TIBETAN MEDITATION

Religion for some people is what they base their life on; it’s their core and what they turn to when they need that motivation and push to carry on in life. I on the other hand like to explore different things and experience all possibilities before I say I believe in something and really have no idea what it is really about. I took a chance with going to the Tibetan meditation because it was something that would be very new to me, I have experienced yoga before at the Cary Street Gym but other than that I have not had any real meditation experiences. Going to a real meditation typesetting made me really nervous all I could think about was what if I chant the wrong words, which I did anyway or what is it exactly that I am suppose to feel. I asked myself is it playing around if I don’t get to the place that everyone else does, many people take their meditation serious and could be particular about what goes on around them when they are actually doing it. I took a friend along with me to calm my nerves, having somewhere there with me sharing the same experience put me at ease. In doing the meditation I had a lot of questions. One in particular that we spent time talking about was how to clear your bind of all thoughts during meditation you are suppose to be free of everything at peace with oneself. As we talked as a group we discussed how you don’t get rid of anything that goes on in your head but recognize it only as a mere thought, acknowledge that it came in your mind and leave it at that. We talked of how when you use your five senses you often exaggerate the emotion the example of a coke was used. When you taste a coke some people taste would say that it is the best thing in the world but another would say it’s too sweet or bitter but in all actuality it should taste the same to everyone but you lead yourself to believe that taste you have is right and should be like that to everyone. I took a lot from that one session but it is not something that I could practice. I often found myself drifting off and focusing on unnecessary things when I shouldn’t have been, I have a very short attention span; the idea of it however was a good experience. The setting of the room was amazing it look just like what I see on TV. It was a surprise for me to see so many African Americans its not usual for that type of scene on TV. and movies. Everything about the experience was interesting but I have to say I will not go back an experience was all it was meant to be.

Kurosawa's "The Tunnel"

In Kurosawa’s film “Dreams” under “The Tunnel” section there is a man who counteracts with a former soldier of his who died in active war, the soldier does not believe his death and has to be reassure that the story that make him think he is alive was all a dream. Once he has realized that he is actually dead he return with the whole army where they are then told that they all died in war and that it is time for them to return back to a place where they could be at peace, the commander feels he sent them out to die and says “I honestly wish I would have died with you”. He realizes that he has dishonored his troops and should be punished for it by losing his life as well he feels as if he does not deserve to live. At the end of the scene a dog awkwardly reappears and frantically bark and hiss at him and it seems as if the commander wants the dog to take his life as he believe he did to his soldiers. I believe this part of the movie Dreams is related to different parts of the Shinto religion one of which is the Shinto creation myth. The myth tells about the separation of heaven and earth and how after separation Kami would flit in and out of existence, this relates to “the tunnel” by way that the soldier has died and has probably went to heaven for his good deed of fighting for his men but has return to earth hoping that the reality is that he never died. The whole scene itself can be related to the belief that everything is spiritual and humanity, nature, and the spirits or gods all interact. There is also a relation to two of the Shinto ethics, those actions that create harmonious relationships in home and society (soldiers fighting for their homeland) and that loyalty to the country is an action that is superior to many.  Though the scene was not very long at all it provided many aspects of the Shinto religion and gave you an idea of what it was a about in a simple way.

The Tao of "Pooh Way"

The Tao of Pooh was difficult for me to understand at times when references were being made to ancient Chinese and philosophers but it became much more simplistic when the context was referenced to Winnie-the-pooh. I am one who finds religion as a very hard concept to understand but I like the way this book goes into detail with the meanings of words and how it is viewed or analogized by the typical American and then by the scientist that thinks they have the answers to everything. Reading the book has made it easier for me to understand the concept of Taoism and how it is all basically about how you need to let life happen, that there are always going to be things that you don’t like about yourself but if you try to change them or get rid of them you will make the problem bigger whereas if you work on simply making that trait better and allowing it to be a part of you it will come in handy and be used at the perfect time. This will help you see that things do happen for a reason and if you work as hard as you do to eliminate certain characteristics that you don’t like about yourself as you do to make them work for you than life would be much easier and gratifying.

From now on I will call myself a busy backson; it’s not a hard title to gain being a college student. My ideal of a college student turned out to be not what I had hoped for. I am always on the go and when I do get time to myself it is often wasted on sleep. I feel as if I worry more than I should and that Just as I many Americans should give themselves this title because Americans like to hold on to time that can’t be held on to the reality is that time waits for no one and everyone knows that but they still try to put life on hold until they are ready to move forward. Life is a struggle and I feel it will always be hard to find a balance.

From the perspective of The Tao of Pooh the concept of Taoism is very understandable and could be a very good solution to the problem that our American culture face, but then it brings the question of “What would the world be like if everyone in the world had no care at all, they just let things happen”? Could Americans survive in this age with concepts of Wu Wei? Personally the idea of Taoism is the way I would like to live my life. Being stressed about things you have no control over, or working hard to avoid things that shouldn’t be avoided all begins to be too much and you waste time trying to make this perfect life whereas if you just allow yourself to experience life it would be so much better and gratifying to people, but how do you control your actions in a way that would allow you to do so. In the Tao of Pooh there was a lot of significant analysis that caught my attention. Sometimes you make sacrifices but in the American society those sacrifices that you choose the make will get you in trouble forget about it being the way of life for example “everything has its own place and function, stuck in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or wrong house. When you know and respect your inner nature, you know where you belong”. (pg.41) This statement suggest that if you feel that your job or marriage is not where you want to be then get out of it but what happens when you can’t afford a place to live that way of life is not going to be so great after all. So, how do you know or decide what’s best. Throughout the book Pooh is living the “way of pooh” living life just the way it is, not putting too much thought into the things he do or should I say not second guessing himself being clever and the other characteristics always doubt him or say his ideas are stupid when he always come out on top just living life the way it is, how does one find that point in their life where they are comfortable enough to drop everything and just live.

Buddhism Response

We hear stereotypes everyday about religions, the thing I found common as far as a stereotype for Buddhism was with Jainism. I personally always thought meditation when I thought about Buddhism and the fact that majority of them practice celibacy, which is not something that is overlooked. I feel that many Americans think of Yoga (Hinduism) when they think of meditation as a way to relive stress, at least that is what I would imagine. In class we discussed the idea that when a person meditates they clear all things form their mind, they have no thought at all but how is that even possible I could not wrap my head around that concept but that is how they reach enlightment. Buddhist is not supposed to have any negative thoughts or think at all for that matter. In finding a picture or visual of some sort to embed it was not that hard to find, I found a clip for the Simpsons where Lisa provides the perfect example of Ahimsa.

The conversation began with Bart stating “How come you don’t get mad when I torment real animals” “I do it enrages me” Lisa said “I thought you Hindus were supposed to love everybody” “I’m a freaking Buddhist!” In this clip from the Simpsons the stereotype was made toward Buddhist saying that all Buddhist cause no harm to animals which somewhat true, however not every Buddhist will live up to this. The statement made by Bart saying how come you don’t get made when I hurt real animals was referring to Ahimsa, one of the principles of Jainism. Ahimsa is the principle of non-injury, doing no harm at all especially to animals Buddhist believe that all living things are connected.

In Brad Warner’s book Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate he talks about how Zazen (meditating) becomes your life he states “Meals are served in a formal style with a lot of chanting, and specific rules on how to eat, when to stop eating, and how to clean after yourself .. . . . . The idea is that even meals become Zen practices”(pg.122). I am not so convinced or sold on the idea of Buddhism because I feel as if you are living life but not experiencing it. In Hinduism you were able to reach liberation on your own time at your own paste while being able to experience life i.e. the four aims and when you were ready to move on you did, however in Buddhism there is celibacy, you barley eat, and you spend majority of your time meditating, your life to me is empty no excitement at all. Brad Warner proves my point when he talks about the sutra in chapter 8 he says “ All dharmas are marked with emptiness . . . no feelings, perceptions, impulses, or consciousness”. So what actually is the enlightment for them?

Blog 2 Assignment Response

Success and liberation to me can often be one in the same. One that has reached there successful peak can often feel liberated and accomplished. In the Hindu religion liberation is the feeling of being, experiencing the feeling of awareness, happiness, and joy. Liberation is reaching that one thing that we really want in life, but how exactly do we determine what that is.

Determining what songs actually went with what aim was more difficult than the last blog, however I found that the liberation aim was more prevalent. It was easier for me to find and relate to songs that was related to being happy, feeling like life was going just like one could imagine it, with no worries and or frustration. Jennifer Hudson’s “Giving Myself over” I felt was a very good song for liberation because it explains how she wants to free herself, give everything within her to find and be loved. Hudson says she is so happy that she feels she is living out her life’s destiny and she no longer has to run away because she is giving her body and soul over and living her life to the fullest, she is at that point in her life where she feels liberated.

I felt the success aim was more focused on materialistic things, it related very closely to the aim of pleasure. It was another on of those wanting what you want and when you want it. Fame, money, power, and sex are all materialistic. One can feel liberation through these things but for how long, just like in the Hindu religion each aim was like a phase it never last for long it eventually gets old and one then wants to experience complete liberation through a means of happiness and fulfillment of life not materialist items. Because success is everywhere and well recognized I was very surprised that it was harder for me to find songs that would relate, this in part was because there are more songs in our culture today that would fit perfect in this category and my main focus was to be original and not have songs that someone already had.

Liberation Aim

India Arie "The Little Things" R&B
Jennifer Hudson "Giving Myself Over" R&B
Lauryn Hill "Ex-Factor" R&B
Lauryn Hill "Nothing Even Matters" R&B
India. Arie "Chocolate High" R&B