Hinduism Practices and Beliefs

Hinduism Practices and Beliefs Charla Y. Jacobs A Glimpse into the Unfamiliar: Hinduism Hinduism is a religion that is multi-faceted. It is polytheistic; meaning its followers believe in many gods. Along with this religions many facets, there are also numerous sacred elements that its followers observe and practice. This religion even entails followers worshipping different gods (idols), during the same worship service. Because of Hinduism’s many details, I wanted to observe and experience its worship services and beliefs. I chose to visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple located in Lilburn, GA. A Mandir is a Hindu place of worship, considered to be a spiritual haven and a place of phenomenal peace. It is also viewed as a center of vibrant cultural, social and spiritual activity. Hindu religious services have many different practices/rituals, numerous overt elements of religious expression and the congregation is extremely involved in the service. Hindu religious services have many different practices and rituals. Before visiting the temple, I called to get information about visiting hours, specific dress codes/service attire, as well as whether or not any of the service would be presented in English. After being told that the services are conducted entirely in the Hindu language, I knew I needed to do some outside research of my own, specifically as it relates to Hindus’ practices and rituals. Hinduism is considered to be one of the oldest religions in the world, as it has no known founder or creator, such as that of Christianity, Buddhism and many other religions. Because of its many varied expressions of worship and beliefs, many people think that Hindu practices and beliefs are individually customized. While conducting my research, I learned that Hinduism has four main denominations – Saivism, Shaktism, Smartism and Vaishnavism. When I called the temple to inquire about rules and regulations for visitors, I was informed that the temple only allowed visitors on certain days and times. The day of your visit, determines the type of worship service you will observe/experience. My visit was on a Thursday, and from what I could determine, the worship service seemed to focus on the Smartism denomination. Smartas as followers of this denomination are called, worship god (the supreme being) in one of six forms. Ganesha, Sakti, Vishnu, Siva, Skanda and Surya. Because smartas accept all the major Hindu gods, they are known as nonsectarian and liberal in their beliefs. They follow a meditative path hat is thoughtful and philosophical, encouraging human beings oneness with god through understanding his/her nature. From what I could gather/understand during the service, the gods/idols being worshipped could have been either male or female. Hindu worship services seem to explode with numerous, overt elements of religious expression starting with the landscaping of the temple grounds, to the astounding architecture of the temple itself, all the way to the artwork and interior design of the temple – nothing short of amazing! One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life! I drive by this temple every afternoon on my way to school or on my way home from work. It is a very, large, beautiful and gated structure, appearing as if it was taken out of India and dropped into its present location; so I guess you could say it really gets lots of passerby attention because it looks as if it doesn’t belong in this country! During my research I learned that this temple, the Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was opened in August of 2007, after only 17 short months of construction. It is composed of three types of stone (Indian pink sandstone, Italian marble and Turkish limestone). Over 34, 000 pieces were carved by hand in India and shipped to the USA, to be assemble in Lilburn, GA; much like a giant, 3-D jigsaw puzzle. Upon entering the temple, with its lush carpet of many beautiful, rich colors, I noticed that there were no chairs. Everyone was expected to sit on the floor, in a seating apparatus that resembled a chair without legs, but did provide support for your back. The women were dressed in Saris (decorative robes/gowns) were seated separately from the men, who were dressed in robes of navy blue and black. Unlike Christianity, I did not witness any physical display of fellowship, like hugging and/or handshaking, as is customary in Christianity and many other religions. There were six very beautiful and ornately decorated statues that sat maybe two to three feet apart on a large and extremely beautiful, decorative altar/stage with colorful flowers and plants, as well as different, richly-colored materials and wall hangings. After I removed my shoes, I was lead to a visitors’ area, as non-Hindu believers/visitors were only allowed to observe from a distance on this particular day. Also, there is/was an $11.50 cost associated with visiting this temple. That in itself is very different than my own belief, which is Christianity. I’ve never been charged an admission fee to visit any church, nonetheless, I was very curious. My research also revealed that the Hindu worship service is known as Puja,  meaning adoration. The service started off very quiet, with only soft music playing while the worship leader, known as the Pujari, purified himself by washing his hands, feet and face with what I assume was holy water. He then begins to chant, along with using many different hand gestures and singing what appeared to be hymns to the six ornate statues/gods that are on the stage. He proceeds to lay various gifts such as food, oils and perfumes, as what I presume were offerings in front of each statue/idol. There are also bells being rang in the midst of all this activity. I understood this to be the way Hindus beckon the deities/gods to come and dwell among the people in the service. And then there was the lighting of many candles and oil lamps, as well as some sort of holy water being poured over the statues. While all this is going on, the congregants/worshippers are bowed down or lying prostate in prayer. All of this lasted for about  45 minutes to an hour. The Pujari then reads from a group of sac red Hindu writings known as Vedas (subchapters), which comes from a Hindu Bible, which is called the Shruti for about 30 minutes. The congregation is extremely involved in the service; even more so after all of the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ritualistic† and formal parts of the service are concluded. After the reading from the Shruti has been completed, the congregants/worshippers rise from their seated and praying positions. They begin to dance and sing, while lots of loud and festive music is being played, some from instruments that I didn’t recognize – seemingly the music consists of horns, symbols, bells, drums and Hindu chanting. Because the practice/religion of Hinduism is so varied and multi-faceted, there is so much more to experience and learn about it than just one visit will allow. I did not like the fact that I had to pay an admission price to visit a place of worship. That part alone, was sort of a turn off and made the whole experience seem unreal as far as worship services go. However, the surroundings, in and outside of the temple were so beautiful that it did evoke a sense of peace, calm and balance that may not likely be found anywhere else. I would definitely consider visiting on another day of the week where visitors may be a more participatory than observatory part of the service.

World Hunger Speech Outline

We have all felt like we were starving before, right? Sometimes you skip a meal and your stomach may start to growl? Well there are people all over America who have to go starving every day, and In this case, children. I'm hoping that today everyone In this room will leave feeling a little more Informed on the topic of child hunger. After researching the topic After studying Child hunger in America, I'd like to talk about How many children go hungry in America? What being starving does to your body? Charities that help. Body: How many Children go hungry in America?According to Unknowingly, 16. 2 children in America are not getting the food that they need on a regular basis. Food insecurity- or the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food- exists In 17. 2 million households, 3. 9 of them with children. Http://m;m. Unknowingly. Org/problem/hunger-facts% of homes with children living In them In big cities have food Insecurity. Severe Acute Malnutrition threatens the lives of 34 million children and every year at least 1 million of them die room malnutrition-related causes. Http://www. Countersignature. Org/impact/ nutrition? Clip=Cliff LaM 18ACFcZQ7AodUFQAWVv What starvation does to your body What happens in your stomach during starvation First your body will go into a state of ketosis. After all the fats broken are down, your body turns to breaking down protein in your muscles. Your immune system will be weakened due too lack of vitamins and minerals. There are typically two diseases you can get, marauds- which is a form of severe malnutrition and energy deficiency and kwashiorkor- caused by not getting enough protein and Is characterized by fatigue, edema, and decreased muscle mass. Http://www. Medically. Mom/now-entering-starvation-mode-what-happens-your- metabolic-processes-when-you-stop-feeding-your-body Starvation effects the brain So, in the initial stages of starvation, our bodies convert glycogen in the liver into more us er-friendly glucose. However, after a short time, our bodies begin burning fat reserves. When our fat is metabolize into nutrients useable by the brain, Ketene bodies are produced resulting in a state of Ketosis. Eventually, after a more extended erred of starvation, the body begins to run out of excess fat and must, instead, turn to muscle and connective tissue.Finally, when all else fails, the brain begins to break down neurons, reducing the volume of the brain and thereby â€Å"shrinking' the brain. Http://www. Transference. Com/blobs/451-eating-disorder-awareness-week-4-of-5- brain-starvation. HTML Ways to help stop child hunger. Charities Feed the Children Action against hunger World Vision Volunteer Your Time Repacking donated food for use at food pantries Transporting food to charitable agencies Help out at local soup kitchens Conclusion:

Sample Position Paper

The island is called Kankakee in Japan and Oddity in China. The territorial dispute was botched in 2012 by Tokyo, led at the time by the now- discredited Democratic Party of Japan. Reacting to China's increasingly intrusive presence in the waters around the Japanese-administered islands, and fearing that maverick former Tokyo Governor Shinto Ashier would carry through his threat to purchase the islands, then-Prime Minister Whooshing Nodal nationalized several of the islands after buying them from heir private owners in September 2012. China responded instantly with anti- Japanese riots and a freezing of diplomatic relations.Chinese patrol vessels and fishing boats began tense face-offs with Japan's Coast Guard. Within months, both nations' air forces began more active aerial patrols. One year and two months ago, China upped the ante by flying surveillance drones in such contested airspace. Japan responded by saying it would shoot down any drone that refused to leave the skies above t he islands. Beijing says that any attack on its drones would be an act of war. In another sign of high tensions in North East Asia, Japan announced that it scrambled fighter jets on the 7th January 2014 to head off a Chinese civilian aircraft near disputed islands.The Y-12 propeller plane entered Japan's air defense identification zone CADIS), but not the airspace around the Kankakee islets, before heading back to China. The incident is the first reported since China announced its own ADZ last November in the East China Sea, including the disputed islands, provoking an aggressive response from both the United States and Japan. The Obama administration immediately declared that US military aircraft would ignore the new Chinese protocols and flew nuclear-capable 8-52 bombers through the zone without informing Chinese authorities.US allies Japan and South Korea followed suit, raising the danger that an error or miscalculation could lead to a clash with the potential for escalation into an open conflict. The warfare is still continued and Japan did boost their defense budget. Controlling the use of drones for warfare is only in the hands of the nation's leaders. China's ambassador has accused Japan's Prime Minister, Shinto Abe, f â€Å"raising the specter of militarism† and putting his country on a â€Å"perilous path† that could threaten global peace.Lie Gaming said Abe, who has challenged the widely held view that Japan was an aggressor in the second world war, had contributed to a dramatic rise in tensions in north-east Asia with his hawkish policies and a recent visit to a controversial war shrine. The international community, Lie warned, should remain on a â€Å"high alert†. Relations between China and Japan – which enjoy expansive trade ties – have reached their lowest point in decades over competing claims to the Kankakee islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but also claimed by China.

Manifest Destiny in America Essay - 684 Words

The famous phrase â€Å"Manifest Destiny† was made up by a journalist in 1844. The idea of Manifest Destiny was that the people of the east had a divine and God-given right to settle in the west. God put the land there for the taking, and so the immigrants answered His call with westward expansion. My belief is that Manifest destiny was a necessary evil. The idea of manifest destiny expanded the west and provided homes and jobs. but on the other side of the coin manifest destiny ran the Native Americans out of their land and kept pushing them further and further west. In the year 1843, the stage was set for the Great Migration. Throughout the 1840s westward expansion started rolling. People living in the crowded east were lured west with†¦show more content†¦And whether or not they had the God-given right to settle in the west, that was exactly what they did. Nothing was able to stop them, even seemingly massive amounts of death, and that is the true miracle of Americ a’s westward expansion. Though Oregon had given away all its free land by 1855, more would still continue to migrate to California and Oregon for many years. Hundreds and thousands traveled the Oregon Trail, and though approximately one in ten died from illness and accident, many more remained to settle and farm the land. They believed it was their divine right to do so. Today, some historic land marks and wagon ruts remain as monuments to the Oregon Trail. Many of the brave and bold from the east traveled its path, with ambition and hope in their hearts. Many would never see the lands they wanted to settle in. In a bid to encourage people onto the Plains advertisements told success stories of those who had claimed land under the terms of the Homestead Act and had become successful. It divided 2.5 million acres of Plains land into sections or homesteads of 160 acres. People could now claim 160 acres of land. The only requirement on their part was that they paid a small charg e and built a house or added something to the land such as a house or a well and lived on the land for at least 5 years. The bad side of the coin was that manifest destiny ran the Native Americans outShow MoreRelatedThe Manifest Destiny Of America Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesThe Manifest Destiny was the name given to the Anglo-American (white) expansion into the West. The Manifest Destiny was based on an idea that white Americans were superior people who believed in God. Americans were to populate North America â€Å"sea to shining sea† and spread the religion of Christianity. The Manifest Destiny displayed American’s confidence. Americans moved west for more land, the Manifest Destiny also uplifted American’s freedom and democracy. And it encouraged independence. 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