The Religions Book

59 See also: The origin of death 33 ■ The spirits of the dead live on 36–37 ■ Entering into the faith 224–25 ■ Social holiness a ...

THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL DEPENDS ON HUMANKIND THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL ...

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62 Z oroastrianism is one of the oldest surviving religions, and one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths. It was founded b ...

63 by using their free will to do good. Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds support asha, the fundamental order of the uni ...

64 It is not long, however, before Ahriman recovers and renews his attack. He breaks through the sky in a blaze of fire, bringin ...

65 worthy of, and helpful to, Ahura Mazda include truthfulness, loyalty, tolerance, forgiveness, respect for one’s elders, and t ...

66 T he origins of Daoism are rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs concerning nature and harmony, but its first text, attributed to ...

67 See also: Wisdom lies with the superior man 72–77 ■ Physical and mental discipline 112–13 ■ Zen insights that go beyond words ...

68 THE FIVE GREAT VOWS SELF-DENIAL LEADS TO SPIRITUAL LIBERATION J ainism is the most ascetic of all Indian religions. Its follo ...

69 See also: The four stages of life 106–109 ■ Escape from the eternal cycle 136–43 ■ Buddhas and bodhisattvas 152–57 ■ The ulti ...

70 The symbol adopted by Jainism is a complex arrangement of elements within an outline that represents the universe: earthly co ...

71 the path of spiritual enlightenment, earning merit little by little, life by life. One of the Jain holy texts, the Tattvartha ...

VIRTUE IS NOT SENT FROM HEAVEN WISDOM LIES WITH THE SUPERIOR MAN ...

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74 C onfucius, as he is known in the West, was one of the first thinkers to systematically explore the notion of goodness and wh ...

75 Asked by a student to explain the rules to be followed by the seeker of ren, Confucius replied, “One should see nothing impro ...

76 were founded in the Confucian concepts of virtuous behavior; in 136 BCE the Han dynasty introduced new competitive examinatio ...

77 Respect for elders and ancestors is a core value of Confucianism: these young Chinese students are marking the anniversary of ...

78 The infant Zeus, here painted by Carlo Cignani (1628–1719), was variously described in myth as being nursed by nymphs, a she- ...