Unit 4 Study Guide
The Caste system, karma and reincarnation part. 3
1.)Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action". Reincarnation, known as the "transmigration of souls," is the rebirth of a deceased person's soul in another body. 2.) A person with good karma will be reborn into a higher caste.
Hymn
A lyric poem, or song, addresses to a divine being
Chinese religion and Philosophy part. 6
Confucianism and Taoism were enriched by the arrival of a third powerful system of belief, Buddhism, brought from India during the Han dynasty.
The Classical Period: The legacy of Sanskrit part. 4
Like the ancient Greeks, the Indians produced two great epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Repetition
Repetition in hymns are there to help you remember
Repitition
Repitition in hymns is there to help you remember
Chinese History: Dynastic Rule part. 3
The Chou, the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, overthrew the Shang and held power until about 256 B.C.
Outside Influences
The Mongols, a warlike, semi-nomadic people from northeastern Asia, conquers imperial China in late twelfth century A.D. The Mongols were overthrown and Chinese rule was restored in 1368 with the rise of the Ming dynasty. The Ming and later dynasties sought to reassert Chinese culture by limiting contact with foreign influences.
Rig-Veda part. 4
The Vedas reveal a great deal about early Indo-European civilizations.
The Night: Accept
The author asks for the Night to accept his/her hymn( a form of praise)
Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline Paradox
The character Arjuna has to decide to follow his Dharma or his own moral compass
Indian Literature
We are not sure who the first settlers off India were, but we do know the first Indian thriving civilization. This is the Indus Valley Civilization, named after a river that runs through the nation. The art of this civilization show similarities of sophistication in later Indian civilizations
Paradox
an apparent contradiction that is actually true
Confucius Analects question #3 In Book II, Analect 7, Confucius speaks of filial piety (honoring one parents) as more than just a form of god behavior. Why do you think he emphasizes such conduct in his teachings?
"An important teaching that Confucius believed is that studying ones past and ones heritage would allow him to "join the continuous chain of minds stretching from the past to the present". Filial piety is essential in order to do this and further mankind's consciousness."(https://www.slader.com/textbook/9780030377228-holt-elements-of-literature-world-literature/411/)
Confucius Analects: Background part. 3
"filial piety," the carrying out of basic obligations to one's living and dead ancestors.
Confucius Analects: Background part. 2
"the Golden Mean," an ideal of universal moral and social harmony. The Analects instructs the individual on how to achieve "moderation in all things" through moral education, the building of a harmonious family life, and the development of virtues such as loyalty, obedience, and a sense of justice.
Japanese Literature: Fun Facts
-The main tenets of Hinduism are dharma, karma, and reincarnation -Buddha teaches that life is an endless cycle of suffering caused by the desire for material goods. -Confucius sets forth a philosophy emphasizing practical values -Taoism emphasizes the contemplation of Tao, the force that rules nature
The Aryans and the Vedic Period
1.)The newcomers now called the Aryans, were aggressive nomadic, or wandering, warriors and herders, who had superior copper and bronze
The Caste system, karma and reincarnation part. 2
1.)The origin of the Varnas goes back at least to the Rig-Veda 2.)His body was divided into the four varnas: From his head Brahmans, the scholars, priest, and teachers; from his torso came Kshatriyas, the rulers and warriors; from his thighs came the Vaisyas, the merchants, farmers, and artisans; and from his feet came the Sudras, those who did menial work. Excluded from society altogether are the so-called untouchables, whose tasks include disposing of dead animals and cleaning up human waste. In Hindu tradition, untouchables are believed to pollute others simply by touch or by sight.
Haiku
A brief unrhymed poem three lines long. In Japanese each haiku has seventeen syllables: The first and last lines have five syllables each and the middle line has seven. This strict compressed form of challenges haiku poets to convey their feelings and observation in a few vivid images
Maxim
A concise statement and direct statement of a rule of conduct or proper behavior.
The Caste system, karma and reincarnation
A person's dharma is determined in part by his or her caste or social class. In the Hindu tradition, people are not created equal. Rather, they are categorized at birth into one of four ranks of society, generally based on occupation.
Chinese Literature
A reverence for literature and learning is an important aspect of Chinese culture. The volume of Chinese literature dwarfs that of all other literatures of the world; it has been estimated that more than half of all the books ever written are Chinese. Extensive knowledge of classic Chinese texts and the ability to write poetry were requirements for employment in the imperial bureaucracy, for centuries the main avenue to power and prestige for ambitious young men in China.
Chinese religion and Philosophy part. 5
Above all, the Taoist philosophy founded by Laotzu regards nature as the great teacher. Taoists urge people to seek wisdom by turning their backs on the world and contemplating Tao, the mysterious force that governs and unifies all of nature.
Following ones Dharma part. 2
According to Hindu belief, everyone is born with a unique dharma, which unfolds through a person's lifetime according to his or her choices. Most of the lessons of dharma--what to do or not do in a given situation--must be determined by the individual on a moment-by- moment basis.
Japanese Literature
Although Japan borrowed much from Chinese culture, including the Chinese system of writing, Japanese culture evolved its own character and style over time.
Rig-Veda question #4 From stanzas 4-8, what can you infer about Arjuna's values? How have these values contributed to his dilemma?
Arjuna probably values and loves his family very much, so the act of killing his cousins is one he doesn't want to commit causing him to fall into a paradox
Japanese Literature: Pride and Poetry
As in China, composing poetry has always been a highly respected activity in Japan.
Buddhism
Based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 B.C.), arose first in India but later migrated to China and Japan
Chinese religion and Philosophy
Chinese literature, and indeed all of Chinese culture, has been profoundly influenced by three great schools of thought that originated in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.: the philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism and the religion of Buddhism, which was founded in India
Chinese religion and Philosophy part. 2
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) was the first great Chinese teacher, and since his time the profession of teaching has commanded great respect in China. The name Confucius is a Latinized version of the name K'ung Fu-Tzu.) Confucius lived at a time of great political and social disorder; he was interested not in theology or the afterlife but in formulating principles for living a good life on earth.
Confucius Analects: Background
Confucius declared that he was not really a creator but a transmitter of ideas, a man who was not born with special wisdom but only with a love for past tradition
Chinese religion and Philosophy part. 3
Confucius did not write down his teachings, but after death they recorded and complied by his disciples in books now called the Analects
Confucius Analects question #6 How do Confucius's teachings compare with your own views of moral conduct? Review your quick write response.
Confucius teachings are similar to mine to an extent. I believe that the things he values about family drastically differs from mine. However, his view on intelligence and how to deal with others is basically the same as my own.
Outside Influences part. 2
Despite centuries of Chinese efforts to limit outside influence, the expanding nations of nineteenth-century Europe (Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia) forced the imperial authority to grant them large areas of Chinese territory, which the colonial powers ran for their own economic advantage
Hinduism part. 2
Despite the enormous number of cults and sects in Hinduism, many Hindus believe that all the gods--indeed, everything in the universe--are aspects of a single essence, or immortal spirit
Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline
Dharma can be very compromising, forcing individuals to face a moral or ethical Dilemma
Buddhism: The search for spiritual peace
During the close of the Vedic period, another major religion, Buddhism, came into being. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince who gave up a life of wealth and privilege to search for spiritual peace.(Buddha means Enlighted one given to Siddhartha by his followers) Buddha came to believe that life is an endless cycle of suffering caused by the desire for earthly goods. The way to master this desire is to practice yoga(means union), a spiritual practice that combines asceticism, or self-denial, with meditation, breathing practices, specific postures, and ethical, nonviolent behavior. Buddhism rejects the social stratification of the Hindu caste system.
Japanese Literature part. 3
Finally, in the fourth century A.D., one family, the Yamato, grew powerful enough to subdue the others.
The Downfall of Feudalism
Finally, in the late 1500s, a powerful shogun crushed the warring feudal lords, and the Tokugawa shogunate, or shogun-ruled regime, began to rule all of Japan from a new capital at Edo, later called Tokyo. The Western world was seeking contact with Japan
Shintoism and Zen Buddhism
Followers of Shintoism, the ancient religion of Japan, revere divine spirits called kami, which reside in natural places and objects. Ancestors and the emperor were also regarded as divine. The native Shinto tradition easily accommodated the various strains of Buddhism adopted by the Japanese from the Chinese and the Koreans beginning in the fifth and sixth centuries A.D.
Confucianism
Founded in China by Confucius(551-479 B.C.), teaches that order, discipline, and social stability are the foundations for a good life
Rig-Veda part. 3
Generations of Brahmans, or Hindu priests, learned the Vedic hymns according to a strict method of memorizations
Hinduism
Hinduism evolved from the beliefs of the Aryans of the Vedic period. More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life, with a seemingly endless variety of beliefs, rituals, and gods.
Chinese History: Dynastic Rule part. 4
In 221 B.C., the Ch'in dynasty overpowered the Chou(Some believe the name China derives from Ch'in.) The Ch'in rulers connected and fortified fifteen-hundred-mile defensive wall, now known as the Great Wall of China, across their northern border.
Two Great Women Writers
In the long and detailed "The Tale of Genji", considered by many scholars to be the world's first true novel, the aristocrat lady Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting to the empress, traces the amorous life of a gifted charming prince.
Islam in India
Islam was brought to western India by Arab traders in the eighth century A.D. By1236, the first Muslim kingdom in India was established in Delhi. Muslim expansion continued in India for centuries, with countless Islamic and Hindu dynasties and empires fighting for dominance. Muslim conquests eventually led to the establishment of the Mughal(or Mogul) Empire, which lasted from 1526 to 1858. Yet, just as the Muslims were not absorbed into Hinduism, neither was India overwhelmed by Islamic culture and religion. Eventually, in 1947, as tensions built between the two groups, India was partitioned into two states: Pakistan for Muslims, and India for Hindus.
Japanese Literature part. 2
Japan's early political structure was based on clan, or family, divisions
Rig-Veda question #5 In the Mahabharata, the hero, Yudhistira, Arjuna's brother, says that the highest duty is to refrain from injuring others. In the Bhagavad-Gita, however, Krishna tells Arjuna that it is his sacred duty to fight. How do stanzas 18-21 help to resolve this paradox, or apparent contradiction?
Krishna tells Arjuna that his body may die but his soul is immortal by saying this he justifies the reason for him to fight his cousin.
The Classical Period: The legacy of Sanskrit part. 2
One of the most fascinating facts about Sanskrit is that by 600 B.C., it had become a "frozen" literary language. While everyday speech changed and evolved, the written form of Sanskrit remained in a fixed state for centuries, its grammar and syntax virtually unaffected by time
Two Great Women Writers part. 2
Regarded in Japan as William Shakespeare is in English speaking countries. Another tenth-century court lady, Sei Shonagon, immortalized the Heian age in her witty and revealing journal about court life, "The Pillow Book"
The Night
Repetition of the phrase "The goddess" shows the author deep respect and adulation of the night.
The Classical Period: The legacy of Sanskrit part. 3
Sanskrit (meaning perfect speech) is one of the most important legacies of ancient Indian civilization. It is considered a sacred language, spoken by the gods.
The Nigh:Apostrophe
Speaker speaks directly to the goddess to show you can get close to the Goddess and approach her
Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline Lord Krishna
Stanza 3: Shows moral superiority over Arjuna Stanza 20: Explains how his and Hindus belief that your body may die but your soul is there forever. "unborn, enduring"
The Night: Request
Stanza 6 the author is making a request to the night asking the night to protect them
Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline Arjuna
Stanzas 4-5: Shows how he doesn't want to kill his elders/cousins because he respects them Stanza 7: "The flaw of pity" This flaw makes him reluctant to act
Japanese Literature: Pride and Poetry part. 2
Tanka, a form that emerged in the eighteenth century A.D., is characterized by brief lyrical bursts of feeling and highly condensed language. The tendency toward compression in Japanese poetry reached a peak in haiku, a form developed in the seventeenth century.
The Origin of Tanka
Tanka, meaning "short songs," are brief lyrical poems. The traditional tanka consists of exactly thirty-one syllables, divided among five lines
Chinese History: Dynastic Rule part. 5
The Han, T'ang, and Sung dynasties that followed were periods of expansion and greater contact with the outside world. Literature, the arts, technology, and trade flourished; yet each dynasty in turn eventually succumbed to corruption and infighting.
The Downfall of Feudalism part. 2
The Japanese maintained this policy of isolation for two centuries. Then, in 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of U.S Navy steamed into Tokyo Bay, demanding that Japan opens its doors to the West. Treaties were negotiated, and Japan began to trade with the Western powers.
Rig-Veda
The Rig-Veda is a collection of more than one thousand hymns revered as sacred texts of the Hindu religion. The original hymns are in an archaic form of Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language brought to India by the Aryans, who migrated from the west around 1500 B.C.
Rig-Veda part. 2
The Rig-Veda--the name means "hymns of supreme sacred knowledge"--is one of our Vedas, the most sacred books of Hinduism. In fact, the Rig-Veda is considered the most important book of Vedic Scripture. Hymns were from the Aryan people.
Chinese History: Dynastic Rule
The Shang dynasty, which came to power in China around 1766 B.C. and continued until 1122 B.C., is the first period of family rule for which there is historical evidence.
Japanese Literature part. 4
The Yamato prince Shotoku actually imposed the Chinese imperial system on Japan during his reign, creating an emperor, an imperial bureaucracy, and a grand capital city.
The Classical Period: The legacy of Sanskrit
The main literary language in northern India during this period was an Indo-European language, Sanskrit
Confucius Analects question # 5 One of the maxims in the Analects states, "A gentleman is distressed by his own lack of capacity; he is never distressed at the failure of others to recognize his merits" Paraphrase this maxim in your own words. Do you agree or disagree with it? Why?
The maxim is saying that a true gentleman is stressed about the things he doesn't know or can't do, not what others think he may not know or can't do. I agree with this statement because it embodies to become a greater person and do not care what others think about you.
Japanese Drama
The most distinctive form of Japanese drama is called Noh which means "talent" or "skill". The purpose of the philosophical Noh dramas is to invoke a moment of wisdom in the tradition of Zen Buddhism. Kabuki, on the other hand, is a more theatrical kind of play involving dancing and singing, which was popular with a more general audience. Kabuki drama uses stock characters and stylized situations.
Rig-Veda question #7 What do you think is the most important teaching or lesson in Krishna's advice to Arjuna? Explain your choice.
The most important advice in my opinion is Krishna's belief that all souls are immortal which justifies him killing someone else. This not only shows the extent of Hindu belief but also the change in values it can bring a person.
Chinese religion and Philosophy part. 4
The next great teacher to influence Chinese thinking was Laotzu, whose name is sometimes spelled Lao-tzu or Lao-tze. The values expressed in his book Tao Te Ching have greatly influenced Chinese thought and expression
Taoism
The philosophy founded by Chinese philosopher Laotzu (sixth century B.C.), advises people to put aside desires and devote themselves to contemplating Tao, the source of unity in the natural world.
Following ones Dharma
The two great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, vividly illustrate the teachings of Hinduism, particularly the concepts of dharma, karma, and reincarnation. Dharma comes from a Sanskrit verb meaning "to hold". The English word closest in meaning to dharma is "religion". Dharma also encompasses such concepts as duty, righteousness, ethics, morality, law, and order.
Rig-Veda question #6 Parallelism is the use of words or phrases with the same grammatical structure. What is the effect of the Parallelism in Stanza 29
The use of parallelism in the stanza is used to emphasize what the authors point that the human soul is indestructible
The Balance of Opposites part. 2
The yin-yang philosophy offers people hope during difficult times, since it teaches that evil contains the seed of good
The feudal Era: Warlords and Samurai
These lords surrounded themselves with professional warriors, called samurai. The samurai lived by a strict code of conduct, which was somewhat like the chivalric code of the knights of medieval Europe. Unlike chivalry, however, the samurai code was based more on absolute loyalty to one's overlord and on the concept of personal honor than on religious ideals
The Balance of Opposites
These opposites are symbolized by the yin and the yang. Yin, the passive, feminine force, counterbalances yang, the active, masculine force;
The Aryans and the Vedic Period part. 2
This literary period in India is known as the Vedic period; it lasted from 1500 B.C. to 500B.C. This period is named after Vedas, a collection of hymns and other texts that formed the cornerstone of Aryan culture. Many Hindus believe that these sacred hymns were revealed to human directly by the gods
Following ones Dharma part. 3
Ultimately, dharma requires that a person fulfill the duties of his or her station in life, however lofty or humble it might be.
Chinese History: Dynastic Rule part. 2
Unlike our modest alphabet of twenty-six letters representing a limited number of sounds, the thousands of characters in the Chinese alphabet represent complete words of units of meaning.
Shintoism and Zen Buddhism part. 2
Zen Buddhism, for example, imported from China in about 1200. challenged the intellectualism of older sects and advocated meditation, concentration, and self-discipline as the way to enlightenment. Zen priests and institutions helped develop the tea ceremony, landscape gardening, and military arts such as judo
Confucius Analects question #4 Which of the Master's sayings is most like the Bible's olden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? What is the main difference between Confucius's saying and the golden rule?
a.) "Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you" b.) His saying is in a more negative connotation he says to "Never do something" while the Bible says to "Do something".
