Depend On The Writer

Name of Student

Name of Professor

Name of Class

Day Month Year

Holy Envy

Holy envy could be defined as an emotion that one feels by taking a look at other religions. In other words, it could be said that it is an intriguing expression. According to me, Holy envy could be defined as a desire or complex that one would develop when he would look at something appealing in others religions. It won't be wrong to say that holy envy could be used in both positive and negative sense. When one is going to see an unusual thing in some other religion may be he is going to wish to have that in his own religion as well, but sometimes, it could be seen that people when observes something an usual in other religions, despite having a sense of adoption of that thing, they get into a complex.

There are many traditions that we are being taught and one of the traditions that appealed and inspired me a lot is, the Ultimate Purpose. Holy envy is a feeling to be better than before by making some improvement. For example, it is a general observation that when people observes something interesting in other religion, they think, why it is not the part of their religion. It is natural thing and still despite being Christian, I got inspired by many other religions.

Holy envy is what I find attractive and wanting for it to develop in my own traditions. For me, it is something like, looking at beautiful things and wishing to have them at my own home. Whenever I start thinking about the holy envy, one thing that always comes to my mind is the observations of Stendahl that I once studied. According to him, one of the most famous saints Paul advised that if we want to know and understand a religion that is not our, than we should always go to the ones who are the followers of that religion not to those who are against that religion as they would misguide you. While studying about various traditions, another major thing that behold my attention was that though we like many things in other religions still we should compare best of their religion with best our own religion.

One of the main traditions that I have been inspired by is Buddhist traditions. Aspect that has energized me is the Ultimate Purpose. I have always been quite interested in studying comparative religions. Though there are many things that I wanted to opt from other religions but one of the most important things that secured a special place in my life is the Ultimate Purpose that has been given by Buddhism. Being one who studies various religions, I have been through many religious concepts, given by various religions i.e. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and many other, about the Ultimate Purpose for which man has been created.

There is no doubt that all the religions are giving teachings on this topic accordingly, but the teaching of Buddhism about Ultimate Purpose of life of human, is happiness. I would say that this was the point where I felt holy envy in me as there developed a desire in me to opt this thing from Buddhism. Different people are going to have various conceptions about Holy envy, but according to me, holy envy is something that inculcates desires of developing a thing or belief that we observe in the followers of other religions. For me, Holy envy is a kind of inspiration that one gets from other religions. I believe that when you find something worthy adopting that is missing in your faith as well; one must appreciate that thing or belief, despite discouraging and criticizing it. Buddhism teaches its followers that be enlightened and happy, doesn't rely on others. Be your guiding light yourself. We all are responsible for our own words and actions, if our actions would be good we will be rewarded but if not we will be punished.

Buddhism says that our words and actions are going to have consequences for us that we are going to bear so; this thing must be accepted that enlighten your own self. Even the Buddhist religious leader, Buddha when was near his death, he commanded his students that they should rely on their own selves and must not look for any external help. Truth is one of the main tool that a person must hold as a lamp that is going to guide him throughout his life. Buddhism claims that every individual is responsible for his own destiny. So it means that we are being given the knowledge of right and wrong and it depends on the individual how he is going to take his decision by taking good and bad in front of him.

Man has been enlightened by the knowledge and he has been guided through the religious teachings that what is good for him and what is not. There is a need to get ourselves enlightened. So as a whole, it could be said that according to me holy envy is the desire that arises in an individual by taking a look at the other individuals who are the followers of other religions. It has been observed that holy envy is one of the most important reasons why people are converting from one religion to others and maybe sometimes a person is not going to like just a part of other religion but the religion as a whole and it leads towards conversion of religion that is becoming common nowadays.

Work Cited:

"How My Attraction To Other Religions Deepened My Love Of My Own." The Christian Century. N. p., 2019. Web. 16 Apr. 2019.