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.