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of the two great schools of Buddhism, still prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia, emphasizing personal salvation through one's own efforts. |
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the later of the two great schools of Buddhism, chiefly in China, Tibet, and Japan, characterized by eclecticism and a general belief in a common search for salvation, sometimes thought to be attainable through faith alone. |
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A social movement with a doctrine of a new world (a millennium) to be attained at least in part by spiritual Means. (Keesing, 1971:514) [The term millenarianism comes from the millennium. In Christianity, some believed that the second coming of Christ would occur in the year 1000 AD (now CE). Now ideas that suggest that a new world will occur as a result of spiritual change is called a millennial movement. |
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“A system of spirit influences for good and evil believed by the Chinese to attend the natural features of landscape; also, a kind of geomancy dealing with these influences, used in determining sites for graves, houses, etc.” |
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The control of supernatural agencies through human control. Usually done individually, and emphasizes human control of the supernatural through the proper incantations or rituals. |
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“A social institution involving beliefs and practices baed upon a conception of the sacred.” (Macionis 2008:656) [NOTE: In anthropology, religion is always social, never individual. Usually involves the spiritual realm, but not always, so the definition above does not say “spiritual” but “sacred.” Something may be sacred without being spiritual. |
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“teaches that wholesome deeds bring about wholesome results while unwholesome deeds bring about unwholesome results. Thus it is possible to explain everything which happens to us, whether good or bad, in terms of some deed which was performed previously whether in this life or in a previous one." |
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