Comparing Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam
Posted by beckyclay | June 2, 2009
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that God is an eternal being, the Buddhists believe the universe and everything in it are eternal.
A follower of Jainism is one who believes that there is no creator god. Jains believe in reincarnation and karma, and that once all bad karma is dropped from the soul (moksha) that one can be liberated and achieve Siddha-Sila, or “home of the perfect ones.” Although Jainism does not teach about any creator god, it does state that everyone who achieves Siddha-Sila becomes a god.
Jains believe that souls are inherent, eternal, and that all have the potential to reach divinity. They hold that everything has a soul, including plants and animals, but that only humans possess the ability to become a god. Once one has become a god, they have achieved salvation from the curse of reincarnation, and now reside in a state of ultimate bliss and highest heaven – detached from the world and one with the cosmos.
The cosmos, according to Jainism, have the same properties as that of the Buddhist belief in that it is eternal and was never created. Jains believe that the cosmos contain infinite souls, which make up every single space of existence within it. There is no space in the cosmos that lacks a soul, and therefore the idea of the cosmos for Jainism is representative of all souls.
Sikhism is a religion that believes in on single God who is the creator of all things. This God is representative of the Abrahamic God, the God of Islam, who shares the same properties and serves as reason to believe the world is true. The Sikhs believed that one should be completely dwelling in God, practicing Simran (remembrance of God by repetition of his name), and that one should not torture their body because it is “the God built palace.”
Regarding the soul, the Sikhs believed it to be immortal and that it suffers the cycle of reincarnation until it is rid of all bad karma. Once all karmic debt is removed, the Sikhs believe that the soul will reunite with God, the creator of the cosmos, and reside in the highest level of existence never to return to the cycle of death and rebirth.
Zen Buddhists, similar to Buddhists, hold a very skeptical and agnostic view of God. Following the teachings of Buddha more strictly than the Buddhists, the Zen Buddhists believe that the idea of God should not be considered, for there is never going to be a right or wrong answer. Taking time to ponder the existence of God does not move one closer to true knowledge. Zen Buddhists are very focused on staying on the path to enlightenment, and do not view the existence (or lack of existence) as a means to get there.
Also similar to the Buddhists, the Zen Buddhists do not believe in a soul. This is primarily due to the fact that Buddha never discussed a soul, and so therefore they do not deem it as a worthy topic to reflect on. If Buddha was able to achieve enlightenment without the idea of a soul, then so should we and thus is the view of the Zen Buddhist.
Contrary to Buddhism, Zen Buddhism does not believe in reincarnation or an afterlife. Zen Buddhists do share the principle concern for enlightenment, however this “version” of enlightenment is more a term to describe how everything is interconnected with the cosmos. With everything fused with the cosmos, there is no essential “death and rebirth” cycle. Although there is in fact death and rebirth, they are not, as commonly viewed, an entering and leaving of the cosmos. Death and rebirth are a part of what makes up the cosmos. Everything is one and one is everything. There is nothing that is found to be apart form the cosmos.
Confucianism is a religion that also did not believe in any creator god, however Confucians did believe that there were many celestial gods that exercised power over the living. Although he did not talk about it much, Confucius had no problem observing signs from heaven and deceased ancestors, and these doings from heaven were more assumed to be real rather than imaginary.
Because Confucianism emphasized social order rather than a way to God or enlightenment, it is viewed to be more of an ethical system rather than a religion. Confucius never spoke of a soul, an afterlife, or reincarnation, but instead, he offered a system insisting on propriety and ancestor worship, a system which he believed would lead to the ultimate human goal – a perfect society. To Confucius, the soul was the sum of one’s relationships, and that to be human was to live orderly in a society performing the appropriate roles. That was the highest aim for humans, thus there was no need to discuss any afterlife. Humanity is connected to the cosmos, and they are one in the same.
The Tao religion teaches that the “Tao” is the eternal Supreme Being. There is no creator god, no afterlife, no beginning and no end. The Tao is the “source of 10,000 things,” intangible, and barely known. The Tao flows everywhere, encompasses all things, and is one thing comprised of many.
Taoists also believe in an eternal soul that is subject to a type of reincarnation. Reincarnation is different for the Taoist in that it does not focus on “bad karma,” but rather describes life and death as “being born of not being.” Because the Tao is everywhere and everything, the Tao is also life and death simultaneously. When you are born you are parts of the Tao and when you die you are parts of the Tao, everything is always one and there is never a time when something is separate form the Tao. Afterlife is the same as life, the same as birth is equivalent to death.
Christianity is a religion teaching that there exists only one God who is the creator of the cosmos and everything in it, Christians believe that God is the eternal, Supreme Being who is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omni benevolent (perfectly good). He is the creator of heaven, earth, and everything in between.
Christians believe that the soul is immortal and does not undergo reincarnation of any kind. Upon death, a soul either earns an eternal life in heaven, reunited with God in His kingdom, or it is cast into a place without the presence of God, usually referred to as hell, for all of eternity. A Christian believes that the only way to obtain salvation from God and a passage into Heaven is to have faith that Jesus Christ is the savior and the redeemer of all sins. If and when salvation is earned, it is nothing that one has earned on his own, but rather something that has been awarded entirely by the grace (or kindness) of God. All Christians believe that they are innately sinners, and that the only way these sins can be made right is by believing that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for them (paying the price, squaring the debt, etc.). In short, Christians believe that all people are sinners, that Jesus paid the price of those sins, and that by having faith that Jesus did such a thing makes them righteous in God’s eyes and therefore is worthy of an eternal life in heaven united with God.
Islam is very similar to Christianity it teaches of the same single creator of the cosmos God, and that the soul is immortal – either cast into heaven or hell. One difference between Islam and Christianity is that Muslims believe that salvation can be earned by good acts, as opposed to the Christian view that salvation is a gift of God’s grace. Another difference between the two religions is that Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the redeemer of all sins. They believe that Jesus existed, that he was a Son of God, but they are skeptical on whether that is equivalent to saying that “we are all God’s children.” In fact, Muslims find it entirely inappropriate for one to refer to themselves as children of God.
The second division of philosophy is epistemology, which is the study of knowledge with its regards to its methods, validity, and scope. It is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion. Also related to epistemology sources and extent of knowledge, faith, and enlightenment, and it is these specific areas that we will use to further examine these nine great religions.
In Hinduism, the Jnana Yoga is the method used to acquire intellect and knowledge. It focuses on both things that are never changing versus those that are fleeting, and continually questions what is merely appearance versus what is true reality. Jnana Yoga helps guide a Hindu how to realize the truth in daily existence, and is purely a means of understanding and obtaining awareness for existence. Jnana Yoga helps one gain insight into the essence of things, rather than seeing things (or themselves) as independent beings.
Bhakti Yoga is the most popular Hindu yoga and represents a devotion and love to God. It teaches the ways to practice spiritually, and aims at forming a divine, loving union with God. Bhakti Yoga addresses the “Creative Deception,” and how we rationally know God as one way (for example, transpersonal, omnipresent, without need, formless, etc.), however we often refer to God in a much different way in order to properly devote to him (for example, personal, in a location, in need of our devotion, having a form, etc.). A common analogy used to describe this deception is “I want to taste the sugar, I do not want to be the sugar.”
Raja Yoga is often referred to as the “ultimate yoga,” and is a yoga of deep meditation. It encompasses eight steps that help achieve enlightenment, and are the following: 1) 5 Abstentions, 2) 5 Observances, 3) Overcome Bodily Distractions, 4) Controlling Breath, 5) Turn Inward, 6) Concentration on a Focal Point, 7) Lose Your Subject, and 8) Samhadi.
The first step, or the 5 Abstentions states that one following Raja Yoga should abstain from harm, lying, stealing, sensuality, and greed. The second step, the 5 Observances, state that one should practice self-control, contemplation of the divine, studiousness, self-contentment, and cleanliness. The third step, Overcome Bodily Distractions, says that one should practice Hatha Yoga, 84 asnas, and careful control of the body. The fourth step, Controlling Breath, says that one should be a master of rhythms (prana), counting, and place control. Different ways to practice controlled breathing is outside-in, easy-difficult, and to overcome limitations. The fifth step, Turn Inward, says to control the senses and entirely overcome distractions using a very high degree of focus. Basically, the fifth step teaches that by not allowing your senses to distract you will bring you to focus. The sixth step, Concentration on a Focal Point, is a means of still using a tool to focus your concentration, but you are not quite there yet. The seventh step, Lose Your Subject, is when you have object distinction. You have escaped the illusion and achieved a deep meditation. The eighth and final step is Samhadoi, which can be translated to mean “Together with The Lord.” By this step, one has moved beyond form and limit and has reached the highest Lord.
Buddhism is a religion that uses reasoning and experience to gain knowledge that will lead them on the road to truth, which is the path of the Four Noble Truths. The Buddhist has faith in the Four Noble Truths because of what the Buddha had experienced and passed onto them. Theses four truths consist of 1) Dukka (suffering), 2) Tanha (desires), 3) The End of Tanha is the End of Dukkha (ultimately freeing yourself from the attachments of the world), and 4) the Noble 8-Fold Path (eight final steps to attaining enlightenment). It is believed by the Buddhist that by faith in these truths, ontological and phenomenological knowledge arises, while sufferings and desires diminish.
The source of enlightenment for the Buddha is the Noble 8-Fold Path, or the fourth path in the Four Noble Truths. The Noble 8-Fold Path consists of eight steps which are 1) right views, 2) right intent, 3) right speech, 4) right conduct, 5) right livelihood, 6) right effort, 7) right mindfulness, and 8) right concentration. By following this path, a Buddhist believes he can achieve enlightenment, which leads to liberation, which then leads to Nirvana, the ultimate end to all sufferings.
Jainism is a religion that believes it can obtain its knowledge through sense perception and valid testimony. By use of these methods, the Jain can achieve provisional and tentative knowledge of all things.
The Jain’s source of faith comes from a comprehension of sacred love, course study, religious exercises, nature, instruction, command, study of the sutras, suggestion, reality, and brief exposition. Practicing each of these methods is sufficient for a Jain to build good karma, which assists them in the liberation of bad karma.
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Insectillect 
Plato's Allegory of the Cave 
Experience & Temporal Reality