Zoroastric It is noticeably different in nature from the religious systems of Mesopotamia and Egypt. He refers to later type prophetic religions. His founder is the Iranian prophet Zoroastra (Zarathushtra), who lived in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e., i.e. at one time with Buddha Shakyamuni and only 100 years earlier than Lao Tzu and Confucius. Zoroastra was a triang-like trigger, like Hebrew Moses. The basics of Zoroastrianism are recorded in the ancient sacred book of Zoroastrians - Avesta.

In the texts of the time of the Agemenid rulers, Darius, Kira, Xerxes, you can find traces of his ideas, but there are no mention of himself. Information about it is extremely small. The texts of the Avesta, which today has science, belong to a much longer time. According to the teachings of Zoroastra, the world of good, light and justice, which personifies Ahura Mazda (Greek. Ormongov), opposes the world of evil and darkness, will personify Angra Menyu (Ariman). Between these two beginnings there is a struggle not for life, but to death. Ahura Mazda help in this struggle of the perfume of the purity and good, Angra Menyu is the forces of evil, destruction.

Zoroastrianism is already among the developed religions, he philosophically comprehends the world on the basis of a dualistic idea of \u200b\u200bnon-visibility and constant struggle of light and darkness, good and evil. There is a transition from magical religions to ethical. A person should be on the side of good, to become better, not to regret the strength to fight evil and the forces of darkness, any evil. It must be benevolent, moderate in miseles and passions, help the neighbor. The man is the Creator of his happiness, his fate depends on him. To combat evil, a person must first be cleaned, and not only spirit and thoughts, but also the body. Physical purity Zoroastrianism attached a ritual value. The deceased corpses are a symbol of impurities, they should not touch the pure elements (earth, water, fire). From here ~ a special burial rite: in the open towers, special ministers demolished the bodies of the dead, where they were spacious predatory vultures, and the bones were dropped on the bottom of the tower, lined with a well. Patients, women after childbirth and during periods of menstruation were unclean. They had to pass a special clarification rite. The main role in the ceremony of cleansing was played by fire. Rituals in honor of Ahura Mazda were made not in the temples, but in open places, with singing, wine and necessarily fire. Hence another name of the supporters of Zoroastrianism - fireplongs. Along with the fire, other elements and some animals - bull, horse, dog and vulture were rewiced.

In mythology, Zoroastrianism brought the idea of \u200b\u200bexistence in addition to the Earth and the sky of a special luminous sphere and paradise. The first person named Yim Ahura-Mazda was forced to be expelled from Paradise and deprive the immortality for showing disobedience and began to eat the meat of sacred bulls. So began after the paradise idyll wrestling of goodness with evil. The concept of sin, falling man and punishment in Zoroastrianism is hardly for the first time. The posthumous fate of a person depends on the strength of his faith and activity in the fight against evil - or he deserves a paradise bliss, or it turns out to be among the spirits of darkness and unclean. The fate of the person is dependent on his beliefs and behavior. And one more innovation is the doctrine of the end of the world, the "terrible court" and the coming of the Messiah, in which the Zoroastr will embody, to save humanity, contribute to the final victory of Ahura Mazda above the evil forces. There is no doubt that these ideas had an impact on Christianity.

By the name of God of Light Ahura-Mazda, this doctrine is called Mazdaism, and at the place of occurrence - parcels. In the Persia itself or the current Iran, this Ancient Wiral religion completely disappeared, displaced by Islam. Cuts from their own country, the parties moved to India and retained there an ancient teaching as a "living" religion.

In late Zoroastrianism, at the turn of our era, the cult of God the Light Mitra, who was considered an assistant Ahura Mazda, came to the fore. In the form of mitraisms, Zoroastrianism spread in the Greek-Roman antique world. He was brought by Roman legionnaires from the eastern trips I c. n. e. Mitra began to identify with the Savior, who was mentioned in Zoroastrian prophecies. Every year on December 25th there was a day of birth (this day became the day of the Nativity of Christ). We believed to Mitra used to pass through bread and wine, symbolizing his body and blood. The name of the miter means loyalty, that is, is associated with moral representations. In the II-III centuries, the cult Mitra was a dangerous opponent for Christianity. His influence has affected different countries Not only in the ancient era, but also in the Middle Ages.

Zoroastrianism as a prophetic religion sees the meaning of the world is not in its existence, but in the exercise of the goal established by God at the end of days. This is an eschatologically oriented religion, close to other prophetic religions, which have become world religions - Christianity and Islam. The world, what it is, there is still no world in which its meaning is implemented, the world is only on the way to its incarnation. The person is called to fulfill the law and thus the will of the gods, but he is still called by God to take part in this cosmic struggle and make his choice between the forces of light and darkness, good and evil spirits.

In Zoroastrism, it should be noted three sociologically significant points. First, it was a religion that carried a protest against an existing social condition and defended the social ideal. The wisdom of power is not in violence, robbery and subordination, the oppression of the lower layers (the main virtue of a righteous person, according to Avesta, is to steal the land and grow plants), and in the right, in the fair order of public life. Secondly, the community formed around the prophet was different and followed different motives. The elite inspired the very teaching, spiritual problems; These people have created an early community. The masses were guided by more utilitarian motives, they attracted hope for reward. The religious level of the first communities was thus different, they pursued different goals. And finally, this prophetic religion, addressed to the personal decision and choosing his followers, after Zoroistra again returned to the type of religion of the priest, with frozen prescriptions and magical rituals. If the fire was a sublime symbol for Zoroastra, then after him he again turned into an ancient cult of fire, and today it prevents parties in India to burn dead, like the Hindus, as they are afraid to lose their purity.

In general, Zoroastrianism is significantly different from other religions of ancient civilizations, refers to a higher type of religious development. Distinctive features of this religion - its ethical character and a sharply expressed dualism of light and dark began, a phenomenon, for other religions, unusual, which many researchers are associated with a century-old conflict and hostility between sedentary agricultural tribes and cattle nomads.

Hinduism - Religion of calm in one, comprehension that the multiplicity of the world is illusory. The basis of this religion is the idea that the world is not a random, chaotic combination of things and phenomena, but an ordered whole. Universal and eternal order, preserving, holding the universe as a whole, called dharma (from Sanskr. "Hold"). Dharma is not a symbol of the legislator's god, for it is in the things themselves and phenomena. It embodies a certain impersonal pattern of the Universe as a whole and only then acts as a law, which predetermines the fate of the individual. Due to this, the place of each particle in its attitude to the whole is established.

Dharma of each separate being taken from the Universal Universal Dharma and the estate to which it belongs. This is a set of religious and public duties of each class. If the action of a person corresponds to the Dharma, in which justice is embodied, it is good and leads to order; If not, if the action contradicts the order, it is bad and leads to suffering.

The world is a combination of joy and suffering. People can achieve happiness, let the transient, receive permitted 1st enjoyment (Kama) and the benefit (Artha), if they act in accordance with Dharma. But those who have achieved spiritual maturity do not seek to enjoy and material benefits, and are looking for eternal life, absolute reality, hidden from the eyes of the usual mortal cover of illusions. Not military leaders, rulers and rich, and saints, ascetics, hermits are worshiped by the Hindus as they are really great people. The meaning of existence is to understand that the multiplicity of the world is a hoax, for there is one life, one essence, one goal. In comprehending this unity, the Hindus see the greatest benefit, salvation, liberation and higher appointment: to know the universe in yourself and yourself in everything, to find love, which makes it possible to live an endless life in this world. A combination of funds with which you can comprehend reality and achieve liberation, called yoga.

Frequently - it means to know what everything comes from the creation of the original spirit uniting creations, and merge with him. The implementation of this unity is achieved in a state of trance, ecstasy, when a person rises from the level of mortal and merges with the ocean of pure being, consciousness and joy (Sat, Cheat, Ananda).

The transformation of human consciousness in the Divine is impossible for one life. Individual in the cycle of existence goes through a series of repeated births and deaths (the law of karma). Each group of people was prescribed a certain behavior, which corresponds to a specific step of the path and follow the transition to a higher stage.

Since each action is the result of the intention and desire, the soul of the individual will be born, embodied in the world until it is free from all elements of desire. This is the doctrine of "eternal return": birth and death indicate only the creation and disappearance of the body, new births are a wanderland of the soul, a cycle of life (Sansara).

Truth is available at different levels of human consciousness in different extent. The sage is an understanding of pure being (edweig); At a simpler level, the absolute consciousness can act as a personal god, perfection comes down to good, the liberation is understood as life in paradise, and wisdom is replaced with love (bhakti) to the individual, "his own" to God, whom a believer elects the gods from Pantheon, following his inclinations and sympathy. If a person is unavailable and this level, he simply must follow certain moral and ritual prescriptions, strictly observe them. In this case, individual God is replaced by his image in the temple, contemplation and concentration - the rite, prayer, the pronouncement of the sacred formulas, love - the right behavior. The feature of the Hinduism is that it allows, as we see, different points of view and position: for those who are already close to the goal, and for those who have not yet found the way - darshans (from Sanskr. "See"). And these differences do not violate the unity of the teaching.

Hinduism means something more than just the name of religion. In India, where he received distribution is a whole set of religious forms, from the simplest ritual, polytetic to philosophical and mystical, monotheistic, and moreover, this is the designation of the Indian lifestyle with a caste division, including the entire amount of life principles, norms, social and Ethical values, beliefs and ideas, rites and cults, myths and legends, everyday life and holidays, etc. This is a kind of result, summarizing the long and complex history of religious life and the search for the peoples of Industan.

Its foundations are laid in the Vedic religion, which the Aryan tribes brought, invugined to India in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. Vedas - Collections of texts, including four major: the oldest collections of Hymf - Rigveda, collections of prayer spells and rites - Samowed and Yajurwed and the book of chants and magical spells - Astharvaeda. The religion of the Aryans was polytestic. Tens and hundreds of gods are mentioned in the Vedas. One of them is Indra, the God of Thunder and Lightning. Two groups of gods oppose each other - Ashura Ideva. The Asurov includes Varuna (in some texts he is a supreme God). Mitra (friend) - Sunny God and defender of people, Vishnu - in the Vedas I have not played a significant role. Most of the Vedic Gods went to the past, only a few are preserved in the memory of the people, and Vishnu became the most important religious character in the later Indian religion. Another object of worship - Soma, a sacred intoxicating drink, which was used in cultive actions and served as a victim of the gods. Subsequently, deves became the Indians with good spirits, and Asura - evil, along with Rakshasami. Inra and other good gods are fighting with evil spirits.

There are no mentions of the sanctuary and temples, images of gods, professional priests. It was one of the "primitive" tribal religions.

The second period in the history of Indian religion - brahmansky.He comes to change Vedic in the I millennium BC. e. When despotic states arise in the valleys of Inde and Ganga and the basis of the caste. The oldest caste - Brahmans (hereditary priesthood), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishi (farmers, cattle breeders, merchants) and shudras (literally servants - the abuse caste of slaves). The first three castes were considered noble, they were called twice born.

Monument of religion and legislation of this period - laws mana Compiled about V c. BC e. And sanctifying castes as installed by the gods. Higher caste - Brahmans (Brahmins): "Brahman, born to prevent the treasury of the Dharma (Holy Law), ranks a higher place on earth as the Lord of all beings." The main thing its occupation is to study the Vedas and teach them others. All belonging to the three noble caustes take place the rite of initiation, which is considered as the "Second Birth".

The Supreme God becomes the Brahman's new God - Brahma, or Brahma, from different parts of the body of which there were different castes: from the mouth - Brahmans, from the hands of Kshatriya, from the hips - Vaishi, from the legs of the shudras. Initially, it was a religion in which the central place occupied the rite, the sacrifice - living beings, people, ancestors, gods and brahman. "Every day the rite of food is a rite of living beings. Every day, alms should be served - the rite of people. Surveral ceremonies should be held daily - the rite of the ancestors. Every day you need to bring victims to the gods, including the so-called burning of firewood, is the rite of gods. What is the victim of Brahman? Penetration (in essence) of the sacred teaching. " At the same time there were no public temples and public sacrifices, private sacrifices were available only for nobility. The cult becomes an aristocratic, the gods receive the character of caste gods, the shudrs are generally removed from the official cult.

Further development led from the rite to know. In the early I millennium BC. e. The doctrine of karma is beginning to develop, which becomes the cornerstone of Indian religion. The law of karma is the law of rewarding and retribution, every person predetermined its fate in the subsequent embodiment. The Brahmanian period appears religious and philosophical literature - Upanishads, theological and philosophical essays. At first, the texts of Brahmanov with clarification of the meaning and meaning of the Vedic sacrifices. In their development, not only brahmans played an important role, but also askets, military leaders, etc. Upanishad system - the fruit of thought of various eras and schools. Her central problem is the problem of life and death, the question is that there is a carrier of life: water, breathing, wind or fire? In the Upanishads, Belief is justified in reincarnation and the doctrine of retaliation for the perfect.

Gradually ancient Brahman's religion sacrifices and knowledge turned into hinduism - The doctrine of love and reverence, which is the most severe support in Bhagavadgita, a book, which is not found without reason, sometimes call the new Testament of Hinduism. It has influenced its development in the VI-V centuries. BC e. Buddhism and Jainism - the exercise that has denied customs and at the head of the corner put the deliverance of each person from suffering through his own efforts. These teachings recognized rebirth and karma, the ethical doctrine of the righteous path of life was put on in them. To resist in the fight against Buddhism and Jainism, the old Brahman religion was largely changed, absorbing certain elements of these young religions, becoming closer and clearer people, giving them the opportunity to take part in the cult, in public public ceremonies, rites. Since that time, the Hindu temples begin to appear. The first, the most ancient temples of India were Buddhist, in imitating they appear Brahmansky. The revered gods are embodied in sculptural and picturesque form, acquiring anthropomorphic features (even with several heads of faces and multiple). This God, placed in the temple dedicated to him, was understandable to every believer.

These gods can be loved or fear, you can hope for them. Savior gods appear in Hinduism, having earthly incarnation (avatar).

The most important of the numerous gods of Hinduism is the Trinity (Trimurti) - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, separated (although not clearly), the main functions inherent in the Supreme God function are creative, destructive and guardious. Hindus are found most of them on Sivaitov and Vishnuitov, depending on whether they see their chosen one. In the cult of Shiva, a creative moment came to the fore - the cult of vitality and male began. Saviva attribute - Find a bull. Stone marriage-lingams in the temples and home altars symbolize the life-giving potency of Shiva. On Luba Shiva - the third eye - an angry destroyer's eye. Wiva's wives are fertility goddess, female expansion. They are honored under different names, they are brought victims, including human. The feminine is called Shakti. His most famous personification is the goddess of the fertility of Durga and Kali. Summary name of all Siva's Ipostasses - Davy, A lot of temples are devoted to her.

A peculiar character wears the cult of Vishnu - God, close to people, soft, performing a protective function. His relationship with his wife Lakshmi is the personification of gentle, selfless love. Vishnu is countless transformations (avatar), the most beloved in India - Rama and Krishna. Rama - hero of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Krishna - by origin the oldest, another doaria deity (literally "black"). In Mahabharata, he acts as a general-indian deity. As an adviser to the main character, Arjuna warrior, he reveals the highest meaning of heavenly and ethical law (this interpretation of the law entered the "Bhagavadgit", in the form of chapter, and from Bhagavadgitis - to the "Mahabharata"). Later, he was transformed from the wise-philosopher in a rather frivolous shepherd God, generously gives everyone to his love.

Numerous Hindu temples serve brahmanas - priests of Hinduism, carriers of the foundations of its religious culture, ritual rite, ethics, forms of family-household text. Brahman's authority in India is uncommon. From their number, the most authoritative religious teachers went out - guru, Training young generation of the wisdom of Hinduism.

In Hinduism, magical techniques are preserved - Tantra - and there has been a special type of religious practice. tantris. Based on the magic techniques - the tantatr - in Hinduism there were formulas (mantras), i.e. the sacred spells, which were attributed to the magic force. Sacred words like "OM" and entire phrases, often incoherent, in Hinduism turned into spells - mantras, with the help of which you can quickly achieve the desired, for example, get rid of the disease, purchase the supernatural energy "Shakti", etc. Mantras, Talismans, The amulets are all the indispensable props of the sorcerer, which stands the rank of a lot below Brahman. Often it is a semi-faceted rustic zone.

An essential feature of the religious life of India is numerous sects. Their religious leaders of the Guru are intermediaries between man and gods and themselves almost gods. Guru - Priest, who became a teacher of wisdom. Between sects, as a rule, no struggle; Very small for all Hinduists are very small: the recognition of the sacred authority of the Vedas, the doctrine of karma and the resettlement of souls, faith in the invalidity of the caster. In the rest of the - Multi-Festrite and fraction of sect. Special development received a ascetic school - Yoga. At the end of the XV century. At the soil of Hinduism there was a military religious sect sikhs.

Hinduism has a feature characteristic of global religions, but it is associated with caste, and therefore could not go beyond India: to be a hindu, it is necessary to belong to birth to one of the castes. However, Hinduism has a great influence on the spiritual life of other peoples with their religious philosophy and various types of religious practice (yoga, etc.).

Social foundation Hinduism is a custom system of India. It is theoretically based on the teaching about the divine single principle and two trends inherent in life: the movement from one to the variety is performed in the cycle of birth. Birth in the human world is always performed in a caste-defined place place and this system itself belongs to the formation of forms generated by the unified principle. Belonging to one or another caste - there is no case of the case, this is a manifestation of an inevitable need. Human existence, according to Hinduism, is the existence in Caste. Caste is a living space in which there is an individual, there is no other. Four initial castes rushed into a plurality of podcast, which in India there are two to three thousand in India. The person excluded from his caste turns out to be outlawed. Casta defines a person in Indian society, his right, behavior, even his appearance, including clothing, signs on the forehead and jewelry that he wears. Caste bans in India are the nature of the taboo and are removed only in rare cases. For violation of caste standards, there are strict punishments and painful rites of "cleansing". Each caste has its own place in outer space, its time of year, their animal world. Human joint existence is considered in this context as a superhuman establishment, the law of being. In a set of castes, to whom a person belongs to the birth and of which, within its earthly life, it cannot go out, dominates as a unifying principle of custom law. The Great World Law (Dharma) is manifested in the human world organized in the caste, as a differentiated caste law, which for each caste establishes its prescriptions. Caste block is rooted in the eternal order of things. The meaning of maintaining caste delimitation is to maintain, preserve the eternal order. Life in the caste is not the ultimate goal, but an episode. The ultimate goal is Nirvana, when all sorts of worldly differences are removed. Caste - a step to self-effective.

Chinese religions - religions of order and decent life. Many features of China's religious life were laid in deep antiquity. In the Huanhe Valley, in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. A city type civilization has developed, known as Yinskaya. Injans revered many gods - perfumes who brought victims. The Supreme Divine was Shandi, at the same time, the legendary hedge of the Initians, their ancestor-totem. Over time, the attitude towards Shandi as a pilot, which first of all should take care of the well-being of their people. This circumstance has played a huge role. It led on the one hand to the fact that the basis of the foundations of China's religious systems was the cult of ancestors and a support for the tradition, and on the other - to strengthen the rational principle: not dissolving in the absolute, but to learn to live adequately in accordance with the norm, to live, Attending life itself, and not for the sake of the coming salvation, gaining bliss in another world. Another feature is a socially insignificant role of priesthood, clergy. In China, there has never been anything like brahmans. The functions of priests often performed officials who were a respected and privileged estate, and the cult departures in honor of the sky, deities, spirits, the ancestors were not the main thing in their activities. The rite of divination, which was the main point in ritual communication with Divine ancestors, headed by Shand and was accompanied by sacrifices, was considered as a matter of state importance; Gadels should have been people involved in power. Over time, in the I millennium BC. e. When the Zhou dynasty was approved, the sky cult was supplied Shady as the Supreme Divine, but the cult of Shandi and ancestors was preserved. The Chinese ruler became the son of the sky, and his country became referred to in his way. The cult of the sky became the main thing in China, and its departure in the full form - the prerogative of the ruler itself, the son of the sky, who performed his sides and rewarding the Heavenly Father, the guardian of the world order, the necessary honors.

The ruler who performed the features of the high priest was assisted by officials who speakers in the role of priests. Ancient China, therefore, did not know the priests in his own sense of the word, he did not know the great personalized gods and temples in their honor. The activities of priests officers were aimed primarily to fulfill administrative duties designed to maintain the sustainability of the social structure authorized by the sky. Not mystical insights, not ecstasy and merger in love with the divine start, and rituals and ceremonies as a matter of state importance stood in the center of that religious system, which determined the appearance of this civilization.

Philosophical thinking in ancient China began with the division of everything on the male and female start. Male beginning, Yang, was associated with the Sun, with all bright, bright, strong; Female, yin, - with moon, with dark, dark and weak. But both beginnings were harmoniously connected, forming everything. On this basis there is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe great path of Dao - Universal Law, the symbol of truth and virtue.

Unlike other religions, in Chinese we are found not to communicate a person with God, mediated by the Priest's figure, and a society based on virtue, in front of the sky as a symbol of the highest order.

In the middle of the 11th millennium BC. e., between 800 and 200 years. BC e., in history there is a sharp turn, which K. Jaspers offered to call axial time. In China, at this time, renewal of religious life begins, associated with the activities of Confucius and Lao Tzu. Two Chinese religions arise, differing significantly, - confucianism ethically directed, and taoism, Picking to mysticism.

Confucius (Kun Tzu, 551-479 BC. Er) lived in the Epoch of the Troubles and Interdiscructures. The ideas that could be opposed to all this should have been able to get a moral support, and Confucius in search of this support turned to ancient traditions, opposing them to the reigned chaos. Starting from establishing at the turn of W -II centuries. BC e. Dynasty Han, Confucianism becomes official ideology, Confucian norms and values \u200b\u200bhave become generally recognized, turned into a symbol of "Chinese". First of all, in the form of ceremonial norms, Confucianism penetrated as an equivalent of a religious ritual into the life of each Chinese, regulating his life, swaying it in the centuries worked out. In Imperial China, Confucianism played the role of the main religion, the principle of organizing the state and society, which existed over two thousand years in almost unchanged Gid. The highest deity in this religion was considered strict and focused on the virtue of the sky, and as the great prophet did not perform a trick, who led the truth of the Divine Revelation, like Buddha or Jesus, and the sage of Confucius, offering a moral improvement within the framework of strictly fixed, consecrated antiquity of antiquity of ethical Norm.

The main object of the Confucian cult was the spirits of ancestors. Confucius performed very conscientiously religious rites and taught their steady execution not for the sake of the decreasing mercy, but because the performance of them is "fair and decent to man." Strict observance of rites is the main rule of life, the support of the entire existing order. Sonstitude and reverence of ancestors is the main responsibility of a person. "Let the father be a father, the son of the Son, the sovereign - the sovereign, an official - an official." Confucius sought to bring the world in order, subdued the "path" (Dao) of a man's path of the sky, offering their ideal of a "noble person" as a sample to imitate people, hung out of idealized antiquity, when the rulers were wise, officials - disinterested and devotees, and the people glory. A noble person has two main advantages of humanity and a sense of duty. "A noble person thinks about a debt, a low person takes care of the benefit," taught Confucius. Thanks to the correct behavior, a person reaches harmony with the eternal order of space, and thus his life is determined by the eternal beginning. The power of custom is that, thanks to which the earth and heaven act together, so that they come into harmony four years of year, the sun and the moon are shine, the stars make their way, thanks to which flows the stream, all things are committed, good and evil are committed. The correct expression of joy and anger, the highest is clarified, thanks to which all things, despite their change, avoid confusion. If you remember the doctrine about Yin and Yang, about women's (dark) and male (light) principles that are united, then the person has the opportunity to influence the events in the world and to his life, according to the internal debt contributing to Space Agreement.

In the VI century BC e. Lao Tzu is the teaching, which today many researchers consider the legendary figure. The treatise in which this teaching is settled, "Tao-De Jing" refers to the IV-III centuries. BC. This is a mystical teaching, on the basis of which Taoism is developing. Tao means here an inaccessible person, rooted in Eternity "Path", the very divine state itself, the absolute, from which all earthly phenomena arise also. Nobody created the great Dao, everything comes from it, nameless and shapeless, it gives rise to the name and shape of everything in the world. Even the Great Sky follows Dao. To know how, follow him, merge with him - in this sense, goal and happiness of life. The highest goal of Chinese Taois was to get away from the passions and judacy of life to the primitive simplicity and naturalness. Among Taoov were the first in China's amphibians, who contributed to the emergence of the philosophical Taoism of the Taoist religion with their temples and priests, holy books, magical rites. However, in this world, where people are guided by their aspirations and them established by ethical goals, a bond with primancy is disturbed. The situation is characteristic of many religions. The situation of their existence in the world, which loses holiness: when the Great Dao takes decline, human love and justice appears.

Virtue, if they are unsurviced to man, serve as a symptom that it is isolated from the absolute. There is no need to require the fulfillment of ethical purposes if unity with eternal is achieved. In this case, they are needed in reality. The appeal is necessary, return to the eternal, "Return to the roots". On this basis, the teachings of Lao Tzu about the notion or non-action (Wu-Wei) grow up. Ethics proclaims unprofitability, satisfaction with his fate, refusal of desires and aspirations as the basis of permafrost. This ethical patient attitude towards evil and renunciation from their desires is the basis of religious salvation.

Mystic Lao Tzu has little in common with vulgarized Taoism, to the first plan with magical practice - spells, rites, predictions, a kind of cult of the creation of the elixir of life, with which the immortality is expected to achieve.

Religion Greek The Dogometer period perceives the surrounding as an animated, as inhabited by the blind demonic forces, which are embodied in the sacred subjects and phenomena. Demonic forces receive a personal embodiment in countless demonic beings living in caves, mountains, sources, trees, etc. Silen, for example, a demon of sources and at the same time as Satir, he is a demon of fertility. Hermes, at a later time one of the great Gods of Olympians, initially, as his name says (literally: stones), was a stone demon. The Dogometer religion of the Greeks is tied to the ground, from which everything stems, which all generates, including the sky. Her main reality is land, conception, blood and death. These forces associated with the Earth continue to exist in Homer as the dark basis of all things, and the Earth itself appears in this consciousness as the Goddess-the Rhodeschalnitsa, as the source and the Lono of the whole world - gods and people.

The world in this primitive religious consciousness appears as a world, filled with rawness, disproportion, disharmony, doubling to the deformity, which is horrified.

When in the II millennium BC The Greeks invaded Elladu, they found here a highly developed culture, known as Criton Miktena culture. From this culture, its religion Greeks perceived many motives that have passed into their religion. This applies to many Greek deities, for example, to Athena and Artemis, whose mycher's origin can be considered indisputable.

From this motley world of demonic forces and divine images and formed the world of Homerovsky gods, which we learn from Iliad and Odyssey. In this world, people are commensurate with the gods. Love for glory raises people to the level of the gods and makes them heroes that can overcome and the will of the gods.

In these gods embodied the eternal ideas that permeate the Greek piousness and her idea of \u200b\u200bsins in the face of these gods. The most serious are those that somehow mean excess of the border and measures. Too great happiness causes "envy of the gods and the corresponding acts of opposition. The world constructed by Zeus and the great heroes is the world that is not based on disharmony and horror, but on some order, harmony, beauty. The gods karaite those who are attempted by the harmony established by their authority, on the reasonable ordering, which is expressed in the concept of "space". In Greek myths, beautiful, embodied in the Olympic gods, is the principle of space life.

This classical gomer religion is experiencing a crisis at a later time, comes to the edge of self-denial. With the beginning of Greek enlightenment, in the face of philosophy, awakening ethical feelings and concepts, myths about the great gods are inappropriate, cause opposition. Rationalistic doubt leads to ridicule over the primitiveness of traditional ideas about the gods.

But along with the extinction of the old religion, the strong awakening of religious feelings, new religious searches is obtained. This is primarily religious associated with mysteries.The Old Olympic Religion receives its classical completion at the end of the VI - the beginning of the V c. BC e. In the face of such thinkers and poets like Herodotus, Pindar, Eschil, Sofokl and Eurypid.

This religious consciousness was permeated by the idea of \u200b\u200border, measures and harmony, and at the same time they invited the opposite, alien to this aspiration of the Greek spirit, the beginning of an ecstatic impulse, orgiastic faintness and unbridled. It was embodied in the myth of Dionesis. Apollo and Dionysis are two opposite directed religious movements in ancient Greece. Apollonian start is calm and balanced. Apollo is the God of Sunlight, disgusting troubles, personifying cloudless beauty. Apollonian religiousness is directed towards the law and rule, while Dionyskaya - to ecstasy and orgiasm, i.e., the destruction of all solid order and form. Dionysis, the patron saint of viticulture and winemaking, Homer did not enter the number of the main gods, but his orgiastic religion with rampant vakhanki in the VII century. BC e. Gets in Greece widespread.

The religious thought of Greece, her understanding of God was focused mainly on the ordered world, the cosmos to which the gods belonged. Orgiastic cults brought the moment of ecstasy as the way of unity with the deity and thereby elevation of a person, recognizing his independence.

The social form of the existence of Greek religiosity is a state city, a policy based on the right and law. The scale of the specific laws of the state is the "Unwritten Law" - the law in which the policy acquires the Divine law. State life, in the understanding of the Greeks, is rooted in the Holy Divine Nomosault (law). Community, component of the policy, is divine setting. When Sofists - the Spirit of Greek Enlightenment - weathered the importance of these rules, making a person to the measure of all things and values, was destroyed by the metaphysically-religious basis of the policy.

This process of secularization caused opposition, represented by Socrates and Plato. Plato appeals to eternal ideas and participating in them considers as the benefit and foundation of the policy. So the world of ideas, philosophy, logos, understanding are going to change the old myths, to replace naive mythology and religion-based.

The mythology is exhausted as the oldest form of development of the world, but Greek mythology retains its aesthetic importance to this day, artistic value, making part of our cultural heritage.

Along with the dominant polis cult and old folk beliefs in Greece with the VI century. BC e. Religious flows appear marked with mystical sentiment and frequently represented in secret societies. One of them is an orphism, whose supporters proceeded from the teachings of the mythical character - Singer Orpheus. Eastern religious and philosophical systems were rendered to the views of Ofives, in which the image of the dying and resurrecting God was played. There was another sect to the orp to be close - the Pythagoreans, who believed in the resettlement of the souls and revered the sun and the fire.

These religious flows influenced the development of the famous Eleusinsky sacraments demeters, which were held as a nationwide celebration. Eleusinsky Mysteries mention many ancient authors. They carried the faith unusual for the Greek religion to bliss behind the coffin, while the official polis religion was turned to earthly concerns and did not promise anything in the afterlime world to their adherents. The Greek religion lived until Christianity was spread in the Roman Empire. She had an impact on the religion of the ancient Romans. However, with a certain similarity, these religions are deeply different in their spirit. The community of some gods is the result of direct borrowing. At the same time, the religion of Etruscov also had a great influence on Roman religion. From them, the Romans borrowed a system of fortunes on the courtyards of the sacrificial animal - garuspics, which were carried out by special priests - Garuspiki, guessing the will of the gods. The Roman religion had a lot of archaic.

Dominant form of religion Rome In the classical period of his history there was a cult of polis gods, first of all Jupiter. According to legend, King Tarquiniya built the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol Hill and Jupiter Capitoline became the patron saint of the city.

Romans was inherent in the practical mindset. And they were guided by expediency in religion, pursuing earthly affairs with the help of magical cult practice. Their gods are most often colorless, serve as a designation of some abstract started. The Romans honored such deities as peace, hope, valor, justice that did not possess alive features. In honor of such gods, the temples were built, sacrifices were sacrificed. Mythology at the Romans was little designed.

Roman religion, continuing to exist at the time when Christianity began to develop, was tolerant of someone else's gods and cults, especially those conquered by the Rome of the Peoples, since he was looking for their support to strengthen their power. True, at least the formal recognition of the authority representing the state of the gods was required. The persecution of Christians in Rome was dictated not so much hostile to someone else's religion, how much intolerance of the state religion in relation to those who did not agree to bring victims to the emperor, as it was established by the state religion and dictated to the desire to support state unity.

Judaism is a religion of submission to the law. An important role in the history of religion and culture was played by Judaism, in the soil of which Christianity was later founded. At the head of the Semitic tribes ("twelve knees of Israel"), in the XIII century. BC e. Conquered Canaan (Palestine), stood elected military leaders, they are called "judges" in the Bible. Over time, the first Israeli state arose, and Saul (approx. 1030-1010 BC) became the first king of Israel (OK), and after him David (approx. 1010-970. BC. Er) and Solomon ( 970-931 BC.). David was an outcomes from the Jewish tribe. He made the capital of Jerusalem (he was called the city of David). After Solomon, the state was broken into two parts. North was called Israel, and South - Judea. Since Geographically, Palestine was at the junction between Egypt and Mesopotamia, she was a permanent object of the struggle between them and experienced a strong religious and cultural influence on their part.

In the XIII century. BC e. When Israeli tribes came to Palestine, their religion was a lot of primitive cults, ordinary for nomads. Only gradually arose an Israeli religion - judaism, In the form, in which it is represented in the Old Testament. In the early cults, trees, sources, stars, stones, animals were deified. Traces of Totemism are easy to see in the Bible when it comes to different animals, but above all - about snake and about bull. There were cults of the dead and ancestors. Yahwa was originally a deity of the southern tribes. This Version Divine seemed to be wings flying between the clouds and appearing in thunderstorms, lightning, vortices, on fire. Yahwe became the patron saint of a tribal union created for the conquest of Palestine, revered by all twelve tribes and symbolizing their binding force. The former gods were partially rejected, partially merged into the image of Yakhwe (Jehovah - later liturgical transformation of this name).

Yahweh was the own God of Jews, who did not exclude the existence of other gods: every nation is their God. This form of the idea of \u200b\u200bGod is called henotism (from Greek. Hen - Rod and Theos - God). It is only important to read your God, not to change it, not to flirt with "other people's gods." When the royal power was established in Israel, in Jerusalem Solomon was built by the Temple of Yahweh. From now on, Yahwe is revered by both the king, from the heavenly throne manager of the fate of the earthly kingdom - Israel: Earth kings - Spanners of the Will of the Heavenly King, the keepers of his laws. But at this time, other gods are revered, in Jerusalem in their honor, Altari and Temples are being built. Especially common was the cult of Waal - the Phoenician God - the Lord of the Earth.

In 587 BC e. Jerusalem was captured by the troops of Nebuchadnezzar, the temple was destroyed, and the inhabitants of Jews were taken captivated by Babylonians. Fifty years later, when the Babylonian kingdom Palo and Jews returned to their homeland, was erected in Jerusalem to 520 BC. e. New, the so-called second temple. Return from the captivity is the point of reference of the new stage of the development of the religion of the Jews, which the prophet Moses becomes the main person. After returning to the Motherland, the Jews begin to collect written and oral traditions telling about the yahwe associated with his cult, resulting in the Jewish Bible.

The prophets opposed the worship of someone else's gods. They proclaimed now that Yahwe is not just one of the gods, even if the most powerful, but the only God who commands everything that is happening in nature and in history. The source of all the misfortunes of Israel is to worship someone else's gods, for which Yahwea punishes "his" people by defeat and suffering in captivity. The Old Testament includes five books of the law as the first part of its part (Heb. Torah): Genesis, Exodus, Levit, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The second group of Old Testament books is the prophets and the third - Scriptures. According to the biblical narrative, through the Prophet Moses, God invited the people of Israel to the Union and gave him a law that should be strictly observed. Faithfully waiting for the award, violated - Kara.

New in religious history, characteristic of Judaism, his distinctive moment is to understand the relationship between God and his "chosen people" of Israel as the relationship of the Union. The Union is a kind of contract: the people of Israel enjoys a special patronage of the Almighty God, he is "the people elected" provided that it remains true that it will follow the commandments of God and, most importantly, will not retreat from the monotheism. The feature of Judaism is that God acts in the history of their people.

A kind of constitution of this allied relationship between Israel and his God is a law in which Yahwe has expressed his will. Along with the revelation of God in nature and history, it is above the entire law, which is clearly and clearly defined in the form of the "commandments" will of the Lord. This moral and cultural law, set forth in two versions - in broadcasting (5, 6-18) and the outcome (20, 2-17), determines the constant essence of Israeli religion, what remains at all subsequent stages in the changes undergoing it. Attitude towards God has obedience and following the law; This is the most important obligation of the believer. This condition and the pledge of salvation: the people will save the messenger, anointed, the Messiah, who will come at the order of Yahweh. Belief in the Messiah in predictions of the prophets becomes the basis of Judaism: the Messiah will establish the kingdom, where there will be no hostility and suffering, where the world and happiness will find the faithful to God, and the sins will be punished, a terrible court will come.

Judaism as "Religion of the Law" faced a tendency manifested in that the law turned into something self-sufficient, so even Yahweh retreated into the shadow. The law, as it were, became separate from a person, turned into something possessing its own logic of development, so its requirements turned into a confusing arch of conflicting prescriptions; The ministry of God became equivalent to fulfilling the letter of the law, not the spiritualized participation of the "heart".

Religion thus hardened in Israel to purely external worship services, which was based on confidence in obtaining a "fair" remuneration from God for the implementation of rites and following prescribed behavioral standards. This trend was opposed to the preaching of the Great Israeli prophets who were told by the sins of Israel, treason to their yahweh: "And did not appeal to me with his heart, when they cried their legs," says Yahva's lips to the Prophet of His Osi: "Going because of bread and Wines, and from me are removed "(Asia, 7, 14). There is a new interpretation of the Union with God: not an external fulfillment of the law, but its internal adoption. Yahweh can reject his people, to show it for treason, if he is internally again not turn to God.

However, the prophetic sermon again led to the law. About 622 BC e. The king Josiah conducted a cult of cult, which, although he relied on a prophetic movement, nevertheless actually claimed religion on the pentateuch - the book of the law. Thus, the Israeli religion was finally formed as a religion of the book and the law. Our possession is the main thing that distinguishes the people of Israel from other nations. Judaism in the very essence is its religion of obedience, compliance with the law established by the will of God Yahweh.

Israel was a sample real theocracy. It was the state controlled and led by the Kesty Priests. Yakhwe - King. From here, there was a treason - this is a betrayal of God that the war, who led Israel, is wars led by Yahweh, that the earth kingdom is actually a disappearance of God, which is only a real king, that laws are laws, granted and Installed by Yahweh themselves, and that the right existing in the state is a sacred establishment. All religious hopes and desires, all the thoughts are fixed to the pretentious world, otherwise existence is not expected: earthly life is important in itself, and not as a threshold of the future "real" life. Observe the law, "In order for your days and so that you were good." The community "The People of Israel" is at all times there is a cult community, in the center of which is a separate individual, whose life extension on Earth is the main task of all members of this community.

After returning from the Babylonian captivity to the political life of the Jewish society, the high priest began to play a major role, who had some powers of the head of state, and the government focuses in the hands of priests. In 331 BC er, when Alexander Macedonsky won Persia, Palestine was ruled by Greece. The era of the Hellenization of Jewry began, which preserved the right to confess his religion. Later, in the first half of P in. BC E., Seleucdis, who mastered Israel, attempted to plant the religion of Hellenism. The Jerusalem Temple was looted, in 167 BC. e. The Palestine began an uprising against Seleucidov, which was headed by Mattafia from the genus Asmonev. About 150 g. e. One of Asmonaev became the high priest and the prince of the Dynasty of the High Priests - the princes of Asmonaev. A new period began in the history of the Jewish religion, when there are numerous religious directions, sects (Sadducei, Pharisees, Essei).

A large role in religious life is beginning to play with inague - The collection of believers, the tradition, which arose before, in the diaspora (scattering - Greek), and rabies - Teachers who considered in contrast to the priests more important worship in the synagogue, where the law was interpreted, and not sacrifices in the temple.

The most radical opposition was the Esseev sect, rejected by the traditional religion of the Jews, who opposed the servants of the temple, primarily against the high priests. In 150-131 BC e. The center of the community was the village of Hirbet-Kumran in the Jewish desert on the shore of the Dead Sea. They took part in the Jewish war and became her victims, their village was destroyed, and then hidden by them then in the caves of manuscripts were found after the end of World War II. Asmonia ruled to 63 BC. e. When Jerusalem was taken by the Romans. During the Jewish War 66-73. The temple was burned.

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Topic: Religions of India and China. Confucify. DOSIMISIM.Sintoism. Grade 9.

Tasks:

➢contribute to the understanding of students of various forms and

types of religions;

➢help students see the differences in approaches in religion classifications;

➢help students understand the features of some ethno-state

religions, the historical conditionality of the relationship of religion with national cultures.

1. Classification of religions.

2. Some ethnassal religions:

Zoroastrianism;

Judaism;

Jainism;

Taoism;

Confucianism;

Syntoism;

Sikhism.

1. Classification of religions.

Turn to the textbook P.F. Dick "Basics of religious science" in which

classifications have its own foundations:

a) so, G.V.F. Hegel allocated the religion of nature, (denominations of India, China, Persia, Syria, Egypt);

as well as the religion of spiritual individuality (confession of India, Greece, Rome) and absolute

religion- Christianity.

b) Auguste CONT allocated three stages in religions:

Fetishism,

Polytheism,

Monotheism.

c) D. Lelubok (1868) allocated seven stages of religion:

Atheism,

Fetishism,

Totemism,

Shamanism

-idolatry,

-gods - supernatural creators,

-gods - beneficial creatures;

d) K. Tile (1876) divided religion into two types: natural (natural) and ethical.

e) M. Muller (1878) highlighted the religion of the Aryan, semi-art and Turan peoples.

e) Marxist theory highlighted the religion of reporting and class societies, and the religions of class

societies subdivided into national (national state, nationally state) and

world (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam).

Output: thus, as we see, the forms and types of religion a lot, classifications too

enough, but no classification is perfect.

2.Features of some ethnassal religions.

In lecture № 3, we reviewed the Dob State Forms of Religion: Fetishism, Totemism, Magic,

animism. It should now be noted that religion in one country or another so closely intertwined with

national living conditions, national peculiarities that the most correct of all these religions follow

call not ethnic, but ethno-state.

Let's look at some of them.

the main periods, as cultureologists consider,

- vedic period

- brahmatian period

- hindu period.

Vedic period got its name from ancient religious texts- Vedas (from the word "to lend

hymns, texts that are combined into four historical books. The most ancient of the Vedic books -

in the historical sequence it follows the book of the worship of Lyudyzhurg, and completes the main Vedic

books Collection of chants - Atharwavened.

The Vedic period of Hinduism, which dates back to the second millennium BC, noted

waters. Sometimes he was called the Supreme Bag of Commercial. Also known, Dyus, Surya, Savitri,

Pushhan, miter, Vishnu and even the deity of the female kind - Ushas - the goddess of the morning dawn, as well as other gods:

Ashwina, Aditi, Agni, Soma and many others. In the hymn about the creation of the world (in the Rigveda) comes:

Not it was not worthy, and there was no essential.

There was no air space, no sky over him ...

There was no death, nor immortality,

There was no sign of the day or night.

Something one breath, the air does not hesitate, according to its law,

And there was nothing else except him.

In the Brahmanian period, which is dated to the beginning of the first millennium BC, when as a result

socio-economic transformations in India with the arrival of the Aryan tribes arose Caste

stroy, the dominant position in the social structure of Indian society began to occupy Brahmans,

concentrated state and religious power in their hands. Later brahmans were

the period was expensive and switched to private hands. The people remained away from the main religious

holidays and pleased with family rites and traditions. During this period in Brahman's literature

the idea of \u200b\u200bthe resettlement of souls and reincarnation (karma) is distributed, six later were formed six

classical religious and philosophical orthodox systems: Vedanta, Mimans, Sankiya, Yoga, Nyaya,

vaisheshika.

XX1 century continues to remain a state religion, and Buddhism, which has become a world religion (about

which will be discussed in subsequent lectures).

In the middle of 1 millennia BC E. Incured the era of Hinduism when the brahmans were forced

take their positions, and religious cults have become more accessible and democratic for

attracting the masses. Majestic temples began to be created, massive

religious holidays and processions. It was then that the main God became Krishna and his embodiment.

There are numerous directions of Hinduism and sects. Today, Hinduism continues to exist. It

folded, PEST, adapted to a multi-million country, reluctantly and crapets its influence

for the whole world: The movement of Krishnaitis, for example, officially exists in our republic (in Kazakhstan

small Krishna communities exist for about 10 years. The first emissars of Krishna Consciousness Society

appeared in Almaty in 1983. In 1991 Almaty Krishna Consciousness Society was registered. IN

1999 Kazakhstan numbered 13 spiritual centers of the Society of Krishna Consciousness, having in their

composition of more than 500 members. The largest community is in Almaty, its number is more than 200

human).

Jainism.

assume that Jainism arose somewhat earlier

The founder is genie (ie, "winner"), the prophet with the name of Mahavir Vardhaman. In Kymirkina Z.,

Orange "Great Religions of the World" (- m., 1995.c.199.) It is said that Mahavir Vardhaman was

senior contemporary Buddha. The name of Mahavir is literally translated as the "Great Hero". By legend he

also, like Buddha, was Tsarevich, but in the desire to comprehend the world became ascetic. The authors write that "

followers of it still exist in India; They are called Jaina, and the teaching of Jainism. IN

S.A.Tokarev in the book "Religion in the history of the peoples of the world" (- M., 1986.c.289.) Argued that in India "

jainists on the newest data of about 3 million. "

his. Jainists did not recognize the caste building, believed that everyone himself searches for his ways to

salvation, promoted strict asceticism, in which part of particularly consecutive Jainists

refuses to wear clothing at all. They are called Digambara - "dressed in light." Some Jainists

require saving chastity, preach the celibacy and Akhimsu (uncertain): "Do not even kill

insect, so the Jainists should drink water through the siete, so as not to swallow

world. - M., 1986.c.289.). The object of reverence of Jainists is their twenty-four prophets.

Popular encyclopedia "Countries and Peoples" (S.-PB.1997.c.247.) Calls Sikhism the main

india's religion along with Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Sikhism arose at the end of Hu - beginning Hu1.

century as a special flow in Hinduism, which preached the equality of all people, refusal to caste

the desire to unite all religions into one. The founder is considered to be Nanak, which combined around

themselves peoples on the fight against Muslims, and later struggle continued against conquerors - british.

Home Book Sikhov- "Adigranth". "The communities are very cohesive, the custom is observed.

mandatory payment of a well-known interest with income in favor of the community to help the UNDERSERS. Sikhi

more stricter than Hinduists still adhere to national traditions in clothing, do not cut hair and

bearded, be sure to wear a special iron bracelet, indicating about the belonging to the sect "

(S.A.Tokarev. Religion in the history of the peoples of the world. - M., 1986.c.295.). Monothetic is also noted

sikhism and denial of clergy.

Taoism.

In the book of G. Grill "What is Taoism?", Published in 1970, is written: "If anyone - either believes

what I'm going to give an answer to the question set in the title of this work, then let him allow me immediately

missing him. I will not be so stupid to try to give a single independent definition of

what is Taoism. In essence, the more studying Taoism, the clearer it becomes that it means not

school, and a whole plexus of doctrines. "

Taoism, as religious- the philosophical course arose at the turn of U1-centuries BC The founder of it

- senior Contemporary Confucius- Lao-tzu, nicknamed old teacher. That's what he writes about his appearance

on the light Yu.I. Bondarenko in the book "Man. Fate. Universe. The eyes of the ancient wise men "( -

M., 1994.c.145.): "According to legend, Lao, as an embodiment of Dao, like Buddha, from time immemorial

i was in the world in one, then in another look, while once did not find himself in the womb of the Divine Virgin

Yuniuy. It happened in the most unexpected way. When wonderful night beautiful maid

midnight aromas, leaned against the plum, from the heavens of the BB of her ajar mouth came down a glowing ball -

as soon as a noticeable droplet, similar to a falling star. Yunius swallowed the ball. After that, conceived

child, which wore 81 years in his womb. It is quite clear that Lao was born not an unscheduled baby, but

person, white hair and big ears, who were considered in China a sign of a special mind. "

The main book that Lao is attributed - tzu, and in which the essence of his teaching is set out, is called

"Dao. - de Jing. "

What is "Dao", who gave the name of the flow? According to Taoov (information from the book

it is not cooked by anyone, it "in itself root", covering and accompanied by everything. Taoi.

called it "Higher Teacher", "Heavenly ancestor", "Mother of the World", "Creator of Things".

The main ideas of Taoism:

➢the idea of \u200b\u200ba single origin of the world - Dao;

➢the idea of \u200b\u200bthe understanding of the world as a single whole, in which everything exists in relationship;

➢the idea of \u200b\u200bthe transformation of the body and the acquisition of specific properties by meditation;

➢the idea of \u200b\u200bthe path to immortality through the improvement of the spirit and body;

➢the idea of \u200b\u200bthe "Great Peace of Being" through self-sustaining, when "knowing does not say, but talking

does not know".

Question: what do you think, why religious- philosophical teaching in ancient China arose in such

ethical form? Answer difficult!

Homework: to identify the origin of Taoism and Confucianism in China.

Confucianism.

it appeared in China, too, in U1 century BC.

Founder - Kun. - Fu -tzu, which in Europe was called Confucula, and-russian-Confure. In the book

"Moral portraits of the prophets" (compiler - ARZYAMOVA G.V. - M., 1993.c.101) is given a legend of

birth of Confucius: "The founder of the Chinese ritual, the Chinese tradition, the Kun teacher surprised

all since birth. Yes, and his birth was unusual. Son of impoverished nobleman, a descendant of one of

royal branches, son of an old soldier. Shulyan He was 70 years old when he married the third time on the girl

(Zheng. - tzai was not sixteen) from a simple family. So what to do? Favorite wife gave he eight

daughters, second - son - freak, but only a full man - the descendant could bring sacrificial meat

and wines souls of the deceased, otherwise the genus Shulyan Heave in the kingdom of dead evil spirits, forever

tormented hunger and thirst. The girl's father was already preparing the daughter in the shamans, "Girl of Spirits" - intermediary

between the alive and dead at the childbirth temple of the ancestors ... And here is the request of an old soldier (perhaps

one-welded) everything changed. The youngest daughter of the idleness of the priestly with a turn of fate. And on day

autumn equinox - September 22, 551 BC. gave birth to an amazing boy, subsequently the sage

In the same source on page 102, the portrait of Confucius is given: "... Strong and strong child Ros

the fastest of peers and in mature years was distinguished by an unusually high growth and a powerful physique.

His face was unusual and surprised with age, to put it mildly, with disgracefulness: massive forehead,

very long ears, rumby upper lip, from - under which two unnatural largest

the front tooth, thick eyebrows and beard, a fleshy nose with wide nostrils, whipped and whitish eyes.

He would be considered with such an appearance freak, if not natural grace and good manners. "

In summary, the Decision of Confucius is as follows:

-created his school;

-developed socially-ethical theory of relations in the society of the ancient China;

-called for the upbringing of the "noble husband" brought up on virtues;

-considered it important in Chinese society compliance with hierarchy and subordination;

-widely promoted the ideas of upbringing in collectivist conditions

existence of Chinese society;

-considered the supreme force - Sky;

-was a low official in the state, wanderer, teacher;

-with his name, they associate a reverent attitude to the traditions of the country and family.

These ideas were more appropriate in the era of large social and political upheavals,

who worried China, abandoned in internecine conflicts, in which generic aristocracy,

the ancient foundations of the family, society, and the sales and greed of officials crossed

simple folks. Criticizing the modern society, Confucius proclaimed his ideal perfect

man (Jun. - tzu), who had to have a sense of debt (defined moral

obligations that a perfect person imposes on himself) and humanity, which

implies in a man modesty, restraint, dignity, selflessness, love for people,

sympathy, respect and other qualities

Confucius formulated its social ideal, which can be expressed in his wish:

"Let the father be the son, son - father, sovereign - sovereign, official - official. " The main task

confucianism - guidance of order in society, targeting on respect for the traditions of old and upbringing

a virtuous person who can serve people and Fatherland. When Confucianism has become

the official religion of China, much of what offered Conf utilities, prework attah in external fore mu

manifested in S. false ritual x and ceremonies.

Shintoism.

IN popular e. ntsicopedia « Countries and peoples » ( -FROM.-PB.1997. P.295.) about renovy r eligiy

Japan named Buddhism and shintoism.

Shintoism – trad iII own religion yapa. nits. Name via profure shl from words "Put b bogo in".

Formed religion in U1. - U11. explosive IN shintoism e. set in west in, kiss oh inherited I pony sO

times existence rank ovoy building. Higher divine i'm in falls sO light goddess Amateras. y, cRO me.

it is worshiped Susta - but- in (God b uri) and Inari - ( « riso. of the man "). With time influence of Buddhism

intensified us only, what profure shl merger i punchy kam. and (gods) from buddha yiski. In second floors ine.

X1x in. s. nTOness strengthens their osias in Japan, he deficed the emperor skye VL ast. Shintoism

divided on the temple and sectant iY shintoism. FROM tread s. nTOISMA – in preaching iI high

morality and D. erasely purity.

Judaism.

beliefs appeared on the r squake second gO and first thousands iY before aD Role and udashima great: is he has entered

composite part in worlds y religion christia nice and islam. Already in P. erv millennium and udisity started

transform in monotheist iECH religion from cult united god Yahweh. at first and udisity not

spread further PA lasty terr. judy on the which is he originated but later fission teli

judaism settled by everything world. Judaism - religion eU yeysky naro yes, in who j. said about

exceptional M. essiansky The purpose of the Jews.

The main ideas of Judaism but:

-god's bogue yeisk people

-faith in one and all walking God

-national self-aisole jewish Naro yes, which ivel K.

preservation of the ethnic.

Sacred book judaism called Tanah (this is eU yehova name Old covenant). IN nee entered Torah

(Pentateuch ), Nebiim ( "Pros oka ") and Xs. kill ( "Scriptures"). Besides togo in Vets iY per vet vosh lie : kN iGA

Judges four e. kN iGA. kingdoms, two books Chronicle, I. dr. B. section "P. isania » in sheltered philosophical treatise

Ecclesisaist, Collection to prayer songs i and lyrical poem "Song song ».

To appeared representation about parts Old testament - Book Ecclesisian (Ecclesiasta) -

i propose a break an excerpt from ancient work, about tnaching to 1 thousand etia BC.

"... 2. Susta, tale l Ecclesiast, vanity fuss, - all S. mother !

3. For use of a person from all TR satisfied and he works under

sun?

4. It seems, and the genus it goes, and the earth is moves forever ...

9.What was, it will be; and C. that was done, then it will be done, and there is nothing

new under the sun.

10.Velid I'm all the case, ka kie are made under lNC, and that's all -vanity and

tomorrow of the Spirit! "

Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism, Religions of Greeks and Romans, Judaism

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Theme of article:	Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism, Religions of Greeks and Romans, Judaism
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Zoroastric It is noticeably different in nature from the religious systems of Mesopotamia and Egypt. He refers to later type prophetic religions. His founder is the Iranian prophet Zoroastra (Zarathushtra), who lived in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e., i.e. at one time with Buddha Shakyamuni and only 100 years earlier than Lao Tzu and Confucius. Zoroastra was a triang-like trigger, like Hebrew Moses. The basics of Zoroastrianism are recorded in the ancient sacred book of Zoroastrians - Avesta.

In the texts of the time of the Agemenid rulers Darius, Kira, Xerxes can be found tracks ᴇᴦο ideas, but there are no mention of himself. Information about it is extremely small. The texts of the Avesta, which today has science, belong to a much longer time. According to the teachings of Zoroistra, the world of good, light and justice, which personifies Ahura Mazda (Greek. Ormongov), opposes the world of evil and darkness, ᴇᴦο personifies Angra Menia (Ariman). Between these two beginnings there is a struggle not for life, but to death. Ahura Mazda help in this struggle of the perfume of the purity and good, Angra Menyu is the forces of evil, destruction.

Zoroastrianism is already among the developed religions, he philosophically comprehends the world on the basis of a dualistic idea of \u200b\u200birreconcilities and constant struggle of light and darkness, good and evil. There is a transition from magical religions to ethical. A person should be on the side of good, to become better, not to regret the strength to fight evil and the forces of darkness, any evil. It must be benevolent, moderate in miseles and passions, help the neighbor. The man is the Creator of His happiness, depends on it ᴇᴦο fate. To combat evil, a person must first be cleaned, and not only spirit and thoughts, but also the body. Physical purity Zoroastrianism attached a ritual value. The deceased corpses are a symbol of impurities, they should not touch the pure elements (earth, water, fire). From here ~ a special burial rite. In the open towers, special ministers demolished the bodies of the dead, where they were brushed predatory necks, and the bones were discharged to the bottom dug in the tower, lined with a well of the well. Patients, women after childbirth and during periods of menstruation were unclean. They had to pass a special clarification rite. The main role in the ceremony of cleansing was played by fire. Rituals in honor of Ahura Mazda were made not in the temples, but in open places, with singing, wine and necessarily fire. Hence another name of the supporters of Zoroastrianism - fireplongs. Along with the fire, other elements and some animals - bull, horse, dog and vulture were rewiced.

In mythology, Zoroastrianism brought the idea of \u200b\u200bexistence in addition to the Earth and the sky of a special luminous sphere and paradise. The first person named Yim Ahura-Mazda was forced to be expelled from Paradise and deprive the immortality for showing disobedience and began to eat the meat of sacred bulls. So began after the paradise idyll wrestling of goodness with evil. The concept of sin, falling man and punishment in Zoroastrianism is hardly for the first time. The posthumous fate of a person depends on the strength of ᴇᴦο faith and activity in the fight against evil - or he deserves the paradise bliss, or it turns out to be among the spirits of darkness and unclean. The fate of a person is dependent on ᴇᴦο beliefs and behavior. And one more innovation is the doctrine of the end of the world, the "terrible court" and the coming of the Messiah, in which Zoroastra will embody, to save humanity, contribute to the final victory of Ahura Mazda above the evil forces. Without any doubt that these ideas had an impact on Christianity.

Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism, Religions of the Greeks and Romans, Judaism - the concept and species. Classification and features of the category "Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism, Religions of the Greeks and Romans, Judaism" 2015, 2017-2018.

Zoroastrianism.He refers to later type prophetic religions. His founder is the Iranian prophet Zoroastra (Zarathushtra), who lived in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e.

Zoroastrianism is already among the developed religions, he philosophically comprehends the world on the basis of a dualistic idea of \u200b\u200bnon-visibility and constant struggle of light and darkness, good and evil. There is a transition from magical religions to ethical. A person should be on the side of good, do not regret the strength to fight evil and the forces of darkness.

The man is the Creator of his happiness, his fate depends on him.

To combat evil, a person must first be cleaned, and not only spirit and thoughts, but also the body. Physical purity Zoroastrianism attached a ritual value. The deceased corpses are a symbol of impurities, they should not touch the pure elements (earth, water, fire). From here ~ a special burial rite: in the open towers, special ministers demolished the bodies of the dead, where they were spacious predatory vultures, and the bones were dropped on the bottom of the tower, lined with a well. Patients, women after childbirth and during periods of menstruation were unclean. They had to pass a special clarification rite. The main role in the ceremony of cleansing was played by fire.

According to the teachings of Zoroastra, the world of good, light and justice, which personifies Ahura Mazda (Greek. Ormongov), opposes the world of evil and darkness, will personify Angra Menyu (Ariman).

In mythology, Zoroastrianism brought the idea of \u200b\u200bexistence in addition to the Earth and the sky of a special luminous sphere and paradise. The first person named Yim Ahura-Mazda was forced to be expelled from Paradise and deprive the immortality for showing disobedience and began to eat the meat of sacred bulls.

By the name of God of Light Ahura-Mazda, this doctrine is called Mazdaism, and at the place of occurrence - parcels.

In the form of mitraisms, Zoroastrianism spread in the Greek-Roman antique world. He was brought by Roman legionnaires from the eastern trips I c. n. e. Mitra began to identify with the Savior, who was mentioned in Zoroastrian prophecies. Every year on December 25th there was a day of birth (this day became the day of the Nativity of Christ).

Zoroastrianism as a prophetic religion sees the meaning of the world is not in its existence, but in the exercise of the goal established by God at the end of days. This is an eschatologically oriented religion, close to other prophetic religions, which have become world religions - Christianity and Islam.

In Zoroastrism, it should be noted three sociologically significant points.

1. It was a religion that carried protest against an existing social condition and defended the social ideal.

2. The community formed around the prophet was different and followed different reasons.

3. This prophetic religion, addressed to the personal decision and choosing its followers

Distinctive features of this religion - its ethical character and sharply expressed dualism of light and dark began.

Hinduism.religion of calm in one, comprehension that the plurality of the world is illusory. The basis of this religion is the idea that the world is not a random, chaotic combination of things and phenomena, but an ordered whole. Universal and eternal order, preserving, holding the universe as a whole, called dharma.

It embodies a certain impersonal pattern of the Universe as a whole and only then acts as a law, which predetermines the fate of the individual. Due to this, the place of each particle in its attitude to the whole is established.

The world is a combination of joy and suffering. People can achieve happiness, let the transient, receive permitted 1st enjoyment (Kama) and the benefit (Artha), if they act in accordance with Dharma.

The meaning of existence is to understand that the multiplicity of the world is a hoax, for there is one life, one essence, one goal. A combination of funds with which you can comprehend reality and achieve liberation, called yoga.

The implementation of this unity is achieved in a state of trance, ecstasy, when a person rises from the level of mortal and merges with the ocean of pure being, consciousness and joy (Sat, Cheat, Ananda).

The transformation of human consciousness in the Divine is impossible for one life. Individual in the cycle of existence goes through a series of repeated births and deaths (the law of karma).

This is the doctrine of "eternal return": birth and death indicate only the creation and disappearance of the body, new births are a wanderland of the soul, a cycle of life (Sansara).

Truth is available at different levels of human consciousness in different extent. The sage is an understanding of pure being (edweig); At a simpler level, the absolute consciousness can act as a personal god, perfection comes down to good, the liberation is understood as life in paradise, and wisdom is replaced with love (bhakti) to the individual, "his own" to God, whom a believer elects the gods from Pantheon, following his inclinations and sympathy.

The feature of the Hinduism is that it allows, as we see, different points of view and position: for those who are already close to the goal, and for those who have not yet found the way - darshans.

Its foundations are laid in the Vedic religion, which the Aryan tribes brought, invugined to India in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. Vedas - Collections of texts, including four major: the oldest collections of Hymf - Rigveda, collections of prayer spells and rites - Samowed and Yajurwed and the book of chants and magical spells - Astharvaeda.

Polytetic religion. Hundreds of gods.

There are no mentions of the sanctuary and temples, images of gods, professional priests. It was one of the "primitive" tribal religions.

The second period in the history of Indian religion - brahmansky.

The oldest caste - Brahmans (hereditary priesthood), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishi (farmers, cattle breeders, merchants) and shudras (literally servants - the abuse caste of slaves).

Monument of religion and legislation of this period - laws mana Compiled about V c. BC e. And sanctifying castes as installed by the gods.

The Supreme God becomes the Brahman's new God - Brahma, or Brahma, from different parts of the body of which there were different castes: from the mouth - Brahmans, from the hands of Kshatriya, from the hips - Vaishi, from the legs of the shudras.

The Brahmanian period appears religious and philosophical literature - Upanishads, theological and philosophical essays. . Her central problem is the problem of life and death, the question is that there is a carrier of life: water, breathing, wind or fire.

Gradually ancient Brahman's religion sacrifices and knowledge turned into hinduism - The doctrine of love and reverence, which is the most severe support in Bhagavadgita, a book, which is not found without reason, sometimes call the new Testament of Hinduism. Since that time, the Hindu temples begin to appear.

The revered gods are embodied in sculptural and picturesque form, acquiring anthropomorphic features (even with several heads of faces and multiple). This God, placed in the temple dedicated to him, was understandable to every believer.

These gods can be loved or fear, you can hope for them. Savior gods appear in Hinduism, having earthly incarnation (avatar).

The most important of the numerous gods of Hinduism is the Trinity (Trimurti) - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, separated (although not clearly), the main functions inherent in the Supreme God function are creative, destructive and guardious.

In Hinduism, magical techniques are preserved - Tantra - and there has been a special type of religious practice. tantris. Based on the magic techniques - the tantatr - in Hinduism there were formulas (mantras), i.e. the sacred spells, which were attributed to the magic force.

An essential feature of the religious life of India is numerous sects. Their religious leaders of the Guru are intermediaries between man and gods and themselves almost gods.

The social basis of Hinduism is the Custom system of India. Therefore, it did not receive world distribution.

Chinese religions.

The basis of the foundations of the religious systems of China was the cult of ancestors and a support for a tradition, and on the other - to strengthen the rational principle: do not dissolve in the absolute, but to learn to live adequate in accordance with the norm adopted, live, redeem the life itself, and not for the sake of the coming salvation, gain Bliss in another world. Another feature is a socially insignificant role of priesthood, clergy.

The ruler who performed the features of the high priest was assisted by officials who speakers in the role of priests. Ancient China, therefore, did not know the priests in his own sense of the word, he did not know the great personalized gods and temples in their honor. The activities of priests officers were aimed primarily to fulfill administrative duties designed to maintain the sustainability of the social structure authorized by the sky.

Philosophical thinking in ancient China began with the division of everything on the male and female start. Male beginning, Yang, was associated with the Sun, with all bright, bright, strong; Female, yin, - with moon, with dark, dark and weak. But both beginnings were harmoniously connected, forming everything. On this basis there is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe great path of Dao - Universal Law, the symbol of truth and virtue.

In the middle of the 11th millennium BC. e., between 800 and 200 years. BC e., in history there is a sharp turn, which K. Jaspers offered to call axial time. In China, at this time, renewal of religious life begins, associated with the activities of Confucius and Lao Tzu. Two Chinese religions arise, differing significantly, - confucianism , ethically directed, and taoism , Picking to mysticism.

The main object of the Confucian cult was the spirits of ancestors. Confucius performed very conscientiously religious rites and taught their steady execution not for the sake of the decreasing mercy, but because the performance of them is "fair and decent to man."

Strict observance of rites is the main rule of life, the support of the entire existing order. Sonstitude and reverence of ancestors is the main responsibility of a person.

Confucius sought to bring the world in order, subdued the "path" (Dao) of a man's path of the sky, offering their ideal of a "noble person" as a sample to imitate people, hung out of idealized antiquity, when the rulers were wise, officials - disinterested and devotees, and the people glory. A noble person has two main advantages of humanity and a sense of duty.

In the VI century BC e. Lao Tzu is the teaching, which today many researchers consider the legendary figure. The treatise in which this teaching is settled, "Tao-De Jing" refers to the IV-III centuries. BC. This is a mystical teaching, on the basis of which Taoism is developing. Tao means here an inaccessible person, rooted in Eternity "Path", the very divine state itself, the absolute, from which all earthly phenomena arise also. Nobody created the great Dao, everything comes from it, nameless and shapeless, it gives rise to the name and shape of everything in the world. Even the Great Sky follows Dao. To know how, follow him, merge with him - in this sense, goal and happiness of life.

Virtue, if they are unsurviced to man, serve as a symptom that it is isolated from the absolute. There is no need to require the fulfillment of ethical purposes if unity with eternal is achieved. In this case, they are needed in reality. The appeal is necessary, return to the eternal, "Return to the roots". On this basis, the teachings of Lao Tzu about the notion or non-action (Wu-Wei) grow up. Ethics proclaims unprofitability, satisfaction with his fate, refusal of desires and aspirations as the basis of permafrost. This ethical patient attitude towards evil and renunciation from their desires is the basis of religious salvation.

Religion Greek. Dogometer period: perceives the surrounding as an animated, as inhabited by the blind demonic forces, which are embodied in sacred subjects and phenomena. Demonic forces receive a personal embodiment in countless demonic beings living in caves, mountains, sources, trees, etc.

The world in this primitive religious consciousness appears as a world, filled with rawness, disproportion, disharmony, doubling to the deformity, which is horrified.

When in the II millennium BC The Greeks invaded Elladu, they found here a highly developed culture, known as Criton Miktena culture. From this culture, its religion Greeks perceived many motives that have passed into their religion. This applies to many Greek deities, for example, to Athena and Artemis, whose mycher's origin can be considered indisputable.

From this motley world of demonic forces and divine images and formed the world of Homerovsky gods, which we learn from Iliad and Odyssey. In this world, people are commensurate with the gods. Love for glory raises people to the level of the gods and makes them heroes that can overcome and the will of the gods.

But along with the extinction of the old religion, the strong awakening of religious feelings, new religious searches is obtained. This is primarily religious associated with mysteries.The Old Olympic Religion receives its classical completion at the end of the VI - the beginning of the V c. BC e. In the face of such thinkers and poets like Herodotus, Pindar, Eschil, Sofokl and Eurypid.

This religious consciousness was permeated by the idea of \u200b\u200border, measures and harmony, and at the same time they invited the opposite, alien to this aspiration of the Greek spirit, the beginning of an ecstatic impulse, orgiastic faintness and unbridled.

The religious thought of Greece, her understanding of God was focused mainly on the ordered world, the cosmos to which the gods belonged. Orgiastic cults brought the moment of ecstasy as the way of unity with the deity and thereby elevation of a person, recognizing his independence.

Along with the dominant polis cult and old folk beliefs in Greece with the VI century. BC e. Religious flows appear marked with mystical sentiment and frequently represented in secret societies. One of them is an orphism, whose supporters proceeded from the teachings of the mythical character - Singer Orpheus. Eastern religious and philosophical systems were rendered to the views of Ofives, in which the image of the dying and resurrecting God was played. There was another sect to the orp to be close - the Pythagoreans, who believed in the resettlement of the souls and revered the sun and the fire.

Dominant form of religion Rome In the classical period of his history there was a cult of polis gods, first of all Jupiter. According to legend, King Tarquiniya built the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol Hill and Jupiter Capitoline became the patron saint of the city.

Romans was inherent in the practical mindset. And they were guided by expediency in religion, pursuing earthly affairs with the help of magical cult practice. Their gods are most often colorless, serve as a designation of some abstract started. The Romans honored such deities as peace, hope, valor, justice that did not possess alive features. In honor of such gods, the temples were built, sacrifices were sacrificed. Mythology at the Romans was little designed.

Judaism. In the early cults, trees, sources, stars, stones, animals were deified. Traces of Totemism are easy to see in the Bible when it comes to different animals, but above all - about snake and about bull. There were cults of the dead and ancestors. Yahwa was originally a deity of the southern tribes. This Version Divine seemed to be wings flying between the clouds and appearing in thunderstorms, lightning, vortices, on fire. Yahwe became the patron saint of a tribal union created for the conquest of Palestine, revered by all twelve tribes and symbolizing their binding force. The former gods were partially rejected, partially merged into the image of Yahweh. Yahweh was the own God of Jews, who did not exclude the existence of other gods: every nation is their God. This form of the idea of \u200b\u200bGod is called henotism.

New in religious history, characteristic of Judaism, his distinctive moment is to understand the relationship between God and his "chosen people" of Israel as the relationship of the Union. A kind of constitution of this allied relationship between Israel and his God is a law in which Yahwe has expressed his will. Religion thus hardened in Israel to purely external worship services, which was based on confidence in obtaining a "fair" remuneration from God for the implementation of rites and following prescribed behavioral standards.

Israel was a sample real theocracy. It was the state controlled and led by the Kesty Priests. Yakhwe - King. From here, there was a treason - this is a betrayal of God that the war, who led Israel, is wars led by Yahweh, that the earth kingdom is actually a disappearance of God, which is only a real king, that laws are laws, granted and Installed by Yahweh themselves, and that the right existing in the state is a sacred establishment.

A large role in religious life is beginning to play with inague - The collection of believers, the tradition, which arose before, in the diaspora (scattering - Greek), and rabies - Teachers who considered in contrast to the priests more important worship in the synagogue, where the law was interpreted, and not sacrifices in the temple.

The most radical opposition was the Esseev sect, rejected by the traditional religion of the Jews, who opposed the servants of the temple, primarily against the high priests.

Zoroastric It is noticeably different in nature from the religious systems of Mesopotamia and Egypt. He refers to later type prophetic religions. His founder is the Iranian prophet Zoroastra (Zarathushtra), who lived in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e., i.e. at one time with Buddha Shakyamuni and only 100 years earlier than Lao Tzu and Confucius. Zoroastra was a triang-like trigger, like Hebrew Moses. The basics of Zoroastrianism are recorded in the ancient sacred book of Zoroastrians - Avesta.

In the texts of the time of the Agemenid rulers, Darius, Kira, Xerxes, you can find traces of his ideas, but there are no mention of himself. Information about it is extremely small. The texts of the Avesta, which today has science, belong to a much longer time. According to the teachings of Zoroastra, the world of good, light and justice, which personifies Ahura Mazda (Greek. Ormongov), opposes the world of evil and darkness, will personify Angra Menyu (Ariman). Between these two beginnings there is a struggle not for life, but to death. Ahura Mazda help in this struggle of the perfume of the purity and good, Angra Menyu is the forces of evil, destruction.

Zoroastrianism is already among the developed religions, he philosophically comprehends the world on the basis of a dualistic idea of \u200b\u200bnon-visibility and constant struggle of light and darkness, good and evil. There is a transition from magical religions to ethical. A person should be on the side of good, to become better, not to regret the strength to fight evil and the forces of darkness, any evil. It must be benevolent, moderate in miseles and passions, help the neighbor. The man is the Creator of his happiness, his fate depends on him. To combat evil, a person must first be cleaned, and not only spirit and thoughts, but also the body. Physical purity Zoroastrianism attached a ritual value. The deceased corpses are a symbol of impurities, they should not touch the pure elements (earth, water, fire). From here ~ a special burial rite: in the open towers, special ministers demolished the bodies of the dead, where they were spacious predatory vultures, and the bones were dropped on the bottom of the tower, lined with a well. Patients, women after childbirth and during periods of menstruation were unclean. They had to pass a special clarification rite. The main role in the ceremony of cleansing was played by fire. Rituals in honor of Ahura Mazda were made not in the temples, but in open places, with singing, wine and necessarily fire. Hence another name of the supporters of Zoroastrianism - fireplongs. Along with the fire, other elements and some animals - bull, horse, dog and vulture were rewiced.

In mythology, Zoroastrianism brought the idea of \u200b\u200bexistence in addition to the Earth and the sky of a special luminous sphere and paradise. The first person named Yim Ahura-Mazda was forced to be expelled from Paradise and deprive the immortality for showing disobedience and began to eat the meat of sacred bulls. So began after the paradise idyll wrestling of goodness with evil. The concept of sin, falling man and punishment in Zoroastrianism is hardly for the first time. The posthumous fate of a person depends on the strength of his faith and activity in the fight against evil - or he deserves a paradise bliss, or it turns out to be among the spirits of darkness and unclean. The fate of the person is dependent on his beliefs and behavior. And one more innovation is the doctrine of the end of the world, the "terrible court" and the coming of the Messiah, in which the Zoroastr will embody, to save humanity, contribute to the final victory of Ahura Mazda above the evil forces. There is no doubt that these ideas had an impact on Christianity.

By the name of God of Light Ahura-Mazda, this doctrine is called Mazdaism, and at the place of occurrence - parcels. In the Persia itself or the current Iran, this Ancient Wiral religion completely disappeared, displaced by Islam. Cuts from their own country, the parties moved to India and retained there an ancient teaching as a "living" religion.

In late Zoroastrianism, at the turn of our era, the cult of God the Light Mitra, who was considered an assistant Ahura Mazda, came to the fore. In the form of mitraisms, Zoroastrianism spread in the Greek-Roman antique world. He was brought by Roman legionnaires from the eastern trips I c. n. e. Mitra began to identify with the Savior, who was mentioned in Zoroastrian prophecies. Every year on December 25th there was a day of birth (this day became the day of the Nativity of Christ). We believed to Mitra used to pass through bread and wine, symbolizing his body and blood. The name of the miter means loyalty, that is, is associated with moral representations. In the II-III centuries, the cult Mitra was a dangerous opponent for Christianity. Its influence has affected different countries not only in the ancient era, but also in the Middle Ages.

Zoroastrianism as a prophetic religion sees the meaning of the world is not in its existence, but in the exercise of the goal established by God at the end of days. This is an eschatologically oriented religion, close to other prophetic religions, which have become world religions - Christianity and Islam. The world, what it is, there is still no world in which its meaning is implemented, the world is only on the way to its incarnation. The person is called to fulfill the law and thus the will of the gods, but he is still called by God to take part in this cosmic struggle and make his choice between the forces of light and darkness, good and evil spirits.

In Zoroastrism, it should be noted three sociologically significant points. First, it was a religion that carried a protest against an existing social condition and defended the social ideal. The wisdom of power is not in violence, robbery and subordination, the oppression of the lower layers (the main virtue of a righteous person, according to Avesta, is to steal the land and grow plants), and in the right, in the fair order of public life. Secondly, the community formed around the prophet was different and followed different motives. The elite inspired the very teaching, spiritual problems; These people have created an early community. The masses were guided by more utilitarian motives, they attracted hope for reward. The religious level of the first communities was thus different, they pursued different goals. And finally, this prophetic religion, addressed to the personal decision and choosing his followers, after Zoroistra again returned to the type of religion of the priest, with frozen prescriptions and magical rituals. If the fire was a sublime symbol for Zoroastra, then after him he again turned into an ancient cult of fire, and today it prevents parties in India to burn dead, like the Hindus, as they are afraid to lose their purity.

In general, Zoroastrianism is significantly different from other religions of ancient civilizations, refers to a higher type of religious development. Distinctive features of this religion - its ethical character and a sharply expressed dualism of light and dark began, a phenomenon, for other religions, unusual, which many researchers are associated with a century-old conflict and hostility between sedentary agricultural tribes and cattle nomads.

Hinduism - Religion of calm in one, comprehension that the multiplicity of the world is illusory. The basis of this religion is the idea that the world is not a random, chaotic combination of things and phenomena, but an ordered whole. Universal and eternal order, preserving, holding the universe as a whole, called dharma (from Sanskr. "Hold"). Dharma is not a symbol of the legislator's god, for it is in the things themselves and phenomena. It embodies a certain impersonal pattern of the Universe as a whole and only then acts as a law, which predetermines the fate of the individual. Due to this, the place of each particle in its attitude to the whole is established.

Dharma of each separate being taken from the Universal Universal Dharma and the estate to which it belongs. This is a set of religious and public duties of each class. If the action of a person corresponds to the Dharma, in which justice is embodied, it is good and leads to order; If not, if the action contradicts the order, it is bad and leads to suffering.

The world is a combination of joy and suffering. People can achieve happiness, let the transient, receive permitted 1st enjoyment (Kama) and the benefit (Artha), if they act in accordance with Dharma. But those who have achieved spiritual maturity do not seek to enjoy and material benefits, and are looking for eternal life, absolute reality, hidden from the eyes of the usual mortal cover of illusions. Not military leaders, rulers and rich, and saints, ascetics, hermits are worshiped by the Hindus as they are really great people. The meaning of existence is to understand that the multiplicity of the world is a hoax, for there is one life, one essence, one goal. In comprehending this unity, the Hindus see the greatest benefit, salvation, liberation and higher appointment: to know the universe in yourself and yourself in everything, to find love, which makes it possible to live an endless life in this world. A combination of funds with which you can comprehend reality and achieve liberation, called yoga.

Frequently - it means to know what everything comes from the creation of the original spirit uniting creations, and merge with him. The implementation of this unity is achieved in a state of trance, ecstasy, when a person rises from the level of mortal and merges with the ocean of pure being, consciousness and joy (Sat, Cheat, Ananda).

The transformation of human consciousness in the Divine is impossible for one life. Individual in the cycle of existence goes through a series of repeated births and deaths (the law of karma). Each group of people was prescribed a certain behavior, which corresponds to a specific step of the path and follow the transition to a higher stage.

Since each action is the result of the intention and desire, the soul of the individual will be born, embodied in the world until it is free from all elements of desire. This is the doctrine of "eternal return": birth and death indicate only the creation and disappearance of the body, new births are a wanderland of the soul, a cycle of life (Sansara).

Truth is available at different levels of human consciousness in different extent. The sage is an understanding of pure being (edweig); At a simpler level, the absolute consciousness can act as a personal god, perfection comes down to good, the liberation is understood as life in paradise, and wisdom is replaced with love (bhakti) to the individual, "his own" to God, whom a believer elects the gods from Pantheon, following his inclinations and sympathy. If a person is unavailable and this level, he simply must follow certain moral and ritual prescriptions, strictly observe them. In this case, individual God is replaced by his image in the temple, contemplation and concentration - the rite, prayer, the pronouncement of the sacred formulas, love - the right behavior. The feature of the Hinduism is that it allows, as we see, different points of view and position: for those who are already close to the goal, and for those who have not yet found the way - darshans (from Sanskr. "See"). And these differences do not violate the unity of the teaching.

Hinduism means something more than just the name of religion. In India, where he received distribution is a whole set of religious forms, from the simplest ritual, polytetic to philosophical and mystical, monotheistic, and moreover, this is the designation of the Indian lifestyle with a caste division, including the entire amount of life principles, norms, social and Ethical values, beliefs and ideas, rites and cults, myths and legends, everyday life and holidays, etc. This is a kind of result, summarizing the long and complex history of religious life and the search for the peoples of Industan.

Its foundations are laid in the Vedic religion, which the Aryan tribes brought, invugined to India in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. Vedas - Collections of texts, including four major: the oldest collections of Hymf - Rigveda, collections of prayer spells and rites - Samowed and Yajurwed and the book of chants and magical spells - Astharvaeda. The religion of the Aryans was polytestic. Tens and hundreds of gods are mentioned in the Vedas. One of them is Indra, the God of Thunder and Lightning. Two groups of gods oppose each other - Ashura Ideva. The Asurov includes Varuna (in some texts he is a supreme God). Mitra (friend) - Sunny God and defender of people, Vishnu - in the Vedas I have not played a significant role. Most of the Vedic Gods went to the past, only a few are preserved in the memory of the people, and Vishnu became the most important religious character in the later Indian religion. Another object of worship - Soma, a sacred intoxicating drink, which was used in cultive actions and served as a victim of the gods. Subsequently, deves became the Indians with good spirits, and Asura - evil, along with Rakshasami. Inra and other good gods are fighting with evil spirits.

There are no mentions of the sanctuary and temples, images of gods, professional priests. It was one of the "primitive" tribal religions.

The second period in the history of Indian religion - brahmansky.He comes to change Vedic in the I millennium BC. e. When despotic states arise in the valleys of Inde and Ganga and the basis of the caste. The oldest caste - Brahmans (hereditary priesthood), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishi (farmers, cattle breeders, merchants) and shudras (literally servants - the abuse caste of slaves). The first three castes were considered noble, they were called twice born.

Monument of religion and legislation of this period - laws mana Compiled about V c. BC e. And sanctifying castes as installed by the gods. Higher caste - Brahmans (Brahmins): "Brahman, born to prevent the treasury of the Dharma (Holy Law), ranks a higher place on earth as the Lord of all beings." The main thing its occupation is to study the Vedas and teach them others. All belonging to the three noble caustes take place the rite of initiation, which is considered as the "Second Birth".

The Supreme God becomes the Brahman's new God - Brahma, or Brahma, from different parts of the body of which there were different castes: from the mouth - Brahmans, from the hands of Kshatriya, from the hips - Vaishi, from the legs of the shudras. Initially, it was a religion in which the central place occupied the rite, the sacrifice - living beings, people, ancestors, gods and brahman. "Every day the rite of food is a rite of living beings. Every day, alms should be served - the rite of people. Surveral ceremonies should be held daily - the rite of the ancestors. Every day you need to bring victims to the gods, including the so-called burning of firewood, is the rite of gods. What is the victim of Brahman? Penetration (in essence) of the sacred teaching. " At the same time there were no public temples and public sacrifices, private sacrifices were available only for nobility. The cult becomes an aristocratic, the gods receive the character of caste gods, the shudrs are generally removed from the official cult.

Further development led from the rite to know. In the early I millennium BC. e. The doctrine of karma is beginning to develop, which becomes the cornerstone of Indian religion. The law of karma is the law of rewarding and retribution, every person predetermined its fate in the subsequent embodiment. The Brahmanian period appears religious and philosophical literature - Upanishads, theological and philosophical essays. At first, the texts of Brahmanov with clarification of the meaning and meaning of the Vedic sacrifices. In their development, not only brahmans played an important role, but also askets, military leaders, etc. Upanishad system - the fruit of thought of various eras and schools. Her central problem is the problem of life and death, the question is that there is a carrier of life: water, breathing, wind or fire? In the Upanishads, Belief is justified in reincarnation and the doctrine of retaliation for the perfect.

Gradually ancient Brahman's religion sacrifices and knowledge turned into hinduism - The doctrine of love and reverence, which is the most severe support in Bhagavadgita, a book, which is not found without reason, sometimes call the new Testament of Hinduism. It has influenced its development in the VI-V centuries. BC e. Buddhism and Jainism - the exercise that has denied customs and at the head of the corner put the deliverance of each person from suffering through his own efforts. These teachings recognized rebirth and karma, the ethical doctrine of the righteous path of life was put on in them. To resist in the fight against Buddhism and Jainism, the old Brahman religion was largely changed, absorbing certain elements of these young religions, becoming closer and clearer people, giving them the opportunity to take part in the cult, in public public ceremonies, rites. Since that time, the Hindu temples begin to appear. The first, the most ancient temples of India were Buddhist, in imitating they appear Brahmansky. The revered gods are embodied in sculptural and picturesque form, acquiring anthropomorphic features (even with several heads of faces and multiple). This God, placed in the temple dedicated to him, was understandable to every believer.

These gods can be loved or fear, you can hope for them. Savior gods appear in Hinduism, having earthly incarnation (avatar).

The most important of the numerous gods of Hinduism is the Trinity (Trimurti) - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, separated (although not clearly), the main functions inherent in the Supreme God function are creative, destructive and guardious. Hindus are found most of them on Sivaitov and Vishnuitov, depending on whether they see their chosen one. In the cult of Shiva, a creative moment came to the fore - the cult of vitality and male began. Saviva attribute - Find a bull. Stone marriage-lingams in the temples and home altars symbolize the life-giving potency of Shiva. On Luba Shiva - the third eye - an angry destroyer's eye. Wiva's wives are fertility goddess, female expansion. They are honored under different names, they are brought victims, including human. The feminine is called Shakti. His most famous personification is the goddess of the fertility of Durga and Kali. Summary name of all Siva's Ipostasses - Davy, A lot of temples are devoted to her.

A peculiar character wears the cult of Vishnu - God, close to people, soft, performing a protective function. His relationship with his wife Lakshmi is the personification of gentle, selfless love. Vishnu is countless transformations (avatar), the most beloved in India - Rama and Krishna. Rama - hero of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Krishna - by origin the oldest, another doaria deity (literally "black"). In Mahabharata, he acts as a general-indian deity. As an adviser to the main character, Arjuna warrior, he reveals the highest meaning of heavenly and ethical law (this interpretation of the law entered the "Bhagavadgit", in the form of chapter, and from Bhagavadgitis - to the "Mahabharata"). Later, he was transformed from the wise-philosopher in a rather frivolous shepherd God, generously gives everyone to his love.

Numerous Hindu temples serve brahmanas - priests of Hinduism, carriers of the foundations of its religious culture, ritual rite, ethics, forms of family-household text. Brahman's authority in India is uncommon. From their number, the most authoritative religious teachers went out - guru, Training young generation of the wisdom of Hinduism.

In Hinduism, magical techniques are preserved - Tantra - and there has been a special type of religious practice. tantris. Based on the magic techniques - the tantatr - in Hinduism there were formulas (mantras), i.e. the sacred spells, which were attributed to the magic force. Sacred words like "OM" and entire phrases, often incoherent, in Hinduism turned into spells - mantras, with the help of which you can quickly achieve the desired, for example, get rid of the disease, purchase the supernatural energy "Shakti", etc. Mantras, Talismans, The amulets are all the indispensable props of the sorcerer, which stands the rank of a lot below Brahman. Often it is a semi-faceted rustic zone.

An essential feature of the religious life of India is numerous sects. Their religious leaders of the Guru are intermediaries between man and gods and themselves almost gods. Guru - Priest, who became a teacher of wisdom. Between sects, as a rule, no struggle; Very small for all Hinduists are very small: the recognition of the sacred authority of the Vedas, the doctrine of karma and the resettlement of souls, faith in the invalidity of the caster. In the rest of the - Multi-Festrite and fraction of sect. Special development received a ascetic school - Yoga. At the end of the XV century. At the soil of Hinduism there was a military religious sect sikhs.

Hinduism has a feature characteristic of global religions, but it is associated with caste, and therefore could not go beyond India: to be a hindu, it is necessary to belong to birth to one of the castes. However, Hinduism has a great influence on the spiritual life of other peoples with their religious philosophy and various types of religious practice (yoga, etc.).

The social basis of Hinduism is the Custom system of India. It is theoretically based on the teaching about the divine single principle and two trends inherent in life: the movement from one to the variety is performed in the cycle of birth. Birth in the human world is always performed in a caste-defined place place and this system itself belongs to the formation of forms generated by the unified principle. Belonging to one or another caste - there is no case of the case, this is a manifestation of an inevitable need. Human existence, according to Hinduism, is the existence in Caste. Caste is a living space in which there is an individual, there is no other. Four initial castes rushed into a plurality of podcast, which in India there are two to three thousand in India. The person excluded from his caste turns out to be outlawed. Casta defines a person in Indian society, his right, behavior, even his appearance, including clothing, signs on the forehead and jewelry that he wears. Caste bans in India are the nature of the taboo and are removed only in rare cases. For violation of caste standards, there are strict punishments and painful rites of "cleansing". Each caste has its own place in outer space, its time of year, their animal world. Human joint existence is considered in this context as a superhuman establishment, the law of being. In a set of castes, to whom a person belongs to the birth and of which, within its earthly life, it cannot go out, dominates as a unifying principle of custom law. The Great World Law (Dharma) is manifested in the human world organized in the caste, as a differentiated caste law, which for each caste establishes its prescriptions. Caste block is rooted in the eternal order of things. The meaning of maintaining caste delimitation is to maintain, preserve the eternal order. Life in the caste is not the ultimate goal, but an episode. The ultimate goal is Nirvana, when all sorts of worldly differences are removed. Caste - a step to self-effective.

Chinese religions - religions of order and decent life. Many features of China's religious life were laid in deep antiquity. In the Huanhe Valley, in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. A city type civilization has developed, known as Yinskaya. Injans revered many gods - perfumes who brought victims. The Supreme Divine was Shandi, at the same time, the legendary hedge of the Initians, their ancestor-totem. Over time, the attitude towards Shandi as a pilot, which first of all should take care of the well-being of their people. This circumstance has played a huge role. It led on the one hand to the fact that the basis of the foundations of China's religious systems was the cult of ancestors and a support for the tradition, and on the other - to strengthen the rational principle: not dissolving in the absolute, but to learn to live adequately in accordance with the norm, to live, Attending life itself, and not for the sake of the coming salvation, gaining bliss in another world. Another feature is a socially insignificant role of priesthood, clergy. In China, there has never been anything like brahmans. The functions of priests often performed officials who were a respected and privileged estate, and the cult departures in honor of the sky, deities, spirits, the ancestors were not the main thing in their activities. The rite of divination, which was the main point in ritual communication with Divine ancestors, headed by Shand and was accompanied by sacrifices, was considered as a matter of state importance; Gadels should have been people involved in power. Over time, in the I millennium BC. e. When the Zhou dynasty was approved, the sky cult was supplied Shady as the Supreme Divine, but the cult of Shandi and ancestors was preserved. The Chinese ruler became the son of the sky, and his country became referred to in his way. The cult of the sky became the main thing in China, and its departure in the full form - the prerogative of the ruler itself, the son of the sky, who performed his sides and rewarding the Heavenly Father, the guardian of the world order, the necessary honors.

The ruler who performed the features of the high priest was assisted by officials who speakers in the role of priests. Ancient China, therefore, did not know the priests in his own sense of the word, he did not know the great personalized gods and temples in their honor. The activities of priests officers were aimed primarily to fulfill administrative duties designed to maintain the sustainability of the social structure authorized by the sky. Not mystical insights, not ecstasy and merger in love with the divine start, and rituals and ceremonies as a matter of state importance stood in the center of that religious system, which determined the appearance of this civilization.

Philosophical thinking in ancient China began with the division of everything on the male and female start. Male beginning, Yang, was associated with the Sun, with all bright, bright, strong; Female, yin, - with moon, with dark, dark and weak. But both beginnings were harmoniously connected, forming everything. On this basis there is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe great path of Dao - Universal Law, the symbol of truth and virtue.

Unlike other religions, in Chinese we are found not to communicate a person with God, mediated by the Priest's figure, and a society based on virtue, in front of the sky as a symbol of the highest order.

In the middle of the 11th millennium BC. e., between 800 and 200 years. BC e., in history there is a sharp turn, which K. Jaspers offered to call axial time. In China, at this time, renewal of religious life begins, associated with the activities of Confucius and Lao Tzu. Two Chinese religions arise, differing significantly, - confucianism ethically directed, and taoism, Picking to mysticism.

Confucius (Kun Tzu, 551-479 BC. Er) lived in the Epoch of the Troubles and Interdiscructures. The ideas that could be opposed to all this should have been able to get a moral support, and Confucius in search of this support turned to ancient traditions, opposing them to the reigned chaos. Starting from establishing at the turn of W -II centuries. BC e. Dynasty Han, Confucianism becomes official ideology, Confucian norms and values \u200b\u200bhave become generally recognized, turned into a symbol of "Chinese". First of all, in the form of ceremonial norms, Confucianism penetrated as an equivalent of a religious ritual into the life of each Chinese, regulating his life, swaying it in the centuries worked out. In Imperial China, Confucianism played the role of the main religion, the principle of organizing the state and society, which existed over two thousand years in almost unchanged Gid. The highest deity in this religion was considered strict and focused on the virtue of the sky, and as the great prophet did not perform a trick, who led the truth of the Divine Revelation, like Buddha or Jesus, and the sage of Confucius, offering a moral improvement within the framework of strictly fixed, consecrated antiquity of antiquity of ethical Norm.

The main object of the Confucian cult was the spirits of ancestors. Confucius performed very conscientiously religious rites and taught their steady execution not for the sake of the decreasing mercy, but because the performance of them is "fair and decent to man." Strict observance of rites is the main rule of life, the support of the entire existing order. Sonstitude and reverence of ancestors is the main responsibility of a person. "Let the father be a father, the son of the Son, the sovereign - the sovereign, an official - an official." Confucius sought to bring the world in order, subdued the "path" (Dao) of a man's path of the sky, offering their ideal of a "noble person" as a sample to imitate people, hung out of idealized antiquity, when the rulers were wise, officials - disinterested and devotees, and the people glory. A noble person has two main advantages of humanity and a sense of duty. "A noble person thinks about a debt, a low person takes care of the benefit," taught Confucius. Thanks to the correct behavior, a person reaches harmony with the eternal order of space, and thus his life is determined by the eternal beginning. The power of custom is that, thanks to which the earth and heaven act together, so that they come into harmony four years of year, the sun and the moon are shine, the stars make their way, thanks to which flows the stream, all things are committed, good and evil are committed. The correct expression of joy and anger, the highest is clarified, thanks to which all things, despite their change, avoid confusion. If you remember the doctrine about Yin and Yang, about women's (dark) and male (light) principles that are united, then the person has the opportunity to influence the events in the world and to his life, according to the internal debt contributing to Space Agreement.

In the VI century BC e. Lao Tzu is the teaching, which today many researchers consider the legendary figure. The treatise in which this teaching is settled, "Tao-De Jing" refers to the IV-III centuries. BC. This is a mystical teaching, on the basis of which Taoism is developing. Tao means here an inaccessible person, rooted in Eternity "Path", the very divine state itself, the absolute, from which all earthly phenomena arise also. Nobody created the great Dao, everything comes from it, nameless and shapeless, it gives rise to the name and shape of everything in the world. Even the Great Sky follows Dao. To know how, follow him, merge with him - in this sense, goal and happiness of life. The highest goal of Chinese Taois was to get away from the passions and judacy of life to the primitive simplicity and naturalness. Among Taoov were the first in China's amphibians, who contributed to the emergence of the philosophical Taoism of the Taoist religion with their temples and priests, holy books, magical rites. However, in this world, where people are guided by their aspirations and them established by ethical goals, a bond with primancy is disturbed. The situation is characteristic of many religions. The situation of their existence in the world, which loses holiness: when the Great Dao takes decline, human love and justice appears.

Virtue, if they are unsurviced to man, serve as a symptom that it is isolated from the absolute. There is no need to require the fulfillment of ethical purposes if unity with eternal is achieved. In this case, they are needed in reality. The appeal is necessary, return to the eternal, "Return to the roots". On this basis, the teachings of Lao Tzu about the notion or non-action (Wu-Wei) grow up. Ethics proclaims unprofitability, satisfaction with his fate, refusal of desires and aspirations as the basis of permafrost. This ethical patient attitude towards evil and renunciation from their desires is the basis of religious salvation.

Mystic Lao Tzu has little in common with vulgarized Taoism, to the first plan with magical practice - spells, rites, predictions, a kind of cult of the creation of the elixir of life, with which the immortality is expected to achieve.

Religion Greek The Dogometer period perceives the surrounding as an animated, as inhabited by the blind demonic forces, which are embodied in the sacred subjects and phenomena. Demonic forces receive a personal embodiment in countless demonic beings living in caves, mountains, sources, trees, etc. Silen, for example, a demon of sources and at the same time as Satir, he is a demon of fertility. Hermes, at a later time one of the great Gods of Olympians, initially, as his name says (literally: stones), was a stone demon. The Dogometer religion of the Greeks is tied to the ground, from which everything stems, which all generates, including the sky. Her main reality is land, conception, blood and death. These forces associated with the Earth continue to exist in Homer as the dark basis of all things, and the Earth itself appears in this consciousness as the Goddess-the Rhodeschalnitsa, as the source and the Lono of the whole world - gods and people.

The world in this primitive religious consciousness appears as a world, filled with rawness, disproportion, disharmony, doubling to the deformity, which is horrified.

When in the II millennium BC The Greeks invaded Elladu, they found here a highly developed culture, known as Criton Miktena culture. From this culture, its religion Greeks perceived many motives that have passed into their religion. This applies to many Greek deities, for example, to Athena and Artemis, whose mycher's origin can be considered indisputable.

From this motley world of demonic forces and divine images and formed the world of Homerovsky gods, which we learn from Iliad and Odyssey. In this world, people are commensurate with the gods. Love for glory raises people to the level of the gods and makes them heroes that can overcome and the will of the gods.

In these gods embodied the eternal ideas that permeate the Greek piousness and her idea of \u200b\u200bsins in the face of these gods. The most serious are those that somehow mean excess of the border and measures. Too great happiness causes "envy of the gods and the corresponding acts of opposition. The world constructed by Zeus and the great heroes is the world that is not based on disharmony and horror, but on some order, harmony, beauty. The gods karaite those who are attempted by the harmony established by their authority, on the reasonable ordering, which is expressed in the concept of "space". In Greek myths, beautiful, embodied in the Olympic gods, is the principle of space life.

This classical gomer religion is experiencing a crisis at a later time, comes to the edge of self-denial. With the beginning of Greek enlightenment, in the face of philosophy, awakening ethical feelings and concepts, myths about the great gods are inappropriate, cause opposition. Rationalistic doubt leads to ridicule over the primitiveness of traditional ideas about the gods.

But along with the extinction of the old religion, the strong awakening of religious feelings, new religious searches is obtained. This is primarily religious associated with mysteries.The Old Olympic Religion receives its classical completion at the end of the VI - the beginning of the V c. BC e. In the face of such thinkers and poets like Herodotus, Pindar, Eschil, Sofokl and Eurypid.