The Great Transformation By Karen Armstrong Flashcards
Why is it so hard to date eastern philosophies?
Because at the time of the Buddha before and after people had no interest in history or keeping things in chronological order.
What is the axial age?
Axial Age or Axial Period (Ger. Achsenzeit, “axis time”) is a term coined by German philosopher Karl Jaspers to describe the period from 800 to 200 BC, during which, according to him, similar new ways of thinking appeared in Persia, India, China and the Occident.
Historians now say what about the Buddhas life time period.
He live a full century later then was previously thought.
Lao Tsu did not live in what century as Jaspers had assumed.
Did not live during the 6th century as Jaspers had assumed
What was mosey?
.
What time period did The Axial People’s live in?
1600 - 900 BCE
Who were the Pastrialists?
.
What is Pastoralism?
is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep.
Is Arian a Race?
No it means Nobel or honorable.
What are the Arians also referred to as
Indo European
What best describes what the Arians were?
A loose knit network of tribes with a common belief set
What two groups did the Arians that stayed rather than travel on to Greece, Italy and Germany, break up into?
.
What did the Arians lack that kept them fairly contained?
They did not have the benefit or discovery of horses.
What did the Arians believe?
Believed the same Devine energy flows through everything and everyone.
What was the name of the earliest God of Arian Worship?
Diaspita - sky God
Varuna
Preserved the order of the universe
Who was Mythra
What the God of storm thunder and life giving rain.
Mazda
Lord of justice and wisdom. Linked with the star and the sun.
What was Agney?
Arian God of Fire
What was the God of Psychedelic drugs called in Sanskrit
Soma
What did the avestin Arians call their gods?
Devas
The Gods at this time had to adhere to what?
The rules of life and the world
What did the Arians thinks the act of listening brought them?
Arians thought the act of listening brought them closer to their God.
Arians believed what about sound?
That the chanting of one vowel could bring about the Devine.
What were the Arians obsessed with?
Absolute truthfulness.
How did the Arians feel about meat?
It was a tragic occurrence but was necessary to keep the order of life. They would only eat meat that was killed humanly by ritual sacrifice.
What is a critical principle of the Axial Age passed on from the Arians?
A kinship with all peoples and animals in the world
What was another crucial aspect of Arian culture?
Self sacrifice. Nothing would be given without giving something up.
Who did the Arians Aquire bronze weaponry from?
The Armenians
When did the Arians discover modern technology?
1500 BCE the started trading with the Armenians
They first attached carts to their carts and could now travel at high speeds. What did this cause them to do?
Become warriors and rob small villages.
Some Arians did what in the southern countries?
Because mercenaries fight in wars and then brining back their skills to the steps (what are the steps)?
What did the Arians eventually do?
They attacked themselves forcing the traditional sects to learn military techniques and defend themselves.
What caused The Peaceful Arian sects started to have doubts about the Gods all together.
The brutality and the lack of respect for others caused by the Arian tribes who took up the sword.
Who was Zoroaster?
He was an Arian who was very well educated in the faith of the Arians
What’s is the story of Zoroaster?
.
What is the relationship between Zoroaster and Mazda?
.
What was Zoroaster’s sole preoccupation?
The violence that had up rooted the peace of the steppe
What’s is the name of the 17 inspired hymns by Zoroaster?
.
What was Zoroaster’s main breakthrough in religious thinking?
That if there was a divinity that was leading his people towards good then there must be an opposite deity directing the others.
What did Zoroaster Conclude about the Gods?
That they had sided with the warring Arians
Zoroaster believed humans now had to do what?
Chose between being good or being bad
What did Zoroaster day regarding the new Arians environment?
It must be free from dirt filth and pollution.
Zoroaster saw the world as what?
One big war of good against evil that ended with good wiping evil off of the face of the earth after one bug judgement.
What did Zoroaster begin to see?
That he was not going to be the one to lead Mazdas people against the forces of evil that it would be someone after him.
What did the people of the time think of Zoroaster thinking?
?
Where did Zoroastrianism finally settle and become the national religion?
Iran (remains a primarily Iranian religion to this day.
What are the only things that we have left from the Arians?
The Vedas
How many hymns in the Vedas?
1028 hymns in the Vedas (shruti that that is heard)
How many versions of the Vedas where there and who kept them?
7 families each with own copy. Each with own version.
What did the Vedas contain?
Absolute truths that could not be countered by man.
What were the Vedas supposed to do for us?
Knowledge of the Vedas was not factual but experiential. The worlds caused a change in your existence
How did the Vedas get experienced by the Arians?
Like it was a play that they gradually picked up on relating vague and what seemed to be entirely unrelated.
Who where the Ritchie’s and what did they discover about the mind?
That you can access a new dimension of your existence my shutting off the daily distractions of the mind.
Arians believed what about the rich?
They would have an afterlife.
Arians started to also believe about warrior
That if they died in battle they would also be honored in the afterlife
Who are the Koropanchela’s
.
What did the Arians develop late in their existence?
The idea of Bahaman. A life energy.
Who is pradjapati?
.
Who is wang di the Yellow Emperor
?
Shu Jing Chinese classic
.
What was the Zhou Dynasty and when did it occur?
This dynasty was the longest in Chinese history. It lasted for over 800 years and included the reigns of 37 emperors. The Zhou Dynasty is divided into two periods: the Western Zhou (11th century BC to 771 BC) and the Eastern Zhou (770 BC - 221 BC).
