The Different Values of Hindus and Americans Illustrated in This Blessed House

Religions have very distinct differences because every religion has something that another one does not. The differences can even cause conflicts between different religions even if they are in the same family. Religions also have similarities that can cause feuds to end if people use it in the right way. You can see these similarities and differences in Hinduism and Native American religions if you look at how they do their rituals, rites of passage, view of gods, view of holy book, afterlife, and the role of women.

In his book, The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders, Gregg Frazer attempts to break apart the debate going on today about whether or not the founding fathers were Christian. In the preface of the book, Frazer states, “I want to force extremists on the Left and Right to make a case for their vision… this book is an attempt to allow [the Founders] to defend themselves through the written record of their words.” In his book, Frazer makes arguments that eight of the most prominent Founders were not Christian or Deist, but rather they were “theistic rationalists,” a term that he uses countless times throughout the text. Frazer examines the eight key Founders as well as important theologians and ministers of the time. He defends theistic

As a beginning of this film, a myth is told by the Nyinba people of Nepal: a story of fearsome spirits thought to kill children and the weak. Their crime was adulterous passionate love and it was this that had condemned them to live eternally between life and death. In this film, we learn about and explore marriages in tribal societies. We can clearly identify the differences that challenge both side’s ideas and sensibilities about marriage bonds.

When I visited the Phat Da Buddhist Congregation in San Diego, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in San Diego, I was taken by surprise that the service was given in Vietnamese. The decorations on the wall, the sacred images displayed at the altar, and the vibrant color of the monk’s robe were still familiar, but what was being said was (very) foreign to me. I quickly became impatient and preoccupied with the question on why I was there in the first place. What would I write about for my final Buddhism assignment if I could not understand what was being said? One thing was clear, the day I visited, they were celebrating Buddha’s birthday with huge display of rituals and ceremony, and a big birthday cake at the end.

“Why are you going to live with your husband’s parents?” this was asked to me as I was about to enter the United States of America by an immigration officer at the airport. This day when I landed in USA I started to observe the difference between USA and India. If at the same time I would have been in India people would have frustrated me by asking a similar question but with a little difference “Why are you not going to live with your husband’s parents?” … would have been the probable question.

“Holy Cow, An Indian Adventure,” by Sarah MacDonald, is a book written describing Sarah’s experience living in India. She goes through many tough times and endures life changing experiences that eventually make her the person she is meant to be. In this book Sarah relates India to western perspective several times. India and the United States do have similarities, India and the United States both are run by a Democracy, they both have very strong cast systems; both have their own “Hollywood” films, and both places have many religions mixed within.

In Chapter ten the history of Hinduism is discussed in America and India. Instead of illustrating the religious doctrines of Hinduism. The author lists statistics about the livelihoods of Asian Indians. For example, there are eighteen different official languages in India. As the author emphasizes that doctrines have nothing to do with Hinduism, but the actions that individuals commit. The orthodoxy is a set of responsibilities that Hindus must carry out. If they wish to be reincarnated into a higher caste. In addition, the origin of Hinduism is mentioned within the chapter. That Hinduism is the only major religion that does not have a founder and has no beginning as there is not a specific known date of when it originated. Moreover, Hinduism is the oldest major religion and is the only polytheistic faith among the five popular creeds.

.In the new world there are two dominant religions that we see in the readings which were the puritans and the Catholics. Even though both of this religions had may differences they also had some similarities. A similarity that seems commend in both religions is that they both believe that all actions and results were the way they happened because of god. Puritans believe that the rich people were rich and the poor people were poor because god wanted them to be that way (23). The Jesuits believe that they were send to the new world because and that god wanted them to teach and improve the believes of the natives because god wanted them to do so (37). They both believe that there is one god and Jesus Christ was the son of god (24, 31). They strongly believe in the bounds of love and need to help and give to your neighbor (24).

Emeraldkit squeaked with anticipation as she and her sisters assembled for their apprentice ceremony. She was so enthusiastic, she felt like jumping out of her fur. Beside her, her sister Shimmerkit was bouncing up and down, but her other sisters; Leafkit and Shinningkit, were speaking in low tones to each other. “Why are you two so troubled looking? It’s our apprentice ceremonies!” she asked Leafkit. “Well, you see, um, I … don’t…know, hey, why do you have to know?” Leafkit responded defensively. “Hey, I was only curious, okay!” Emeraldkit shot back, now equally as defensive as her sister. The quarrel was quickly put to a rest as Flamestar climbed the Highrock and announced why they were all gathered, “Let all cats old enough to catch their

The tendency, of sacrificing, or changing parts of one’s culture in order to adapt to a new culture, is experienced by almost everyone who has any culture other than the predominant one. Nguyen was just an individual who had to let go of some aspect of her culture in an attempt to blend in, but there have been whole religions and followers who go through this process. One example of a religion that had been Americanized is Buddhism. Although there have been proper and preserved denomination of Buddhism in America, there have also have been groups such as Buddhist Churches of America that have changed their method and practice to fit in America (Seager 3). To assimilate into American society Buddhist Churches of America has tried to resemble

A person’s heritage and cultural identity may be lost when moving to a new country where the culture is different and other cultures are not easily accepted. In the short story “Hindus”, Bharati Mukherjee uses setting, characters and the plot to discuss what it is like to lose your cultural identity while being a visible minority in America. Mukherjee uses the plot to describe the events that take place in the main characters life that lead her to realize how different the culture and life is in the America’s. She also uses the characters as a way of demonstrating how moving away from one’s culture and heritage can change a person’s perspective and ways of thinking. Mukerjee also uses setting in her story to identity the physical differences in culture between living in India and America. Alike the setting and characters, the plot helps describe the loss of culture with a sequence of events.

This almost perfect match started after the death of Nikhil’s father, Ashoke. After his death, Nikhil finally understood where his father came from and was

Dissimilar to Christianity, Hinduism is portrayed as a family of beliefs. “Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality” (Molloy, 75). Hinduism can be compared to that of the Ganga Ma, a significant river in the Indian culture. Comparing it with the river saying that it flows and gains momentum. The Hindus have four very important life goals; kama or pleasure, artha or economic security, dharma or social and religious duty, and moksha or complete freedom. While Hinduism consist of more than one god, individuals tend to focus on a particular god. Three gods are particularly central in the life of Hinduism. The three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, represent creation, preservation, and destruction. (Molloy, 75).

A culture where guests are treated as gods, family members live under the same household until death, and have the belief that gods and spirits play the significant role in determining their life all refer to the same topic, the Indian culture; a rich and diverse culture which is very unique in many ways. This culture includes the qualities of various other cultures and it results into a modern and acceptable tradition. Respecting elders, honouring heroes, cherishing love, and following traditions make up the major components of the Indian culture and its followers. Many people believe that this particular culture has a great impact on their everyday lives and are proud to be included in the significant customs. In the novel, Clear Light

Family traditions and religion greatly impact the lives of many people in India. These elements of culture are reasons that form the way that Indians lead their lives. Both factors make up what type of person that individual will become. That is the reason why religion and family traditions are so valued in Indian society.