G E O G R A P H Y ln the Catholic faith , worshipers entering a church dip fingers in holy water blessed by a priest, a purifying act before making the sign of the cross and asking G0d's blessing. ln many Christian denommations, the body must be baptized, a form ofspiritualrebirth in which the individual is cleansed ofsin before being formally accepted into the 届 [ h. This sacra- ment may occur shortly after birth, in a ceremony in WhiCh the infant's head is sprinkled with baptismal water, or may take place later in li , in some faiths involving んⅡ immer- sion of the body in a sacred font or blessed river. Muslims wash before entering a mosque and ensure that the area for prayer is clean at home and elsewhere by usmg a prayer rug ・ Ancient precursors tO modern-day Hinduism regarded both bathing i n water and burning in fire as methods of ri [ ー ual purification and preparation for approaching the gods. The ruins ofthe lndus Valley city ofMohenjo Daro include a large bathing P001 in a central location, presumed by archaeologists to be a place for cleansing the body in prepa- ration for worship in the temple. Later, the Aryans laid fires in which they sacrificed ani- mals. lnvoking Agni, the mouth 0f the sacred flame, they watched the smoke rise from the offerings and the glow- ing incense. ln that smoke they saw their gifts and prayers ascending to the gods. Their first sacrifice, though, was Purusha, the giant creator god. After creating the world and all its beings, he consumed himself in the fire of creation. Priests reenacted hiS sacrifice in rituals tO renew and sus- tain the world order. S A C R E D P L A C E S I N M A N Y religious traditions, among them those Of the Hindus, early Greeks, Chinese, and the Shintos ofJ 叩 an, the earth iS considered sacred in and Of itself. ln the west- ern prophetic traditions, certain places on the earth must 0 F R E L I G I O N be consecrated, made hOly, and then be commemorated as such with the building ofa temple, church, or shrine 叩 on the site. ln still Other traditions, particular places were respected as sacred—geographical configurations where humans sensed a closer contact with the divine. Certain sprmgs, r1Vers, grottoes, caves, rocks, and mountams tOOk on special significance. Profane attributes could not be allowed in such places. At the 応 ot ofGreece's Mount Parnassus, rising 2,()()() feet above the Gulf of Corinth, an abundant spring feeds a tributary 0f the Cephissus River. Those wh0 worshiped there considered themselves [ 0 be at the navel Of the earth. Traces Of religious activity at this Site date back tO the Mycenaeans early in the first millennium B. C. They believed that Python, the serpent son of Mother Earth, guarded the central cave. Athenians tOOk over the shrine in the eighth century B. C. , believing that their god Apollo had killed Python and reenacting the battle between them every eight years. They built a temple t0 AP0110 nearby and inside erected a hive- sh 叩 ed omphalos, a stone symbol indicating that this site, called Delphi, was the center of the world. Worshipers cleansed themselves ritually, brought sacrifices t0 Ap0110, and consulted the famous oracle there, a priestess Whose ecstat1C states connected her With the divine. Returning tO the human realm, she revealed the gods' will in prophecies about the fates Of citizens and rulers. Perh 叩 s the oracle's most famous prophecy was that of Oedipus, the legendary king of Thebes, who was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Familiar to all in ancient Greece, hiS tragic story iS known tO us tOday through the plays of Sophocles. Atthe border between today's lsrael and Syria, at the base ofMount Hermon, a nature preserve protects the for- ested streams and waterfalls, primary headwaters Of the Jordan River, which were likely honored in times before oppo 、 . ・ Ca ルノ第初〃ノ化ぬ功なイ A 〃盟ツ N のプん膨」プルノル脚仇ルカ〃ノ」、な「〃〃ノん〃のでノ〃〃加ハ . 0 旧 NG 例 G 暦ヨ功、衂 0 を 4 〃ノ K ル 4 を〃″ / 〃ノル脚ぬ〃化加〃ん 4 ″ル脚な g ノ膨展 / ん / ゆノ〃ル 0 〃 . 4 〇

G E O G R A P H Y also recognized "one holy catholic and 叩 ostolic Church' known by its practice Of "one baptism for the rem1SSion Of S1ns," and united in the belief that Jesus Will return [ 0 the earth fr()l れ heaven and oversee resurrectlon Of the dead, and the li 証 the world to come. By the end 0fConstantine's li in 557 A. D. , a num- ber ofChristian practices had been established that still are followed. Sunday, the first day of the week, was identified as the Lord's Day. On that day Christians gather at their houses ofworship for prayer, a reading ofScripture, and the ceremony 0f the Eucharist, the solemn partaking 0f bread and wine that recalls Christ's sacrifice, death, and Resurrection. The attitude in prayer was discussed by bish- OPS during Constantine S time, some favoring a kneeling posture with hands folded, and others, a standing position with arms outstretched, mirroring Jesus on the cross. The focal point of each church was the altar: a central table for elements Of the Eucharist and Other ritual necessitles. Worshipers enter a church With reverence, f()t• it iS consid- ered the dwelling place G . Special gestures ofChristian blessing developed. The sign of the cross, traced with the right hand, could be conferred by a priest on a worshiper in blessing or could be traced on one s own upper body in devotion. This practice, in place as early as 200 A. D. was often performed in daily life as a call for G0d's help. ln all but the 1 れ OSt nontraditional churches, a cross hangs above the altar. Catholic crosses include a depiction Of the crucl- fied body of Jesus, whereas Protestant churches simply display a cross. The Roman Church developed the practice Of counting prayers ln meditation with appeals [ 0 the Virgin Mary and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, by means 0f a string 0 「 beads, called a rosary. Monks in the Greek Orthodox Church similarly counted genuflections and signs Of the cross on a rope with a hundred knots. The sacred act 0 「 baptism with holy water by a min- ister ofthe church brought an individual into the 応 ld and conferred the blessings of God and Jesus. Only those who had been baptized could be "saved," or gathered by Jesus intO heaven after death. 宅 indeed descend intO the water 0 F R E L I G I O N full ()f sins and defilement,' wrote a second-century Christian, "but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit. ' Many people believed that baptism should occur as early in li as possible, tO ensure salvation ln case Of an early death. According to Hippolytus, a third-century Roman pres- byter, a person should stand nude for baptism. Early churches Often included baptisterles, rooms with built-in tubs that held enough water tO immerse a person. Prior [ 0 b 叩 tism, the presiding bishop asked the candidate, 'Do you believe i n God the Father Almighty to which the response was "l believe. " Fr()I れ these early baptisms came another statement faith, the Apostles' Creed. Christmas confirmed church-wide as a sacred holiday in the fourth century. NO one was sure of the date ofJesus' birth. Western Christians celebrated the day in late December, already a festival time among pagans marking the increase Of daylight after the winter SOlStice. Eastern Christians celebrated 12 days later. Some early Egyptian Christians wanted [ 0 observe the day in the spring. ln compromise, Christmas was set on December 2 う and Epiphany 12 days later, on January 6 , celebrating the arrival of three kings to worship the newborn Jesus. Plays tO reenact the mysteries ofJesus' birth were performed at Christmastime in Europe in the Middle Ages and represent an lmportant early stage in the history ofdrama. From them, Chri stmas carols—songs bOth serious and j oyous—evolved. Once Easter was fixed according [ 0 the n100n phase, other observances Ⅱ into place and developed over the cen- turies. The 40 days before Easter Sunday, a period called Lent, originally were a time ofpreparation for b 叩 tism. They have evolved intO a periOd offasting and repentance, recall- ing Jesus' 4() days in the wilderness. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a date Christians ()bserve with servlces, when they receive the mark Ofthe cross made with ashes on their forehead, as a sign humility. ln Catholic regions of France, Germany, ltaly, the Caribbean, and Latin America, a carnival celebration occurs just before the beginning Of Lent, climaxing in Mardi Gras, a day and night of revelry. 284

Some people may promise physical sacrifice—fast- ing, for instance, or temporarily forgoing a favorite 応 Od , or undertaking strenuous pilgrimages. Others promlse tO reform a personal habit, such as smoking or gambling or sleeping t00 late. Still others make offerings in the form 0f flowers, 応 od , and water provided for temple or household gods; monetary donations tO churches, mosques, and syn- agogues; and good deeds performed on the behalf of the less fortunate. Throughout much of the first millennium, the Maya Of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula believed that tO receive the blessings ofrain, they should propitiate Chac, the god wh0 lived in the depths of Chichen ltza's sacred cenote. This freshwater P001 is traditionally considered the dwelling place ofthe gods. Portrayed in Maya art with fangs, bulging eyes, and a long, curved nose, Chac was later known as the famous 訪砒初 00 / , the recli ni ng figure wh0 has come t0 sym- b()lize Chichen ltza, one Of the principal centers ofancient Maya civilization. Staring [ 0 one side, the stone statue bal- ances a bOWl for offerings on hiS stomach between hiS chest and bent knees. Explorations four miles east of Chichen ltza in 19 う 9 revealed a cave whose depths had not been plumbed for cen- turies. ln it lay more than 600 artifacts ofpottery—bowls, figurines, incense holders, some dating back [ 0 1()O() A. D. DetailS ofdesign and construction suggested that the cache oppo : The 行〃脚イ 4 〃 C た〃のどノ紘ノいを g りノ読工「 4 歸ん〃ル功げルん比〃 , 、「 / . ABOVE: F ールん訪なアん″ g んル〃 / through / な〃ーな行〃 / んル膨 Na 〃り〃 4 / ル . FO 0 旧 NG 例 G ハ : C 確 4 〃ノ s なり新ルななー砒〃ん比 , / ん / 4 んツル紘 / 4 房 4 一かノル 4 ム 4 〃ノ ) 勗 s. 27

H I N D U I S M approached by wide stone walkways—archaeologists dubbed it the Great Bath—that was perhaps used for ritual purposes. The city's population is estimated to have peaked at 5 う ,()()() to 40 000. Ⅱ s and a drainage system suggest that the entlre C1ty was provided with water. Excavation finds at Harappa, 3()() miles north, reveal a similarly complex cul- ture, evolving over tWO millennia. Artifacts unearthed at Harappan S1tes are intrlgtllng. Tools and weapons were fashioned from stone, copper, and bronze. A four-inch bronze figurine 0f a girl, clad only in a necklace and arm bangles, poses on long, slender legs. Other figurines S1t with legs crossed and hands touching knees symmetrically, suggesting a pose later formalized in Hindu and Buddhist meditative practice. Most fascinating are the thousands 0 「 seals, one tO tWO inches square, made Of steatite, or soapstone. Presumably they were used [ 0 stamp SOft clay as a S1gnature or mark Of ownership. The Harappan seals are carved with lettering not yet deciphered by linguists, and with images, primarily of animals—ox, bull , elephant , tiger, rhinoceros—but occasionally a human figure. NO ObjectS or structures that can be unambigu- ously associated with religion have been discovered in the Har 叩 pan sites along the lndus River, but cultural clues lead archaeologists [ 0 interpret their finds as precursors [ 0 later well-known imagery and beliefs. Drastic change affected the Harappan cities in the mid- dle of the second millennium B. C. Historians have long believed that invaders decimated the populations or drove them east, but it iS alSO possible that changes in climate caused drought, altered the course ofrivers, disturbed irri- gation networks, and forced a migration OLlt Of the lndus River VaIley,. Earthquakes may have caused severe upheavals and interrupted the 日 ow ofthe lndus. Whatever h 叩 pened, by 1 う OO B. C. new waves of people had moved into the region om Central Asia. They called themselves Aryan, the word for "noble" or pure" in the precursor tO Sanskrit. The Aryan culture mingled with the vestiges of existing Harappan civilization and spread east int0 the valley 0f lndia's other great river, the Ganges. Much ofwhat we know about these people and their way 0 日 i has been learned from the Vedas, an anclent canon Of recitatl()ns con- sidered the world's first holy scripture. Flowering through- out central and northern lndia for most Of the first millennium B. C. Vedic civilization forms an underlayer of Hindu belief and practice. T H E F I R S T H 0 L Y B O O K S ー 11 N D U S B E L I E V E that the Vedas, their ancient hOly books , have exis ted eternally. They reveal eternaltruths and wisdom passed down through the ages. Sch01ars consider them a composite work dating 伝 om 12()() B. C. or earlier and surviving by oral tradition until being written down nearly two thousand years later. There are four Vedas. The Rig Veda, oldest of all, and the Sama Veda are collections oflaudatory hymns to deities. The Yajur Veda is a manual for performing rituals. The Atharva Veda, compiled later, contains prayers and charms for health and good fortune. "ln the beginning the Golden Embryo stirred and evolved," reads one of the creation hymns of the Rig Veda. 'Once born he was the one Lord ofevery being; this heaven and earth did he sustain.. . What god shall we revere with the oblation?' R 〃 4 の , go , appears [ 0 be the answer [ 0 this rhetorical question: Varuna, whO "by the power Of his pure will upholds a10 丘 the cosm1C tree's high crown ; lndra, "who created the sun, the dawn, and who guides the waters" ・ Rudra, "wielder ofthe lt " ・ V1shnu, associated with the sun; and Agni, associated with fire, "well kindled, nobly d. " The rivers of lndia 叩 pear as goddesses; reign- ing above them iS Sarasvati, "whose limitless unbroken 日 00d , swift-moving with a rapid rush, comes onward with tempestuous roar. " ThiS now noneXIStent river opp 7 ハ〃なな , んな / 厩「糾 4 〃ノめ〃脚イれⅵ〃〃 g 4 ノ 0 翔〃な〃り / ん〃 4 加イ 2 〇 0 〇 B. C. 川 0 旧 NG 例 G ハ : Rows ツツ房脚川 0 ん D ののでは / んル g ゾ 4 / 確読ぉイ / ん 4 〃翫〃な″″″比イ / んルノ / / り . 77

H I N D U I S M H I N D U I S M T O D A Y 、 " I T H I N A religion that so reveres its bodies ofwater, environmental concerns Of the 21 St century take on a bitter edge. Simple irrigation ditches have borrowed water from the Ganges for millennia, but the British were the first tO engineer real canals. New plans tO dam and redirect lndian rivers, tO irrlgate the dry Deccan Plain Of central lndia, are drawing criticism for both political and ecological reasons. P()llution poses a massive threat [ 0 the rivers oflndia. Thousands, even millions, of Hindus flock to the Ganges River at many POintS along itS course, using the flowing water to bathe, drink, cook, wash clothing, dispose of refuse, and cast the ashes of the dead. Curiously enough, recent studies done in collaboration with the lndian lnstitute of Technology in Kanpur verify the ancient claims for the rlver S powers Of purification: Organ1C matter is decomposed 15 tO 25 times faster in the Ganges than in ()ther rivers. Nevertheless, Mother Ganga is faltering under the weight of human use. Water tests done at the 1 れ OSt populous spots along the river have revealed fecalcoliform counts thousands of times higher than the acceptable level. Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhus, hepatitis, and amoebic dysentery are ravaging the lndian people. ln 1985 , the lndian government established the Ganga Action Plan, building sewage treatment plants along the Ganges River and enactlng regulations agamst industrial runoff. The privately organized Sankat Mochan Foundation , concerned by what it considers the ineffectiveness Of gov- ernment efforts, has proposed alternative strategies and technologies. Foundation leader Veer Bhadra Mishra, a Hindu priest and civilengineer, emphasizes the need to bal- ance ancient beliefs With present-day solutions. "There iS a struggle and turmoil inside my heart," he said recently. 'I want to take a holy dip— I need i い 0 live. The day does not begin for me without the holy dip. But at the same tlme, as a scientist, he knows the dangers Of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and fecal coliform. One way to relieve the pressure on the environment would be tO redesign some Of the most ancient rites Of Hinduism. An estlmated 40 000 crematlons take place in Varanasi alone each year, creatlng a constant demand for firewood and raiS1ng con- cern over deforestation. The lndian government has built electrical crematoria, but many lndians still hold the ancient belief that only a wood fire's flame will carry the spirit of the dead [ 0 the gods. The insistent pulse of Hindu worship still brings tens ofthousands ofworshipers daily intO the waters Ofthe Ganges and lndia's Other sacred rivers. At no time iS that pulse felt as overwhelmingly as during Kumbh Mela, the mass lmmersion that now brings millions ofdevout Hindus [ 0 Allahabad, where the Yamuna—and, it is believed, the mythical Sarasvat1 ・—pour their sacred waters intO the Ganges. Legend has it that as Vishnu's winged carrler, Garuda, carried holy nectar across the skies, defending it against the onslaught ofdemons, four drops escaped, sanc- tifying those places where they Ⅱ to earth: Allahabad, Haridwar, UjJain, and Nasik. At all of them Kumbh Mela is celebrated, but Allahabad is considered the holiest ofthe four. The precise time for gathering is calculated according tO the planets, the auspicious date recurring about every 12 years. ln February 2001 , perhaps many 70 million peo- ple over the course Of the three-week festival converged on the riverbanks near Allahabad, creatlng a temporary tent city that spread across 18 square miles. City officials set up 20 000 temporary latrines for the event. Sadhus 伝 om all sects and every directlon immersed themselves en masse in the river waters, joined by other Hindus from all walks 0 日 i 巵 The 2001 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad was the largest reli- gious gathering in world history. Four out of five Hindus today live in lndia, but Hinduism is represented on every continent Of the glObe. lt has spread mainly through migration and cultural con- tact, not m1SS10nary converslon. Hindu practlce spread 伝 om eastern lndia during the Gupta Empire and later along southeastward sea trade routes. Traces Ofthat migra- tion remain tOday in Bali, an island whose Hindu culture 121

sets it apart 伝 om the rest 0f lndonesia, which is nearly 90 them. Effigies of the gods are carried 伝 om a11 over the percent Muslim. Bali was an enclave ofescape forJavanese island down to the sea, where they are ceremonially cleansed. Hindus in the 16th century, and it remained relatively Men in native outriggers sacrifice a water buffal() calf, orna- isolated from both Java and lndia in the succeeding cen- mented in gold and silver, t0 the demons of the sea. ln a turies, developing a Hinduized culture all its own. Bali grand climax, the entire population converges at Besakih Hinduism i ntertwines with strands of B uddhist and indige- bestowing gifts to the gods and sacrificing all sorts ofani- nous religion, resulting ln a C010r 丘 11 and energetic religion mals, from snake to eagle, t0 appease Rudra, fiercest demon renowned for its gamelan music and れレ〃 g , or shadow pup- 0fa11 , and ensure health and prosperity for another century pet, theater. Pura Besakih, built on the slopes Mount M()dern impatience and an eye for commercial possi- bilities have stepped up the frequency ofceremonies linked Agung, is considered the holiest 0fBali's nearly 2(),()()() tem- to Eka Dasa Rudra. The firstjolt to tradition came in 1965 ples. lt is a complex of 30 different temples, chief among them Pura Panataran Agung, which holds in its inner when lndonesia's president Sukarno persuaded priests to sanctum a three-seated shrine tO Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. schedule the ritual early. Preparations were under way Once every hundred years, as tradition has it, Balinese when Mount Agung erupted, the first time since 15 50, Hindus celebrate the ritual called Eka Dasa Rudra, enact- killing 2,()()0 people and forcing tens ofthousands to evac- ing the struggle between demons in the underworld, gods uate. S01 れ e said the gods were expressing their anger at the in the heavens above, and humans in the balance between Sukarno regime. Finally, 16 years later, the 20th-century Eka 122

ー′んルノ 0 虎 g 房〃 g 0 必 / んノ着オイ叮 ノの〃 / 0 〃の召〃び 0 ア ass オ〃〃 ZV 召 S ーれノ〃 SO 0 〃召 膨 g 〃たいん G0 ノ , んノを 0 房 / な灯 . S V E T A S V A T A R A U P A N I S H A D 0 F O R T H O U s A N D s of years, the Hindu faithful have started the day by greeting the river. Mindful of its history, its symbolism, its life-giving force, the Hindu steps into the C001 , fresh water, pressmg palms together and uttering an ancient prayer, seeking a state Of cleanliness in bOdy, mind, and spirit. That water— an element that can be neither made nor destroyed by human hands—links the Hindu of today back to the beginning of time and the beginning of belief. oppo 辞 . ・Ⅳん / ん Ga 〃 g い R ルげ〃妣な / ん Bay イ B ga / , 4 ノ紘 0 れ g 比とな”ルノ功 4 ・の砿 PRECEDING 例 G ハ : 川ⅳん〃 g 、「紘功い 4 げノ Ga 〃 g 糾必「翩ル〃 g ↓な〃 4 、ⅵ 4 カッ″ 4 / 化紘〃ノ″、「 . H I N D U I S M

B U D D H I S M 22-foot-tall structure sits on top ofa granite boulder ofabout the same height, both covered brilliantly with gold leaf. The boulder balances on a rocky ledge i n Myanmar s south- central Paunglaung Range, looklng ifit might 1 at any minute—and so it has 100ked for centuries. Legend says that the hermit Tissa, possessor Of this precious hair, agreed tO leave it here only atop a boulder resembling his own head. The lord ofthe nats—Myanmar's indigenous green spirits— dove deep into the Andaman Sea to fetch this ovoid boulder. For centuries, pilgrims trekked through steep jungle paths tO reach it. Mongolian invaders led by Kublai Khan in 1287 brought the building of the many Buddhist marvels to a temporary halt in Myanmar. The Pagan sovereigns had taken steps t0 ensure their Buddhist stronghold, though, by acqtllring and preserving the ancient Pali scriptures, centralto Theravadan Buddhism. Centuries later, in 1871 , those scriptures brought 2 400 Buddhist monks to Mandalay, then Myanmar's cap- ital , to the Fifth B uddhist Council. Territory t0 the east and the west had been colonized by the British, but the inte- rior of the country remained independent, ruled by K1ng Mindon. The king, a Buddhist, wished [ 0 preserve the pali canon for all time. The council monks set about tran- scribing the scriptures 伝 om palm leaves t0 marble slabs and produced an important revised edition 0f the Tipitaka. ln 1954 a Sixth Buddhist Council was convened by Premier l_JNu. Ruling governments since then have not espoused Buddhism, although 89 percent of the people ofMyanmar are Buddhist, including opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize W1nner Aung San Suu Kyi. ThaiIand , like Cambodia, bui lds upon a rich Buddhist p [. Unlike Cambodia, it declares itselfa Buddhist nation. Ninety-five percent of Thais today practice Buddhism. Many Thai men, including the longtime king of this con- stitutional monarchy, Bhumib01 Adulyadej , devote sev- eral years of their early adult life to becormng a Buddhist monk. BhumiboI was ordained in 1956 at the age of 29 , nearly a decade after he had been crowned King Rama IX. Monast1C government officials admimster national affairs together in Thailand. DaiIy li is filled with many ceremonies arising from the Buddhist tradition. As elsewhere, the monks are sup- ported by the community with gifts t0 the temple. ln the early morning, the saffron-robed monks wander through town with their begging bowls [ 0 collect fi 伝 om the faith- ful. Because monks may not eat after noon, almsgiving takes place in the morning. Buddhists gather on holy days com- memorating events in the Buddha's li 巵 Carrying candles and chanting the ancient Pali scripture, they circumambulate their neighborhood temple or shrine. The temples are not meant as homages t0 the B uddha as a god , but as places for meditation. Offerings of 応 od or flowers, pilgrimages, alms tO mal ntal n a monastey—these are acts Of merit tO help toward rebirth in a better li . Even a simple hello" in Thailand has a religious meaning: People greet each Other with a ル z , a gesture Of pressing palms together, closing eyes, and bowing head in an echo of the reverence they would pay the Buddha. A couple choosing [ 0 marry according t0 Thai Buddhist tradition makes lengthy, mindful preparations for the day. The ceremony itself begins with the arrival of nlne monks ー hO seat themselves in a semicircle opposlte the bride and groom. As the monks chant Pali scripture, the couple prepares an altar, lighting a candle and incense and placing an alms bowl, halffull ofholy water, before an image of the Buddha. Next the couple conducts an impor- tant merit-making ceremony, offering sumptuous Od tO the monks and t0 their family members present. As the sen10r monk continues chanting, the couple pours hOly water frOI れ one cup [ 0 another one drop at a tlme, think- ing Of their ancestors and their obligations [ 0 one another. They kneel together and a " 〃ん / , or white yarn, is wrapped around and between their heads, symbolizing their unity. oppo : し k ん砿なり g り / 〃イ島妣 Z 〃川〃 4 ア 4g0 , ノな加イ吮 B / / ノノん . 183

G E O G R A P H Y O F R E L I G I O N water rests belOW her and falls upon her, like river and rain. ln the creatlon myth told among the Pima lndians of Other Hindu myths 伝 om the Vedas—ancientsacred texts— the southwestern United States , prlmeval man emerged out of darkness to make the earth and the heavens. He put his tell ()fthe cosmic giant Purusha whose dismemberment and sacrifice gave r1Se tO all creatlon. hand intO his heart and drew out a stone, then divided the ln the Kimberley region of northwestern AustraIia, the stone into pebbles and tossed them into the sky [ 0 light Unumbal people told a myth about how their rugged, the darkness. Wanting the world even brighter, he drew rocky landscape got its water. Their cosmos began with a another rock 伝 om his heart and made the MiIky み ay. sky god, Wallanganda, their name for the galaxy we now At the Other extreme,Kung Bushmen in Botswana saw callthe MiIky Way, and an earth god, Ungud, who took the falling stars as gifts from the great god who had ordered form of a great snake. Wallanganda things at the very beginning. This scattered water on the earth; Ungud god continued [ 0 give gifts to believ- deepened it. They slept, and out of ers: ostrich eggs, bees and honey, their dreams arose the creatures that giraffes, aardvarks, b100d , the sun, inhabit the earth. ln the watery depths , and especially the medicine songs Ungud discovered Wandjina, spirit- uttered ceremonially by tribal healers. forms with wide, hollow eyes, long The Kung named the power in all arms, and no mouths. When they these gifts 〃 They could not pray emerged 伝 om underwater, they spread for or t0 ntum, though. ln the human across the land, forming the hills and realm, they associated it with death plains and refreshing them with falling and fighting. Only a select few, the rain. Then the Wandjina lay down on healers among them, could C01 e intO certaln rocks in the landscape, leaving contact with ntum. their impressl()ns tO watch over lakes r1Vers, and sprlngs. ln a cave near a gorge formed by a tributary 0f the Chapman River, a vast tableau 0f red and black rock paintings of these and Other fantastic figures was discovered in the 1950s. ArchaeoIogists estimate them [ 0 be 17,()()0 years old. The Haida people, of the Queen Charlotte lslands in the Canadian province ofBritish Columbia, [ 00k the oppo- site position on the creation ofthe world. They believed the umverse began with water, as t()ld in the story 0 「 Raven, He-Whose-Voice-Is-Obeyed: 'Notlong ago, there wms no land to 反 seen. Then there was a little thing on the ocean, the rest was all open sea. Raven sat upon this little thing. Become dust!' he said, and it became the earth. P R O P I T I A T I N G T H E G O D S T H R 0 U G H R E L I G I O N , human beings established a relationship with the gods they named and envisioned within the powerful forces the landscape. ln prayer and ritual , they communicated wi th their gods , hopi ng thereby tO Win their blessings and gain some control over the nat- ural envlronment. ln modern tlmes, t00 , although SCience has discovered much about natural phenomena, in every cor- ner of the planet, at every moment 0f the day, millions 0f people are at prayer or attending religious services, seeking divine intervention in the workings Of the weather, and in the health, safety and happiness ofliving creatures, animal and human. 26

P R A Y E R S H A N D S L I F T E D to heaven, an lmam begins noontime prayers under the searing sun in Mashhad, lran ( 確の . One of the Five Pillars oflslam decreed by the Prophet , prayer pervades the lives 0 「 devout Muslims. At dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and after nightfall, muezzins call the faithful to ritual prayer. To prepare their bodies for worship, believers 朝第第り、「″の wash in a fountain at a mosque in Damascus, Syria. When no water iS available, Muslims may cleanse themselves with sand. Praising Allah / / ツ〃 g 第 4 の , "the Compassionate, the Merciful,' pious Muslim women join together in ritual prayer. Muhammad taught that group prayer, or / 44 is more blessed than individual prayer, known as レ