Tzu-Ssu

I love this idea of the "mature person." When something goes wrong it is your own fault and you must look inside yourself for the answer. This is as simple as taking responcibility for your own actions. Like the archer "when he misses the bull's-eye, he turns and seeks the reason for his failure in himself."
Also a matture person "accepts his situation and doesn't desire anything outside it." I love the fact that we should be thankful for what we are given and not be lusting for what we don't have. But I do have a question about this part. It also says "if he is among barbarians, he acts as a barbarian should act." This kind of seems like an excuse to do anything. I mean if your with hitler, does that mean that its ok for the mature person to join in and kill people too? But then it says that " he makes sure that his own conduct is correct and seeks nothing from others." Does that mean that being a barbarian is a correct conduct?
I love the idea that you should not "do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." I believe that this is truely part of the essential teaching that will lead you to obtain this "mature person." This classic rule can be applied to all living things and it truely leads to a person becoming "mature spiritually, emotionally, and ethically."

Pai-Chang

This is mind boggling to me. "After enlightenment you are still the same as you were before. There is no mind and there is no truth." I don't really understand how this works because the definition of enlightenment is "pure and unqualified knowledge." So if you recieve pure and unqualified knowledge then your state of mind changed. So how are you the same? I mean even if there is no mind or truth something changed to give you the enlightenment. Or maybe it just means that before and after your enlightnement you still don't have a mind or truth so the enlightenment was pointless becuase it changed nothing...

Shemelke of Nikolsburg

This is a passage from the Hebrew Bible. How do you put this passage and Shemelke of Nikolsburg's together?

Leviticus 24:19-21 (New International Version)
19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. 21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.

Yehiel Mikhal of Zlotchov

If people looked at the world like this it would be a better place. I am nothing without God. All talents or abilities that i pocess he first had and gave to me. Because he loved us he gave us this place and created us. We would not exists without him. The sad thing is everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives ( which ironically are not theirs at all) that they forget to take even a moment to ponder why they are here. I think how my parents would feel if i just abandoned them without any warning. They would be so crushed and hurt. I just don't know how you can look at the beauty of this world and not be thankful for it.

Bakhya Ibn Pakuda

"Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him."-Job
There are so many examples of this throughout the bible. The idea that God gives and takes away. In the end his plan is so much bigger than ours and we don't know why things happen but he does, so we trust in him. Some of my favorite lyrics from Relient K, "you say i know that this will hurt, but if I don't break your heart than things will just get worse. If the burrden seems to much to bear remember the end will justify the pain it took to get us there." Sometimes things happen that are unexplainable, people die, relationships end, and familys breakup, but the lord gives and takes away. This is so much harder said than done. As soon as something bad happens we think why me, and we are so quick to blame it on someone else or God. Its encredibly difficult to be able to come to a peace with it and just say the lord gives and takes away.

Ramana Maharshi

My two favorite quotes from this passage are the, "affection toward the good, compassion toward the helpless, happiness is doing good deeds, forgiveness toward the wicked, all such things are natural characteristics of the master." I just can't help but think this is without a doubt the God that i want to serve. These things above all are what the world needs more than anything. And so often these things are what religious practices lack the most.

My very favorite quote is, "Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the whole world with leather to avoid pain of walking on stones and thorns." I feel like this is one of the biggest problems in todays society. People all over the world are pondering, "whats my purpose? why am i hear?" People spend their entire lives wondering what they are hear for, and what their talents and gifts are. I think people wonder their entire lives and most never find the answer. I find myself constantly questioning what my gifts are and what God wants me to do with them. As I meditate and pray on this matter, there is one thing that i have no doubt in my mind about. One of my purposes is to help others and as long as I am doing that every day, than i have a good start on my journey.

Shankara

This idea of everything being Brahman, and being one Atman or soul is beautiful. I have been taking Yoga for the past year 3 days a week, and i practice at home. After the stretching there is a period of mediation. You have no idea how incredibly hard it is to free your mind of "sacred places, moral disciplines, set hours, postures, directions, or objects for meditation." The idea of letting thoughts flow in and out of your mind like clouds is very difficult. Your constantly pondering what your doing later that day, the things you need to do and other useless obsessions. But when you can finally clam the mind and the "soul finds perfect tranquility" a peace comes over you that is indescribable. Honestly once you feel that peace, even if its just for a moment or a min you will realize that there is nothing better in the entire world. This peace is in a sense a feeling of love for all because everything becomes one.

Upanishads

This concept of "the self" is incredibly inciteful. I love the fact that everything is inner connected. Having this view on life would make living selfishly almost impossible. If you believe that everything is made of the same fundamental force than we are all equal and one. If all living things are fundamentally the same then you would have the same respect for the earth and all nature as well as for all animals and mankind. There would be no competitiveness or proundness becuase we are all one trying to reach the same goal of total freedom. Helping one another in a sense would be helping yourself. I view the self like oxygen, everything needs it to servive, but you can't see and you can feel it.

My favorite line in this reading is, "that which makes the mind think but which cannot be thought by the mind--that alone is God, not what people worship. The concept of God is one that is so beyond our minds that we cant fully grasp it, but when i meditate on God my mind is in a state that is untouchable by anyone or anything. Its incredible to think that God is a presence that is always with you where ever you are. The way you choose to worship is irrelevant as long as your worship brings you closer to God and that everlasting freedom.

This concept requires a great deal of faith. Its always hard to believe whole heartedly in something you can't see. But its not about what you see. Its about what you feel.

Chief Seattle

First off, from a literary perspective this speech is such a work of art. He uses such beautiful similies throughtout the speech to depict his message like, "His people are many, like the grass that covers the plains. My people are few, like the trees scattered from the storms on the grasslands." The medaphors and imagery in this speech are very unique. The analogy of the darkness consuming them and leading to their fate is a sad reality that they were forced to face. Also the alliteration and repitition is very evident in this speech, for example, "We may be brothers after all. We shall see. We will consider your offer. When we have decided, we will let you know." The emphasis on the "we" not only showes that the indians work as one, unlike the white men, but it also shows that the indians were going to make this decision even if it meant death.

Second, I want to point out that throughtout this speach he never calls them "white men" he always refers to them as "white brothers." This is a great example of the respect that the indians had for mankind. Its tragic that in return they recieved no respect. Also, the indians barried their families and "their graves are holy ground," but the white men just barried their dead and left them. The indians had such a respect for all life, even if their lives were simple they had a greater respect for it than we ever will.

Some of the similarities among the indians teachings and the bible are quite similar. Its sad that the white men were so arogant and selfish. If they would have listened to the indians they would have noticed that there beliefs weren't that different. For example, the indian said in responce to the ten commandments being written in stone, that his peoples belifs are "written in the hearts of our people." When in Hebrews 8:10 The Christian God says, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts."

Reading this makes me realize how incredibly selfish our forefathers were. But it also faces christians with some hard questions to answer. Like the indian said, "your God is prejudice. He came to the white man. We never saw him, never even heard his voice. He gave the white man laws, but he had no word for his red children," and "God cannot love his red children or he would protect them." Is God prejudice? Why do some people recieve his word while others live an entire life never hearing from him?

Also while researching this speech i found this:

There is a great deal of controversy surrounding Chief Seattle's speech of 1854. There are many sources of information, various versions of the speech, and debates over its very existence.

SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA

Red Jacket

First off i must say this speech is incredibly moving and inspiring.

The christian missionary missed Jesus message entirely. SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA brought the message that" what pleases him [God/Great Spirit] is the offering of a sincere heart" and this sums up the Christianity that Jesus taught and that i know and cherish deeply. Jesus himself said, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God," (mathew 5:8) and "Love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Mathew 22:37). The Indian had a closer relationship with God in the sense that he understood that its all about your heart. God dosen't necisarly want to be worshiped in a certain way but he wants your worship to be sincere and from your heart.

Indian also showed compassion toward the missionary and the white people in gerneal, when he showed arogancy and greed in return. Jesus said, "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:33) and the Indians understood this concept much better than the missionary.

The indian also states, "if there is only one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it?" This statement is sadly encredibly true. Christianity has so many sects and church splits over rediculous things. No one is perfect, therefore no church is perfect. We all have some beliefs and teachings that are wrong. (I know big shocker, right.)

The missionary was so arogant to say, "there is only one way to serve God." Each and every person has their own realtionship with God, and each is unique and special to them. There are so many different sects of Christianity and there are tons of differents religions throughout the world. Each practice has its stregths and weaknesses, and each one has something to contribute. And we all have something to learn from oneanother.

This isn't to bash on missionaries, with out them some of our hospitals whould never have been founded, people in third world countires would not have the little support that they have now, and much more. But, sometimes they go about teaching in the wrong way and they turn people away instead of showing compassion and mercy.

Red Shirt (SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA) was an incredible speeker, but incidently he had some drinking problems. Also he fought long and hard to insure his people did not convert to Christianity, but three years after he died his family converted.
http://www.answers.com/topic/red-jacket

A Memorable Fancy pg170

Page 170-171

A Memorable Fancy is mocking Jesus for not keeping the ten commandments, when in reality he honored the ten commandments. In regard to the 4th commandment, "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day" (Duet 5:12-15). Jesus did not "mock at the sabbath, and so mock the sabbath's God (Mitchell). Jesus was a Jew who kept the sabbath religiousely throughout his lifetime. He even fought with the pharisees on this issue saying, " it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Mathew 12:12). The Pharisees had missed the point, yes you shoud not do work (Duet 5:14) but that the sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27) and you should do good on it (Isaiah 56:2) not evil. Jesus firmly believed and taught the keeping of the sabbath, and the "Memorable Fancy" is pulling this out of context.

In regard to the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder" (Duet 5:17), "A Memorable Fancy" states that Jesus "murdered those who were murder'd because of him." The definition of murder is "to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously" (dictionary.com). Jesus did not "kill or slaughter" anyone in any records that human beings contain. Many people however, were killed because they stoodup for him and his teachings. Jesus did not force these people to believe what they did, nor did he brain wash them. Its not his fault that people arn't tolerant of others and their beliefs. Jesus did teach, "whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mathew 10:39) but those people chose to Preach and standup for his teachings they weren't forced.

"A Memorable Fancy" also ridicules Jesus for the incident in John8 where a women had commited adultury and the punishment in Torah (Duet 5:18) would be to stone her. Jesus responce instead is, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7) and everyone in return put down their stones. Jesus is not doing away with the law (Mathew 5:17) but he is showing that everyone sins and because he is giving up his life we can be forgiven for those sins instead of recieving death. So you can choose to live by the law and then die by it (Galatians 2:19) because no one can live perfectly, or you can choose to be forgive for your sins. This is the message Jesus was teaching, which still inforces that the seventh commandment should be kept. Infact an old testament prophesy about Jesus states that he came to magnify the law and make it honorable, meaning that he is coming to make it so we can escape death from the law if we repent. (Isaiah 42:21)

These are only three of the ten commandments addressed in this passage and i wish i had more time to hit each of them in greater depth. The point is that i personaly think that these points are taken out of context and that Jesus did personally keep and teach the ten commandments.