The Religions Book

99 The concept of varna may need redefining in order to be workable in 21st-century India where newly defined roles and nontradi ...

100 See also: Physical and mental discipline 112–13 ■ Devotion through puja 114–15 ■ Buddhas and bodhisattvas 152–57 ■ Shaktism ...

101 See also: The ultimate reality 102–105 ■ The self as constantly changing 148–51 ■ The Protestant Reformation 230–37 ■ The Da ...

102 BRAHMAN IS MY SELF WITHIN THE HEART THE ULTIMATE REALITY T he Upanishads are a series of philosophical texts, the earliest o ...

103 See also: Animism in early societies 24–25 ■ Man and the cosmos 48–49 ■ Seeing with pure consciousness 116–21 ■ Man as a man ...

104 THE ULTIMATE REALITY All this is Brahman... He is my Self within the heart, smaller than a corn of rice... Chandogya Upanish ...

HINDUISM 105 Concealed in the heart of all beings is the Atman, the Spirit, the Self; smaller than the smallest atom, greater th ...

106 WE LEARN, WE LIVE, WE WITHDRAW, WE DETACH THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE I mplicit in all religions is the notion that there are ai ...

107 See also: ■ Self-denial leads to spiritual liberation 68–71 ■ A rational world 92–99 ■ Selfless action 110–11 ■ Finding the ...

108 toward different goals in succession, as they moved through four stages of life, or ashramas: student, house- holder, retire ...

109 set of moral commands applies equally to all. It is a moral system that recognizes flexibility and difference in people’s ci ...

110 IT MAY BE YOUR DUTY TO KILL SELFLESS ACTION T he Bhagavad-Gita is an ancient Hindu scripture about virtue and duty. It tells ...

111 See also: Living in harmony 38 ■ A rational world 92–99 ■ Hinduism in the political age 124–25 ■ Let kindness and compassion ...

112 THE PRACTICE OF YOGA LEADS TO SPIRITUAL LIBERATION PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCIPLINE T he Sanskrit word yoga is used to describ ...

113 See also: Aligning the self with the dao 66–67 ■ Seeing with pure consciousness 116–21 ■ Zen insights that go beyond words 1 ...

114 A devotee performs puja by offering food to the image of a deity, as if enticing it to eat. Images such as this are believed ...

115 See also: Sacrifice and blood offerings 40–45 ■ Living the Way of the Gods 82–85 ■ The Protestant Reformation 230–37 ■ Devot ...

THE WORLD IS AN ILLUSION SEEING WITH PURE CONSCIOUSNESS ...

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may be mistaken for a snake, or vice versa. Further, a person may know it is possible to be fooled by what is seen, heard, or to ...