Which is better, Western Religions or Oriental Religions?

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   Eugene Hardyposted 12 years ago

   Which is better, Western Religions or Oriental Religions?
   
   For spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment.

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   iamageniusterposted 12 years ago

   I don't know which religions are better, but I know all religions are good. It's people who are bad and don't follow the religions correctly.

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   whonunuwhoposted 12 years ago

   Now Eugene, you know one religion is not better than another. Those who follow their chosen faith are devout and protective of this, and rightfully so. There  are indeed several very interesting religions around the world and some seem to be quite similar in their precepts. The Asian religions are truly most interesting and have been followed by their people for many centuries. Our protestant faiths have been started for relatively a short time in comparison to many. In the U.S. we have brought our religious beliefs from Europe, Asia, and several countries from around the globe. Though some may differ, we should all respect and admire others beliefs and know that in each's heart we all realize goodness in any form or language.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      whonunuwho, you're right.
      
      Yes, I have been around the block a few times and figured I'm better off piecing together my own spirituality based on whether based on if it works for me.  I was looking at Joseph Campbell last night, hence the question.

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   edhanposted 12 years ago

   Personally, all religions are the same to me as they teach us to treat every human beings equally and our direction to achieve enlightenment.
   
   It is the teaching for us to forgive others who may have done wrong and accepting one another in our arms.

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   Randy M.posted 12 years ago

   So, you are asking if Christianity is better than Hinduism, Taoism or Buddhism - to be specific.  Since all are more accessible due to enhanced communication between cultures, we can all become spiritual shoppers at the religious marketplace.
   
   That being said, I believe it is healthy to look into other religious traditions and see where your heart leads you.  However, spiritual fulfillment is a lifelong process and it bears fruit to those who have commitment, and it doesn't matter which path you choose. 
   
   Spiritual seekers on both sides of the fence have found commonality in the truths that are borne from committing to the practices of their traditions, all lead to enhancement of one's awareness and compassion, and an awareness of everyone's interconnectedness.   Take for instance the Benedictine monk, Thomas Merton, who had a profound appreciation for Buddhism and wrote about his observations with eloquence. 
   
   I believe that active meditation practices should be complemented with passive meditation.  Most religious traditions have both.  It is not about filling yourself up with religious precepts.  Spiritual fulfillment is about inner development.  The passive meditation allows inner changes and helps develop one's ability to listen and it tames the monkey mind. Having a quiet mind develops a present moment awareness that leads to "enlightenment."
   
   Passive meditation methods are present that can be used in Western and Oriental taditions. Religious rhetoric in Christianity can be complemented with "centering prayer," of which much has been written in recent years - including the work of Father Thomas Keating and colleagues.  Buddhist teachings are complemented by meditation methods that focus on developing inner awareness that helps reveal the truth of the teachings.  Taoists also have their methods.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have heard there was a Christian mystic tradition, but not much more about it after the of the 21st century, and that it lost popular favor.

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      backporchstoriesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with your passage highly.  I am believer in diverstiy and celebrating those differences.  When I study other religions or faiths I often find new affirmation in my own!

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   Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years ago

   Well I don't think that better or worse would be the best way to distinguish between western or eastern religions. Of course, I have my own personal bias and understanding of Truth, but I would not necessarily describe what I believe as "better." I believe that to determine whether one religion is better than another, one would have to first describe what constitutes "better" and what constitutes "spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment." "Western religions," e.g. Christianity do not aim for spiritual fulfillment or enlightenment. To the best of my understanding those are aims of eastern religions, so I'm not even sure these are the best criteria for comparing these disparate religious philosophies. If your objective is self fulfillment, then eastern religions would be "better," whereas if you're looking for something beyond self, then "western" religion is "better."

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I guess I am shopping for parts and pieces to build my own spirituality and looking for personal opinions.

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   MickSposted 12 years ago

   Is there a better?  I think this is likely to strike up debate and discord, and that it belongs on the forums.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I haven't tried using the forum feature on Hubpages, I'm just not familiar with it.  And I'm not looking for discord, just an honest opinion from a personal point of few concerning enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment.

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      Jaggedfrostposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol I totally agree with you but I had to take a shot.  Long time no see.:-)

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   Jaggedfrostposted 12 years ago

   lol Considering the Eastern religions are older, minus a possibility of Orthodoxy, I would go with the oldest religion I could find and look for patterns that signify a connection between all religions. I might actually end up believing  something totally interesting in its accord between all religions.  I have a hard time thinking that there is a different God for the East vs. the West.  Perhaps in not understanding the connection, if that is where we fall in things, we fail to understand a continuum of knowledge and even our own religion whatever it be.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think there is a different god for every religion, I think its an "elephant" kind of thing, and everyone is blindfolded and has a different piece that elephant.

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      MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Watch Jagged, yep, long time, I suffered a stroke last year, I'm just gradually getting back into it.

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   Vegas Eliasposted 12 years ago

   Actually religion is a burden which man has to discard as soon as possible.
   
   However religious traditions and believes have done their part in controlling crime among the less educated people. So religion cannot be discarded altogether.
   
   Western religion is relevant to the West whereas Oriental Religion is relevant to the East. Oriental religions are basically based on the Vedic Teachings. Western Religion is also based on Vedic teachings but by western religion we mean Roman Catholic religion then it is based on Monotheism. Islam too id based on monotheism.
   
   However, both Islam and Christianity fail to understand the reasons and logic behind so many deities and so called Gods in Oriental faiths. These are realities which cannot be ignored or ruled out; though they are not Gods as some orientals mistakenly believe.
   
   So one has to make one's own decision and act accordingly.

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      Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is also true.
      
      And it is happening as we speak as people find they can no longer express themselves in either Oriental or Western religions, but find more room for spiritual expression by pursuing their own paths.

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    nihar2posted 12 years ago

    God is there wherever you put an eye on in a day, and when close it inside you,,, be You belong to any eastern/western/.... religions... so try to follow your GOD not your religions..u can find your true god in all religions

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    Lisas-thoughts101posted 12 years ago

    I don't know that I have anything spectacular to add to this but I just had to say I really love nihar 2's answer. I believe God can be found in all things so I believe he is in all religions and also can be found without religion. I also agree with all those who have stated there is no better or worse. It is about what brings us peace and a sense of unity with the God we believe in. If our religion does not help us to feel loved and special and at least somewhat peaceful at times with what we believe we may need a new religion or we may need to find a spiritual rather than a religious path.

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       Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       True.
       
       I sometimes think of God as the smallest of things in the universe, but is in everything and everywhere.  But I wonder what's the best perception for myself to perceive God.

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    phillippeengelposted 12 years ago

    Neither of them is better, and neither of them is lousier. Religion is everything.

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       Eugene Hardyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       But should religion be "everything"?

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