A Psychological Article on Solutions to Types of Discrimination

By Boomeryearbook.com

Baha’i or Baha’ism is a religion that is monotheistic and stresses the unity of all humanity as well as the abolishing all types of discrimination between peoples. It was founded during a tense period of time by a Persian aristocrat in the mid nineteenth century in an area that is in present day Iran and Turkey.

Bah-a-ullah, the founder of the Baha’i, taught that all mankind is the same with no distinguishes between race, gender or nation. Psychological articles regarding his thoughts tell us that he believed that over the ages, religions were but manifestations of the same faith; that differences were simply accommodations and requirements of the age and specific messengers ‘the manifestations of God’ which included Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Abraham, Krishna and others. Bah-a-ullah saw himself as the last in the succession in the line of prophets until the advent of another a thousand years later. His message therefore is best suited for this day and age.

The word Baha’i is Arabic for ‘splendour’. The founder of Baha’i was persecuted in Iran by the Shia Muslim majority and its clergy which was the powerful force of Iran throughout the 19th and 20th century. Although Baha’i enjoys religious freedom in other countries, notably Israel, fundamentalist Iran still persecutes Baha’a as heresy as it is a monotheistic yet non Islamic religion, and therefore questions the finality of the Prophet Muhammad.
Baha’ism believes in unity in all aspects of reality: the unity of mankind, of God and of religion and is against any type of discrimination.

Psychological articles on this religion explain that in Baha’ism, God and his nature will be conveyed through the revelations of a messenger and will overwhelm ordinary men. God, in turn, expresses himself in attributes in order to show himself in human terms and make humanity pursue their own potential to attain spiritual heights; with the pathway to these spiritual heights being derived from the adoption of attributes of introspection and prayer.

Thus Baha’ism is a unitary religion as well as a syncretism or blending of other major religions. It believes in the afterlife, deeming that man enters that stage on the basis of the spiritual excellence he has attained in his life; with heaven and hell not similar to the Christian understandings, but rather states of being nearer or farther from God. Baha’ism further divides the relationship between God and humanity in the greater and lesser covenants. The greater covenants are the universal and timeless, and the lesser covenant between Bah-a-ullah’s teachings and mankind. Baha’i believe in the basic equality of all human beings and propagates the abolition of all types of discrimination and the need for world unity in order to bring this about. As a consequence, Baha’is also promote universal education, world organizations like the UN, a universal language, obeying of authority and economic egalitarianism.

There are approximately five to six million Baha’is with the majority living in Asia, Iran, Israel and the United States. India has the largest number counting 2.2 million. Nonetheless, Baha’is are established in 247 countries among a wide cross section of social groups and languages. Baha’is are also highly organized, educated, and financially well off.

The Psychological Article on An Introduction to Baha’ism is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of psychological articles on World Religions, Spirtuality, and Solutions to Types of Discrimination. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Psychological Articles based-Informational Website for Baby Boomers, Echo Boomers and Booming Seniors. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join this Website for Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive weekly Newsfeeds, and let your opinions be heard.

Psychological Articles as Solutions to Types of Discrimination

By Boomeryearbook.com

Confucianism evokes a number of images, often of an elderly man preaching morality to an eager group of disciples. This idea has been largely formed by the ideas of The Enlightenment period in history that first introduced Chinese Confucius and his philosophy to the Western world. However, a less limited understanding of Confucius thought leads one to a better comprehension of East Asian culture and temperament, as Confucian thought, or the thoughts it sought to elaborate, permeates the societies of China, Korea, Japan, and Thailand.

The originator is of course Confucius himself who lived in China during the 6th century BC. His thought, however, morphed into many other forms, each propagated by a thinker of the time. His basic precepts were preserved and maintained the core thought behind Confucianism. His thought, in its fullest expression, came to encompass a system of moral, political, philosophical, social and semi-religious aspects envisioning positive types of discrimination.

Psychological articles tell us we can consider an abbreviated introduction to Confucianism as being a system of beliefs that sought to educate individuals in a moral manner so that the state would not need coercive measures to run its affairs. Instead, all people will be motivated by a principle of humanity set forth by the moral virtues of its citizens and government. The primary source is Confucius’s ‘Analectic’ where his basic ideas are explained. The first principle is that of ‘Rites’ or ‘Ritual’. According to this principle, people are not organized in social harmony by means of penal law and administrative injunctions, but led by example and allocated their place and duties in society through ritual practices; thereby developing a sense of shame and thus choosing to live in better harmony. Psychological articles report that the goal, in time, is that the behaviors acquired through rituals become internalized, whereby individuals effortlessly and sincerely comply accordingly. Confucians believe that individuals cultivate themselves and will thus uniformly behave with acceptable, socially correct conduct.

Aside from rituals, other precepts that were used as a way to harmoniously bind men, governments and society, concerned that relationships should be conducted with filial piety, loyalty, humanism, that there is a concept of a noble person, and that there should be a correct language usage and proper ‘terms’ in one’s discourse. It is reasoned that if followed, these precepts would enable social and political stability, cohesiveness and harmony, and would eliminate any type of discrimination or untoward behavior towards self or others. Later on more sophisticated and elaborate concepts were established, based on these cornerstones of ideas that involved a central humanism to every aspect of private and public life. However, oftentimes governments would usurp Confucian principles in order to serve the purposes of the ruler of the day, and thus anti-Confucian types of discrimination could be established.

While sometimes Confucian is regarded as a philosophy and sometimes as a religion, it is more correctly viewed as “an all encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights Heaven”, (”Confucianism” and “Confucius.” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service, 2005), and is comfortably followed alongside many who proclaim to follow other religions such as Shinto, Taoist, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or Judaic. In spite of not being termed a formal religion (bearing the hallmarks of the Semitic religions, Hinduism, or Buddhism), Confucianism has effortlessly blended itself with the prevailing religions of the times, such as the examples of Vietnam and Japan, where Shinto’s, and Buddhism comfortably coexisted with Confucian ideas. To this day, the primacy of ritual, respect of family and neighbors, and an adherence to good manners have remained the shared heritage of the cultures of the Far East demonstrating Confucian values and proving one of its basic premises: the inherent value of tradition and history in the evolution of human society.

The Psychological Article on Confucianism is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of psychological articles on World Religions, Spirituality, and Solutions to Types of Discrimination. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Psychological Articles based-Informational Website for Baby Boomers. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join this Website for Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive your weekly Newsfeed, and let your opinions be heard.

(http://www.crystalinks.com/vedas.html)

Note on The Vedas

The English archeologist, John Marshall, in 1921 made a stunning discovery which questioned the primacy of Vedic culture on India when relics of intertestamental and later studies of ancient Judaism were revealed.

(Britanica Encylopedia)

A Psychological Article on Knowledge as Solution to Types of Discrimination

By Boomeryearbook.com

Origin:

Jainism is the oldest religion of India. Theologically it has existed since eternity; that it has no beginning and no end. However, its beginning can be traced as far back as 9th Century BC with relics found from Mohenjo-Daro showing Jainism to have links to Indus Civilization, the old northwestern India regional civilization which is today part of Pakistan. Psychological articles from the Britanica Encyclopedia tell us that the Indus Valley thrived from 2500 BC to approximately 1700 BC and was the earliest recognized civilized urban cultural community on the Indian subcontinent. According to the 1991 census, Jainism has 4 million practitioners with the overwhelming majority living in India, 1, 410 living in Canada, and a few living in the US. Jainism officially originates with the succession of 24 Jinas, (“those who overcome”), and the 24th Jina, Vardhamana, ‘The Great Hero’ or Lord Mahivir, born in 550 BCE is crediting with founding the modern Jain community.

Additional proof of Jain’s antiquity is that it is mentioned in the Hindu book of Vedas, the collection of sacred texts written in Sanscrit from around 1200 BCE.

Beliefs:

Boomer Yearbook, in its effort to bring its readers psychological articles about world religions and knowledge as solutions to types of discrimination, found out that Jains believe every soul is divine and has the capability of achieving the God-consciousness. The soul which has achieved the state of Supreme Being by conquering its own enemies is called Jina, the victor or conqueror. Jain Dharma or Shraman Dharma (i.e., Dharma is the Indian religious or spiritual term that describes one’s righteous duty or virtuous path) explains the very difficult route one can take in order for a human to achieve supreme Jina.

Jainism differs significantly from other religions in its concept of god. According to its precepts every living soul has the potential to be divine; by following a path of total non-violence and having the soul shed its Karmic bond it can achieve God-consciousness.

A Jain is a follower of Jinas. Today Jains follow 24 special Jinas called Tirthankar. These Jinas are spiritually advanced super human beings who rediscovered ‘Dharma’ became liberated and have been teaching all living beings the same.

Jains believe on depending on one’s own wisdom and self control. ‘Right perception, knowledge and conduct’ lead to liberation which is called Moksha. Those who attain Moksha are the liberated souls and those who remain attached to the world are the mundane souls.

Another major belief of Jainism is the consequence of mental behaviors. Jains believe that every living soul is worthy of respect as it has the potential of becoming the pure soul. They stress equality of all life forms, they practice fasting and vegetarianism, and complete non-violence.

Ethical Principles:

There are five basic ethical vows. The extent to which these are followed is different for the householders i.e. some members with limited vows and with monks having great vows.

1. Ahimsa:
Non-violence-not killing and not hurting, harming or insulting any other living being, directly or indirectly.
2. Satya:
Truth-must always be spoken, unless it provokes violence; only then silence must be observed.
3. Asteya:
Non-stealing-always be satisfied with what you are given as a result of honest labor. Never be involved in ill-legal trade.
4. Brahmacarya:
Celibacy- monks are supposed to exercise complete abstinence from sex. Householders practice monogamy as a way to uphold the brahmacarya spirit.
5. Aparigraha:
Non-possession- to give up all worldly possessions before becoming a monk. For householders it means to own without attachment.

Jains Today:

Jainism is one of the smallest of the World’s major religions with approximately 12 million followers. (2009) But in India the influence is much greater than the numbers. Jains are found throughout India in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Karnataka, Bundelkham, Madhya Pardesh and Punjab, as well as small communities in US, UK, Canada, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Fiji, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore. They speak local languages but strictly adhere to Jain principles.

Jains represent less than 1% of total Indian population but their influence on society and culture is immense. They are among the wealthiest Indians. They run numerous schools colleges and hospitals. They contribute 24% of the total tax collections.

Jains encourage higher education and research especially among their monks and nuns. The 2001 census states that Jains are India’s most literate community.

The Psychological Article on Jainism /em> is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of psychological articles on World Religions, Spirtuality, and Solutions to Types of Discrimination. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Psychological Articles based-Informational Website for Baby Boomers. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join this Website for Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive your weekly Newsfeed, and let your opinions be heard.