Hey everyone,
I am presenting my paper topic on the 22nd, however I’d love to get your thoughts and suggestions on my topic now so I can get a jumpstart on things!
I’d love to do my paper on Exorcism. I think it is really interesting from a psychological standpoint and am excited to soak up some info about it.
So far, here are some interesting things I’ve learned:
1. Some religions require you be exorcised (of what I’m not sure yet) before you are baptized.
2. There can be an exorcism of a ghost from a property or location – but not necessarily from a person – in the event of a haunting.
3. A demon can be exorcised from a human in the event of a demonic possession (and this is the most widely-known version of an exorcism).
4. If a loved one has died abruptly, some eastern cultures will hold an exorcism of the spirit so they don’t stay trapped on earth.
I think I’ll be focusing on demonic possession and the psychological factors involved, the religions that embrace/acknowledge it, the signs and symptoms and the process of exorcising.
What do you guys think of it? Have any of you had any experience with exorcism or known someone who has? If so, what was it like and what religion are you/are they? If you haven’t had any experience with it, what do you think about it regardless?
I’d love to get your feedback, so please feel free to comment!
Thanks everyone :)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Abi'l Khayr
This was a beautiful passage. I almost felt as though it would be a slow and steady, serene speech that would hit you to the core had you heard it aloud.
The part that really called to me the most was the very last page of the passage. It started out with “If men wish to draw near to God, they must seek him in the hearts of men.” Where have I heard that before? All over! We have seen this over and over that God is within each of us and what a beautiful sentiment it is to simply have to look into the hearts of one another to find what we are looking for.
What really struck me, however, was what followed. “They should speak well of all men … if they themselves seek to be a light to guide others … they must show the same face to all.” Like all of the other obvious but difficult sayings we’ve heard before, this one seems so basic. Still, somehow it can be so difficult for some people. It really spurred some thinking, though. If we show the same face to all does that mean we act the same way with everyone? I am googly and silly when I baby-sit, I am intellectual and quick-witted with my friends, goofy and loud with my sister and a little bit of everything with my boyfriend. I’m reserved and shy around the in-laws and new people. Does that mean I am not showing the same face? Or does it really imply that I am true to myself always and from that everyone can see I never stray from who I really am? I think it is the latter. If I am goofy, silly, loud, quiet or witty it doesn’t matter as long as I am always willing to help, always ready to keep someone from getting hurt, always willing to laugh away tears and always myself. All my moods are aspects of who I am and never affect my values and morals.
What do you think?
The part that really called to me the most was the very last page of the passage. It started out with “If men wish to draw near to God, they must seek him in the hearts of men.” Where have I heard that before? All over! We have seen this over and over that God is within each of us and what a beautiful sentiment it is to simply have to look into the hearts of one another to find what we are looking for.
What really struck me, however, was what followed. “They should speak well of all men … if they themselves seek to be a light to guide others … they must show the same face to all.” Like all of the other obvious but difficult sayings we’ve heard before, this one seems so basic. Still, somehow it can be so difficult for some people. It really spurred some thinking, though. If we show the same face to all does that mean we act the same way with everyone? I am googly and silly when I baby-sit, I am intellectual and quick-witted with my friends, goofy and loud with my sister and a little bit of everything with my boyfriend. I’m reserved and shy around the in-laws and new people. Does that mean I am not showing the same face? Or does it really imply that I am true to myself always and from that everyone can see I never stray from who I really am? I think it is the latter. If I am goofy, silly, loud, quiet or witty it doesn’t matter as long as I am always willing to help, always ready to keep someone from getting hurt, always willing to laugh away tears and always myself. All my moods are aspects of who I am and never affect my values and morals.
What do you think?
Huang Po in the Buddhahood
I laughed when I read the first part of this passage; not because it was humorous or light-hearted, but because it seems so simple. It makes so much sense though and seems so right. “It has no color or shape, neither exists nor doesn’t exist … It is what you see in front of you.” How can that be? It is everything and nothing and is right in front of us? What a clever riddle. It is hard to understand yet innately understood all at the same time and is an unanswerable riddle.
I also loved the part that said, “there is no distinction between Buddha and ordinary beings, except that ordinary beings are attached to forms and thus seek for Buddhahood outside themselves.” Buddhahood is such an awesome term in the first place, but overall it is an amazing concept. I think it is so true that humans often (not always) need something to hold onto and it manifests as a form of higher power.
“They don’t know that all they have to do is put a stop to conceptual thinking.” That is so true in so many aspects of life. Stop overanalyzing things and they usually work themselves out. Stop worrying about something and it either goes away or gets better. Really, stop following your brain all the time and follow your heart.
I think my favorite line from the first paragraph (which was my favorite overall) was the last line. “It is not any less for being manifested in ordinary beings, nor any greater for being manifested in Buddha.” That says so much. People often think themselves unworthy of things because they are not God and put a separation between them and their higher being, but it is unnecessary. We are all part of the same thing and no one thing or being is greater or less than another and we need to remember that and carry it with us.
I also loved the part that said, “there is no distinction between Buddha and ordinary beings, except that ordinary beings are attached to forms and thus seek for Buddhahood outside themselves.” Buddhahood is such an awesome term in the first place, but overall it is an amazing concept. I think it is so true that humans often (not always) need something to hold onto and it manifests as a form of higher power.
“They don’t know that all they have to do is put a stop to conceptual thinking.” That is so true in so many aspects of life. Stop overanalyzing things and they usually work themselves out. Stop worrying about something and it either goes away or gets better. Really, stop following your brain all the time and follow your heart.
I think my favorite line from the first paragraph (which was my favorite overall) was the last line. “It is not any less for being manifested in ordinary beings, nor any greater for being manifested in Buddha.” That says so much. People often think themselves unworthy of things because they are not God and put a separation between them and their higher being, but it is unnecessary. We are all part of the same thing and no one thing or being is greater or less than another and we need to remember that and carry it with us.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Albert Einstein
I thought all of Einstein’s passages were really enlightening. In his first passage he said, “[He] who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead.” Socrates said “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Both say something similar, if not the same thing. If you can no longer take the time to stop in wonder and appreciate the world around you, why are you living? What is the purpose? To live like a drone with no emotion? Slow down, give in to your curiosity and run with it for a while. Most people find they are pleasantly surprised when they do.
Einstein also said a few things that really reminded me of Buddhism. First he said, “The true nature of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self.” And secondly, he talked about how “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature.” Amen! It sounded like something right out of our Buddhism lecture. It also made me think of how interesting it was the he referred to the illusion of consciousness as a prison and suggested we needed to be free of it. Why would we need to be free of our illusory consciousness? It is what we live through every day and often don’t know how to live any other way. His answer is to embrace everything and anything with compassion. How simple. Get over yourself, your drama, your problems, your desire, your life and simply love and be loved. It sounds pretty Utopian, I suppose, and reminds me of the question “Can’t we all just get along?” But it is so necessary. Really, just have an open mind and don’t judge others – accept them, help them, love them and appreciate it all.
Einstein also said a few things that really reminded me of Buddhism. First he said, “The true nature of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self.” And secondly, he talked about how “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature.” Amen! It sounded like something right out of our Buddhism lecture. It also made me think of how interesting it was the he referred to the illusion of consciousness as a prison and suggested we needed to be free of it. Why would we need to be free of our illusory consciousness? It is what we live through every day and often don’t know how to live any other way. His answer is to embrace everything and anything with compassion. How simple. Get over yourself, your drama, your problems, your desire, your life and simply love and be loved. It sounds pretty Utopian, I suppose, and reminds me of the question “Can’t we all just get along?” But it is so necessary. Really, just have an open mind and don’t judge others – accept them, help them, love them and appreciate it all.
Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau rocks. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence. Isn’t that so true? If you ever get the chance to simply go for a walk, watch a sunset, cook an amazing meal that takes all day (or any number of time-consuming and yet simply things) you’d understand exactly what Thoreau is saying. The fact that I was annoyed with my homework doesn’t matter – the fact that I am able to do and understand it is what matters. The fact that we have to rush to our next class doesn’t matter – the fact that we are mobile and willing matters and we should never forget that. Aches and pains don’t faze me – I’m grateful to be alive.
Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more than men, who fail to live it worthily, but who think they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I thought about that quote for a long time and tried to decipher what I really was able to take from it. Basically, just because you are older doesn’t mean you are wiser and because you have experience doesn’t mean you can feel and appreciate life. Children see the world so much more simply and are able to truly live because they aren’t bogged down by daily burdens and “experience.” If we can lift the bias of life we have that comes with experience from our minds then we, too, can live freely.
God himself culminates in the present moment. Live life in the moment, for it is always the best!
Thoreau really is spreading simple messages: slow down and appreciate the greatest things in life. Free your mind so that you can internalize the appreciation and always live in the moment so life is always at its best. Sounds good to me.
Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more than men, who fail to live it worthily, but who think they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I thought about that quote for a long time and tried to decipher what I really was able to take from it. Basically, just because you are older doesn’t mean you are wiser and because you have experience doesn’t mean you can feel and appreciate life. Children see the world so much more simply and are able to truly live because they aren’t bogged down by daily burdens and “experience.” If we can lift the bias of life we have that comes with experience from our minds then we, too, can live freely.
God himself culminates in the present moment. Live life in the moment, for it is always the best!
Thoreau really is spreading simple messages: slow down and appreciate the greatest things in life. Free your mind so that you can internalize the appreciation and always live in the moment so life is always at its best. Sounds good to me.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Heraclitus
The author prefaces this passage with “Heraclitus seems like a Zen Master in a toga.” I literally laughed out loud at that one. For some reason I pictured a young guy in a toga saying, “Dude, Heraclitus is totally like a Zen Master in a toga.” Aside from how ridiculous that sounded (I know), I have to say I think it is completely true.
Heraclitus’ statements seem so stupidly simple, but it is all something we take for granted. “The sun is new every day.” Well, duh. But how often, really, do we take in a beautiful sunrise and feel the sense of appreciation well up within ourselves? Probably never for most of us. Not only does the sun rise, but it provides the light the world needs to survive, it warms our skin, improves our mood and is a constant we can’t take for granted.
“It is in change that things find rest.” I couldn’t agree more. From my personal experience, I’ve found this concept to be increasingly true. I’ve moved quite a few times, made new friends, my relationships within my family have changed, etc. Through all of it I’ve found myself, and in doing so, I feel at peace and at home no matter what changes are going on around me. If people can accept that the only thing constant is change, then it will be no surprise – or inconvenience – when it happens. It will simply be life and you live through it. That is one of the most important things I’ve learned in my life and has made coping with some very stressful situations much easier.
I think Heraclitus has nailed it on the head.
Heraclitus’ statements seem so stupidly simple, but it is all something we take for granted. “The sun is new every day.” Well, duh. But how often, really, do we take in a beautiful sunrise and feel the sense of appreciation well up within ourselves? Probably never for most of us. Not only does the sun rise, but it provides the light the world needs to survive, it warms our skin, improves our mood and is a constant we can’t take for granted.
“It is in change that things find rest.” I couldn’t agree more. From my personal experience, I’ve found this concept to be increasingly true. I’ve moved quite a few times, made new friends, my relationships within my family have changed, etc. Through all of it I’ve found myself, and in doing so, I feel at peace and at home no matter what changes are going on around me. If people can accept that the only thing constant is change, then it will be no surprise – or inconvenience – when it happens. It will simply be life and you live through it. That is one of the most important things I’ve learned in my life and has made coping with some very stressful situations much easier.
I think Heraclitus has nailed it on the head.
Shoutout to Maximus
In the preface for this passage the author writes, “May his lovely tolerance be an example for us all.” That is so true! It sets a beautiful example of how people could see the world. And, it doesn’t necessarily pertain to only people of Western religions, either.
Maximus said “But we, being unable to apprehend his essence, use the help of sounds and names and pictures … beaten gold and … of plants and rivers.” I’ve heard people say “God made the mountains” or “God is in the mountains” but for some reason it offers up a completely different perspective to think of it as Maximus puts it. Instead of thinking of a man sitting somewhere in heaven making things, it gives a better visual of an essence that permeates all things. It is easier to wrap my mind around that for some reason, which is really nice.
Maximus also goes on to say “Let men know what is divine. Let them know. That is all.” That struck me like a lightening bolt. In my experience, there are far too many people who not only try to let you know what is divine, but they often go to invasive lengths to try to convince you. They do not simply let you know, let you simmer on it and make your own decision about it – instead, they go a little too far and it borders forceful. When that happens, and someone feels a belief forced upon them, they often become close-minded as a personal defense. However, if they were merely informed, their minds would remain open and the message would truly get across. “Only let them know, let them love, let them remember.”
Maximus said “But we, being unable to apprehend his essence, use the help of sounds and names and pictures … beaten gold and … of plants and rivers.” I’ve heard people say “God made the mountains” or “God is in the mountains” but for some reason it offers up a completely different perspective to think of it as Maximus puts it. Instead of thinking of a man sitting somewhere in heaven making things, it gives a better visual of an essence that permeates all things. It is easier to wrap my mind around that for some reason, which is really nice.
Maximus also goes on to say “Let men know what is divine. Let them know. That is all.” That struck me like a lightening bolt. In my experience, there are far too many people who not only try to let you know what is divine, but they often go to invasive lengths to try to convince you. They do not simply let you know, let you simmer on it and make your own decision about it – instead, they go a little too far and it borders forceful. When that happens, and someone feels a belief forced upon them, they often become close-minded as a personal defense. However, if they were merely informed, their minds would remain open and the message would truly get across. “Only let them know, let them love, let them remember.”
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Rumi
First of all, I love Rumi. I received a book of Rumi’s quotations as a gift and I immediately fell in love with it. It has continually been inspirational and it never lets me down.
This particular passage was just as amazing as the others I’ve read of his. The first thing that cracked me up was the embryo conversation. That was just hilarious! As funny as it was, though, it brought up a really good point. “I only know what I’ve experienced. You must be hallucinated.” I’m taking a philosophy class and we’ve talked about this concept for a while now. All of us only know what we experience for ourselves and we will never know what anyone else experiences. We can describe what we feel, think, see, hear, but it will never be the same as experiencing it ourselves.
Another passage that I loved was passage about the person knocking at the Friend’s door. I literally laughed out loud. “There is no place for raw meat at this table.” What does that even mean? It reminded me of meat-wad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. (Does anyone know what I’m talking about?) On a serious note, though, it was explained with “Nothing but the fire of separation can change hypocrisy and ego.” So, the man, completely cooked (not baked), returned to the Friend and was accepted. He was accepted as “my Self” and it told us that when we can pass through the fire of separation and let go of material things and unnecessary emotions we can be one with the Friend. And it doesn’t matter if the Friend is God or enlightenment, it is still the same!
This particular passage was just as amazing as the others I’ve read of his. The first thing that cracked me up was the embryo conversation. That was just hilarious! As funny as it was, though, it brought up a really good point. “I only know what I’ve experienced. You must be hallucinated.” I’m taking a philosophy class and we’ve talked about this concept for a while now. All of us only know what we experience for ourselves and we will never know what anyone else experiences. We can describe what we feel, think, see, hear, but it will never be the same as experiencing it ourselves.
Another passage that I loved was passage about the person knocking at the Friend’s door. I literally laughed out loud. “There is no place for raw meat at this table.” What does that even mean? It reminded me of meat-wad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. (Does anyone know what I’m talking about?) On a serious note, though, it was explained with “Nothing but the fire of separation can change hypocrisy and ego.” So, the man, completely cooked (not baked), returned to the Friend and was accepted. He was accepted as “my Self” and it told us that when we can pass through the fire of separation and let go of material things and unnecessary emotions we can be one with the Friend. And it doesn’t matter if the Friend is God or enlightenment, it is still the same!
Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
What a beautiful piece of writing! The entire piece was very beautifully written and insightful, but the first paragraph really stood out to me. Not only does it start off by talking about beauty, which is always a pleasant beginning, but it looks at it on a deeper level. “All beauty is loved by those who are able to perceive beauty, for the perception of beauty is a delight in itself.” What a simple observation. People love to look at pleasant things and are drawn to beauty, but don’t think about why they love it. It is, indeed, the perception which is the joy itself. It makes me happy to see a beautiful flower arrangement or the brilliant teal my fiancé’s eyes turn when the sun hits them. (Googly, sorry.) But it is nice to lay my eyes upon it all.
Aside from the mushiness, though, I think it makes a really valid point. If you do not choose to see beauty around you, you will not see it. If you can see beauty around you – even if there is none – you will find joy in it. It says a lot about people’s outlooks on life. I know people who are constantly negative and bring people down around them for no reason. And, when surrounded by something beautiful or down-right awesome they fail to see it. They can’t bring themselves to find pleasure in it.
The writing conveyed the message that if you find beauty in all things, and it is natural to love it, then you can love the All-Beautiful, which is God. But no matter way you look at it – involving God or not – isn’t a much better way of life to find the beauty in things anyway? If you can’t see the good and beauty in things and appreciate them, where does it get you? Nowhere. But if you can see the greatness in things, where does it get you? Everywhere. Why is that? Because by seeing the greatness in all things, you appreciate life and nothing can bring you down.
Aside from the mushiness, though, I think it makes a really valid point. If you do not choose to see beauty around you, you will not see it. If you can see beauty around you – even if there is none – you will find joy in it. It says a lot about people’s outlooks on life. I know people who are constantly negative and bring people down around them for no reason. And, when surrounded by something beautiful or down-right awesome they fail to see it. They can’t bring themselves to find pleasure in it.
The writing conveyed the message that if you find beauty in all things, and it is natural to love it, then you can love the All-Beautiful, which is God. But no matter way you look at it – involving God or not – isn’t a much better way of life to find the beauty in things anyway? If you can’t see the good and beauty in things and appreciate them, where does it get you? Nowhere. But if you can see the greatness in things, where does it get you? Everywhere. Why is that? Because by seeing the greatness in all things, you appreciate life and nothing can bring you down.
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