The topics for my research paper will take a comparative approach to of how people with disabilities (physical, mental, or emotional) are treated in communities of two the religions that historically we have discussed in class Hinduism and Buddhism. This paper will argue and describe three common trends use to treat people with by their religious community that are tied either to sacred texts or cultural practice. I will compare the similarities and differences of how prayer, mediation, and yoga are used in both Hinduism and Buddhism as treatments and how they are related to a culturally relative theory on religion. Said theory is more of an idea stated by Stephen Prothero in his book “G-d is not One” the idea is that religion does not exist in the abstract (pg. 9) and generalizing it can be hazardous or can be helpful, in other words religion is both toxic and tonic based on several social events in the past.
One would think socially that those who have suffered from physical, mental, or emotional disabilities would have a negative opinion of Hinduism or Buddhism since the belief of
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This does not mean that Buddhists do not have any wishes that they want fulfilled it is just means that historically within the sacred texts there is no reason to pray as praying suggest that there is a higher authority to talk to. However socially in regards to someone who is disabled or is suffering when asked about praying the representatives of the Buddhism community will say that they will not say that praying is bad and one should never do it. Culturally instead they will say to that outsider that praying brings only a brief moment of relief, in fact some Buddhists pray just for the sake of praying. So it is hard to say whether or not having no prayers is toxic to Buddhist followers but it at the very least it is an optional