For todays blog I’m shifting focus on a local business in Troy, Alabama: Sister’s restaurant. Sister’s is open 6 days a week for lunch (every day except for Saturdays), and Thursday and Friday nights. Doors open at 11:00 and stay open until 2, and for dinnertime, 5-7. For Sister’s, equal to any successful business, it is important for management to stay on top of operations to keep things going smoothly and to keep profits rolling in.

Sister’s is a buffet, so customer’s wait in lines to serve themselves. Because of the success and popularity of the restaurant, people are continuously coming in and out, making a “need for speed” apparent for serving guests drinks, cleaning tables, and getting dishes to the back for cleaning. If even one worker in the front of the store slacks off, it can slow down the seating of guests, causing dissatisfaction, which can lead to potential losses of revenue in the future. That being said, a manager will keep an eye on employees to ensure workers are doing their job at a reasonable pace, whilst maintaining a smile on their face.

In the back, dishwashers and the people preparing the food must remain diligent to the task at hand. If a dishwasher gets behind on washing dishes, the whole restaurant suffers; customers must wait for clean utensils and cups, which will cause customers to complain and upset the waitresses who get blamed for what isn’t even their job. As for the cooks, they must plan out preparation ahead of time to ensure a new batch of food can replace a finished batch just as the last bit is getting scooped up.

So, like any business, the different departments, per se, must work together to successfully deliver the highest quality of service possible.

Confucianism, which is based on the philosophies and teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius, is a set of values and beliefs that arose around the same time as Daoism. Whereas Daoism focuses more on the order of things within nature, Confucianism tends to put more emphasis on human constructs and social norms. A core tenet of both Daoism and Confucianism is the notion that the “way of heaven” is well-balanced and maintained, and that all things must flow with the balance of heaven in order to maintain a peaceful state of being.

One of the major aspects of Confucianism is the idea of filial piety, which is seen as a necessary part of a well-maintained society. It is believed by many Chinese philosophers that humanity’s moral nature is a manifestation of sacred energy, giving reason to celebrate good-spirited action, such as taking care of relatives. It is believed that human beings are primarily good, and the ultimate goal of Confucianism is to harness that virtue in order to create a well-balanced, highly-functioning society.

There are many concepts that are shared by both Daoism and Confucianism. For example, yin and yang are used in both philosophies to represent the idea of duality; that an explicit multiplicity can be compatible with an implied unity. Another commonality between the two religions is the idea of “Li”, which does nothave an exact English translation. Li can best be understood as the pattern of grain on wood, or the way the clouds are arranged in the sky. By observing the “disorganized organization” of nature, and by acting in accordance with Li, balance and virtue will come to the individual and the community.

For this week’s blog on the world’s religions, we will be traveling back the the first known monotheistic faith: Zoroastrianism. The religion began around 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the area that is modern-day Iran. Its founder is called Zarathustra, or Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism gave rise to many widely-accepted religious ideas, such as the duality of good and evil, the existence of heaven and hell, judgment after death, and a prediction that evil will ultimately be overcome and destroyed by righteousness. These aspects of Zoroastrian beliefs have had a profound effect on religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and even Buddhism.

The Supreme Being of Zoroastrianism is known as Ahura Mazda. Although there is not a “devil” figure within the faith, there is the idea of an “evil spirit”, which is sometimes personified and called Ahriman. Zoroastrians believe that all people should take responsibility for their own actions, and their basic beliefs about morality can be summed up in three statements:

1. Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds
2. There is only one path, and that is the path of Truth
3. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do

Zoroastrians began to decline in population during the Middle Ages with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and the spread of Islam. Today, it is estimated that there are fewer than 200,000 adherents of the faith worldwide. Perhaps the most well-known Zoroastrian was Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara), the lead singer of the rock group Queen.

Daoism, a 4th century BCE philosophy, laid the groundwork for Chinese religion as it is perceived today. Attributed to Lao Tzu, the text, the Dao De Jing, was supposedly written once he bestowed his knowledge upon a guard, pleading that his wisdom be shared before abandoning civilization. Becoming the official religion of China under the Tang dynasty, this gives Daosim a distinction in that it is both a philosophy, as well as a religion.

This philosophy teaches the dualistic nature of reality. A house refers not only to the four walls and roof which create its barrier. Surely the spaces filled in between the barriers are also considered to be a part of the building. What good are the spokes on a bike without the spaces in between them, or perhaps a musical piece without any silence between notes? Such questions are asked of the Dao, leaving one to conclude only that duality is the centermost point of existence itself. Being and non-being not only compliment one another, but are mutually dependent.

Daoism propelled China into a frenzy of spiritual and philosophical growth. Coming onto the scene near the time of confucianism, there are many parallels that can be drawn between the two doctrines. Their main splitting point is in that Daosim tends to speak more towards the individual, while confucianism by contrast offers insight moro so into societal and governmental constructs. It can be argued that both doctrines are more or less grasping at the same concept, but simply directing its contents towards a different audience. We will discuss Confucianism in further detail in the coming weeks.

Islam (meaning “surrender to God’s will”) is the third of the major Abrahamic religions, and the has the second-largest number of devotees worldwide. Its adherents are known as Muslims, and they number more than 1.8 billion.

Muslims believe their faith is part of a primordial religious tradition, worshipping the same God who was revealed through patriarchs and prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. The prophet Muhammad, who lived from approximately 570 until 632 AD, is believed by Muslims to be God’s final prophet. At the age of 40, Muhammad began to have revelations from God, and is said to have been visited by the archangel Gabriel, called Jabril in Arabic. Jabril gave to Muhammad a multitude of new scriptures, which today are organized as the Quran.

All Muslims take part in the following five acts of worship, which are known as the Five Pillars of Faith:

1. Testimony – one must declare that they believe in the one true God, known as Allah in Arabic, and that Muhammad is Allah’s chosen prophet.
2. Prayer – Muslims pray five times each day while facing the holy city of Mecca. Interestingly, the earliest Muslims faced the city of Jerusalem during prayer, though Mecca later became the center of Muslim religious tradition.
3. Charity – Islam teaches its adherents to give generously and compassionately.
4. Fasting – Muslims must fast during each day of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
5. Pilgrimage – Muslims are expected to take a journey to the holy city of Mecca at least once during their lifetimes.

Muslims believe that all events which take place, both good and bad, are divinely ordained. They also believe that God’s mercy is limitless, and that the Love of God knows no bounds.

Judaism is the first of the world’s three major Abrahamic religious traditions. Its adherents, called Jews, trace the origin of their religion to 6,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. They believe that Abraham was chosen by God to be the forefather of His chosen people. Historically, the beginning of the Jewish tradition goes back to the time of Moses, who wrote the very first Jewish scriptures and led the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. Judaism is often considered the world’s first monotheistic religion, which means that the Jews were the first people on earth to recognize the existence of a single divine entity, rather than a pantheon of gods. Interestingly, the earliest Jews were actually henotheistic, which means that they believed in the existence of multiple gods, but they only worshipped the “God Most High”, whom they know as Yahweh.

Jewish scripture is often grouped into three groups: books of the law, books of history, and books of the prophets. The earliest scriptures, which were written by Moses, are said to contain the lawful commandments of Yahweh for His people. The historical scriptures tell the story of how the Jewish people rose from a group of wandering nomads to a full-fledged empire. The books of the prophets contain prophetic wisdom that has been recorded by Israel’s sages. Jewish scripture is most commonly known in the west as the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.

Most adherents of Judaism do not have specific beliefs about the afterlife, or about the nature of our reality. Their primary concern is following the law that has been set before them by God, and living in this world as the chosen people of Yahweh.

Judaism is the smallest of the world’s major religions. However, the world’s two largest religions, Christianity and Islam, are essentially continuations of the Abrahamic tradition. Over the next two weeks, we will cover both Christianity and Islam, and how followers of those religions interpret the tradition that is Judaism.

Jainism was founded in India, around 500 BC, by a spiritual seeker named Mahavira. Adherents of Jainism, called Jains, believe that all living things have souls. Therefore, Jains take five lifelong vows:

1. Ahimsa (compassion and non-violence)
2. Satya (truth)
3. Asteya (not stealing)
4. Brahmacharya (celibacy)
5. Aparigraha (non-attachment)

Due to these principles, most Jains are vegetarians, and many of them practice rigorous methods of meditation and self-discipline. A major principle of Jain cosmology is anekantavada (many-sided reality). Jains believe that the nature of existence can be experienced, but that it is far too complex to be expressed through language. They do not, therefore, teach an official doctrine regarding God or a higher reality.

There are two major sects of Jainism, the Digambaras and the Svetambaras. Svetambara monks, also called “white-clad”, are known for wearing plain white robes. Digambara monks, called “sky-clad”, are known for not wearing any clothing at all. It is believed that the schism between the Digambaras and the Svetambaras is due to this difference is clothing.

There are other traditions that differentiate Digambaras from Svetambaras. The sky-clad Jains believe that Jainism’s founder, Mahavira, remained unmarried, while the white-clad Jains believe that he was married and had a daughter. This has caused the Digambaras to develop more rigid beliefs about women and sexuality, while the Svetambaras are more lenient in regards to marital and sexual affairs.

Buddhism began in India, about 500 years before the birth of Christ. It is based on the teachings of the man known as the Buddha, which means the awakened one. The Buddha began his life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama. As the story goes, Siddhartha was raised in a palace among immense wealth, and his family sought to hide from him any evidence of sickness, suffering, and death. One day, Siddhartha went for a walk outside the palace, and encountered people who were sick and dying. Struck with grief, he decided to renounce his life as a prince and discover an end to suffering.

While meditating in the shade of a fig tree, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, an awakening which he called Nirvana, and by doing so he found what he was seeking. From this point forth, he became known as the Buddha, and he began teaching his methods to other spiritual seekers.

The Buddha introduced the idea of the Four Noble Truths:

1. All life brings about suffering
2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable
4. The way to end suffering is the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path is a list of eight virtues which consists of right thought, right speech, right action, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and right understanding. By following these virtues, one may be able to attain Nirvana and put an end to the suffering in their life.

Greetings everyone. For this blog, we will be discussing the many religions of the world. Even though I have my own personal religious beliefs and values, it is fascinating to study the history and traditions of other cultures. Over the next few weeks, this blog will cover all of the world’s major religions, as well as the practices of indigenous cultures around the globe.

We will begin our spiritual journey with the world’s oldest living religion: Hinduism. First, we must understand that the word “Hindu” was originally a term used to describe the many peoples living East of the Indus River, but in modern times it has been used to describe those who adhere to any of the numerous Vedic traditions that are practiced today. This means that Hinduism is a religion that has various different beliefs and rituals.

A core principle of nearly all Hindu traditions is the notion of the Atman, also known as the true self, or soul. Each individual is said to really be, at their very core, Atman. The soul is bound to an endless cycle of death and rebirth, called Samsara.

The concept of God is not entirely clear in Hinduism, especially to western learners. There is a misconception that there are millions of deities in Hinduism, but in reality most Hindus believe that all of the different gods are just different aspects of one God, who is known by many names.

In order to escape attachment to cyclic existence, and become liberated from Samsara, a Hindu will practice any of numerous kinds of spiritual disciplines, such as praying, chanting mantras, meditating, and performing yoga.

The ultimate aim of these disciplines is to realize that the soul, Atman, is actually of the same nature as God, often called Brahman. Once a person has realized unity with Brahman, and therefore unity with all of existence, they have attained a state called Moksha, which means liberation.