She had a lot of really good things to write about and it was hard to just pick a few, but I think I narrowed it down.
"In what concerns divine things, belief is not appropriate. Only certainty will do. Anything less than certainty us unworthy of God." I thought that was very insightful, yet very hard to dd. I think when I was a kid, I accepted everything as true in Sunday school, yet as I've gotten older I've found that it's healthy to question little things about our faith. It helps us better understand where we come from, and we have more certainty in it as soon as we find the answer.
"God continually showers the fullness of his grace on every being in the universe, but we consent to receive it to a greater or lesser extent. In purely spiritual matters, God grants all desires. Those who have less have asked for less." I totally believe that God's grace is out there for the taking from anyone who is lucky enough to find it. Yet, her second part of this thought contradicted what Isaac said. She is saying that you will only get what you ask for. If you ask for more, you get more, if you expect less then you get less. Isaac claims that we shouldn't think of ourselves at all, just believe and trust in God, and he will provide more than we ever could have imagined asking. I liked this view better because all it asks of you is to trust that God will provid on his promises. Simone is wanting us to write out our wish list and go to God like he is Santa Clause. The more you ask for the more you get!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Isaac of Ninevah
It's interesting that Isaac is from Ninevah, the same place where Jonah was supposed to go. Anyways, moving on... He has some interesting points that I had a hard time putting into action.
For example, he compares love to a stream that dries up with no rain, and a mighty spring that gushes out of the earth and flows forever. I thought that the stream can be compared to the conditional love we have for one another on earth. A girlfriend's love for a boyfriend, a husband's love for his wife, a friend's love for another friend. Although our love may seem unconditional, yet when you really look at it, we're very selfish and most of us love that person conditionally. We love them because they make us happy, they make us laugh, we like to do the same things together, because they love us. But if that person suddenly changed one day, and they were rude, unenjoyable to be around, unsupportive, depressed, or even claimed that they didn't love you, would you still love them? I don't know, it just dawned on me, I think that that would be difficult if someone told me that, and would probably would stop loving them. Just as the rain stops and its river dries up, when the love diminishes the love is gone. Some of us would probably try for some time to keep loving that person in hopes that they will love us again one day, but how long can that go on? Okay, depressing enough for one day, lets move on to something a bit more exciting.
I thought it was interesting that he said "When we trust God with our whole heart, we don't fill our prayers with 'Give me this' or 'Take this from me.' We don't even think of ourselves when we pray." I've always learned "Ask and you shall receive.", so I do pray for others, yet I also include myself in there as well, because it says that when I ask, and trust God to do it, it should happen. But to not think of ourselves at all when we pray is a new one for me. "At every moment we trust our Father in heaven, whose love infinitely surpasses the love of all earthly fathers and who gives us more than we ourselves could ask for or even imagine." So we don't think of ourselves , and trust only in God, he will provide for us more than we can imagine. That's really cool! I never even thought of that before.
For example, he compares love to a stream that dries up with no rain, and a mighty spring that gushes out of the earth and flows forever. I thought that the stream can be compared to the conditional love we have for one another on earth. A girlfriend's love for a boyfriend, a husband's love for his wife, a friend's love for another friend. Although our love may seem unconditional, yet when you really look at it, we're very selfish and most of us love that person conditionally. We love them because they make us happy, they make us laugh, we like to do the same things together, because they love us. But if that person suddenly changed one day, and they were rude, unenjoyable to be around, unsupportive, depressed, or even claimed that they didn't love you, would you still love them? I don't know, it just dawned on me, I think that that would be difficult if someone told me that, and would probably would stop loving them. Just as the rain stops and its river dries up, when the love diminishes the love is gone. Some of us would probably try for some time to keep loving that person in hopes that they will love us again one day, but how long can that go on? Okay, depressing enough for one day, lets move on to something a bit more exciting.
I thought it was interesting that he said "When we trust God with our whole heart, we don't fill our prayers with 'Give me this' or 'Take this from me.' We don't even think of ourselves when we pray." I've always learned "Ask and you shall receive.", so I do pray for others, yet I also include myself in there as well, because it says that when I ask, and trust God to do it, it should happen. But to not think of ourselves at all when we pray is a new one for me. "At every moment we trust our Father in heaven, whose love infinitely surpasses the love of all earthly fathers and who gives us more than we ourselves could ask for or even imagine." So we don't think of ourselves , and trust only in God, he will provide for us more than we can imagine. That's really cool! I never even thought of that before.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Symeon the New Theologian
Symeon's first passage was similar to Al-Muhasibi in that he's talking about plunging into God's vision. Most of these writers talk about focusing all your attention on God, getting God's vision, forgetting about the world, yet of all these, I loved how Symeon phrased it. "When a man walks into the sea up to his knees or waist, he can see the water all around him. But when he dives into the water, he can no longer see anything outside, and he knows only that his whole body is in the water." Once you get God's vision, all you can see is that vision, and the whole world isn't even a thought or even in your line of vision.
Another theme in these writings is that God is all-knowing, we can't even comprehend what he knows or even who he is... and we never will. He says it very clearly here, "The more a man enters the light of understanding, the more aware he is of his own ignorance." It's so funny, because when you first look at this sentence it appears that it is contradicting itself. If you are entering into the light of understanding, and going deeper and deeper into understanding, aren't you understanding more? Yet the more you learn, the more ignorant you realize you are.
Another theme in these writings is that God is all-knowing, we can't even comprehend what he knows or even who he is... and we never will. He says it very clearly here, "The more a man enters the light of understanding, the more aware he is of his own ignorance." It's so funny, because when you first look at this sentence it appears that it is contradicting itself. If you are entering into the light of understanding, and going deeper and deeper into understanding, aren't you understanding more? Yet the more you learn, the more ignorant you realize you are.
Abu Abdallah Al-Harith Al-Muhasibi
Gosh, these guys have such long names. I really liked this passage. Instead of reading over it once and deciding if I liked it, I kept reading each sentence over and over to help myself better understand what he was writing. He was very insightful, and I enjoyed this reading.
One of the phrases that I kept going over was "when solitude is combined with secret intercourse with the Beloved, the joy of that intercourse overwhelms the mind, so that it is no longer concerned with this world and what is in it." Intercourse means intimacy with God. He is saying that if we have this "secret" intimacy (it's only secret because in this instance you are in solitude) with Him, then it overwhelms us and we are so consumed by it that we forget about the world: possessions, school, work, problems, etc. Isn't that awesome? I don't know, something about that sounds so cool. This sounds like it could be so refreshing to your soul, to forget about everything around you to focus on that one important thing in your life. This makes me think about an experience I had each year I went on a missions trip to Mexicali. We were not allowed to bring any electronics, we slept on a cot/ cushion all week in a tent, we only got 1-2 showers the entire week (2 was if you were lucky, and believe me walking around in the dusty dirt all day and running around in the hot hot sun and sweating like mad, you wanted 2 so bad), and we took the week off of both school and work, yet the entire week we had wonderful chapels, quiet time with God, and working with others who encouraged you to go after God that week was awesome. It was the best week ever! There's so much to complain about yet at the end of each day I was more joyful than I had been in a long time. I forgot all about school, my favorite t.v. shows, work, my ipod, and I didn't care, that was the cool part.
One of the phrases that I kept going over was "when solitude is combined with secret intercourse with the Beloved, the joy of that intercourse overwhelms the mind, so that it is no longer concerned with this world and what is in it." Intercourse means intimacy with God. He is saying that if we have this "secret" intimacy (it's only secret because in this instance you are in solitude) with Him, then it overwhelms us and we are so consumed by it that we forget about the world: possessions, school, work, problems, etc. Isn't that awesome? I don't know, something about that sounds so cool. This sounds like it could be so refreshing to your soul, to forget about everything around you to focus on that one important thing in your life. This makes me think about an experience I had each year I went on a missions trip to Mexicali. We were not allowed to bring any electronics, we slept on a cot/ cushion all week in a tent, we only got 1-2 showers the entire week (2 was if you were lucky, and believe me walking around in the dusty dirt all day and running around in the hot hot sun and sweating like mad, you wanted 2 so bad), and we took the week off of both school and work, yet the entire week we had wonderful chapels, quiet time with God, and working with others who encouraged you to go after God that week was awesome. It was the best week ever! There's so much to complain about yet at the end of each day I was more joyful than I had been in a long time. I forgot all about school, my favorite t.v. shows, work, my ipod, and I didn't care, that was the cool part.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Abi'l Khayr
I felt like Khayr had a bit of a commentary about Christianity with guilt and motivation. This quote sums it all up. "Then he throws you into self-mortification, so that you continue to strive and, for a while, to pride yourself upon your efforts, thinking that you are advancing or achieving something; but afterward you fall into despair and feel no joy." I have definitely felt this way before. There are times when I am consistently reading my bible, praying, and attending chuch, and I feel good because I am putting in the effort to grow in my faith. Yet, when I have one bad week by missing a few bible studies, or forgetting to pray regularly, I feel miserable because I can't live up to what God wants from me. We are sinners, we are bound to fall flat on our faces every once in a while, come on, we're only human, yet when I do I feel terrible guilty.
On the flip side, I do like how he comments on that "you think 'I love' and find no rest until you perceive that it is God who loves you and keeps you in the state of loving, and that this is the result of divine love and grace, not of your own endeavor." If we perceive that God loves us even though we are so not perfect, we can then love others who are not so perfect. For if God loves me, and I suck... I can love my parents, siblings, boyfriend, co-workers, and neighbors knowing that they will let me down, and I will love them anyways.
On the flip side, I do like how he comments on that "you think 'I love' and find no rest until you perceive that it is God who loves you and keeps you in the state of loving, and that this is the result of divine love and grace, not of your own endeavor." If we perceive that God loves us even though we are so not perfect, we can then love others who are not so perfect. For if God loves me, and I suck... I can love my parents, siblings, boyfriend, co-workers, and neighbors knowing that they will let me down, and I will love them anyways.
Johannes Scotus Erigena
Johannes was very insightful, and I enjoyed reading what he had to say.
"We ought not to understand God and creating as two things distinct from each other, but as one in the same." I think this is true in a sense of Christianity. I just heard a sermon about the holy spirit on Sunday, and the speaker was talking about how God actually enters into our hearts when we ask him to. So in a sense if we look at others we can usually see God or God working on their hearts. He then goes on to talk about being visible and invisible and comprehensible as well as incomprehensible all at the same time. This is weird, and although it looks as though he is contradicting himself, it actually made sense to me. The fact that he was invisible, yet now that we want to accept him and get to know him, he has now become visible. And before when we didn't understand or comprehend who he was or what his purpose is, now he has revealed himself, and has become comprehensible. He was hidden, and now he is revealed. He has made what was originally supernatural and foreign to our lives seem very natural... and so on. This was kinda interesting to read since I had just heard that sermon this week.
"We ought not to understand God and creating as two things distinct from each other, but as one in the same." I think this is true in a sense of Christianity. I just heard a sermon about the holy spirit on Sunday, and the speaker was talking about how God actually enters into our hearts when we ask him to. So in a sense if we look at others we can usually see God or God working on their hearts. He then goes on to talk about being visible and invisible and comprehensible as well as incomprehensible all at the same time. This is weird, and although it looks as though he is contradicting himself, it actually made sense to me. The fact that he was invisible, yet now that we want to accept him and get to know him, he has now become visible. And before when we didn't understand or comprehend who he was or what his purpose is, now he has revealed himself, and has become comprehensible. He was hidden, and now he is revealed. He has made what was originally supernatural and foreign to our lives seem very natural... and so on. This was kinda interesting to read since I had just heard that sermon this week.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Novalis
Wow. Novalis is just short and sweet and gets right to the point. He is very poetic in his writings, some about religion, some about life in general.
"We are close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming." I liked this quote, because most of us has experienced this feeling. To be dreaming you have to be completely consumed by your dream, otherwise it's not a true dream. There's day dreaming I guess... but it's a different form of dreaming. I love that feeling when you just begin to discover that you are dreaming, and you can control certain aspects of what's happening, like flying, changing your settings, or just changing the direction the dream was taking. It is interesting to see where your dreams may go when you just let them wander freely. Have you ever had a dream with people you haven't seen since you were young? Or dreams that allow you to fly? Or dreams where you are dating a famous actor or something? Interesting what goes on in your mind.
"We are alone with everything we love." This was a very materialistic approach to life. In America, we live very comfortable lives, and are surrounded with all kinds of stuff. Honestly it's all just junk, and most of it we will get rid of in a few years time. So I guess, according to this, you are never truly alone, you have all of your loves right there: Mr. T.v., Mrs. laptop, and little miss ipod. Enjoy!
"There is only one temple in the world and that is the human body." Very different approach than being surrounded with everything we love. Temples are sacred, respected, and holy. If you view your body that way, you will have more respect for it and take better care of it. Maybe some of us should have that approach. It's love your body week, and almost every booth that I saw today had to do with respecting your body. Some talked about gender expectations, sexual orientation, media images, staying healthy, and eating disorders. Hey, you're stuck with your body for the rest of your life, take care of it and hopefully it will take care of you.
"When you understand how to love one thing- then you also understand how best to love everything." I liked this quote. Learning to love someone unconditionally is very hard. Once you truly understand it, you should be able to learn how to love others who need it. Sounds simple enough, yet very hard to do. Loving takes so much effort!
"We are close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming." I liked this quote, because most of us has experienced this feeling. To be dreaming you have to be completely consumed by your dream, otherwise it's not a true dream. There's day dreaming I guess... but it's a different form of dreaming. I love that feeling when you just begin to discover that you are dreaming, and you can control certain aspects of what's happening, like flying, changing your settings, or just changing the direction the dream was taking. It is interesting to see where your dreams may go when you just let them wander freely. Have you ever had a dream with people you haven't seen since you were young? Or dreams that allow you to fly? Or dreams where you are dating a famous actor or something? Interesting what goes on in your mind.
"We are alone with everything we love." This was a very materialistic approach to life. In America, we live very comfortable lives, and are surrounded with all kinds of stuff. Honestly it's all just junk, and most of it we will get rid of in a few years time. So I guess, according to this, you are never truly alone, you have all of your loves right there: Mr. T.v., Mrs. laptop, and little miss ipod. Enjoy!
"There is only one temple in the world and that is the human body." Very different approach than being surrounded with everything we love. Temples are sacred, respected, and holy. If you view your body that way, you will have more respect for it and take better care of it. Maybe some of us should have that approach. It's love your body week, and almost every booth that I saw today had to do with respecting your body. Some talked about gender expectations, sexual orientation, media images, staying healthy, and eating disorders. Hey, you're stuck with your body for the rest of your life, take care of it and hopefully it will take care of you.
"When you understand how to love one thing- then you also understand how best to love everything." I liked this quote. Learning to love someone unconditionally is very hard. Once you truly understand it, you should be able to learn how to love others who need it. Sounds simple enough, yet very hard to do. Loving takes so much effort!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Hermetic Writings
When I read the opening to this passage, I thought I'd agree with most of what was said, yet while I found that I agreed with a lot of it, most of it I had to think really hard before I agreed. For instance, the opening phrase "If you don't make yourself equal to God, you can't perceive him." I don't believe any of us can really make ourselves equal to the all-perfect God, nor can we ever fully perceive all that is God. But when I looked further at this phrase I realized that he could mean that we should strive to be more like him, or admire him and desire what he has, then we can know a little bit more about God.
I do like the phrase "step beyond all time and become eternal; then you will perceive God."It had me look at life more closely. If we all looked at the world as if it were eternal wouldn't we treat everything differently and with more respect? We think of everything as here and now, in the moment, our generation=our time. If we had an eternal mindset wouldn't it change the world as we know it. Plus God is eternal, looking at the world with his perception should help us in understanding him more clearly. Could our "here and now" concept be largely separating us from God's mindset?
"Wanting to know God is the road that leads to God, and it is an easy road to travel." I do agree with this for the most part. God just wants us to want to know him. Plain and simple. He loves us unconditionally, wanting to know him is the first step to loving him back. "God will come to meet you everywhere, he will appear to you everywhere, at times and places when you don't expect it... for there is nothing in which God does not exist." I truly believe this, that God doesn't want to hide himself from us, and if we can look really close we can see him in everything. He wants that relationship with us, so why would he hide? We just need to find him. That's our task, and shouldn't it be easy since you can find God in almost anything?
"don't think that God is invisible." I think if we do that, we don't see him as a person whom we can have a relationship with, we see him as an object or a thing. Invisible things usually get ignored, and we need to bring him to life by seeing him through everything.
I do like the phrase "step beyond all time and become eternal; then you will perceive God."It had me look at life more closely. If we all looked at the world as if it were eternal wouldn't we treat everything differently and with more respect? We think of everything as here and now, in the moment, our generation=our time. If we had an eternal mindset wouldn't it change the world as we know it. Plus God is eternal, looking at the world with his perception should help us in understanding him more clearly. Could our "here and now" concept be largely separating us from God's mindset?
"Wanting to know God is the road that leads to God, and it is an easy road to travel." I do agree with this for the most part. God just wants us to want to know him. Plain and simple. He loves us unconditionally, wanting to know him is the first step to loving him back. "God will come to meet you everywhere, he will appear to you everywhere, at times and places when you don't expect it... for there is nothing in which God does not exist." I truly believe this, that God doesn't want to hide himself from us, and if we can look really close we can see him in everything. He wants that relationship with us, so why would he hide? We just need to find him. That's our task, and shouldn't it be easy since you can find God in almost anything?
"don't think that God is invisible." I think if we do that, we don't see him as a person whom we can have a relationship with, we see him as an object or a thing. Invisible things usually get ignored, and we need to bring him to life by seeing him through everything.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Rumi (part II)
Rumi has a great commentary on worship. He brings in Moses, a very prominent and important character. I think the reason to bring Moses into this story is to show that God is all-wise, and even Moses makes mistakes. If someone just read the first 3 paragraphs of this story, we would have all agreed with Moses, because he talks so eloquently compared to this shepherd who is nameless. Moses accuses him of being too familiar, blasphemous, and using inappropriate terms. Then God comes in and completely turns Moses's ideas around, asking him "Did you come as a Prophet to unite, or to sever? I have given each being a separate and unique way of seeing and knowing and saying that knowledge. What seems wrong to you is right for him." Since God created everyone differently, why not have us all worship or address God differently and in our own way? Who are any of us to accuse the other person of doing it wrong? Where did we learn that our version of worship is right? I think it's funny how some people run around like they have all the magic rule book and answers on how to do everything correctly. God even says that he looks "inside at the humility". Just be humble, and give yourself to him, that's all he wants. And I love how Moses comes back and says "' I was wrong. God has revealed to me that there are no rules for worship...Your sweet blasphemy is the truest devotion."
Rumi
Rumi has a way with words, and explains things in simple terms that makes life easier to understand. I like his comparison of different experiences of life to the stages of life. From embryo all the way to the hunter, both searching for very different things based on their needs in life. While the hunter has gone through all the stages of nourishment through the blood, consumption of milk, consumption of solids, a search of wisdom, and finally search of more invisible game, the embryo has only known the nourishment from the blood. The hunter has experienced the womb, the wobbly first years of an infant, the lessons of childhood, the search for wisdom as an adult to finally trying to discover the "invisible game": his purpose in life or soul searching. To tell an infant "'The world outside is vast and intricate. There are wheatfields and mountain passes, and orchards in bloom. At night there are millions of galaxies, and in sunlight the beauty of friends dancing at a wedding.'" They have no concept of any of this, because their experience is limited. They claim that "You must be hallucinating."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
John the Evangelist
This was one of the shortest readings, yet I think he had a lot of good things to say about the Christian faith. For example, "To all who receive him, he gives the power to become children of God." This is the simplicity of the Christian faith. God only wants us to accept him, and receive him. That's our choice.
"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". This is a very famous quoted saying. The second part is especially true. When you lie, you are not free since you have to keep track of that lie, and usually have to come up with other lies to cover up the first lie. You feel trapped under the lie, and not until you tell the truth can you be free; especially from guilt. Guilt is the number one reason why you feel trapped in the lie.
"Love comes from God, and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God; those who don't love, don't know God; for God is love." I like this passage. If you don't love, you can't know God because he is love, therefore you should love others in order to even understand God.
"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". This is a very famous quoted saying. The second part is especially true. When you lie, you are not free since you have to keep track of that lie, and usually have to come up with other lies to cover up the first lie. You feel trapped under the lie, and not until you tell the truth can you be free; especially from guilt. Guilt is the number one reason why you feel trapped in the lie.
"Love comes from God, and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God; those who don't love, don't know God; for God is love." I like this passage. If you don't love, you can't know God because he is love, therefore you should love others in order to even understand God.
Jesus of Nazareth
I liked these readings, they've been very interesting. I liked the passage about loving your enemies. It's so true. Have you ever tried to be really nice to those who just don't like you? If you can keep it up, people will generally be nice back. This is difficult since most people usually react negatively to those who don't like them. In this passage, it states that you should do this in obedience to God, but there's no need, because it's human nature to be nice to those who are nice to you, so if you step up and are the nice one first, others will be nice back.
"Don't judge, and you will not be judged; don't condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you". This reminds me a little bit of Karma from Buddhism and Hinduism. If you do good to others, forgive, and give as well as refrain from judging and condemning, then it will come back to you. By not doing these things to others they will be less likely to do them to you.
"Don't judge, and you will not be judged; don't condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you". This reminds me a little bit of Karma from Buddhism and Hinduism. If you do good to others, forgive, and give as well as refrain from judging and condemning, then it will come back to you. By not doing these things to others they will be less likely to do them to you.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Shunryu Suzuki
Suzuki says a lot about emptying the mind. So everyone's mind "includes everthing within itself", which is "rich and sufficient within itself". Keep this mind, but empty it and try to keep it open to everything, not closed off. This, he says is why the beginners have many possibilities, and the experts have few.
I did like his analogy about breathing. Our mind needs to follow our breathing. Although when we are breathing in, we are breathing into our "inner world" and when we breath out we are breathing into the "outer world", both of which are limitless, and are considered one whole world. They are considered one whole world since our body and the outer world are one, they both rely on the other, and one can't live without the other. This breathing air passes through a swinging door. And when your "mind is pure and calm enough to follow this movement, there is nothing: no 'I', no world, no mind or body; just a swinging door." I love that! After all this focusing on the breathing we need to stop focusing until there is nothing left to focus on...just the swinging door or the effects of your breathing, not the breathing itself.
I did like his analogy about breathing. Our mind needs to follow our breathing. Although when we are breathing in, we are breathing into our "inner world" and when we breath out we are breathing into the "outer world", both of which are limitless, and are considered one whole world. They are considered one whole world since our body and the outer world are one, they both rely on the other, and one can't live without the other. This breathing air passes through a swinging door. And when your "mind is pure and calm enough to follow this movement, there is nothing: no 'I', no world, no mind or body; just a swinging door." I love that! After all this focusing on the breathing we need to stop focusing until there is nothing left to focus on...just the swinging door or the effects of your breathing, not the breathing itself.
The Buddha
Buddha had many interesting insights into life.
Compared to Christianity, which main argument is obey, Buddha says it's okay to doubt, including holy scriptures, logic, appearances, and religious leaders. Very different from many other religions. Rely on yourself rather than scriptures and leaders? New way of looking at things, for me at least. Then he goes into a simple saying of it it's bad for you, don't do it, if it's good for you, do it. That seems reasonable and rational. My parents have told me that since I was little. Everything in moderation.
I also like how he says "As a mother at the risk of her life watches over her only child, so let everyone cultivate a boundlessly compassionate mind toward all beings." The love a mother has for a child is a strong bond. If we look at everyone in the same love or even half of the same love that a mother has for her child, wouldn't we live in a safer and more pleasant environment?
Buddha's story about the man crossing the river with the raft is very interesting. He is comparing that crossing with the river with truths and teachings needed to overcome life's trials. Once you have passed or worked through that trial, you need to let go of that truth or teaching. Leave it there at the side of the river. This didn't make sense to me. Don't you want to keep hold of those teachings to give to others or to make sure that you don't make the same mistake again? Maybe I'm missing what he's saying.
Compared to Christianity, which main argument is obey, Buddha says it's okay to doubt, including holy scriptures, logic, appearances, and religious leaders. Very different from many other religions. Rely on yourself rather than scriptures and leaders? New way of looking at things, for me at least. Then he goes into a simple saying of it it's bad for you, don't do it, if it's good for you, do it. That seems reasonable and rational. My parents have told me that since I was little. Everything in moderation.
I also like how he says "As a mother at the risk of her life watches over her only child, so let everyone cultivate a boundlessly compassionate mind toward all beings." The love a mother has for a child is a strong bond. If we look at everyone in the same love or even half of the same love that a mother has for her child, wouldn't we live in a safer and more pleasant environment?
Buddha's story about the man crossing the river with the raft is very interesting. He is comparing that crossing with the river with truths and teachings needed to overcome life's trials. Once you have passed or worked through that trial, you need to let go of that truth or teaching. Leave it there at the side of the river. This didn't make sense to me. Don't you want to keep hold of those teachings to give to others or to make sure that you don't make the same mistake again? Maybe I'm missing what he's saying.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Shmelke of Nikolsburg
I thought this was a very interesting passage. The disciple asks questions that most of us are wondering about. It is hard to love someone when they have wronged us. When this happens we feel justified in revenge or some form of revenge. The rabbi's answer about how all our souls are one makes me think of that passage we read last week by Tu-shun when he says "In one jewel there are all the jewels." They are both referring to how all of our souls are connected. In this passage that is a good enough reason to love a neighbor who has wronged you. We all make mistakes and mess up, but does that mean that we have to go out and punish each other for every wrong? If we punish him, we are only hurting ourselves.
The disciple then goes on to ask, If a man is "wicked before God, how can I love him?" This seems like it would be a very good reason to turn your back on your neighbor. But Shmelke responds that this neighbor is lost in a maze, and that you should love him regardless. His soul, as well as your soul are connected to God. Why would you turn on someone who is lost and needs help?
The disciple then goes on to ask, If a man is "wicked before God, how can I love him?" This seems like it would be a very good reason to turn your back on your neighbor. But Shmelke responds that this neighbor is lost in a maze, and that you should love him regardless. His soul, as well as your soul are connected to God. Why would you turn on someone who is lost and needs help?
The Bible Reading
When I read the first passage, that God saw what he had made and thought it was good, I thought that this goes against a popular belief that God is this menacing being that is out there to destroy the fun in everyone's life. He saw from the beginning that he liked what he had created. Why would that change so so drastically over the years?
"I am that I am". That phrase has always confused me. I still don't know what God meant by that. Is he trying to say he's so powerful that we cannot name him? Or that he is too worthy to be labeled with a human name? Or keeping his real name from us? No clue.
These five words "Love your neighbor as yourself" have such a simple message, yet they are very hard to follow. It is hard to love others as much as we love ourselves, since practically everything we do is to bring some sort of pleasure to ourselves. Yeah we do nice things to others, but don't we want something in return? A thank you, a smile, to feel appreciated, a favor. I think it's asking us to love others as unselfishly as we love ourselves selfishly. Does that make sense? Very wise, but difficult words to follow.
This was an interesting passage, I actually don't think I've read it before. "I form light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil." God created everything. Both the opposites light and darkness; peace and evil. How can we appreciate one without the other? It makes sense to create both. People always ask how God let bad things happen. I think it's so we can appreciate the good times. If everything was good and happy all the time, would we appreciate it or even notice how good it is? Not if we haven't experienced the complete opposite.
"I am that I am". That phrase has always confused me. I still don't know what God meant by that. Is he trying to say he's so powerful that we cannot name him? Or that he is too worthy to be labeled with a human name? Or keeping his real name from us? No clue.
These five words "Love your neighbor as yourself" have such a simple message, yet they are very hard to follow. It is hard to love others as much as we love ourselves, since practically everything we do is to bring some sort of pleasure to ourselves. Yeah we do nice things to others, but don't we want something in return? A thank you, a smile, to feel appreciated, a favor. I think it's asking us to love others as unselfishly as we love ourselves selfishly. Does that make sense? Very wise, but difficult words to follow.
This was an interesting passage, I actually don't think I've read it before. "I form light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil." God created everything. Both the opposites light and darkness; peace and evil. How can we appreciate one without the other? It makes sense to create both. People always ask how God let bad things happen. I think it's so we can appreciate the good times. If everything was good and happy all the time, would we appreciate it or even notice how good it is? Not if we haven't experienced the complete opposite.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ramana Maharshi
What a wise man! I liked the different quotes from him. Some you had to read over and over to better understand what he means, and that's what makes him so much fun to read. You can dwell on what was said, and let your mind wander.
I do like his "Affection toward the good, compassion toward the helpless, happiness in doing good deeds, forgiveness toward the wicked, all such things are natural characteristics of the Master." If everyone thought like this, wouldn't the world be such a better place to live? Most of these things seem like common sense, yet because of our selfishness this happens less often than we'd like. People trample over the good or take advantage of them. You have to have a tough skin to live in the world when dealing with people. We also need to have compassion for the helpless, yeah this seems like a nice thing to do, and everyone wants the government or organizations to help these people, but how many actually go out and help these people themselves? Forgiveness toward the wicked or towards those who have done you wrong. This is hard to do. When someone apologizes, sometimes we feel that it's not enough or that they owe us something. Why not forgive these people instead of waiting for something in return? We are not perfect, and have done wrong to someone. Don't we want the same forgiveness?
"God's grace is the beginning, the middle, and the end. When you pray for God's grace, you are like someone standing neck-deep in water and yet crying for water." God's grace is everywhere whether you pray for it or not. We just need to recognize that it's there, and maybe instead of asking for it, just thank him for it.
"Every being on the world longs to be always joyful...In order to realize this inherhent and untainted joy... it is essential that one know oneself." I think this is an important lesson to understand. To be joyful we need to fully understand ourselves. Isn't it interesting that others sometimes seem to notice things about us that we didn't realize or we don't want to admit? Sometimes I feel that others close to me seem to understand me better than i do! Although they don't always know the inner workings of my mind, they can usually get pretty close. Guess I'll never know full joy unless I figure that out.
I do like his "Affection toward the good, compassion toward the helpless, happiness in doing good deeds, forgiveness toward the wicked, all such things are natural characteristics of the Master." If everyone thought like this, wouldn't the world be such a better place to live? Most of these things seem like common sense, yet because of our selfishness this happens less often than we'd like. People trample over the good or take advantage of them. You have to have a tough skin to live in the world when dealing with people. We also need to have compassion for the helpless, yeah this seems like a nice thing to do, and everyone wants the government or organizations to help these people, but how many actually go out and help these people themselves? Forgiveness toward the wicked or towards those who have done you wrong. This is hard to do. When someone apologizes, sometimes we feel that it's not enough or that they owe us something. Why not forgive these people instead of waiting for something in return? We are not perfect, and have done wrong to someone. Don't we want the same forgiveness?
"God's grace is the beginning, the middle, and the end. When you pray for God's grace, you are like someone standing neck-deep in water and yet crying for water." God's grace is everywhere whether you pray for it or not. We just need to recognize that it's there, and maybe instead of asking for it, just thank him for it.
"Every being on the world longs to be always joyful...In order to realize this inherhent and untainted joy... it is essential that one know oneself." I think this is an important lesson to understand. To be joyful we need to fully understand ourselves. Isn't it interesting that others sometimes seem to notice things about us that we didn't realize or we don't want to admit? Sometimes I feel that others close to me seem to understand me better than i do! Although they don't always know the inner workings of my mind, they can usually get pretty close. Guess I'll never know full joy unless I figure that out.
The Upanishads
I found this reading to be very profound. I enjoyed how simple the ideas were, yet they really hit home. Even in the beginning, he says, "Whatever lives is full of the Lord. Claim nothing; enjoy, do not covet His property." I love this! Every living thing is full of the Lord... You can find some good in everyone, and anyone is able to point you onto the right path if you let them. He also says that everything belongs to the Lord, it is there for us to enjoy. Yet we get greedy and want to claim everything for ourselves. If we find something on the ground "It is mine", if there is a plot of unclaimed land, the first person there to claim it takes it for themselves. Do not covet the Lord's property, it belongs to Him.
"Of a certainty the man who can see all creatures in himself, himself in all creatures, knows no sorrow." If we see that we are all connected (all created by God) then we can relate to everything on that level.
"That which makes the mind think but which cannot be thought by the mind-that alone is God" He made our minds, and he gave them the ability to think. Yet we cannot even comprehend God in his fullest. He goes on with the same analogy using the tongue, eye, and ear. All of these senses we use, yet none of them can be used to see, hear, understand God more clearly.
"If you understand the meaning of 'I neither know nor don't know', you understand God" Meaning that we know of God, we know some of his capabilities, some of his promises, yet we don't know him to the fullest. Therefore we can't say we know him. Neither do we not know him at all. We know that he is there, that he is the creator, the all-knowing. So we cannot say we don't know him or don't know of him. If you know these things, then you know God. "Those who realize that God cannot be known, truly know; those who claim that they know, know nothing. The ignorant think that God can be grasped by the mind; the wise know it beyond knowledge."
"Of a certainty the man who can see all creatures in himself, himself in all creatures, knows no sorrow." If we see that we are all connected (all created by God) then we can relate to everything on that level.
"That which makes the mind think but which cannot be thought by the mind-that alone is God" He made our minds, and he gave them the ability to think. Yet we cannot even comprehend God in his fullest. He goes on with the same analogy using the tongue, eye, and ear. All of these senses we use, yet none of them can be used to see, hear, understand God more clearly.
"If you understand the meaning of 'I neither know nor don't know', you understand God" Meaning that we know of God, we know some of his capabilities, some of his promises, yet we don't know him to the fullest. Therefore we can't say we know him. Neither do we not know him at all. We know that he is there, that he is the creator, the all-knowing. So we cannot say we don't know him or don't know of him. If you know these things, then you know God. "Those who realize that God cannot be known, truly know; those who claim that they know, know nothing. The ignorant think that God can be grasped by the mind; the wise know it beyond knowledge."
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Chief Seattle's Speech to Governor Stevens
This was a very sad speech. It had the feeling like something really really special was coming to an end, and there was no way to stop it. He has some very wise words to say even amidst this sad speech. While the young men viewed war based on revenge as gain, while losing their own lives, the elders and families that are left behind to pick up the pieces know better than that. Especially this small tribe who puts value in every member. He also had a good point of how the white man’s god is not the same as theirs since the white man’s god loves them, but hates the red man. If this god loved the red man he would actually protect them. And then he goes into this whole analogy of the red men’s spirits walking the earth, while the white men are going about their day in the same place the red men used to be. They feel so connected to this earth and to their ancestors that they believe that these spirits will roam this earth forever. So even though the white men may be taking their land away from them, they won’t be getting rid of the red men since their spirits will be there. And this sad speech ends with almost a threat when Chief Seattle claims “The dead have power too.” How powerful is that. He is not lying down and say “take our land” and that’s it. He is saying “you will take our land because we have no choice, but we will be powerful when dead and come back to be destructive”
Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha's Speech to a Crhistian Missionary
I really enjoyed reading this speech. I was surprised with how much I agreed with Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha, since I am a Christian myself, and originally thought I should be agreeing with the Christian missionary. I loved when he commented “your religion is written in a book. If it was meant for us as well as for you, why hasn’t the Great Spirit given it to us? …why didn’t he allow our forefathers to know that book, with the means of understanding it rightly?” He has a valid point. Why does the white man have all the answers and have the job of teaching everyone what is in the book? They have a god of their own. If he is the same god, as the missionary has claimed, why hasn’t he provided this book to them as well as the tools to understand it? Not only that but “the white people differ so much about it[.] Why don’t [they] all agree, since [they] can all read the book?” I never really thought of that before, but there really is such a wide range of views on the Bible. Think about all the branches of the same church- Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist. All of them have their own church because they don’t agree on the same things. Same book. Same underlying beliefs. But not enough to keep them unified. My favorite line that he states is about the missionary’s plan to share with the white men in the area, and how if this same message “does them good and makes them honest and less disposed to cheat the red man” then Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha and his tribe members may actually think about what he has said. But until then they want nothing to do with it. This goes to show you that it’s about your actions and what you mean, than having the right words to say. He also had a great point about how the white men and the red men are very different in every way, Why can’t they worship differently as well?
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