COMPARISON OF TWO RELIGIONS:-

HINDUISM:Hinduism constitutes and extremely intricate religion upon which a single definition cannot be imposed. The prime feature of this religion is the vast diversification of beliefs and rituals among its adherents.(www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com) Hinduism has neither a specific moment of origin nor a specific founder. Rather, the tradition understands itself to be timeless, having always existed. Indeed, its collection of sacred texts is known, as a whole , as Sanatana Dharma, "The Eternal Teaching"(www.patheos.com). The tradition is typically divided into four major sects : Shaiva (devotees of the god Shiva), Vaishnava (devotees of the god Vishnu), Shakta (devotees of the goddess), and Smarta (those who understand the ultimate form of the divine to be abstract and all encompassing, Brahman) (www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com).

CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN OF HINDUISM:Hinduism has traditionally been contained in the place of its origin. Hinduism was created through the intermixing of two distinct cultures involving the Aryans and the Indus Valley civilization. Throughout most of history , Hindu adherents remained in South Asia , particularly in India. It was believed that adherents who crossed the black ocean became impure and were no longer Hindu. Only recently has this barrier dissipated. As a result, over the past 100 years Hindus have migrated to other regions of the world, mostly with the intention of pursuing economic motives. Areas that have acquired notable Hindu populations include Great Britain, Canada, eastern Africa, Australia and northeastern portion of south America. The countries with the highest concentration of Hindu population include India, Nepal, Malaysia and Guyana. With the exception of few regions, most of the countries throughout the world have concentration of less than 100 Hindus per 100,000 persons. The distribution of Hindus throughout the world has been extremely selective and dispersed. Pilgrimage has traditionally been an important aspects of Hinduism. Within India, there are seemingly an infinite number of places designate as sacred sites. These sacred places are commonly located where physical feature converge such as the convergence of land and water. Highly regarded sites include the Ganges river and the sacred cities of Varanasi and Haridwar. The spirituality and effectiveness of a pilgrimage are assessed by several factors. The ultimate criteria entails the distance traveled and the methods of transportation. Longer distances and travelling on foot substantially optimize the spiritual fulfillment of the pilgrimage. Other factors of assessment include the holiness of the site and the purpose of the pilgrimage.

THREE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF HINDUISM:1. The colored dot is variously referred to as a tilaka, bottu and kumkum. It is a sign of piety, and a reveals to other people that the wearer is a Hindu. It symbolizes the third eye- the one focused inwards towards God. 2. For all Hindus, religious activities centers chiefly in the home. Each home has at least one image, idol or picture before which prayers, hymn singing, the offering of flowers, and the burning of incense are performed. Religious practices in the home involve worship three times daily: in the morning before dawn, any time after sunrise, and in the evening. Rituals always preceded by bathing, and always involve prayers: offerings are made to the family deity and food is offered to animals and guests. No meal of any form can be taken in the household before the family deity is offered food. 3. Milestones in the individuals life are observed by rites, all requiring the help of a trained priest and a chaplain serving a family or a group of families. At a birth the father or nearest male relative rubs the newborns tongue with clarified butter and honey, sometimes also with powered gold dust. Prayers for long life, intelligence, diligence, and concentration, but not for worldly gain, are offered. (www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com)

CONFUCIANISM :Some say Confucianism is not a religion, since there are no Confucian deities and no teachings about the afterlife. Confucius himself was a staunch supporter of ritual, however, and for many centuries there were state rituals associated with Confucianism. Most importantly, the Confucian tradition was instrumental in shaping Chinese social relationships and moral thought. Thus even without deities and a vision of salvation, Confucianism plays much the same role as religion does in other cultural contexts. The founder of Confucianism was Kong Qiu (K'ung Ch'iu), who was born around 552 B.C.E. in the small state of Lu and died in 479 B.C.E.( www.patheos.com)

CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN OF CONFUCIANISM :Confucianism is predominately practiced in China, Asia, and in some areas in North America. The Confucius teachings and principles were founded around 500 BC, in China. The teachings and principles play a major role in the Chinese culture today. The teachings put a big emphasis on the importance of achieving Harmony. In Confucianism, social harmony is the ultimate goal of every follower. This means that everyone must know their place in the social order. Relationships among different groups of people, is key in Confucianism. The five cardinal relations include: Ruler and subject;

father and son; husband and wife, elder and younger brother, friend to friend. These bonds are categorized in ways that show respect and obedience from one group to the next. It is greatly emphasized that family is the center of everything and comes before the individual person.

THREE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF CONFUCIANISM:There are five virtues taught in Confucianism.

The first virtue is Ren, which is humaneness; Humaneness can be defined as the quality of compassion for others, which can include both people and animals. Three of the key concepts of Ren are love, mercy, and humanity. The second virtue is Yi. Yi means honesty and righteousness. The third virtue is Li, which means propriety and correct behavior. The fourth virtue is Zhi, which stands for wisdom or knowledge. The fifth virtue is Xin, which stands for fidelity and sincerity. These five virtues teach the followers of Confucianism the basic ideas about how a person should behave. The ethical principles in Confucianism are the most important beliefs. Other than these principles, there are not any specific practices that Confucianism followers must abide by. The Confucianism followers fill these practices with practices from other religions like the Chinese religion, Taoism, and Buddhism. In Confucianism, the acts of everyday life can be considered practices/rituals. ( http://www.worldreligions.com/index.php/confucianism/beliefs-and-practices)