The most ancient of all the living traditions, what we call Hinduism today had no single founder but reflects the contributions of many inspired mystics and seers who created a vast body of sacred scripture, a complex series of philosophical systems, and some of the most profound spiritual practices on earth. Yoga, meditation, and the use of mantras and chant either began or were most highly developed in ancient India. Over the centuries these mystical traditions have developed alongside more conventional worship of a single divine entity called Brahman, who manifests in countless personal forms, male and female, including Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti, which are worshiped locally throughout India. Modern gurus or teachers have brought much of the wisdom and spiritual practice of India to the West, seeking to combine elements of diet, yoga, meditation, and devotion to God into a spiritual life based on love.

The single most pervasive influence on Western spirituality over the past 2,000 years, Judaism is built on the construct of ethical monotheism even if, in the beginning, it was not quite monotheism as we now understand that term. Most of the moral and ethical principles that rule secular Western society--concern for the poor, weak, and helpless; the concept of equal justice under law; inhibitions against murder and incest--are derived from or profoundly influenced by Jewish law and practice. Because the Jewish people were forced to disperse over the face of the earth, Judaism also became the paradigm of a religion tied not to a specific place or holy building but to sacred scriptures and sets of laws, specifically the Torah, or Hebrew Bible, and the Talmud, a vast compendium of laws and commentaries. Modern Judaism is generally divided according to how rigorously one follows these traditional laws, from Orthodox and Conservative to Reform and Reconstructionist.

The man born Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th century BC, and known after his enlightenment as the Buddha, or "Awakened One," began life as a prince upon whom every luxury was bestowed by his father, including great culinary and sexual delights equivalent to the most extraordinary of our own day. In none of this did the future Buddha find satisfaction once he became aware of the inevitability of old age, disease, and death. Leaving home against his father's wishes, he explored the meditation techniques of his day but abandoned ascetical practices as ultimately counterproductive. When Gautama experienced enlightenment, he resolved to help all other beings free themselves from the bonds of suffering, which he realized was caused by greed, ignorance, and hatred. All these arise from our basic misperception that we are separate beings. The Buddha taught the Noble Eightfold Path as the way to achieve release from suffering. As the Buddha's basic message spread across Asia, it developed into different schools of Buddhism, including Tibetan (or Vajrayana), Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren.

Just as the Buddha sought to build upon and expand the great Vedic wisdom of his day, so Jesus of Nazareth built upon the wisdom and compassion teachings of the Jewish masters of his day, such as Rabbi Hillel, a contemporary with whom he may have studied. Jesus aimed, however, to shift the focus of spirituality away from the Temple and the intercessory role of the priests to the heart of each individual, emphasizing a personal relationship with the Divine through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. His radical teaching of love for all one's fellows regardless of race, gender, or station in life attracted a loyal following and the wrath of both religious and civil authorities and led to his crucifixion. The teachings of Jesus became codified into the Christian church, which within a few centuries went from being persecuted to being the principal religion of the Western world. In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation sought to return to the core teachings of Jesus, and Christianity was soon divided into Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox sects. The emergence of fundamentalism and "born-again" Christianity have made a distinctive mark on 20th century culture.

Of all the major traditions of the world, Chinese Taoism is perhaps most alien to the Western mind, and yet it is as down to earth as any religion on earth. Based on the subtle wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, a work attributed to the historically mysterious figure of Lao-tzu, Taosim worked a lasting influence on Buddhism as it passed through Asia en route to Korea and  Japan, where it became known as Zen. In the West,  Taoism is largely dissociated from the priestly traditions of China; many Westerners use the ancient Chinese text known as the I Ching to attune themselves to changing fortunes, draw on the timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, or adapt sexual techniques drawn from various schools of Taoism. Philosophical Taoist principles underlie the popular form of exercise known as T'ai chi, the art of placement called feng shui, and the medical practice of acupuncture. Despite the dominance of communism in modern China, Taoist traditions survive alongside the principles of Confucius and Chinese folk religion as the primary cultural and spiritual forces within China and Taiwan.

The Arab people claim descent from Abraham through his handmaid Hagar, who fled with their son Ishmael to the Becca Valley. There with God's help, they founded a race of people among whom Islam took root in the 7th century. At that time, the Prophet Muhammad received the revelation of God's word in the form of the Quran, the holy Scripture of Islam. Both "Islam" and "Muslim" derive from Arabic roots meaning "peace" and "submission" to the will of Allah (the Arabic word for God), who is identical with the Yahweh of the Hebrew Bible and God the Father of Christianity. The entire Quran is spoken directly by Allah, but Islam also recognizes the Hebrew Torah, the Psalms of David and the Gospels as Scripture, and reveres Abraham, Moses, Isaac, John the Baptist, and Jesus as great prophets.Muslims are commanded to follow the will of Allah as expressed in the Quran, specifically the Five Pillars, or obligations that uphold the structure of Islam: to profess the Oneness of God, to pray five times daily, to give a compulsory annual charity, to fast daily during Ramadan, and to make the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, at