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HINDUISM |
A person must through a period
of tens of thousands of incarnations, come finally to realize his
oneness with Brahman; through meditation, through personal devotion to
one of the gods who are symbols of Brahman, through right action
(dharma), through obedience to caste laws, through the pursuit of
philosophy, a person must seek beyond the illusion or "Maya"
of appearances and recognize that Brahman is "all-in-all" |
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BUDDHISM: HINAYANA |
Ideally, a person should join
the sangha where, in the company of other monks, he can devote himself
to the "eight-fold path" which will lead him out of the
delusions of desire and self; laity should follow the path as best they
can, support the sangha, and wait for a later incarnation. |
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BUDDHISM: MAHAYANA |
One should follow the
"eight-fold path" as well as one can; one should show
reverence and support to monks; one should look to the Buddha and to
other Bodhisattvas for grace and for assistance; and one should look
forward to better incarnations which will lead one on to Nirvana more
quickly. |
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TAOISM |
Follow the way of the Tao
which one already knows instinctively: Live naturally, live simply,
"Do nothing" Never have too much. Never be first. |
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CONFUCIANISM |
Follow the ancient wisdom: be
loving: be honest: be courteous: show deference to one's superiors; be
self-effacing, practice the arts; value culture. |
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JUDAISM |
Obey YHWH: follow God's will.
For the Jew, God's will is clearly spelled out in the 613 commandments;
the Jew does not believe that all the ritual laws of Judaism must be
obeyed by gentiles, but gentiles must follow the moral law which is
written within their hearts; "He has shown you what is good: what
does YHWH require of you but that you do justly, show mercy, and walk
humbly with your God"? Obedience; trust; morality; these are
the essentials |
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ISLAM |
Accept the basic beliefs of
Islam: know that there is only one God: know that Mohammed is the last
and the greatest prophet; believe in the Koran. in angels, in judgment,
in paradise and hell; then submit your will to Allah; observe the fast
for Ramadan; pray five times daily and observe Friday prayers; give alms
to the poor; plan your pilgrimage to Mecca. |
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CHRISTIANITY: ORTHODOX |
There is nothing you can do:
God must do it for you, and He has done it in the grace He has given in
Jesus. Accept that grace as it comes to you through the Church, the
sacraments, the icons. Show your gratitude through worship, respect for
the clergy, through right relationships with others. |
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CHRISTIANITY: ROMAN CATHOLIC |
There is nothing you can do
but to accept the grace which God provides for you in Jesus through the
Church. Attend worship; use the sacraments; be loyal to the true Church
and to its clergy; venerate the Virgin and the saints; in all these ways
you will show your gratitude and you will allow God's grace to reach you
more fully: the more you do such things, the more grace you will obtain.
Special acts of devotiion will also bring added grace. |
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CHRISTIANITY: PROTESTANTISM |
Simply accept by faith the
salvation which God, in His grace, has already given you. You can do
nothing to merit it; by studying the Bible, attending worship, using
personal devotion, serving others, you can express your gratitude for
your salvation; but the "setting right" has already been done:
God has accepted you already just as you are. |