Elemental, Essential Divinity Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fire

Appearing in many of the oldest Hindu scriptures, Agni appears as fire in many of its forms (including as flames, lightning, and the sun), and it's why in many Hindu festivals and celebrations, fires are used as symbolic fixtures. Agni is also a word seen in Buddhist and Jain texts, though Agni has varying meanings, even within single belief systems.

In some, Agni brings the offerings of human beings up to heaven in the flames of sacrifice; in others, Agni's flames are meant to purify both humanity and nature on a physical and spiritual level.

Answer: The sun

Part of the Shinto pantheon, Amaterasu has been immortalized in works of literature and various other media for centuries, becoming one of the more unique and recognizable gods of Japanese culture. Born to the creator deity Izanagi, Amaterasu is sibling to Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (the goddess of the moon) and Susanoo-no-Mikoto (the god of storms). Amaterasu's grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, is said to have descended from heaven to commence the earliest chain in the lineage of Japanese emperors. Emperor Jimmu, also a figure in Japanese myth, was his great-grandson and, thus, would have been the great-great-great-grandson of the Sun Goddess.

Answer: Zoroastrian

Angra Mainyu, or Ahriman, is opposed to Ahura Mazda, who is regarded as the wise god of light, and the two of them act as adversaries providing the classic balance of light and dark, good and evil, and order and chaos. Though considered a god of darkness and cast to the darkness beyond, Ahriman better represents darkness as a metaphor, being an embodiment of evil dichotomizing Ahura Mazda's position as the creator of the world.

It's believed that Ahriman's analogue in Christianity would be Satan.

Answer: Storms

Rudra (who later became affiliated with the more well-known god, Shiva) was especially associated with sandstorms. Considered a mighty god, Rudra's name may be derived from the fact that in texts and pictures, he was always depicted in the colour red, implying his fierce temperament. Rudra is said to have borne numerous sons, called the Maruts, all of whom are storm deities who ride into battle on wind and thunder.

In Buddhist writings, Rudra was considered a demon; it's not hard to assume why.

Answer: Stars

There are many forms of Tara in Buddhist teachings but they tend to be split between green and white (with a few additional colours). While Green Taras are seen to be overseers of enlightenment and peacefulness, the White Taras oversee elements of human life, being responsible for everything from arts to wisdom to vitality to wealth and on and on.

The Taras are depicted as female goddesses and, in addition to the name Tara being translated directly to 'fixed star', they're meant to be directives for spiritual guidance.

In mythology, one of the Taras was said to be married to Sron Tsan Gampo, who introduced Buddhism into Tibet.

Answer: A road

The Tao literally means the "way", but metaphorically it carries many meanings, especially important for Taoism because it's reflective of the natural order; experience and wisdom are gained by travelling through life. Most belief systems follow similar concepts wherein fate and destiny are affected solely by the flow of experience.

The catch here is that there is no one unified idea of what Tao requires or is, save for a naturalness of following that path; one person or belief's Tao could be very different from another's.

Naturally, Taoists, Buddhists, Confucians, and even Christians and Western practitioners don't necessarily have aligning ideas in this regard.

Answer: Soma

Brought up in the ancient Rigveda texts, Soma was created by the Gandharvas, Vedic celestial half-deities of the atmosphere who existed in the space between passing and rebirth. Soma was alleged to cause immortality in those who imbibed in it though over time, the phrase was somewhat perverted by literature and other media. Soma appeared as a drug in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", acting as a drug to placate and uplift the masses.

This is a bit of a stretch based on the original records of soma, which had varied uses from empowering warriors to purifying one of their sins.

Answer: Mandala

Although the mandala, as a design element, seems to have been co-opted a bit in the contemporary world, it has long been used as a guiding device for meditation. The mandala represents a spiritual map of the world and its often intricate designs are meant to draw one's gaze in, pulling layers in towards a central point.

Interestingly, the mandala transcends Hindu and Buddhist teachings and rituals; the mandala also has similar forms in Mayan calendar wheels, Christian architecture, design and aesthetic, and Islamic Shamsa.

Answer: Loka

Loka stands for all things, encapsulating the world around us and all that exists. Though there are other loose takes on what Loka stands for, in Hindu beliefs, there are several Loka, with the Trailokya representing Earth, Heaven, and Hell. In some Hindu texts, there are fourteen separate Lokas, seven of which are Heavens occupied by various gods and seven of which are Hells, not unlike the concept of the Seven Circles of Hell in Christianity.

Buddhist texts take another direction wherein there are six Lokas in the Desire Realm, or the kamadhatu.

Answer: Shintai

Shintai are holy objects of Shinto worship believed to have powers to enshrine and retain the favour of Shinto gods in buildings or spaces built for them, and these items can vary from man-made objects like mirrors, jewellery, beads, or weapons to natural features like waterfalls, rocks, and trees. Kami are Shinto deities, and the word 'shintai' translates directly to 'the body of a kami', the implication being that the item is a representation of the divine.

At the physical extreme, Mount Fuji (for example), is considered a shintai, being one of the holiest natural landmarks in Japan.