This was a tricky passage for me to fully grasp. I'll do my best to explain what I understood from the reading in hopes that I have not missed anything significant.
The passage seems to explain a detailed metaphor for the relationship of all human interaction. In the beginning of the passage it seemed as though the metaphor was explaining how our connections with each other are similar to a net-like organization of jewels. I thought the metaphor would be used to make a point that our own individual actions are reflected upon others in the same way a jewel would reflect light to surrounding jewels. But in reading further, it became clear that the metaphor was describing God's interactions with all of mankind, and how mankind (as the many jewels) are then reflecting God's message (one jewel) to others.
I agree that our actions in life both positive and negative, certainly are reflected unto others. Here are some examples I have noticed. If we choose to wear stress, anger and hardship on our bodies, usually others can sense it. And, the negativity is potentially spread around to those around us. If we are warm, nurturing and kind, I think that can change a "jewel" around us as well. I don't think that our actions need to be viewed as coming from God though.
Take God out of this metaphor and I would love it!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tsu-ssu
After finishing this selection of passages from The Central Harmony the question that is heavy on my mind, and that I've had many discussions about is: Nature versus Nurture? Are the actions of mankind innately determined at birth? Or do the personal experiences we encounter in our lives, reflect upon the behavioral traits in which we possess?
The Central Harmony states, "What is bestowed by heaven is called human nature." What a beautiful view of our existence; the idea that we are all given the gift of human nature at birth, and that the gift of human nature is pure and untainted.
In my own life I have had some experiences that have caused me to question the integrity of man. And during these personal experiences I have thought to myself, "mankind is not good". I have entertained the idea that the majority of people are living without good intentions, and existing only to gratify themselves.
As my life moved forward and away from the troubling times, I began to once again view people in a more positive light. I was able to see the good again. I felt a deep connection to the quote stated above, because it is how I choose to look at the world now. I like to believe that our behavioral traits and the actions we take in our lives are a combination of nature and nurture. The idea that we are all born uncontaminated, and it is our life experiences that interfere with that if we choose to allow it, is for some reason very comforting to me.
The Central Harmony states, "What is bestowed by heaven is called human nature." What a beautiful view of our existence; the idea that we are all given the gift of human nature at birth, and that the gift of human nature is pure and untainted.
In my own life I have had some experiences that have caused me to question the integrity of man. And during these personal experiences I have thought to myself, "mankind is not good". I have entertained the idea that the majority of people are living without good intentions, and existing only to gratify themselves.
As my life moved forward and away from the troubling times, I began to once again view people in a more positive light. I was able to see the good again. I felt a deep connection to the quote stated above, because it is how I choose to look at the world now. I like to believe that our behavioral traits and the actions we take in our lives are a combination of nature and nurture. The idea that we are all born uncontaminated, and it is our life experiences that interfere with that if we choose to allow it, is for some reason very comforting to me.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Bakhya Ibn Pakuda
This passage from The Enlightened Mind, written by Bakhya Ibn Pakuda was very interesting to read. I read the passage twice just to make certain I didn't skip over anything significant, and I realized something funny. Both times, I read this passage with a sort of "obsessive ex-boyfriend" tone. Specifically when Pakuda states a quote from a fellow "lover of God", "if you were to burn my body in the fire, it would only increase my love for you and my joy in you". The author seems to be explaining a love for God so deep, that everything he encounters in his life will be viewed as a loving message from God Himself, no matter the circumstance. The author believes that all experiences both good and bad will be out of our physical control, and in the hands of God.
In my opinion this is a terrifying concept. The idea of my life being completely in the hands of another being such as God, is frightening! I prefer the idea that we have a life purpose, but ultimately we are in control of that.
I think sometimes when individuals believes this idea fully, it allows for an excuse when a bad decision is made. I mean hypothetically, a person could commit some horrific, violent crime and then simply claim that God has somehow sent them a message, and that by allowing them to participate in the crime, it's God will. That is scary!
In my opinion this is a terrifying concept. The idea of my life being completely in the hands of another being such as God, is frightening! I prefer the idea that we have a life purpose, but ultimately we are in control of that.
I think sometimes when individuals believes this idea fully, it allows for an excuse when a bad decision is made. I mean hypothetically, a person could commit some horrific, violent crime and then simply claim that God has somehow sent them a message, and that by allowing them to participate in the crime, it's God will. That is scary!
The Bible
I chose to read this passage in The Enlightened Mind for a very specific reason. I am highly uneducated when it comes to Bible specifics. I have somehow justified having opinions regarding certain portions of the Bible , but I suppose I should really educate myself deeper on the book so I have more knowledge to utilize in future religious discussions.
My belief of the Bible as a whole has been this; The Bible was just a book, filled with myths and stories meant to be taken as moral lessons. I have never thought The Bible was meant to be taken literally. My opinion is that the Bible is an accumulation of folk tales which have been passed down from generations in recent history. I have had an awareness of the Bible's underlying message on certain controversial topics, and I never wanted to read any part of that for fear it would anger me much too greatly. Something has changed within me though. Prior to enrolling in our World Religion class this semester, I had decided that I was ready to open myself up and truly learn. The first day of class I arrived with an open mind ready to soak up all the knowledge that would come my way. And, I have done just that. I read this passage from the Bible open-minded.
Jason has mentioned a couple times in class his opinion that when God created the world the message isn't that he created it in seven days, but, that "it was good". This passage from the Bible begins with a quote referencing that same idea. The book reads, "And God looked at everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good". I love the idea of shifting the focus from creationism versus evolution, to the good in which has been created.
My belief of the Bible as a whole has been this; The Bible was just a book, filled with myths and stories meant to be taken as moral lessons. I have never thought The Bible was meant to be taken literally. My opinion is that the Bible is an accumulation of folk tales which have been passed down from generations in recent history. I have had an awareness of the Bible's underlying message on certain controversial topics, and I never wanted to read any part of that for fear it would anger me much too greatly. Something has changed within me though. Prior to enrolling in our World Religion class this semester, I had decided that I was ready to open myself up and truly learn. The first day of class I arrived with an open mind ready to soak up all the knowledge that would come my way. And, I have done just that. I read this passage from the Bible open-minded.
Jason has mentioned a couple times in class his opinion that when God created the world the message isn't that he created it in seven days, but, that "it was good". This passage from the Bible begins with a quote referencing that same idea. The book reads, "And God looked at everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good". I love the idea of shifting the focus from creationism versus evolution, to the good in which has been created.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Shankara
Where do I begin? Well let me start by saying I enjoyed this reading. It was very interesting to me and I found myself once again (along with my previous reading) in very deep thought. The overall sense of this passage is to encourage true and pure enlightenment.
This passage is written by an Indian Yogi and Philosopher, Shankara. The reading begins with a short sentence, "this universe is nothing but Brahman". Although I thought I had a sense of what the term "Brahman" meant, I wanted to go back to our textbook to clarify. Our text states, "In the Upanishads the word Brahman was expanded to mean a divine reality at the heart of things". Now I had a better idea and was able to continue my reading. Shankara asks many questions in this reading, and I thought for this blog entry I would state several of them and then share my opinion and response to some of those questions.
Shankara explains that we as human being should achieve a place in life where our spirit is basically separated from our physical environment. Shankara states, " when a great soul has found perfect tranquility by freezing his mind from distracting thoughts and completely realizing Brahman, then he no longer needs sacred places, moral disciplines, set hours, postures, directions, or objects...". I understand the power behind having the ability to do this. The idea of not having any worry, distraction, or contamination from the physical world would most likely be ideal for everyone. But I must say, I think it's highly unrealistic for most individuals. The fact is, that we are physical beings. We live in a physical world. The anatomy and physiology of our bodies allow us to experience the world through each of our senses. We have vision to view our surroundings, we have nerve endings so we can feel and touch, and we have auditory senses to hear activity in our environment. Most importantly we have cerebral function which allows us to analyze our surroundings, and have opinions that we share with others. In order for us as human beings to completely ignore many of these senses that we have evolved with, is I'm sure highly impossible for most. The idea of walking through a crowded city street, bustling with people and not watching them, or interacting with them is difficult to imagine.
Shankara suggests that we achieve "atman" or our deepest self and states, "this Atman shines with its own light...he who knows that Atman is free from every kind of bondage." These words are beautiful to read, and I believe in the peaceful message that Shankara is speaking about. In my opinion a balance between obtaining Atman and still truly experiencing our physical world would be ideal.
This passage is written by an Indian Yogi and Philosopher, Shankara. The reading begins with a short sentence, "this universe is nothing but Brahman". Although I thought I had a sense of what the term "Brahman" meant, I wanted to go back to our textbook to clarify. Our text states, "In the Upanishads the word Brahman was expanded to mean a divine reality at the heart of things". Now I had a better idea and was able to continue my reading. Shankara asks many questions in this reading, and I thought for this blog entry I would state several of them and then share my opinion and response to some of those questions.
Shankara explains that we as human being should achieve a place in life where our spirit is basically separated from our physical environment. Shankara states, " when a great soul has found perfect tranquility by freezing his mind from distracting thoughts and completely realizing Brahman, then he no longer needs sacred places, moral disciplines, set hours, postures, directions, or objects...". I understand the power behind having the ability to do this. The idea of not having any worry, distraction, or contamination from the physical world would most likely be ideal for everyone. But I must say, I think it's highly unrealistic for most individuals. The fact is, that we are physical beings. We live in a physical world. The anatomy and physiology of our bodies allow us to experience the world through each of our senses. We have vision to view our surroundings, we have nerve endings so we can feel and touch, and we have auditory senses to hear activity in our environment. Most importantly we have cerebral function which allows us to analyze our surroundings, and have opinions that we share with others. In order for us as human beings to completely ignore many of these senses that we have evolved with, is I'm sure highly impossible for most. The idea of walking through a crowded city street, bustling with people and not watching them, or interacting with them is difficult to imagine.
Shankara suggests that we achieve "atman" or our deepest self and states, "this Atman shines with its own light...he who knows that Atman is free from every kind of bondage." These words are beautiful to read, and I believe in the peaceful message that Shankara is speaking about. In my opinion a balance between obtaining Atman and still truly experiencing our physical world would be ideal.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Raman Maharshi
Although a relatively short reading, this passage took me quite awhile to get through. Some of the phrases were very deep, and I needed to re-read them in order to fully understand the message.
One phrase I enjoyed in particular was when Maharshi speaks of love and joy. Maharshi states, "every being in the world longs to be always joyful, without any taint of sorrow", and this quote was very significant for me. I agree. Human beings do seem to long for a time when we will live in an utter state of happiness. At times of hardship in my own life, I have caught myself saying things like, "why can't I just be happy?". I have realized though, that we cannot fully experience the blissful times unless we also experience the sadness. I have fantasized my life lacking all hardship or grief, and realized that I would never truly know happiness. I wouldn't truly know happiness, because there wouldn't be any other emotion to compare the happiness to. Maharshi says, "love is caused by joy", and I like to continue that by saying, joy is caused by sadness, anger or grieving.
I also, really enjoyed portion of this passage where Maharshi responds to a question asked about teachers. The question Maharshi is asked, "what are the signs by which one can recognize a true teacher?" is answered so beautifully. Maharshi responds by stating, "[a true teacher] never sees difference between himself and others, is never moved by false ideas or distinctions." Maharshi seems to be explaining that he does not see himself as a wise teacher above anyone else. He makes it clear to us readers that he is equal with us, and his intellect is not better or more important that ours. Maharshi seems to believe that in order to be a true teacher, one cannot have an attitude that they are in some way better than the student. Maharshi simply explains that the teacher must retain, "courage and self control at all times [and remain] unshakable."
One phrase I enjoyed in particular was when Maharshi speaks of love and joy. Maharshi states, "every being in the world longs to be always joyful, without any taint of sorrow", and this quote was very significant for me. I agree. Human beings do seem to long for a time when we will live in an utter state of happiness. At times of hardship in my own life, I have caught myself saying things like, "why can't I just be happy?". I have realized though, that we cannot fully experience the blissful times unless we also experience the sadness. I have fantasized my life lacking all hardship or grief, and realized that I would never truly know happiness. I wouldn't truly know happiness, because there wouldn't be any other emotion to compare the happiness to. Maharshi says, "love is caused by joy", and I like to continue that by saying, joy is caused by sadness, anger or grieving.
I also, really enjoyed portion of this passage where Maharshi responds to a question asked about teachers. The question Maharshi is asked, "what are the signs by which one can recognize a true teacher?" is answered so beautifully. Maharshi responds by stating, "[a true teacher] never sees difference between himself and others, is never moved by false ideas or distinctions." Maharshi seems to be explaining that he does not see himself as a wise teacher above anyone else. He makes it clear to us readers that he is equal with us, and his intellect is not better or more important that ours. Maharshi seems to believe that in order to be a true teacher, one cannot have an attitude that they are in some way better than the student. Maharshi simply explains that the teacher must retain, "courage and self control at all times [and remain] unshakable."
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