Sacred Space and Time

A few examples
 Sacred vs. Profane
• The Sacred is that which is not
ordinary or common.
• The profane is common or utilitarian.
• The Sacred is seen as having both
ontological and psychological
importance.
• Ontology = study of being

 Sacred Space
• Temples, Shrines and Altars are
examples of Sacred Space.
• This is the place where humans and
the Sacred interact with each other.
– E.g. the place where Sin is atoned or
the Priest offers sacrifice.

 Symbolism of the Sacred
Space
• Sacred spaces are typically
representative of the creation
(cosmogony).
• They can also represent a place that
has historical significance to the
religion
– Ka’ba: Built by Abraham and Ishmael.
– Wailing Wall: Western Wall of the
Temple
 Examples of Sacred Space
• Buddhist Stupa
• Shaped to
represent a Bodhi
Tree.
• Where the Buddha
first reached
enlightenment.
•
Mount Sinai
• The place where
Moses went up to
meet with God
and he there
received the Law.
• Mount Zion – later
where the Jewish
Temple was
located, in
Jerusalem.
 Mecca
• One of the Five
Pillars of Islam is
a Pilgrimage to
Mecca (Hajj).
• Muhammad was
born in Mecca
(570 AD).
• The center of the
Islamic world.
 The Hajj
• Religious
pilgrimage.
• Occurs at the same
time every year
(Islamic
calander).
• 2009 it was Nov.
25-29
• In 2009 – 1.6
million people
made the Hajj
 Tawaf
• On the first day, all
the pilgrims walk
counter-
clockwise 7 times
around the Ka’ba.
• Every time around
they kiss the
Black Stone
 Sa’i
• They rapidly walk
or run back and
forth between
two hills (Safa
and Marwah).
• Re-enactment of
when Hagar was
frantically
searching for
water.
 Arafat
• They go to Mt.
Arafat, near
where
Muhammad gave
his last sermon,
and spend the
day in
prayer/recitation
of the Qur’an.
•
 Ramy al-Jamarat
• Throw stones in
order to show
their defiance to
the Devil.
• Symbolizes the
trials that
Abraham
experience when
deciding if he
was going to
sacrifice Ishmael
to Allah.
Eid al-Adha
• After the Stoning of
the Devil, there is
animal sacrifice.
• To Symbolize that
Allah showed
mercy on
Abraham and
Ishmael by
providing a Ram.
•
 Sacred Time
• Times that are set apart as Sacred
• Days of Worship
• Holy Days
• Festivals
• Life-Cycle

 Examples:
• Hindu Life Cycle:
• Four Stages of a Hindu Life Cycle:
– The Student: sitting with a guru,
studying vedas
– The Householder: Marriage, children
and community involvement.
– Retirement: Possibly the husband
and wife could go become hermits.
– Ascetic: Rejection of life in order to
obtain Moksha. Enter this stage at
any time.
 Sabbath
• The Jewish Sabbath
is an example of
a Holy Day.
• From sundown on
Friday to
sundown on
Saturday.
• One of the Ten
Commandments
• Cosmogony
Festivals
• Vaisakhi – Sikh
Festival
• Marks a new
Harvest year –
April 13th or 14th
• Marks the new year
for Sikhs
• Represents when
Sikhism was
given a clear
identity.
Islamic Prayer Time
• Salat (prayer) is one
of the five pillars.
• Prayer is done five
times a day.
– Near dawn
– Just after noon
– In the afternoon
– Sunset
– Nightfall
• Pray towards Mecca
• http://www.qibla.org/

 Friday
• On Friday, we are discussing three
texts.
• 1. From the Bhagavad-Gita
• 2. From Exodus
• 3. From the Hadith