This is a Ted Talk by David Deutsch. This is a great video to watch in order to understand how myths were used to explain the universe in ancient times. It also ties into Creationism and the rise of scientific explanations to understand the world.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Ted Talk by David Deutsch: A new way to explain explanation
This is a Ted Talk by David Deutsch. This is a great video to watch in order to understand how myths were used to explain the universe in ancient times. It also ties into Creationism and the rise of scientific explanations to understand the world.
Story of Persephone
Often, myths were used in Ancient Greece to help explain the things that people couldn't understand. A great example of this is the story of Persephone. This is a myth that is used to explain the differing seasons throughout the year.
The world of the ancient Greeks was ruled by three great brothers: Zeus, the Thunder God, who held dominion over the sky; gray-haired Poseidon, who possessed the wide oceans; and Hades, who took the whole rocky earth for his kingdom and ruled over the Land of the Dead. While Zeus was supreme in the pantheon of gods, his brother Hades was pleased with his own choice: all the riches that could be mined belonged to him, and every mortal came under his power sooner or later. But it was true that the dark caves of the underworld were a depressing place, and not many of his fellow gods enjoyed his company.
The gloomy Hades watched the progress of his brothers with envy. Zeus had for his queen the Goddess of Wives herself, and he enjoyed the loving attention of many women. Poseidon, married to the gentle Amphitrite, had so many children that they filled the vast limits of the sea. Hades himself had no wife, but he had fallen in love with a girl who was unlike him in every way: Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, who made the grain ripen and the trees give fruit. Like one of her mother's plants, Persephone loved the sun and fresh air. She was always outside, picking flowers or dancing for the sheer joy of being alive.
Did Hades try to speak to Persephone? Probably not. He could have pointed out that it was from his earth that her flowers grew, but his dignity wouldn't allow him to chase after her. She was young, and he was much older: dour, dark, and strange. Most of the gods were a little afraid of him, and in all likelihood, Persephone would have avoided him at gatherings. Still, Hades was a royal god, one of the three rulers of the world. He deserved a queen, and he was determined to have exactly the one he wanted.
Persephone and her maidens were dancing one day in a bright, wind-swept meadow when the ground cracked open at their feet. Through the wide fissure sped four black horses pulling a chariot, the Lord of the Dead at the reins. He seized the frightened Persephone and carried her down into his own land as her companions scattered in terror. The crack in the earth closed up behind them, shutting out the light.
Hades conducted Persephone through his great, dim palace, where disembodied souls flickered like so many candle flames. He led her from one murky cave to another, proudly showing off all of his wealth and the remarkable features of his underground realm. Finally, he crowned her and placed her on an ebony throne as the shades of the dead rustled and whispered together. No one knows what the young girl thought as she sat there beside her grim husband, but the shock and grief must have been terrible.
Certainly her mother Demeter grieved for her. The goddess of growing things walked the earth as an old woman, and all the plants in the world began to die. Humans and beasts starved and prayed for help to the gods, and Zeus himself was forced to intervene. The ruler of the gods issued a decree: Hades must return the stolen girl so that her mother would once again produce the life-sustaining crops.
Angry and dismayed, Hades turned to his only friend, Hermes, the cleverest of the gods. It was Hermes who brought the souls of the dead to their destination, and it was Hermes who was to take Persephone back home. While her husband saw to the packing of farewell gifts worthy of his queen, Hermes walked with Persephone in her underground garden. As he distracted her with talk of the outside world, the trickster god picked a pomegranate and gave it to her. Persephone had never before been able to bring herself to eat the food of the dead, those offerings left by sad relatives on altars and at tombs. Now, hungry and excited, she ate six pomegranate seeds—and belonged forever to the Land of the Dead.
Once again, Zeus had to resolve the crisis, or all life on earth would have perished. He ruled that Demeter and Hades must share the unhappy girl. For six months of each year, Persephone lives with her mother while the crops grow and flowers bloom. And for six months, she lives with her husband Hades, bringing a touch of springtime to that sad dark realm below.
The world of the ancient Greeks was ruled by three great brothers: Zeus, the Thunder God, who held dominion over the sky; gray-haired Poseidon, who possessed the wide oceans; and Hades, who took the whole rocky earth for his kingdom and ruled over the Land of the Dead. While Zeus was supreme in the pantheon of gods, his brother Hades was pleased with his own choice: all the riches that could be mined belonged to him, and every mortal came under his power sooner or later. But it was true that the dark caves of the underworld were a depressing place, and not many of his fellow gods enjoyed his company.
The gloomy Hades watched the progress of his brothers with envy. Zeus had for his queen the Goddess of Wives herself, and he enjoyed the loving attention of many women. Poseidon, married to the gentle Amphitrite, had so many children that they filled the vast limits of the sea. Hades himself had no wife, but he had fallen in love with a girl who was unlike him in every way: Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, who made the grain ripen and the trees give fruit. Like one of her mother's plants, Persephone loved the sun and fresh air. She was always outside, picking flowers or dancing for the sheer joy of being alive.
Did Hades try to speak to Persephone? Probably not. He could have pointed out that it was from his earth that her flowers grew, but his dignity wouldn't allow him to chase after her. She was young, and he was much older: dour, dark, and strange. Most of the gods were a little afraid of him, and in all likelihood, Persephone would have avoided him at gatherings. Still, Hades was a royal god, one of the three rulers of the world. He deserved a queen, and he was determined to have exactly the one he wanted.
Persephone and her maidens were dancing one day in a bright, wind-swept meadow when the ground cracked open at their feet. Through the wide fissure sped four black horses pulling a chariot, the Lord of the Dead at the reins. He seized the frightened Persephone and carried her down into his own land as her companions scattered in terror. The crack in the earth closed up behind them, shutting out the light.
Hades conducted Persephone through his great, dim palace, where disembodied souls flickered like so many candle flames. He led her from one murky cave to another, proudly showing off all of his wealth and the remarkable features of his underground realm. Finally, he crowned her and placed her on an ebony throne as the shades of the dead rustled and whispered together. No one knows what the young girl thought as she sat there beside her grim husband, but the shock and grief must have been terrible.
Certainly her mother Demeter grieved for her. The goddess of growing things walked the earth as an old woman, and all the plants in the world began to die. Humans and beasts starved and prayed for help to the gods, and Zeus himself was forced to intervene. The ruler of the gods issued a decree: Hades must return the stolen girl so that her mother would once again produce the life-sustaining crops.
Angry and dismayed, Hades turned to his only friend, Hermes, the cleverest of the gods. It was Hermes who brought the souls of the dead to their destination, and it was Hermes who was to take Persephone back home. While her husband saw to the packing of farewell gifts worthy of his queen, Hermes walked with Persephone in her underground garden. As he distracted her with talk of the outside world, the trickster god picked a pomegranate and gave it to her. Persephone had never before been able to bring herself to eat the food of the dead, those offerings left by sad relatives on altars and at tombs. Now, hungry and excited, she ate six pomegranate seeds—and belonged forever to the Land of the Dead.
Once again, Zeus had to resolve the crisis, or all life on earth would have perished. He ruled that Demeter and Hades must share the unhappy girl. For six months of each year, Persephone lives with her mother while the crops grow and flowers bloom. And for six months, she lives with her husband Hades, bringing a touch of springtime to that sad dark realm below.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
James, Jonathan, Daniel, Michael
The Conversation:James: i am from a Buddhism perspective
Michael: I am from a Hindu perspective
Daniel: I am from a Thaoist perspective
Jonathan: I am from a Shintoism perspective
First Question: Who is God?[James] I dont believe in supernatural reality aka i dont believe in Gods. I have no God.
[Michael] There are three Gods in Hinduism. There is Brahma: the creator of reality, Vishnu or Krishna: is the preserver of all of the creations and lastly Shiva: the destroyer.
[Jonathan] I have 8 different types of Gods. Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Inari, Kotoamatsukami, Izanagi, Izanami, Susanoo and Sarutahiko. All the 8 Gods in my religion have a different perspectives and different specialties.
[Michael] Why don’t you have any Gods james!?
[James] Well i have no Gods because i don't believe in any supernatural being that has the power to control and create. I believe that an enlightened one or some may call that person a Buddha to help us find our path and ways and not rely on these non-existant beings.
[James] Michael why do you believe there are Gods HUH?
[Daniel] We got no gods in our religion we only believe in the Tao, which is a formless eternal principle that governs the universe, or the Path, or Way that the universe (nature) follows. In short “The Way Life Is” We think that the God of ( Western religions) Judaism, Christianity , and Islam unintelligible.
[Michael] It answers the basic questions of life. Who created the world and how it was formed.
[James] I see... I guess everyone has different points of view so i can't really question your answer.
[Michael] Gods really make our life more simpler. It gives us a sense of safety, it answers our basic questions.
[James] Not really... for us we don't need supernatural beings to give us a sense of safety. We have each other and our relationships and also we learn about nature that gives us insight to what the world really is and this for us gives a much more better sense of “safety”. We know nature is there and it is existent but for supernatural beings you don't even know if they exist or not. What do you say about this MICHAEL?!
[Michael] Interesting point James. But having Gods give us the sense that there is someone taking care of us. That if we please the God they will please us. Causing us to do more good than harm.
[Daniel] Respect Nature people! Respecting nature gives you good stuff. :D
[James] I do respect nature mannn. I’m down with nature.
[Jonathan] Nature in Shintoism is very important to our religion since we have a thing called Kami which is a nature worship.
[Daniel] Good stuff guys!
Second Question: What is the meaning of life?
[Michael] In Hinduism, the meaning of life is tied up with Karma. If you do good, it will be repayed. If you harm others, you will be harmed. What goes around comes around.
[James] In Buddhism, the meaning of life is to reach enlightenment and to do this you have to experience the one time cycle. You learn-work-find oneself being enlightened than passing this to his disciples. After this the cycle ends and another cycle for another person continues.
[Daniel] Life in Taoism you just live out your life the way you want to.
[Jonathan] In my religion we want to live and not die because in our perspective death is like pollution to the Earth. Life for us is like a creative process. Our life is basically formed by nature.
[Michael] I really like the way your religion works Jonathan! Especially the creative process.
Third Question: Why does mankind exist?[Michael] Hinduism states that humans are the highest of all creation. Souls can take many births in lower forms to get the eligibility to be born as human. Life can form lower than human beings, such as insects, plants and animals to name a few.
[James] I don't really have a dominant say of why mankind exists like Michael. We are just here and thats it.
[Daniel] We just exist. Way of life man.
[Jonathan] We see mankind as a good spirit and that the bad things happen by evil spirits. Which is why God created us.
Forth Question: What happens when we die?
[Michael] In Hinduism, depending on how you lived your life you can either reincarnate as a human or as another living creature. If a person has reached Nirvana he or she can break this cycle and not be reincarnated. But simply, if a person lives a life where he serves he will be reincarnated as a human. However, if a person lives a life to harm he will be reincarnated as a lower creature such as beetles.
[James] For us after we reach the stage of enlightenment and we pass away its the end for us. We do not get reincarnated for another cycle of life. We actually oppose the idea of reincarnation. We think that it is wrong for a being to live for eternity without rest. I believe that after we die we reach a stage of completeness and that we can rest in peace without an endless cycle.
[Daniel] We just die. Wu Wei man Wu Wei. Just have to die its the way of nature.
[Michael] Daniel! I want your answers to be more specific.
[Jonathan] When people who believe in my religion past away we have to do 20 procedures before we can bury them. When we die we get cremated and be put into the urn as kept in the house to keep the bad spirits away.
[James] Daniel please tell me more about your perspective of what happens when we die. I am very interested. YEAH amen Michael amen.
[Michael] James! when will you reach enlightenment? Seems like you have a long way to go.
[James] WELLL if you must know... you reach a stage of enlightnement when you pass all the Noble truths. It is then when you reach enlightenment.
[Michael] This was a pleasant conversation. Namaste.
Michael: I am from a Hindu perspective
Daniel: I am from a Thaoist perspective
Jonathan: I am from a Shintoism perspective
First Question: Who is God?[James] I dont believe in supernatural reality aka i dont believe in Gods. I have no God.
[Michael] There are three Gods in Hinduism. There is Brahma: the creator of reality, Vishnu or Krishna: is the preserver of all of the creations and lastly Shiva: the destroyer.
[Jonathan] I have 8 different types of Gods. Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Inari, Kotoamatsukami, Izanagi, Izanami, Susanoo and Sarutahiko. All the 8 Gods in my religion have a different perspectives and different specialties.
[Michael] Why don’t you have any Gods james!?
[James] Well i have no Gods because i don't believe in any supernatural being that has the power to control and create. I believe that an enlightened one or some may call that person a Buddha to help us find our path and ways and not rely on these non-existant beings.
[James] Michael why do you believe there are Gods HUH?
[Daniel] We got no gods in our religion we only believe in the Tao, which is a formless eternal principle that governs the universe, or the Path, or Way that the universe (nature) follows. In short “The Way Life Is” We think that the God of ( Western religions) Judaism, Christianity , and Islam unintelligible.
[Michael] It answers the basic questions of life. Who created the world and how it was formed.
[James] I see... I guess everyone has different points of view so i can't really question your answer.
[Michael] Gods really make our life more simpler. It gives us a sense of safety, it answers our basic questions.
[James] Not really... for us we don't need supernatural beings to give us a sense of safety. We have each other and our relationships and also we learn about nature that gives us insight to what the world really is and this for us gives a much more better sense of “safety”. We know nature is there and it is existent but for supernatural beings you don't even know if they exist or not. What do you say about this MICHAEL?!
[Michael] Interesting point James. But having Gods give us the sense that there is someone taking care of us. That if we please the God they will please us. Causing us to do more good than harm.
[Daniel] Respect Nature people! Respecting nature gives you good stuff. :D
[James] I do respect nature mannn. I’m down with nature.
[Jonathan] Nature in Shintoism is very important to our religion since we have a thing called Kami which is a nature worship.
[Daniel] Good stuff guys!
Second Question: What is the meaning of life?
[Michael] In Hinduism, the meaning of life is tied up with Karma. If you do good, it will be repayed. If you harm others, you will be harmed. What goes around comes around.
[James] In Buddhism, the meaning of life is to reach enlightenment and to do this you have to experience the one time cycle. You learn-work-find oneself being enlightened than passing this to his disciples. After this the cycle ends and another cycle for another person continues.
[Daniel] Life in Taoism you just live out your life the way you want to.
[Jonathan] In my religion we want to live and not die because in our perspective death is like pollution to the Earth. Life for us is like a creative process. Our life is basically formed by nature.
[Michael] I really like the way your religion works Jonathan! Especially the creative process.
Third Question: Why does mankind exist?[Michael] Hinduism states that humans are the highest of all creation. Souls can take many births in lower forms to get the eligibility to be born as human. Life can form lower than human beings, such as insects, plants and animals to name a few.
[James] I don't really have a dominant say of why mankind exists like Michael. We are just here and thats it.
[Daniel] We just exist. Way of life man.
[Jonathan] We see mankind as a good spirit and that the bad things happen by evil spirits. Which is why God created us.
Forth Question: What happens when we die?
[Michael] In Hinduism, depending on how you lived your life you can either reincarnate as a human or as another living creature. If a person has reached Nirvana he or she can break this cycle and not be reincarnated. But simply, if a person lives a life where he serves he will be reincarnated as a human. However, if a person lives a life to harm he will be reincarnated as a lower creature such as beetles.
[James] For us after we reach the stage of enlightenment and we pass away its the end for us. We do not get reincarnated for another cycle of life. We actually oppose the idea of reincarnation. We think that it is wrong for a being to live for eternity without rest. I believe that after we die we reach a stage of completeness and that we can rest in peace without an endless cycle.
[Daniel] We just die. Wu Wei man Wu Wei. Just have to die its the way of nature.
[Michael] Daniel! I want your answers to be more specific.
[Jonathan] When people who believe in my religion past away we have to do 20 procedures before we can bury them. When we die we get cremated and be put into the urn as kept in the house to keep the bad spirits away.
[James] Daniel please tell me more about your perspective of what happens when we die. I am very interested. YEAH amen Michael amen.
[Michael] James! when will you reach enlightenment? Seems like you have a long way to go.
[James] WELLL if you must know... you reach a stage of enlightnement when you pass all the Noble truths. It is then when you reach enlightenment.
[Michael] This was a pleasant conversation. Namaste.
Jeanette, Andrew, Kali
Who is God?
Confucius(Kali): There is no God
Hinduism(Jeanette): There are multiple gods. The main three gods are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Buddhism (Andrew): There is no god that is in control of our lives.
Confucius: We just have to live our lives by doing things the right way.
What is the meaning of life guize lets discuss
Hinduism: There are four stages of life.
1. student/learner
2. marriage/prime of life
3. detach from all desires
4. sannyasin
Buddhism: In life we strive to end our suffering. Buddhists believe that life is suffering because humans make their lives sufferable. We do this through our desires and attachments to things that only give us temporary happiness. Buddhists seek true happiness through self-reflection and living properly, distancing ourselves from attachments.
Confucius: In life we should do five main things to reconstruct society: Use the right names for things, chose the meaning between two extremes, live the five basic relations correctly( have the ten right attitudes), be devoted to your family, and have respect for age. Also the five ways to civil order are Jen (humaneness), Chun-tzu (being the ideal person), Li (the right pattern), Té (government by moral power), and Wen (cultivation of the peaceful arts). We have to live life step-by-step in an organized way.
Why does mankind exist?
Hinduism: To reach Brahman or nirvana or self-enlightenment and to end reincarnation in order to attain moksha.
Buddhism: Man is the closest being to being enlightened. Humans are here as a result of living right in their past lives. Animals and plants live lives governed by basic necessities, without the capacity to meditate and act on their free will. Humans are here to find out true reality and come to self-perception.
Confucius: There is no greater meaning to life, we just have to live it to the best of our ability and make meaning out of life ourselves. Mankind must have civil order.
What happens when we die?
Buddhism: What happens after we die is determined by our actions during the course of our lives. If we live a right life following the eightfold path and do manage to achieve enlightenment, we no longer reincarnate and live on this earth. This is the greatest thing that can happen as life is suffering. Otherwise people can be reincarnated as animals or humans again, depending on their karma.
Hinduism: If a Hindu hasn’t reached nirvana or Brahman, they reincarnate based on the law of karma. If one has reached nirvana or Brahman, the life cycle ends and they attain moksha.
Confucius: We become one with the Earth. We die and that is it.
Who is God?
Confucius(Kali): There is no God
Hinduism(Jeanette): There are multiple gods. The main three gods are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Buddhism (Andrew): There is no god that is in control of our lives.
Confucius: We just have to live our lives by doing things the right way.
What is the meaning of life guize lets discuss
Hinduism: There are four stages of life.
1. student/learner
2. marriage/prime of life
3. detach from all desires
4. sannyasin
Buddhism: In life we strive to end our suffering. Buddhists believe that life is suffering because humans make their lives sufferable. We do this through our desires and attachments to things that only give us temporary happiness. Buddhists seek true happiness through self-reflection and living properly, distancing ourselves from attachments.
Confucius: In life we should do five main things to reconstruct society: Use the right names for things, chose the meaning between two extremes, live the five basic relations correctly( have the ten right attitudes), be devoted to your family, and have respect for age. Also the five ways to civil order are Jen (humaneness), Chun-tzu (being the ideal person), Li (the right pattern), Té (government by moral power), and Wen (cultivation of the peaceful arts). We have to live life step-by-step in an organized way.
Why does mankind exist?
Hinduism: To reach Brahman or nirvana or self-enlightenment and to end reincarnation in order to attain moksha.
Buddhism: Man is the closest being to being enlightened. Humans are here as a result of living right in their past lives. Animals and plants live lives governed by basic necessities, without the capacity to meditate and act on their free will. Humans are here to find out true reality and come to self-perception.
Confucius: There is no greater meaning to life, we just have to live it to the best of our ability and make meaning out of life ourselves. Mankind must have civil order.
What happens when we die?
Buddhism: What happens after we die is determined by our actions during the course of our lives. If we live a right life following the eightfold path and do manage to achieve enlightenment, we no longer reincarnate and live on this earth. This is the greatest thing that can happen as life is suffering. Otherwise people can be reincarnated as animals or humans again, depending on their karma.
Hinduism: If a Hindu hasn’t reached nirvana or Brahman, they reincarnate based on the law of karma. If one has reached nirvana or Brahman, the life cycle ends and they attain moksha.
Confucius: We become one with the Earth. We die and that is it.
George, Juan, Caitlin CONVO...WORD
George: Daoism/Shinto Master
Juan - Confucianism
Caitlin - Hinduism
Daoism/Shinto Master: Ohayogozaimasu! Gennkidesuka?
Confused Confucius: What up?
Miss Hinduism: Who is God?
Daoism/Shinto Master: Oh very interesting question! I shall answer this first. In my religion we dont have a specific god necessarily. It’s more based on the ideas of nature. To be precise, “Tao Te Ching” or The way and its power. Tao, in itself, means “way,” making my religion more of a way of life. And in Shintoism, we believe in Kami, or the Spirits. Very natury:)
Confused Confucius: Even though Confucius, me, am a man that believes in ancient Chinese folk Religion, Confucianism, as an ideology, is humanistic and non-theistic, and does not include a belief in a supernatural or godly beings. So... I don’t got one.
Miss Hinduism: In my religion, we do not have just one god. We have One Reality, which can be seen in many forms.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Well what about your other gods? Sun god, creator god, destroyer god? Please elaborate!
Miss Hinduism: We have the Ultimate Reality, which can be Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. The Ultimate Reality can be seen as many different faces or names, but it is the same One Reality.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Ok, thank you for clearing that up for me. Much appreciated.
Miss Hinduism: In my religion we do not have “enlightenment”. We have Brahman. We believe that in our life, we can work hard and acquire karma, which can be good or bad. At the end of our lives we believe after death we are reincarnated, and according to how we acted in our previous life or next life will either put us in a higher or lower caste system. If you have good karma, you go up in the caste system until eventually you reach Brahman.
Confused Confucius: I really don’t care why they are here. I know that seems a bit blunt, but I think that it doesn’t matter where we came from, we just have to know what we can do whilst we are here. The closest thing I can tell you toward human creation is that, it was made by the Heavens so that humans would be teachable, improvable and perfectible beings which would be achieved through personal and communal interaction. Especially with self-cultivation and/or self-recreation.
Miss Hinduism: My religion believes that we are here to learn and grow, to absorb religious philosophies and concepts, ritual, theology, and the ceremonies of other religions. We are also here to worship our One Reality, and to reach Brahman.
Daoism/Shinto Master: so coming off of the topic of how we all got here, what do you folks think happens when we all kick the bucket?
Miss Hinduism: As I said above, in Hinduism we believe that we are reincarnated based off of how good or bad our karma was in this life. When you have good karma you move up in the caste system in your next life, but if you have bad karma you move down in the caste system.
Confused Confucius: As for me, I just think that the afterlife is just too complicated for humans to ever understand. So why bother? Just live life to what you think is right and promote social relations instead of living purely based on expectations of rewards or punishment in death.
Daoism/Shinto Master : Much agreed Brother. Live life for what we’ve got now! Don’t be looking to the future for things that are uncertain. We don’t know what the future holds. Lets just do the best we can today.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Thanks colleagues. This was absolutely fantastic. A very intelligent conversation!
Confused Confucius: Word. No probs, bro.
Hindu lady: THank you. Namaste.
Juan - Confucianism
Caitlin - Hinduism
Daoism/Shinto Master: Ohayogozaimasu! Gennkidesuka?
Confused Confucius: What up?
Miss Hinduism: Who is God?
Daoism/Shinto Master: Oh very interesting question! I shall answer this first. In my religion we dont have a specific god necessarily. It’s more based on the ideas of nature. To be precise, “Tao Te Ching” or The way and its power. Tao, in itself, means “way,” making my religion more of a way of life. And in Shintoism, we believe in Kami, or the Spirits. Very natury:)
Confused Confucius: Even though Confucius, me, am a man that believes in ancient Chinese folk Religion, Confucianism, as an ideology, is humanistic and non-theistic, and does not include a belief in a supernatural or godly beings. So... I don’t got one.
Miss Hinduism: In my religion, we do not have just one god. We have One Reality, which can be seen in many forms.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Well what about your other gods? Sun god, creator god, destroyer god? Please elaborate!
Miss Hinduism: We have the Ultimate Reality, which can be Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. The Ultimate Reality can be seen as many different faces or names, but it is the same One Reality.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Ok, thank you for clearing that up for me. Much appreciated.
So Mr. Confucius and Ms. Hindu lady, what, in your views, in the meaning of life???
Miss Hinduism: In my views, the meaning of life is to reach Brahman. Brahman is Ultimate Reality.
Confused Confucius: It is my belief that humans are created by the Heavens and because of that, every human has his or her own “heavenly purpose” to fulfil out in life. That is the meaning of life for me. My idea of Heaven also had a sacred element, being of where the source of life comes from. Therefore, one must respect his or her heavenly mission and see to it that it is completed.
Daoism/Shinto Master: What about Enlightenment?
Miss Hinduism: In my religion we do not have “enlightenment”. We have Brahman. We believe that in our life, we can work hard and acquire karma, which can be good or bad. At the end of our lives we believe after death we are reincarnated, and according to how we acted in our previous life or next life will either put us in a higher or lower caste system. If you have good karma, you go up in the caste system until eventually you reach Brahman.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Ahhhh very interesting. Well you see, for me the meaning of life isnt to reach some location such as enlightenment, but to just live life for what it is. To respect the things around us. The basic principle for my religions is based around Wu Wei. Wu Wei just means to literally let things happen as they would naturally in nature. Not for us to interfere with them, but to let them be, to act in harmony with, and give them a ‘lil respect.
Miss Hinduism: Why do you think mankind exists?
Daoism/Shinto Master: Well for my religions, we believe that things happen naturally, so, i guess that over time, we’ve gotten to where we are base on nature and its response to the things around it. We have no one god who brought us here. We’re just...here, living our life in relationship with our surroundings. For shintoism though, we believe that things were just brought up through the kami -- or spirits. that kami are qualities of nature, growth, fertility, and production.
Confused Confucius: I really don’t care why they are here. I know that seems a bit blunt, but I think that it doesn’t matter where we came from, we just have to know what we can do whilst we are here. The closest thing I can tell you toward human creation is that, it was made by the Heavens so that humans would be teachable, improvable and perfectible beings which would be achieved through personal and communal interaction. Especially with self-cultivation and/or self-recreation.
Miss Hinduism: My religion believes that we are here to learn and grow, to absorb religious philosophies and concepts, ritual, theology, and the ceremonies of other religions. We are also here to worship our One Reality, and to reach Brahman.
Daoism/Shinto Master: so coming off of the topic of how we all got here, what do you folks think happens when we all kick the bucket?
Miss Hinduism: As I said above, in Hinduism we believe that we are reincarnated based off of how good or bad our karma was in this life. When you have good karma you move up in the caste system in your next life, but if you have bad karma you move down in the caste system.
Confused Confucius: As for me, I just think that the afterlife is just too complicated for humans to ever understand. So why bother? Just live life to what you think is right and promote social relations instead of living purely based on expectations of rewards or punishment in death.
Daoism/Shinto Master : Much agreed Brother. Live life for what we’ve got now! Don’t be looking to the future for things that are uncertain. We don’t know what the future holds. Lets just do the best we can today.
Daoism/Shinto Master: Thanks colleagues. This was absolutely fantastic. A very intelligent conversation!
Confused Confucius: Word. No probs, bro.
Hindu lady: THank you. Namaste.
The Conversation
In a group write a conversation using Google docs, from the perspective of one of each of the Eastern Religions. For instance, one person in your group will be a Hindu, one a Buddhist, one a Confucianist, and the last can choose Shinto or Taoist. During this conversation, answer these questions:
Who is God?
What is the meaning of life?
Why does mankind exist?
What happens when we die?
Be sure to answer from the perspective of your chosen religion and, as in any conversation, feel free to ask questions of the other people for clarity of their religions.
Once this is completed, copy and paste this conversation as a NEW POST onto the blog.
Who is God?
What is the meaning of life?
Why does mankind exist?
What happens when we die?
Be sure to answer from the perspective of your chosen religion and, as in any conversation, feel free to ask questions of the other people for clarity of their religions.
Once this is completed, copy and paste this conversation as a NEW POST onto the blog.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Confucianism
This video shows us what and how Confucianism started. It is a long video, but if you really want to learn about Confucianism it is a good video to watch. I hope you all enjoy the video and I thought this video can help us with future quizzes and etc.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Eastern Religions Art Project
** Please see Edline for Eastern Religions Power Point
Due: October 29th, 30th
1.
Choose one of the art forms we discussed
in class coming from either: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, or
Shintoism.
2.
Research that art form. Why was it used?
What are the different elements to that art form? What part of the religion
influences the art form?
3.
Create an artistic display of this art
form. Dimensions should not exceed 24”x24”, but should not be less than 6”x6”. You
may use video or music as an art form as well.
4.
Write NO MORE than a one-page caption of
your creation.
a.
Why did you choose this art form?
b.
What religion influenced this art form?
c.
What are two religious principles that
are evident from the art form?
d.
If there is any translation that needs
to be made, explanation of color usage or other unexplained portions, do so in
this page caption.
Total points: 50
1 page Caption: 25 points
Artistic creation (neatness, effort, excellence, NOT
artistic ability): 25 points
Thursday, October 18, 2012
They have many types of Buddhism in the world. Theravāda Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism.
Zen Buddhism is a form of Buddhism that became popular in China, Korea and Japan and that lays special emphasis on meditation. Zen places less emphasis on scriptures than some other forms of Buddhism and prefers to focus on direct spiritual breakthroughs to truth.Zen Buddhist teaching is often full of paradox, in order to loosen the grip of the ego and to facilitate the penetration into the realm of the True Self or Formless Self, which is equated with the Buddha himself.
Though based upon Mahayana, Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism is one of the schools that practice Vajrayanaor "Diamond Vehicle" It accepts all the basic concepts of Mahāyāna, but also includes a vast array of spiritual and physical techniques designed to enhance Buddhist practice. Tantric Buddhism is largely concerned with ritual and meditative practices.
Theravāda Buddhism,the cause of human existence and suffering is identified as craving, which carries with it the various defilements. These various defilements are traditionally summed up as greed, hatred and delusion. These are believed deeply rooted afflictions of the mind that create suffering and stress.To be free from suffering and stress, these defilements must be permanently uprooted through internal investigation, analyzing, experiencing, and understanding of the true nature of those defilements by using jhāna, a technique of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Zen Buddhism is a form of Buddhism that became popular in China, Korea and Japan and that lays special emphasis on meditation. Zen places less emphasis on scriptures than some other forms of Buddhism and prefers to focus on direct spiritual breakthroughs to truth.Zen Buddhist teaching is often full of paradox, in order to loosen the grip of the ego and to facilitate the penetration into the realm of the True Self or Formless Self, which is equated with the Buddha himself.
Though based upon Mahayana, Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism is one of the schools that practice Vajrayanaor "Diamond Vehicle" It accepts all the basic concepts of Mahāyāna, but also includes a vast array of spiritual and physical techniques designed to enhance Buddhist practice. Tantric Buddhism is largely concerned with ritual and meditative practices.
Theravāda Buddhism,the cause of human existence and suffering is identified as craving, which carries with it the various defilements. These various defilements are traditionally summed up as greed, hatred and delusion. These are believed deeply rooted afflictions of the mind that create suffering and stress.To be free from suffering and stress, these defilements must be permanently uprooted through internal investigation, analyzing, experiencing, and understanding of the true nature of those defilements by using jhāna, a technique of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Reflection #3: Following the Path to Enlightenment
Buddhism:
Following the Path to Enlightenment
Reflection #3
On Edline, under “Contents”
you’ll find a folder on Buddhism which contains the 8 Fold Meditation we shared
in class, a link to the Bongwonsa Temple website and the Buddhism power point.
Use these resources and your own experience to:
Write a 2 paragraph
reflection on the meditation we did in class and on the visit to the Bongwonsa
Temple. Consider these questions: What made the meditation difficult? What
helped you during the meditation? What is something new you learned about
yourself, the world, or Buddhism? How is Buddhism lived out at Bongwonsa?
From these two paragraphs
you should share at least 1 new insight you learned about Buddhism and 1 new
insight you learned about yourself.
PLEASE BE SURE
TO ADD THIS TO YOUR EXISTING BLOG SITE PAGE. DO NOT PUT AS A NEW POST!!
Due Thursday or Friday, October 18th or 19th , 3pm.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Buddhism
Eight-Spoked Dharma Wheel (Dharmachakra)
The wheel represents Buddha turning the Wheel of Truth or Law. The wheel tells the story that after Buddha reached enlightenment, Brahma came from heaven and gave Buddha a Dharmachakra. Brahma wanted Buddha to teach him how to use it.
The Dharmachakra has eight spokes, and each one represents the Eight Fold Path. In the Middle the swirling segments represent Buddha, Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (spiritual community). The three parts of the wheel can be split up to represent discipline, wisdom, and concentration.
The Buddha statue is actually a representation of Siddhartha Guatama, the founder of Buddhism.
The statue also represents "The Enlightened One", Siddhartha after he reached enlightenment.
The Buddha statue may represent the hope to end suffering and reach nirvana.
http://viewonbuddhism.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html#1
http://www.allaboutreligion.org/buddha-statue.htm
The wheel represents Buddha turning the Wheel of Truth or Law. The wheel tells the story that after Buddha reached enlightenment, Brahma came from heaven and gave Buddha a Dharmachakra. Brahma wanted Buddha to teach him how to use it.
The Dharmachakra has eight spokes, and each one represents the Eight Fold Path. In the Middle the swirling segments represent Buddha, Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (spiritual community). The three parts of the wheel can be split up to represent discipline, wisdom, and concentration.
The Buddha statue is actually a representation of Siddhartha Guatama, the founder of Buddhism.
The statue also represents "The Enlightened One", Siddhartha after he reached enlightenment.
The Buddha statue may represent the hope to end suffering and reach nirvana.
http://viewonbuddhism.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html#1
http://www.allaboutreligion.org/buddha-statue.htm
Monday, October 8, 2012
Reflection #2
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" -Mohandas Ghandi
In the movie, the local civilians in India were walking through villages protesting with signs and torches. Then they started to retaliate against the soldiers by starting a fire at the station. Ghandi's goal wasn't to seek vengeance. His strategy was civil disobedience. If revenge was used as a strategy to gain independence, this will show that the Indians are just like the British. Ghandi wanted to show India how to stand up to the British and win back their independence without any bloodshed from the Indians. After this scene, Ghandi ordered all of India to stop the protest if they're willing to use violence to conquer the British by going on a hunger strike. He used his words and his methods to guide India on her way to victory. That's what made Ghandi an inspiring leader, because he didn't need weapons, guns, or soldiers to lead such big population of people.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." -Mohandas Ghandi
This quote is similar to the one up above. Ghandi's main concern through the struggle of gaining independence is how to show India how to tolerate with the British. He wanted to solve this problem with nonviolence, but it didn't mean India had to give into the British commands. It meant to put down the weapons and the fists. He wanted them to stand strong and to keep moving forward. This quote is similar to, "You are what you eat." "What he thinks, he becomes."
Yoga helped me notice the environment around me and how I am placed in my surroundings. I felt at ease, but at times it got difficult. But the one thing I learned from yoga is BALANCE! In every position balance was essential. In our daily lives, we don't really think about balance because we are always walking on our two feet. Yoga is actually pretty difficult because you have to empty your mind while focusing on balance. I think you need a lot of practice beforehand in order to get that relaxed feeling, because when I was doing yoga I was always struggling with balance. Overall, it was an enlightening experience to learn sun salutation, tree, downward dog, etc.
In the movie, the local civilians in India were walking through villages protesting with signs and torches. Then they started to retaliate against the soldiers by starting a fire at the station. Ghandi's goal wasn't to seek vengeance. His strategy was civil disobedience. If revenge was used as a strategy to gain independence, this will show that the Indians are just like the British. Ghandi wanted to show India how to stand up to the British and win back their independence without any bloodshed from the Indians. After this scene, Ghandi ordered all of India to stop the protest if they're willing to use violence to conquer the British by going on a hunger strike. He used his words and his methods to guide India on her way to victory. That's what made Ghandi an inspiring leader, because he didn't need weapons, guns, or soldiers to lead such big population of people.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." -Mohandas Ghandi
This quote is similar to the one up above. Ghandi's main concern through the struggle of gaining independence is how to show India how to tolerate with the British. He wanted to solve this problem with nonviolence, but it didn't mean India had to give into the British commands. It meant to put down the weapons and the fists. He wanted them to stand strong and to keep moving forward. This quote is similar to, "You are what you eat." "What he thinks, he becomes."
Yoga helped me notice the environment around me and how I am placed in my surroundings. I felt at ease, but at times it got difficult. But the one thing I learned from yoga is BALANCE! In every position balance was essential. In our daily lives, we don't really think about balance because we are always walking on our two feet. Yoga is actually pretty difficult because you have to empty your mind while focusing on balance. I think you need a lot of practice beforehand in order to get that relaxed feeling, because when I was doing yoga I was always struggling with balance. Overall, it was an enlightening experience to learn sun salutation, tree, downward dog, etc.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Reflection 2
From the movie we watched on the life of Gandhi it was clear that he really was a man of his word. HIs actions backed up his words and often spoke louder than them, as was seen in the impact of his many hunger strikes and acts of nonviolent protest.
" 'Love thy neighbour as thyself' is not something we Hindus prescribe to, but it is something that we could learn from. " This is one of Gandhi's quotes that he demonstrated in the movie through his actions. After Gandhi had already moved people to follow his instruction of nonviolence protests which successfully liberated India from the British, India was in disorder again. This time there was violence in the streets because of fighting between Hindus and Muslims. Although Gandhi was born a Hindu, he had never particularly sided with the Hindu majority of India. When India was working out the kinks of its newly formed government Gandhi even offered to let Muslims take most political offices because the Muslim citizens were afraid of becoming marginalized. In one scene where Gandhi is staying at a Muslim friend's house in a village, there is Muslim-Hindu violence that breaks out every night. Children are being killed and people have lost sense of morals. So Gandhi goes on a hunger strike to make a statement to both Hindus and Muslims, and vows to keep on going till his death if they did not stop fighting. The people did stop the fighting, and Gandhi was able to get Hindus and Muslims to stop killing each other.
" A true disciple knows another's woes, as his own. He bows to all and despises none. " Throughout his long life as a social/political activist, Gandhi has strove to be a true disciple (at least in the public). From his early days in South Africa to his later days in India there was always a sense of compassion in Gandhi. As he'd suffered from discrimination in South Africa, Gandhi deliberately chose to never despise and discriminate against someone like he had been. The first of his riots, the pass-burning protest, in South Africa proved this quote true. When the South African police officer struck Gandhi for burning passes, Gandhi kept calm and did not strike back or even curse the officer. He instead showed compassion and understood that this man was acting in such a way not because he was inherently evil but that his actions were a result of his upbringing, culture, and job. Again, in the salt mine protests Gandhi showed a massive amount of compassion and the ability to inspire compassion in his peers. At the salt mines, there was a small group of police officers standing in front of the gate barring Gandhi and his followers from trespassing onto government property. So Gandhi and all his followers lined up in columns to walk steadily in rows to the police. The police subsequently beat the men until they fell down, and the next row came up. Gandhi bowed down to the officers, held no grudge, and kept on going on with his actions in order to make his statement loud and clear to the world.
Our yoga class was a familiar experience to me, as my mother has had me do it since I was in 9th grade. I first started doing it for physical reasons, as I have bad posture and many of my family members have spine disc problems. While doing the yoga in class I felt calm and in touch with my body. When you actually take the time to stop everything else and just focus on your body you feel much more calm and notice much more about your body than you would normally notice. More recently my mother has taught me yoga and meditation techniques together, which focus on becoming more self-aware. This is related to the reason yoga rituals are used in HIndu religions, as Hindus also strive towards self-awareness. As I've had experience with yoga and meditation, I know that it helps one very much when it comes to understanding one's self. We do the majority of our actions without noticing what we're doing, and we also don't notice very much that happens around us in our daily lives. Through meditation, we learn to focus on what we're doing, why, and notice small things about ourselves and the world around us. It inevitably makes you a better person, as you aren't susceptible and weak to impulsive behaviour and can better deal with situations.
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