Chapter 12, Religion: Location, Diffusion, and Cultural Landscape

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Chapter 12, Religion Location, Diffusion, and
Cultural Landscape

• Great faiths all arose within a few thousand
  years and within a few thousand kilometers of
  each other in South and Southwest Asia. Diffusion
  later than languages
• Diffusion Routes
• HinduismCaste System/Rejection
• BuddhismDiffusion/Branches/Lamaism/Landscapes
• Confucianism, Taoism/Fen-Shui
• Judaism
• ChristianityLandscape
• Confucianism
• Cemeteries/Funerals
• Islam-Five Pillars, Diffusion

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Figure 12-1 Diffusion of four major religions
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Hinduism- the oldest religion

• No prophet, books or bureaucratic structure
• Originated from Indus Valley, 4000yrs ago
• Doctrine -Karma - all beings have souls and are
  arranged in a hierarchy.
• Souls, in the next life, move upward in the
  hierarchy and then to escape from the eternal
  cycle through union with the Brahman, up or
  down movement depend on good or bad behavior
  in the present life
• Reincarnation - if you mistreat an animal in this
  life, chances are you will be that animal in a
  future life
• Caste System bound to the Hinduism -
  untouchables could not enter templesa
  generation ago.
• Mahatma Gandhi loosened the social barriers of
  the caste system

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The Caste System in Hindusim

• 1. Brahmins(White) - Priests and Teachers (dont
  eat meat)
• 2. Ksatriyas(Red) - Warriors and Rulers
• 3. Vaisyas(Brown) - Farmers, Merchants,
  Artisans,etc
• 4. Sudras(Black) - Laborers
• Outcastes - Untouchables - Polluted Laborers
• There are literally thousands of subclasses in
  India, often with an administrative or corporate
  structure. When Gandhi wanted to go to England
  to study law, he had to ask his subcaste for
  permission to leave India.
• Ganhdi means Greengrocer

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Boys reborn at age
Brahmins - peace, self-harmony purity,
loving-forgiveness, vision wisdom and faith
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Twice Born
Ks.atriya-heroic mind, inner fire, courage in
battle, generosity and noble leadership
member of Vedic religion, eligible to learn
Sanskrit
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marriage for girl who will be bestowed with the
thread
Vaishya - Trade, agriculture, rearing of cattle
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Varn.as
Sudras - service
Outcastes
Untouchable - sometimes
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The Untouchables

• 20 of Hindus. Some ejected from castes to
  untouchables, example of Gandhi.
• Job Description - dealing with the bodies of dead
  animals or human body, manufacturing leather
  goods, cleaning up the human and animal waste
• Gandhi - went on fasts in the hope of improving
  the condition of the Untouchables
• Hinduism -Diffusion/Cultural Landscape
• Essentially is a cultural religion of South Asia.
• Hinduism is a way of life, if you build a
  temple you will be rewarded. So, there are many
  shrines which should be in a comfortable
  position (for example, under a large, shady tree)
  and near water which has a holy function in
  Hinduism.
• A village temple should face the village from a
  prominent position

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• Bathing in Ganges River. They believe Ganges
  springs from the hair of Siva, one of the main
  deities.
• Hindus achieve purification by bathing in the
  Ganges, and bodies of the dead are washed with
  water from it before being cremated.

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Rejection to Hinduism

• Jainism began in 6th century B.C. as a revolt
  against the authority of the early Hindu
  doctrines, caste distinctions and modifies
  concepts of karma and transmigration of souls - 4
  million followers
• Sikhism - rejecting the formalism of both
  Hinduism and Islam and proclaiming a gospel of
  universal toleration, and
• Buddhism - 6th century B.C. four noble truths 1)
  existence involves suffering 2) suffering is the
  result of desire 3) pain ceases when desire is
  destroyed 4) the destruction of desire comes
  through knowledge of correct behavior and correct
  thoughts

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Buddhism

• A protest to the Hinduisms strict social
  hierarchy that protected the privileged and kept
  majority in poverty (another protest - Jainism)
• Founded by Prince Siddhartah (Gautama), the heir
  to a wealthy kingdom - Nepal
• Buddha - Enlightened One was the first prominent
  Indian religious leader to speak out against
  Hinduisms caste system
• Enlightenment would come through self-knowledge,
  elimination of greed, craving and desire
  complete honesty and never hurting another
  person or animal- vegetarians
• Seeking Perfect Wisdom and the permanent escape
  from all anguish via the realizatioin of True
  Ultimate Reality - Nirvana
• What is Zen?
• Who is Dalai Lama?

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Buddhism - Diffusion

• Emperor Asoka - started diffusion process. It
  reached Sri Lanka, Mediterranean, Tibet, China,
  Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia
• While Buddhism spread to distant lands, it began
  to decline in its region of origin. After Asoka,
  India is mainly Hinduism. A process of Migration
  Diffusion

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Branches of Buddhism

• Theravada
• - Sri Lanka/Myanmar/Thailand /Laos/Cambodia
• - salvation is personal matter/ good behavior/be
  monk or nun

• Mahayana
• -Vietnam/China/Japan /Korea
• - appeals to superhuman/ personal meditation/
  worship

• Lamaism(Vajrayana)
• - Tibet Dalai Lama reincarnated Buddha.
  Self-discipline, conversion through meditation
  and study of philosophy

• Zen
• - Japan, Taiwan and US
• - Zen Master

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Buddhism Asian Diffusion Routes

• Source Fellmann Getis, Getis, 2000

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Lamaism - Tibetan religion of about 3 million
Tibetans and 7 million Mongols and others,
including Richard Gere.

• The Dalai Lama is the equivalent of the Pope for
  them. A secondary leader is the Teshu Lama (or
  Panchen Lama). These two are regarded as Living
  Buddhas, being reincarnations of Buddha passing
  from one existence to another. When one dies,
  his successor is sought from among the baby boys
  born at the time the leader passed away because
  it is believed that the soul of the Buddha has
  only passed into another existence

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• Lahsa Potola Palace - Tibet, 13 stories, 1000
  rooms, red and white palaces

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Cultural LandscapeBecause Prince Siddhartha sat
under the Bodhi, this tree has become the
symbolic characteristic of Buddhism. Photo The
site of Buddhas enlightenment Pagoda -
symbolizes peace, compassion and the noble
exemplary qualities of the Buddha.
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Taoism

• 1) Tao-te-ching - Book of the Way ,
  Simplicity, spontaneity, tenderness, and
  tranquility. Avoid Competition, possession and
  even the pursuit of knowledge . Evils - War,
  punishment, taxation, and ceremonial ostentation
  2) The best government is the least government
• 3) Taoism became a cult of the masses, Lao-Tsu is
  god which himself would have disapproved. 4)A
  sort of Taoist witchcraft emerged
• Feng Shui- harmony with nature
• Feng means Winds, Shui means Water
• Consult with geomancers for doing everything,
  including building houses, naming the business,
  garden layout, location of the stores, highway
  systems, presidents palace, maybe The White
  House facing
• Lamanism

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No Pork Chop
Christianity in Europe
Source J.F. Simoon, Not Eat This Flesh
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Judaism

• Moses led Jews from Egypt to Canaan, then split
  into two branches Israel and Judah, both
  conquered by other nations. Roman destroyed
  Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Ashkenazim - Central
  Europe, Sephardim - N. Africa and Iberian
  Peninsula
• Teaching of Abraham, worship of only one god
  who had selected them to bear witness to this
  existence and his works
• Elements from other religions - Zoroastrianism
  - paradise/hell, angels/devils, judgment day and
  resurrection
• 19th Century, Reform tried to adjust to current
  times, Orthodox retained the old precepts,
  Conservative came in between as mediator
• Zionism - searches for a homeland for Jewish

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Christianity

• Before Emperor Constantines conversion in 312,
  Christianity faced the same obstacle as Judaism
  did.
• 1) Rome fell and broke into two part western
  part, centered on Rome with hard time, eastern
  part centered on Constantinople (Istanbul in
  Turkey) was the focus. Christianity radiated into
  Balkan Peninsula. 2)Roman Catholicism arose in
  the Middle Ages. 3)15 and 16th century,
  Luther,Calvin initialized the Protestant movement
• Diffusion of Christianity
• 1) With relocation diffusion and reached peak
  during European colonialism in 16th century 2)
  Spain invaded Mid and South American brought
  Catholic faith. Catholicism to Congo, Angola, and
  Mocambique and Philippines. 3) Protestant
  refugees came to N. America

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Cultural Landscape..Cathedral - focus of
life, surrounded by other buildings in Medieval
Europe. A reminders of the regions Roman
Catholic-dominated history..Protestants church
can only be identified by a sign now days.
Washington National Cathedral
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
Taipei
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Confucianism

• Confucius - born 551-479 b.c. 1) Present life is
  more important than the future life, 2) Urged
  poor to assert themselves, 3) human virtues and
  abilities to determine ones position in society
  4) educated the landless and the weak 5) disliked
  supernatural mysticism 6) Confucian Classics -
  guide for Chinese civilization

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Confucius Temples in Taiwan - main entrance
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Center Court
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Front View and insides
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Memorial Tablets
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Making a triad with Heaven and Earth
View from inside of main building
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Great Learning
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Matzu Temple
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Matzu -Goddess of the Sea and Empress of Heaven,
Goddess of Peace

• Matsu, originally named Lin Mo Niang (silent
  girl) was born in 960 AD near Meizhou Bay in
  Fujien Province, China. She is revered by sea
  faring people in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong
  Kong, and Singapore. Matsu has become much more
  than the patron saint of fishermen--she is one of
  the most venerated deities in the Chinese
  pantheon. Her birthday on the 3rd month, 23rd day
  of the Chinese calendar is celebrated in Taiwan's
  hundreds of Matsu temples. Because she is a
  powerful female deity and was supposedly visited
  by Kuan Yin herself, she is often associated with
  Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Matsu's face is
  generally black, and her face is shaded with a
  beaded veil.

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Story about a girl and the sea
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Issues in cemeteries and funerals

• Christian faiths bury their dead while Hindus,
  Buddhists, and Shintoists cremate the dead
• Decoration of graves/elaborate rituals and in
  parklike cemeteries
• Significant economic enterprise in Western
  cultures - cemeteries and funeral business

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Hanging Coffins in China
Minority Ba people - buried their dead by
suspending the coffins on the cliff faces

• so that they were closer to the heavens.

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Figure 12-2 US Religions
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Islam -the youngest of the major religions

• Koran - holy book. There is only one god
  occasionally reveals himself through prophet,
  Jesus was such a prophet, only Allah is pure.
  Muhammad, born in A.D. 571, Allah chose him to
  be a prophet
• Observe five pillars
• 1) Repeated expressions of the basic creed,
  2)frequent prayer 3)a month of daytime fasting
  4)almsgiving
• 5) at least one pilgrimage to Mecca
• Other Rules 1) No alcohol, smoking, and
  gambling
• 2) Polygamy was tolerated, but monogamy was
  preferred
• 3)Arab world was transformed into Muslim world
  overnight

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Fundamentalist Islam - Taliban

• All non-Muslims in Afghanistan must wear
  identification tags.
• Taliban forces destroyed two 2,000-year-old
  statues of Buddha that survived even the
  13th-century onslaught of Genghis Khan.
• Women have been forbidden from working, even for
  United Nations relief agencies, and must be
  covered from head to toe when outside their
  homes. Women also face health care restrictions.
• Banned activities include watching television,
  dancing, photography and kite flying.
• Eight foreign aid workers, including two
  Americans, currently are on trial in Kabul on
  charges of preaching Christianity.

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Two Muslims

• Shiite minority (13) - Shiah centered in Iran
• Idealism and the supernatural
• Imam - sole source of true knowledge

• Orthodox Sunni
• Practicality and Earthly knowledge
• Family and community help you solve problems

• Muslim Population
• 1.2 billion, estimated from CAIR (Council on
  American-Islamic relations)
• represents about 22, next to 33 of
  Christianity
• 2.9 growth rate (faster than the world
  population growth rate-2.3

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Diffusion/Cultural Landscape

• Expansion diffusion - spread of Islam from it
  Arabian source area
• Relocation diffusion - dispersal to Malaysia,
  Indonesia, S. Africa, and the New World

• Mosques - elaborate, ornate, and magnificently
  designed
• Muslim architecture represents the unifying
  concept of Islamic monotheism the perfection and
  vastness of the spirit of Allah
• http//www.islamicity.org/mosque/ihame/Sec12.htm

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Taj Mahal-Crown of the Palace
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Figure 12-4 Islam Diffusion
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Just Two Words -1

• There once was a monastery that was very strict.
  Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to
  speak at all. But there was one exception to this
  rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted
  to speak just two words. After spending his first
  ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the
  head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head
  monk. "What are the two words you would like to
  speak?"
• "Bed... hard..." said the monk.
• "I see," replied the head monk.

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Just Two Words -2

• Ten years later, the monk returned to the head
  monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said
  the head monk. "What are the two words you would
  like to speak?"
• "Food... stinks..." said the monk.
• "I see," replied the head monk.
• Yet another ten years passed and the monk once
  again met with the head monk who asked, "What are
  your two words now, after these ten years?"
• "I... quit!" said the monk.
• "Well, I can see why," replied the head
  monk. "All you ever do is complain."

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Just Two Words - 3

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