americanhardmind (@americanhardmind)

#India, as compared to China, possesses an exquisitely designed mythology hinged on a confrontation between #knowledge and #desire - something human and beyond, and something #human and #animal. The #Vedas are known as the oldest religious texts in the world (recorded ~3.5 ka), written in #Sanskrit and evidenced as the first remnants of #Hinduism. Four primary canons (genuine sacred texts) written in mantras (transformative vocalizations) describe sacrifice via offerings and worship, with the fourth canon less sacrificial and more nature-integrative and spiritually-scientific. Beyond the Vedas there are also the #Upanishads, or Vedanta, which are the purely philosophical texts addressing universal, cosmological and natural reality, or #brahman. Hinduism, often considered the world’s oldest religion, is special because it began to develop sects and alternative, religious descriptions very early in its origin, and much earlier than all other world religions. Because of this, there are many texts from several dogmas within one major religion, yet they result in one major teaching - that of #austerity and #moderation in opposition to a lifestyle of #excess and #indiscipline. Beyond the reach of Hinduism, another of the world’s great philosophical religions was founded in India by #SiddharthaGautama, or better known as Buddha. The classic text of Buddhism is called the #Dhammapada, also known as the sayings of Buddha. This can be found in the oldest Buddhist text, the #PaliCanon, both of which are traced to ~2.5 ka. Buddhism is founded on the belief of a liberation from suffering by becoming enlightened via the Three Jewels: the #Buddha, #Dharma (or teachings of the Buddha) and #Sangha (or the community of practice). A common bond can be found in Eastern and Southeastern beliefs systems not found in #Others - that of inner reflection being as important as metaphysical or supernatural representations of spirit, and thus, #Psyche.