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                         Hinduism: The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

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                         Hinduism: The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

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"You are what your deep driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny"
The purpose of this scripture is to instill the message in followers of Hindu faith that in order to get what you wish in life, you must work for it, and only motivation and will power will help you in achieving your desires. In contrast to many religions, although it is not discrediting people from praying to them in lue of assistance, it more so encourages them to gain these desires independently.
This scripture is a personal motivator of mine when I am down on myself about not obtaining my desires as it provides me with the perspective that possibly I need to put in more effort in order to retrieve the results I want.

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                           Rastafari: Rastafarian Spiritual Wisdom 

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                           Rastafari: Rastafarian Spiritual Wisdom 

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"Although she is alone, she can do everything; herself unchanging, she renews the world and generation after generation, passing into holy souls, she makes them into Jah's friends and prophets; for Jah only those who dwell with Wisdom"
- 27-28
Out of all the religions I researched, I found Rastafari to be one of the most interesting. Although in this religion there is no actual 'bible', there is a compilation of bible scriptures which express the beliefs and teachings of Jah and is now referred to as the 'Rasta Bible'. Jah is popularly known as the God of Israel and/or Haile Selassie, and by some known as the incarnation of Jesus. This book was curated for people who seek understanding and wisdom of Rastafari. The sub-text of this excerpt is the power this female withholds which can coincide with how in Aboriginal Spirituality, Mother Earth is immensely respected and valued. In their faith in comparison to more predominant religions, there is no polytheistic male god which can be reflective of their beliefs.
I find this scripture greatly significant because a woman is given the power to pass on wisdom which is not common in religion.

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                                  Kemetism: Egyptian Proverbs 

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                                  Kemetism: Egyptian Proverbs 

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"True teaching is not an accumulation of knowledge; it is an awakening of consciousness which goes through successive stages"
When researching for lesser known religions I came across this faith which happens derives to from the word 'kemet', the native name of Egypt. It is a modernized version of ancient Egyptian religion, also believing in multiple deities. The purpose of these scriptures including the collection of others is to assist people in understanding the universe. These proverbs were found in the temples of Luxor. In relation to Aboriginal Spirituality is the belief that one must 'set-out' in order to receive constructive knowledge. For example, many followers of Aboriginal Spirituality will embark on a journey known as a 'vision quest' in order to seek revelation and when returning from it is the point of which they make changes for themselves; this being the "successive stages".
I found this interesting because although this scripture was written since what can be inferred as the beginning of time, it is able to be relevant to this day. Revelation comes spontaneously and the interpretation that we make of that is what constitutes the decisions we make after that.

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                                    Confucianism: The Analects

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                                    Confucianism: The Analects

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"A gentleman takes as much trouble to discover what is right as lesser men take to discover what will pay"
The analects are a collection of the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius though are argued to have been compiled by his disciples rather than he himself. The purpose of this excerpt serves as a critic to those who perform action without considering the consequences which according to Confucius, goes to portray their self character. In relation to another religions, Christianity, Buddhism, and many others encourage honesty and doing what is right no matter the consequence.
I find this excerpt significant as it can be very difficult to do what is right because the outcome is not always simple or positive, though this reminds us that in order to be righteous, we must gain the courage to make the tough decisions.

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                                               Islam: The Quran

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                                               Islam: The Quran

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"Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear"
- Surah Baqarah | Verse 286
While going through the internet trying to find a scripture from the Quran that spoke to me, I came across this verse and it stood out amongst all the others. Throughout many faiths and their holy books, it is portrayed that God will be there to support and enlighten you through endeavors that you may experience. It is possible that there are scriptures from other religions that I have not discovered which depict the same message though how this excerpt is different is because it voices that Allah will relieve you of these troubles rather than allowing them to happen.
How it speaks to me is a little controversial. On one hand, it is pleasing to know that Allah would not permit any troubles to affect his followers though I believe that persevering through obstacles is how people develop and become stronger individuals.

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                                 Sikhism: Sri Guru Granth Sahib 

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                                 Sikhism: Sri Guru Granth Sahib 

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"Since one is not destined to remain in this world anyway, why should he ruin himself in pride?"
The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, added his teachings and hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the second rendition which is now known as the 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib'. This excerpt is both a reminder and criticism of the nature of pride. The Guru is voicing that pride should not be wasted upon in our lifetime as it is purposeless and has no advantage. Pride is driven by possessions which is why Jainist's practice Moksha; this results in the elimination of aspects of karma in one's life which is achieved through non-possession and other right conduct.
This excerpt is significant as at times when we possess great luxuries or achieve a goal, pride may arise and cause us to unintentionally brag. Reading this excerpt allows us to realize our wrong doings and take action to be positive again.

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                                          Christianity: The Bible 

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                                          Christianity: The Bible 

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"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel, your savior"
- Isaiah 43:2-3
The purpose of this scripture is to let followers of Christian faith know that throughout any endeavor they may experience, God will be there to comfort and assist them through that time. The reference to fire in this scripture can be related to symbolism of fire in Zoroastrianism which is said to evoke the presence of the 'divine', also known as the supreme being Ahura Mazda.
This scripture is significant as life can get overwhelming and it can feel as though no one is there for you but comforting to acknowledge the presence watching over and protecting you.

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                                        Buddhism: Dhammapada

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                                        Buddhism: Dhammapada

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"All tremble at violence, all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another; one should not kill nor cause another to kill... One who, while oneself seeking happiness, does not oppress with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will find happiness hereafter".
- Section 10, verses 130-145
The original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a sector of the Pali Canon of Theravada of Buddhism. Buddhaghosa; a scholar exclaims that the messages embedded in the collection were made on various occasions in response to a situation that occurred in Buddha's life. In comparison to other faiths such as Aboriginal Spirituality and Christianity which idealize the afterlife to be a safe haven, the beginning of this excerpt fears the thought of death.
I found this excerpt very interesting because of the rich moral message which it conveys. It voices that in one's personal journey of seeking happiness, they should not negatively affect others whom are also on their own journey of receiving the same revelation. I personally feel that it reminds us of morals we may forget in moments of our lives when we are shadowed by negativity which many encourage us to treat others in an ill manner, even if it is in the smallest way.

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                                Hinduism: Svetasvatara Upanishad  

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                                Hinduism: Svetasvatara Upanishad  

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"As a spider envelops himself itself with the threads of its web, So does he, the One God, envelop himself with threads. Sprung from primal matter out of his own essence. May he grant us entry into Brahman. The One God, hidden in all creatures. Pervading all, the Inner Self of contingent beings, the overseer of karma abiding in all creatures... eternal among eternals, conscious among conscious beings..."
This Upanishad belongs to the Krishna-Yajurveda, retrieving it's name from Rishi Svetasvatara who instructed the teachings within it to his disciples. The purpose was to provide the enquires of Brahman with knowledge of the perplexities they posed. It is indifferent from other holy books as there is the questioning of the supreme being whereas in other texts, it is quite clear. For example, in the bible it is evident that Jesus died for the sins of the people which is why he is glorified by many.
Having practiced Hinduism my entire life, it was not only insightful though was also comforting to know Brahman is a god like no other; he is present throughout all beings at every moment. Not discrediting the many other gods which Hinduism withholds, though Brahman is depicted as most superior, wise, and forgiving.

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              Aboriginal Spirituality: The Code of Handsome Lake

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              Aboriginal Spirituality: The Code of Handsome Lake

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"Now another message to tell your people. The married often live well together for a while. Then a man becomes ugly in temper and abuses his wife. It seems to afford him pleasure. Now because of such things the Creator is very sad. So he bids us to tell you that such evils must stop. Neither man nor woman must strike each other".
- Section 10
This Seneca Prophet began to preach new and diverse religious beliefs after having fall ill and seeing a vision. The purpose of this excerpt can be depicted as guidance in such a personal and overlooked issue during the early 1900's: abuse. While it was likely to occur, the prophet did it with the intent to remind people that the Creator would not approve of such acts. In relation to Jainism, both faiths are advocators for non-violence, though on their own terms. For instance, in Jainism there is the practice of Ahimsa which is to avoid physical violence as well as committing to all life forms. In contrast to Aboriginal Spirituality, it is known that many of their people hunt which would go against the beliefs of Jainists.
While going through the World Religions textbook I found this excerpt and interpreted it as very abstract. The sub-text of this excerpt is that the man initiated the abuse yet it says, "Neither man nor woman must strike each other" meaning the woman or whomever is being beaten cannot defend themselves with striking the other. Not to say physical violence is acceptable though it is interesting to see that no matter the circumstance of doing so, it remains prohibited.