Analysis of the Vessantara Jataka and the Miao Shan Essay

Lamas direct the entire ceremony, with their number determined by the social standing of the deceased. They decide the direction the entourage will travel with the body, to the specific day and time the ceremony can happen.

Initiation Rituals are nothing new to different parts of the world or in different tribes. Different places have different initiation rituals, some far outside the norm and others mild. But the main goal is typical to go from one old status to a liminal status, and then into a new status, like for example entering Manhood. For western society, physical changes to the body through the body like the beginning of menstruation or the addition of more body hair would be some of the many physical changes that take place and signal the start of the transition to adulthood in this culture. It is not like that for everyone else, in many tribes such as the Fulani people, the people involved are put through a series or just one thing that will officially

While this dimension is not as important as in some other faiths of a strongly sacramental kind, it is still highly regarded. This can be attributed to the fact that it is through certain rituals that the core experience of enlightenment is obtained. (Hope, 1995) The ritual central to the Buddhist faith is the practice of meditation. The importance of meditation is paramount because it was through meditation that Buddha was able to gain enlightenment. Consequently, Buddhists attempt to emulate Buddha when meditating by endeavouring to cultivate wisdom and compassion, whilst also trying to gain control of the mind and expel suffering. (Mudge et al, 1993) If a Buddhist is successful in accomplishing this then they are said to have gained enlightenment. In terms of mass rituals, Buddhism maintains a plethora of ceremonies dealing with both the 'Sangha' (Order of monks and nuns) and laity. The primary rituals concerning the 'Sangha' includes; the initiation ritual in which the shaving of the head is a common practice and the annual Kathina Festival, in which the laity of the faith offers fabric to the monks for their new robes. For the laity, worship is more personal than congregation. A common practice is the taking of the three refuges (See appendix 3), in which adherents chant the same three sayings in repetition. This type of chanting, along with meditation, are common acts of devotion in Buddhism. Recently

An additional polarity of Hindus and Buddhists are their unique rituals and practices. The most fundamental ceremonies for every Hindu are those that involve the rites of passage. These begin with the first time a child eats solid food. The last rites are the funeral ceremonies and the yearly offerings to dead ancestors. Rotating prayer wheels is a ritual of Tibetan Buddhists. The prayer wheels have inscribed mantras or sacred chants. The wheel is believed to release benevolent forces and acquire merit for the worshipper.

Rituals around the world all teach valuable lessons that help initiates see the value and importance of life. Each culture has different rituals that provide experiences for their youth to learn these valuable lessons of life. Many coming of age rituals are intense procedures. The Amazon's Satere Mawé youth enter adulthood through the bullet-ant glove initiation, teaching courage and endurance, and the crocodile scaring ritual that the men from the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea participate in teaches them pain and accomplishment.

Rituals as stated in our book “Nobody’s Son” could be something that can be done with family as well as something that comes from one’s culture. A ritual can also be some type of activity or commencement that takes place for a group of people. I chose the movie “The Purge” because I liked how it places

A ritual is a set of actions done in a specific order for a specific reason. Rituals are meant to signal the importance of an observance because the ritual is unique, in that, it is only used for a special purpose.

The Rites of Passage is associated with puberty, birth, eating and marriage. The rites for the boys and girls who past puberty and head into fault hood. Adults who have been initiated can have a part in a role of the ritual. The roles usually vary as it depends on what the dreaming belongs to. No priests were in the ceremony because the aboriginal believe that everyone is equal so everyone who participated has equal amount of contribution. The initiation first starts of with the person heading to the bush where they get treated harshly in order to prove that they are worthy. Second is the person is though mysteries surround the objects or action of the group. The third and final stage is when the person return to the rest of there community

The members of the family who are participating put on there best cloths. The person who is leading the ceremony is required to wear a kittle (White robe).Candles are spread around the table and each member is required to have a plate and wine glass for the first half of the ceremony.

The topic were I introduce in this slide is Interaction Rituals . Interactive Ritual is a perspective focusing on the interactions and the emotional input and feedback of individuals within those interactions. Interaction Rituals asserts that interactions produce or deplete the “emotional energy” of participants depending on key factors. These factors include the physical co-presence of interactants, exclusivity of the group, a mutual focus and mood, and bodily synchronization. Given its situational emphasis, Interactive Ritual is difficult to measure quantitatively, but it is insightful for qualitative research, especially in areas such as worship rituals . Importantly, Interaction Rituals theory also situates religious actors in social space and outlines the linkages between ritual, affect, and belief.

The principal difference between these two rituals is the presence of a head figure in my father’s family (my grandfather). This figure has some superiority over others because the respect everyone has for him.

In places where a Vaishnava temple stands, the festivities include song and dance chanted from everyone in town (Initiative). Such events include kirtan, which is singing the Lord’s name along with other devotees, and japa, which is a more intimate prayer that is practiced more privately (Initiative). Devotees listen to the tales of Krishna, sing devotional songs, and most importantly chant the mantra “Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” (Das). This mantra translates to “O my lord, Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, O All-pervading personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisance unto you” (Studholme). Other devotees cook a feast, some reaching over one hundred dishes, and often dance is performed before (Initiative). Similar to Buddhists decorating the town with lanterns and spreading the joy, Hinduists string large flower garlands and numerous decorations from the temples from which their worshipping Krishna (Initiative). After all of the events take place, at midnight, priests draw back the curtains that covered the newly dressed deity that stands on a brightly colored alter (Initiative). The most important time of this celebration that takes place over the span of an entire day, is in fact, midnight. The “ritual” that is the most known all over the world and throughout Hinduism, is the fact that people who partake

The ritual I picked is the Indian wedding ceremony the ritual object is the flower garland necklace. In a South Indian Hindu wedding, the exchange of floral garland between the bride and groom is a very important part of the ceremony. This Jai mala ritual shows the bonds between the two families and symbolizes the love and sacredness of a marital bond.

From the Hindu Temple and Yoga service, surprisingly, the people I interviewed had a lot of similarities in their thoughts and responses. For Hinduism, rituals consist of visiting the Hindu Temple to chant prayers and participate in events such as singing Kirtans, songs in praise of God. Radhika Ramesh and Raje Sathasivam both stated they attend Hindu rituals because it helps them to connect with their religion and their community; most of the devotees can converse in Indian language and connect with each other since people share the same heritage and culture. Through this connection, I feel the dimension of ritual and aesthetic are the most important to the interviewees. The ritual dimension is evident as families or individuals can

As part of my research on this ritual, I looked up a YouTube video on it and found it to be very interesting. The one I watched of this ritual being performed took place in a small, dimly-lit room, mainly lit up with ceremonial candles, holding few people and two Buddhist priests. One was chanting the mantras, beating a Taiko drum, and shaking bells while the other did the work with the fire and the main aspect of the ritual. After distributing what was