Abu Yazid Al-Bistami

"For a long time I used to circumambulate the Kaaba. When I attained God, I saw the Kaaba circumambulating me" - In this passage, it seems as though he is trying to say that when you have God, you are empowered. You are more than just one who is worshiping, but one that has achieved the love of God and see it surrounding you.

"Anyone whose reward from God is deferred until tomorrow has not truly worshipped Him today" - I found this sentence very interesting because generally we think of those who are forced to wait for their rewards as virtuous, but here he is saying that God rewards you everyday. God's rewards are not to be waited for, because if you truly know God and truly worship him, he does not wait to praise you for your actions.

"A single atom of the sweetness of wisdom in a man's heart is better than a thousand pavilions in Paradise" - Wisdom is more virtuous than luxury. This passage reminds me of the idea that the best things come in small packages.

"For thirty years I used to say, "Do this" and "Give that"; but when I reached the first stage of wisdom, I said, "O God, be mind and do whatever you want"". - This illustrates the surrender to God that is taught in Islam. Again, we see the importance of wisdom and this surrender to the higher power. In telling God to do whatever He wants, the individual is giving up all power and desire to be God's.

Overall, I found these passages to be enlightening and found little bits of great knowledge in each of them.

Muhhamad

“Islam means ‘surrender to God’. When we surrender ourselves fully, there is nothing but God: not even a ‘there’, not even an ‘is’, not even a ‘God’”. This concept is mind boggling. To have such deep faith to be able to surrender like that is an amazing idea. To surrender would be to give up everything, all of your ego and thoughts, and focus in on just God. The passage seems that at that point, God isn’t even God, because its all that you know.

To me, trying to grasp these couple of sentences is like trying to understand how large the universe is….its just impossible. I have never experienced the will to surrender to something, so much to think that all else would become obsolete.

The reading goes on to describe God and how large, great, powerful, and almighty He is. I thought it was very beautifully written and depicts God as a truly profound deity. I thought this sentence was special, “He is the first and the last, the manifest and the hidden, and has knowledge of all things”. If you really think about that sentence, you begin to get a sense of how powerful God is to the people of this religion. God is everything and in everything and a part of everything, to make the whole.

Again, it is just amazing to sit back and think of a being this impressive and all-knowing as God. To have created everything and be the King of Heaven and Earth is a great power.

Dogen

This passage focuses on the idea that in order to achieve an awakening, one must not try too hard to be enlightened, but rather “forget the self and be enlightened by all things”. To find enlightenment is a complicated matter, but this passage tries to explain that every person, not just a religious leader has access to this hightened spirituality.

“To let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment. To be enlightened about delusion is to be a Buddha. To be deluded in the midst of enlightenment is to be an ordinary person”. This delusion is a main focus in the passage. Delusion is not being able to see things clearly or be clouded by something false. In order to have an “awakening” and be a Buddha, one is aware that delusion exists in this world and in spirit rises above to understand things through this cloud.

The author continues to focus on letting go of the idea that we must search for enlightenment, and rather letting the self become enlightened naturally. To find a true awakening, the individual must not get caught up in the bliss of finding enlightenment, for they will be deluded and mislead in this search.

It is almost as if the author is warning that the truly enlightened individual must surpass the “honeymoon” stage of ones relationship with spirituality in order to find a TRUE awakening.

“To study Buddhism is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things”. The enlightenment BY ALL THINGS is a fundamental belief in Buddhism which I find has truly great meaning. It is not often as humans that we look beyond ourselves and trust ALL THINGS for answers. Buddhism teaches that in order to be truly enlightened you must realize that nothing is permanent and that in realization of the changing lives of all things, awakening occurs.

The concept of no permanence seems strange at first, but really makes sense if you think into it. Although we tend to be more comfortable with material and non-changing items, it is important to understand that the world around us changes every day. I found this another interesting point in the reading that made me think more about the profound teachings and ideas in the Buddhist quest for true enlightenment.

John the Evangelist

"Love comes from God, and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God; those who don't love, don't know God; for God is love"

This is a very powerful statement. To say that one "being", one force, one power, one thing....God... is love is a largely important claim in Christianity. Love comes in many shapes and sizes. You cant LOVE chocolate ice cream, your new dress, Starbucks coffee, the book you started reading yesterday, or even the smell of roses. But this LOVE, is different from loving your brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, or cousins. One can LOVE their best friend or be in LOVE with their wife. I LOVE the color green, but would never really sacrifice anything for it, as I would my brother or boyfriend.

LOVE is everywhere, in everything, and a fundamental element of human nature...but to be able to love must you know God? I know many people who have no spiritual relationship with God, yet claim to LOVE many things.

Is this possible?

Is it possible to never love? That seems like such a terrible life. To never have a connection with something that is strong enough to admite you LOVE it seems so sad. But does this happen? What is the connection between God and LOVE.

If God truly is love then it seems so simple...find God and you will find true love.

To me, God really is love. He loves unconditionally. Through thick and thin, rich and poor His love wont fade out like my love for the color green.

To me, this passage describes a different kind of love. One that is true, and pure, and tough. Tough love. God isnt always going to be there to hold your hand of give you a new car when you want one, but in times of ones deepest losses, emotional struggles, and weakness the love of God shines through.

I believe this passage is illustrating this point. If you know this true love, then you know God. You find God within youself and love others the way He has shown you to love.

Reading 2

I found the lectures and readings on “Buddha” very interesting because his way of thinking is a very new experience to me. The concept of “awakening” and being the “awakened one” caught my attention and made me realize that I really connect with this way of thinking. In the introduction of this passage the author explained Buddha’s teachings very well…”There is nothing that you need to achieve. Just open your eyes”. To me, the idea that spirituality, peace, and awakening are WITHIN each and every one of us is profound.

“Do not be led…by the authority of religious teachers”. This statement sums up one of the most eye opening ideals described in Buddha’s teachings. The idea that you can find true spirituality from one’s own mind and heart is very different from many Western religions that I am used to hearing/practicing. In many religions, the following of a priest, etc is very highly recognized and taught as correct, but Buddha teaches to not do this. He believes that realizing things for oneself is a more profound and wholesome way of thinking. This struck me as remarkable because it seems like such a spiritually fulfilling thing to do…find truth within your own soul.

“When you realize that something is wholesome and good for you, do it”. This idea goes along with the fundamental belief that things aren’t BAD…but that you should experience things and find out that you are truly only happy and peaceful with things that are good. This self realization and spirituality within is a concept that I find to be one of the most attractive ideas in Buddhism.

I agree with the idea that finding truth within yourself and not letting other figures of authority try and spoon feed you what is going to “make you happy” is the road to a complete and pure life. He says it with these words, “Hold to the truth within yourself, as to the only truth”. Reading this passage opened my eyes to a way of thinking that is very appealing and that encourage free thought amongst the followers.

Reading 1

In this reading there were a few concepts that I felt, if taken to heart, could have a true impact on an individuals daily life and way of thinking. The first of those ideas was maturity. Throughout our lives we continuously hear the word “MATURE” and it is drilled into our heads (especially in our youth) that we need to seek maturity, act mature, be mature, make mature decisions, etc, etc. In this reading, the author focuses on the fundamental qualities of a “mature” person and repeats many times over, the spiritual importance of this way of living.

The phrase, “The mature person…” is repeated often and may seem redundant, but if you truly look at the words following this preface, you begin to get an understanding that “maturity” goes far beyond the common definition. I found it interesting that such fundamental, yet highly profound ideals about how to live ones life were established so many years ago and still relevant in beliefs today. The introduction of the passage says it best, “How civilized these ancient Chinese are!”.

One of the “characteristics” of a mature person that stood out to me was, “…the mature person looks into his own heart and respects what is unseen and unheard”. I found this to be interesting because, for me personally, it is a difficult concept to fully accept. To respect what is unseen and unheard cant possibly be easy because it is human nature (or maybe just my human nature) to focus my energy and understanding on things that I can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. I definitely agree that it requires a certain kind of maturity to look past the sensory experience and pay attention to what is happening in ones “inmost self”.

Also, I found that the “golden rule” is written in this passage. The “golden rule”, as my family called it was one we were always taught as kids, and even hung in a frame in our bathroom for a few years. “Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you”. It is compelling that a concept that I was always preached was around so long ago in an ancient religion.

Overall, the passage’s focus on personal serenity and peaceful spirituality really grasped my attention and made me really appreciate the author’s work.

Dov Baer of Mezritch

Again, this passage focuses on the importance of being at the mercy of your Creator and realizing the great power God holds. I found this writing also very moving and really connected to the words of the author.

Think about beginning. About nothing…and then suddenly everything. The idea of the “beginning” is so mind boggling to me. It is hard for me to understand how all of life could have all come from one thinker, yet through the words of these passages it all seems to make a little more sense.

“Before the first word: silence. Before the first light: light”. God created all, and Judaism focuses on being one all this creation. God’s “good work” should be honored and recognized as a product of our Creator. We must be aware of the divine spirit that is within all living things because that divine spirit is that of our Creator, whom we are at such great mercy.

I found this point very compelling… “if you look at that object as a separate thing, by your look that thing is cut off from its divine root and vitality”. The individual most connected to the world around them becomes most spiritual and can see the true beauty and complexity of God’s work.

The best way to say Torah is explained in the passage and again, puts emphasis not on the individual’s thoughts, but on the importance of hearing the universe as within you. “The moment you begin to hear what you yourself are saying, you must stop”. This seems like a difficult task, because as humans we are often caught up in our own emotions and thoughts. BUT, to find true spirituality and peace we must work hard to place ourselves out of the situation and be at the will of God. I find this idea to be inspirational of a way I wish to live my own spiritual life…focused on something other than myself and whole-heartedly connected to my Creator.

Yehiel Mikhal of Zlotchov

"Choose anything, but follow it to the source".

What a powerful statement. This passage by Yehiel Mikhal opened my eyes to the power of creation and a whole-hearted belief in the goodness of one almightly Creator. This writing exemplifies the true power of God by humbling the reader to understanding that he/she is not as great or significant a force as sometimes we believe we are. The passage takes the reader back to the fundamental (and often overlooked) element of this religion...that we are are subjects of God's creation, and without him, we are nothing.

"And they would consider themselves to be nothing, for they would understand that without the power of God, who created them and who keeps them in existence, they are nothing...". So many times we are caught up in the business of our everyday lives that we cease to truly live for God, and often become masked by the desire of the "individual". This passage reaffirms the idea that God is the ultimate and sole creator and without him, we literally would not be.

We are at complete will of this Creator, to either live or die, and the true importance of this is often lost. I found it interesting when the author described individuals who are not attached to God, as "great in their own eyes". I believe this happens to many of us and the example of life and death used in the writing really brought me back to the realization that "I" am so small.

In the whole scheme of things, and in the presence of our Creator, "I" am so insignificant and so much at the will of His power. I found this point very powerful, because it is one that is often forgotten when speaking of religion. This basic and fundamental point really hit home and evoked emotions that I generally would not have when reading. The words of Yehiel Mikhal really made me think about my life....and how it truly is good, because God created it.

WEEK 1 - SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA

The speech given by Sa-go-ye-wat-ha to the Christian missionary is exemplifies pure human understanding, acceptance, and a desire for peace amongst two different peoples. The native explains that the Great Spirit is theirs and they should not have a religion forced upon them by a people who betrayed them and have taken over their homeland.

What I found most moving about his speech is that despite the cruel history between the native people and the white men, Sa-go-ye-wat-ha remains peaceful and wishes no harm upon the whites. This is illustrated in his addressing of the missionary as, "Brother". It is very rare to see this type of respect for a person whose people have done so much harm to you. I believe this shows the spirit of the native people's religion as ever-loving and grateful for what they have been given.

Sa-go-ye-wat-ha is very logical in his explanation to the missionary about how they are different people and should therefore have a different religion. I found this an astonishing perspective and truly enlightening. I feel as though this is a much better approach to religion than tyring to make all people accept one religion or set of customs. It has always been my belief that as long as you are doing no harm to others, people should be free to practice as they please. The native people shared the common ideals as Christianity, but just practiced it in a different form. He says the Great Spirit and their religion, "teaches us to be grateful for all the favors we receive, to love on another, and to be united", much like the Christians believe.

I found the endless kindness and understanding of Sa-go-ye-wat-ha throughout the speech moving, because if in a similar situation, I am not sure that I would have been able to embody the same emotions. Even in the final conclusions, Sa-go-ye-wat-ha says, "the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey and return you sate to your friends".

WEEK 1 - The Upanishads

I found that the reading from The Upanishads was not only written with poetic grace, but truly captured the complex ideas of the author in a way that was accessible to the reader. I enjoyed this reading because I was able to break up the concepts and really relate to their meanings. The common theme of Self brings the ideas together and illustrates the belief that we, as living beings, are touched by God in all that we do.

I found it interesting how much emphasis the author placed on unity between humans and the natural world. I feel that this concept is something that has been lost by modern technology and the way we live our lives today. We are so caught up in our individual concerns and desires that little importance is given to all other living creatures.

The ideas of the author moved me because of the great simplicity of his ideas. He says, "The man who can see all creatures in himself, himself in all creatures, knows no sorrow". The idea that we would have no sorrow if we could just see that we are just one aspect of a community of creatures is profound. It is remarkable how little we think like that today. We live our lives as individuals and rarely find importance for nature.

The passage discusses that we should never claim anything of the Lord's creation as our own and hope for a hundred years of life doing our duty to our God. This is such an opposing view of our society today because we claim so much to be our mine, yours, or his, instead of "God's". These viewpoints are compelling and made me think alot about how disassociated we are from nature and the pureness of life on earth.

The section of the reading that states, "if you understand the meaning of 'I neither know nor don't know', you understand God", made me really think. We are often so caught up in knowing the right answer, having total understanding, or being able to completely explain facts, that we loose sight of the fact that we are only human and there are things we shouldn't know. In this passage there is an emphasis that God is beyond knowing and we must accept that He is greater than us. I found it extremely interesting at how this simple concept is so lost in the modern day hustle and bustle.

Overall, I found that the utter simplicity of the author's ideas truly enlightened me to an idea of thinking that is enriching and pure.