Jim Crow

Life and Death Displayed Through the Indian and Greek Cultures

Hinduism, an ancient religion is one of the oldest in the world, evolving more that three thousand years ago. Indian and Greek cultures tend to have some similarities as well as some differences. Life and death are both equally important one to the other with these two cultures, but they seem to relate differently to these concepts. Exploration of these cultures concerning these concepts is enlightening.

In the Indian culture, Hinduism is an enriching religion to explore. The concepts of Hinduism are not based on the teachings of a single person or text. Hinduism has been enriched by a collection of teachings from great saints over a period of thousands of years. A Hindu may choose to worship a particular god or several or all of them. There is no central authority or single leader in the Hindu religion, though the role of a spiritual master is defined. Reincarnation and nonviolence are among the major beliefs of the Hindus. It is a part of the Hindu belief that you are reincarnated until you achieve moksha, liberation and unity with Brahma. The sense of death is not really reality in Hinduism because of the fact that you will continue to come back as someone or something different until you "get it right."

It is also a belief of the Hindus that the soul cannot be destroyed. Therefore, death is not existent in the Hindu faith. There is a sense of death because Hindus are human. The body can die, but the soul will remain forever. This concept is evident in the Bhagavad-Gita when Arjuna is faced with the dilemma of fighting a war against his family. The Bhagavad-Gita states that life does not begin at birth nor end with death. It is eternal. The soul is constantly transmigrating from one body to another according to its desires and quality of activities (karma). In order to have a more fulfilling life, Krishna expresses to Arjuna that he must do his dharma or fulfill his duty as a soldier. Krishna explains to Arjuna that he is not able to kill his family because he cannot kill the soul, it lives forever. Arjuna is amazed when Krishna is finally able to reveal himself, not an ordinary person, but God!

Focusing on Indian art, the concept of life and death is evident in the Shiva Nataraja or the Dancing Shiva. This piece of art represents the cycle of birth and death. In one hand he beats his drum, the heartbeat of creation, while in another hand he holds the fire of all surrounding destruction. Yet Shiva as Lord of Dance also offers an alternative to the cycles of life and death, for his third hand, with palm facing outwards, relieves us from despair, while his fourth hand points to a raised foot indicating liberation from the demon of ignorance upon which his other foot is standing. In Indian Music a tala represents the cycle of life and death. The tala is a recurring rhythmic cycle. Indian music is often accompanied by what is called a drone. A drone is a continuous sound that lingers throughout the entirety of the piece. This is symbolic of the continuous cycle of life and death in the Hindu belief system.

Greek civilization was somewhat different from the Indian civilization. Greeks came to understand civilization. Their laws came from the people and not from divine kings. The Greeks linked objects of the natural world to humans and mythology. Greek beliefs included after death being the descent to the underworld. The paradox highlights the fact that this descent to the underworld promises that of a renewed life. For example, in Homer's Odyssey, the "new" Odysseus follows his journey to Hades in which he returns with a wealth of knowledge to share with all in the society. One of Homer's motifs is the symbolic death and rebirth theme. This motif is used throughout The Odyssey to emphasize the growth and