Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation: "Spend 20 mintues in a silent meditation; a place you won't be disturbed, your own 'fig tree' as was Buddha's inspiration. In those 20 mintue..."

As I sit under my “fig tree”, I try and let my mind wonder effortless. However, one I say “effortless” in my head, I remember that I must put forth “right effort”. Then I think I’ll just let myself think and wonder about my own self; to just let my mind go free and think of my own personality. However, once I do this, I find I have once again gone against one of the eightfolds, “right views”: nothing has a permanent “self” (ego-self). Therefore, I should not think of myself too much as it is only temporary in life. My life will change beyond belief, therefore I should think of something else that has more meaning.

The point of my first paragraph is to point out the difficulties of meditation with the eightfold path. You must obtain one eightfold to obtain the next. It takes time, effort, concentration, and the correct livelihood.

My Modern Religious Experience: Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred...

My Modern Religious Experience: Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred...: "Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry: 'Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry • Add a picture of an ancient religious symbol to ..."

Mohandas Gandhi

During the movie, Gandhi said I am a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, and everything else. This portrayed Gandhi’s true beliefs about the Hinduism religion. In Hinduism, you are open to believe in/accept any other religion. Gandhi expressed this by telling people that he was a member of all religions. Not only did he want people to know that he didn’t belong to only one religion but to all, he also wanted people to realize that they are all brothers. Another example of an event in Gandhi’s life that exemplified this part of his Hindu beliefs was how tolerant he was with the British control in India. He was arrested several times throughout his time. He once said, “if you truly believe in the laws you are enforcing, you will give me the harshest punishment”. This shows how he thought of himself as an equal to anyone else. He didn’t think he was any better than anyone else just because he was a “politician” or an influential person in India.

There are hundreds of quotes from Gandhi that are remembered and used in our lives today. Gandhi spoke his mind to all that had questions for him. He told people the truth, sacrificed himself for others, and had a cause for the good of mankind. Gandhi once said, “A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.” This means that even if one of his enemies needed help, he would be willing to give them help. As a Hindu, he believed in reincarnation. Maybe he thought that his actions would make him into something better in his next life. Or maybe he just did it all because he wanted to see equality permeate throughout his world. Whether he did this for himself, his next life, or for others, he lived out his life with strict rules for himself. He would always act with non-violence, be tolerant of others, show respect and equality for all, and be the purest he could be to his religions. This quote also says that through sacrifice, you better your world. By becoming the ransom of the world, you are giving yourself up to save what you truly believe in. Gandhi gave up almost his entire life to live out his beliefs. Never did he once step back from what he believed in. He sacrificed everything for what he believed in.

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry: "Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry • Add a picture of an ancient religious symbol to your Online Portfolio (it can be one of those from the notes..."

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry: "Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry • Add a picture of an ancient religious symbol to your Online Portfolio (it can be one of those from the notes..."

To talk with you.

by Charlie Hague

God in the heavens, we talk to you

We draw for you and my people on our sacred rock

There, I tell you of my strength

There, I tell you of my weakness

These drawings point the right way for my people

They mark our territory

And will show our existence in the far future

They will teach our brothers and sisters our ways.

But most importantly, they are there to speak with you.

We ask for good weather,

We ask for no enemies,

And we ask for your protection.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #1

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #1: "According to Mircea Eliade religion has 'not vanished without a trace; [it] has contributed toward making us what we are today and so, after..."

Religion answers the unanswerable to all humans who are willing to embrace a religion into their life. Through doing this, it answers where “we” (humans) have originated from. This provides us with the answer to, “how did we come to be?”

After hundreds of years of scientific research, not one scientist has been able to present an explanation with evidence as to where humans came from. As humans do, we strive to find answers for every unanswered question. We will continue to search for this unanswered question, but in the mean time to put at ease all human curiosity, we settle to believe in a set of beliefs surrounding a specific religion.

Many religions differentiate in their belief system, however Christianity has come to be the largest followed religion. We believe that our god has made all humans. Humans originated from a man and woman who were put here by god called Adam and Eve. They were the ones who have brought humans to where they are today. This is how my religion has affected my own person history. Christianity has answered the unanswerable to their people. True or not, no one knows until proven otherwise. This what we will believe to give us hope and a sense of mortality in life.