Free The Little Book of the End of the World by Ken Mooney Page A

religions as a means to meditation and spiritual happiness, with the languages of karma passing into secular use.
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    HINDUISM
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    Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and is probably one of the world’s oldest traditions. But referring to Hinduism as a religion is a problem in itself: this faith is practised across Asia, with many individuals incorporating elements of local beliefs, folklore and even other religions into their practices, including Buddhist meditation and karma. Other aspects of Hinduism embrace a polytheistic approach, similar to the classical religions with their families of warring gods.
    With the scope and breadth of the practices it incorporates, Hinduism has no central authority, nor a canon or scripture to adhere to. There are so many differences in the Hindu belief system that it is even possible to reconcile atheism with Hinduism by using the Hindu practices to meditate and ponder on the self and creation, rather than a god in any form.
    One facet of Hinduism suggests that there is a single divine being with three different roles: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the overseer; and Shiva, the destroyer. All three are responsible for moving the world through a continuous cycle of creation, life, destruction and rebirth.
    There are four stages, or Yugas , to this cycle, each corresponding with a decline in virtue. Over the course of these four yugas, Vishnu the overseer takes on different roles according to the needs of the world. At the end of each cycle, Vishnu becomes Shiva in order to destroy the world and is then transformed into Brahma in order to remake it.
    The final yuga, the era closest to destruction, is called the Kali Yuga, or the ‘age of vice’. The name Kali is taken to refer to a demon of sin, but it is also the name of the separate goddess who is the consort of Shiva. During the Kali Yuga, the demon Kali will come into conflict with the final avatar of Vishnu; humanity will find itself lost in drink and drugs, rulers will become corrupt and unjust, and worship of the gods will fade.
    In Hindu thought, an avatar is a manifestation or incarnation of a god, which covers both their descent or appearance to interact with humanity on an earthly plane and also the notion that they could be reborn in human form.
    The Kali Yuga brings an avatar of Vishnu to Earth, fulfilling a role known as Kalki, as he rides on a white horse, armed with a blazing sword – the similarities to the Four Horsemen should not be ignored.
    Kalki and Kali will engage in a great battle between good and evil, with Kali assisted by his twin generals Koka and Vikoka, demons that bear similarities in both names and actions to the biblical Gog and Magog.
    Once evil has been defeated, Kalki will rule the Earth for a period of 1,000 years in a new golden age, that will restart the cycle of four yugas.

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    THE HOME OF THE APOCALYPSE: POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
    Most of the religions and beliefs we have looked at so far have their origins in in the Mediterranean and Middle East. With so many faiths blossoming in the region, it should come as no surprise that politics have gotten involved.
    Many of the locations that are holy or sacred to one faith are shared by others, and the possession of these landmarks has become a bone of contention. Some of these issues have focused on the potential dangers of the End of the World, others have threatened to bring that moment ever closer.
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    THE CRUSADES
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    One of the bloodiest periods of human history, the Crusades, began in the eleventh century AD and were a series of incursions into the Middle East from Europe. There are many reasons behind the Crusades, some political, some religious and some motivated entirely by wealth. By the time of the Crusades, most of central Europe was united under the Holy Roman Empire, a sort of precursor to the European Union. As the name suggests, the Holy Roman Empire was defined by its shared religion, and this religion affected how