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Religions of the world
There are different types of religions in this world.
Natural and Animistic Religions
In Africa, Australia and other parts of the world, where
the original inhabitants of the land and forests exist, the
forces of nature on which their lives are largely dependant
are idolized into human forms. They appease these "Gods"
by offering their farm produce or sacrificing their domestic
cattle etc.
Geographical and Historic Evolution of Culture and
Civilization Culminating in Religion
The religion in India is the culture of the land evolved
through thousands of years and deeply related to the geography
and history of India. there is no founder for it. Foreign
invasions into this land has enriched and developed this cultural
process in depth and width. Likewise, the culture of India
has also affected the lands of these invaders. The development
of this religion is through the the evolution of the primitive
language into its refined form as "Sanskrit", and
the related innumerous regional languages in this land and
the literature including the rich heritage of epics and scripts
in these languages. Thus although the religion of the land
is called as "Hindu Religion" today, this was highly
irrelevant in the olden days. The word "Hindu" was
originally coined by combining "Hi" for Himalaya
and "ndu" for the "Udhi" in the south
meaning the land between them.
Thus it can be seen that it is either an integration of a
number of religions or that it is not a religion at all.
As a religion when we try to find the origin of this rich
culture, it can be seen that it also originated from the primitive
practices and rituals as described in the "Rig Veda".
The greatness of this religion is the unusual collection
of logically sound philosophy and endearing poetic creations.
But the state of chaos and confusion prevalent today in the
Hindu religion has made it tough to segregate absolute truth
from pure blunder.
At one end it says "Sarvam Khaluidam Brahmam" (A
proclamation of universal equality where all that has been
evolved here is said to be part of the Absolute.) and at the
other end discriminates and ousts the "untouchables".
The soul of Adi Shankaracharya who wrote "Soothra Bhashyam"
must be cringing at the calls of action (Karma Kantda) by
the modern day Acharyas and Seers.
Prophetic Religions
These are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In all these religions
the central powerful God is the "Yah". A series
of prophets like Isaaiah, Eliah signifies Judaism as a prophetic
religion. Jesus, the next in the series, is counted by Christians
as not just another prophet and is considered as God itself
descended as the Son of God. For Muslims to believe the Islamic
notion that Muhammed Rasool Kareem is the last prophet, the
next in the series after Jesus, they will also have to believe
in the fables and dreams described in their holy book. The
affidavits given in the Bible are the realizations of the
prophecies in the old testament. Its claimed that Jesus is
the Son of God. But the only proof for this claim comes in
the form of a dream that occured to his mother. To believe
this one has to believe that the Mother of God would not lie.
One also has to believe that dreams turns true.
The Holy Qoran is said to be the revelations from God to
prophet Mohammed who was himself an illiterate and hence it
is supposed that each and every syllable in the book is from
God and hence to be abided without refute by a Muslim. We
do not have a right to say who should believe what. So...let
it be.
Idealistic and Hypostatic Religions
Although Budhism and Jainism are not strictly Prophetic Religions,
since they both have founders as Vardhamana Mahavira and Gauthama
Budha, these may be called as prophetic religions. However
in essence they are hypostatic religions. In the Budhist Philosophy,
Metaphysics is irrelevant and Psychology and Logic is the
underlying thread in Budhism. But in practice modern day Budhism
is deep in the clutches of superstitions, rituals and exploitations
by the monks.
The core of Jainism lies in the universal love towards all
living things. But being greedy for money like the Jews in
Europe, the Jains have become notorious as money lenders.
This contradiction is present in every religion where although
there are elements of Goodness, evil elements are also equally
present.
Idealistic and Hypostatic religions have originated in the
western, eastern and the west asian countries. Humanism, Liberalism,
Syndicalism, Socialism etc which originated in the west placed
these human values with primary importance. Only a few thinkers
in the society could actually practice these in their lives.
Of course, Socialism is an exception to this. This religion
which stood for the sake of the working class and popularized
itself upholding the collective will power of the common man,
came up as an alternative to the established religions of
the believers. In India "Advaita Vedanta" materialized
as an idealistic religion. But since Shankaran who formed
this religion was believed to be a Brahmin, and a sect of
Brahmins who studied the philosophy treated it as their community
affair, this got reduced to just another caste specific tradition
and practice.
A principal philosophy and system of religion of China based
on the teachings of Lao-tzu in the sixth century B.C., Taoism
advocates preserving and restoring the Tao in the body and
the cosmos. Basically a religion based on meditation, the
philosophical system developed by of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu
advocates a simple honest life and noninterference with the
course of natural events.
Confucianism, the political morality taught by Confucius
and his disciples, which forms the basis of the Chinese jurisprudence
and education emphasized love for humanity; high value given
to learning and to devotion to family (including ancestors);
peace; justice; influenced the traditional culture of China.
Marxism in the Soviet Union got mixed with Leninism and subsequently
became neo socialism and communism. Further during the period
of Gorbachev it even became a new edition of the Orthodox
Russian Church.
Maoism which developed in China as a religion was discarde
by the young Chinese as it was more of a person worship.
Religions of Heirophantic Wonder
Theosophy to Cosmic Consciousness to Transcendental Meditation
to the mystic Life after Death...around the world small groups
form and develop a kind of religious experience. Temporarily,
they too have their own magical and mystical Masters, Gurus,
Bhagavans, Mothers, Babas, Amma etc who emerge and disappear
with time.
Protest Religions
Socrates to Martin Luther Protest Religions evolved along
the history as a need of the times. Democletes, Heracletes,
Lucretes, Protagorus etc were leaders of Protest Religions.
Kapila, Budha, Vatsyaya revolted against priesthood. Atheist
and Rationalist who started protesting in our times through
Sartre and Proust got entangled in constant dialogue with
the superstitions in religions and thus even their philosophical
plains became superficial.
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