Rituals, Religion, and Philosophy

Question 1

Aśvamedha

Answer 1

The horse sacrifice outlined in the Rg Veda.

Involves sending off the horse to roam the area for a year with soldiers following the horse; If the horse enters another kingdom’s territory, it is seen as a challenge of land ownership in which the winning kingdom rules both lands; If the horse comes back, it is a sign that there are no kingdoms around and the king dominates all of the land horse roamed on; when it comes back, there is a whole ritual sacrifice and cutting the horse that divides the body, which represents the world

The horse is a symbolization of the world; associated with kingship; having the wealth to even proceed with a horse sacrifice, etc

Question 2

Noble eightfold path

Answer 2

A Buddhist practice of finding a way out of the suffering that is the cycle of rebirth and re-death.

Consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi (‘meditative absorption or union’; alternatively, equanimous meditative awareness).

Question 3

Renunciation/Renunciant

Answer 3

The process of releasing all possession of this world; it is the 4th and last Āśrama life stage; abandonment of pursuit of material comforts, in the interests of achieving spiritual enlightenment.

Question 4

Householder

Answer 4

A man who has a wife and children, and because of this, he is allowed to pray and sacrifice; it is the 2nd Āśrama life stage.