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.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Blog Archive
About Me
- Michelle Arensman
- Hi, Im Michelle. I just finished my first year at UC Santa Barbara and I loved every second of it. I am back in Rocklin for the summer and am so lucky to be able to visit with my friends and family for a few months, but cant wait to get back to my home at the ocean.
2 comments:
Hello...I'm not a religious or spiritual person but taking this class already opened my mind to things I never knew existed. For a while I thought Buddhism was the only religion that looked for enlightenment but as I read your blog, I was wrong. Its not the only religion. I never read the Upanishads but I think I will soon. Your insights made me want to read it myself. I want to know what you know and maybe feel what you felt too. Thanks.
In comparing the ideals of the Upanishads to that of modern western society, I agree that if, from the start, we had been simply been more considerate and aware of the effects of our actions on all living creatures, than we would be living in a much more balanced and peaceful society. I love how you state over and over again in your blog how simple this concept is and should be. However, it is true that the world we live in doesn't neccesarily follow the Upanishad ideals; we are self interested and usually look to the immediate consequence rather than looking at the whole effect on "the Self" which encompasses us all. But again, the reading itself was beautifully pure and straightforward to the point where true peace seems much more attainable than most people, including myself, give our society credit for.
Post a Comment