Albert Einstein

"A human being is part of the whole that we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest-a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness." This reading was pretty cool. I especially like this quote. It's sort of crazy to think that our lives, everything in our lives, how ever big it may feel, is really just a small tiny portion of this universe. everything we see everyday, the people we meet, the things we do, is just a small portion of what else is out there in this world. sometimes its hard to realize this, but i think it's really good to. we need to realize that we're not the center of the universe. growing up i remember i used to think that everyone around me was a robot, and that everything is just planned out and fake and i'm the only real human being on the earth. kind of like that move with jim carey, except the people around him were not robots. it's pretty silly. but i think traveling has really opened my eyes to see that there's an entire world out there, besides my little world here in california. whenever i'm in a bad mood, having a bad day, i try to think of others out there in this world really truly suffering, as i'm sitting there with this bad attitude in my head because of a bad grade i got or something. This reading goes on saying that this sort of thought is a prison to us. that we need to go out embrace every living thing and nature.

Simone Weil

One thing that really stood out to me in this reading was probably the very first part where it says "every time we say "thy will be done," we should have in mind all possible misfortunes and all possible blessings.." I've said "thy will be done" many times growing up in my religious home & school, but never really thought too much into what i was really saying. I mean i knew what i was saying, but i never really thought about how it could be either a blessing or a misfortune. we don't often think that when we pray to God, that he would put misfortune in our lives (even though you're told as a child that God causes earthquakes cause you were a bad girl..). I guess its just interesting to think about because God can cause terrible things to happen in our lives, but I just don't know if He really would do that. This blog is starting to remind me of the presentation we had the other day on the book called "When bad things happen to good people." once i graduated high school i started to realize how brainwashed i had been my entire life at that christian school. and then some of the most life changing events in my life occurred. up until that point i never lost any family members or any friends. then my grandpa passed away and i had a friend commit suicide, and a friend who died in a crash. i guess it was easier to understand my g-pa's death because he was old, but my friends? they were so young. why would God let anything like that happen to me, to my friend's families and other friends, or to them. I don't think their loved ones deserved it, and maybe they all learned "valuable" lessons from these incidents or whatever, but just thinking about the pain that their parents will feel every day for the rest of their lives because of loosing their child, it just seems so completely unfair to me. This is something i still don't understand to this day. and it is something that has completely made me re-think my faith.

The Hermetic Writings

The part i liked most in this reading was the last paragraph. It says "Wanting to know God is the road that leads to God, and it is an easy road to travel." It goes on saying that God will meet you anywhere because he exist everywhere. Growing up in a Christian school and family, i always considered myself a Christian. I did the whole church, youth group thing and lived that Christian life. But once i got out of the christian school, i realized i only believed that becuase i was taught to believe it. Its all i had known all my life. It wasn't truly my decision, but a decision that was made for me. I never had the choice to go to a public school. So everyday from the 3rd grade to senior year in high school, i had christianity shoved down my throat. everyone at my school was the same. we all believed the same things, said the same things, even dressed the same. I dont know, but now i look back and feel like it was completely brainwashing. so i stepped away from the church. I still believe in God but i don't know exactly what kind of belief i have. Its hard to explain, but i guess i'm more spritual now? but i feel like people should not be forced to believe in anything. i don't want to be a christian because i've been told my entire life that i have to be, because it's the way or whatever. i want to be a christian because i believe and agree with the religion. that is why the first sentance really stuck out to me. like i said, i still believe in God and that he created everything. But i see God a little different than how i was taught to see him. But i believe that He is everywhere. and that proof that he exists is everywhere. thats why i really enjoyed where it says "who is more evident than God? that is why he made all things, so that through all things you can see him." i got the chance to go to costa rica this summer for a month through a study abroad program. during the week i lived in the city and had school, but on the weekends the program would take us on trip to the rain forest and the coast. Ive never seen anything so beautiful. there were so many times, where we would be ontop of a hill, or zip lining through the rainforest, or on the beach watching monkeys, and thinking "How can anyone not believe that there is a God out there? how can anyone believe that this was just a big accident?" so much beauty could not come from just science. it's proof.

Philo

I truly enjoyed what this reading said about God. I love the part that says "He alone rejoices, he alone feels delight, he alone is happy, he alone enjoys absolute peace; he has no grief or fear, free of any evil or pain, and lives in eternal bliss." This gives a new insight to God for many people. I feel like many religions have completely twisted and manipulated the image that their followers have on God. I don't think anyone should fear God. I guess just know what he's worthy of. This reminds me of when i was little, I lived in LA during the 90's and experienced some pretty crazy earthquakes in the middle of the night. I remember as a child being completely terrified waking up in the middle of the night to my entire house shaking, my brother's yelling for my parents, and just trying to figure out what was going on. I clearly remember one night when we were sitting in the living room after an earthquake, just listening to the radio and asking my aunt and mom why earthquakes happen. they responded by saying God was mad cause so many kids were being bad, that he decided to shake the earth. As a child hearing this was the most horrifying thing ever! God, the one who had control of everything, the one who made us this earth, the one who we're supposed to give thanks to and worship, was causing all this because kids were bad?? Now of course i know better, but i don't understand why religion would want people to fear God. I feel like this earth, and everything on it was a gift from God. Everyone in our lives, good or bad, is a gift from God. We learn from everything around us, especiallythe bad, making us wiser human beings. This reading is probably one of my favorites so far this semester.

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

I love the first part of this reading. I love what it says about beauty and the perception of it. There are many different perceptions of beauty and mine may be different from yours. but i love the idea of loving something the way it is and it's beauty, not because of how we benefit from it. the example they used was "green plants and running water are loved for themselves, not for the sake of drinking the water or eating the plants." it's an amazing way to look at everything around us. as i sit here and write about this, i just think about outside my house, all the trees that surround it and the plants and flowers and animals living there. especially during the fall season, its just beautiful. to think about a tree, how unique it is. it's a whole different living form. it's so intricate and unique. how it feeds and how it grows and how the leaves fall and grow back and how it serves as a home for other animals. it's so complex yet so simple and so beautiful at the same time. i feel like its just proof that there is a higher being out there. There is a God. i refuse to believe that such a beautiful thing was caused by accident or a big bang.

Abu Sa'Id Lbn Abi'l-Khayr

my favorite part of this reading was the last passage. especially when it says "..like the sun, they must show the same face to all." i think this passage really stood out to me because of something i'm currently struggling with. i don't really understand why it is so hard for people to be real with everyone. so many times i see friends acting one way around a certain crowd, then another way around a different crowd. it's kind of weird to me, and also sometimes frustrating. i'm sure we've all done it somehow, but i don't know. it just seems a lot harder to me to try and pretend to be something i'm not. i don't think this passage was speaking about this exactly, but its just really stood out to me and i really liked that sentance a lot.
anyways the first part of that passage talks about speaking well about all men even if they're there or not. and how bringing joy to a single person is better than building a lot of shrines for worship and how enslaving a soul with kindness is better than setting a thousand slaves free. i felt really enlightened by this passage. it made me think about how powerful a kind person can be. they says nice guys finish last, but i think they accomplish so much more important things than the bad guys. every now and then you meet one of those people who are just so kind and warm hearted and it really makes me think. how are they so kind to people? people are messed up! this world is messed up! yet they're so sweet and loving to people they hardly even know. meeting people like that gives me hope for man kind. and it really just makes me happy to know that there's still people out there that care.

Jesus of Nazareth

I loved all the passages in this reading. This is what Jesus was about. Love. Compassion. Happiness.
The first passage talks about loving your enemies and do good to them. The way I see it, if you have the love of God in you, you will show it to everyone, even your enemies. Jesus did not hate anyone. I CAN NOT stand seeing these "Christians" out protesting at gay rallies with signs saying "God Hates Fags". What a terrible TERRIBLE way to spread God's love. These people are the worst example of it!! We were all made equally. He loves us all. Even our greatest enemies. That's what true God love is really about. Showing love and compassion to the unloving. I think I wrote about this in a previous blog, but I went to a Christian school from the 3rd grade till I graduated high school. Everyone around me was a Christian. My teachers, my peers, the staff, everyone. But I saw some of the most terrible things there coming from these people. Like i said, God is love. Jesus is love. Christianity is about showing God's love because you have found it, right? Isn't it about spreading the word about what Jesus did for us, because he loved us? I saw so much hate at that school, especially through the church. They looked down on others for not living up to "God's standard", but when behind closed doors, these people were just as bad! They would only befriend other Christians. They would ignore and treat the non-Christians terribly. that's the worst way to share God's love. why share it with people who already have it and know it? When someone would make a mistake, every single person would look down on you and talk so much about you, yes even the teachers. It was terrible. And I know I can't judge the religion because of bad experiences I had at that school, but because of what i saw there, at other churches, through other christian's around the world, it made me realize I want nothing to do with the religion Christianity. I'm a believer of God and Jesus and I love them, but i feel like as long as I'm good to others, good to this earth, good to myself, then I'm doing exactly what God wanted me to do on this earth.

the buddha

this reading has a few different passages. basically they all talk about the way of the buddha. The first part is talking about being led by what you see and realize that is good and wholesome for you. don't be told what is good or judge by appearances. know for yourself. this just seems pretty difficult to me, i don't know about you guys. sometimes i feel like i'm doing right, then get shot down and told that it was wrong.
It also tells a little story about a man and his raft. It explains how the raft lost its use once the man came onto land. and just like the man realized it was worthless on land, we need to be able to let go of some teachings as well. life is always going. there is always change going on in our lives. the only constant in life is chance. what was once a wholesome teaching at one point in life, might be worthless to you a month later. it all just depends on where in life you might be.
then the last passage goes on about how he must be our own confidence and light. we have to guide ourselves in truth. i like how it says to hold the truth within ourselves but i don't quite seem to understand that first part. what i'm getting out of it is that we must do what is true for ourselves. we light our own ways. doing only what we know is right.

Tzu-Ssu

I enjoyed this reading a bit more than the last one. I like how it talks about how the mature person accepts this situation. I think my favorite sentence in this reading is "Life can present him with no situation in which he isn't master of himself." In life, we are the only ones who can control our lives. No one else can control our lives unless we let them.
As I reread this, I stop to think about how peaceful this world would be if we all lived like the mature person this reading is describing. No blame towards others, seeking nothing from others, not fawning his superiors, not dominating over his subordinates, living in perfect serenity, This is the type of person I wish to be.
I also really enjoyed the last part of this reading about sincerity. Sincerity is really truly a powerful thing. For many people it is too hard to be sincere with others and with themselves. I love and completely agree with the idea that once we act with sincerity, everything we do is right.

Hui-Hai

This reading starts off with a speech. In this speech, it is said that to be unattached of all things is far better than dwelling on anything. It also talks about our "treasure house" and how everything we need is already there. That we need to stop searching for other things. I guess the Buddha isn't present in me cause I don't think i got the right interpretation of these words. I found it a bit confusing to really understand what this reading is trying to say. What is our treasure house? How do all things not have a beginning or end? I'm not exactly sure if this is what the reading was trying to say, but I do believe that we make our own reality's. And that people should not worry so much about the future and the past, but then it goes on in the second part to not even dwell on the present. I don't understand! What are we supposed to go around thinking about? Are we supposed to even be thinking at all? I don't know if it's just me and my brain isn't functioning correctly this morning, but I did not understand the first part of this reading.
The second part goes on talking about how we're not supposed to dwell on anything. That our minds should dwell upon non-dwelling. Isn't that dwelling on something though? Although this reading was also quite confusing, I like the idea of not dwelling upon anything. Last night I was actually having this conversation with my boyfriend. We both dwell on things that have happened in the past and dwell on what is going to happen in the future, that I feel like neither of us can really enjoy the present. Right now I'm currently so caught up on decisions I have to make regarding my future but I feel like if I keep going on like this, I will never be able to enjoy NOW and before I know it, my future, will be my past. Instead of living for the future, I want to live life one day at a time. But I feel like now days there is so much pressure put on people and life, when this is all just temporary. We're all going to die. Why can't we just enjoy life instead of worrying so much?

Yehiel Mikhal of Zlotchov

This reading is talking about how the world was created for the pleasure of God. Then it talks about how without God, humans are nothing. But many people these days believe that without God they can exist. With the material possesions we have on earth we can exist.
I don't really know how I feel about this reading. I partially agree with it but at the same time I don't. I believe there is a God and that without Him we'd be nothing. But i think He created us and this earth for us to enjoy it. To enjoy our lives.

Shmelke of Nikolsburg

In this reading, the Rabbi is asked how one is supposed to love their neighbor, if the neighbor has wronged that person. The disciple does not understand how he is supposed to love this man, if this man has gone against this disciple. The Rabbi then answers by giving him an example. He was saying that all souls are one, that all souls originated from God's soul. So if the disciple were to punish his neighbor for doing wrong, he is basically punishing himself and God.
This is quite a powerful reading. I loved the part about how all of our souls are a part of God's soul. And that what we do to not only ourselves, but each other also effects God.
It's very hard to show compassion to those who are wicked. And sometimes we can't help it. But I believe that inside everyone, there is some good. And the wickedness came from something that has affected them in the past. Whether it was a hard childhood, people mistreating them, trouble with the family or at home, whatever it is, that person was once truly a good person. As we get older and more exposed to the world, we have two choices. To do good, or to do bad. Of course we could do both at the same time, but I feel like the more good we do, the more our heart will be prone to do good things. and vice versa. but I feel like those who do evil might just need a little bit of love in their lives to realize that what they are doing is wrong. It's hard to show love to these types of people, because at times we may feel like they don't deserve it, but I think God made us all to enjoy this life He blessed us with. And I think it's wrong for us to try and decide whether one person deserves it or not.

Ramana Maharshi

Man, if only we were all able to live life like Maharshi. This world would be such a better place. These little passages in this reading were very enlightening. It made me think about how simple and wonderful life could be if we were able to live like this. I enjoyed the part about "affection toward the good, compassion toward the helpless, happiness in doing good deeds, forgiveness toward the wicked...". I can say that I try to be able to live like this but at the same time, it can be so difficult. But if we were all able to succeed in living life this way, I think we all would be better people in many different ways and happier with ourselves. It's crazy because right before reading this I got a call from my mother telling me about a hostage situation and gang related shootings in the high school of the town I grew up in. All this was going on this morning. And it just made me think about how if people were able to live like this, we would not have to worry about situations like that. It's terrible to think that now days, high schoolers may even have to worry about going to class.
I also enjoy the part where it speaks about how if the mind is happy, the world will be happy and that we must find happiness within ourselves first. I completely agree with this. You must be happy first before seeing the world for how wonderful it truly can be. A depressed person is going to see the world as a terrible, ugly place, where as a truly happy person will see the world for how beautiful it is. The mind has complete control over how we view things, but I feel like we are all capable of controlling how our mind views things.

The Upanishads

This passage seemed a little confusing. Well maybe not so confusing, I just didn't really completely understand what it was trying to say. I know it's talking about the Self and trying to describe it but I think that's where it lost me, in the description. But there were a few parts that I really liked. For example when it says "That which makes the tongue speak but which cannot be spoken by the tongue--that alone is God, not what people worship. That which makes the mind think but which cannot be thought by the mind--that alone is God, not what people worship." That section of this reading was probably what I liked the most. Also I like how it talks about how those who don't know God, understand it. I feel like God is a mysterious greater power that no human is even capable of understanding. I think we're not even close to being worthy of understand His power and His creations and I feel like people need to stop pretending they do. I feel like it's kind of an insult to even act like we do. No human will ever be able to understand or know or see or hear God because, well, He's so great and powerful, and humans, we're just kind of.... not anything like that!!! We can't even compare. So instead of trying to understand and coming up with crazy ideas about God and what He supposedly wants from us, we should enjoy what He gave us. Enjoy the life that he blessed us with. Enjoy the earth he made for us. Enjoy the people He put in our lives, and be kind to others that He put on this earth. And I think that alone will be good enough for Him.

Chief Seattle

Wow, I really really enjoyed this reading. The first one was really sad because it just made me think of how easy the Indians were taken advantage of but I feel like this speech was more like a slap in the face of the white men, but a polite gentle slap. As I was reading this speech I could just picture spirits of the Indians in the cities and towns or on the slopes with the white men. I love how spiritual it was. The white men did not like the Indian's religion. They tried to force it on the Indians but they weren't having it. I think they chose a horrible way to try and convert them. Instead of showing them love and peace and compassion, the white men were terrible people to the natives. In the speech, Chief Seattle talks about how the white people's god doesn't like the native people, and how he is cruel to the natives, but good to the white people. It's really sad that they think this when a god should not be someone that they fear. I think it's amazing how the natives really truly love their land. And how Chief Seattle brought up the fact that they would never leave it, because they love it and it's so sacred to them, where as the white men are "wanderers" because they leave their father's grave and don't care about them like the natives do. I find their spirituality so amazing and interesting. I think now after this reading wherever I go I will probably be thinking about this land and how sacred it once was to the natives that first lived here. I will think about the spirits that are still on this land, and how they are probably watching us and our people with tears in their eyes because we are simply polluting their sacred land.

Sa-go-ye-wat-ha

I truly enjoyed this reading. It really made me think about how corrupt the Christian religion has been for a long time now. It made me think about growing up and how I encountered many people like these settlers. I grew up going to a Christian school all my life, and if for once, you thought outside of the box, these people did not want anything to do with you. They had every single person in the school and at the church completely brain washed. Yet if one person were to mess up, like everyone does sometime or another in life, you would basically be screwed. The main objective with Christianity is to show other's "God's love" right? But I feel like these people, are honestly the worst examples of "God's love". I feel like if there is a greater spirit out there, they would prefer the way of life that the Indians choose, rather than the white men. I believe that by being a good person, treating those the way you'd like to be treated, respecting the earth, and just reaching out to those in need, actions like that, you will be rewarded in the end of this journey we like to call life. The Indians were so friendly and welcoming to the settlers and these people just try and take over something that isn't theirs. I don't understand how they could just stumble upon someone else's territory and feel like they are able to take over it simply because they're white. Or for whatever reason it was that they felt better than the Indians. It shows how compassionate and good spirited these Indians were. I know that if someone were trying to do that to me and my family, I would not have reacted the same way as they did, by giving them a seat. It's really a sad story.