Hindu Tradition + Christian Thought + Greek Philosophy Research Paper

Hindu Tradition + Christian Thought + Greek Philosophy - Research Paper Example Under Saivism, Shiva is considered to be the supreme God, with his two forms being the lingam and the human form. Among the variants of the Human form, the most important is the dancing posture called Nataraja and also Dakshinamoorthy, the instructor of four sages. Vaishnavism on the other hand has its roots in Northeren India where the Aryans were mostly concentrated. It became renown in the 3rd century AD. Vaishnavites believe that Vishnu is the supreme power, and that god is personal and the ultimate goal of life is to be the servant of god, through faith or Bhakti. Modern Vaishnavites also believe that Vishnu takes many incarnations every eon ( Bhandarkar, 48,62, 160,165) Temples Along with the differences in sects and cultures between north and south India, considerable difference in the style of architecture has also been noticed. The most prominent parts by which they can be differentiated are their superstructures, and also the plan, vertical structure, statues and motifs. Th e major part of northern India, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Bengal region has temples in the northern style; whereas the southern style was concentrated to the more southerly interiors had a consistent style. Mixture of the two occurs towards the central parts of India (Temple Styles, 86). The temples of India were classified as according to their typological features and were divided into Nagara, Dravida and Vesara styles, mainly signifying square, octagonal or apsidal ended shapes and these dictate the other structural parts of the temple. The Nagara style was common in Northern India, whereas the Dravida style was famous in southern India. Building of a temple in India in those times were mainly the religious beliefs of the kings who ascended the throne. So most of the temples were known according to the king under whom they were built. Various styles have been exported to places all over the world, including Texas (Temple Styles, 88). Around thirty four Hindu temp les exist in Texas, with about fifteen in Houston and Dallas. Various types of temples have emerged in the United States, such as the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Houston, which is an example of a temple dedicated to one particular deity, Goddess Meenakshi, but in keeping with the tradition of unity in diversity, with so many sects in the Hindu culture, the worship of Shiva is also done here, in the form of Lord Shri Sundareswara. Vaishnava traditions are also celebrated as the temple is also dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, another form of Vishnu. Thus this temple does not concentrate on any one sect but provides a multiple option of pursuing ones faith (Brady, 87; Laderman and Leon, 102). Majority of these temples were built according to the Vastu Shastra of the Vedic period, with modern adaptations. These new temples have spacious halls, and used for weddings and other cultural occasions. In most temples there is one main deity, but the deities of the other sects and customs are also recognized. This is because of lack of space in foreign land, but it also helps to foster good relations between the various sects present there (Badlani, 329-330). For a decision, as to which deity to be made the main one in a temple, becomes a much debated topic. Various devotees lobby for the different sects, and sometimes a temple that is supposed to bring in peace and harmony becomes a cause of division. Reaching a consensus is very difficult due to large number

Current event and Us Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Current event and Us Diplomacy - Essay Example rld War Two and dominated decades of international crisis and major global affairs as the countries engaged in psychological, technological, economic and even sports competitions to exercise and stage a sense of supremacy over the other. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the doctrine employed by John F. Kennedy during his tenure as president. Kennedy took over the most important position in the global arena – the presidency of the United States, at a time when tensions between the US-led West and the Soviet-led East were quite evident, because of this premise the foremost agenda for the president during his tenure was to identify and then curb the growth of communism. Kennedy’s vision was that of a stronger America that had the ability to conquer the challenges communism posed for freedom. According to many commentators Kennedy actually had very little ideology in the creation of his foreign policy other than his anti-communist sentiments and an unparalleled belief in the capability of strong governance. In his inaugural address Kennedy made his belief and desire for expected action against communism very clear when he addressed the issue in the following words; â€Å"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate† (John F. Kennedy, 1961). Kennedy’s presidency saw the o ccurrence of notable events such as increased participation of the United States in the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Many commentators have argued, assessed and discussed the emergence of presidential doctrines and their origins, until the arrival of the twentieth century the only presidential doctrine that actually had the name of a president associated with it was that of Monroe’s (Brands, 2006). The Kennedy Doctrine arrived at a crucial time for the United States, outlining the foreign policy agenda for his establishment, the major tenets for the policy firstly outlined that the United States would not pursue any military initiative