THREE PATHS THREE BELIEFS TEACHER BEFA OLYMPIA CLASS
THREE PATHS, THREE BELIEFS TEACHER : BEFA OLYMPIA CLASS : E 6/ 1 ST YEAR OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER OF STUDENTS INVOLVED: 3 AGE OF STUDENTS : 15 YEARS OF LEARNING ENGLISH : 7
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES • Our aim is to introduce new religions to people examining their principles basic beliefs and ways to express them. • Our objectives were to analyze data, compile useful material and cooperate with each other.
THREE PATHS, THREE BELIEFS SIKHISM, PAGANISM, SHINTO SIMONI STAGAKI THEOFANIS KOUROUPETROGLOU LYDIA KALOGEROPOULOU
神道 SHINTŌ 神の道 - KAMI NO MICHI, THE WAY OF THE GODS
• Shinto is an native religion of japan • It is clearly an ethnic religion • It’s an action-centered religion focused on ritual practices • It’s a connection between modern -day and ancient Japan • It was first recorded in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki (6 th century CE) • It was referred to as a collection of beliefs and mythology • Followers worship Kami (神= gods, spirts) • There are both priests and priestesses FACTS
PRINCIPLE BELIEFS • Kami exist in the world, in nature and throughout Japan • Everything including the spiritual is part of this world • Religion is a perspective • Seeing with the heart into the natural beauty and goodness of all things • Teaches important ethical principles but has no commandments • It has no founder • It has no God • It doesn’t require followers to follow it as their only religion
神-KAMI o The concept of kami is hard to explain o Human beings are incapable of truly understanding the nature of kami o ‘Kami’ may be translated as ‘god, deity, divinity, spirit’ o Kami are not perfect and don’t have unlimited power like deities found in many religions o Kami are close to human beings o They can influence the course of natural forces o Not all kami are good - some are evil o Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature - they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy o they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature and manifest in multiple forms
THE MOST IMPORTANT KAMI • Amaterasu Omikami 天照大神: The Sun Goddess, and the greatest of the kami. The ancestor of the Imperial family • Susanoo スサノオノミコト: The kami of the seas, or the storm-god. The brother of Amaterasu. • Tsukuyomi no mikoto ツクヨミノミコト: God of the moon. Brother of Susanoo and Amaterasu • Benzaiten 弁財天: A female kami with Hindu origins, associated with music and the arts • Ebisu 恵比寿: A kami who brings prosperity • Hachiman-jin 八幡神: The god of archery and war. • Izanami no mikoto イザナミノミコト and Izanagi no mikoto イザナギノミコト : The two kami who gave birth to Japan. • Tenjin 天神信仰: The kami of education
PURITY • Purity is of high importance for shintoists • The purify themselves before entering a shrine by rinsing their mouth and washing their hands • Shinto states that humans are born pure • Badness, impurity or sin are things that come later in life • Impurity or sin –罪, tsumi- refers to anything which separates us from kami, and from musubi, the creative and harmonizing power • Impurity can usually be got rid of by simple cleansing or purifying rituals. • Pollution can be physical, moral or spiritual • Tsumi includes things which are beyond the control of individual human beings and are thought of as being caused by evil spirits
SHINTO ETHICS • Shinto ethics aren’t based or laws that tell the faithful how to behave, but on following the will of the Kami • Shinto avoids absolute moral rules • Good or bad of an action or thought are assessed in the context in which it occurs • Shinto ethics are based on the idea that human beings and the world are good. • Evil enters the world from outside, brought by evil spirits • When humans act wrongly, they bring pollution and sin upon themselves • Thing that disturb Kami, the worship of them, the harmony and the natural world are generally considered bad
BELIEFS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE • Shinto regards both natural and supernatural as part of a single world • For shintoists body and spirit aren’t divided • Shinto does distinguish between the visible and the invisible world (kenkai and yukai), which is an extension of this world • The mechanism of kami makes shintoists regard the natural world as being bot sacred and material • Kami include gods and spirits, but also natural phenomena, which are caused by them
SOME OF THE RITUALS ARE…. • Purification • Adoration • Presentation of offerings • Worshipping and prayind • Music • Visiting and praying to the gods • First shrine visit (for babies) • Giving thanks • Marriage • Many festivals (祭り matsuri)
THANKS FOR WATCHING Fanis Kouroupetroglou Simori-Maria Stagaki Lydia Kalogeropoulou Project THREE PATHS, THREE BELIEFS
Sikhism
• a monotheistic religion • 15 th century • Founder: Guru Nanak • Followers of Sikhism are known as Sikhs
"Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Sikh teaching emphasizes the principle of equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender.
Khālsā Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks at all times. • kēs (uncut hair) • kaṅghā (small wooden comb) • kaṛā (circular steel or iron bracelet) • kirpān (sword/dagger) • kacchera (special undergarment)
Principles • Naam japna , remembering God through meditation • Kirat karo , earning an honest living • Vand chakko , selflessly serving others, sharing income and resources
The Five Evils • • • Ego Lust Attachment Anger Greed Pride
Prohibitions • • • Cutting hair Intoxication Blind spirituality Material obsession Sacrifice of creatures Having extramarital sexual relations
It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, with approximately 30 million adherents. Punjab, India is the only state in the world with a majority Sikh population.
The Golden Temple • Amritsar, Punjab, India. • There are four doors to get into the Harmandir Sahib, which symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions.
At the langar, food is served to all visitors regardless of faith or background. The largest langar is found at the Golden Temple. It typically feeds 40, 000 people a day for free. On religious holidays and weekends, the langar can feed upwards of 100, 000 people a day.
The End
PAGANISM From Bronze Age Till Today
What is Paganism ? It's simply a term covering many different religions and belief systems. • Paganism is a spiritual way of life and its origins are rooted in the ancient nature religions of the world. • Paganism, sometimes referred to as The Old Religion, pre-dates Christianity. • Pagans do not believe in the existence of Satan, a Christian concept.
Forms of Paganism Animism Polytheism Pantheism Shamanism Neopaganism
Neopaganism Neo-Paganism is a religion that emphasizes ancient pagan religious traditions and devotion for nature. This religion takes a variety of forms known as "paths, " which range from Wicca, which focuses on spells and goddess worship and to Hellenic Polytheism, which seeks to revive Greek paganism in an accurate form.
Wicca and modern witchcraft • The Wiccan religion is mainly duotheistic, revolving around the respect of a Horned God and a Goddess, elements of a variety of ancient mythologies, a belief in and practice of magic and sometimes the belief in reincarnation and karma.
Hellene The name Hellene was given the meaning "pagan" by the early Christian church, and retained that meaning until the end of the millennium. Early Christians differentiated people according to religion, so the sense of the word Hellene as a cultural characteristic became insignificant and then replaced by its religious element. Eventually, Christians came to refer to all pagans as Hellenes.
Horned God Symbol Pagan Symbols He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. Pentacle The pentacle is probably the best- known symbol of Wicca today, and is often used in jewelry and other designs. It is also considered a symbol of protection, and is used in warding in some Pagan traditions. Triquetra Hecate`s Wheel Hecate's Wheel is a symbol used by some traditions of Wicca. It seems to be most popular among feminist traditions, and represents the three aspects of the Goddess Maiden, Mother and Crone. In some modern traditions, it represents the connection of mind, body and soul, and in Pagan groups it is symbolic of the three kingdoms of earth, sea and sky. Triple Moon Symbol This symbol is found in many Neo. Pagan and Wiccan traditions as a symbol of the Goddess.
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