Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Father John Martin
Father John Martin, the spiritual director of Shantivanam compares the different religions around the world to hikers that climb up different sides of a mountain, unaware that there are other religions climbing as well. I think this is symbolic for many different reasons. In today’s society people don’t really judge people because of their religious standing so in a way they are unaware of what the other religions might be doing at a particular time. So in other words the religions didn’t know that they were all climbing the mountain because people don’t take time to worry about other religions. For my entire life I was raised Catholic and didn’t know nearly anything about other religions until now. I learned that each religion has it own holidays, beliefs, traditions, rituals, and more. Hinduism believes in Brahman, moksha, samsara, yoga and more, which other climbers of the mountain don’t know. While Buddhism, has Zen stories and Tendai along with personal fulfillment (tanha). The four noble truths are important to this religion whereas it’s unknown to other religions. Judaism has its own teaching and rituals that would be pointless to other religions. For example the 613 laws they are supposed to follow or reading from the Torah. Catholicism believes faithfully in the bible and follows the ten commandants on a daily basis. With all this being said it makes all the religions blind to the other religions in the world. To put in Father Martins words, when climbing up the mountain they can’t see the religions because they are too involved in their own. I am a guilty of this myself. I knew there were other religions in the world but I was so consumed in my own religion that I never took the time to sit back and look at the other religions that surrounded me. I do agree with him for the simple fact the people don’t bother with other religions unless they are forced to leaving them uneducated and unaware of the climbers. Personally I am now more open to wanting to learning about other religions and feel that others should to.
Jesus and Martin Luther
Over the years Christianity has changed and branched off into different groups. These groups consist of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Protestantism and more, and they all have there own beliefs. If Jesus and Martin Luther were timed warped I think they would be able to get along with each other and wouldn’t have a problem with they way things have changed. Jesus and Martin Luther were both tolerant of other people belief and never judged people due to what they believed. They both followed the word of God and the bible. They also both died for their people and for their dream. However Jesus, I don’t think would be to happy with the way that Christianity divided itself over the years. I think that he might try to bring the groups together as a whole like they once were. He also would have a problem with all the negative attention the Catholic church is receiving due to the illegal behaviors from the priest and so fourth. Martin Luther was a minister himself, so I also think that he would have some sort of problem with all the inappropriate attention the churches are getting as well. As a whole they would feel as if their religions were under attack in a way. Since both of their time the church as change drastically. Some people say that churches are money hungry and other say it’s the only place to find salvation. I think both would be shocked and confused with the way everything has changed but I think they would be able to find a way to make everything work like they did during their time.
Interview
My partner and I were researching Orthodox Judaism. We met with a man named Rabbi Silverman at the Chabad of the River Town. He allowed us to interview him about his religion, were we learned a lot of interesting information. We asked him a series of twenty questions, and he went in-depth with many of his answers.
1. How long have you been a Rabbi?
-- He has been a practicing Rabbi for 6-7 years
2. How long does it take to become a Rabbi?
-- He said that a Rabbi has to be ordained by another rabbi
-- Its not something you can study rather it’s a way of life
-- It took him 18 months to become a Rabbi but that can change from person to person
3. Are there different levels of being a Rabbi? For example in the catholic religion there are priest, bishops, etc.
--There are three classification: Kohein, Levi, and Israeli
--Its not that there are different levels so much, rather there’s different responsibilities each classification has
4. Can women become Rabbis? If not why?
-- Women can not become practicing Rabbis
-- He said that men and women are made differently making God give them different jobs
-- Not saying that they wouldn’t be good at it, its just never been done
5. What is the most important Holiday?
-- He said all the holidays are important or they wouldn’t be holidays however the most important is the “weekdays”
-- The holiest holiday is the day after Yom Kippur
6. What are the different types of Judaism?
-- He said there are three different types of Judaism and each group believes in basically the same thing. For example the Torah, holidays etc, but it depends on the law that each group follows.
-- He said that Orthodox Judaism follows both the written laws and Oral laws
7. Why is it important for children to attend Hebrew school?
-- He went back to talking about Judaism being a way of live and that Hebrew school will lead the children in the right direction
8. Is it mandatory for everyone to eat Kosher and why?
-- He said its considered on of there commandments and that all animals need to be killed mercifully
-- He said that everyone tries their best but it is a big sacrifice and not all can do it
9. We’ve heard that your not supposed to eat pork and shellfish, why is that?
-- He said that they are not considered kosher therefore they should not be eating it.
10. Why does Judaism have its own calendar?
-- They follow the lunar calendar
-- He said that the moon is symbolic in Judaism
-- When the moon is out it can reflect the beauty that the sun reveals during the day
-- The light brings Gods beauty into the world (its symbolic)
11. Why do men and women sit separately?
-- They sit separate because synagogue is a time to pray not a time for family
-- If the sit together they might get distracted and not give all their time to praying and God
-- Prayer time is NOT FAMILY TIME
12. What happens at a Jewish wedding?
-- At a wedding there needs to be two kosher witnesses
-- A Chupa
-- The people need to make sure that they are allowed to get married
-- Papers need to be singed
-- Rituals need to be completed (Mikveh)
-- Exchanging of the ring
13. We’ve heard that women are supposed to shave their heads after their wedding if this is true why?
-- He wasn’t sure if the had to shave their heads. (He told us we would be able to talk to his wife if we wanted to)
-- He did however say that they had to cover their hair with either a wig or something else that wouldn’t show their real hair
14. Why is the Sabbath important?
-- He said that Sabbath is important because it’s a day of complete rest
-- During the week people lose focus of their goals and the Sabbath makes them regain their focus
-- If they didn’t have the Sabbath there would be a lot of people that were walking around meaningless
15. We know what a Bris and baby naming but why is it so important?
-- Its important because it brings the baby into the religion
-- Its it needs to be done on the eighth day because God created the world in seven day so on the eighth day of the babies life its as if its above the seventh day
-- Again seven is a symbolic number in this religion
16. IS it correct to say that in your religion you are waiting for the messiah to come?
-- Yes, we are still waiting for the Messiah to come
17. I used to work in a funeral home and when ever we received a Jewish call they always had to be buried the dame day before sundown, why is that?
-- This is important because after death the body is on a journey, and its not fair to hold the journey back
-- They have something similar to checkpoints
-- After the burial the family cannot visit the gravesite for a month
-- After the first year they an unveiling
18. Is there a particular dress code? For example do women have to wear dresses and do men have to wear black suits with a white shirt?
-- He said that they don’t have a dress code however every army as a uniform (he compared their religion to an army)
-- Women dress as modestly as possible, they are not to show their true beauty to just anyone
-- He said that a woman’s beauty is supposed to be special and for select people only (like a husband)
-- In this religion we have an obligation to dress modestly and we try to do that as much as possible
19.Is there anything you disagree with in your religion?
-- He said that he doesn’t disagree with anything
-- However there is a lot that he doesn’t understand about his religion
20. Is there anything else you would like to add that wasn’t already mentioned?
-- He said that we asked in-depth questions and gave us some advice but altogether he said that he enjoyed helping us on our project and that he was happy to see that other people are interesting in his religion.
1. How long have you been a Rabbi?
-- He has been a practicing Rabbi for 6-7 years
2. How long does it take to become a Rabbi?
-- He said that a Rabbi has to be ordained by another rabbi
-- Its not something you can study rather it’s a way of life
-- It took him 18 months to become a Rabbi but that can change from person to person
3. Are there different levels of being a Rabbi? For example in the catholic religion there are priest, bishops, etc.
--There are three classification: Kohein, Levi, and Israeli
--Its not that there are different levels so much, rather there’s different responsibilities each classification has
4. Can women become Rabbis? If not why?
-- Women can not become practicing Rabbis
-- He said that men and women are made differently making God give them different jobs
-- Not saying that they wouldn’t be good at it, its just never been done
5. What is the most important Holiday?
-- He said all the holidays are important or they wouldn’t be holidays however the most important is the “weekdays”
-- The holiest holiday is the day after Yom Kippur
6. What are the different types of Judaism?
-- He said there are three different types of Judaism and each group believes in basically the same thing. For example the Torah, holidays etc, but it depends on the law that each group follows.
-- He said that Orthodox Judaism follows both the written laws and Oral laws
7. Why is it important for children to attend Hebrew school?
-- He went back to talking about Judaism being a way of live and that Hebrew school will lead the children in the right direction
8. Is it mandatory for everyone to eat Kosher and why?
-- He said its considered on of there commandments and that all animals need to be killed mercifully
-- He said that everyone tries their best but it is a big sacrifice and not all can do it
9. We’ve heard that your not supposed to eat pork and shellfish, why is that?
-- He said that they are not considered kosher therefore they should not be eating it.
10. Why does Judaism have its own calendar?
-- They follow the lunar calendar
-- He said that the moon is symbolic in Judaism
-- When the moon is out it can reflect the beauty that the sun reveals during the day
-- The light brings Gods beauty into the world (its symbolic)
11. Why do men and women sit separately?
-- They sit separate because synagogue is a time to pray not a time for family
-- If the sit together they might get distracted and not give all their time to praying and God
-- Prayer time is NOT FAMILY TIME
12. What happens at a Jewish wedding?
-- At a wedding there needs to be two kosher witnesses
-- A Chupa
-- The people need to make sure that they are allowed to get married
-- Papers need to be singed
-- Rituals need to be completed (Mikveh)
-- Exchanging of the ring
13. We’ve heard that women are supposed to shave their heads after their wedding if this is true why?
-- He wasn’t sure if the had to shave their heads. (He told us we would be able to talk to his wife if we wanted to)
-- He did however say that they had to cover their hair with either a wig or something else that wouldn’t show their real hair
14. Why is the Sabbath important?
-- He said that Sabbath is important because it’s a day of complete rest
-- During the week people lose focus of their goals and the Sabbath makes them regain their focus
-- If they didn’t have the Sabbath there would be a lot of people that were walking around meaningless
15. We know what a Bris and baby naming but why is it so important?
-- Its important because it brings the baby into the religion
-- Its it needs to be done on the eighth day because God created the world in seven day so on the eighth day of the babies life its as if its above the seventh day
-- Again seven is a symbolic number in this religion
16. IS it correct to say that in your religion you are waiting for the messiah to come?
-- Yes, we are still waiting for the Messiah to come
17. I used to work in a funeral home and when ever we received a Jewish call they always had to be buried the dame day before sundown, why is that?
-- This is important because after death the body is on a journey, and its not fair to hold the journey back
-- They have something similar to checkpoints
-- After the burial the family cannot visit the gravesite for a month
-- After the first year they an unveiling
18. Is there a particular dress code? For example do women have to wear dresses and do men have to wear black suits with a white shirt?
-- He said that they don’t have a dress code however every army as a uniform (he compared their religion to an army)
-- Women dress as modestly as possible, they are not to show their true beauty to just anyone
-- He said that a woman’s beauty is supposed to be special and for select people only (like a husband)
-- In this religion we have an obligation to dress modestly and we try to do that as much as possible
19.Is there anything you disagree with in your religion?
-- He said that he doesn’t disagree with anything
-- However there is a lot that he doesn’t understand about his religion
20. Is there anything else you would like to add that wasn’t already mentioned?
-- He said that we asked in-depth questions and gave us some advice but altogether he said that he enjoyed helping us on our project and that he was happy to see that other people are interesting in his religion.
More Videos
If anyone looked at my videos you would have seen that they were short so I posted two, well I also realized that they were short and didn’t get all my pictures so I’m going to post two more and hopefully you’ll have a chance to see all the pictures that I wanted to be in my video. They start off the same but the other pictures are different.
http://animoto.com/play/4aa24e8ee045b493b2e0f3b126dfe65b
http://animoto.com/play/30550776171b094a83d32563319dfdcb
Hope you enjoy!
http://animoto.com/play/4aa24e8ee045b493b2e0f3b126dfe65b
http://animoto.com/play/30550776171b094a83d32563319dfdcb
Hope you enjoy!
Videos
Unfortunately, I was unable to post my videos the way everyone else did but if you go to these websites you will be able to see the videos that I made. So enjoy!
http://animoto.com/play/538d0b3e6c90e3cae96ad232ee382361
http://animoto.com/play/287f5328fcd7f3d63378f79cad9c3781
http://animoto.com/play/538d0b3e6c90e3cae96ad232ee382361
http://animoto.com/play/287f5328fcd7f3d63378f79cad9c3781
Monday, December 17, 2007
Chabad Rabbi
Chabad Rabbi Represents Judaism at Singapore's IROSINGAPORE, SINGAPORE --
(December 17, 2007)M. Phillips
(Lubavitch.com) When 10,000 individuals from different religious groups, including Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong, convened at the Singapore Expo last Sunday for a celebration sponsored jointly by the Lorong Koo chye Sheng Hong Temple and the Inter Religious Organization(IRO), they enjoyed unusual exposure to Judaism.
Representatives of the world’s religious faiths joined in a universal prayer for world peace formulated specifically for this event.
Representing Judaism was Chabad’s Rabbi Mordechai Aberjel of Singapore. Following the joint prayer, each representative was invited to offer his/her own faith-specific prayer for peace.
Representing Judaism was Chabad’s Rabbi Mordechai Aberjel of Singapore. Following the joint prayer, each representative was invited to offer his/her own faith-specific prayer for peace.
In his traditional dark hat and suit, Rabbi Aberjel recited a Jewish prayer dedicated to the well-being of Singapore’s government, and then in Hebrew, he blessed the entire conference with the traditional birkhat cohanim, the priestly blessings, followed by an English translation.
The IRO is dedicated to “religious harmony through mutual tolerance, confidence, respect and understanding,” says its website. Every year, it selects a representative of a different religion to serve as its honorary president.
This year, the honor went to Mr. Joey Benjamin, president of Singapore’s Jewish community, a privilege that gave him the podium, which he used to speak about the Jewish perspective on unity and peace.
At the close of the dinner, two Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students, Chaim Immanuel and Chananya Steinmentz, were invited with two members of the Jewish community to the podium, for a traditional rendition of “Maoz Tzur” in honor of Chanukah.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presented checks to various charitable organizations, among them the National Kidney Foundation-Hougang-Punggol Dialysis Centre which received half a million dollars and $100,000 to the President's Challenge.
“This was quite an intriguing event,” Rabbi Aberjel told Lubavitch.com. “But more interesting is the fact that here in Singapore, talk about peace and tolerance and mutual respect are not theoretical notions.
"Singapore’s government actually works hard to foster real peace and tolerance—and it should stand as an example to the rest of the world.”
I posted this article for many different reasons. For starters it’s nice to see that different religions are being recognized in a public manner. It’s good that all types of religions can be in the same building and not have any religious conflicts. It’s been a long time since people were able to respect other religions besides their own enough for them to be recognized publicly. Another reason I choose this article is because as everyone already knows I did my report on Judaism and I was able to learn a lot about the religion. It allowed me to open my eyes and realize that no one religion is superior to another.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Forms of Judaism
Of all the religions that we learned about Judaism is the religion that has several different branches. There are three branches that consist of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed Judaism. All three branches believe in one God; monotheism, they follow the Torah, and more.
Orthodox Judaism is the highest and strictest form of Judaism. There are three groups within this form: Haredi, Mitnaggid, and Hasidism. The Mitnaggid and the Hasidism groups don’t get along. Orthodox Judaism follows very strict laws both in the Torah and Oral laws. They eat kosher (no pork), follow the Sabbath, and have extremely strict rules when it comes to men and women. For example the men and women worship separately. At one point in history the marriages used to be arranged, in some parts of the world it is still like that today. Married couples are only supposed to have sex for reproductive purposes only. After the wedding the women are supposed to shave their head, or wear a wig. Women have a tendency to dress extremely modestly. They also need to visit the Mikvah before the wedding and periodically after it.
Reform Judaism is the largest in the United States but the smallest elsewhere. In this from the men and women are not separated, in other words they are allowed to sit together. Also they are allowed to wear what they want, meaning the women are not forced to dress modestly. There are many similarities in the all the forms and a few differences.
In the last form of Judaism called Conservative Judaism, which is also known as traditional. This form is a mix between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. In this form they keep all the traditions like the Sabbath however they modify it. For example they do the work that would normally not be done on the Sabbath before the Sabbath comes. And example of this is turning the light on before the Sabbath comes.
All three forms follow the laws of Judaism. They all worship at a synagogue and do no work on the Sabbath. Judaism has several holidays that all forms celebrate. Some of these holidays consist of Passover, Shevuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Purim, Sukkot and more. This religion has a lot of laws and rules to follow, but like every religion there are people that dedicated their life to it.
Orthodox Judaism is the highest and strictest form of Judaism. There are three groups within this form: Haredi, Mitnaggid, and Hasidism. The Mitnaggid and the Hasidism groups don’t get along. Orthodox Judaism follows very strict laws both in the Torah and Oral laws. They eat kosher (no pork), follow the Sabbath, and have extremely strict rules when it comes to men and women. For example the men and women worship separately. At one point in history the marriages used to be arranged, in some parts of the world it is still like that today. Married couples are only supposed to have sex for reproductive purposes only. After the wedding the women are supposed to shave their head, or wear a wig. Women have a tendency to dress extremely modestly. They also need to visit the Mikvah before the wedding and periodically after it.
Reform Judaism is the largest in the United States but the smallest elsewhere. In this from the men and women are not separated, in other words they are allowed to sit together. Also they are allowed to wear what they want, meaning the women are not forced to dress modestly. There are many similarities in the all the forms and a few differences.
In the last form of Judaism called Conservative Judaism, which is also known as traditional. This form is a mix between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. In this form they keep all the traditions like the Sabbath however they modify it. For example they do the work that would normally not be done on the Sabbath before the Sabbath comes. And example of this is turning the light on before the Sabbath comes.
All three forms follow the laws of Judaism. They all worship at a synagogue and do no work on the Sabbath. Judaism has several holidays that all forms celebrate. Some of these holidays consist of Passover, Shevuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Purim, Sukkot and more. This religion has a lot of laws and rules to follow, but like every religion there are people that dedicated their life to it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Jewish Pictures
This is a picture of a synagogue. Although not all look like this, it gives you an idea of how nice the can look inside. 
This is a headstone that you’ll find at any given Jewish cemetery. It normally has the persons regular name and their Jewish name. Very often there will be Hebrew lettering on it. Like I said in my other post, you’ll typically find rock on it instead of flowers.
This is a kippah also named Yarmelka (Yiddish) or a skullcap. On occation you might see a person walking around wearing one. Usually men wear it. They start wearing this after their bat mitzvah. They can come in all colors and styles.
And lastly this is a typical casket that a Jewish person will be buried in. although it’s not a great picture you get the idea that it is extremely simple. There are wooden pins that will hold the top down. These also can come in various shapes and sizes depending on the person.
Religious Ritual
For everyone that you meet you learn something new about the person; so today your all going to learn something about me. For about I year I have been working at a funeral home and I have observed many different funerals. But more recently I’ve seen a Jewish funeral. This was interesting to me because they are so different than other funerals. So I am going to tell you what the funeral is like from the family perspective or a friends perceptive and the funeral home perspective. First is going to be the families perspective.
When a family member passes away, depending where the deceased is the first phone call the family makes is to the funeral home. Shortly after the funeral home will arrive and pick up the body and the family will not see the deceased until the funeral later that day. The rabbi is the next person called because he will normally be the person to schedule the funeral. A Jewish funeral is completed in the same day without a wake or viewing of the body. The family will be contacted by the funeral home so that the funeral home can obtain the necessary information needed, either for the rabbi or paper work. Hours later the family will arrive at the synagogue for the prayer ceremony. This ceremony itself will be conducted by the rabbi. At this ceremony there is a eulogy give normally by the rabbi. However, this will some times be done by a family member but never with an Orthodox family. The family will be the pallbearers during this time. Also a Jewish casket is just a plain pine box with no nails, but wooden pins it is made to be as simple as possible. After the ceremony in the synagogue the funeral procession will proceed to the Jewish Cemetery. It is extremely important for Jewish people to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. When the family and the body are outside, the family will walk behind the hearse for a short distance, showing that they are in no rush to finish this journey.
When they arrive at the cemetery the men will carry the casket to the grave site and lower it by hand into the grave. During this time prayers are being said throughout the entire time. The family and other people that attended the funeral will bury the casket by hand. What I mean by this is they physically cover the casket with a shovel and dirt that is besides the grave. The family may not leave until the top of the casket is completely covered with dirt.
At the end of this part after the final prayers are said there are two parallel lines formed for the family to walk through. The family is urged not to look back or return to this location for at least thirty days. This completes the funeral process, however the family is to return home and sit Shiva. Shiva last for a period of seven days. Usually but not all the time the family will sit on Shiva benches. This is a bench that allows the family to be lower than any one that will join the family in sitting Shiva. The family will also leave a candle burning continuously. They will end Shiva on the Sabbath and continuing it after Sabbath is over.
More often than not the family will wait one full year be for they put a headstone on the grave site. However, when the family is ready for the headstone they will have an unveiling. It will be the first time the see the monument. They will also leave rocks instead of flowers at the headstone.
On the other hand, for the funeral home it’s a little more complicated. When we receive the call that someone of the Jewish faith passed away, we have to kick it in to overdrive. The funeral director will go and remove the body and bring it back to the funeral home. Shortly after the rabbi will be called in order to set up the time of the funeral service that will take place that same day. The funeral home will than call upon there Chevera Kadisha, (Holy Society) to come and perform a Tahara (the religious washing and shrouding of the deceased). When this is needed by the funeral home, men will come for men and women come for women. At the same time when the funeral home calls for the Chevera Kadisha they will also call for a shomal (watcher) he/she will sit with the body and pray until the time of the funeral.
The family will provide the funeral director with all information need for him to complete all paper work. One very important piece of information is the Hebrew name which will differ from there regular name. A Hebrew name is the Yiddish name of the deceased; father and mother combined with their name.
Back to the precession of the deceased, part of this ceremony is placing the deceased into a coffin usually a plain pine wood box made with no nails or other metal it is made to be as simple as possible. The funeral service itself is conducted by the rabbi, it will be prayers and some type of eulogy given by the rabbi, in some cases it will be given by a family member; usually not with an orthodox family. Following the service internment will take place at a orthodox cemetery the family does precipitate at this part in time.
The family will carry the casket out of the hearse and than they will follow the hearse by foot for a short distance (to show that they are in no rush to do this task and go on this journey). At the cemetery the men will carry the coffin to the grave site and where the coffin is lowered by hand into the ground. Some prayers are said and all members are expected to help in the task of filling in the grave. (if there are non Jews at this service they will normally not participate in it).
At the very conclusion a final prayer is recited.Than there are two parallel lines formed for the family to walk through and they are told to not look back or come back to this place for at least 30 days. They are than to go home and sit Shiva for seven days ending on the Sabbath and continuing after.
Now that everyone knows about the funeral process, I going to give you one of my personal experiences. Every time I work or attend a funeral I learn something new. The last Jewish funeral I attended a was about a month ago. I realized awhile ago that Jewish families don’t use prayer cards or any type of programs, which at first was really strange to me but I got used to it. I also noticed that in order for men to walk into a synagogue they have to be wearing a kippah, and some but not all women wear a black sheer cloth over their face. They will also rip a piece of ribbon at one point in time. However when I went to this funeral about a month ago I observed that some headstones were really nice compared to others, and I thought nothing of it at first. But than I realized that the not so nice ones were along fence. My boss had told me that the people buried around the outer lining to the cemetery were people that were never bar mitzvah, or bat mitzvah. I never thought there could be such a difference between religious funerals, but there’s always something new to learn about other religions.
I choose to observe a funeral for various reasons. But for the most part I thought that you guys would find it a little interesting. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them and if I cant I’ll ask someone that does.
When a family member passes away, depending where the deceased is the first phone call the family makes is to the funeral home. Shortly after the funeral home will arrive and pick up the body and the family will not see the deceased until the funeral later that day. The rabbi is the next person called because he will normally be the person to schedule the funeral. A Jewish funeral is completed in the same day without a wake or viewing of the body. The family will be contacted by the funeral home so that the funeral home can obtain the necessary information needed, either for the rabbi or paper work. Hours later the family will arrive at the synagogue for the prayer ceremony. This ceremony itself will be conducted by the rabbi. At this ceremony there is a eulogy give normally by the rabbi. However, this will some times be done by a family member but never with an Orthodox family. The family will be the pallbearers during this time. Also a Jewish casket is just a plain pine box with no nails, but wooden pins it is made to be as simple as possible. After the ceremony in the synagogue the funeral procession will proceed to the Jewish Cemetery. It is extremely important for Jewish people to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. When the family and the body are outside, the family will walk behind the hearse for a short distance, showing that they are in no rush to finish this journey.
When they arrive at the cemetery the men will carry the casket to the grave site and lower it by hand into the grave. During this time prayers are being said throughout the entire time. The family and other people that attended the funeral will bury the casket by hand. What I mean by this is they physically cover the casket with a shovel and dirt that is besides the grave. The family may not leave until the top of the casket is completely covered with dirt.
At the end of this part after the final prayers are said there are two parallel lines formed for the family to walk through. The family is urged not to look back or return to this location for at least thirty days. This completes the funeral process, however the family is to return home and sit Shiva. Shiva last for a period of seven days. Usually but not all the time the family will sit on Shiva benches. This is a bench that allows the family to be lower than any one that will join the family in sitting Shiva. The family will also leave a candle burning continuously. They will end Shiva on the Sabbath and continuing it after Sabbath is over.
More often than not the family will wait one full year be for they put a headstone on the grave site. However, when the family is ready for the headstone they will have an unveiling. It will be the first time the see the monument. They will also leave rocks instead of flowers at the headstone.
On the other hand, for the funeral home it’s a little more complicated. When we receive the call that someone of the Jewish faith passed away, we have to kick it in to overdrive. The funeral director will go and remove the body and bring it back to the funeral home. Shortly after the rabbi will be called in order to set up the time of the funeral service that will take place that same day. The funeral home will than call upon there Chevera Kadisha, (Holy Society) to come and perform a Tahara (the religious washing and shrouding of the deceased). When this is needed by the funeral home, men will come for men and women come for women. At the same time when the funeral home calls for the Chevera Kadisha they will also call for a shomal (watcher) he/she will sit with the body and pray until the time of the funeral.
The family will provide the funeral director with all information need for him to complete all paper work. One very important piece of information is the Hebrew name which will differ from there regular name. A Hebrew name is the Yiddish name of the deceased; father and mother combined with their name.
Back to the precession of the deceased, part of this ceremony is placing the deceased into a coffin usually a plain pine wood box made with no nails or other metal it is made to be as simple as possible. The funeral service itself is conducted by the rabbi, it will be prayers and some type of eulogy given by the rabbi, in some cases it will be given by a family member; usually not with an orthodox family. Following the service internment will take place at a orthodox cemetery the family does precipitate at this part in time.
The family will carry the casket out of the hearse and than they will follow the hearse by foot for a short distance (to show that they are in no rush to do this task and go on this journey). At the cemetery the men will carry the coffin to the grave site and where the coffin is lowered by hand into the ground. Some prayers are said and all members are expected to help in the task of filling in the grave. (if there are non Jews at this service they will normally not participate in it).
At the very conclusion a final prayer is recited.Than there are two parallel lines formed for the family to walk through and they are told to not look back or come back to this place for at least 30 days. They are than to go home and sit Shiva for seven days ending on the Sabbath and continuing after.
Now that everyone knows about the funeral process, I going to give you one of my personal experiences. Every time I work or attend a funeral I learn something new. The last Jewish funeral I attended a was about a month ago. I realized awhile ago that Jewish families don’t use prayer cards or any type of programs, which at first was really strange to me but I got used to it. I also noticed that in order for men to walk into a synagogue they have to be wearing a kippah, and some but not all women wear a black sheer cloth over their face. They will also rip a piece of ribbon at one point in time. However when I went to this funeral about a month ago I observed that some headstones were really nice compared to others, and I thought nothing of it at first. But than I realized that the not so nice ones were along fence. My boss had told me that the people buried around the outer lining to the cemetery were people that were never bar mitzvah, or bat mitzvah. I never thought there could be such a difference between religious funerals, but there’s always something new to learn about other religions.
I choose to observe a funeral for various reasons. But for the most part I thought that you guys would find it a little interesting. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them and if I cant I’ll ask someone that does.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The Good Role of the Other Religion
The Good Role of the Other Religion
4 Nov 2007, 0310 hrs IST,Jyoti Punwani,TNN
Can Muslims be mobilised only on religious slogans? Does the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission Report concern Muslims alone? These questions refused to go away as maulana after maulana, Muslim after Muslim, took the mike at the rally convened by Muslim organisations last week at Azad Maidan. The religious slogan "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-o-Akbar" rent the air as Islamic history was used to remind the 8000-odd Muslims present that the followers of Islam had always had to fight injustice and had always emerged victorious. Some speakers limited the history of this struggle to post-1947 India; and a few really provincial ones narrowed down the enemy to the Congress. "Allah-o-Akbar" was again heard when more than one speaker declared what a joyous sight it was to see Shia, Sunni, Bareilvi, Deobandi and even Ahle-Hadees followers—all believers in Allah—come together to fight for their rights and make their oppressors tremble.
Was this rally about the same Commission headed by a judge who quoted profusely from the Gita in the courtroom, and who ended his Report with a Sanskrit shloka? Only the Jamaat-e-Islami president, while thanking Justice B N Srikrishna, inadvertently reminded the Muslim audience that it was a devout Hindu who had written the Report they were suddenly willing to give their lives for.
Ever since the Srikrishna Report was submitted in 1998, a small group, comprising mostly Muslims but also some non-Muslims, have been agitating to get it implemented. Throughout their campaign, the effort has been to get the message across to as many Mumbaiites as possible, that those responsible for the death of 900 citizens, 575 Muslim, 275 Hindu and 50 'unknown and others', should be punished. Indeed, it was a matter of pride to these activists that a majority of the 18,000 signatures collected on this issue were those of Hindus. Every time the media highlighted a burqa-clad woman signing a petition, or a bearded topiwala holding up a placard, they would see it as a setback, this making of a human rights issue into a 'Muslim issue'.
At the same time, there's no denying that Justice Srikrishna's inquiry into the 1992-93 riots is very much an expose of the denial of equal rights to Muslims as to the citizens of Mumbai by the State's most powerful arm, the police; and by the government, which refused to take steps that would have put a stop to the violence. The malafide acts of the 31 policemen indicted by the Commission were all directed against Muslims. Activists have often wondered despairingly why even in Muslim areas, the response to their campaign has often been lukewarm; why the city's Muslim leaders have not created hell for the government over its total inaction on the Report. Muslim leaders could fill Azad Maidan over an anti-Bush rally, organize a successful boycott of US goods over the invasion of Afghanistan, but over the Srikrishna Commission Report, which documents how, in area after area in this city, the police allowed Muslims to be killed, looted and driven away from their homes, no community leader lost his sleep. So when these leaders remembered this denial of justice after 14 years, the feeling was, 'Der aaye, durust aaye', never mind that this recollection had come only after their own community members were convicted for having killed innocent Hindus to avenge the riots.
But the rally confirmed all one's misgivings about this kind of community mobilisation. To start with, the Commission was referred to as the 'Krishna Commission' (as it always is by Muslim leaders). The Commission's findings were mentioned by barely four of the 20-odd speakers, and some of them got that wrong too. More seriously, the emphasis was all wrong. To expect the speakers, who wore their faith on their sleeve, to mention the burning alive of six innocent Hindus, five of them women, in the Radhabai chawl incident, or the attacks on 57 city temples after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, was unrealistic. As one speaker said, this was a religious, not a political rally. What made the screams for justice hollow, was the knowledge that few of the 60-odd persons on the dais had ever helped their own community victims, though they lived among them.
By the time the rally ended with Samajwadi chief Abu Asim Azmi's piece de resistance, you were thankful for the low turnout and the people leaving even as he spoke. Azmi's open instigation to his community to avenge the riots ('Make me proud of you like Sarpotdar was proud of Radhabai Chawl'); his threat that driven to the wall, Muslims could hit back; his promise to honour Bilkis Bano's husband if he took up a gun and shot "anyone"; and his blasphemous comparison of such acts with Udham Singh's shooting of Gen Dyer—nothing could have been more insulting to the belief in justice and the rule of law that permeates the Srikrishna Commission Report.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Review/The_good_role_of_the_other_religion/articleshow/2515895.cms
I choose this article because I thought it was really interesting. When I saw that 900 citizens were killed both Muslim and Hindu I was extremely shocked and immediately saddened by how many people gave their lives for this matter. I also remember trying to get signatures for my fathers election and were we only had to get about 150, where as
18, 000 is a huge number. I thought it was interesting that just over ten years ago they were stilling trying to get equality when we have had equality for so long already. I’m glad that they were fighting for their rights but at the same time I’m saddened by the number of people that had to die in these riots in order for something to be done. What are your thoughts on these rallies and what are other strategies do you think they could have used to achieve their goal in equality?
4 Nov 2007, 0310 hrs IST,Jyoti Punwani,TNN
Can Muslims be mobilised only on religious slogans? Does the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission Report concern Muslims alone? These questions refused to go away as maulana after maulana, Muslim after Muslim, took the mike at the rally convened by Muslim organisations last week at Azad Maidan. The religious slogan "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-o-Akbar" rent the air as Islamic history was used to remind the 8000-odd Muslims present that the followers of Islam had always had to fight injustice and had always emerged victorious. Some speakers limited the history of this struggle to post-1947 India; and a few really provincial ones narrowed down the enemy to the Congress. "Allah-o-Akbar" was again heard when more than one speaker declared what a joyous sight it was to see Shia, Sunni, Bareilvi, Deobandi and even Ahle-Hadees followers—all believers in Allah—come together to fight for their rights and make their oppressors tremble.
Was this rally about the same Commission headed by a judge who quoted profusely from the Gita in the courtroom, and who ended his Report with a Sanskrit shloka? Only the Jamaat-e-Islami president, while thanking Justice B N Srikrishna, inadvertently reminded the Muslim audience that it was a devout Hindu who had written the Report they were suddenly willing to give their lives for.
Ever since the Srikrishna Report was submitted in 1998, a small group, comprising mostly Muslims but also some non-Muslims, have been agitating to get it implemented. Throughout their campaign, the effort has been to get the message across to as many Mumbaiites as possible, that those responsible for the death of 900 citizens, 575 Muslim, 275 Hindu and 50 'unknown and others', should be punished. Indeed, it was a matter of pride to these activists that a majority of the 18,000 signatures collected on this issue were those of Hindus. Every time the media highlighted a burqa-clad woman signing a petition, or a bearded topiwala holding up a placard, they would see it as a setback, this making of a human rights issue into a 'Muslim issue'.
At the same time, there's no denying that Justice Srikrishna's inquiry into the 1992-93 riots is very much an expose of the denial of equal rights to Muslims as to the citizens of Mumbai by the State's most powerful arm, the police; and by the government, which refused to take steps that would have put a stop to the violence. The malafide acts of the 31 policemen indicted by the Commission were all directed against Muslims. Activists have often wondered despairingly why even in Muslim areas, the response to their campaign has often been lukewarm; why the city's Muslim leaders have not created hell for the government over its total inaction on the Report. Muslim leaders could fill Azad Maidan over an anti-Bush rally, organize a successful boycott of US goods over the invasion of Afghanistan, but over the Srikrishna Commission Report, which documents how, in area after area in this city, the police allowed Muslims to be killed, looted and driven away from their homes, no community leader lost his sleep. So when these leaders remembered this denial of justice after 14 years, the feeling was, 'Der aaye, durust aaye', never mind that this recollection had come only after their own community members were convicted for having killed innocent Hindus to avenge the riots.
But the rally confirmed all one's misgivings about this kind of community mobilisation. To start with, the Commission was referred to as the 'Krishna Commission' (as it always is by Muslim leaders). The Commission's findings were mentioned by barely four of the 20-odd speakers, and some of them got that wrong too. More seriously, the emphasis was all wrong. To expect the speakers, who wore their faith on their sleeve, to mention the burning alive of six innocent Hindus, five of them women, in the Radhabai chawl incident, or the attacks on 57 city temples after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, was unrealistic. As one speaker said, this was a religious, not a political rally. What made the screams for justice hollow, was the knowledge that few of the 60-odd persons on the dais had ever helped their own community victims, though they lived among them.
By the time the rally ended with Samajwadi chief Abu Asim Azmi's piece de resistance, you were thankful for the low turnout and the people leaving even as he spoke. Azmi's open instigation to his community to avenge the riots ('Make me proud of you like Sarpotdar was proud of Radhabai Chawl'); his threat that driven to the wall, Muslims could hit back; his promise to honour Bilkis Bano's husband if he took up a gun and shot "anyone"; and his blasphemous comparison of such acts with Udham Singh's shooting of Gen Dyer—nothing could have been more insulting to the belief in justice and the rule of law that permeates the Srikrishna Commission Report.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Review/The_good_role_of_the_other_religion/articleshow/2515895.cms
I choose this article because I thought it was really interesting. When I saw that 900 citizens were killed both Muslim and Hindu I was extremely shocked and immediately saddened by how many people gave their lives for this matter. I also remember trying to get signatures for my fathers election and were we only had to get about 150, where as
18, 000 is a huge number. I thought it was interesting that just over ten years ago they were stilling trying to get equality when we have had equality for so long already. I’m glad that they were fighting for their rights but at the same time I’m saddened by the number of people that had to die in these riots in order for something to be done. What are your thoughts on these rallies and what are other strategies do you think they could have used to achieve their goal in equality?
Monday, November 5, 2007
My Kami
My Kimi would have all objects that have a special meaning to me. It would be located in the corner of my kitchen. It would be there because the kitchen is the place where most of my company stays and everyone will be able to see it, in other words it will get a lot of attention. On my shrine I would have candles most likely the Sacred Heart of Jesus Candle in memory of all the people that I’ve lost throughout my life. I’d also have a crucifix on it to represent what religion I worship, along with rosary beads that I got from the Vatican. On each side of the shrine there will be pictures of both of my great grandmothers, in addition to their pictures I would put their prayer cards from their funeral. When I was a senior in high school I had a friend named Jasmine that passed away in a car accident and on my shrine I would put a stuffed animal that she gave me on it along with a red ribbon that all the seniors wore for respect. I would put flowers on it to represent life and all the living things. My dog Sammy is a big part of my life so on my shrine there would be a dog bone to keep him safe and healthy. I would put drawing that my niece and nephew made for me along with a bracelet that Kayle my niece told me never to lose. She gave it to me the day I moved out to go to college. I’d put a little statue of an angel so that it can watch over and protect all the people that I love. In the middle of my kami I would put this old glass perfume/makeup thing my great grandmother, Granny, gave to me before she passed away. I would put some kind of food on it so that my family and I would have food that will last a lifetime. And lastly I would put Holy water to fight away all bad sprits or anything that could cause harm or sadness to anyone I know and love. My shrine would be the most meaningful thing I had in my entire house.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Wu-Wei and Tao
For me to apply Wu-Wei and Tao ideas to my everyday life would be extremely hard. They are very similar when it comes to what they mean. They both pretty much mean that you can’t let anything annoy, upset or bother you. It means to do everything that is natural, non-aggressive or violence. To do something but nothing at all. If something like my house was to catch on fire I know I wouldn’t be able to stay inside and do nothing. I’d either try to put it out, call for help, or get out as soon as possible. This is also similar to if I saw someone get beat up by someone else, I couldn’t just stand there and watch or keep walking without doing something. With these examples it proves that I definitely WOULD NOT be able to live by these ideas.
Lao-Tzu and Confucius
If Lao-Tzu and Confucius were asked to speak to Mercy students about the religion in China the conversation would be like the following:
Lao-Tzu- Would start with saying you must live a simple life and avoid any achievements possible.
Confucius- Would respond with no instead you should set personal and spiritual goals.
Lao-Tzu- You should give up everything including your family, education and all of your possessions.
Confucius- You should live by and follow the five relationships, which consist of Parent to child, child to child, husband to wife, younger to elder, and ruler to subject.
Lao-Tzu- To wrap it all up life should be simple and stress free, in order for that to happen avoid anything that can cause stress, including achievements. If these few guidelines are followed then you will be able to understand the Tao.
Confucius- In closing the five relationships are important to live in everyday life. Respect and love should be present in a day to day basis. Goals are ways to get through the tough time and have something to look forward to. If these minor things are considered than you can reach the highest goal of "superior man".
Lao-Tzu- Would start with saying you must live a simple life and avoid any achievements possible.
Confucius- Would respond with no instead you should set personal and spiritual goals.
Lao-Tzu- You should give up everything including your family, education and all of your possessions.
Confucius- You should live by and follow the five relationships, which consist of Parent to child, child to child, husband to wife, younger to elder, and ruler to subject.
Lao-Tzu- To wrap it all up life should be simple and stress free, in order for that to happen avoid anything that can cause stress, including achievements. If these few guidelines are followed then you will be able to understand the Tao.
Confucius- In closing the five relationships are important to live in everyday life. Respect and love should be present in a day to day basis. Goals are ways to get through the tough time and have something to look forward to. If these minor things are considered than you can reach the highest goal of "superior man".
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Turn To Religion
Religion And Healthcare Should Mix, Study Says
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2007) — Research shows that religion and spirituality are linked to positive physical and mental health; however, most studies have focused on people with life threatening diseases. A new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that religion helps many individuals with disabilities adjust to their impairments and gives new meaning to their lives.
According to the study, persons facing impending death may use religion to help them accept their condition, come to terms with unresolved life issues, and prepare for death. However, the study suggests that religion may be an equally, if not more important, coping mechanism for persons with chronic disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and arthritis.
“Although many individuals with disabilities turn to religion to help them deal with their situations, to date, religion is infrequently discussed in rehabilitation settings and is rarely investigated in rehabilitation research. To better meet the needs of persons with disabilities, this needs to change,” said Brick Johnstone, professor of health psychology in the MU School of Health Professions.
The study notes that few practical suggestions exist for how to address religion in health care. Heath care providers should encourage religious practices important to individuals, such as yoga, reading of religious texts, meditation or laying on of hands. Students should be taught about various religious beliefs and how they might be used to the patients’ advantage in a rehabilitation setting.
“Although some professionals may feel uncomfortable obtaining information about patients’ religious beliefs, it is no different than inquiring about their sexual, psychological, substance use and legal histories,” said Johnstone, who also is the director of the MU Spirituality and Health Research Project at the MU Center on Religion and the Professions.
Praying with patients may be appropriate in some cases, according to the study. Rehabilitation psychologists, counselors and chaplains also should work together to initiate forgiveness interventions. Patients who were injured as the result of the actions of others may be better able to work toward recovery if they can use their religious beliefs to work through emotions surrounding the cause of the disability.
“It is also very important that rehabilitation professionals be aware of the different religious customs that should be considered when evaluating and treating patients, including information regarding the appropriateness of physical touching by others, preferences regarding gender specific services, dress and hygiene customs,” Johnstone said.
The study has been published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation. It was co-authored by Bret Glass, of the MU College of Education’s Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology and Richard Oliver, dean of the MU School of Health Professions. The study was conducted under the MU Center on Religion and the Professions, a $1.5 million center funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Adapted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023104134.htm
I choose to post this article because people have a tendency to turn to religion when all else fails. For example I used to work in a funeral home for over a year and I saw many different religious funerals and in some circumstances God was the last thing people turned to. One family in particular sticks out in my mind. We had a young woman around the age of 21 die and her mother blamed God. She actually walked up to me and asked me why did God this to her. She said “I go to church, I donate to different organizations, I pray everyday, why did God do this to me.” Unfortunately, her daughter died in a car accident, but by the end of the entire funeral I think she realized that God wasn’t punishing her, but religion was the last thing she wanted to think about. I felt so bad for this woman but the longer I worked there the more common this became.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2007) — Research shows that religion and spirituality are linked to positive physical and mental health; however, most studies have focused on people with life threatening diseases. A new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that religion helps many individuals with disabilities adjust to their impairments and gives new meaning to their lives.
According to the study, persons facing impending death may use religion to help them accept their condition, come to terms with unresolved life issues, and prepare for death. However, the study suggests that religion may be an equally, if not more important, coping mechanism for persons with chronic disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and arthritis.
“Although many individuals with disabilities turn to religion to help them deal with their situations, to date, religion is infrequently discussed in rehabilitation settings and is rarely investigated in rehabilitation research. To better meet the needs of persons with disabilities, this needs to change,” said Brick Johnstone, professor of health psychology in the MU School of Health Professions.
The study notes that few practical suggestions exist for how to address religion in health care. Heath care providers should encourage religious practices important to individuals, such as yoga, reading of religious texts, meditation or laying on of hands. Students should be taught about various religious beliefs and how they might be used to the patients’ advantage in a rehabilitation setting.
“Although some professionals may feel uncomfortable obtaining information about patients’ religious beliefs, it is no different than inquiring about their sexual, psychological, substance use and legal histories,” said Johnstone, who also is the director of the MU Spirituality and Health Research Project at the MU Center on Religion and the Professions.
Praying with patients may be appropriate in some cases, according to the study. Rehabilitation psychologists, counselors and chaplains also should work together to initiate forgiveness interventions. Patients who were injured as the result of the actions of others may be better able to work toward recovery if they can use their religious beliefs to work through emotions surrounding the cause of the disability.
“It is also very important that rehabilitation professionals be aware of the different religious customs that should be considered when evaluating and treating patients, including information regarding the appropriateness of physical touching by others, preferences regarding gender specific services, dress and hygiene customs,” Johnstone said.
The study has been published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation. It was co-authored by Bret Glass, of the MU College of Education’s Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology and Richard Oliver, dean of the MU School of Health Professions. The study was conducted under the MU Center on Religion and the Professions, a $1.5 million center funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Adapted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023104134.htm
I choose to post this article because people have a tendency to turn to religion when all else fails. For example I used to work in a funeral home for over a year and I saw many different religious funerals and in some circumstances God was the last thing people turned to. One family in particular sticks out in my mind. We had a young woman around the age of 21 die and her mother blamed God. She actually walked up to me and asked me why did God this to her. She said “I go to church, I donate to different organizations, I pray everyday, why did God do this to me.” Unfortunately, her daughter died in a car accident, but by the end of the entire funeral I think she realized that God wasn’t punishing her, but religion was the last thing she wanted to think about. I felt so bad for this woman but the longer I worked there the more common this became.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
BIG Questions
Hinduism
Hinduism is a religion that has many different beliefs. They are devoted to three major Gods. They get attention from the Gods when they worship at temple, offer sacrifices, praying, supporting the priests of temples and more. They believe strongly in reincarnation and life after death. They are born into a caste system which they can not get out of until rebirth. The only way they can get out of their caste system is if they fulfill their duties in their previous life; they will be reborn into a higher class. They are all trying to reach samsara. If they are able to accomplish that they have reached moksha. They think what they do in the life before will determine what caste system they will be reborn into in the next life. Karma is a big part of their religion. They believe in it very firmly, and they try to not build up any bad karma.
Jainism
Jainism is one of the few religions that does not have a God/leader. They believe in dual nature. They feel that the world is split into two parts; one being the jiva, meaning the soul (eternal) and the other is ajiva, which is matter (useless). They live by five vows: ahisma (non-injuries to all creatures,) always speak the truth, take everything that is given to you, renounce all sexual desire, and renounce all possessions and attachments including your family. They don’t believe in harming any creatures so they walk with a broom and sweep away any bugs they may have the chance to kill, this also goes with out saying they are vegetarians. Which also means that they are non-violent people all of the time. In addition they believe in karma and reincarnation. If they build up any karma they are bound to comeback in another life. They are responsible for their own actions and they must control themselves at all times
Sikhism
Interestingly this is one of the rare Indian religion that allow their followers to eat meat and cause harm to animals. However they also believe in karma and reincarnation. They believe that there is one and only one God. As well as they consider men, women and children to be equal, which most religions don’t recognize.
Buddhism
Buddhism is the largest and fastest growing religion in the United States. Buddhism practices the teachings of Buddha. He was at one time a very wealthy man that preferred to leave his home and practice Buddhism. While he was practicing he decided that there is no soul. There are two types of Buddhism. One example is Zen, which is based on meditation and the other is Tendai. Buddhism depends a lot on ones self. For example don’t trust what you hear, find out for yourself. There are also the four noble truths: life is dukkha, dukkha is cause by tanha, nirvana, and the eightfold path. Similar to other Indian religions this religion they also believe in reincarnation and karma. They believe that any bad karma from a pervious life will follow them into the next life. Considering they believe strongly in karma they constantly have to think positively.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
My Community
I live upstate about an hour and a half away and in my town my father held a political office for over eight years. Unfortunately when he was up for re-election the following term he was defeated. However he is up for election again this November and my entire family has been devoted to getting him re-elected. I don’t know if anyone is familiar with political terms but he lost due to a block vote.
Where I live the town is extremely divided. There are the people that live there all year round and than there’s the people that are only there for the summer months. The people that are there during the summer are Orthodox Jews. This causes a huge problem for the people in the town. When summer comes traffic increases, along with garbage there are more accidents and they also build more. This would normally be a good thing but considering they are taxed exempted the taxes for the other year round residents dramatically increased to the point that working families can barely afford it.
There is no problem with them coming upstate during the summer it’s the problem of the unbalance ness of the town. The year round residents don’t feel that they get the same privileges that that particular group gets. They are allowed to vote, buy and build on tax exempt land, and the like. This causes the summer months to have a lot of tension in the air.
I personally don’t have a problem with this group. However I don’t felt that they should get all of the advantages that they do.
But getting back to the election my family is working hard to get him elected again so that he can help bring these problems to a close. Although this election we are possibly facing another block vote we are going to continue our hard work and hopefully it will pay off.
During that rough time in my town Buddhism would help greatly. The teaching would unite all the residents and the summer visitors to one understanding. As of right now my town is cold (dead) and something needs to change. Hopefully with this election coming up and new people being elected (rebirth) it will unite the town and make the residents and the summer residents see eye to eye on some of the disagreements they’ve been having (reincarnation). Maybe Buddhism is what we need!
Where I live the town is extremely divided. There are the people that live there all year round and than there’s the people that are only there for the summer months. The people that are there during the summer are Orthodox Jews. This causes a huge problem for the people in the town. When summer comes traffic increases, along with garbage there are more accidents and they also build more. This would normally be a good thing but considering they are taxed exempted the taxes for the other year round residents dramatically increased to the point that working families can barely afford it.
There is no problem with them coming upstate during the summer it’s the problem of the unbalance ness of the town. The year round residents don’t feel that they get the same privileges that that particular group gets. They are allowed to vote, buy and build on tax exempt land, and the like. This causes the summer months to have a lot of tension in the air.
I personally don’t have a problem with this group. However I don’t felt that they should get all of the advantages that they do.
But getting back to the election my family is working hard to get him elected again so that he can help bring these problems to a close. Although this election we are possibly facing another block vote we are going to continue our hard work and hopefully it will pay off.
During that rough time in my town Buddhism would help greatly. The teaching would unite all the residents and the summer visitors to one understanding. As of right now my town is cold (dead) and something needs to change. Hopefully with this election coming up and new people being elected (rebirth) it will unite the town and make the residents and the summer residents see eye to eye on some of the disagreements they’ve been having (reincarnation). Maybe Buddhism is what we need!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Mohandas Gandhi
Last class as you all know we watched Gandhi, and we were able to see first hand how he worshiped instead of having to imagine it. He was born on October 2, 1869 in Purbandar in Gujarat. He was at one time before he became a preacher a lawyer. Mohandas Gandhi was able to untie his religion without using any type of violence. He practiced civil disobedience and non-violence to overcome the British. He was known as the “Father of the nation“.
He was an extremely religious man who believed in the higher power, as did most Hindus. One problem however in the Hindu religion they believe in the caste system; which Mohandas Gandhi did not. In fact he tried to do away with the system altogether. He believed that everyone is equal and it shouldn’t matter the class your in. For example in the movie he told his wife to set an extra place setting for a man she considered to be an “untouchable” and she refused. But Mohandas Gandhi didn’t see it the same way he simply viewed him as a man/person instead of an untouchable.
Mohandas Gandhi was a very powerful man, although he never used his power for his own benefit nor did he abuse his power or take advantage of it. Instead he tried to bond both the Muslims and the Hindus together.
He often would put the needs of others before his own. For example he fasted for a long period of time due to the fact that there was a violent protest causing the death of a police officer, causing him to want to end the protests altogether. He was a very determined man and refused to eat until everything was completely stopped. He did this for both self-purification and the protest. He nearly died of starvation and was willing to do it again if need be.
When everyone finally surrendered and he began to recover the British police arrested him as they’ve done in the past and took him to jail. He spent many days, nights and years in jail for what he believed in; and regardless of all the time he spent there, away from his friends, family and followers he never got discouraged or gave up, he merely continued his fight.
Although he was treated horribly at times he never stopped preaching non-violence. I think that he would consider himself a good Hindu considering the only thing he really disagreed with was the caste system. I too think he was a good Hindu. Gandhi had the opportunity to travel all over to educate people about his beliefs, and truly try to bring everyone together.
Unfortunately due to the his pure dedication to his religion it cost him his life. He was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in Delhi by a Hindu extremist. To leave behind his strong beliefs and well educated followers.
Hinduism is a very hard religion to follow and practice from day to day. Mohandas Gandhi was a well respected man that many Hindus looked to for guidance. He never took the respect he gained for granted and would never guild his people to harm. He was a committed leader to his followers and to his own beliefs.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Adapting to Peoples Needs
Hinduism adapts to the needs of all people. For example there are four different types of yoga. They consist of action yoga (karma), and risk takers yoga (raja), reflective yoga (jnana), emotional yoga (bhakti). They allow the person to express themselves in a way that works for them. Also this religion is large enough that there could be people devoted to practicing their religion faithfully like every minute of every day, day after day, while others may not be as devoted. Whereas, they believe in some but not all the beliefs Hindus believe in. I feel that I fit in the action yoga also known as Karma yoga. I must say I have a lot of respect for people that can practice their religion practically all day because I know that it would not be able to be one of those people. At least I don’t think I would be able to do it. Would you?
Hinduism
In the last class we talked about the different type of yoga there was. The four types were reflective yoga (jnana), emotional yoga (bhakti) , action yoga (karma), and risk takers yoga (raja). The majority of the class emotional yoga also known as jnana yoga. Hinduism is a very large spread religion. In fact it is one of the larges religions in the world. I think I am more of the Karma yoga. Yoga is a way that helps Hindu people manage certain situations. Although I am a Catholic I don’t believe in all the things that they do but I feel that is religion is very open to other religions. The people that practice this religion seem to be more laid back and they appear to handle some circumstances better. I know a girl that practices Hinduism and she very easy going and solely turns to her beliefs when ever something doesn’t go the way she expected. But the best part is she never blames anything or anybody for something going wrong she simply says she’ll do it better next time. I find that to be amazing and nearly impossible for me. I defiantly look up to her in that manner.
Monday, September 24, 2007
An African Creation Story
“An African Creation Story”
In class we were split into a number of groups and were responsible for explaining a story we were assigned. That was the same class we went over what taboo, magic, sacrifice, totemism and more was. All the stories were really interesting and hard to understand the first time you read them. It took time to break the story down and figure out what the real meaning was.
An African Creation Story was about a person named Bumba who was in terrible pain and didn’t know why. He strained and vomited up the sun, the moon, and the stars. But he was still in pain still he was unsure why. Later he vomited up nine living creatures that consisted of the leopard named Koy Bumba, the crested eagle named Pongo Bumba, the crocodile named Ganda Bumba, one little fish, Yo, Kono Bumba the tortoise, Tsetse the white heron, one beetle, Nyanyi Bumba, Budi the goat, and lastly men.
However there was only one white man like Bumba and his name was Loko Yima. All the creatures that Bumba vomited up produced other creatures. With this happening it caused all the creatures on earth to be made, from insects to animal with horns.
Finally when all the creatures were all made Bumba walked through the villages and said to the people “Behold these wonders. They belong to you.” With this being completed it made Bumba the “Creator, the First Ancestor”.
In this story some elements that were used were animism, ancestor veneration, myth, and rite of passage. This story opened my eyes to realizing that there could be countless ways a person could interpret this story. I came to this realization when I was talking amongst my group and there were so many different ideas and interpretations we came up with.
In class we were split into a number of groups and were responsible for explaining a story we were assigned. That was the same class we went over what taboo, magic, sacrifice, totemism and more was. All the stories were really interesting and hard to understand the first time you read them. It took time to break the story down and figure out what the real meaning was.
An African Creation Story was about a person named Bumba who was in terrible pain and didn’t know why. He strained and vomited up the sun, the moon, and the stars. But he was still in pain still he was unsure why. Later he vomited up nine living creatures that consisted of the leopard named Koy Bumba, the crested eagle named Pongo Bumba, the crocodile named Ganda Bumba, one little fish, Yo, Kono Bumba the tortoise, Tsetse the white heron, one beetle, Nyanyi Bumba, Budi the goat, and lastly men.
However there was only one white man like Bumba and his name was Loko Yima. All the creatures that Bumba vomited up produced other creatures. With this happening it caused all the creatures on earth to be made, from insects to animal with horns.
Finally when all the creatures were all made Bumba walked through the villages and said to the people “Behold these wonders. They belong to you.” With this being completed it made Bumba the “Creator, the First Ancestor”.
In this story some elements that were used were animism, ancestor veneration, myth, and rite of passage. This story opened my eyes to realizing that there could be countless ways a person could interpret this story. I came to this realization when I was talking amongst my group and there were so many different ideas and interpretations we came up with.
Second Life
This project was really interesting, I never knew that websites like this existed. Its cool that you can talk to people all over the world and not be in an AOL chat room. At first it was really confusing on how to get it started and than I had a problem downloading it. But when I finally got the hang of it I started to enjoy it.
While I was on the website I got the chance to talk to several people. All together I talked to about seven people. It was some what hard because not everyone spoke English. But I got that chance to chat with people from all over the world like England, Belgium, Brazil, Turkey and more.
The first person that I talked to was from England her name was Lexie Heslop. She was religious but didn't go to church often although she was raised Christian. She never considered switching religions, however at the same time she was open minded and willing to learning about other religions.
The second person I interviewed was from Belgium and his name was Samy Pimazzo, he was 27 and was a spiritual person. He said living over there is very different and that has a lot to do with why he’s not religious but he didn’t go into detail. He also said that people imagine God and that Gods not real.
The third and final person I chatted with was from Brazil and her name was Monigue Rieko and she was also a spiritual person. She said that religion is not a good thing where she comes from. But as far as her opinion it was up to the person and where in Brazil they came from along with how they felt and the way they were raised. She also mentioned that she was dating someone that was really religious and that she was open to it.
As much as I enjoyed this assignment it was quite difficult to talk to people that dint speak English, and also at the same time not really interested in what I was trying to do. I also ran into someone, I don’t remember where they were from and they asked me where I was from and when I told them the US the said “Twin Towers….haha” which got me mad, but there was nothing I could really do about it. But other than that I liked it a lot.
While I was on the website I got the chance to talk to several people. All together I talked to about seven people. It was some what hard because not everyone spoke English. But I got that chance to chat with people from all over the world like England, Belgium, Brazil, Turkey and more.
The first person that I talked to was from England her name was Lexie Heslop. She was religious but didn't go to church often although she was raised Christian. She never considered switching religions, however at the same time she was open minded and willing to learning about other religions.
The second person I interviewed was from Belgium and his name was Samy Pimazzo, he was 27 and was a spiritual person. He said living over there is very different and that has a lot to do with why he’s not religious but he didn’t go into detail. He also said that people imagine God and that Gods not real.
The third and final person I chatted with was from Brazil and her name was Monigue Rieko and she was also a spiritual person. She said that religion is not a good thing where she comes from. But as far as her opinion it was up to the person and where in Brazil they came from along with how they felt and the way they were raised. She also mentioned that she was dating someone that was really religious and that she was open to it.
As much as I enjoyed this assignment it was quite difficult to talk to people that dint speak English, and also at the same time not really interested in what I was trying to do. I also ran into someone, I don’t remember where they were from and they asked me where I was from and when I told them the US the said “Twin Towers….haha” which got me mad, but there was nothing I could really do about it. But other than that I liked it a lot.
"Belief-O-Matic"
Hi everyone here are the results of my survey. The results shocked me a little because I am Roman Catholic and to get 100% on Jehovah Witness and than a 98% on Orthodox Judaism it was not what I was expecting. Although taking this survey it made me more aware of other religions and how closely they could be related to my religion.
1.
Jehovah's Witness (100%)
2.
Orthodox Judaism (98%)
3.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (95%)
4.
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (91%)
5.
Bahá'í Faith (90%)
6.
Sikhism (85%)
7.
Islam (84%)
8.
Eastern Orthodox (84%)
9.
Roman Catholic (84%)
10.
Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (80%)
11.
Liberal Quakers (79%)
12.
Orthodox Quaker (78%)
13.
Reform Judaism (77%)
14.
Unitarian Universalism (61%)
15.
Seventh Day Adventist (59%)
16.
Jainism (52%)
17.
Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (48%)
18.
Hinduism (48%)
19.
Mahayana Buddhism (45%)
20.
Neo-Pagan (45%)
21.
New Age (44%)
22.
Theravada Buddhism (43%)
23.
New Thought (42%)
24.
Scientology (35%)
25.
Secular Humanism (34%)
26.
Taoism (26%)
27.
Nontheist (19%)
As far as the statement that Shaw made I do agree with it in a way. For example I’m Roman Catholic and I see a lot of similarities between my religion and other religions. For instance Catholics and Protestants believe in almost the same things with very little difference. Whereas Judaism and Roman Catholics also have similar beliefs, although one believes that the messiah already came while the other religion is still waiting for it to come. Not saying that the messiah is the only difference but is a major difference between theses two religions. On the other hand I don’t agree with him because there are several religions that believe in more than one God which causes me to disagree with his statement. No one religion is right or wrong its just a matter of what the person believes in.
1.
Jehovah's Witness (100%)
2.
Orthodox Judaism (98%)
3.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (95%)
4.
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (91%)
5.
Bahá'í Faith (90%)
6.
Sikhism (85%)
7.
Islam (84%)
8.
Eastern Orthodox (84%)
9.
Roman Catholic (84%)
10.
Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (80%)
11.
Liberal Quakers (79%)
12.
Orthodox Quaker (78%)
13.
Reform Judaism (77%)
14.
Unitarian Universalism (61%)
15.
Seventh Day Adventist (59%)
16.
Jainism (52%)
17.
Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (48%)
18.
Hinduism (48%)
19.
Mahayana Buddhism (45%)
20.
Neo-Pagan (45%)
21.
New Age (44%)
22.
Theravada Buddhism (43%)
23.
New Thought (42%)
24.
Scientology (35%)
25.
Secular Humanism (34%)
26.
Taoism (26%)
27.
Nontheist (19%)
As far as the statement that Shaw made I do agree with it in a way. For example I’m Roman Catholic and I see a lot of similarities between my religion and other religions. For instance Catholics and Protestants believe in almost the same things with very little difference. Whereas Judaism and Roman Catholics also have similar beliefs, although one believes that the messiah already came while the other religion is still waiting for it to come. Not saying that the messiah is the only difference but is a major difference between theses two religions. On the other hand I don’t agree with him because there are several religions that believe in more than one God which causes me to disagree with his statement. No one religion is right or wrong its just a matter of what the person believes in.
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