Deep River The novel “Deep River” by Shusaku Endo, is basically about a spiritual journey to India by four Japanese with different purposes and expectations. “Even though the tour is interrupted when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by militant Sikhs, each of these tourists finds their own spiritual discovery on the banks of the Ganges River.” (Wikipedia). This paper is going to highlight three of the religious themes namely Love, Rebirth and Suffering that will demonstrate similarities between Christian and Hindu visions of life.
A brief summary of the four Japanese travelers to India; Isobe is on a mission to find his dead wife Keiko’s who asked him to promise to find her reincarnation on her dying bed and these
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The third Japanese is a veteran Kiguchi who is haunted by war-time in Burma and seeks to have Buddhist ritual performed for the soul of his friends and enemies in the army. Last on the trip is Numada who believes a pet has died in his place hence his visit to a bird sanctuary.
The first theme to talk about is “Rebirth” and high lights similarities between Hindu`s and
Christians. Hindus believe in reincarnation, they believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. “Hindus believe that the soul is immortal that it never dies, but inhabits one body after another” (Basics of Hinduism). Likewise “Christians also teaches that at death, while man`s body is mortal, decay and returns to dust, his soul and spirit continue on either in a place of torments for those who reject Christ or in paradise for those who trusted in the savior”
(Bible.org). in the book it was believed that the Gang river was holy “…Hindus regard a place where two rivers flow together as holy ground” (Deep River135) they
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“According to their religious beliefs, all their sins are washed away when they bathe in the sacred water of the Ganges” (Deep River 135). The writer indirectly tells the reader how God loves us and forgives sins by cleansing ourselves. Otsu also represents Jesus who came to the world to endure torment for the sake of our sins “…my trust in the life of the Onion, who endured genuine torment for the sake of love, who exhibited love on our behalf” (Deep
River 119). Endo`s talk about the Hindu goddess Chamunda who lives in graveyards, the Hindu divine mother, who endures all the ills and pains and offers milk from her sagging breast to mankind, and she was compared to the holy mother Mary among Christians.
Throughout the novel, the writer skillfully weaves the great theme of the Christian God as a suffering servant. The Christian God is described with humility that makes it easy for anyone to approach him with their burdens. This self-emptying God understands the depths of human misery for he has suffered alongside us. Endo used his characters to respond to suffering
Deep River is a short novel through which Shusaku Endo shares the story of a number of Japanese tourists who travel to India in an unknown pursuit of their pilgrimage of grace. Ironically the characters within the novel are non-believers of the Hindu religion, which can be a bit confusing for the reader at first. But as one proceeds through the novel, one will come to realize that the basis of the novel was not to review any particular religion, but to depict the individual journey to God. As stated within the novel, “God has many different faces. I don’t think God exists exclusively in the churches and chapels of Europe…(p.121)”Meaning similar paths will most likely not be taken. However it becomes evident through the reading that it is their sub-conscious notions that lead them to India to find God, although their trips appear to be for alternative reasons.
It is easy to place the blame on fate or God when one is encumbered by suffering. It is much harder to find meaning in that pain, and harvest it into motivation to move forward and grow from the grief. It is imperative for one to understand one’s suffering as a gateway to new wisdom and development; for without suffering, people cannot find true value in happiness nor can they find actual meaning to their lives. In both Antigone and The Holy Bible there are a plethora of instances that give light to the quintessential role suffering plays in defining life across cultures. The Holy Bible and Sophocles’ Antigone both mirror the dichotomous reality in which society is situated, underlining the necessity of both joy and suffering in the world.
The five Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto have some similarities when it comes to the their beliefs on death. Hinduism and Buddhism both believe in karma and reincarnation, while Daoism and Shintoism revolve their beliefs around nature. Confucianism chooses not to focus on things we do not know, so their beliefs on death are limited. In deciphering the different beliefs on death associated with each religion, it is important to understand the different belief systems and their origins. While some religions merged the views of the other religions, some came from the views of an originating founder. Each religion has their own view on life after death and whether or not their followers should be concerned
Karma and rebirth were used to reinforce the responsibility of each caste. When Arjuna had uncertainty about whether or not to fight against members of his family, Kṛṣṇa attempted to persuade him that “No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul” (2.17) because “For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time” (2.20). The Hindu religion believes that the body is just temporary for t...
From the text excerpt in Document A, “Hinduism was (and is) a polytheistic religion - Hindus believed in many gods. --- In this kind of Hinduism, people believed in reincarnation - that people could be reborn into other bodies after they died.” This evidence shows that because of religion, Hindus have belief in many gods, and believe in reincarnation. Without a religion, they would not believe in an all-mighty ruler, or in reincarnation. Hindus also believed in karma, which means the good and bad actions that have an effect on the soul, and dharma, or spiritual duties one must follow. As you can see, beliefs were greatly influenced by religion.
Christians ultimately believe in two places to go after death, Heaven where eternity is spent in a state that is beautiful beyond our ability to conceive, or Hell, where eternity is spent with Satan and his demons. All are tormented and tortured, in isolation from God, without any hope of mercy or relief (Robinson).
Ciolek, Matthew. Tibetan Studies - Tibetan Religion - Sky Burial. 20 October 1990. Web. 12 February 2014.
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134). Susan Thrane MSN, RN, OCN discusses the beliefs of Hindu culture in the article “Hindu End of Life: Death, Dying, Suffering, and Karma” published in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. Thrane (2010) states that there are almost 2.3 million Hindus in India. Hindu’s believe in interconnectedness, karma, and reincarnation.
Christians, for example, believe that souls that have lived by the words of their God will exist eternally in heaven as divine beings themselves. This conception of an afterlife is generally what we people who are residents of the Unitied States hold to be true. For American culture has its roots in Europe and European culture was and is still influenced by Christian faiths. Similar to Christianity, the Hinduism also eases the fear of death by presenting a life after death. Disimilarities present themselves in the two faiths concerning exactly what kind of afterlife is lived. Believers of the Hindu faith expect to be reincarnated after their demise, either as an animal or human being depending on the manner in which their lives were carried out.
Page - Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia. The Hindu Encyclopedia, 6 May 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. .
As far as humanity is concerned, death eventually captures all of us. We may be able to delay death, but eventually our physical life will end. As a result, some of the fundamental questions surrounding human existence include: What happens after we die? Is there life after death? Throughout history the great religions have provided answers to these questions. In this paper, the western religion of Judaism and the eastern religion of Hinduism will be evaluated through some of their many different principles and rituals relating to death and life after death.
Death and what happens after one dies has been questioned since life began. While what happens after death has key importance in most religions, what happens between life and death can sometimes play a larger role in how death is treated. Liminality, or the period of transition between life and death, influences the steps taken after a person has died. Usually, death is viewed as a journey, one which no one can know what exactly lies ahead; because of this certain rituals and customs have been created to ensure the deceased a peaceful transition from life on earth to the next stage. The religion of Hinduism, especially, stresses the importance of extensive
Immortality is a complex idea in society, even today. Immortality is the indefinite continuation of a person’s existence, even after death. (2) Immortality implies a never ending existence, regardless of whether or not the body dies. In order to understand the immortality of the human soul it is important to understand the difference between an individual’s body and soul. The body is the physical object of an individual, which lives until death, and then decomposes. On the other hand, people connect soul to an individual’s personality. The soul may also be associated to the mind. Th...
continues to exist after the death of the body. Religion appears to be a simple
A person is formed by body and soul and immortality is for the complete person, not a partial one.