The Roles of Priests of Eastern Religions
The organization of the eastern religions ranges from simple to complex. Many religions have spiritual leaders or priestly figures. These leaders have the responsibility to conduct religious services, ceremonies, and rituals, to advise or command believers, and to govern the religious organization at various levels. This document attempts to present the various roles, responsibilities, authorities and lifestyles of the spiritual leaders of five eastern religions. The eastern religions reviewed will be Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism. In the earliest centuries of Buddhism, monks were itinerant. They wandered from place to place during nine months of the year. During the other three months, the rainy season, they would gather together in a "rain retreat" for teaching, learning, and encouragement. Over the centuries, the wandering aspect has mostly died out. Monks are now usually located at monasteries, temples, and other religious sites. Not only do they meditate, they usually have other duties, as well. In the modern world, many attend university and study a range of subjects. There are 3 main types of buildings in Buddhism: Stupa, Temple and Monastery.
The aim "after death" is to obtain the union with God, by doing good works, but if they disobey the Book, the Granth Sahib, they will be doomed to an endless series of reincarnations, or denied forever any reunion with God. Some Sikhs may have a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib in their homes, but (as is required) they give it a room of its own and create an altar of pillows and beautiful cloths on which to place it. Most Sikhs read the Guru Granth Sahib everyday and meditate upon it, and full cover-to-cover readings are not infrequent as a method of prayer or thanksgiving. Sikhs are very devoted, dedicating 10% of the time in religious devotions, and 10% of their earning for charity. Social Welfare Roles of Buddhist Monks
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Approximate Word count = 5330
Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page double spaced)
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