RELS 131 Study Guide - Final Guide: Nondualism, Nirjara, Zoroaster

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 131
• Professor: Aditi Sen- Chowdhury

Document Summary

Kamis are noble sacred spirits who represent numerous concepts and natural phenomenon (fertility, sun, mountains, ancestors: both constructively and destructively, kami are constantly at work, when things went wrong, it was because the balance between humans and kami was unharmonious, and rituals were observed to restore it, there is a life energy that flows through everything, and worship of kami helps people access it, a way for the ancient japanese to understand the natural world; the belief that early emperors embodied kami served to legitimize rule by divine will. The caste system: the social structure of hinduism and india, even to present day, appears all throughout crucial hindu texts like the rig veda and the upanishads, although the idea of braham as the essence of all life forms is very equalizing and directly opposes the caste system, solidified through rituals, cultural attitudes and hierarchal structures, you"re born into your caste, and it determines your place in society.