IndexHinduismBuddhismDaoismWhen asked to imagine something perfect, such as a perfect circle, people around the world imagine a concentric round figure that satisfies a series of standard. The term perfection, however, loses its static nature when applied to concepts such as the perfect human being. Throughout history people have created standards of what the perfect person should look like. What a particular society considers good or bad can be a major factor in influencing the idea of ​​human perfectibility. A perfect person in a caveman society might be a strong and aggressive buffalo hunter, but his mangy appearance and lack of familiarity with a toothbrush might make him very flawed today in a lawyer's case in downtown New York . The same idea applies to any other cultural tradition, including different religions. By looking more closely at the three major Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, it is possible to better understand the idea of ​​human perfection. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The purpose of every religious tradition is to achieve an end goal. It is the achievement of this goal that characterizes the perfect human being in that particular religion. This absolute is what Mircea Eliade defines as “the sacred” (Eliade, 1959). For Hindus it is transcendence; a perfect Hindu is one who has transcended the world. In Buddhism “the sacred” is enlightenment; the perfect Buddhist is one who is enlightened. For Daoism it is harmony; the perfect Taoist is one who is in harmony with the people and things around him. By examining the importance of the "sacred" and how it can be achieved, we can better understand each religious tradition and its different views on perfection. Hinduism The Hindu religion is made up of many different sects. Some concepts differ slightly between the different forms. The most basic ideas, however, are widely accepted. Transcendent means “being above and independent of the material universe” (Radhakrishnan and Moore, 1957). In Hinduism this term can be thought of as a means of freeing oneself from the restrictions of the world and entering a sort of paradise. This transcendence is often associated with the deity Brahman. Brahman represents the Supreme Reality for Hindus (Shattuck, 1999). When one achieves the ability to place consciousness outside the cosmic dimension, one believes one can enter transcendence, which is an all-sustaining or all-encompassing Consciousness. This consciousness is not involved in the ebb and flow of material creation and is therefore untouched by the ravages of time, decay, and death that appear to be major features of our universe (Radhakrishnan and Moore, 1057). Methods of escape into this “transcendent Brahman” were thus devised to provide solace to the troubled human spirit (Iyer, 1992). This state of peace, by virtue of its static quality, is able to free the seeker from any further involvement in the torment of life and death. The way to achieve transcendence is through the practice of good karma. Karma is the law of consequence over action, it is the driving force of the cycle of reincarnation or rebirth. According to the theory of karma, every action has a consequence, which will be felt in this life or in the future (Shattuck, 1999). Therefore, morally good acts will have positive consequences and bad acts will produce negative results. Rebirth in this case is accepted only as a means to achieve liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. In the endone must go beyond all karma, good or bad. This means placing our sense of reality in our true self, not in the effects of our actions. Ultimately we must give up the fruit of all our actions. Only in this is there freedom and transcendence (Iyer, 1992). So the greatest virtue does not seek to change the world or improve ourselves, but to rest in harmony with the peace of what is. One of the major Hindu deities, Lord Ganesha, is exemplary of the characteristics that a perfect Hindu follower must possess to achieve transcendence (Grimes, 1995). He has a human form with the head of an elephant and the fusion of human and animal parts represents many of the ideals of perfection. The left tusk of the elephant represents human emotion and the right tusk represents human intellect. The left tusk is slightly broken, demonstrating that a perfect person is one who has conquered his ego. A purified or controlled ego can live in the world without being influenced by worldly temptations. This can be achieved by giving up pride to achieve humility and conquer emotions with wisdom. By controlling the ego, one's wisdom can shine through. A controlled ego allows other qualities of a perfect human being to be attainable, namely wisdom and understanding, represented by the elephant's large head, as well as kindness and compassion towards all, represented by the human heart. Furthermore, the elephant's large ears denote a great ability to listen to others (Grimes, 1995). The perfect human being is strong enough to face the ups and downs of the external world, but delicate enough to explore the subtle realms of the internal world. Therefore, a perfect individual must be able to deal with all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in the world. In short, a perfect Hindu performs all worldly duties with purity, peace and sincerity. With these practices of perfect karma a Hindu will be able to escape the karmic wheel and achieve transcendence. Buddhism Like Hinduism, Buddhism also includes many sects. A focus on the ancient practice of Buddhism, Theravada, best illustrates the idea of ​​the perfect Buddhist. Most Buddhists believe that people are responsible for their actions (Lopez, 2002). All acts committed by a person will impact his life sooner or later. If a person commits a harmful act against another, a harmful act will be committed against him at a later time. The system through which this occurs is karma (Gethin, 1998). The benefits or punishments that result from each action or decision may not be felt immediately, may take several incarnations or lifetimes. With Karma, one's past actions influence one's present and future incarnation. As each soul reincarnates and learns the lessons of the eightfold path, it approaches a state of perfection. The eightfold path is right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness, and right concentration (Aitkin, 1994). When an individual has renounced the selfishness of personal identity and merged with the entire universe, he or she is thought to have achieved enlightenment, the ultimate goal of every Buddhist (Larkin, 1997). This is an end state for most. A fully enlightened human being has no selfish inclinations and understands everything as it is. They are no longer attached to the world of ignorance; they have transcended the world and no longer cling to it. A perfect human being is one who has wisely reflected and transcended the world, but still lives in the world and works in the world for the well-being of other beings. Dharma, which literally means "the course of right conduct," is the path or way to enlightenment. Dharma isused to refer to the teachings of the Buddha and the theology surrounding Buddhist doctrine (Lopez, 2002). Buddha is a title, not a person's name. Buddha literally means "to wake up" and become enlightened (Gethin, 1998). It is a term that denotes a person who has achieved supreme truth and wisdom. Meditation helps Buddhists understand that the Buddha should be treated as their example of how to detach from things and how to deal with feelings of altruism and desire (Larkin, 1997). One can learn to practice meditation and learn to be less and less selfish, so that what one has, he or she is willing to share with others. At this point the follower finds the joy of sharing as a reward, but it is not an expected reward. The follower lives his life thinking about the responsibility of action and word. He or she lives in a way that is not harmful to other creatures by refraining from violent actions and words. Life is also free from exploitation and all that causes division, confusion, anguish and despair in the lives of other beings. He or she avoids actions or uses of words that cause suffering in the minds of others. These characteristics are all described in the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism (Khena, 1987). The lists concern rajadhamma, the virtues and duties of a wise ruler. These characteristics do not only apply to Theravada followers, but are a general description of the perfect Buddhist. The first virtue is dana, which means generosity. The second is sila, or high moral conduct as described by the five precepts. The third is pariccaga, or self-sacrifice, giving up personal happiness, safety, and well-being for the well-being of the nation. Ajjava, meaning honesty and integrity, is the fourth. Then there is maddava, which means kindness or gentleness towards oneself and others. The sixth is tapa, which means austerity or self-control, giving up what you don't really need. Akkodha, which is non-anger, non-impulsiveness, calm is the seventh. Eight is avihimsa, or non-violence, non-oppression. Then comes khanti, which is patience, endurance and tolerance. Avirodhana, non-deviation from righteousness, or conformity to law, is the tenth. Finally there is dhamma, knowing what is right, what is appropriate for the time and place (Khena, 1987). Daoism In Daoism the path to perfection is to follow the Dao, the way. The goal of the Daoist is to harmonize with the Dao and thus become one with the cosmos, with nature, with all things (Lopez, 2002). This Dao principle is divided into two principles that oppose each other in their actions, yin and yang. Together yin and yang represent all the principles found in the universe; it is the Chinese perspective of balance and continuous change (Kohn, 2001). Ancient Chinese philosophers believed that all things in the universe contained elements of both yin and yang. Within each element of yin and yang is the seed of the other, and when yin and yang work together in harmony all is right with the world. When one is stronger than the other, however, the balance of harmony and power changes and life is unpredictable. In accordance with these ideas, the perfect Taoist must live in harmony and achieve balance between yin and yang. He or she accepts the imperfections of this world, but tries to live with them knowing that this life has its pains and also its pleasures. To achieve complete harmony with the universe one must follow the method of "non-action". Non-action, or wu wei, is often compared to the behavior of water, which flows naturally and does not clog (Allan, 1997). Water brings benefits to all things without actively doing anything, just as Taoists are supposed to do. Non-action occurs when a person or thing acts in natural concordance and.