... had a dream that a white elephant with six tusks, carrying a locus flower in its trunk, touched her right side. At that moment her son was conceived. This dream was soon interpreted by the wise man Brahmin who came and said if her son were to remain in the castle he would become the wisest king in the world, but if he were to leave he would become the wisest prophet far into future generations. In around the year 563 BC, Siddhartha Gautama was born into a life of pure luxury. His father wanted to make sure that his son was well taken care of as he grew to prevent him from desiring to leave the palace. Suddhodhana, listening to the prophecy, kept Siddhartha away ...

... this knowledge is processed by certain innate schema in the mind. Those that belonged to the empiricist school of thought developed quite separate and distinct ideas concerning the nature of the substratum of sensible objects. John Locke and David Hume upheld the belief that sensible things were composed of material substance, the basic framework for the materialist position. The main figure who believed that material substance did not exist is George Berkeley. In truth, it is the immaterialist position that seems the most logical when placed under close scrutiny. The initial groundwork for Berkeley's position is the truism that the materialist is a s ...

... is cleaned and cleared of all yeast foods, called hametz. All hametz is either eaten before Passover begins or "sold" to non-Jewish neighbors and friends. The rules surrounding Passover are strict and many, with only special foods, utensils, and dishware allowed. Kitchen utensils and dishware normally used in the home are not be used during Passover. Special dishes and utensils for the Passover holiday are taken out of storage, cleaned and used. Only foods that are "Kosher for Passover" are allowed. No leavened (containing yeast) foods or grains are eaten. In their place matzoh and foods containing matzoh are eaten. This is to commemorate the Israelites who fl ...

... standardized between the religions. Each religion has a different way of applying this concept to its beliefs. Ignorance of these beliefs is a sign of weakness in the mind. To truly understand ones own religion, one must also understand those concepts of the other religions of the world. Hopefully this will be an enlightenment on the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism. The goal in Taoism is to achieve tao, to find the way. Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everything in it. Tao is sometimes identified as the Mother, or the source of all ...

... procedures are each individual’s personal responsibility as a Hindu. In fact, ritual, action, and daily routine, different as they may seem, may be what unites all Hindus. They will come closer to Brahman by what best suits them. I believe the worship of millions of different dieties to be another important aspect of individual devotional procedures. I like the fact that new dieties arise every day. The people choose what they worship for themselves. Hindus may be atheists, monotheists, or even polytheists - it is an all-encompassing perspective, as far as I can tell. I believe the idea of Brahman, or the ultimate reality, to be very essential to the Hindu ph ...

... Instead of hindering the faith of the slaves, the incorporation of the saints added something new to their religion. Because of this they included into their rituals statues of the saints, candles, and other Christian relics. It is combinations like this that form religions such as Santeria, a blend of Voodoo and Spanish Catholicism, that proves what a malleable religion it is. Voodoo has spread throughout the world into major communities on Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, Miami, and New York city. Vodoun has as many as 50 million followers throughout the world now. Although varieties of this religion occur in different regions there are some basic tenets co ...

... the streets." These writings, from the enscriptures of the bible some say philosophical, inspire mystery, wonder and the relation to how true they are. I have a monotheistic way of thinking, though the bible is said to be the writings of the way of life of Moses and the Hebrews, I am puzzled by how certain writings pertain to society, culture and the life of man and women today. As I try to decipher this passage in my own words of Isaiah. One is speaking of the oppression committed by man upon man. It is Jesus asking why man whom were created as brother and sister making unjustly laws...deprive the poor of their rights...withhold the justice from the oppresse ...

... World” 1). In ancient times, cattle was used as money as they were used in exchange to buy goods. The more cattle one had, the wealthier the family. Cows were used differently in different cultures. They were used for sacrifice in Iran, while in Spain they were used for sport. They have been used to haul heavy loads, and their most common use has been as a source of food. Cattle have been so valuable for thousands of years in so many cultures that to be caught stealing them was often an offense punished by death (Brahman 1). The cow was not always sacred in India. Long ago in India’s early history, cattle was used basically for food to feed one’s family ...

... of war and wisdom, is discussing the matter of Odysseus with Zeus, the head god and god of sky (Homer 10). Of course these are not the only Greek gods and goddesses. Other examples of Greek gods and goddesses are Apollo, god of music, poetry, medicine, archery, and young unmarried men and Hestes, goddess of the home. As you can see, the Greeks believed in many gods unlike the people of the Jewish fate who believed in one god. The Jewish god does not have an emblem that which it is represented by. The belief is that the god is represented by everything. For example, members of the Jewish religion believe god is everywhere, in everything, and represented by eve ...

... grew-up in a "good" Jewish family, would not follow in the footsteps of Jewish Christian Missionaries, and require Christian converts to become Jews first. He certainly had to fight to have his belief accepted! In my opinion, Paul tried to follow the example of the original apostles (who knew Jesus) by "converting the multitudes." I think Paul understood human nature better than the other apostles preaching circumcision to the gentiles. Perhaps he thought that gentiles would accept Christianity more easily if it was natural to their lifestyle --I'm sure that the thought of circumcision, and strict dietary laws scared gentiles from Christianity! It seems that t ...