CHRISTIANITY
Moreover, it is also sacred because
Introduction
Christianity is the world’s largest
religion, with about 2.4 billion followers.
This religion traces its roots to Judaism,
and its followers, which is known as
Christians, consider the emergence and
development of Christianity as a
fulfillment of the plan of salvation which
God had promised Abraham. This
promise includes the prophecies of a
Saviour being born to Abraham’s
descendants (Corral & Kupang, p. 71).
And that promise is fulfilled through the
mystery of incarnation, ie., when the son
of God, Jesus Christ became one with
humanity except in sin. It is during that
time that the history of Christianity
began.
BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
It is a monotheistic faith based on
the life, works & teachings of Jesus
Christ. The adherents of Christianity are
called CHRISTIANS, a term which was
first used to refer to Jesus’ disciples
when they were preaching in Antioch
(Acts 11:26). Christians believe that the
relationship between God and man is
mediated by the person Jesus Christ,
and that Christ’s life, actions, and
teachings embody God’s plan for the
salvation of mankind (Corral & Kupang,
p. 71)
SACREDNESS OF THE BIBLE (Corral
& Kupang, p. 81)
It is the Sacred Text of
Christianity that consists of the
WRITTEN WORD OF GOD and
accounts of believers of their encounters
and experiences with the saving love of
God. The text of the Bible was taken
from ORAL HISTORIES, TRADITION,
TESTIMONIES, and its books were
written down and compiled over the
centuries. It is divided into THE OLD
TESTAMENT & NEW TESTAMENT.
The former reveals prophecies
regarding the coming of the savior of the
world. And the latter narrates the
fulfillment through the life and
evangelizing mission of Jesus Christ.
Christians believed that God is the
primary author of it while the secondary
authors are the sacred writers who are
inspired by the Holy Spirit.
CHRISTIANITY'S CORE BELIEFS
AND DOCTRINES
BELIEF IN THE TRIUNE GOD
It is the most fundamental and
central doctrine of Christian faith. It is a
belief in one living God, existing as three
divine persons: God the Father, Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy
Spirit. It is based on scripture passages,
and one of which is the gospel account
of Matthew 28:19 that says, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.”
BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION:
The belief in the resurrection of
Jesus is the crowning truth of the
Christian faith. It means that without
Jesus Christ resurrection there could be
no Christian Faith at all. It also
represents the fulfillment of God’s
promise of salvation for all, and confirms
Christ divinity, and conquest of death
and sin. As St. Paul in his 1st
Corinthians 15:14 states, “If Christ has
not been raised, then our preaching is in
vain and your faith is in vain.”
CHRISTIAN MODE OF WORSHIP
HOLY EUCHARIST:
It is the source and summit of
Christian Life (CCC 1324-1327). It is the
highest form of Prayer for it is in the
Eucharist that the “re-presentation” of
the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ
takes place, ie. the passion, death, and
resurrection of Jesus is really and truly
present.
CHRISTIAN MORALITY
PRINCIPLE OF THE INVIOLABILITY
OF LIFE
This principle springs from the
essential belief that life, any human life,
is of infinite value as it is a sacred and
precious gift from God.
ICHTHYS

PRINCIPLE OF STEWARDSHIP

This principle springs from the

essential belief that all life comes from
God, the supreme creator and maker of
all. Thus, no human being has the sole
authority to do whatever he wants to
anything that is in the world and that of
his/her own body.
CHI & RHO
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF
CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

The Christian Spirituality is

always Christ-centered. It centers on
having FAITH in Jesus Christ. In
Christianity, having faith involves 3
elements namely believing, trusting, and
doing and these elements must be
imbibed by a Christian. As a Christian,
one must follow the teachings of Jesus
Christ especially that of the 2 greatest
commandments such as Loving God
and Loving one's neighbor (Mt. 22:37-
40). The commandment about loving
God can be expressed by a Christian by
primarily believing and trusting in Him.
While the commandment about loving
one's neighbor can be showed by a
Christian through actualizing ones faith
through his/her loving service to others
as an expression of love for God. As
Jesus says, "Whatsoever You Do to
the Least of My Brothers You Do unto
Me (Mat. 25:31-46)." Thus, a Christian
who has faith, in a christian sense of the
word, and is able to express that faith
through faithful obedience to the
commandments of God will surely live a
life of holiness and eventually, by God's
grace, will be saved.
CROSS
ICHTHYS
The first Christian symbol is known as
ICHTHYS (Greek: ΙΧΘΥΣ; also
transliterated and Latinized as,
ICHTHUS) which means Jesus Christ
God’s Son Saviour. It is an Ancient and
Classical Greek word for “FISH”
CHI & RHO
The second important symbol in
Christianity is known as CHI & RHO. It
is based on the memoir of the Roman
emperor that EUSEBIUS wrote after
Constantine's death (On the Life of
Constantine), a miraculous appearance
is said to have come in Gaul long before
the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. "Τούτῳ
Νίκα!" which means “In this sign you
will conquer!”.
CROSS
The third is the cross which is the main
symbol of Christianity. It reminds
Christians that out of Jesus' great love
for humanity, he allowed himself to die
on the cross to save them from
sins. Thus, the cross is a symbol of
God's love.
ISLAM
The religion called Islam is the
most widespread monotheistic religion
next to Christianity and it has more than
1 billion followers. Islam originated in
Arabia and has spread all over the
world. It gives emphasis on the
message of God revealed from the
Abrahamic tradition from which Judaism
and Christianity came from. Thus, Islam
seems to be the third and final
revelation of the Abrahamic Tradition
and it constitutes the third and major
branch of monotheism.
UNDERSTANDING ISLAMIC
RELIGION
ETYMOLOGY OF ISLAM
The name ISLAM was given by
Allah when He addressed the Muslims
during Mohammad’s “farewell
pilgrimage” to Mecca. According to
(QURAN 5.3b),“Today I have perfected
your system of belief and bestowed my
favours upon you in full, and have
chosen Islam as the creed for
you.” Moreover, ISLAM is an Arabic
term which means “OBEDIENCE or
SUBMISSION.” Thus, it designates that
religious surrender by which human
beings submit to God and devote
themselves totally to the fulfillment of
the will of God (Allah) and the MUSLIM
is the “ONE WHO SUBMITS” to Allah’s
will by accepting Islamic Religion and by
observing its laws & practices.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM
The religion Islam was founded by Allah
himself through the instrumentality of his
Messenger named Muhammad. In 570
CE: The prophet of Allah was born into
the QURAYSH TRIBE in MECCA
(Arabia). His complete name is “Abu al-
Qasim Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn
Abd ad-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd
Manaf ibn Qusai ibn Kilab.” He grew up
under the guidance of his uncle who
was a trader. Through the influence of
his uncle, he became known to be a
generous, honest, truthful, & sincere
man. Later on, he was regarded by the
affluent traders in Arabian Peninsula as
“EL AMIN” or “THE TRUTHFUL”.
In 595 CE: Muhammad met
KHADIJAH, an older and wealthy
widow. He was hired by Khadijah as a
“CARAVAN MANAGER” and eventually
married her and they had SIX
CHILDREN. In 610 CE: ANGEL JIBRIL
appeared to Muhammad inside the cave
of Mt. Hira and then revealed to him the
first revelations of QUR’AN and told him
that he is the prophet of God. He was
chosen to be the prophet since at that
time, the people in Mecca desacralized
the shrine (Ka’aba) was located and
gradually embraced a polytheistic
religion by believing in gods and
goddesses.
In 622 CE: Muhammad and his
followers migrated from Mecca to
YATHRIB or MEDINA. This journey was
called ‘THE HEGIRA’ and was
considered by Muslims to be the special
beginning of the Islamic Calendar. In
630 CE: Muhammad, together with
thousands of his followers gained
control in Mecca and rededicated the
Kaaba to Allah by destroying the idols
from the Shrine. And that journey to
Mecca is called ‘HAJJ’.
SPREAD OF ISLAM
The persons who are responsible in
spreading Islam throughout the world is
called RASHIDUN, who were the first
four successors of prophet Muhammad.
The first successor is ABU BAKR: it was
during his rule that the bonds among
tribes (within Arabian Peninsula) were
strengthened. The second is UMAR: It
was during his rule that the campaign
for expansion began and brought Islam
outside the Arabian Peninsula. (Egypt,
Syria, Palestine, etc.) The third is
UTHMAN: He expanded the Islamic
influence into Libya, Armenia,
Afghanistan & Cyprus. And the fourth
were ALI IBN ABI TALIB and
MUAWIYYAH who created a conflict
and division among the followers of
Islam. The former started the (Shia
Islam) and the latter started the (Sunni
Islam).
SACRED TEXT
HOLY QUR’AN
THE QURAN is known to be the
KITAB AL-ALLAH or (book of God). It is
believed to be the LITERAL WORD OF
ALLAH or Earthly Replica of the
Heavenly Quran. It consists of 114
surahs (chapters) and each composed
of ayahs (verses). Hence, Muslims
revere the Quran as the supreme
authority for regulating Islamic Belief &
Behavior for they know that the Quran is
God’s perfect, definitive, & ultimate
Revelation.
HADDITH
This sacred text refers to the
reports regarding the sayings and
actions of the prophet Muhammad. It is
considered to be an important guide in
understanding the revelation in the
Quran and has a significant influence in
Islamic Law, second only to the Quran.
6 ARTICLES OF ISLAMIC FAITH
BELIEF IN ONE GOD (AL IIMAANU
BILLAAH)
It means that Allah is One, that there is
none like Him, He has no partner, He
neither begets nor is He begotten, He is
indivisible in person. He is the creator of
the heavens and the earth and all that is
between them and the creator of all
things; the sole and sovereign ruler of
the universe. And He is everywhere.
BELIEF IN ANGELS (AL IIMAANU BI
MALAA-IKATIHHII)
The Angels are the spiritual creatures of
Allah created of light and endower with
life, speech and reason. They are
neither male nor female, they have no
sex. They have no material body and
can assume any form they like. They do
not eat and drink like human beings nor
do they sleep. They are free from carnal
desires and the disturbances of anger.
They are ever obedient to the will and
commands of Allah. They are created in
different forms and provided with
different powers.
BELIEF IN DIVINE BOOKS (AL
IIMAANU BI KUTUBIHII)
It means that Allah revealed
Commandments (SUHUF) and Code of
religions (KUTUB) to different Prophets
at different stages of history for the
guidance of mankind. These sacred
books are the the following: TAURAH
(Torah as revealed to Moses), ZABOOR
(Psalms as revealed to David), INJEEL
(Gospels as revealed to Jesus), QURAN
(as revealed to Muhammad)
BELIEF IN PROPHETS (AL IIMAANU
BI RUSULIHII)
A Prophet is a servant and
messenger of Allah. He is a model for
mankind and teaches mankind the
Commands of Allah, himself acting in
accordance with his own teachings.
Prophets were sent by Allah to all
nations at all stages of history to warn
them against their sins and to lead them
along the right path. Principally, the
prophet taught mankind to worship and
fear Allah and to be obedient to all His
Commands.
BELIEF IN FATE
It is a belief that Allah already
knows what will happen. But it does not
stop human beings in making free
choices. THUS, ALLAH WILLS THAT
EVERY HUMAN BEINGS WILL BE
ONE WITH HIM IN ETERNITY
BELIEF IN JUDGMENT DAY (AL
IMAANU BIL YAUMIL AAKHIR)
That day is called “Qiyaamah”
(The Last Day). On this day, all the
human beings who had lived in the
world since its inception will be restored
to life and will be presented before God
who will sit in court on that day. This is
called “Hashar” (resurrection). Then the
entire record of every man and woman,
their doings and misdoings will be
presented before God for final judgment.
Those who committed sins but died with
Iman (faith) will be temporarily punished
in Hell and will ultimately be sent to
Paradise through the pleading (shafaa-
ah) of the Prophet Muhammad.
SPIRITUALITY OF ISLAM
The spirituality of Islam is oriented
towards the achievement of
the promise of peace by ALLAH (swt).
In (Quran 39.73) Allah promises them:
“Those who were mindful of their duty to
the Lord will be driven in groups to
paradise, till they reach it and its gates
are opened, and its keepers say to
them: ‘PEACE BE UPON; YOU ARE
JOYOUS. SO ENTER HERE TO LIVE
FOREVER!’” No wonder why, Muslims
have there own Islamic
Salutations such as, “al- Salamu
‘alaykum” which means “peace be upon
you!”; “wa- ‘alaykum al- Salam which
means “and upon you,
peace!”; and “alayhi ‘salam” which
means “peace be upon him”
In order to achieve Allah’s
promise of peace, the Muslims will live
out their spirituality, ie. “Straight path of
submission to Allah (swt).” In submitting
themselves to Allah (swt), they have to
develop and cultivate in themselves the
crowning Islamic Virtue called:
“TAQWA” which means “piety or
holiness”. The MUSLIMS recognized
that the sole measure of their stature
before God is not earthly prestige,
material wealth or social stature but
THE DEPTH OF THEIR PIETY. As
the (QURAN 2.148) states, “so strive
towards piety and excel the others: God
will bring you all together wherever you
be.” Moreover, In the pursuit of
cultivating TAQWA, the Muslims must
do these following obligations: they must
faithfully obey everything that were
stipulated in the Quran, will of Allah and
must faithfully observe the five pillars of
Islam.
5 PILLARS OF ISLAM:
SHAHADA
It is a declaration of faith that is
considered to be the foundation of all
other beliefs and practices of Islam.
Their declaration is this, “la’ ilaha, illa-
llah, mu’ammadur-rasulu-llah” which
means “there is no god but Allah (s.w.t.);
Muhammad is His Messenger.” In
addition, the (s.w.t.) affixed to the name
of Allah is “Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala”
which means “Glory to Him, the
Exalted.” Thus, it is an expression of
respect to the holy name of Allah.
SALAH
It is an obligation of Prayer which
is a direct link between the believer and
God. Muslims pray five times a day
(dawn, midday, late afternoon, sunset,
nightfall). One of the reasons why they
do it for five times because it is an
exhortation of the Muhammaed himself
that says, “If one of you had a river right
by his door and he bathed in it five times
a day, do you think that there would be
any dirt left on him? They said, ‘No, not
a trace.’ He said, ‘that is how it is with
the five prayers; by means of them God
wipes away all sins (MM 565,
B&M).” Thus, Muslims pray 5 times daily
because they are hoping for the
FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS.
SAWM
This practice is one of the
methods of self purification which
involves fasting and self control during
the Holy Month of Ramadan. Fasting
from food, drink, & sensual pleasures
from dawn to dusk. This practice is
meant to embolden Muslims to pursue
intimacy with Allah, to be patient, and to
learn & appreciate the hardships by the
poor and the needy. And BY FASTING,
MUSLIMS OBTAIN THE
FORGIVENESS OF THEIR PAST
FAULTS.
ZAKAT
It is known as
CHARITY/ALMSGIVING. Islam teaches
that all things belong to God and wealth
is held in trust by human beings. In this
sense, Muslims realize that those who
do not fulfill the duty of almsgiving are
liable to God's severe punishment. As
the (QURAN 3.180) states, “let not
those who are niggardly of the things
that God has given them… in fact, it is
worse, for what they grudged will be
hung around their necks on the day of
resurrection.” Muhammad also teaches
that in order to avoid hell when one has
nothing to give due to poverty, he said,
“Avoid hell by giving Charity, even if it
means sharing your last date, & if you
have nothing at all, by SPEAKING A
KIND WORD.”
HAJJ
It is a pilgrimage to Mecca which
must be performed by Muslims at least
one in their lifetime. ONLY THOSE
WHO ARE PHYSICALLY AND
FINANCIALLY ABLE ARE OBLIGATED
TO PERFORM IT. This pilgrimage is a
reminder that all human beings are
equal before God, and it creates unity
and fraternity bet. members of Islamic
community (umma).
Having mentioned all those things that
are necessary to achieve the Allah’s
promise of peace, Muslims strive to do it
because they have the overarching
principle that they imbibed in
themselves. This principle is called
JIHAD; It is does not mean a HOLY
WAR, but it actually means “TO
STRUGGLE, TO STRIVE, TO EXERT
EFFORT” Thus, Muslims are enjoined
to engage JIHAD in various aspects
of their lives like that of struggling
against evil inclinations or vices and to
undertake the struggle to improve the
quality of life in society.
ISLAMIC MODE OF WORSHIP
JUM’AH
It is a sacred time for Muslims to
pray as one community (umma) inside
the mosque every friday. Before
entering the Mosque, they perform the
RITUAL ABLUTION (wudu) in order to
purify their body and spirit before
meeting Allah (swt).
MAJOR FEASTS AND HOLY DAYS
EID AL ADHA
It is the “DAY OF SACRIFICES”, a four-
day festival observed by the Muslims to
commemorate the event of Allah
appearing to Ibrahim (Abraham) in a
dream, commanding him to sacrifice his
son Ishmael to show his devotion to
Allah.
RAMADAN
It is a holy month of fasting,
introspection and prayer for Muslims,
the followers of Islam. It is celebrated as
the month during which Muhammad
received the initial revelations of the
Quran, the holy book for Muslims. Each
day during Ramadan, Muslims do not
eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. They
are also supposed to avoid impure
thoughts and bad behavior.
EID AL FITR
It is a “FESTIVAL OF THE BREAKING
OF THE FAST”. It is a three day
celebration that marks the end of
Ramadan, which is a month of prayer &
fasting.Muslims attend communal
worship, listen to khutma (sermon) and
give zakat al-fitr (charity in the form of
food).
ISLAMIC PRACTICES AND
TRADITIONS
HALAL PRACTICES
It means “ritually correct” and
particularly refers to food
preparations and consumption.
Muslims utter first a prayer before
slaughtering an animal (except for
pigs) in order to make the food halal.
The prayer goes like this,
“BISMILLAH, ALLAHU AKBAR”  which
means, “In the name of Allah, Allah is
the Greatest.”
HAVING MORE WIVES
It is allowed for Muslim men to
have more wives. As the (Surah Al
Nisa 4.3) states, “And if you fear that
you will not deal justly with the
orphan girls, then marry those that
please you of [other] women, TWO OR
THREE OR FOUR. But if YOU FEAR
THAT YOU WILL NOT BE JUST, THEN
MARRY ONLY ONE. That is more
suitable that you may not incline [to
injustice].”
DOGS: ACCEPTABLE OR NOT?
For Muslims, any liquid excreted by
the dog is extremely naajis (impure)
espc. its saliva. In this sense, the
dog's saliva will make them unclean.
That is why, Muslims prefer cats as
their pets rather than dogs.
According to Abu Hurayrah: The
Messenger of Allah said, “The way to
purify the vessel of any one of you if a
dog has licked it is to wash it seven
times.”  However, FOR MUSLIMS, IT
IS STILL PERMITTED TO KEEP A
DOG UNLESS IT IS FOR A PURPOSE;
LIKE HUNTING OR GUARDING A
PROPERTY.
ON WEARING HIJAB
Muslim women wear this
clothing that covers their head as
part of their tradition. The very
purpose of it is for modesty’s sake
which was clearly stipulated in
(Quran 24:31), “And say to the
believing women that they should
lower their gaze and  guard their
modesty; that they should not display
their beauty and ornaments except
what must ordinarily appear therof;
that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their
beauty except to their husbands, their
fathers, their husbands' fathers, their
sons, their husbands' sons, their
brothers, or their brothers' sons or
their sisters' sons, or their women or
the servants whom their right hands
possess, or male servants free of
physical needs, or small children who
have no sense of the shame of sex,
and that they should not strike their
feet in order to draw attention to their
hidden ornaments. And O you
Believers, turn you all together
towards Allah, that you may attain
Bliss.”
MEN’S SKULLCAP
The taqiyah is a short,
rounded skullcap. They are often
worn for religious purposes
especially during the five daily
prayers. They wear this because they
believe that Muhammad used to
cover his head and so, it is their way
of emulating their prophet. Moreover,
it is also known as a sign of peace,
mourning, renewal or protection of
the mind.
HINDUISM
Hinduism is the world’s oldest
religion, according to many scholars,
with roots and customs dating back
more than 4,000 years. Today, with
about 900 million followers, Hinduism is
the third-largest religion behind
Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95
percent of the world’s Hindus live in
India. Because the religion has no
specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its
origins and history. Hinduism is unique
in that it’s not a single religion but a
compilation of many traditions and
philosophies.
SPIRITUALITY OF HINDUISM
ULTIMATE GOAL
The ultimate goal of Hindus is to
achieve moksha (salvation), that is to
make their atman (soul) to be in
communion with their ultimate god
called Brahman. Hindus believed that
“being one with the Brahman, means
one’s soul (atman) is freed from the
CYCLE OF REBIRTH (Samsara).”
In order to achieve this ultimate
end, ie. freeing one’s soul from rebirth
and union with the Brahman, Hindus
believed that they have to live out their
spirituality. It is a spirituality of living life
according to ‘Dharma’. In Hinduism, it
means duty, virtue, or morality that
would help the individuals to become
moral people or rather gives humans
the opportunity to act virtuously. Hence,
Dharma is a way of life or practical
guide on how to live life as a faithful
Hindu.
Living a life according to Dharma
entails fulfilling the duty that prescribes
not only those norms that Hindus are
ethically obliged to observe but also
those duties that Hindus must fulfill in
their struggle to wear down their karmic
bonds and escape samsara or cycle of
rebirth (Laurent, p. 168). In this sense,
Hindus must live according to Dharma
by obeying and observing faithfully all
that are stipulated in their sacred text
called VEDAS, and above all, by
pursuing MOKSHA, ie., by liberating
their atman (soul) from the cycle of
rebirth in order to become in
communion with the Brahman.
In Hinduism, there are three
major approaches for completing the
human journey to moksha; (1) Jnana
Marga, (2) Karma Marga, (3) Bhakti
Marga (Laurent, p. 186). Most religious
people prefer to reach their final goal by
adopting one of these approaches.
JNANA MARGA (WAY OF
KNOWLEDGE)
-IT MEANS FREEING ONESELF
FROM “IGNORANCE”. Ignorance here
is understood as a way of looking at life
as simply about satisfying one’s
physical self. Jnana Marga is done by
renouncing oneself from self-
centeredness (impatience, unkindness,
insensitivity, greed), sensual pleasures
and material goods. Hence, in this
approach, one must control one’s bodily
functions, gradually subordinate their
senses and emotions to the rule of the
mind and then proceed to eliminate
even one’s mental activities such as
ideation, judgment, and discursive
reasoning in order to attain the
tranquility that precedes the super
consciousness of Brahman alone
(Laurent, p. 188). In this sense, Hindus
strive to pursue moksha or to liberate
their atman from all the distracting
images, passions, memories, and ideas
that intrude upon their consciousness by
applying the exercise of yoga.
KARMA MARGA (WAY
OF ACTION)
-IT MEANS DOING GOOD
ACTION. In Hinduism, doing good
actions means two essential things:
First, it means being faithful to regular
worship of the Godhead called
Brahman. It is done by doing the typical
forms of prayer such as public liturgy
and private dialogue, mental reflection
and vocal mantras, petition and
adoration, congregational chanting or
hymnody and night vigils of recited
praise (Laurent, p. 189). Second, it
means doing good by fulfilling every
duty that Dharma requires, and by
having the motivation of selfless
altruism. It means that the motivation in
doing good must not be oriented
towards the reward but it is the good
thing to be done.
BHAKTI MARGA (WAY OF
DEVOTION)
-IT MEANS HAVING
HEARTFELT DEVOTION TO GOD; that
is, in every act of worship, it must be
propelled by love for God. In this
approach, the Bhaktas (those who
follow bhakti marga) transform their
emotions and direct them to the
Godhead (Brahman). They seek
gradually to perfect their devotion until
love permeates every aspect of their
lives. Some bhaktas worship their
god/goddesses with the erotic and
passionate love that people feel for their
sweethearts and spouses. Other
bhaktas choose to surrender
themselves to their chosen divinity with
the submissive love that people offer to
their masters (Laurent, p. 192). Hence,
bhakti marga is ultimately a matter of
loving God, pure and simple.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism is another major world
religion which originated in India. Its
followers are spread throughout various
countries in Asia, including Thailand,
Japan, and China. The principles of
Buddhism were first propagated by
Buddha named Siddharta Gautama, the
founder of the religion. Buddhism is a
religion that is centered on ending
suffering through renouncing material
desires and attaining enlightenment
(Corral & Kupang, p. 144).
SPIRITUALITY OF BUDDHISM
The spirituality of the Buddhists is
centered on pursuing their ultimate goal
in life which is to become like their
founder, SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA, who
is a BUDDAH (enlightened one) in order
to put an end to suffering, also known as
samsara. The state of being free from
suffering in Buddhism is known as
NIRVANA or eternal peace and
happiness. In achieving this ultimate
goal, the followers of Buddhism are
expected to live their lives according to
Buddha’s Dharma. It includes the
realization of the Four Noble Truths and
fulfilling the Eight-fold path, and five
precepts.
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The Four Noble Truths are part of
the core spirit of Buddhist spirituality,
they focus on suffering as an inevitable
part of life. They also identify the reason
behind suffering and the possible
solution to it. Hence, the Buddhists must
come to realize these 4 Noble Truths in
order to reach the state of
enlightenment.
THE TRUTH OF DUKKHA (Suffering)
The first truth recognizes the
existence of suffering and thus, it is part
of every human condition. In Buddhism,
there are two types of suffering such as
physical and emotional suffering. The
physical sufferings include the shock of
our being born into this World, Disability
of Old Age, the Aches & Pains of our
Diseases and our death. While the
emotional sufferings include our Union
with the Unpleasant, Separation with the
Pleasant, Feeling of Disappointment
brought by failure of not having one’s
desire, Fear of losing what one
possesses (Laurent, p. 145). Thus,
every human being is subjected by this
life’s condition, ie. Suffering is a reality
in Life.
THE TRUTH OF SAMUDAYA (Source
of Suffering)
The second truth, meanwhile,
points to the cause of suffering.
Buddhists believe that one of the
primary origins of suffering is the
TANHA (craving/desire). This desire
springs from one’s egocentric self which
becomes the reason why one has the
tendency to be self-centered and
narcissistic (I, Me, Mine, Myself). As
Gautama warns, “Selfish desires are
dangerous for it will surely affect one’s
relationship with others, which
eventually leads to MANIPULATION OF
OTHER PEOPLE just to achieve one’s
end.” In Buddhism, this desire is
manifested in the craving for pleasure,
material wealth and eternal life. Since
these are the things that can never be
fully attained, yearning for them
naturally causes dissatisfaction,
frustration, and suffering (Laurent, p.
145). Moreover, since the Buddhists
believe in the law of impermanence
(anicca), which emphasizes that
everything is in flux, and thus nothing
would last long. Hence, in view of this
law of impermanence, suffering can be
stopped.
THE TRUTH OF NIRODHA (The End
of Suffering)
The third truth states that there is
an end of suffering either in one's
earthly or spiritual life. The spiritual
freedom from suffering can be achieved
through the attainment of nirvana or the
state of eternal peace and happiness
(Laurent, p. 145). Hence, this truth
encourages to get rid of ignorance, ie.
by viewing life simply as fulfilling one's
selfish desires.
THE TRUTH OF MAGGA (The path
leading to the End of Suffering)
The fourth truth outlines the
means by which one can attain nirvana
and reach an end of suffering. This
means is referred to as the Noble
Eightfold Path.
NOBLE 8-FOLD PATH
(Laurent, p. 146)
The Noble 8-fold Path is
regarded in Buddhism as the way to
reach enlightenment and freedom from
suffering. It gives a concrete guide for
ethical and mental development, with
the objective of freeing man from
delusion and attachment. Its aspects
involve the application of virtues and the
performance of actions that are in
accordance to the teachings of Buddha.
1.RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
- It means perceiving life and the world
in their true state, and the correct
knowledge of the Four Noble Truths.
2.RIGHT THOUGHT
- It means preventing oneself from
thinking of immoral and harmful ideas
and instead of filling one’s mind with
thoughts of compassion and
abandonment of material possessions.
3.RIGHT SPEECH
- It means practicing honesty and
kindness in one’s words and abstaining
from gossip and meaningless talk.
4.RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
- It means renouncing ways of earning
income which can harm oneself and put
the lives of others in danger.
5.RIGHT EFFORT
- It means preventing the possible
emergence of immoral thoughts,
abandoning immoral thoughts which
have already surfaced, creating positive
thoughts, and making sure that these
positive thoughts are sustained and
shared to other people.
6.RIGHT MINDFULNESS
- It means being aware of the different
aspects of one’s existence, including the
physical body, thoughts, and emotions.
7.RIGHT CONCENTRATION
- It means being able to steer oneself
away from distractions and seeing
clearly one’s mind.
8.RIGHT ACTION
- It means avoiding evil acts, those
against the five precepts in Buddhism.
FIVE PRECEPTS
Aside from the Eightfold Path, the Five
precepts serve as a guide to Buddhists
on how to lead life of virtue and morality.
All Buddhists are expected to subscribe
to these principles, whether they are a
monk, a nun, or an ordinary Buddhist
practitioner.
1.The precept to abstain from destroying
living beings (killing).
2.The precept to abstain from taking
things not given (stealing).
3.The precept to abstain from sexual
misconduct (fornication)
4.The precept to abstain from false
speech (lying).
5.The precept to abstain from anything
that causes intoxication (getting drunk or
using illegal drugs.)
Thus, if a Buddhist is faithful in living
out the 8 fold path, Then, one will
surely become an enlightened one
(buddha). And eventually put an end to
suffering (nirvana). However, Gautama
also highlights that when one lives
his/her Life according to dharma, one
must always seek the guidance Of
“sangha” (a monastic order founded by
Buddha that preserves his teachings
throughout generations). This is to
emphasize the communitarian
dimension of living one’s life espc. In
achieving enlightenment and salvation.
No wonder why Buddhists would
always recite their 3 JEWELS in their
morning prayer for 3 times:
“I GO TO BUDDHA FOR REFUGE. I
GO TO DHARMA FOR REFUGE. I
GO TO
SANGHA FOR REFUGE”
TAOISM
Taoism, also known as Daoism,
is an indigenous Chinese religion as
well as an ancient nature philosophy
that is deeply rooted in Chinese
customs and worldview. This religion is
said to have been founded by Lao Tzu,
a naturalistic philosopher-sage and the
first taosit philosopher in Ancient China.
It focuses on understanding the Tao or
the ‘way’ and emphasizes the need for a
relationship [ between nature, humanity,
and the divine.
SPIRITUALITY OF TAOISM
The Taoist spirituality is centered
on the question, “what is the best way to
live?” Hence, the ultimate concern of the
adherence of Taoism is to strive to live
their lives at its best. In order to fulfill
their ultimate end, the Taoists believe
that the best way to live is to live in
harmony with the Tao. Living in oneness
with the Tao entails an awareness and
understanding of the concept of Yin
Yang and the application of the principle
of Wu-wei.
THE TAO (Corral & Kupang, p. 184)
Taoism’s principal belief is in the Tao or
the Way as an origin of all beings, the
law and the natural order of the cosmos,
the basic principle of the universe, and
the course or pattern of all things. As the
Tao is the origin of everything , all
creatures in the universe are
interconnected, interrelated, and
interdependent. it serves as the guiding
law within every being. However,
Taoists do not consider the Tao as God;
rather it is an invisible and powerful
energy that cannot be perceived but can
be observed and experienced in the
things of the world. Since the Tao is an
invisible energy it cannot be sufficiently
described in words. Human language
can only give the idea of what it is and
at the very least it can only be shown or
demonstrated through certain acts In
other words, the Tao is inexplicable yet
ever present. Hence, the Taoists are
expected to be keen in observing and
following the natural order of the
universe in order to achieve oneness
with the Tao.
YIN AND YANG (Corral & Kupang, p.
184)
This concept of Yin and Yang
refers to the perspective of the Taoists
about the reality. In Taoism, the reality is
viewed in a holistic manner. In essence,
everything in reality is one and the
same. Hence, it refers to a concept of
universal oneness.
Yin translates to ‘dark or
shaded,’ while Yang translates to ‘bright
or sunny.’ The alternating black and
white colors in the circle represents the
duality and opposition existing in natural
phenomena. Examples include male
and female, life and death, day and
night, etc. The opposing forces of
nature, however, are not seen as
separate but form complementing
halves of the same phenomenon or
principle. The interactions between
opposing forces require continuous
interaction and exchange, as suggested
by the rotating colors between yin and
yang. Thus, this concept to the reality of
opposites that do not contradict but
complement each other And thereby,
creates harmony and balance. As Lao
Tzu puts it, “Yin and Yang is like the
reality of breathing; breathing in and out
allows us human beings to continue
living.”
WU-WEI (Corral & Kupang, p. 186)
The principle of Wu-wei is the
heart of what it means to follow THE
WAY. It literally means “non-action” or
“without action.” As Lao Tzu puts it,“The
Way never acts, yet nothing is left
undone.” However, the principle of Wu-
wei does not mean “doing nothing” per
se which implies laziness or mediocrity.
Rather it means to act naturally and let
things run in its natural course. In other
words, Wu-wei means “effortless acting”
by being at peace while doing a
particular task intelligently

Living in the principle of Wu-wei

also entails resiliency; like that of the
Bamboo that bends when the wind
blows. Thus, it is about learning to
adjust always in every situation espc.
when unexpected occurrences come
into play. It also entails SPONTANEITY/
GOING WITH THE FLOW : like that of
the WATER in the river that naturally
flows towards the sea. Thus, it means
navigating through the natural flow of
the river instead of trying to control it
and swim against its current. It also
implies living a simple lifestyle, avoiding
excesses, being unattached to the
things of the world, and being content
with what one has.