THE CORE VALUES OF WORLD RELIGIONS as MORALITY+SPIRITUALITY The worlds major religions, if not also the major philosophies

of the world, can be seen to exhibit certain moral and spiritual values, each in their own way, with some explicit overlapping and still more implicit common ground. This document highlights a small fraction of how the said religions promote these values. If the goal were to explain the essence of each religion, this document would not be the way; yet it attempts very broadly and in some detail to explain how the various religions show moral initiative or stand for moral and spiritual norms against vice or degradation. If there are instances of oversimplification or imbalance of emphasis, this is to be excused, given the complex nature of the topic, in the interests of mutual understanding.

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SACRED TIME-LINE OF PROGRESS VS. DECAY

Courage is here in Focus Its General Sense Deriving from Prophetic Histories, Bodhisattvas and Yugas All Rooted in OBJECTIVITY Particular Examples include every aspect of eschatology, including the Explicit Priorities within Sacred Teachings; Hierarchy of Values/Levels of Realization/Heavens Within Hinduism: Reincarnating on a higher plane Note that reaching to or toward heaven Within Confucianism: Yi or righteous objectivity is different from being in heaven. Within Christianity: Taking up the Cross Within Judaism: Do not blaspheme or degrade God. Within Buddhism: Mental Calm/Concentration

_______________________________________________________________ IDEAL STATE DEFINED VARIOUSLY, DIVERSELY OR RIGOROUSLY

Integrity is here in Focus Its General Sense Deriving from Prophetic Examples or Anecdotes of Avatars, Saviours and Saints: Religious Heroes & their Heroism All Rooted in MAGNANIMITY Particular Examples include Struggle for Justice, Equality of Opportunity and the Fulfillment of Civilized Norms; salvation in Heaven Within Hinduism: Straightforwardness and Truthfulness and Perseverance Within Confucianism: Fidelity and Harmony Fine-Tuning Relationships Within Christianity: The Golden Rule Within Buddhism: The Sense of Reciprocity + Escaping Karma Within Judaism: Establishing a Public System of Courts

________________________________________________________________ MAINSTREAM SOURCES

Nobility in Focus Its General Sense Deriving from Scriptures Defining Sacred Orders, Vital Relationships and Holy Institutions: the Sense of Sacred Space All Rooted in DECENCY Particular Examples include Accomodating the Weak, the Elderly and the Underprivileged, or the Spirit of Patent Inclusion Within Hinduism: Compassion Within Buddhism: The Sense of Equality of Essential Humanity Within Confucianism: Jen or benevolence and humaneness towards others Within Christianity: Parable of the Good Samaritan Within Judaism: Do not violate peoples bodies or possessions

_______________________________________________________________________ ESSENTIAL DISCIPLINES

Self-Discipline, Self-Restraint plus Self-Control in Focus Their General Sense Deriving from Ritual Worship, Sacred Exercises, Timely Regimens, Cleanliness and Dcor All Rooted in DIGNITY Particular Examples include The Patent Exaltedness of Human Nature and the Opportunity to Transcend/Subliminate Physicality Within Hinduism: Non-Violence and Non-Agression, Continence, Moderation Within Confucianism: Li, indicating ritual propriety, etiquette, etc. Within Buddhism: Within Christianity: the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount Discerning the Nature of Suffering Within Judaism: Not violate the sense of family and a sense of being created in Gods image

_______________________________________________________________________ General Meaning of Spirituality: Objectivity with Dignity, Decency and Magnanimity, Nobility through Self-Discipline, including Self-Restraint and Self-Control, Integrity with Courage

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HINDU MORALITY (the most important pages: the last 2 pages of packet: vocabulary)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion#Hindu_ethics

Hindu ethics are related to reincarnation, which is a way of expressing the need for reciprocity, as one may end up in someone else's shoes in their next life/incarnation. Intention is seen as very important, and thus selfless action for the benefit of others without thought for oneself is an important rule in Hinduism, known as the doctrine of karma yoga, and somewhat equivalent to the Golden Rule of Christianity in significance, if not content. This sense of service is combined with an understanding that someone else's unfortunate situation, while of their own doing, is one's own situation since the soul within is the soul shared by all: We all share in a given set of circumstances. The greeting namaskar is founded on the principle that one salutes the spark of the divine in the other. Kindness and hospitality are key Hindu values. Additional material on Hindu Morality: 5 Principles & 10 Disciplines: The Basics of Hinduism
By Subhamoy Das, About.com Guidehttp://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/principles.htm

5 Principles
1. God Exists: One Absolute OM. One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva) Several [multiple] divine forms 2. All human beings are divine [have divinity within them] 3. Unity of existence through love 4. Religious harmony 5. Knowledge of 3 Gs: Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra)

10 Disciplines
1. Satya (Truth) 2. Ahimsa (Non-violence, non-aggression) 3. Brahmacharya (Celibacy, non-adultery) 4. Asteya (No desire to possess or steal) 5. Aparighara (Anti-corruption[edited]) 6. Shaucha (Cleanliness) 7. Santosh (Contentment) 8. Swadhyaya (Reading of scriptures) 9. Tapas (Austerity, perseverance, penance) 10. Ishwarpranidhan (Regular prayers)

2,3,4 above affirm the sacred space or dignity of every individual person.

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The Laws of Manu, known as Sadharana Dharma are also defined as follows 1. Steadfastness 2. Forgiveness [selflessness above] 3. Application [regular devotion or prayers above] 4. Non-appropriation [no exploitation or aggression above] 5. Cleanliness 6. Repression of sensual appetites [celibacy above] 7. Wisdom [other-worldliness above] 8. Learning [the discipline in anti-corruption above] 9. Veracity [truth above] 10. Restraint of Anger [non-violence above] Source: Rajendran Nagappan in RELIGION & GOVERNANCE Edited by Chandra Muzaffar Source of the Following Article: http://western-hindu.org/2009/01/25/hindu-yamas-and-niyamas-and-the-tencommandments/

_________________________________________________SUMMARY From a Comparison of Judaism and Hinduism, these principles are highlighted: Non-violence Truthfulness Non-aggression Continence Perseverance Steadfastness Compassion Straightforwardness Moderation Purity These can be seen to represent(in order): Dignity, Objectivity, Magnanimity, Temperance, Courage, Decency, Nobility & Integrity The Sanskrit word Satya is equivalent to the Arabic word Haqq. Both mean what is true and right, in other words, total appropriateness. This concept combines the sense of objectivity with integrity and justice. Temperance and integrity can be seen to permeate many of the core characteristics above. __________________________________________________.

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CONFUCIAN MORALITY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism emphasize the maintenance and propriety of relationships as the most important consideration in ethics. To be ethical is to do what one's relationships require. Notably, though, what you owe to another person is inversely proportional to their distance from you. In other words, you owe your parents everything, but you are not in any way obligated towards strangers. This can be seen as a recognition of the fact that it is impossible to love the entire world equally and simultaneously. This is called relational ethics, or situational ethics. The Confucian system differs very strongly from Kantian ethics in that there are rarely laws or principles which can be said to be true absolutely or universallyin Zhou dynasty China, the Confucians' main opponents, the followers of Mozi argued for universal love (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ji ni). The Confucian view here eventually held sway, however, and continues to dominate many aspects of Chinese thoughtConfucius stresses honesty above all. His concepts of l (simplified Chinese: ), y (simplified Chinese: ), and rn (simplified Chinese: ) can be seen as deeper expressions of honesty (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: chng; literally "sincerity") and fidelity (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: xio) to the ones to whom one owes one's existence (parents) and survival (one's neighbours, colleagues, inferiors in rank). He codifed traditional practice and actually changed the meaning of the prior concepts that those words had meant. His model of the Confucian family and Confucian ruler dominated Chinese life into the early 20th century. Additional Material: Confucius knew that self-restraint is not easy; the human nature is not designed for selfrestraint. So what Confucius was trying to do was to give people a sociological reason why they should have self-restraint. In other words, he says that you should not kill people because you are a member of society, and the person that you kill is also a member of society, and society belongs to all the people. It is not just your society; you are not the society, you are part of society, and the other person is also part of society. Therefore, you two should get together and stop killing each other. The end result is to achieve a stable, peaceful, harmonious society, while society is growing: Magnanimity. Because Confucius believed that the tendency for doing the wrong thing is instinctive, and doing the right thing needs to be taught, he emphasized education(inculcating a sense of objectivity is support of magnanimity, or historical facts in support of law and discipline). The purpose of education is to cultivate moral values in people's minds and to encourage people to do the right thing. Only through education can people in society learn to live with each other in peace and harmony and support and help each other for the benefit of all, creating social prosperity and happiness. The teachings of Confucius are embodied in the Four Books and Five Classics.

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One of Confucius sayings is: respect the old. As I said before, respect the old doesn't mean that you bow down to people older than you are, but you respect the old because they have embodied life experience[because of their objectivity]. To give you a very simple example: if an older brother, or the old father, tells you not to stick your finger in a candle, he probably had his finger burned at one timeThe second point of this saying is: educate the young. I really believe that these two parts have relevance to our own society right now, because youngsters think they know everything. There are things that our (older) generation does not know; let's face it, the previous generation does not know too much about modern computers, so the younger kids know more about that. However, life is full, and that has nothing to do with computers. It has everything to do with behavior, with human experience. If you deny that, you actually self deny; you deny your self the benefit of the older generationThe reason why Confucianism has lasted for generations is that it understands human nature on one hand and promotes necessary discipline and education on the other. Confucianism has much to contribute to the global village because it constructs a universal moral code of conduct which is independent of culture, race, and creed, simply because human nature is universal.Hence, Confucianists see human nature as consisting of both good and bad. The good human nature includes kindness, charity, mutual respect, dignity, devotion, self responsibility, and so on. The bad human nature includes greed, domination, selfishness, destruction, waste, nonproductivity, and so on. (This can be summarized as integrity and magnanimity.)Unfortunately, the good nature is hard to keep Another saying of Confucius is well known: Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you(This is a form of the Golden Rule, formulated with negatives.). My interpretation of this is uniform terms for equal justice. This next one is [also] very great: A great man sets good examples then he invites others to follow. In today's language we say do as I do. Unfortunately we can see how in the United States today we have instead, do as I say but not do as I do. If I do it, it's okay, but if you do it, it is wrong. This is the difference between uniform standards and double standards. Double standards unfortunately exist in every society in many forms.
Source of the above: http://www.som.org/8interfaith/confucius.htm

ConfuciusHis writings deal primarily with individual morality and ethics, and the proper exercise of political power by the rulersConfucian ethical teachings include the following values: Li: includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc. = Temperance & Integrity Hsiao: love within the family: love of parents for their children and of children for their parents = Dignity & Decency toward natural bonds Yi: righteousness = Nobility & Justice Xin: honesty and trustworthiness = Integrity Jen: benevolence, humaneness towards others; the highest virtue = Magnanimity Chung: loyalty to the state, etc. = Integrity and Magnanimity Source of the above: http://confucianism.freehostingguru.com/

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Additional Article on Yi: What is Yi, exactly? [It means, roughly, straightforwardness.] Yi is a different way than either stoicism (intention with soft determinism) or utilitarianism (consequences with free will) . Confucianism is similar to Kant's ethics of duty: the action is done as a good-in-itself, not as a means to an end Acting from yi is quite close to practicing jen. [We like to be straightforward, because we respect human beings; the two points are inseparable.] Compare the two situations: a. A person does all actions for the sake of yi because they are the right thing to do (i.e., appropriate behavior forms an appropriate disposition; follow the more normal people to become more normal). This example is the way we learn; it is not an example of yi: b. A person does all actions for the sake of jen because respect for humanity implies the right human way to act (i.e., be concerned about who you are, not the individual things you do). This example is practiced until it becomes second-nature, then it is right. Jen (wren): human heartedness; goodness; benevolence, man-to-man-ness; what makes man distinctively human (that which gives human beings their humanity) 1. The virtue of virtues; Confucius said he never really saw it full expressed. The other virtues follow from it. He never gives and defends a definition of it although he does characterize it2. It is dearer than life itself--the man of jen will sacrifice his life to preserve jen, and conversely it is what makes life worth living3. Jen is a sense for the dignity of human life--a feeling of humanity towards others and self-esteem for yourself. http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/main.html The concepts of jen and li are often considered to be the main concepts of Confucianism. Li is a principle of combined order, gain, and benefit implying a meaningful custom or practice. It implies objectivity. Li gives concrete guide to human action and stresses on the importance of obeying the system. There are two aspects of order. The first is a common order, rules and customs incarnated through the relationship between people in the society. This set of rules is not written anywhere and it is connected to the moral system of the individual and defined by jen. Another aspect of lee (order) principle is realized through the social order or the general ordering of life. Confucius paid a lot of attention to the principle of yi (righteousness) as one of the means to achieve a high moral level. Yi helps the person to recognize bad and good things. Its an internal controller which gives the person the ability to make right judgments about the people and situations and to react accordingly. Confucius stated that truth can be hidden sometimes and most common reaction to the situation is not always the best one and the possession of yi principle helps to define the true nature of things. Right understanding generates the right behavior which is described in another aspect of yi the moral disposition to do good. The concept of good is defined by the higher wisdom and can not be understood by ordinary human but can be felt as a sense of internal righteousness. Hsiao (filial piety) is a concept described in great detail by Confucius and very peculiar not only to Confucianism, but for the whole Chinese culture and moral tradition. This is the concept of obedience and respect which was often considered the greatest of virtues. Hsiao concept had several levels same as most of the other ones. It includes the obedience of the son to the parents, obedience to family, friends, society, and mankind. Historically parents had a very big influence on the life of their children and had very much authority in the family. http://www.chinatownconnection.com/confucianism.htm Also see: http://www.friesian.com/confuci.htm

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CHRISTIAN MORALS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion Christian ethics in general has tended to stress the need for grace, mercy, and forgiveness because of sin. With divine assistance, the Christian is called to become increasingly virtuous in both thought and deedConversely, the Christian is also called to abstain from vice. Christian ethical principles are based on the teachings within the Holy Bible. They begin with the notion of inherent sinfulness, which requires essential atonement. Sin is estrangement from God which is the result of not doing God's will. God's will can be summed up by the precept: "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." Christian ethics are founded upon the concept of grace which transforms a person's life and enable's one to choose and act righteously. As sin is both individual and social, so is grace applied to both the individual and society. Christian ethics has an all-important teleological aspectin that all ethical behavior is oriented towards a vision of the Kingdom of God--a righteous society where all live in peace and harmony with God and nature, as envisioned in the Book of Isaiah. Jesuss sacrifice on the Cross represents both the theoretical and practical spirit, for Christians, of Holy Sacrifice sufficient unto salvation and indicative of higher objectivity. Specific ethical behaviors can often be traced to the Old Testaments, including the Ten Commandments, and are enriched by teachings in the Psalms and morals contained in historical accounts. Christian ethics is not substantially different from Jewish ethics, except in the exhortation to love one's enemy. Perhaps the greatest contribution of Christian ethics is this command to love one's enemies. It has been argued (see Chet Meyer's Binding the Strong Man, and John Yoder's The Politics of Jesus) that Jesus was waging a non-violent campaign against the Roman oppressors and many of his sayings relate to this campaign--turn the other cheek, go the second mile, etc. Understanding these commands as part of a larger campaign makes it impossible to interpret Christian ethics as an individual ethic. It is both an individual and [by extension] a social ethic concerned with life here on earth. Other tenets include maintaining personal integrity and the absence of hypocrisy, as well as honesty and loyalty, mercy and forgiveness, rejection of materialism and the desire for wealth and power, and teaching others in your life through personal joy, happiness and Godly devotion. There are several different schema of vice and virtue. Aquinas adopted the four cardinal virtues of Plato, justice, courage, temperance and prudence, and added to them the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity (from St.Paul, 1 Corinthians 13). Other schema include the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven virtues. For more see Christian philosophy and Biblical law in Christianity. ____________________________________________________________________.

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A CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO MORALS AND NATURAL LAW How should a Christian approach moral issues in a pluralistic culture? Should he or she try to work for a Christian state (one where the state is under Scripture) or should the goal be a just state?3 Must a believer appeal to Scripture in a moral argument with an unbeliever or is there, in addition, a further source of moral truth and knowledge? Throughout the history of Christianity, most Christian thinkers have acknowledged that there is something called natural moral law sourced in general revelation (certain knowable truths revealed by God through creation). Simply put, an advocate of natural moral law believes that there are certain moral laws or norms that are true and can be discerned by all men and women as men and women. These moral norms do, in fact, come from God, and the existence of such objective moral norms[in nature] provides strong evidence for the existence of a moral, personal God. But one does not need to believe in God or appeal to Holy Scripture to know that certain moral precepts are genuine moral absolutes.4 Again, these basic principles of moral obligation are absolutes that are knowable (at least in principle) by all people everywhere without the aid of Scripture. What is meant by an absolute here? An absolute is an objectively true moral principle that is unchanging and cross-cultural. It is true whether or not anyone believes it to be true. Natural moral law theory implies that we discover morality we do not invent it. Belief in a natural moral law seems to square with the Scriptures themselves. For example, one often finds the Old Testament prophets pronouncing judgments on Gentile nations who did not have the Law of Moses. The pronouncements of judgment often appeal to the fact that these nations have violated fundamental principles of morality which they know to be true breaking promises, lying, murdering, stealing, oppressing the poor and weak (e.g., Amos 12)... As C. S. Lewis put it, the great majority of civilizations have acknowledged the doctrine of objective value, the belief that certain attitudes are really true, and others really false.5 http://www.equip.org/articles/what-is-natural-moral-law/ RITUAL AND THE INTERNALIZATION OF SPIRITUAL VALUES There is a sense of Divine charisma or mystical grace associated with certain practices in Christianity, especially by the Catholic Church, but there is some disagreement among Christian denominations as to the respective validity of each: Anglican teaching is that "there are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord"[called the Eucharist Sacrament], and that "those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders[joining the priesthood], Matrimony, and Extreme Unction[last vows], are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel".[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament It can be said that the Eucharist is a sacrament of temperance, integrity & heroism and that Baptism is a discipline of purity, according to the terminology adopted in this course. Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox forms of Christianity, each comprising hundreds of millions, have differing explanations for Christian duty and the Tri-une God.

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THE LORDS PRAYER: THE ARCHETYPICAL CHRISTIAN PRAYER, ANALYZED

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, OBJECTIVITY Hallowed be Thy Name. DISCIPLINE OF PURITY Thy Kingdom come; IDEAL STATE Thy Will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. SACRED TIME Give us today our daily bread; DIGNITY And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. DECENCY Then lead us not unto temptation, SACRED SPACE but deliver us from evil, MAGNANIMITY for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. HEROISM

Sacred Time and the End Times(Eschatology) in Christianity. The major issues and events in Christian eschatology are death and the afterlife, Heaven and Hell, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Rapture, the Tribulation, Millennialism, the end of the world, the Last Judgment, and the New Heaven and New Earth of the World to Come. Tribulation refers to mass confusion and betrayal of Christianity at the hands of a false Christ or anti-Christ, hence a general collapse of civilization or civilized standards. Rapture is a controversial and versatile concept of how Christians will be called back to Jesus during the End Times and spared from the Great Tribulation just described, and may accompany Jesus is re-taking or restoring the earth to justice, peace and the greater glory of God. Millennialism is a similarly controversial concept referring to the immanent or return of Jesus in our lifetimes.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_eschatology.

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ISLAMIC MORALS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion

The foundational source in the gradual codification of Islamic ethics was the Muslim understanding and interpretation that mankind has been granted the faculty to discern God's will and to abide by it. This faculty most crucially involves reflecting over the meaning of existence, which, as John Kelsay in the Encyclopedia of Ethics phrases, "ultimately points to the reality of God." Therefore, regardless of their environment, humans are believed to have a moral responsibility to submit to God's will and to follow Islam (as demonstrated in the Qur'an, [Qur'an 7:172]).[6] This natural inclination is, according to the Qur'an, subverted by mankind's focus on material success: such focus first presents itself as a need for basic survival or security, but then tends to manifest into a desire to become distinguished among one's peers. Ultimately, the focus on materialism, according to the Islamic texts, hampers with the innate reflection as described above, resulting in a state of jahiliyya or "heedlessness."[6] Muslims believe that Muhammad, like other prophets in Islam, was sent by God to remind human beings of their moral responsibility, and challenge those ideas in society which opposed submission to God. According to Kelsay, this challenge was directed against five main characteristics of pre-Islamic Arabia:[6] 1. The division of Arabs into varying tribes (based upon blood and kinship). This categorization was confronted by the ideal of a unified community based upon Islamic piety, an "ummah;" 2. The acceptance of the worship of a multitude of deities besides Allah - a view challenged by strict Islamic monotheism, which dictates that Allah has no partner in worship nor any equal; 3. The trait of muruwwa ([a somewhat ambiguous] manliness [based on a blind defense of ones culture or social status]), which Islam discouraged, instead emphasizing on the traits of [uprightness], humility and piety; 4. The focus on achieving fame or establishing a legacy, which was replaced by the concept that mankind would be called to account before God on the day of resurrection; 5. The reverence of - and compliance with - ancestral traditions, a practice challenged by Islam which instead assigned primacy to submitting to God and following revelation. In short, these changes lay in the reorientation of society as regards to identity and life of Muslim belief, world view, and the hierarchy of values. From the viewpoint of subsequent generations, this caused a great transformation in the society and moral order of life in the Arabian Peninsula. For Muhammad, although pre-Islamic Arabia exemplified "heedlessness," it was not entirely without merit. Muhammad approved certain aspects of the Arab preIslamic tradition, such as the care for ones near kin, for widows, orphans, and others in need and for the establishment of justice. However, these values would be re-ordered in importance and placed in the context of strict monotheism.[6]

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Additional Article: Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism(in preference for a soft heart, meaning nobility and courage). We read in the Quran: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask; and for the freeing of captives; to be steadfast in prayers, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-conscious." (2:177) We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-conscious man in these verses. He should obey salutary regulations, but he should fix his gaze on the love of God and the love of his fellow men. We are given four heads: 1) Our faith should be true and sincere[to God above all], 2) We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellow-men, 3) We must be good citizens, supporting social organizations, and 4) Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all circumstances. http://www.islam101.com/dawah/moralsystem.html
[Yusufali Translation of Quran 6:151, upgraded] Say: "Come, I will rehearse what your Creator has made sacred: To make nothing equal to Him; to excel in kindness toward your parents; not to kill your children for fear of reducing circumstances; God will provide sustenance for you and for them; nor should you approach indecent acts, whether openly or secretly; nor should you take any life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and the due process of law: thus does He command you, that you might learn wisdom. [Yusufali 6:152] Nor should you ever approach the property of an orphan, except to improve it, until he attains full maturity; observe full measure and weigh with justice - no burden does God place on any soul, but that which it can bear;- also whenever you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned; and fulfil the duties prescribed by Allah: thus does He command you, that you may live heedfully. [Yusufali 6:153] And so announce: this here is My way, a straightforward path: follow it: and follow not (other) paths that would scatter you about, far from His (true and great) path: thus does He command you, that you may live as godconscious people. [Yusufali Translation of Quran 33:35] For Muslim men and women - who are believing men and women, who are devout men and women, who are truthful men and women, who are patient and steadfast men and women, who are humble men and women, who are charitable men and women, men and women who regularly fast, men and women who guard their modesty and chastity, men and women who engage much in the invocation of God(in meditation) - for them God has prepared forgiveness and vast reward. http://www.al-islam.org/quran/

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The Quran declares: You are the best nation that has been brought forth for mankind, in that you encourage virtue, discourage vice and maintain faith in your Creator. Quran 3:110 This has complex moral implications, having to do with sense of duty, sense of mission, standard of public behavior, normative character, collective responsibility, criterion of success and salvation, methodology of success and salvation, and modus operandi of social change, all of which contain moral dimensions or implications.
ISLAMIC LIFE AS AN EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION OF MORALITY & SPIRITUALITY

THE EXPERIENCE OF FASTING SELF-CONTROL ENHANCING DIGNITY

THE EXPERIENCE OF ALMSGIVING NOBILITY ENHANCING DECENCY

THE EXPERIENCE OF PILGRIMAGE COURAGE ENHANCING MAGNANIMITY WITNESSING PROPHETHOOD AS SALVATION HISTORY

THE EXPERIENCE OF PRAYER OBJECTIVITY ENHANCING INTEGRITY WITNESSING MONOTHEISM AS SACRED TIME, SPACE & GESTURES

WITNESSING WITNESSING MONOTHEISM= PROPHETHOOD ACKNOWLEGING AS THE HIGHEST HEROIC ORDER OF EXISTENCE BIOGRAPHY (one accessible to mankind) REJECTING DRUGS IN PRINCIPLE LIMITING SLAVERY

RECONCILING MASJID DYNAMISM SYMBOLIC & MEETING INDIVIDUAL LITERAL & COLLECTIVE NEEDS UNDERSTANDING STIMULATING REFLECTION AND THE QUEST FOR HIGHER KNOWLEDGE UPROOTING SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS & ATTITUDES, AND FALSE ELITISM

MODERATING BETWEEN THE EXTREMES OF HEDONISM & ASCETICISM

ESTABLISHING LAWS OF JUST WAR

_________________________________________________________________. It is to be noted that Islam gradually prohibited intoxicating drinks through a series of Quranic revelations, beginning with admonition, and ending with total prohibition. This is an issue of temperance and a discipline of purity. Likewise, pork was prohibited in confirmation of the Jewish Bible teaching.

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JEWISH MORALS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_religion Jewish ethics may be said to originate with the Hebrew Bible, its broad legal injunctions, wisdom narratives and prophetic teachings. Most subsequent Jewish ethical claims may be traced back to the texts, themes and teachings of the written Torah. In early rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah both interprets the Hebrew Bible and delves afresh into many other ethical topics. The best known rabbinic text associated with ethics is the non-legal Mishnah tractate of Avot, popularly translated as Ethics of the Fathers. Similar ethical teachings are interspersed throughout the more legally-oriented portions of the Mishnah, Talmud and other rabbinic literature. Generally, ethics is a key aspect of non-legal rabbinic literature, known as aggadah. This early Rabbinic ethics shows signs of cross-fertilization and polemical exchange with both the Greek (Western philosophical) ethical tradition and early Christian tradition. More developed ethical works emanated from Hasidean circles in the Maccabean time, such as are contained in Tobit, especially in Chapter IV. Here the first ethical will or testament is found, giving a summary of moral teachings, with the Golden Rule, "Do that to no man which thou hatest!" as the leading maxim. There are even more elaborate ethical teachings in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in which each of the twelve sons of Jacob, in his last words to his children and children's children, reviews his life and gives them moral lessons, either warning them against a certain vice he had been guilty of, so that they may avoid divine punishment, or recommending them to cultivate a certain virtue he had practised during life, so that they may win God's favor. The chief virtues recommended are love for one's fellow man, industry, especially in agricultural pursuits, simplicity, sobriety, benevolence toward the poor, compassion even for the brute and avoidance of all passion, pride, and hatred. Similar ethical farewell monitions are attributed to Enoch in the Ethiopic Enoch (xciv. et seq.) and the Slavonic Enoch (lviii. et seq.) and to the three patriarchs. The Hellenistic Jewish propaganda literature made the propagation of Jewish ethics taken from the Bible its main object for the sake of winning the pagan world to pure monotheism. It was owing to this endeavor that certain ethical principles were laid down as guiding maxims for the Gentiles, first of all the three capital sins, idolatry, murder, and incest, were prohibited (see Sibyllines, iii. 38, 761; iv. 30 et seq.). In later Jewish rabbinic literature these Noachide Laws were gradually developed into six, seven, and ten, or thirty laws of ethics binding upon every human beingthe Noachide Laws, or Noahide Code.[1] This code is a set of moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud, were given by God[2] as a binding set of laws for the "children of Noah" that is, all of humankind.[3][4] According to religious Judaism, any non-Jew who adheres to these laws is regarded as a righteous gentile, and is assured of a place in the World to Come (Olam Haba)

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These seven laws listed by the Tosefta and the Talmud are[7] 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Prohibition of Idolatry Prohibition of Murder Prohibition of Theft Prohibition of Sexual immorality Prohibition of Blasphemy Prohibition of eating flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive Establishment of courts of law

Note the parallels with Buddhist tradition, except for idolatry, which Buddhists shun in their own way. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noachide_Laws

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________________________________________________________________. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, SHARED IN THE BIBLE TRADITION http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were spoken by God (referred to in several names) to the people of Israel from the mountain referred to as Mount Sinai [2] or Horeb,[3] and later authored by God and given to Moses in the form of two stone tablets. They are recognized as a moral foundation in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.[4] From Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible[we quote] 6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 7 you shall have no other gods before me. 8 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, 10 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 11 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 14 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

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16 Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 17 You shall not murder. 18 Neither shall you commit adultery. 19 Neither shall you steal. 20 Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 Neither shall you covet your neighbors wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbors house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor _________________________________________________________. http://www.analects-ink.com/mission/10_Commandments_Buddhism.html The So-Called Ten Commandments of Buddhism can be seen to be somewhat similar. 1. Do not destroy life. 2. Do not take what is not given you. 3. Do not commit adultery. 4. Tell no lies and deceive no one. 5. Do not become intoxicated. 6. Eat temperately and not at all in the afternoons. 7. Do not watch dancing, nor listen to singing or plays. 8. Wear no garlands, perfumes or any adornments. 9. Sleep not in luxurious beds. 10. Accept no gold or silver. Also see: http://www.english-for-students.com/10-Commandments-ofBuddhism.html

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Repeated in another context here: Believers are expected to use their own intelligence in deciding exactly how to apply these rules. 1. Do not kill. This is sometimes translated as "not harming" or an absence of violence. 2. Do not steal. This is generally interpreted as including the avoidance of fraud and economic exploitation. 3. Do not lie. This is sometimes interpreted as including name calling, gossip, etc. 4. Do not misuse sex. For monks and nuns, this means any departure from complete celibacy. For the laity, adultery is forbidden, along with any sexual harassment or exploitation, including that within marriage. The Buddha did not discuss consensual premarital sex within a committed relationship; Thus, Buddhist traditions differ on this. Most Buddhists, probably influenced by their local cultures, condemn same-sex sexual activity regardless of the nature of the relationship between the people involved. 5. Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that intoxicants cloud the mind. Some have included as a drug other methods of divorcing ourselves from reality -- e.g. movies, television, the Internet. 1 Those preparing for monastic life or who are not within a family are expected to avoid an additional five activities: 6. Taking untimely meals. 7. Dancing, singing, music, watching grotesque mime. 8. Use of garlands, perfumes and personal adornment. 9. Use of high seats. 10. Accepting gold or silver.

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One fundamental belief of Buddhism is often referred to as reincarnation -- the concept that people are reborn after dying. In fact, most individuals go through many cycles of birth, living, death and rebirth. A practicing Buddhist differentiates between the concepts of rebirth and reincarnation. In reincarnation, the individual may recur repeatedly. In rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever again. He compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering leaf falls off, a new leaf will eventually replace it. It is similar to the old leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf. After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and the self, they can attain Nirvana. This is a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. The Three Trainings or Practicesconsist of: 1. Sila: Virtue, good conduct, morality. This is based on two fundamental principles:

The principle of equality: that all living entities are equal. The principle of reciprocity: This is the "Golden Rule" in Christianity -- to do onto others as you would wish them to do onto you. It is found in all major religions.

2. Samadhi: Concentration, meditation, mental development. Developing one's mind is the path to wisdom which in turn leads to personal freedom. Mental development also strengthens and controls our mind; this helps us maintain good conduct. 3. Prajna: Discernment, insight, wisdom, enlightenment. This is the real heart of Buddhism. Wisdom will emerge if your mind is pure and calm.

Source of the above: http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism1.htm Historical note on the religions of China: The Chinese religious tradition of Three Religions Combining into One which means combining Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism into one religion was greatly developed during Sui and Tang Dynasty In the 18th and 19th centuries, with the introduction of Western ideology into China, and as the country developed industrially, traditional religions began to fade After the "opening up" of the 1980s, more religious freedoms were granted, and traditional beliefs like Taoism and Buddhism were supported as an integral part of the Chinese culture. Now Buddhism is the largest and fastest-growing religion in China, thriving throughout the country as the government is allowing it to spread. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China

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While estimates of the number of Buddhists in China range widely, Chinese government statistics estimates the number of Buddhists at 100 million.[53] Today the most popular form of Buddhism in both mainland China and Taiwan is a mix of the Pure Land and Chn schools. More recent surveys put the total number of Chinese Buddhists between 660 million (50%) and over 1 billion (80%),[20][54] thus making China the country with the most Buddhist adherents in the world, followed by Japan. However, it was difficult to estimate accurately the number of Buddhists because they did not have congregational memberships and often did not participate in public ceremonies. [28]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China#Buddhism At present, many people in Hongkong, Macao and Taiwan believe in Taoism. Overseas Chinese communities have built many Taoist temples all over the world. Banned during the Cultural Revolution (along with all other religions), Taoism is undergoing a major revival today [43], and it is the spirituality followed by about 30% (400 million) of the total Chinese population [44] while there was no official estimate of Chinese Government for Taoist population. Both the Beijing Taoist Association and the Shanghai Taoist Association (local chapters of the Chinese Taoist Association) report their own membership to number over 100 million individuals.[45] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China#Buddhism

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Sikhism
According to the textbook and many other sources, Sikhism has great similarity to both Islam and Hinduism, appearing to be a syncretism or combination of the two, or an attempt to reconcile the two.
It was founded by Guru Nanak who lived in present-day Pakistan in the early 16th century.

Sikhism sees no beginning or end to life, but rather cycles similar to that of Hinduism, including Karma and the transmigration of souls. On the other hand, Sikhism emphasizes the Oneness and absolute miraculousness of God. Despite its unique combination of views, Sikhism is very respectful toward other religions and teaches a brotherhood of mankind, irrespective of divergent Faiths, all people being creatures of the One God. The outfit of Sikhs is symbolic of dignity and temperance. On the other hand, magnanimity and altruism is emphasized, opposite egoism and self-importance. Growing in virtue and knowledge are key aims. Overcoming arrogance and illusion is most crucial. As to the essence of karma: http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Transmigration
In Indian tradition transmigration is an essential concomitant of the doctrine of karma, according to which every action, physical or mental, has its own consequence which must be faced immediately or in future, either in this life or in the hereafter, good actions leading to a favourable reward and bad actions entailing punishment. (Karma as such emphasizes a certain objectivity, cause-and-effect.)

Taoism
Taoism is more of a philosophy than a religion, and yet hundreds of millions are thought to be Taoist, to one degree or another. Taoism began with the aphorisms or poems of a Chinese sage, circum 500 BC. It is said that Lao Tsu left this written legacy of his thought in departing from human civilization for solitude. Taoism emphasizes harmony between people and with nature, and even more, a sense of the eternal law of reciprocity permeating Nature. For example, selflessness will lead to personal exaltation or superconsciousness, because when you refuse to claim anything, everything will be given to you. By contrast, those who practice indiscriminate violence will exhaust and humiliate themselves in the end. Strains of Buddism resemble this view. Taoism emphasizes an abiding universal justice, in that all people eventually get their just desserts. Taoism shares with Confucianism the concept of rectification of names, meaning that everything should perform according to its assumed role, whether parent, child or head of state, and yet remain as unassuming as possible. Taoist art emphasizes the smallness of creatures as compared to Creation as a whole, a kind of objectivity that guarantees a certain dignity, however minute. Similarly, Taoism teaches that generosity is not for others, but rather that a generous person, if sincere, is the happier one, more happy than the recipient of generosity. These kind of paradoxes permeate Taoist teaching, to such an extent that people have compared it to Islamic Sufism(spirituality for Muslims)Superstitious accretions make Taoist history complex and difficult to plot, and pose a challenge to its claims of objectivity.

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Many questions will be taken from this list of vocabulary. TERMINOLOGY YOU MUST KNOW: page-numbers of old EOW textbook listed Qisthuman equality & hence dignity in Islam Buddha..............p.72 ========= the enlightened teacher, in Buddhism Dukkha..............p.73= 102 == suffering as the essence of this life Karma...............p.75 ========= the inescapable effect of our actions, Hinduism/Buddhism Samadhi.............p.74 ========= perfect concentration in Hinduism & Buddhism Nirvana.............p.73 ========= the highest state in Buddhism, like Moksha in Hinduism Moksha..............p.78 ========= liberation of the soul from life and death in Hinduism Samyutta-Nikarya....p.75 ======== a text on objectivity and the Buddhist worldview Vedas...............p.76,79 ========= earliest sacred texts of Hinduism, revering nature Upanishad...........p.79 ========= wisdom texts of Hinduism Brahma..............p.80 ========= the Creator-God in Hinduism vishnu..............p.80 ========= the Sustainer-God in Hinduism Siva................p.80 ========= the Destroying-God in . dealing with life/death Varna...............p.76 ========= colors, races and castes Dharma..............p.78,77.p.106 duty, in Hinduism and Buddhism
Damyata.In Sanskrit Dmyata means, restrain yourself. Dmyata comes from the word Dam, to restrain. Subdue your senses. Do not go too much in the direction of the enjoyment of the senses This instruction, which was communicated to the Devas, Manushys and Asuras gods, men and demons by the single letter Da repeated three times, meaning Dmyata, Datta, Dayadhvam be self-controlled, be charitable and be compassionate, is applicable to all mankind. http://www.swamikrishnananda.org/brdup/brhad_V-02.html

Laozi, Lao-Tsu........p.81p.111 Founder of the mystical Taoist religion Dao De_Jing......Tao Te Ching...p.81 == LaoTsus book on truth and virtue Zhuangzi............p.83 ========= Confucius...........p.84-5 ========= founder of Chinese traditional morality, propriety Analects............p.86 ========= Confucius main book Zengzi..............p.87 ========= Someone who popularized Lao-Tsus teachings, 300s BC Guru Granth Sahab Ji..p.89 ===== Sacred Text of Sikhism Nanak...............p.90-1 ========= Founding authority, first guru, of Sikhism(d1539) Gobind Singh........p.90.p.121 == (d1708) Tenth of 11 Sikh founding gurus, made khalsa Khalsa..............p.90 ========= community organization in Sikhism Kes(h)................p.90 ========== uncut hair in Sikhism Kam==================== worldly desire Kanggha.............p.90 ========= sacred comb Kirpan..............p.90 ========= the sacred sword in Sikhism Wahiguru............p.93 ========= God, in Sikhism Houmai..............p.95 ========= negative ego in Sikhism Dharam ........p.95 ========== self-defensive and righteous war in Sikhism Koran...............p.52 ========= the last Scripture, superceding others, in Islam Gabriel.............p.54 =======angel whom Muslims consider the transmitter of Quran Hadis...............p.54 ========= saying of Prophet Muhammad Roh.................p.52 ========= spirit, the inner being or essence of Mankind Falah...............p.53 =========eternal happiness/lasting prosperity(in the call to prayer) Khusran.............p.53 ======== damnation, or spiritual and moral failure, in Arabic Aqidah..............p.55 ========= Islamic beliefs; a Muslims set of beliefs

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Ibadah..............p.55-7 ======== formal acts of worship, service to God in Islam Akhlaq..............p.55,57 ======= morals or moral excellence in Islam Tauhid..............p.58 ========= monotheism according to Islam = making God One Taqwa...............p.62 ========= self-restraint for the sake of God, in Islam Ihsan...............p.62 ========= excellence in Islam Anno Domini.........p.63 ====== in the year of our Lord(from Jesus birth to now) Christ..............p.63 ========= the Anointed or Most Blessed Spiritual Leader Genesis.............p.65 ========= the earliest human history in Bible tradition Old Testament.......p.65.p.92 new book = the Jewish record of the prophetic teachings New Testament.......p.69p.96 = the Christian account of Jesus & his students Proverbs............p.66 ========= a Bible book of moral rules for a wiser life Ten commandments....p.66 ==== the moral values common to Christians & Jews Sermon on the Mount.p.69 ==== Jesus most famous sermon on spiritual values Easter..............p.72 ========= the observance day of Jesus resurrection from death Good Friday============= the day upon which Jesus gave his life to save mankind St. Paul............p.64 ========= the main writer of the Christian Scriptures God the Father......p.63 ======= the first person of the Godhood for Christians Holy Spirit.........p.63 ========= the third person of the Godhood or Trinity for Christians Crucifixion.........p.69 ========= Jesus sacrificial death for the salvation of mankind Resurrection........p.69 ========= resuscitation from death for a judgment by God Kingdom of God......p.69 ======= state of perfection or excellence for Christians Ramadan.............p.54.80-81 == month of (daytime) fasting/night prayers for Muslims

BECAUSE THE QUIZ IS MULTIPLE CHOICE, FAMILIARITY WITH ALL TERMS HEREIN IS THE ESSENCE OF THIS LESSON, NOT MEMORIZATION.

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