Sacred Mountains And Its Significance In Religious Practices

1317 words - 6 pages

In this essay, I will discuss both the historic and modern relevance of sacred mountains within religions around the world. The broader prospective of this essay is to connect the sacredness of mountains to the socio-religious impact to mountain culture. The first part of the essay will discuss the history of sacred mountains within different religions and cultures across the globe. The second part will discuss the practices within and its significance in cultures that is connected to mountains. In the third part, I will provide reasons to why sacred mountains are being threatened by modern commercial tourism and mountaineering and its recent efforts to conserve its sacred significance.
INTRODUCTION
Currently, mountains has increasingly over decades been a place to awaken a sense of awe or wonder in individuals that sets them apart as a place endowed with provocative beauty and meaning. For example, many tourists, hikers, and climbers visit Sierra Nevada in California and the Alps in Europe. Besides mountains being known for their provocative beauty, they are also known to be distinguished as sacred places of worship or sanctities. There is no universal definition for sacredness, it is rather more context-specific, meaning that it can have various meanings. Mountains are considered sacred if it contains sacred sites or objects such as temples, monasteries, hermitages, stones, springs, and groves that are directly associated with the activities of holy persons (Bernbaum 305). Mountains can be singled out by a specific culture or tradition as places of sanctity (Bernbaum 304). According to the Japanese religion, a mountain is considered sacred for a given group of people if it is majestically high, in an unusual shape, or if it was the site of an important holy event (Langdon, 463). Some associations can be based on its physical aesthetics, religious meaning, or spiritual awakening (Bernbaum 304).
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Sacred mountains are not to be mistaken as a “modern practice” they have well-known established myths, beliefs, and religious practices such as pilgrimage, meditation, and sacrifice (Bernbaum 305). But how far can we trace back in history to provide us evidence as to why a mountain is considered sacred. In biblical and related texts there are references of sacredness that gives us evidence as to how sacred mountains are still important.
During early medieval Western Europe, culturally created landscapes that included abodes (a dwelling place) of dedicated Christian holy men, were increasingly growing in the towns and countryside (Helms 436). Also coenobitic monks, part of a convent or another community opted out of ordinary nonspiritual life to live in communal habitations. To ordinary persons living outside these monasteries, the bounded and hidden communal was filled with spiritually esoteric souls that were forbidden to all but those initiated (Helms 436). In addition, a monastery was often rested on a space that was already...

Religious Syncretism and its Consequences in Mayan Society

1195 words - 5 pages Religious Syncretism and its Consequences in Mayan Society When Spaniards first set foot on Mesoamerican shores in the early sixteenth century, they encountered not the godless mass of natives they believed they found, but a people whose rich spiritual traditions shaped and sustained them for thousands of years. These diverse spiritual practices legitimized nearly every aspect of Mesoamerican daily life, from science and architecture to art

The Cyclops and Its Significance Essay

1491 words - 6 pages interplaying colors and its painterly techniques give this piece a sense of individuality and uniqueness that many of Redon’s works share. The Cyclops has significance as a possible landmark in the development of Redon’s work. As worded by Klaus Berger: “In more than one respect, [The Cyclops] stands out as a turning point in Redon’s career. Thematically it allows a background glance to the exciting subjects of his early graphic years; it is full

Australian Quarantine and its Significance

1400 words - 6 pages QUESTION- Australia has always had very strict quarantine rules for the import of plant and animal substances to protect both primary industry and native species. In recent years there has been an increasing economic push to permit the entry of more plant and animal substances from overseas. Argue the case for or against the entry of more plant and animal substances in relation to its impact on at least one of the following:The Environment

Hinduism. A) Describe the sacred stories and writings. B) Four principal beliefs, nature of God, significance of life after death. C) Hinduism in Australia

1271 words - 5 pages Australia is different to practicing Hinduism in India. First of all, not everyone in Australia practice Hinduism, which makes it a main issue. It can't be practiced as freely as some Hindus do in India.The main aim of holiness is to fulfil dharma. The concept of dharma, often defined as 'religious duties', is an essential part of ethic and morality in Hinduism. Sacred writings such as Manusmrti and Dharmashastras explain the duties of religious

The Sacred and Profane in American Beauty

2127 words - 9 pages Durkheim's concepts of the sacred and the profane has dominated religious and social commentary for decades. While these two, inexorably linked, concepts are most often related with respect to religion, we can apply them to the almost-religion of the “American Dream” for the purpose of analyzing the lives of Lester and Carolyn Burnham, Buddy Kane, and Angela Hayes in the film “American Beauty.” In “American Beauty” the experiences

Sacred Texts in Judaism and Christianity

1454 words - 6 pages teachings of Jesus in its books, morphed the customs and rituals of Judaism into different ones in the Christian faith, such as Christmas, Easter, the sacraments, and the Eucharist. Jesus and Paul went even further by rejecting ritual laws, such as not working on the Sabbath and circumcision, claiming them to not be necessary in attaining salvation, and that merely believing in Jesus Christ will do. (Oxtoby 138) Because the New Testament lays down

Critically Evaluate Existing Practices of Dubai Bank in Uae and The Relationship of Its Practices and the Recruitment

2527 words - 10 pages IntroductionWe will critically evaluate existing practices of Dubai bank in UAE and the relationship of theory of practices and the recruitment. Since its launch in September 2002, Dubai Bank has challenged traditional banking practices by placing service, transparency and convenience at the forefront of its operations and introducing unique products and services to the market. On January 1, 2007, the Bank became a Shari 'a compliant financial

Puerto Rican Music and Its Significance

1826 words - 7 pages Puerto Rican Music and Its Significance Although the policies of Americanization and degradation of Puerto Rican culture heritage improved by the United States in Puerto Rico during the early decades of the twentieth century, the utmost concern for the United States was the strategic location of the island for political and economic advantages, not of the people who inhabited it. Puerto Rico, though a poor colony, was a rich cultural spot

The Three Musketeers And Its Significance

1133 words - 5 pages of a law warns them against dueling the musketeers and D'Artagnan. They join together and easily defeat their provocateurs. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis' become inseparable friends despite the three musketeers' fault of melancholy, pride and religious hypocrisy respectively. The rivalry between the king, Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu - the strongest man in the kingdom also occurs in the novel. The story follows the four friends' heroism even in

What is Freedom and its Significance?

634 words - 3 pages ...everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear...anywhere in the world.James Baldwin's opinion was that "freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be." Patricia's belief was "self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one's own person is its ultimate reward." Freedom, evidently, is defined differently by different people.A teenager at the age

the legal protection of religious and cultural practices

779 words - 4 pages passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). This Act was designed to defend traditional religious practices. The Act reads, in segments, “It shall be the policy of the U.S. to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise [their] traditional religions” including “access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and

Hindu Religious Tradition: Sacred Elements Their Significance And Meanings

1041 words - 4 pages The subsequent paper will examine some of the ceremonies, traditions, and rituals of Hinduism. Definitions and translations will be provided for clarification and comparison purposes. The significance of various practices will also be discussed. A general interpretation of several celebratory events will also be presented. Lastly, the aspect of karma with respect to the environment will be explored.The premise that reverence and homage to

Hinduism Religious Traditions And Sacred Elements

1214 words - 5 pages protective energy of the surpreme. By the guys wearing the tilak it symbolizes that they are from earth and will return to earth after they die and have to be humbled all the time on earth in life (V. Narayanan, 2004)Sacred WaterAll rivers are sacred to the Hindu people. To the Hindus water means life, renewal and hope. (Schlessinger Media, 2003) The most sacred of rivers is the Ganges River. Hindus believe that its water can wash away illness and sin

Describe The Religious Beliefs And Practices In Pre Islamic Arabia

859 words - 3 pages In Arabia, the period before the emergence of Muhammad was a time of many different and varying religious practices.To understand the religious beliefs and practices of the time, it is necessary first to have some basic appreciation of Arabia as a whole. The Arabian Peninsula can be divided into two distinct climactic and geographical zones: North and South. In the South was an area along the coast of the Arabian Sea that received regular rain

Ancient Maya Religious Practices And Beliefs

1405 words - 6 pages through caves or bodies of water. Despite the various characteristics and features the Maya believed their ancestors, spirits, and gods resided in all three realms and worshiped them. Like any religion, the Mayas had religious leaders to lead the community spiritually. Priests and shamans guided the religious practices of the Maya and were of great importance to the survival of the civilization because they would help the people please the gods