Class notes on Salvation

(Originally written April 10, 2007 in Book 15)

(Test Thursday: 4/12/07)

Salvation: Different Concepts

Gandhi - "Religions are different roads converging to the same point".

Two main traditions:

1) Western
- Middle East Originated/Abrahamic
- Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam
- Problem: Our spiritual condition

2) Eastern
- Indic
- Subcontinent originated
- Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
- Problem: Our very existence (karma)

Christianity problem of salvation:
-Utter inability to restore a relationship with God (total depravity)

Islam: Test of Submission
-Life is a test to see how obedient we can be to Allah

The Hindu Dilemma
-Salvation is the escape from the never ending cycle of reincarnation (moksha)

How do you escape?

Vedantic Monism: Atman = Brahman
- Find how to become identical with God

Principles of Bhakti (Way of Devotion)
- Cling to one particular god to escape from the cycle of samsara
- This is not parallel to a holy God or a parallel to sin offending the god

3 Main Bhakti Sects

Vaishnavites - Worship of Vishnu or his avatars (incarnations) i.e. Krishna/Rama

Shaivites - Worship of Shiva

Shakti - Worship goddesses like Kali

Salvation from Rama, "Grace" in Hinduism

Monkey School: We must cling to Rama to achieve salvation
Cat School - Rama saves us apart from our works

Often when people refer to the "grace" of other religions they are using it to mean "mercy", not a synonymous term with the Christian concept of Grace.

Major Splits in Hinduism

Way of Works:
- Karma marga
- Brahminical Ritual

Way of Knowledge:
- Jñana Marga
- Vedanta
- Atman-Brahman

Way of Devotion:
- Bhakti Marga

Buddhist conception of salvation:

4 Noble Truths:
1) To live is to suffer
2) Suffering is caused by desire
3) To eliminate suffering one must eliminate desire
4) To eliminate desire one must follow the 8-fold path
- Right concentration
- Right View
- Right intention
- Right speech
- Right action (10 Precepts)
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right meditation

Salvation is ultimately elimination of one's self

Pure Land Buddhism- conception of "grace"

"Jodo-Shin-Shu" aka Pure Land
- Worships the Buddha Amida
- Amdia became a buddha in Heaven (Dhyani Buddha)
- Buddha of the West
- Amida created a "pure land" for people who chant to him. Anyone who chants to him will be reborn in this pure land as a male so as to be closer to achieving nirvana.

Obviously, the Pure Land Buddhism's conception of grace is drastically different from Christianity's conception of Grace.

Jainism

Goal: to escape from the cycle of reincarnation and the elimination of karma.

Mahavira (6th Century B.C.) founded Jainism. His story is similar to the Buddha. Mahavira received enlightenment, but unlike the Buddha, retained his ascetic lifestyle.

Tirthankaras - teachers of Jainism

Mahavira was the last of the 24 Tirthankaras.

Two Main Divisions:

1) Shvetambara - "Clad in White"
2) Disambara - "Clad in atmosphere"

In the Shvetambara women are are eligible for salvation, but in the Disambara women are ineligible for salvation.

Karma: Jainism believes in individual souls (as opposed to Buddhism and Hinduism). This is the Jiva.

Jiva, left to itself would rise to the top of the universe. But, Karma adds physical Ajiva to the soul, weighing it down. Ajiva causes the soul to sink.

Salvation is the removing of Ajiva (dead matter) from one's soul.

The most important principle of Jainism is ahimsa.

Conclusion

Religions do not just have different ways of salvation, but their conceptions of salvation are very different.