Respond to classmates contribution on Hinduism & Chinese Art

Running Head : Hinduism and Chinese Art

Response to Classmates ' contribution to Hinduism and Chinese Art . Abstract

My appreciation for and understanding of Hinduism and Chinese Art increased manifold when I read the comments of my classmates on Hinduism and Chinese Art . The oldest religion , Hinduism , is a combination of many beliefs and philosophies coming together and manifesting in the worship of many forms of Gods and Goddesses . From the commentary of my classmates , I also realized that the Chinese Art , one of the oldest remains refreshingly new even today . The intricate designs

and combination of colors is a feast to the eye

Hinduism

The of Traditional Hinduism exhibit in Smithsonian 's Sackler and Freer galleries in the words of my classmates , is very enlightening Though I heard about Hinduism earlier , it is the first time that I have read and understood more about it . It is the world 's oldest and the third largest religion . It was born in India and originated from numerous religious beliefs and philosophies . The religion is based on the idea of reincarnation , or coming back in a different life form . In Hinduism they believe in polytheism , the term commonly used to describe the worship of or belief in more than one deity , especially several deities . I was intrigued with the number of gods and goddesses within Hindu religion . In my reading the numbers is in excess of three hundred million . Why is there a need for all these gods and goddesses ? The different gods and goddesses represent different functions . Based on what an individual needed assistance with he or she would pray to that god or goddess . The most supreme of these gods and goddesses is Brahman the Supreme Cosmic Spirit known as the Absolute God of Hinduism . Some of the other gods include Devi , the divine female also known as the Mother of Goodness . Ganesha the beloved elephant face deity that clears all obstacles Shiva the Destroyer , and Vishnu , the all prevailing , the protector of the world and the restorer of moral . The history and practice of Hinduism is rather interesting and a religion that I would like to investigate further

Chinese Art

My classmate 's written contribution on Chinese Art was quite an eye opener and makes me want to see these articles in person ! One of the things that immediately appealed to me was the diversity of the materials they used . They ranged from jades , to bronzes , to ceramic lacquer and even glass . I could easily compare my own observations of Chinese Art used in various types of artwork such as sculptures , dishes furniture and paintings . They seemed to range from everyday common uses to showpiece designs . It was evident that many of these articles were works of art ' even during the time they were created

Once I saw the artwork , I immediately compared the Chinese artisans to other cultures and civilizations and felt they created more beautiful and intricate artwork than some of the other civilizations of their time...