Assignment
Title: Theodicy - Encountering Evil
Instructions: Suffering and evil, as fundamental experiences of human life, have been a central concern in many religious traditions. In the following exercises, you will find a variety of different approaches to the phenomena of evil and suffering.
Example 1 - Taoism:
The first text is attributed to the Chuang Tzu (a.k.a. Zhuangzi), a fourth century BC Chinese poet and philosopher, representing the Taoist (a.k.a. Daoist) tradition. Central to his thought is the problem of suffering: how is it possible for human beings to live in a world that is absurd, chaotic, and the cause of intense anguish? Read the following two passages from his work:
Read: Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings
Visit: Chuang Tzu: The Next Voice
Question:
1. (a) What is the origin of suffering according to Chuang Tzu, and (b) how, according to him, does a person experience liberation from suffering?
Example 2- Buddhism:
A very different concept for the ultimate cause of suffering and evil can be found in the Buddhist tradition of The Four Noble Truths.
Read: Buddha Gautama's first sermon: Sermon at Benares
Visit the BBC religion page: The Four Noble Truths (and the Eightfold Path)
Read about the: Four Noble Truths
Read about the: Eightfold Path
Question:
2. What is the Buddhist view of the cause of suffering?
3. What is the Buddhist "remedy" for suffering?
Example 3 - American Indian Religion:
In Native American myths, animals take an important role communicating fundamental experiences in human life. The coyote portrays a versatile god-like trickster figure. In the following myth, Coyote and Eagle Visit the Land of the Dead by the Yakima, coyote deals with the universal experience of death.
Read: Coyote and Eagle Visit the Land of the Dead (Yakima)
Question:
4. (a) Describe the Native American Coyote and Eagle myth. (b) How does this myth help people cope with the suffering of death?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.