______________________________________________ Intercultural Competence and Patient-Centered Care
birth of Hinduism along with a code of ethics for the faithful [136]. Major Hindu festivals include Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali, Mahashivratri, Vasant Panchami, Rama Navami, and Janmashtami/Krishna Jayanti. Two concepts are central to Hinduism: karma and reincarna- tion. Karma refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect. In short, people’s circumstances are the result of present and past-life actions of good or evil [136]. Hindus also believe in the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth (reincarnation) that continues until the soul “transcends all pain and pleasure and release itself from all fears and attachments” [138]. This state is called samsara or transmigration [138]. The Hindu temple is a cultural center where people come to sing, read sacred texts, and perform rituals [136]. The chanting of mantra called pathas is a traditional Hindu practice and is believed to have transformative power. Puja or daily worship is an important aspect of Hinduism. It entails the offering of food, incense, flowers, fruits, ashes, and other articles to an image of a deity [138]. Tirthas refer to pilgrimage sites and holy places in Hinduism [138]. Buddhism There are approximately 3 million Buddhists in the United States and about 488 million worldwide [141]. Buddhism was founded in northeastern India by Siddhartha Gautam, whose name was later changed to the Buddha or Enlightened One. At 29 years of age, the Buddha sought knowledge from several forest yogis and learned meditation techniques. After six years, Buddhists believe Gautama found enlightenment while medi- tating under a Bodhi tree and was released from the cycle of rebirths [138]. He began promoting the idea of a middle path that focused on purity of thought and deed. Buddha believed awareness was the path to overcoming death [136]. He did not want to be worshiped as a god or savior. Instead, he believed his role was to help people find their path to freedom and enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are essential to understanding Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths have been identified as the first teaching given by Buddha [137]: • There is suffering in life. • Human desire is the cause of suffering. • The end of human suffering is possible. • The Eightfold Path is how one achieves nirvana. Collectively, the Four Noble Truths explain why humans suffer and how to overcome suffering. Within the Four Noble Truths is found the Eightfold Path. Wangu describes the Eightfold Path as consisting of the right opinion, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mind- fulness, and right concentration [138]. These eight paths are grouped into three key elements of Buddhist practice: morality, wisdom, and concentration [138].
Buddhists engage in rituals such as chanting and placing flow- ers, candles, and incense before an image of Buddha. Buddhists celebrate many holidays and festivals, most of which commemo- rate important events in the life of the Buddha. Every year, Buddhists celebrate Vesak, a festival that commemorates Bud- dha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. During each quarter of the moon, followers of Buddhism participate in a ceremony called Uposatha [136]. This observance allows Buddhists to renew their commitment to their teachings. Buddhist New Year is a time for reflection of past lives and identifying and rectifying mistakes [136]. Confucianism Confucianism is described as a way of life, philosophy, religion, or ethical code by which to live [138]. It was developed from the teachings of Confucius, who was born around 551 B.C.E. [138]. These teachings focus on good conduct, wisdom, and proper social relationships. Confucius has had a great influence on Chinese culture. Although temples were built to honor him, he is not perceived as a god. The temples are used for public ceremonies only and not as places of worship [138]. Confucianism advocates eight key concepts. The first is Jen, which translates as love, human-heartedness, and goodness [138]. The second concept is Chun-tzu, which refers to a state of centeredness whereby one exhibits Confucians’ values effortlessly and without the need for self-monitoring. The third concept is Li, or a sense of order in one’s life that coincides with social convention. The fourth concept is Te, or the appro- priate use of power by leaders and authority figures. The fifth concept is Wen, which refers to the cultural arts (e.g., music, drama, poetry) that help to maintain unity in society [138]. The remaining concepts are Chi (the wisdom of proper action), Hsin (integrity), and Yi (righteousness or justice). Taoism Taoism (pronounced DOW-ism) is a Chinese philosophy and religion dating back to the fourth century B.C.E. [136]. Tao means “the way,” and it has no founder or central figures. Taoists do not worship a god. Instead, they focus on coming into harmony with Tao, the cosmic energy that blows through everything. Taoism emphasizes what is natural and going with the flow of life. Today, there are about 20 million Taoists, and most followers live in China, Taiwan, or Southeast Asia [136]. Meditation is an important practice, and the goal of medita- tion is to come into harmony with the universe [136]. The philosophy is found in a text, the Tao-te-Ching (Classic Way and Its Power) , dating back to the third century B.C.E. and attributed to Lao Tzu [138]. Shintoism Shintoism began during prehistoric times on the Japanese islands [138]. Today, Shinto is the religion of Japan, and it has approximately 112 million followers; more than 75% of them follow Buddhism as well [138]. Like Taoism, Shinto has
11
EliteLearning.com/Social-Work
Powered by FlippingBook