provides a logic of fitting and reminding us that we are always growing.

45. How is education and government seen as champions of ethical principles?

In education, the relationship between teacher and learner values such as truthfulness, fairness, dignity, freedom and responsibility are the core of teaching whereas the government has reputable moral standards to guarantee that the social order works well.

46. How did Mencius and Xunzi differ as disciples of Confucius?

They differ in describing and proving generosity .Mencius perceived human nature as good while Xunzi vies was the opposite (Confucius video 11). For Mencius it was only a matter of cultivation while Xunzi is a substance of makeover.

47. What created the vacuum that gave Confucianism it is start?

Confucianism started during the Zhou dynasty and was conceptualized by Master Kong in 551-479 BC. Confucianism was created to fill the vacuum created by other religions in building human behavior to ensure humans live in peace and harmony.

48. Explain the concept of "Li" and "Qi."

The concept of Li describes the world's order or the forces that the cosmic patterns and processes, of life. In contrast, Qi is a concept of energy, force, or matter-energy.

49. Because Taoism is not a dogmatic religion in what form is it's teachings presented?

Taoism is not a religion but a traditional way of life between the Chinese. The dogma originated around the 6^th century in what is now the Henan region of eastern China and has since the practiced and passed over generations through philosophical teachings (Taoism video 5). Unlike most regions, Taoism does not require any initiation of a certain belief, but it is as simple as reading Taoist text the same way you will read a book.

50. What does "Lao-Tzu" mean, and what legends grew up around the name?

"Lao-Tzu" is a Chinese term that translates to "Old Master," who was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer and is often considered the founder and legend of philosophical Taoism.

51. List and briefly explain the three meanings of the Tao.

The three meanings of Tao translates to the way, the path, and the route. This explains to the natural order of the universe that all forces in it must follow. (Video 6 1:6)

52. Give a brief explanation of the Philosophical Tao and a relevant example of its use.

Philosophical Taoism or Daoism is a teaching and spiritual way of life in the Chinese tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with every force of nature. Taoism is the universal truth of the word and gives the conduct of how people should live. For example, Taoism believes that when goodness is lost, morality prevails. This teaches humans to stay moral all the time.

53. Briefly explain "wu wei."

Wu Wei is a Chinese term that translates to "non-doing" or "doing nothing." It literally means the practice of not doing anything that is against the teaching and practice of Taoism. It thus forms a key and noble concept of Taoism, which is at the heart of what it means to follow Dao or The Way.

54. What is the primary teaching of Practical Taoism?

The main teachings of Taoism are how all living creatures can live in a state of harmony with the universe, balancing the forces and the energy found in the universe (Taoism, video 5). There are matching ideas and forces such as dark and light, cold and hot, which should balance together in harmony.