A Guru

A guru who is looking for the Bliss by practicing the sun mediation.

9. The Seven Dimensions of Religion in WHEN SCHOLARS STUDY THE SACRED

As Ninian Smart defines religion as “an organism with seven dimensions” in Andrea Diem’s book, When the Scholars Study the Sacred; Diem lists the seven dimensions of religion that characterize the main aspects of all belief systems.With religion being an “organism,” Smart is emphasizing how religion is not static and is actually ever changing, just as all living things are. These seven dimensions can define and allow students to examine the unique differences between each religion, and how each key component comes together to form a certain culture’s faith.
The first dimension discusses the notion of myths in each religion. Myths should not be mistaken for entirely false testimonies, for they can hold some level of historical truth. However, the historical truth is most likely combined in with hagiography or embellished accounts and symbolism. On theother hand, another type of myth may however be purely symbolic, meaning that the story is told in highly figurative language that is not able to be tested to prove as factual.

The second dimension covers the act of rituals, which are activities “that connect one with the sense of the sacred.” The third dimension, which directly coincides with the ritual dimension, addresses the experiences someone in a certain religion may go through, such as a “religious experience of the sacred, or feeling of the numinous.” The experience of the sacred may be summoned by the act of rituals, causing a connection with something mystical possibly through an elevated state of consciousness.

The fourth dimension talks about the doctrines, or “philosophy or belief system of the religion.” They are either written down in a sacred text or transmitted through oral tradition.The fifth dimension tells us about the ethics or “moral codes of the group.”This code of morality tells us what is the ethically acceptable behavior of certain groups. The sixth dimension explains how the social aspect is the organizational form of religion. This calls for a sense of social norms and values, along with group bonding.

And lastly, the seventh dimension describes how material forms are used in each religion and can include any materials that “help connect the individual believer to the sacred”. These materials can be, but are not limited to, books,buildings, clothing, and other physical material goods. These material items are elevated to a higher status because of hagiography when they are “viewed as a direct manifestation or embodiment of the sacred.”

http://elearn.mtsac.edu/adiem/sacred1.html

10. Applying Seven Dimensions to Hinduism

(1) Hinduism is known for their rich mythology with their stories of Brahma,Shakti, Ganesha, Shiva, and countless other gods and goddesses who are actuallyconsidered to be all the “same god or divine energy, nameless and without form.”

(2) Hindus practice a multiple array of rituals which include bowing while pressing palms together, then uttering the words “namaste”, which translatesfrom Sanskrit for “I bow to you.” This greeting represents respect for each other and to the divine as well. Although Hindu women now where bindis (reddots on the forehead) as a fashion statement, they were originally intended to focus in on the chakra (energy point) during meditation and also for good luck.

(3) Hindus practice yoga to improve their meditation and to help with their path to a richer spiritual life. They may practice Bhakti Yoga (the path of loveand devotion), Karma Yoga (the path of right action), Ja Yoga (the pathof meditation), and Na Yoga (the path of mystical understanding).The ultimate experience in Hinduism is finding the “absolute truth within your being.” To find the absolute truth, one must be reborn and their souls must “transmigrate” to reach Moksha, or salvation.

(4) The most important and oldest doctrine to the Hindu belief is that of the four Vedas, written in the ancient Sanskrit language. These four sacred texts are divided into the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They contain holy hymns and ritual practices from ancient India. These doctrines focus on how the individual’s soul (Atman) can reach the ultimate truth (Brahman) through focused meditation and karma.

(5) Hindus practice dharma, or “individual ethics, duties and obligations”with their moral actions or ethics and believe in karma Since Hindus believe in the cycle of Samsara (rebirth), ahisma (non-violence) and how Karma affects your next life, they do not eat cows because they believe they are sacred and are more useful alive than dead. Hindus also believe in reaching Moksha, or salvation.

(6) Socially, Hinduism has nearly 1 billion members and is the third largest religion in the entire world.Its teachings have highly influenced other religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism as well as revolutionary peace figures such as Martin Luther King Jr.

(7) As for the material forms, Hindus have idolized statues of their deitiesof the Brahman, including that of Shiva, Shakti and Vishnu. Hindus also use prayer beads during meditation.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761555715_1/Hinduism.html

http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Materials_involved_in_Hinduism

11. Applying Seven Dimensions to Buddhism

(1) As the seven dimensions of religion can apply to Buddhism, the myth dimension is directly relevant to the life and death of Buddha, himself. This historical myth, which does hold some truth value although not entirely attestable to pure historic fact, discusses the childhood and enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautauma. Since the life of Siddhartha Gautauma was recorded approximately 200-300 years after his death, details and exact information havebeen blurred. From what little information that has been saved over thecenturies, Siddhartha Gautauma was born a privileged prince, who renounced his wealth and power to be enlightened, and lived a life of simplicity, and thus began Buddhism.
(2) As for the ritual dimension, Buddhists practice meditation, where they have concentrate their mental energy. Buddhists also recite mantras, which aresayings that are repeated to have a spiritual power. Dharanis are longer sayings that are also chanted to ward off evil. Through repetition, Buddhists feel these words have a sense of power. Mudras, a nonlinguistic mean of communication and self expression with hand movements and finger positions, is also highly ritualized with Buddhists.

(3) Buddhist’s “core doctrine” is the Eightfold Path, and also the Four NobleTruths.(4) As for the ethical dimension, Buddhists follow the Eightfold Path.Buddhists live by the belief system of the Four Noble Truths, which state that“All Life is suffering, Suffering is due to attachment, Attachment can be overcome, and there is a path for accomplishing this.” Also, Buddhists believe in karma, which is defined as “the sum and the consequences of an individual's actions during the successive phases of his existence.” Therefore, Buddhists choose to be vegetarians. Buddhists also believe in dharma, which if followed,can lead them to nirvana.(5) As for the social dimension, there are approximately three hundred million Buddhists found all over the globe.
(7) With the material dimension, Buddhists build stupas which are beautifully pointed shaped towers that accommodate sacred relics, and symbolically represents the “enlightened mind of the Buddha.” They symbolize the five elements with the square base representing the earth, the cone-shape is fire,the rounded dome for water, the canopy is air and the volume of the stupa is space itself. The Begging bowl represents when a young woman named Sujata offered the starving Siddhartha Gautauma a bowl of milk-rice, which he then accepted because he needed more physical strength to reach enlightenment. The bowl symbolizes the Buddhists’ monk's way of life by surviving off of what people place into their bowls as they travel from their monastery into local villages. Mantras are also recited through Tibetan prayer wheels.

http://religionfacts.com/buddhism/practices.htm

http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html#2

12. Should not be More Than Seven Dimensions in explaining of a Particular Religion

When explaining a particular religion, I believe that seven dimensions, ritual, experiential, mythical, doctrinal, ethical, social, and material, are well enough. Therefore, there should not have more than seven dimensiond in explaining of a particular religion.

13. Faqir Chand's Realiziation on Religious Experiences

When Faquir Chand was posted for field services in 1919 in Iraq during the First World War, a bloody revolt took place in his head quarters at Davinia. With several of the staff killed, Faquir Chand was placed in charge of the railway stations of Hamidia. The stakes were very high as the attacks kept proceeding, while ammunition dwindled away. Faquir Chand then had a vision ofhis Guru, the Holy Form of Hazur Data Dayal Ji, who told him “Faqir, worry not, the enemy has not come to attack but to take away their dead. Let them dothat. Don't waste your ammunition." This message was then followed by the Subedar Major, and the enemy peacefully took away their dead, and the supplies necessary for survival were dropped off the next morning by the airplanes.When Faquir Chand returned to Baghdad, he was greatly surprised when was greeted with worshipers and offerings. He questioned the people as to why they were worshipping him when he is not their Guru, and the people responded with“On the battle field we were in danger. Death lurked over our heads. You appeared before us in those moments of danger and gave us direction for oursafety. We followed your instructions and thus were saved." As confused as Faquir Chand initially was with his new found disciples, he soon realized that in the eyes of the people he saved, he was their savior. He then wisely stated how “"Whosoever remembers God in whatever form, in that very form He helped His devotee.”Faquir Chand’s religious experience can explain the beliefs of others than his own because it shows how an individual’s religious encounter can shape theiridea of their Spiritual Master. Basically, anyone can be a God in the eyes of someone else, and it is that individual's personal experience that they may see God.
http://elearn.mtsac.edu/philosophy/unknowing1.htm

14. Krishna's Advice to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna advises Prince Arijuana to find his inner self before deciding whether or not to take part in a battle which the prince later realized was against his own family and friends. Prince Arijuana is stuck in amoral conundrum and is very confused as to what he should do; therefore he seeks out the advice of Krishna. Although Krishna never directly answers Arijuana’s question on whether or not to fight in the war, Krishna gives PrinceArijuana the moral freedom to do what he felt was right by telling him to just find his inner self. This mirrors the Yogic and Vendantic philosophies and beliefs about Arijuana’s need to choose the right path, without any bias from the advisor. Without Krishna’s bias, Arijuana has complete and total freedom over his decision about fighting in the battle. I believe Krishna’s advice is justly wise because it allowed for Arijuana to choose the path he saw fit, and then explains how it truly is up to the individual to choose their own path. Basically, Krishna’s advice represents how we each have individual control over our actions and emotions, and essentially our destiny. It is our choice to do good or bad, however we must understand ourselves to know what is right.
http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/gita.htm