From: turner@reed.edu (hallucinations )
Subject: Re: God and Science:  The Ramblings of The Nightstalker
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 19:48:31 GMT

>In article <1992Nov20.002622.10637@ucc.su.OZ.AU> pope@physics.su.OZ.AU (The Nightstalker) writes:
>>The Nightstalker reappears from the shadows.
>>"Does anyone know where the books are kept in this place, I need something
>>on EASTERN RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS.  BTW, Mike could you get
>>Mishael anything that he would like to drink/eat/whatever, and tell him
>>that I'll be wherever the books are kept here if he wants a chat."

Caithelin comes in carrying a bag of books.  "Well I should be able to say
something on this...I mean what else is my degree good for.  The following
list is mostly from classes I've taken in the past couple years.  There are
a couple exceptions, namely the first one.  The first is one of my favorites
on comparative religion."

Rao, K.L.  Seshagiri.  "Mahatma Gandhi and Comparative Religion."  Motilal
	Banarsidass, 1978.  I don't know if it's still available.  But it's
	very good...I think.  Not necessarily a lot of information on
	religions but I like his point of view.  I also have enormous
	respect for Gandhi-ji.

"Religions of the World" 2nd Edition.  St. Martin's Press, 1988.  ISBN:
	0-312-00308-0.  Very good overview of world religions.

Hopkins.  "The Hindu Religious Tradition" Wadsworth Publ, 1971.  ISBN:
	0-8221-0022-3.

Singer, Milton, ed.  "Krishna:  Myths, Rites and Attitudes" Univ. of Chicago
	Press, 1966.  ISBN:  0-226-76101-0

Lao Tzu "Toa Te Ching" tr. by D.C. Lau.  Penguin Classics, 1963.  Not very
	informative about theology but kind of neat to read.  It was my
	bedtime reading last night.

Conze, Edward.  "Buddhism:  Its Essence and Development" Harper&Row, 1975.
	ISBN:  0-06-130058-6

Embree, Ainslie T.  "Sources of Indian Tradition" 2nd Ed. (two volumes,
	I've only seen volume 1) Columbia Univ. Press, 1988 0-231-06151-1.
	This is another really good one.  Covers a lot of ground fairly
	extensively.	

Also, same publisher, but it's being borrowed by a friend so I don't have it
in front of me is "Sources of Chinese Tradition".  

None of these are particularly quick reads...maybe Tao Te Ching..

My favorite way perhaps of getting a feel for a religion is to read some of
it's myths and legends.  The Mahabharata is wonderful (though long).  It was
made into a movie (several different lengths) and might be available on
video.  When they show it on Indian TV everything stops so people can watch
the episode.  (It's many hours long).  Once they've gone through it they run
it again.  Also for other things to read:  The Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita (not
legend, just a part of the Mahabharata), any collection of folk tales you
can find.  

Another note:  Hinduism should probably not be considered a religion...it's
more of a culture.  There are various religions within that culture:
Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Brahmanism, etc.  But the holy days for all of them
are celebrated by almost everyone, and most people even if they worship one
deity mostly will still visit the other temples.  So it gets very
confusing.  But trying to come up with any kind of consistent set of beliefs
for "Hinduism" is really very difficult.  Each group believes their god is
the highest and the others are just manifestations of their god.  This
creates a very tolerant atmosphere. They spread this to a large extent to
the western religions also.  (This historically tended to drive Christian
missionaries *nuts*.)  Culturally they believe there are many paths to
truth, they just perhaps have a higher path (or it's the right path for
them) and if we're all good in this life time, next life time we might have
the good fortune to be born a low caste Hindu.  Eventually we might even
make it up to a Brahman and from there to a divine being and from there we
might attain enlightenment.  (Well maybe not exactly that order but close.)
People cannot convert to Hinduism.  You can however convert to Shaivism for
example and practice the Shaivite teachings.

I hope this clears up a little confusion.  Or causes a little more.
Hinduism is amazingly rich and complex.  Writing it off as "just an
ideology" is in my mind almost inexcuseable.  Read some stuff on it.  And
please if you have questions, ask.  I'm not a scientist, I can't answer
those questions, I have however spent many years studying eastern religions
in general and Hinduism in particular and know perhaps a few general sorts
of answers. Hmmm.  I definitely seem to be on a soapbox now.  Time to get
down." She hops down.

Caithelin wanders to the bar for a drink.  All that talking made her
thirsty.  "Do you have any Mangolas Mike? ...Ah, I knew I could count on
you."  She takes the dusty bottle full of thick orange stuff and settles in
a chair.  She pours a bit into a metal glass and sips it.

turner@reed.edu
Newsgroups: alt.callahans