HUM335I Samskara Ritual Analysis South Florida Hindu Temple Research + PPT This is a full project that consists of TWO PARTS! All of them have to be done a

HUM335I Samskara Ritual Analysis South Florida Hindu Temple Research + PPT This is a full project that consists of TWO PARTS! All of them have to be done and delivered in separate files to complete this question

1- Research paper ( 12-15 pages ) + Formal Outline

2- Presentation ( 8-10 minutes ) + Speaking Outline

———————————-

I attched the full instructions and requirements for this project

And an example of each part of the project.

Note: Choose anyone of the sites in the ( possible religious sites ) file INSTRUCTIONS for FINAL PROJECT
“A Description, Analysis, and Critique of Religious Ritual”
Paper & Presentation
Purpose:
To observe, analyze, and critique a central ritual in a religious tradition (other than your own)
with a view toward understanding how the religion takes shape in the actual “performance” of
the rite. You will want to refer to Ronald Grimes “Mapping Ritual” and “Modes of Ritual”
PDF’s in the Canvas Module.
Requirements:
1. 12-15 page paper (3000-3500 words, APA format), see instructions below.
2. 8-10 minute speech (video tape yourself and upload to Canvas).
3. Formal outline, speaking outline and bibliography (make sure you include our
textbook, the readings on Ronald Grimes, Victor Turner, Arnold Van Gennep, and
others)
4. Power point slide show (12-15 slides), detailing a summary of your findings.
This 12-15 page essay, and 8-10 minute oral presentation, will describe, analyze, and
critique your visit to a religious institution in South Florida (including a thorough description,
detailed analysis, and critique). You must attend a religious ritual of a tradition to which you do
not belong and have no prior experience with. Be sure to contact the institution first (phone or
via the web) to verify its location and worship schedule. You should also inquire if special dress
is required. (A general rule of thumb for dress is to err on the conservative side, and be sure to
cover your shoulders, belly button and knees). IMPORTANT: Do not take any notes while
you attend; rather, wait until you leave and then find a quiet place to write down answers
to the questions below.
The ritual you choose to attend can be a daily, weekly, monthly or annual ceremony (but
it must be a “main” event, not an informal/occasional one). When you attend if anyone asks who
you are, you should introduce yourself as a student at Lynn University. Oftentimes someone will
come up to you, assuming that you are a potential convert; you may wish to gently inform them
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that you are simply a student of religion broadening your horizons in religious tolerance and
understanding.
On a separate title page be sure to list:
§
your name
§
name of the site visited
§
religion of the site (including branch, denomination or sect if applicable)
§
address and contact information (phone, email) for the site
§
date and time of your visit
§
names of any staff or officials at the site with whom you communicated
There are 3 parts to this project, each with its own set of questions to address as follows:
PART I: THE DESCRIPTIVE TASK
Key Question to ask: “What is going on here?”
[Note Well: This segment should be answered strictly on the basis of what you saw, not on the
basis of previous experience, theoretical knowledge or questioning of the participants]
The purpose of this section is to give a complete description of what you observe.
Give a narrative account from beginning to end of the sequence of events which you observe,
including a list of the various parts of the ritual (eg. Opening Prayer, Song, etc.). Be as thorough
as possible (without spending more than 1000-1500 words on this section).
Use Ronald Grimes’ article, “Mapping the Field of Ritual” (found in Canvas) to describe each of
the following. Pay special attention to the questions he asks surrounding each of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ritual Space
Ritual Objects
Ritual Time
Ritual Sound
Ritual Language
Ritual Identity
Ritual Action
3
PART II: THE ANALYTICAL TASK
Key Question to ask: “What does it mean?”
[Note Well: These questions should only be reviewed and answered once the first part (writing
down your Observation) has been completed]
1.
Where, if anywhere, is the sense of the “sacred” manifested? How is it marked-off
and distinguished from the “profane”? How is it acknowledged? (Verbally?
Gesture? Ornamentation? Other ways?)
2.
Briefly, what images/concepts of God/Divine are fostered and conveyed by the rite?
How does this occur or get accomplished?
3.
What specific Beliefs and Values are reinforced by the rite? How does this process
occur? In other words, how is it accomplished? What beliefs and values are
censored-out or negated by the rite?
4.
Where and how, if at all, is the sense of “liminality” (time out of time) apparent?
How was it created? Make sure you use Tom Driver’s material to define/explain
liminality.
5.
Every religion/ritual has an “official” meaning (usually found in the textbooks on
religion dealing with dogma and theory). In contrast to this, there is also a
“pragmatic” meaning (which usually is the “actual preferred meaning” for the group
or individual as practiced). It is this latter one (the pragmatic meaning) that this final
project focuses on. In light of this, the final question in this section is: Is there any
“ritual dissonance” that you became aware of; where what you learned on a
theoretical level is different from the actual practice of the religion (as experienced in
the ritual). Ie., what you saw vs. what you read. For this question you should refer to
your textbook, as well as other bibliographic materials you have researched, in
contrast to the “participant observation” of the rite.
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PART III: THE CRITICAL TASK
Key Question to ask: “Does it work?” “How/how not?”
[NB: To be done only after part I and II are completed]
1. Does this rite, both in its form and content, express the essence of this religion? (a brief
explanation of what is the essence of the religion may be necessary)
2. Do any parts of this ritual “subvert” or “undermine” the sense of the divine/God or core
valued?
3. Does it produce “communitas” (a la Victor Turner)? Cf. Driver 152-165. How might it
be improved? This question will require you to clearly define what is meant by
“communitas” and then apply it to this project. Pay close attention to Tom Driver’s
material on Liberating Rites (in Canvas). Does this in fact occur in the ritual you
observed? How so? How not? How might it be improved so that it does in fact occur?
4. Finally, does this ritual produce/engender personal and social transformation? Is there an
efficacy to the ritual? How might this be improved?
World Religions
Professor Mark D. Luttio
RELIGIOUS SITES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
(Updated 2019, please call for latest information)
HINDU
MIAMI-DADE
Jain Society of Southern Florida
7801 Southwest 70th Street
Miami, FL 33143
Phone: 305-595-3833
BROWARD
Shiva Vishnu Temple of South Florida
5661 Dykes Road
Southwest Ranches, FL 33331
Website: http://www.shivavishnu.org/
Ph : (954) 689 – 0471
BUDDHIST
South Florida Hindu Temple
13010 West Griffin Road
Davie, FL 33330
Website: http://www.sfht.org/
Ph: (954) 438-3675
PALM BEACH
Padmasambhava Buddhist Center (Tibetan)
1205 North Federal Hwy
Lake Worth, FL 33460
561.547.4711

Home

MIAMI-DADE
Chinmaya Mission
Website: http://www.cmmiami.org/
Email: Help@CMmiami.org
Phone: (305) 279-8456
Southern Palm Zen Group
801 Bridgewood Place
Boca Raton, FL 33434
Phone: 561-483-6680
doshin@bellsouth.net
Website: www.floridazen.com
BROWARD
JAIN
Drolma Buddhist Center (Tibetan Kadampa)
2403 North Dixie Highway
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
954-695-3540
drolma@meditationinflorida.org
www.meditationinfortlauderdale.org
PALM BEACH
Jain Society of South Florida
8010 South Lake Drive
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
Ph:305-595-3833
BROWARD
Jain Center of South Florida
1960 N Commerce Parkway
Weston, FL 33326
954-431-5957
South Florida Zen Group
7110 SW 182nd way
Southwest Ranches, FL, 33331
954-263-4653
southfloridazen@yahoo.com
www.southfloridazen.org/index.html
1
South Miami, Florida 33143
(786) 268-1548
Zenlife Center
1605 N. 16th Court
Hollywood, Florida 33020
(954) 920-3691

Home

ZOROASTRIAN
Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of
North America (FEZANA)
6464 Pumpkin Seed Circle, #108
Boca Raton, FL 33433
www.fezana.org
Tubten Kunga Center for Wisdom Culture
201 SE 15th Terrace, Suite 211
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
954-421-6224
info@tubtenkunga.org
http://www.tubtenkunga.org/home/
SIKH
BROWARD
MIAMI-DADE
Sikh Gurdwara
16000 SW 60th Street
Southwest Ranches, FL 33331
Ph: (954) 680 – 0221
Wat Buddharangsi Temple (Thai Theravda)
15200 S.W., 240th Street
Homestead, FL
305-245-2702
http://thaitemplemiami.com
Guru Ram Das Ashram
3259 N.W. 23rd Avenue, Suite 400
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
Phone: 954-685-5515
International Zen Institute of Florida
3860 Crawford Avenue
Miami, Florida 33133
305-448-8969
SoanPoor@BellSouth.net
CHRISTIAN & JEWISH
Zab Sang (Tantricyana) Buddhist Meditation
Center (Tibetan Kamakagyu)
7215 SW 72 Street
(in abundance everywhere in South Florida)
2
By Jordan Caulk and Jazz Lindsey
South Florida Hindu Temple
Southwest Ranches, FL
The Service
?
? Puja- prayer ritual
performed by Hindus
to host, honor, and
worship one or more
deities, or to spiritually
celebrate an event
? Avatar Bhagavan
Venkateshwara,
incarnation of Vishnu
The Descriptive Task
?
Ritual Space
?
? Exterior – pillars of carved white stone, carved
animals, and carved deities into building
? Entrance located behind the building
? Large open areas
? Marble shrine area raised above the other areas
? Pyramid placement of the shrines
? Few seats and no other furniture
? Men and women sat on separate large white sheets.
Exterior
?
Hindu Altar
?
Ritual Objects
?
? Red and Gold patterned carpet separate men from
women during the puja worship.
? A framed picture of the Avatar was adorned with a
red flower garland. Used for expressing worship.
? A photograph of feet rested at the foot of the Avatar.
? Very symbolic – feet are source of significant energy.
? Two silver dishes were placed at feet of Avatar.
? Contains ashes of Avatar and candle.
The Shrines
?
? Androgynous dolls made of porcelain
? Colorful and jeweled
? Set upon marble stage
Ritual Time
?
? Daily service held in the morning and in the evening
most days
? 7:00pm until 8:30pm on Thursday
? Conflicts with average work and school schedules, as
well as traditional family and dinnertime in America
? Multiple late arrivals, people dressed in both
professional and casual gear
? Dinner schedules altered, food served after service
Division of Time
?
? 80% worship, 20% closing actions
? Latter portion most significant
? Little prep time needed
? Religious leader signals conclusion of service
Ritual Sound
?
? No talking during the ritual and no nonverbal
sounds
? No books, scrolls, and scriptures
? Microphones passed around on each side, different
members of each sex alternate as vocal lead
? Instrument players equal with all, everyone
contributed to cadence
? Upbeat mood evoked positivity, gratitude, and
sincere passion
? Silence for meditation and prayer
Ritual Language
?
? Hindi, English, and Spanish songs
? Simple repetitive lyrics, repeated after vocal leads
? Leaders spontaneous, no particular or discriminate
order
? Languages and sounds changed for closing actions,
solemn traditional Hindi low in tone and deliberate
Ritual Identity
?
? Service maintained the atmosphere of being among
equals
? Roles: Closing leader/ priest and singer
? Lines during ritual action had no specific order, and no
distinction between gender, age, or leadership
? No costumes, masks, paints, or other special adornment
and no specific dress code was in adherence
? Deviance and eccentricities within the service likely not
accepted
? Diverse in cultures and religions
Ritual Action
?
? Over an hour of sitting with legs crossed on a sheet
in song and clapping
? “Giving Light”- circular motions with silver dishes
containing flames
? Understanding reality- application and consumption
of ash
? Meditation and prayer
? Large feather duster to remove negative energy from
shrines
? Food at alter during service
The Emphasized Points
?
? Hearing and Smelling
? Third Eye and Feet
? Familial unity and participation
? Communal Dinner
? Casual, but not playful
Communal Dinner
?
The Analytical Task
?
Sacred Manifested
?
? Removal of shoes
? Shrine stage roped off with velvet rope
? Shrine stage elevated above rest of temple
grounds
? Incense around all shrines and altar
? Stage marble and well lit
? Gestures of respect directed towards stage and
service facing the shrines
? Everyone sat on the ground, below the stage
Concepts of Deities
?
?The picture and altar of Vishnu
?The shrines
?Achieved through decoration and
placement (high above us)
Beliefs and Values
?
? Group worship
? Unity amongst diverse individuals
?Monotheism-shown through worship
of each shrine
? Shown through shared participation
New Ideas
?
?Ritual is most likely open to new ideas and
concepts.
?Not fixed of Fossilized.
?Priest and members are welcoming and open
minded.
?New literature is welcome into the ritual.
Form and Content
?
? Ritual encompassed religion well.
? Hinduism has become diverse. Ever changing.
? Individuals and ideas were diverse but all worshipped
same or similar deities together.
? Rite honored both new age Hinduism and classical
Hinduism.
? Lit incense and candles for statues.
? All were welcome. Dress code lax.
The Critical Task
?
Subversion
?
? At no point did ritual subvert or undermine it’s main
message.
? People were respectful toward the dogma of
Hinduism and the puja.
? The ritual actions seemed to be carried out
appropriately and in honor of Avatar and deities.
Genuine and Gracious
Qualities
?
? Rite was both genuine and gracious.
? Light was offered to the deities.
? Duster removed bad energy.
? Shrines were adorned with incense and candles.
? Different ethnicities and religions were accepted.
? Hymns from different religions were sung in
different languages.
Transformation
?
? Ritual does produce personal and social
transformation.
? Several members of different religious claimed life
changing results through praying to Avatar.
? According to priest, ash we consumed apparently
has medicinal qualities.
? Ritual might be improved with more insight from
priests.
Conclusion
NEW HINDUS!!
Alvarez 1
Learning From the Ritual
Friday Meditation Class At The Kadampa Buddhist Center
HUM335I- World Religions
Alvarez 2
Laura Alvarez
Kadampa Meditation Center
127 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011
(212) 924-6706
Buddhist Friday Meditation Class
Alvarez 3
INTRODUCTION
This research paper aims to accomplish an investigative report on the elements of one of the
most common rituals practiced in Buddhism; meditation.
Through intersubjective and analytical descriptions, the Friday meditation ritual practiced a
Kadampa Meditation Center in New York City will be presented. The point of view of this ritual
mapping is from a first time visitor who wishes to report while minimizing bias within the study
of a ritual through “suspension of self-interest” (Grimes, 19).
Religion is one of the most controversial subjects of today’s world. Therefore, expanding the
knowledge of Buddhist’s core values and positive contributions to society, can bring us a step
closer in our search for peace and equality.
Although one can have a general knowledge or a predisposition for Buddhism after its recent
popularity in the West, we must avoid making any assumptions based on common knowledge
and evaluate the religion though it’s ritual. There’s a lot that we can decipher from analyzing the
space and its imagery, the preacher, the congregation’s participation, the content of the message
and how the religious objects take part in it. All of these sensory feelings which are part of the
ritual and help us understand why such practices within Buddhism take place and how they make
a difference in this world.
Alvarez 4
PART I: THE DESCRIPTIVE TASK
The Ritual Space
The ritual occurs indoors, in a very modern style building on 24th street in Chelsea New York.
The aesthetic of the entrance resonates with the interiors of most remodeled buildings of the area
which have an industrial-loft look, common among many of the art and furniture galleries of the
neighborhood. The temple is on the first floor of the building, and it has a bookstore and sitting
area at the entrance. The temple is very subtle and seems almost hidden, considering that the
bookstore is what is visible from the street.
The bookstore and lobby area has wooden floors, some walls are white, and some have
exposed brick. This space looks nothing like the scary, gothic and majestic structures of most
religious buildings. Instead, it’s clean aesthetic is consistent with the modern times and the
lifestyle of most New Yorkers, especially those who live in the Chelsea Neighborhood.
The floor to ceiling windows is what captures most visitor’s attention, those let a lot of light
inside and give the impression of transparency that everyone expects from institutions, especially
religious ones. Those large windows and clean decor are a practical and discrete way of inviting
visitors by making the temple very accessible to everyone.
To get to the actual temple, one has to pass through a door which is to the side of the
receptionist/cashier area. Upon entering the temple, one is greeted by a large shoe cubby bench
where everyone must place their shoes before entering the ritual space.
Alvarez 5
The temple differs a lot from the entrance; this is where we start to see and feel the reverence
and intrinsic qualities of ritual space. This room is where the majestic and intricate details
juxtapose with the modern/ industrial feel of the entrance.
The floor is carpeted, and filled with foldable chairs and purple meditation cushions. All
columns are painted in an off-white color, but each of them includes a golden detail, some of
them look like fish, flowers, umbrellas or wheels. To the center of the space, there is the shrine
behind glass doors. To the left of the altar, glass divisions are leading to an outdoor patio of
exposed brick walls and glass ceilings that allow natural sunlight to fill the space.
Ritual Objects:
Part of what makes the ritual is the imagery of the space and every object which symbolizes
the essence of the religious practice. It seems like every golden symbol around the temple gives
meaning to an important Buddhist concept. Behind the glass walls are seven golden statues. At
the center of the shrine there is a Buddha sitting in lotus pose holding a black container with his
left hand, to his right side there’s a shelf with books, and to his left there’s another shelf with a
Stupa. There are two androgynous statues also sitting in lotus pose with their heads adorned with
diadems to each side of the Buddha. One of them has her breasts exposed and her head is tilted to
the side, the other one has four hands. Both of these female statues are making Mudras, or “hand
gestures and finger postures.” (lotussculpture.com) These female statues are also adorned with
flowers and silk stripes that also have the silhouette of a serpent. To the far left of the main
Buddha, there’s another statue with four hands and a helo, and in the wall there are eight
Alvarez 6
different golden signs surrounding him. Those are an umbrella, a fish, a flower, an knot, a victory
banner and a wheel.
To the far right side of the Buddha, there is three status in lotus pose covered in a way that
makes them look like Buddhists priests. They are positioned in a pyramid form, with two smaller
ones in front and a bigger one in the back sitting on the higher pedestal. The statue at the pedestal
has two flowery leaves to each side, and behind him, there are the same eight golden signs that
surround the statue parallel to this one. These signs are an umbrella, fish, flower, knot, victory
banner and wheel….
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