Hinduism is an Indian religion, or a way of life,

widely practiced in South Asia. Hinduism has

been called the oldest religion in the world, and
some practitioners and scholars refer to it
as Sanātana Dharma, "the eternal tradition,"
or the "eternal way," beyond human history. Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or
synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no founder.
This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE following
the Vedic period (1500 BCE to 500 BCE).

Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is linked by shared

concepts, recognizable rituals, cosmology, shared textual resources, and pilgrimage to
sacred sites. Hindu texts are classified into Śruti ("heard") and Smṛti ("remembered").
These texts discuss

theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic yajna, Yoga, agamic rituals, and temple
building, among other topics. Major scriptures include the Vedas and Upanishads,
the Bhagavad Gita, and the Agamas. Sources of authority and eternal truths in its
texts play an important role, but there is also a strong Hindu tradition of the
questioning of this authority, to deepen the understanding of these truths and to
further develop the tradition. Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and
traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no
governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be
polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist.
Because of the wide range of traditions and ideas covered by the term Hinduism,
arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult. The religion "defies our desire to
define and categorize it". Hinduism has been variously defined as a religion, a religious
tradition, a set of religious beliefs, and "a way of life." From a Western lexical
standpoint, Hinduism like other faiths is appropriately referred to as a religion. In
India the term dharma is preferred, which is broader than the western term religion.
The study of India and its cultures and religions, and the definition of "Hinduism", has
been shaped by the interests of colonialism and by Western notions of religion. Since
the 1990s, those influences and its outcomes have been the topic of debate among
scholars of Hinduism, and have also been taken over by critics of the Western view on
India.
 Buddhism is an Indian
religion attributed to the
teachings of the Buddha,
supposedly born Siddhārtha
Gautama, and also known as the Tathagata ("thus-gone") and Sakyamuni
("sage of the Sakyas"). The details of Buddha's life are mentioned in many early
Buddhist texts but are inconsistent, and his social background and life details are
difficult to prove, the precise dates uncertain. The evidence of the early texts suggests
that he was born as Siddhārtha Gautama in Lumbini and grew up in Kapilavasthu, a
town in the plains region of the modern Nepal-India border, and that he spent his life
in what is now modern Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.Some hagiographic legends state that
his father was a king named Suddhodana, his mother was queen Maya, and he was
born in Lumbini gardens.However, scholars such as Richard Gombrich consider this a
dubious claim because a combination of evidence suggests he was born in the
Shakyas community – one that later gave him the title Shakyamuni, and the Shakya
community was governed by a small oligarchy or republic-like council where there
were no ranks but where seniority mattered instead.Some of the stories about
Buddha, his life, his teachings, and claims about the society he grew up in may have
been invented and interpolated at a later time into the Buddhist texts.

The Buddha taught the famous "Four Noble Truths" and "Eightfold Path," which
allows people to achieve enlightenment. Enlightenment (nirvana, awakening,
realization, satori) is the cessation of suffering, freedom from conditioned existence
(samsara). The Buddha taught that every action has a consequence; things are
because of previous conditions. If one practices the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold Path, then one will no longer be subject to the cycle of existence samsara.
The Buddha taught that beings were born into their position because of past karma.
He taught that there were six realms of existence: hell, insatiable-spirit, animal,
fighting-spirits, human, and heavenly-being. A human birth was most desired because
you have the best chance of enlightenment.
 Taoism loosely based on the writings of a
mythical figure named Laozi who lived some
2,500 years ago — calls for an adherence to "the
way", which practitioners have long interpreted
as a return to the natural world. The core of the basic belief and doctrine of Taoism is
that "Tao" is the origin and law of all things in the universe. Taoists believes that
people can become deities or live forever through practicing certain rituals and
austerities.

The focus of Taoism is the individual in nature rather than the individual in society. It
holds that the goal of life for each individual is to find one's own personal adjustment
to the rhythm of the natural (and supernatural) world and to follow the Way (dao) of
the universe. In many ways the opposite of rigid Confucian moralism, Taoism served
many of its adherents as a complement to their ordered daily lives. A scholar on duty
as an official would usually follow Confucian teachings but at leisure or in retirement
might seek harmony with nature as a Taoist recluse.

Taoists stress the importance of harmonizing with nature by balancing yin and yang,
and developing chi through meditation and disengagement. The human body is
regarded as a source of chi-derived energy, which some people have the power to
concentrate and congeal into an essence. Chi (also spelled ch'i or qi) is variously
known as the "breath of heaven," “mystical breath," the "breath of nature" and the
"quality of spirit"

In classic Taoist cosmology, matter and energy are thought to be governed by five
basic movements. The strength and influence of these movements wax and wane over
the course of a year; with wood peaking during spring, fire during summer, metal in
autumn and water in winter. The remaining movement, earth, asserts its presence
most powerfully during the periods before the start of each season. Taoism is
essentially a philosophy that advocates what is natural and spontaneous, simple and
necessary. Based on its philosophy, that by which anything and everything comes to
be is "Tao”, generally understood as the power or the principle behind all things It
oftentimes called non_ being. The one here spoken is referring to being. The two are
YIN and YANG-The cosmic principles or forces where yin signifies feminity, cold and
darkness while yang signifies activity, warmth and brightness.

Taoism maintains that the sage who has a complete understanding of the nature of
things thereby has no emotions. ..Taoism speaks two levels of knowledge; the lower
level which is finite point of view when man sees distinctions like those between right
and wrong, and the higher level, which is the higher point of view, when mas sees
thing though different are united and become one. Thus, although all the things differ,
they are alike in that they all constitute something whether it is good or bad.
 Confucianism, the
teachings of Confucius
during 500 BC, has played
an important role in
forming Chinese character,
behavior and way of living.
(Eliot 2001; Guo 1995) Its primary purpose is to achieve harmony, the most important
social value.

Confucianism strongly emphsizes: Mercy, Social order, Fulfillment of Responsibilities.

This is achieved by everyone having well defined roles and acting towards others in a
proper way.

Central Ethical Principal

“Ren” is the central ethical principle, and is equivalent to the concepts love, mercy,
and humanity. It is best explicated by Confucius in the following statement: “Do not
do to others what you do not want done to yourself.” This ethical principle is further
strengthened by the Buddhist tradition that merit is accumulated by doing merciful
acts, which leads to a better next life through reincarnation.

There are five cardinal relations (“wu lun”):

Sovereign-Subject, Father-Son, Elder-Younger Brother, Husband-Wife, Friend-Friend

The family is the center and comes before the individual. The father is the undisputed
head of the family. With regard to filial piety (“xiao”), sons, especially the oldest son,
have specific obligations toward the family and are expected to respect and care for
parents (McLaughlin & Braun, 1998). In pre-modern China, the act of suicide was not
necessarily deviant behavior if it was associated with duty or loyalty to the family.

“Li”, the “proper way” or “propriety”, includes a set of rules for interaction with others
and the role system. Control of emotions, restraint, and obedience to authority,
conforming and “face” are highly valued and important.

The Confucian philosophy is built on the foundational belief that man is basically
good. The Analects state, "The Master said, 'Is goodness indeed so far away? If we
really wanted goodness, we should find that it was at our side.'" (Analects 7:29)
Confucian disciple Mencius further develops this, stating, "Man's nature is naturally
good just as water naturally flows downward." (Chan 52) This innate goodness could
be developed and actualized through education, self-reflection, and discipline. Study
in the six arts, which include ceremony, music, archery, charioteering, writing, and
mathematics would develop one's character.

However, despite man's natural goodness, Confucius faced reality honestly. He

questioned if it was possible to ever truly attain the level of the true gentleman.
Confucius stated, "I for my part have never yet seen one who really cared for goodness,
nor one who really abhorred wickedness." (Analects 4:6) He said of himself, "As to
being a divine sage or even a good man, far be it from me to make any such claim"
(Analects 7:33). "The Master said, 'The Ways of the true gentleman are three. I myself
have met with success in none of them.'" (Analects 14:30) However, if man by nature
is good, why can we not attain what should be natural to us?

The Bible has built on a contrasting view of man. It teaches that man is created in the
image of God, and that man was originally good. However, because of the fall in
Genesis 3, man is now sinful and in rebellion against God. Therefore, his natural
tendency is to disobey the commandments of God, and he is driven to please himself.
Paul states in Romans 7:18, "I have the desire to do good, but I cannot carry it out."

Of the two views, Confucius and the Bible, which one represents the true reality of
human nature? Do we naturally think of pure and holy thoughts, or if left to wander,
do our minds naturally lust in the flesh and crave material riches? Which comes
naturally to us, the tendency to dwell on noble things or selfish things? What has
personal experience and history shown?

According to the Bible, good education is a positive step toward helping man change,
but it stops short. Man is in need of a heart transformation. Life transformation
occurs when a person enters into a personal relationship with God through His Son
Jesus Christ. One's nature is transformed because God's Spirit indwells an individual.
Although the Christian is not capable of living out the principles of God's law
flawlessly, he is not left to himself to live a holy life. God provides man with the
indwelling of His Holy Spirit to enable man to live in obedience to His law.
 The origin of the word "shinto" means
"way of the kami." Therefore, Shinto
beliefs focus on the existence and power
of the kami, or gods, that exist in the
world, in nature, and especially in and
throughout Japan. Click the "kami page" below to learn more specific information about these
gods. In general, however, this religion is an overall perspective more than a simple list of
Shinto beliefs. This perspective - referred to by the phrase mono no aware - is a uniquely
Japanese way of seeing the world and its beauty that contains many nuances, which includes:
- aesthetic sensitivity - a sense of beauty and of the beautiful - sensitivity toward the aesthetic
and the emotional as a basis for looking at life - this includes the sadness or pathos of life as
well as joy, happiness and bliss- seeing with the heart into the natural beauty and goodness of
all things.

Shinto beliefs, then, are not centered around official creeds or codified systems of theology or
ethics, but instead are a distinct sensibility that underlies an entire approach to life and the
world. This can be captured not only with the phrase mono no aware, but also with the
concepts of makoto and kannagara-no-michi. Makoto simply means "sincerity" and it is the
basis of Shinto ethics. This religion is sometimes criticized by those who don't understand it for
having no official list of rules or codes of ethics, such as the Ten Commandments. Instead,
Shinto emphasizes makoto - sincerity in the heart. Those who are sincere will naturally tend to
behave in ways that cohere with the great, official ethical traditions of the world's religion.
Sincere people don't steal from others, or lie to them, or try to murder them. Sincere people do
not do things that undermine the fabric of society or bring harm to the community or family.
Sincerity is the grounding of all ethical thought and behavior, in this view. Even were the
religion to have long lists of dos and don'ts in its archives, only those with sincerity in their
hearts will be prompted to live the rules.

This is partly what is meant by the phrase kannagara-no-michi which, in the ethical context,
refers to the idea that virtue is inseparable from the rest of life, especially life lived in harmony
with the natural world (enlivened by kami, or the gods). Beauty, truth, goodness, morality -
these are all connected, inseparable from each other. Those who live life with the perspective
outlined above - with an aesthetic sensitivity, an emotional sensibility toward the world, and
with a sincere heart will behave morally almost naturally. List and rules are more important for
training animals than for cultivating morality in humans, according to this view.

Having said this, purity rituals are common across Shinto practice, which points to the need
for purity in one's heart. This purity of heart is a natural companion to makoto. Purity rituals
use water as the cleansing agent, and the rituals include rinsing the mouth, washing the
hands, bathing, standing under waterfalls, and other such things. Often, these activities are
done at a shrine, and they symbolize the inner purity necessary for a truly human and
spiritual life.

Purity is one of the fundamental virtues of Shinto ethics. There are two significations of purity.
One is outer purity or bodily purity and the other inner purity or purity of heart. If a man is
endowed with true inner purity of heart, he will surely attain God-realisation or communion
with the Divine. Sincerity is also the guiding ethical principle of Shinto.
 Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God,
Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the
right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true
God, and every other deity is false. He has the most
magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His
attributes. In the Quran, God describes Himself: Say, “He is God, the One. God, to
Whom the creatures turn for their needs. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and
there is none like Him.” (Quran, 112:1-4)

No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of
worship, but God alone. God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the
Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in
need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they
need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner,
His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and
the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen.
No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills is, and
whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above the will of all the
creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything. He is the
Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of
the Prophet Muhammad , we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than
a mother to her child.1 God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise
in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she
can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.
God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God.2 Even Jesus himself rejected this. God has
said in the Quran: Indeed, they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah
(Jesus), son of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord
and your Lord. Whoever associates partners in worship with God, then God has
forbidden Paradise for him, and his home is the Fire (Hell). For the wrongdoers,3
there will be no helpers.” (Quran, 5:72)

In Islam man thinks and makes in his function of homo sapiens and homofaber as the
`abd of God, and not as a creature who has rebelled against Him. His function
remains, not the glorification of himself, but of his Lord, and his greatest aim is to
become 'nothing', to undergo the experience of fanâ' which would enable him to
become the mirror in which God contemplates the reflections of His own Names and
Qualities and the channel through which the theophany of His Names and Qualities
are reflected in the world.
 In Judaism, the idea of God as a duality or trinity is
heretical — it is even considered by some polytheistic.
According to Judaic beliefs, the Torah rules out a
Trinitarian God in Deuteronomy (6:4): "Hear Israel,
the Lord is our God, the Lord is one." Judaism teaches
that it is heretical for any man to claim to be God, part of God, or the literal son of God. The
Jerusalem Talmud (Ta'anit 2:1) states explicitly: "if a man claims to be God, he is a liar." here
are five main forms or sects of Judaism in the world today. They are Orthodox, Conservative,
Reformed, Reconstructionist, and Humanistic. The beliefs and requirements in each group
differ dramatically; however, a short list of the traditional beliefs of Judaism would include the
following:

God is the creator of all that exists; He is one, incorporeal (without a body), and He alone is to
be worshipped as absolute ruler of the universe.

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible were revealed to Moses by God. They will not be
changed or augmented in the future.

God has communicated to the Jewish people through prophets.

God monitors the activities of humans; He rewards individuals for good deeds and punishes
evil.

Jewish belief does not accept the Christian concept of original sin (the belief that all people
have inherited Adam and Eve's sin when they disobeyed God's instructions in the Garden of
Eden). Judaism affirms the inherent goodness of the world and its people as creations of God.
Jewish believers are able to sanctify their lives and draw closer to God by fulfilling mitzvoth
(divine commandments).

The belief that Jesus is God, the Son of God, or a person of the Trinity, is incompatible with
Jewish theology. Jews believe Jesus of Nazareth did not fulfill messianic prophecies that
establish the criteria for the coming of the messiah.

Jewish philosophy may be described as the explication of Jewish beliefs and practices by
means of general philosophical concepts and moral norms. It must thus be seen in a twofold
manner: as an outgrowth of the Biblical-rabbinic tradition on which Judaism rests and as a
part of the history of philosophy at large. Whereas the Biblical and rabbinic writings developed
within the Jewish community, Jewish philosophy flourished whenever Jewish thinkers
participated in the philosophical speculations of an outside culture. And though significant
differences, both religious and philosophical, distinguish ancient and medieval from much of
modern Jewish thought, the subject matter of Jewish philosophy may generally be divided into
three parts. As interpretation of Jewish tradition, Jewish philosophy concentrates on topics
such as the election of Israel, the prophecy of Moses, the Law (Torah) and its eternity, and
Jewish conceptions of the Messiah and the afterlife. As religious philosophy, it investigates
those philosophical notions common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, such as the
existence of God, the divine attributes, creation, prophecy, the human soul, and the principles
of human conduct. Finally, as philosophy, it studies notions that are primarily of philosophical
interest, such as the structure of logical arguments, the constitution of the world, and the
divisions of being.
 Shamanism is a practice that involves a
practitioner reaching altered states of
consciousness in order to perceive and interact
with a spirit world and channel these
transcendental energies into this world. A shaman is someone who is regarded as having
access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters
into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing.

Shamans are normally "called" by dreams or signs which require lengthy training. However,
shamanic powers may be "inherited". Turner and colleagues mention a phenomenon called
shamanistic initiatory crisis, a rite of passage for shamans-to-be, commonly involving physical
illness and/or psychological crisis. The significant role of initiatory illnesses in the calling of a
shaman can be found in the detailed case history of Chuonnasuan, the last master shaman
among the Tungus peoples in Northeast China. The wounded healer is an archetype for a
shamanic trial and journey. This process is important to the young shaman. S/he undergoes a
type of sickness that pushes her or him to the brink of death. This happens for two reasons:

The shaman crosses over to the underworld. This happens so the shaman can venture to its
depths to bring back vital information for the sick, and the tribe.

The shaman must become sick to understand sickness. When the shaman overcomes his or
her own sickness, s/he will hold the cure to heal all that suffers. This is the uncanny mark of
the wounded healer.

Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or
spirits which affect the lives of the living. Although the causes of disease lie in the spiritual
realm, inspired by malicious spirits, both spiritual and physical methods are used to heal.
Commonly, a shaman "enters the body" of the patient to confront the spiritual infirmity and
heals by banishing the infectious spirit. Many shamans have expert knowledge of medicinal
plants native to their area, and an herbal treatment is often prescribed. In many places
shamans learn directly from the plants, harnessing their effects and healing properties, after
obtaining permission from the indwelling or patron spirits. In the Peruvian Amazon Basin,
shamans and corianders use medicine songs called icaros to evoke spirits. Before a spirit can
be summoned it must teach the shaman its song. The use of totemic items such as rocks with
special powers and an animating spirit is common. Such practices are presumably very
ancient. Plato wrote in his Phaedrus that the "first prophecies were the words of an oak", and
that those who lived at that time found it rewarding enough to "listen to an oak or a stone, so
long as it was telling the truth".

Belief in witchcraft and sorcery, known as brujería in Latin America, exists in many societies.
Other societies assert all shamans have the power to both cure and kill. Those with shamanic
knowledge usually enjoy great power and prestige in the community, but they may also be
regarded suspiciously or fearfully as potentially harmful to others.

By engaging in their work, a shaman is exposed to significant personal risk, from the spirit
world, from enemy shamans, or from the means employed to alter the shaman's state of
consciousness. Shamanic plant materials can be toxic or fatal if misused. Failure to return
from an out-of-body journey can lead to death. Spells are commonly used to protect against
these dangers, and the use of more dangerous plants is often very highly ritualized.
 The central tenet of
Christianity is the belief in
Jesus as the Son of God and
the Messiah (Christ).
Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of
humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of
the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the
contemporary Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that through belief in and
acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to
God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.While there have
been many theological disputes over the nature of Jesus over the earliest centuries of
Christian history, generally Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true
God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully
human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not sin. As fully
God, he rose to life again. According to the New Testament, he rose from the
dead,ascended to heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father and will ultimately
return[Acts 1:9–11] to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy, including the resurrection
of the dead, the Last Judgment and final establishment of the Kingdom of God.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was conceived by the
Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded in the
canonical gospels, although infancy gospels were popular in antiquity. In comparison,
his adulthood, especially the week before his death, is well documented in the gospels
contained within the New Testament, because that part of his life is believed to be
most important. The biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: his baptism,
miracles, preaching, teaching and deeds.

Concise doctrinal statements or confessions of religious beliefs are known as creeds

(from Latin credo, meaning "I believe"). They began as baptismal formulae and were
later expanded during the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries to
become statements of faith.

Christian Philosophy of Man is creature like man; he is one of a kind. - morality

connects good moral conduct with happiness, the goal of man. This relation
constitutes the human activity which is to Ethics.
 The religion known in the west as
Zoroastrianism, and by its founder
Prophet Zarathushtra as the
‘Religion of Good Conscience’, is the first Monotheist religion, the first Universal religion and
the root of much of Jewish, Christian and Islamic doctrine and belief.
Zarathustra’s is a message about a spirituality that progresses towards self-realization,
fulfillment and completeness, as a good creation of a totally good God. It is a message of
freedom – freedom to choose, freedom from fear, freedom from guilt, freedom from sin, freedom
from stultifying rituals, superstitious practices, fake spirituality and ceremonials. The God of
Zarathustra, is not a God of “Thou shalt” and “Thou shall not”. God in Zoroastrianism does not
care what you wear, what and when you eat or where and when you worship. God instead
cares how righteous, progressive and good you are.
1.God is not about fear guilt and Condemnation.
2.God is Wisdom Love and Logic.
3.God does not have favorites and does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, gender,
race or class.
4.God treats humans with dignity and respect.
5.God is not a slave master, or despot, among his serfs.
6.God is man’s Soul Mate and Partner.
7.God is not Jealous, Wrathful or Vengeful.
8.Man is not sinful, fallen or depraved.
9.God has no opponent and heaven and hell are states of mind and being.
10.Man was created to progress to likeness and eliminate wrong from the Cosmos in
partnership with God.
The Zoroastrian Religion pictures humanity as the growing and evolving creation of a God that
respects it, and wants it to collaborate in the task of preserving, nourishing, fostering and
refreshing this Living World of ours. A Zoroastrian is supposed to progress towards God (Ahura
Mazda) by his own choices. Choosing to do good, and to avoid choosing to do wrong or evil.
Zoroastrianism is thus the first truly ethical religion of mankind and teaches that mortals
achieve their goal of god-likeness and spiritual completeness by fighting evil through good
thoughts, words and deeds.
Mazdayasna (The Worship of the Wise), another name for Zoroastrianism, teaches the equality
of all mortals before their Wise creator God; who only sees a difference in righteousness among
mortals. Thus there is equality of race, nation, gender and social position.
In its most sacred prayer the Ahunavar (Choice of the Lord), Zoroastrians are taught that their
Lord and leader are to be chosen, through a Good Mind – a mind that is a well-informed and
benevolent – and only on account of their individual righteousness. This sets the basis for a
spiritual and political democracy as far back as around 4000 years ago! Only an informed and
unbiased mind is capable of making a truly righteous choice and this is precisely, the
invitation of Zarathustra, the great Aryan teacher of righteousness, when he tells us:
“Listen to the best things with your ears, reflect upon them with an unbiased mind. Then let
each man and women for him or herself choose between the two ways thinking. Awaken to my
doctrine, before this great event of choice comes upon you”
[Avesta: The Gathas: Song 3:2]
 Astrology was the foundation of all the
ancient faiths: Egyptian, Babylonian,
Greek, Roman, Zoroastrian, Mithraism,
the Druids and the Norse gods…
Astrology was also at the heart of the
Mayan, Aztec and Inca religions in the Americas with the Sun as the supreme God. It is not
surprising to find the planets at the heart of the ancient world religions of today: Judaism and
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and the Tao. It would be strange if it were not so.
Yahweh (Jehovah) and Allah, the Merciful and the Compassionate, are the names of God in
Judaism and Islam. It is well recognised they refer to the same deity as the Christian Father,
the One God of the Old Testament, perhaps seen in different lights. The favourite title of Allah,
‘the Merciful and Compassionate,’ precisely defines the combined Sagittarian and Piscean
character of Jupiter, particularly on the Tree of Life where Jupiter’s Sagittarian Sephira, or
Shining One, is called Hesed, Mercy. The Piscean nature of Compassion is in little doubt
among astrologers. The famous sacred Tetragrammaton, Yod-He-Vau-He, which spells the
name of Yahweh, comprises four letters from the higher triad which centres on Jupiter’s throne
at Mercy. These Gods, this indefinable divine Spirit, should not be confused with the everyday
astrological spirit of Jupiter. The mundane may mirror the divine but the divine is of a
different, higher order. The Kabbalah is quite explicit about these ascending metaphysical
levels, finally attaining the divine. These ascending Spirits.

The characters of the eight principal Hindu Gods fit the characters of the eight principal
Sephiroth, or Shining Ones, of the Tree of Life. There are some remarkable similarities between
the Birth stories of Krishna and Christ. Ganesh, the expansive and beneficent elephant God
who represents the divine Spirit of Jupiter in India, is translated as Lord of Hosts, one of
Jehovah’s favourite titles.

Buddhism dogmatically denies any external deities but in practice Tibetan Buddhism
acknowledges a full pantheon. Tibetan Buddhism also recognises the four astrological
elements, earth, air, fire and water, at its very heart. More graphic evidence of the Tradition of
the Tree of Life can be seen in the image of Avalokitesvara, the God of Compassion, which
reproduces the central column of the Tree. Several elements in the story of the Buddha
strongly echo the Tradition of the Tree, particularly his ascension to the top of the Bodhi Tree
when he attained Enlightenment. The top or Crown of the Tree of Life, the Shining One of
Neptune, is the favourite throne of the Lords of the past age of Pisces, Christ, Krishna and
Buddha. Perhaps the clearest evidence of the worldwide knowledge of the Tree of Life can be
found in the most far-flung and unexpected quarter. The eight tri-grams of the Tao date back
over three thousand years and are used for oracles, divination, for a faith which has temples of
the ancestors rather than the gods, though the Tao does recognise a Supreme Unity, Supreme
Spirit, or God. The eight tri-grams are traditionally placed on a wheel representing the eight
directions. In this arrangement their different elemental characters relate extremely closely to
the zodiac characters of the major planets in the corresponding positions on the Tree. An
astonishingly precise reproduction of the Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life Behind the Bible : Immortality and Reconciliation

The astrology and Kabbalah (Tradition) of the sacred Tree of Life reveals its celestial wisdom
and symbolism at the heart of the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament, from Genesis
to Revelation. ‘And the Lord God said.. now, lest he take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and
live forever : therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden.‘ Gen. 3.22.

This Genesis verse holds the promise of immortality for all who recognise the spiritual nature
of the Tree. The spiritual forces on which astrology operates confirm our own spiritual natures
and the immortal Spirit which all religions have celebrated for many millennia, denying death.
For those ‘with ears to hear,’ as the Gospels put it. Those who cannot see this wisdom are
doomed to death every day of their lives, until they finally taste that ultimate liberation.

‘The Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month : and the
leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the nations.’ Rev. 22.2.

Revelation confirms in unequivocal terms the astrological character of the Tree : the Moon’s
harvest of the Tree’s twelve celestial spirits in her monthly circuit of the zodiac. Even more
important, this verse prophesies the revelation of the Tree of Life will ‘heal the nations.’
Revelation also promises ‘the mystery of God shall be finished.’ (Rev.10.7) When we recognise
the common truth behind our different religions, our common hearts beneath our different
skins, the nations and faiths will embrace one another as brothers instead of descending into
enmity. And we will abandon our unhealthy, unsustainable and unhappy materialism. We see
religion yet again fuelling war and now a desperate terrorism, instead of bringing peace and
understanding. Yet it does not make great sense for there to be more than one God presiding
over our tiny planet or for one God to be true and the others false. That attitude may have been
inevitable, even necessary, in ancient times as cultures and states competed fiercely and it has
left us a positive legacy of many different views of the incomprehensible mystery of God. But
the history of all faiths is one of evolution, constantly changing to suit changing times and we
do not have to invoke the new age of Aquarius to recognise our own times are changing much
more dramatically than ever before and our old attitudes are in so many ways no longer
sustainable.

The revelation of the single celestial source of all faiths, the different faces of the One God, will
one day bring all men of good will together in the knowledge of what this divine Spirit truly
wants. This is really what everyone wants, love is the testimony of every heart, the divine Spirit
in every heart, when we are able to listen.

The Most Ancient Science in Modern Times

Both Einstein and the great spiritual psychologist, C.G. Jung, recognised astrology. Jung’s
letters admit he used it constantly in his analyses, while keeping quiet for fear of outrage. His
monumental contribution to psychology is founded on introducing western thinking to the
psychological functions of thinking, feeling, intuition and sensation, translating earth, air, fire
and water, the four spirits of astrology.

Jung wrote extensively on alchemy, “astrology’s younger sister,” and metaphysics. We shall
find physics and metaphysics, body and spirit, are closely integrated. The physical natures of
the planets mirror their characters in astrology, for instance stormy Jupiter.
 Throughout the history religion played very important part in our society.
There may be no universal religion, the stories and traditions that are
associated with religion are unique and should be appreciated. Maybe there are
practices and beliefs that differ in every religion but some have only one
purpose and it is to achieve the goals of salvation for oneself and others, and
to render due worship and obedience to God. Different religions have different
understandings of salvation and God but in some point all religion teaches the
man to be virtuous and have always peace in mind. We all ay different
understanding and concept of belief but I as long you do what is the truth and
right you will always at peace. Though there are many religions that are still
practiced in the world, it is important to see what role they play in culture and
thinking. When religion is taken in healthy amounts with a strong mind,
religion can be a blessing and a gift to people everywhere. It can provide hope
to people who need it the most, while inspiring others to take action and make
positive changes. However, overdosing on religion can cause equal amounts of
pain and anger. It can drive people to cause atrocious acts of violence that can
be felt for a lifetime. It is important to realize though that while religion is a
major aspect of human culture, we need to be careful about how powerful
religion influences our lives and instead use more common sense and logic to
make important decisions.