Transience

Nurulkamilah Matkamil Micheal Agnew Jan 31 2012 995 words                         Question: Analyze and compare Surah 19:16-40 (Qur'an) to Luke 1:26-38 (New Testament)              Both the Quran and the Bible share some similarity in the content. However, there are also some major differences in how this content is relayed, how it is structured and how these teachings shape the Muslim and Christian theology. To illustrate this, Surah 19, verse 16 to 40 is compared against Luke Chapter 1, verse 26 to 38.             The two excerpts narrate the birth of Jesus Christ. In both accounts, the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ is an accepted doctrine. Both accounts also confirm that Jesus was born from Mary, and that the angel Gabriel approached Mary to tell her of h...

Nurulkamilah Matkamil Micheal Agnew Dec 2 2011 790 words Confucianism                         Question 2: In context to the Doctrine of the Mean, how would you explain the meaning of this phrase: “…the superior man can find himself in no situation in which he is not himself”? Do you see any similarities between The Doctrine of the Mean and Western ideology? If so, what are they? China is currently experiencing a new interest in the study of Chinese Classics. What aspects of the Doctrine of the Mean do you believe can be utilized in modern lifestyles? Why?             Good moral conduct is given a great emphasis in Confucianism. This is because if every individual focuses on self-cultivation of righteousness, it will result in a virtuous cycle, starting with the ruler as the exemplar of good virtue for his subordinat...

Nurulkamilah Matkamil 1160337 Micheal Agnew Nov 18 2011 1020 words Daoism                         Question 3: In Chinese religious thought, what is the importance of feng shui and how does it express fundamental Chinese teachings? Do you think that this principle was respected when the room in which you are sitting was built? Why or why not? If not, how would it be different if the principles of feng shui had been adopted by its builders?             Cosmic balance is an essential element in Chinese religious thought, because ultimately, the universe is one eternal flux of energy; constantly changing and unifying everything that is in it. A person would seek to harmonize his lifestyle with this cosmic energy. One way of doing so is the practice of feng shui , the art of geomancy, which is used in determining the nat...

Nurulkamilah Matkamil Micheal Agnew Nov 7 2011 826 words Buddhism                         Question 5: The Jataka Tales  “The Wishing Tree” and “The Noble Hare” with commentary from Rafe Martin. What is a Jataka tale, and what is its characteristic form? All religions incorporate stories about the lives of key religious figures, as for instance the Christian gospels or hadith concerning the Prophet Muhammad. Buddhist lore includes stories about the Buddha’s past lives. In what ways are these Jataka tales similar to the stories found in other religions? In what ways are they specifically Buddhist – that is, reinforcing key tenets of Buddhist belief, and depending on central premises of the Buddhist account of reality?             Story-telling and narrations are interactive ways that a society can engage with ea...

Nurulkamilah Matkamil Micheal Agnew Oct 21 2011 989 words                         Question 4: The Faithful Wife: Construction of Gender and Traditional Role of Women in Hindusim.             Central to Hindu teachings is the concept of dharma , which in itself has multiple meanings, one of which is the societal roles or responsibilities that one must fulfil in order to achieve liberation or moksha (Creel). Smriti texts such as Dharma Shastra and the Manusmriti explicitly define the dharma for each respective caste, including women (“Smriti”). Marriage is perceived as a vehicle for spiritual discipline, service and advancement towards a spiritual goal (Fisher 65). In doing so, each man and woman has their own roles to play according to their gender, acting as a complement of each other (Pandit). However, the man su...