Bakhya Ibn Pakuda
I really liked the relationship the author talks about people having with God in this reading. That imagery of the woman realizing God’s infinite goodness and bowing down before him with God coming to lift her up was pretty powerful. I liked the idea of her complete trust in God, but I also really like that God was there to help and guide her. It just sounds like a very fulfilling relationship. I have a hard time trusting in one thing as much as the author encourages us to trust in God. However, it seems that by living your life for God and trusting completely in him you will find a peace of soul and all one’s worldly anxieties will disappear. Even all the sufferings that befall one are fine because you can trust in God. It quotes Job who says, “Thought he kill me, yet will I trust in him.” It’s a bit of a weird concept to grasp; suffering isn’t really suffering if you have God. In a way it’s almost a good thing to suffer because it’s almost like a badge of honor to show that even in bad times you stand by your God. I guess that overall I was really struck by the grace that one lives by if they can devote themselves to God. The introduction by Mitchell really sums up the article for me in that if you can master devoting your life to God suddenly it becomes a natural easy thing to do. Suddenly you live life with the natural grace of a concert pianist or a great tennis player. Somehow by living in this way you no longer will have to worry about suffering, money, wealth, and all of the other underpinnings of life. I wonder if many people actually embody this way of life?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA
I really admired the faith and compassion of Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha. He talked about how the Great Spirit had always provided for his people by creating food and clothing. He felt that the Great Spirit taught and loved his people. This is a very positive outlook considering that they had lost so much. His faith is still very important to him and he still has very strong beliefs. I think that if I was in this guys shoes I would really be questioning the existence of a Great Spirit. I was really impressed by the strength of his faith - the man feels very blessed.
I also found the passage where Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha talked about how the Great Spirit had made us all very interesting. The idea that the Great Spirit had created everybody but given different gifts to his children was cool. I liked how tolerant this man seemed to be towards other people’s religions and beliefs. The idea of honoring your God with a “sincere heart” was very moving. He seems to be saying that as long as you are a good person God doesn’t care what religion you choose. I think the world would be a much less complicated place if more people could adopt this way of thinking.
I also found it interesting that he questioned the Bible. I don’t really know anything about religion but it seems like many people use the Bible as proof of God’s existence. You hear people quoting passages as fact. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha’s outlook on the Bible was an interesting contrast to this. The written words did not have any meaning for him. The Bible was not important for his relationship with the Great Spirit.
The other part of Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha’s speech that was interesting was his call for results. Towards the end of the speech Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha says that he wants to see the effect that this religion has on his neighbors. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha says that if the religion causes people to be more honest and good then perhaps he would consider it.
I also found the passage where Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha talked about how the Great Spirit had made us all very interesting. The idea that the Great Spirit had created everybody but given different gifts to his children was cool. I liked how tolerant this man seemed to be towards other people’s religions and beliefs. The idea of honoring your God with a “sincere heart” was very moving. He seems to be saying that as long as you are a good person God doesn’t care what religion you choose. I think the world would be a much less complicated place if more people could adopt this way of thinking.
I also found it interesting that he questioned the Bible. I don’t really know anything about religion but it seems like many people use the Bible as proof of God’s existence. You hear people quoting passages as fact. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha’s outlook on the Bible was an interesting contrast to this. The written words did not have any meaning for him. The Bible was not important for his relationship with the Great Spirit.
The other part of Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha’s speech that was interesting was his call for results. Towards the end of the speech Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha says that he wants to see the effect that this religion has on his neighbors. Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha says that if the religion causes people to be more honest and good then perhaps he would consider it.
SHANKARA
In this reading the author asks the question “When the moon shines in its exceeding beauty, who would care to look at a painted moon?” I think here Shankara was trying to make the point that real satisfaction comes from a world with the true experience of God. Shankara talks about how Atman is everywhere. This statement seems contradictory to me because the author goes on to say, “The Vedas, the Puranas, all scriptures and all living creatures only exist because the Atman exists. How can any of them reveal the Atman, which is the revealer of everything?” If Atman is indeed everywhere why wouldn’t you see it in scriptures. I can understand that nobody can tell one how to find God - you need to find it on your own - but if Atman is everywhere wouldn’t you be able to see it in both scriptures and painted moons?
The other thing that I found interesting about this piece was the need to be selfless. The lack of attachment, and emotion is supposed to bring one satisfaction. By not having expectations or desires I guess that leaves little room for disappointment. In some ways this seems like a very apathetic way to live life. But it is also very admirable to follow the advice to forget all thought of “I” and “mine.” To be able to live your life where you find satisfaction in following the Atman, regardless of hunger or pain, is pretty amazing. I really enjoyed the comparison to that child like state of being absorbed by a toy. To be able to find such peace would truly be a cool thing to find.
The other thing that I found interesting about this piece was the need to be selfless. The lack of attachment, and emotion is supposed to bring one satisfaction. By not having expectations or desires I guess that leaves little room for disappointment. In some ways this seems like a very apathetic way to live life. But it is also very admirable to follow the advice to forget all thought of “I” and “mine.” To be able to live your life where you find satisfaction in following the Atman, regardless of hunger or pain, is pretty amazing. I really enjoyed the comparison to that child like state of being absorbed by a toy. To be able to find such peace would truly be a cool thing to find.
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