Faith is an integral part of each of us. Our religions (from the Latin "connect") are different, but there is also something that unites them - the desire to draw near to God, the search for protection from Him. This truth does not depend on religion.
What are dharmic religions?
Dharmic religions are a group of four religious movements that unite faith in the Dharma - the universal law of being. Dharma has many designations - this is Truth, the path of piety, penetrating, like the rays of the sun, in all directions of the universe. In simple terms, Dharma is a combination of methods and teachings that help to understand and feel how human life works, what laws dominate it.
Dharmic religions
What religions are dharmic?
- Buddhism;
- Jainism;
- Sikhism;
- Hinduism.
Interesting fact! The term "Buddhism" was introduced by Europeans, Buddhists themselves call their religion namely Dharma.
Let us consider individually each of the above religions.
Buddhism - the oldest world religion
So what is Buddhism? Briefly about religion and its foundations, the following can be said.
Christianity and Islam, two other world religions, are much younger than Buddhism. This religion originated in the years 500-600. BC e. According to historians, its founder was a real person - Siddhattha Gautama, a sage from the Shakya tribe. He later received the name Buddha Shakyamuni. Buddha means enlightened. According to legend, Siddhatha unsuccessfully sought an answer to the question of why the world is filled with suffering, and once, after 7 years, enlightenment descended on him, and he received an answer.
Buddhism development
Buddhism created a whole civilization, with its own education system, literature, art. Buddhism can be attributed to both religious and philosophical movements. For example, Buddhists believe that the world has no beginning and no end - it is created every second millions of times, and one day this process will simply end.
We will briefly talk about religion (Buddhism) and its concept.
The basic idea is that a person’s whole life is suffering. And the cause of this suffering is our attachments and weaknesses. Freed from them, a person reaches a divine state called nirvana. In addition, the belief in reincarnation unites dharmic religions.
To get rid of desire, Buddhism offers an octal path of salvation - the right intentions, thoughts, actions, efforts, thoughts, speech, lifestyle, understanding, concentration.
Buddhism is divided into 2 areas - Hinayana and Mahayana. They differ significantly from each other, but converge in the basic concept.
Hinduism is the main religion of India
This unique dharmic religion does not have its founder, the teachings of which would be distributed to followers. Most of the concepts of Hinduism were formed during the time of Christ, but the gods worshiped by Hindus today, their ancestors worshiped 4,000 years ago. This world religion is constantly evolving, absorbing new knowledge and interpreting it in its own way.
The main texts of the Hindus are the Vedas, as well as the Ramayana, the Upanishads and the Mahabharata. They contain philosophical teachings, spells, verses, prayers and ceremonies and are considered the foundation of religion. So, in the texts there are 3 options for the birth and structure of the universe. In addition, Hindus are confident that everything in the world is cyclical. Be it a series of transformations of the soul or the evolution of the cosmos, one day it will be repeated again.
Hindus worship 330 gods, but Brahma is considered supreme among them. They believe that Brahma, impersonal and unknowable, is in every atom of the universe. It is embodied in 3 forms: Creator, Guardian and Destroyer.
In the photo - Ganesha, the god of wealth and prosperity in Hinduism.
Despite the fact that today Hinduism is so vast that it is divided into many branches, there are fundamental concepts that we will now consider.
The soul does not perish. When a mortal body dies, it moves to another body, not always human. The law of karma is indestructible: no sin and no virtue will go unanswered, if not in this incarnation, then in the next. And it depends only on the person with whom he will be born next time. The cycle of birth and death is called the Wheel of Samsara.
In the sacred texts you can find 4 goals that everyone should strive for. These are artha (power, money), kama (pleasures, primarily carnal), moksha (cessation of cyclical reincarnations) and dharma. The last is debt. For example, the debt of gold is yellow and shine, the lion is ferocity. The dharma of a person is expressed in different ways. This may be respect for religion, non-violence, virtuous lifestyle. Dharma varies between the two sexes and among representatives of the social strata. Following one's dharma means improving the quality of life in future reincarnations.
Moksha is a kind of final stop of spiritual development. Getting rid of the endless circle of suffering that a person is forced to experience again and again in new incarnations. The term can be found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The soul, having reached this stage of spiritual development, becomes an infinite being. This state can be achieved even during life.
Jainism - Do No Harm
Jainism is another Indian religion, less common than Hinduism and Buddhism, but also related to dharmic religions. The basic idea is to not harm any living creature.
Jainism did not go beyond the borders of its homeland before, but today in America, Australia and even Europe, communities are created that support the philosophy of Jainism.
This religion originated in the 9th-6th centuries. BC e., however, is it really so, no one can say. The founder of Jainism is the Prophet Jin Mahavir Wardhaman. The term "gina" (in Sanskrit - "winner") is used in religion to refer to people who have managed to free themselves from the Wheel of Samsara and achieve dharma.
Jainism has a very interesting philosophy. His followers believe that in the Universe all processes occur independently, without the help of the Divine Principle. The main goal of religion is the correctness of thoughts and actions, the rejection of violence to achieve divine consciousness. It consists in the cessation of the rebirth of the soul, the attainment of a divine state called nirvana in all Indian religions. Only an ascetic can reach moksha.
It is noteworthy that in this regard, Jainism is similar to Buddhism, but it denies caste differences. Religion teaches that any living creature has a soul that can be saved from Samsara. In addition, Jainism is very strict about observing moral standards.
Sikhism is India's youngest religion
The religion of Sikhism ("Sikh" - "student") prevails in the Indian state of Punjab, but today the followers of this teaching can also be found in Canada, America, and Great Britain. She is the last of the dharmic religions we are discussing today.
The founder of Sikhism was Guru Nanak, who lived at the turn of the 15-16th centuries. He believed that God is the Truth that is known through a teacher, a spiritual mentor. Nanak claimed that God is love, virtue, beauty, God is present in all that is beautiful and good.
Nanak taught that all people are equal, did not divide their men and women or castes. He also opposed the widows' self-immolation ritual practiced by Hindus. Religion has formed several fundamental statements.
1. You can approach God only through good deeds and selfless love for God and others. The main form of worship is meditation.
2. Sikhs value freedom and condemn those who try to manipulate people.
3. All people are brothers.
It is noteworthy that in the 17th century, the tenth Sikh Guru created a fighting squad, which included everyone who could hold weapons. The reason for its creation was the brutal persecution that the Sikhs suffered from the Indian emperors. These people fought for independence and even got it for a while. But soon they fell in the struggle with the British.
Conclusion
So, today we examined the dharmic religions and their features. Each of the above religions is not only alive, but also spreading thanks to followers around the world.