Isaac of Ninevah

This is probably one of the philosophical thing i have ever read that actually made sense to me. I agree with the first paragraph and i believe that most people who have been in love could agree as well sometimes their are those relationship that start off so great and it seems like everything is just perfect then when the other persons true colors come out, you realize that it's not all its cracked up to be. On the other hand there are the great relationships that start out great and a few years down the road, its still going just as strong as when it started.

I also really enjoyed the second paragraph i think that it made a really valid point on religion. When you trust god with  with your whole heart and something goes wrong you don't switch gear and start begging god for his help, you can just trust that you are in gods hands and everything will go the way god planned it.

Kuei-Shan

A Zen master is compared to the clam as soon as she open her her mouth you can see her intestines. I liked this statement and would like to meet someone who followed standard such as this these days. Someone who is completely open and never really holds anything back. Honesty with herself and honesty to herself. "Every hour of the day, what he hears and sees are ordinary sights and sounds, but nothing is distorted.  This is a person who i belive can take everything as it is and you who you could always trust, they are not distorted by different people and goes along whith what they believe is right. These are some good qualities that are preety hard to find in people these days.

Hugh of St. Victor

I had to read this one a couple time before i really picked anything up. but i believe that i did get something out of it.  "In spiritual matters, when something is regarded as the highest, this doesn't mean that it is located above the heavens, but rather that it is the inmost or the most intimate at all." then it goes on to say that to ascend to god is to  enter oneself, and not only to go deeper and deeper and pass beyond oneself. I like to picture this as the way in which we ascend to god as well. It is not some magical thing in which we are taking to heaven but really just are at peace with ourselves, inside and outside our bodies mentally and physically.

Symeon the new theologian

This writting made a lot of sense to me, it was short and sweet and made you think but i think the point still got across. "When a man walks into the sea up to his knees or waist, he can see the water all around him." i took this to be referencing religion and it's telling me once you get into religion and get a taste of what it is about you start to get surrounded by it, and your life can be enveloped with it. "But when he dives into the water, he can no longer see anything outside, and he knows that his whole body is in the water." I took this as someone who lives their live following religion, they realize that it is a part of them and that their religion is surrounding them.

Johannes Scotus Erigena

"I rise to heaven i meet you, if i lie down in hell you are there. this interpretation of god is somewhat how i like to picture god yet what i have usually heard in the past is a bit different . Sure there is the notion that god is this larger than life being who will be waiting for you in heaven, at least that is what i used to veiw god as. But the picture that this reading paints of god is of almost more of a spirt that lives withing all people, and every place that person goes that person will be in god's hands.The next portion of this reading was a bit hard for me to grasp "We ought not to understnd God and creation as two things distinct from each other, but as one and the same. But after giving it some thought it is just making the same point that the first part is talking about. God is the creator and yet god live withing the creation, god is all beings and god is in all that was created.

Huang-Po

Mind can't be used to seek mind; if it is, even after millions of eons have gone by, the search will not be over. This statement made the best sense when i was trying to understand this reading, and the way i perceived it was that. You cannot try to use your mind to search somewhere else for a state of mind, and in this case it's about Tao teachings. but instead look within yourself for the answer. Huang-po makes an interesting example of this when he talks about a warrior wearing a pearl on his head and it was his goal to find this pearl, but he searched elsewhere. If someone were to point out the pearl, this soldier would realize that it had been there all along. I think this story holds true to a person trying to better themselves. Instead of looking all around the world for other peoples examples just look inside of self and you should find an answer.

Novalis

“There is only one temple in the world and that is the human body.” I have heard this statement a few in my live and have never really given much thought to it, but I think it is pretty interesting. I think that in some way people do think about their body as a temple, but that it lead to the wrong thing. I think it is good to be body conscious but it can be very easy to take things too far. People should treat there body is if it was a temple, by putting good things into it, and by keeping it in peak physical condition. And when people don’t take care of there temple by not keeping it in shape or by constantly putting bad things in to it, it will deteriorate. Every one should also feel at home in their body mentally and physically, when someone is alone with their thoughts that should always be peaceful.
“When you understand how to love one thing then you also understand how best to love everything.” I gave this statement some thought and still don’t know if my interpretation came close to what this writer was talking about. When one person is able to love another living being, I believe that you understand how to love all beings. I find it hard to believe that anybody in this world has no love for some other being but if they cannot find love for one being it will be impossible for them to find love for anything.

Albert Einstein

“The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science.” This blog really caught my eye compared to the others I found that I really found myself taking in this information and learning something, and this quote is what started it. It goes on to say that those who cannot fell the mystical is as good as dead. When a man has no feeling of awe in the world I think that would make live very uninteresting. If everything was to has an explanation then what what would you have to look forward to. I also loved the paragraph that included how we as people are all a part of a whole that make up this universe. And in our own minds we are restricted to our own thoughts and feelings separated from the rest of society, and that what we need to do is start thinking as a whole. If all people could somehow do this every one would be peaceful there would still be a difference of opinion but would be able to take in the other persons point of view there would be no conflict of interest.

Rumi

Little By little, you wean yourself. This is the just of what i  have to say. From an embryo who's nourishment comes in the blood,move to an infant, to a child on solid food, to a searcher after wisdom, to a hunter of more visible game. this statement really just gives an outline of a life but the way it is worded was blew my mind, usually in these days you don't hear writ ting like that anymore.  I struggled with the rest of this reading including the story where a mans friend come up to a door and knocks on the door and when his friend answers he tells him to leave because there is o place for raw meat. i gave it some thought but still couldn't really get a grasp on what this really meant.

Rumi

Muhammad

After going through this weeks readings i started really thinking about how similar most religions are. At least from the readings that we have had so far in class have been similar to each other. In this reading i really enjoyed the second paragraph. " he gives life and and he bring death he is omnipotent over all things i really appreciate the way in which that god is spoken of. but like i said at the beginning many religions seem to be at least a little bit similar especially with the way that they look a god.

Jesus Of Nazareth

This was a very interesting read and i feel like the writer of this would be very disappointed by our material world. “Don’t be anxious about what you will eat or what you will wear. Isn’t your life more than food and your body more than is clothing.” This is so profound when you think of how our society spends its time, whether its watching a pre awards show that praises actress’s who’s out fits aren’t made by some famous designer and by praising those who are physically gifted enough to look good on the red carpet. I didn’t love the third paragraph because I don’t view life in that way “Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” In my mind you have to  put forth the effort for and anything worth wanting is worth working for so to ever get anything good in life you will have to  do the hard work to earn it.

Pai-Chang

From the first part of this reading I got that Buddhism is not something that will just come to you after reading a few verses but to learn you will have to open up your mind and let the meaning come to you. Just showing how vast the Buddhist religion really is, and how focused one person would have to be to really attain even a diminutive sample of it. Another strong point of this short story was in the part where is states that after enlightenment you are still the same as you were before and that you are simply free from unreality and delusion. Once you reach enlightenment your mind is set free and in my mind that is what we all need to be happy.

Tzu-ssu

“To find the Tao, there is nowhere you need to search. If it is not inside you, it is not the Tao.”  Since the Tao is the fulfillment of human nature. I took this as the only way to find true happiness is to find it inside oneself. Most people think that money is going to make them happy so they do any thing to make it and end up losing loved ones in the end, so this statement really does stand true. Another strong point was if a man finds himself rich and honored, he acts as a rich man should act; if he is poor, he acts as a poor man acts… A lot of people who are not happy with their life situations find themselves pretending to be different then they really are, through buying clothes that they can’t afford and just not being themselves and this will not make one happy by living a life that doesn’t reflect what kind of person they really are. A person will only be happy when they can accept their life.

The Diamond Sutra

This reading really stands out as a confident piece of literature it get to the point yet mind-set that you are supposed to attain through reading it is extremely vast. “The Buddha has no doctrine to convey. The truth is ungraspable and inexpressible. It neither is nor or not.” First of all from this passage I get the sense that Buddhism is not something that one could read about and simply understand this religion, but that it’s a lifelong following to just get a grasp of Buddhism. Another interesting point was “The mind should be kept independent of any thoughts that arise within it. If the mind depends upon anything, it as no sure haven.” Again not sure if I took this in correctly but what I got out of it was that basically you as a person should be grounded and not be someone who will fall into any new temptation that comes along the way. It also says that if the mind depends on anything , it has no sure haven, meaning if other people or other substance’s make up who you are then you are nothing, and really what I really got out of it what be yourself.

The Buddha

I found this reading to be very profound and it also read like a guide to life on how life should be viewed, how others should be treated and in turn how to live happily. The first paragraph was very beautiful, behind all of the insight and value in Buddha’s teaching, his message that was trying to get through was that we are all Buddha. “There is nothing that you need to achieve just open up your eyes.” I took this as, all people are what make up this world and that not one person is more valuable then another. Another profound point in this story state that life should not be lived by a form of writing but by ones own judgment if you find that something that you are a part of is bad, then stop doing it and if something that you find to be good then feel free to be a part of it. And one more small point was how we should treat others “As a mother at the risk of her life watches her only child, so let everyone cultivate a boundlessly compassionate mind toward all beings. I’m not sure if I took this in correctly but I took this as we should treat other like we would treat our child or loved ones, not to look at people as strangers but as family.

The Bible

I had to read the first paragraph a few times over to get some sort of grasp over the story of Jacob. He is left alone and some being is wrestling with him until day break and the being is god. I took this as everything is god and Jacob could have been wrestling with anything and I would still have been good he is going to be there in good times and bad and not always to save someone or to give a blessing. Another way that I viewed this story was that god in everything and even when you don’t see him and in a sort of weird way it made me think about driving when cops are around. When you know a cop is around your going to slow down and drive your best, but when you cant see any cops you don’t mind the speed limit or roll through stop signs when really you should drive safely all the time, on the other hand, in life “most” people live their life thinking that god is with them at times therefore making the right decisions an being the best person that they could be.

Philo

I found myself agreeing with this story when it was talking about how god shows us his extravagance of his wealth and goodness when he sends us the rain on the oceans, or when he cause the spring to gush in the most desolate waste lands,  that is why every soul he created has a seed of goodness in it. When I see these things in nature in my mind it’s just showing gods power, and how he cares for all and will provide as much as we need to survive. This first paragraph also motioned how god loves to give even to the imperfect. I took this a he can see the good in all people and even when people who may have a few set backs in life or are going down the wrong route are still okay in gods eyes and will always will have a second chance. The next paragraph to me didn’t really have anything to do with religion but was more like philosophy. The last paragraph seemed very meaningful as well. When a man searchs for the nature of all things he makes his own dicovery: that eerything is gods grace. I took this as when people find what makes them happy in the world it's not gonna be the same for everyone else and thats what god intended to have all these different beings coinciding with one another.

The Upanishads

This reading was very different than many other reading that one would get in school. And in that case i really enjoyed it. It really made me think about everything i think of, If that makes any sense. The quote "When you see that god acts through you at every moment, in every movement of the mind or body, you attain true freedom. Even though i doubt that this read is life changing i think that i will maybe look at life differently.

Chief Seattle

I liked the way that chief spoke of his religion and the way that is was compared to the white mans, he made a good point about the way the both came about, the white mans was told the them by an angry god so that it would not be forgotten while there religion is not something they would read or study but a way of life that has been passed down from there forefathers. i also appreciated his search for peace, rather than confrontation with the white man he would rather just go to the reservations that were offered to them.

Sa-go-ye-wat-ha

I enjoyed the way that sa-go-ye-wat-ha spoke of the earth, he spoke of it as a living being rather than just solid ground to live on. He spoke of peace and and prosperity "If we had any disputes about hunting grounds, they were settled without spilling much blood".  I enjoyed when he questioned the white  mans practice of religion, they were trying to push this religion on the red man by saying this is what religion is, yet they all would not agree on it. why would this one and only one religion lead to quarrels. i also liked that sa-go did no just accept this foreign religion cause it was something new, he stood for what he believed in.