Understanding Religion, Culture, and Eastern Philosophical Traditions

Religion and Dharma

Religion is considered a Western concept, typically characterized by:
- One prophet
- One god
- One book
- Uniform belief system
Dharma (concept in India) is much broader and encompasses a wider array of beliefs and practices.
The Western concept of religion has been force-fitted onto Eastern cultures, leading to various isms, such as Hinduism, Tengriism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Diversity: Hinduism is a collective term for various ancient philosophical traditions.
Major Schools of Thought:
1. Charvaka:
  - Pure materialism
  - Atheistic: rejects the existence of god
2. Jaina:
  - Believes in karma and rebirth
  - Atheistic: rejects the existence of god
3. Buddhism:
  - Dharmic philosophy
  - Believes in karma and rebirth
  - Mostly atheistic
4. Nyaya:
  - Realistic philosophy based on logic
  - Belief in karma, rebirth, and the existence of god
5. Vaishyasik:
  - Belief in karma, rebirth, and the existence of god
6. Sankhya:
  - Dualistic realism
  - No need for god
7. Yoga:
  - Admits the existence of god
  - Essentially a form of Sankhya
8. Mimamsa:
  - Based on the Vedas
  - Believes in the law of karma
  - Atheistic: no supreme god, no creator god
9. Vedanta:
  - Belief in a supreme person who permeates and transcends the universe
Polytheism, Monotheism, Atheism in Hinduism:
- Different schools of thought allow for diversity in belief systems.
- The concept of numerous gods in Hinduism (e.g., 64 crore gods) is often misunderstood through a Western lens.
- Abrahamic monotheism (one god, one prophet, one book) is not part of Dharma.

In Eastern traditions, the line between culture and religion is blurred.
Cultural practices include:
- Dress
- Language
- Festivals
- Traditions
- Rituals
- Music
- Cuisine
Religion is considered a major component of culture, unlike the Western dichotomy of religion and culture.