Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

In observing nature, especially some of the more spectacular natural phenomena, I find myself feeling a sense of wonderment and awe.  There is something moving about nature, something in the way that nature seems so much bigger, so much more powerful, and so much more real than we are.  Yet at the same time there is a simplicity about nature that we notice in the midst of our wonderment, knowing that the things we see are not sentient and don't have cares and worries, joys and laughter, sorrow and strife.  I believe that there is something within us that reaches out to all of these aspects of nature that we observe - some identify with the enormity of nature and seek to be a part of the bigger picture, that of a creation and of a Creator, while others seek the simplicity in nature that can only be found through emulation of thinking nothing, through meditation.  That longing for the mysticism in the world around us is strong within all of us, to certain degrees, and I believe that the fulfillment of that longing brings a joy and peace that nothing else does.  This is why so many are drawn to spending their lives for religions - they are searching for that ultimate joy.  For example, in Zen Buddhism the final achievement of the self is nirvana - enlightenment.  This is achieved through years of meditation to control and rid the self of thoughts.  This is essentially emulating the things in nature - a rock does not think, nor does a tree or a river.  What nirvana is described as is the removal of all pain and suffering - a sense of peace that is lasting and beyond the pleasures of the world.

Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

As I began my meditation, I tried first to concentrate solely on my breathing, making it regular and making sure that any muscle not related to the act of breathing was relaxed.  I sat cross legged on my bed, leaning against the wall to make my back straight.  After a short while, the breathing stayed regular and I felt calm and very relaxed.  Then, I started listening to what was around me, all the small sounds that usually I don't notice, the ticking of the clock, the sounds of cars on the highway in the distance.  But after listening for a time, my mind started to wander.  I started thinking about how much homework I had due the next day and what I would do after school.  I tried to regain focus by reciting a mantra, that all things are impermanent, but as I tried to let the reciting become more rote, I started to stumble over the words and I got distracted again.  This continued until I stopped.  But during the middle period of my meditation, I found that I felt extremely peaceful and relaxed, that my cares and worries were miles away and were trivial.  I felt a profound difference in perspective, of what was important in my life.  But that disappeared at the end of my meditation.

Reflection #3 - Gandhi: Hindu and Activist

Gandhi's idea of Hinduism was that of a religion that was all-encompassing, meaning that it was nonexclusive and nondiscriminatory, as well as self-improving, that by understanding the self and working towards becoming a better person, one could attain the highest spiritual state, his concept of heaven.  These ideas of self achievement and openness to other religions were evident in Gandhi's life, as shown in the movie.  In the movie, when the reporter asks Gandhi's wife about their marriage, she reveals that Gandhi has taken a vow of celibacy, meaning that he had given up the sex.  Gandhi also went on long fasts, going for days without food.  Both are ways that Gandhi gave up pleasures of the world to transcend his physical self and achieve a higher state of spirituality.  He also demonstrates the acceptance of all religions through his actions in the movie to stop the splitting of India into Muslim and Hindu, as well as his actions to stop the rioting between the two factions in Calcutta.  In one part of the movie, he even states that he is a Hindu, a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, and other religions, showing how he believes that all religions are the same.  


Gandhi lived out his faith in this way, as exemplified by the quote: “’Love they neighbor as thyself’ is not something we Hindus prescribe to, but it is something we could learn from.” What Gandhi tried to do was bring peace and harmony to the Hindus and Muslims in India, in accordance with his belief that all religions are right and essentially the same.  His way to do this was to show his love for his neighbors, those of different religions than his own, and he tried to extend that love to others.  For example in the movie, a Hindu man wracked with guilt over killing a Muslim child comes to Gandhi.  Gandhi tells him that the way out of hell would be for that man to adopt a Muslim child, the same age as his own would have been if Muslims hadn't killed him, and raise that child as his own.  But Gandhi also adds that the man must raise the child as a proper Muslim.  Thus Gandhi tries to get others around him to love their neighbors as themselves, by showing it to those around him.  This is the faith that Gandhi lived by.  

Sacred Poetry

The Guardians

Ancestors, chiefs, ariki from long past,

Rapa Nui beeseches you.

Turn your backs to the land of spirit,

Send us your blessings.

You who have fought,

You who have reigned,

You who have taught,

Blood of Hotu Matu'a in your veins.

We honor and sacrifice,

We labor and build,

We remember,

The Guardians of Rapa Nui.

Reflection Question #1

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 all, [it] forms part of our own history". In what ways has religion contributed toward your personal history?

My religion, Christianity, has contributed to my own personal history in a variety of ways.  In my childhood, not really understanding the religion that I was a part of, merely accepting it, Christianity ingrained into me a moral code that shaped who I became.  As I grew older and more aware of what I believed in, I grew to identify with others who were also Christians, which contributed to my relationships with others in mainly positive ways.  I found that Christianity, being one of the largest religions in the world, was universally true and was transcultural, enabling me to empathize more with those around me, especially as I lived in a more international environment.  

But, knowing how my religion shaped my personal history, what is curious to me in retrospect is that I never really doubted the faith that I was a part of, even when exposed to the ideas of other religions.  I wonder whether it was out of a sense of the fear of the strange and unknown, rather than a sense of true belief.