Nature of Reallity and the Divine. Am I on the right track. (Buddha, atheism)

[columbia13]

We don't have a "textbook" like I have in all my other courses. The assigned reading is Huston Smith's "The World's Religions". So I don't have an outline in the book. I mean I think I understand but i'm not sure. So help me out and let me know if I'm on the right track.

the question was to:
Examine the relevance and mystery of the implications laden in the following views about the nature of reality and the divine: polytheism, monotheism/theism, pantheism, panentheism, and atheism.
First of all we have two different realities. There's conditioned reality is where religion meets reality (the envoys, teachings & practices). As there’s is also unconditioned reality which is what I would define as special person and/or institution. As is deities or nirvana for example.

Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity.
Monotheism is the belief of one deity.
Theism is the belief of a unified god head.
Pantheism is the belief that deity is all things.
Panentheism is the belief that there is deity exist & that deity is in all things.

Therefore, in polytheism and monotheism/theism conditioned reality and unconditioned reality exist as separate. In pantheism there is no separation of realities because god is in everything. God is the same as the universe. So conditioned reality and unconditioned reality are one. With panentheism there is only unconditioned reality. Although the universe is contained within God, God is the “effect and affect” on the universe.

Does that sound like I’m getting it?

[TRANSPONDER]

Originally Posted by columbia13

We don't have a "textbook" like I have in all my other courses. The assigned reading is Huston Smith's "The World's Religions". So I don't have an outline in the book. I mean I think I understand but i'm not sure. So help me out and let me know if I'm on the right track.

the question was to:
Examine the relevance and mystery of the implications laden in the following views about the nature of reality and the divine: polytheism, monotheism/theism, pantheism, panentheism, and atheism.
First of all we have two different realities. There's conditioned reality is where religion meets reality (the envoys, teachings & practices). As there’s is also unconditioned reality which is what I would define as special person and/or institution. As is deities or nirvana for example.

Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity.
Monotheism is the belief of one deity.
Theism is the belief of a unified god head.
Pantheism is the belief that deity is all things.
Panentheism is the belief that there is deity exist & that deity is in all things.

Therefore, in polytheism and monotheism/theism conditioned reality and unconditioned reality exist as separate. In pantheism there is no separation of realities because god is in everything. God is the same as the universe. So conditioned reality and unconditioned reality are one. With panentheism there is only unconditioned reality. Although the universe is contained within God, God is the “effect and affect” on the universe.

Does that sound like I’m getting it?

Yes. that's looks right to me.

Pantheism - one use of the term - equates 'nature' and 'god'. The unconditioned reality that you referred to. This is perhaps to be equated with Einstein's non - personal God which he appears to have seen as having intelligence/planning characteristics.

The conditioned reality is any one of the particular or personal gods.

There is also the variety of midway points such as 'Brahma' or 'adi - Buddha' which is very much like the pantheist unconditioned reality.

[forkpower]

Originally Posted by AREQUIPA

Yes. that's looks right to me.

Pantheism - one use of the term - equates 'nature' and 'god'. The unconditioned reality that you referred to. This is perhaps to be equated with Einstein's non - personal God which he appears to have seen as having intelligence/planning characteristics.

The conditioned reality is any one of the particular or personal gods.

There is also the variety of midway points such as 'Brahma' or 'adi - Buddha' which is very much like the pantheist unconditioned reality.

Pantheism is sexed up atheism. - Richard Dawkins

[Rhenzanite]

Sounds good to me. We used that same book for my Comparative world religions course in college (twice, actually...by two different teachers). It's an absolutely fabulous book but kind of hard to follow. One of the teachers made a nice little booklet on suggestions of 'how' to read the book which helped immensely with my understanding of the way he writes. If I still have it I'll try to scan it and send it to you.