See directions in the Useful Things area to the right. No two people in the same class can do the same deity, and so reserve your god or goddess in the Comments to this post. Make sure to say what period you're in.
There are millions of deities to choose from, but here's one list you might pick from.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Chapter 5 posts
Notice that what we mean by "yoga" is different from what Krishna means. A yoga is a path to God (our word "yoke" comes from it), to yoke the Atman to the Brahman.
Images used in these posts are from Wikimedia Commons.
Images used in these posts are from Wikimedia Commons.
Chapter 3 posts
Gita 3:43. "Be a warrior and kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul."
It's becoming more clear that the real battle Arjuna is fighting is the battle each of fight every day. Whereas you might have thought in chapter 2 that Krishna was urging Arjuna to kill his kinsmen, now the great battle of Kurikshetra is a grand metaphor. Like all heroes of myths, we are all on our own epic journeys with our own monsters to face. Arjuna's chariot is a metaphor for his body, and when he's troubled he turns inside, to his charioteer, Krishna, God who lives (according to this Hindu view) in all of us. The problem still remains, though: How does he defeat "the powerful enemy of the soul." And why is desire so bad? Is even desire for heaven selfish? (The Gita says yes!) How can we break the chains of karma? No matter how enlightened we are, we still have daily ups and downs, don't we? How can we find the peace that Krishna describes?
It's becoming more clear that the real battle Arjuna is fighting is the battle each of fight every day. Whereas you might have thought in chapter 2 that Krishna was urging Arjuna to kill his kinsmen, now the great battle of Kurikshetra is a grand metaphor. Like all heroes of myths, we are all on our own epic journeys with our own monsters to face. Arjuna's chariot is a metaphor for his body, and when he's troubled he turns inside, to his charioteer, Krishna, God who lives (according to this Hindu view) in all of us. The problem still remains, though: How does he defeat "the powerful enemy of the soul." And why is desire so bad? Is even desire for heaven selfish? (The Gita says yes!) How can we break the chains of karma? No matter how enlightened we are, we still have daily ups and downs, don't we? How can we find the peace that Krishna describes?
Chapter 2 posts
Chapter 2 has some of the most famous lines in the Gita, but it seems to me that it doesn't yet have the most sophisticated theology. Krishna is just warming Arjuna up before he takes him to the highest truths.
Assignment for Friday, 8/29
Read the Bhagavad Gita Intro (13-30) and then chapters 2-5, and find some lines in chapters 2-3 that interest you and some lines in chapters 4-5 that interest you. Write blog entries where you 1) copy the lines, and 2) write at least 100 words discussing them. If you pick lines from chapter 2, post in the Comments section Chapter 2 above, etc.... You are NOT allowed to pick lines that have already been posted for the chapter, so you need to at least skim all the entries posted before yours for that chapter.
So each of you will have 2 entries in 2 different areas above. There will also be a short quiz on Friday to encourage you to read well.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Blog comments from Tuesday
Thanks for the interesting comments and questions on the blog. Many of these questions we'll start clearing up Wednesday in class.
Hinduism is a big and diverse religion, and as we'll see, you can NEVER say "All Hindus believe...or do...." Also, learn to avoid the trap of saying "People in India are all so much more spiritual...": you watched videos about religion and of course the people are being religious. I'd recommend a movie like Monsoon Wedding to give you a more well-rounded view of life in India.
Also, whoever is posting Anonymously needs to fess up and get a user name I can recognize!
Hinduism is a big and diverse religion, and as we'll see, you can NEVER say "All Hindus believe...or do...." Also, learn to avoid the trap of saying "People in India are all so much more spiritual...": you watched videos about religion and of course the people are being religious. I'd recommend a movie like Monsoon Wedding to give you a more well-rounded view of life in India.
Also, whoever is posting Anonymously needs to fess up and get a user name I can recognize!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Assignment for Friday 8/22
Read pp. 18-28 in your textbook, and bring your books to class on Friday. Mark passages you don't understand so that we can discuss them in class. We will have a quiz, and I will collect your notebooks.
Sample quiz question: Write a paragraph on the Aryans.
Sample quiz question 2: Write a paragraph on avatars.
Sample quiz question: Write a paragraph on the Aryans.
Sample quiz question 2: Write a paragraph on avatars.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Assignment for Tuesday, 8/20
I understand that our textbook isn't here yet, so we're going to dive right into a village in India. Watch the following two videos (hang in there with the young woman's accent as well as you can), and then respond to this blog in the Comments by 1) listing two interesting things you learned, and 2) asking two questions you'd like to know about Hinduism.
NOTE: When you sign on to the blog, use your initials and year of graduating, ie. jpg72. It's against school policy to use full student names on internet.
NOTE: When you sign on to the blog, use your initials and year of graduating, ie. jpg72. It's against school policy to use full student names on internet.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Namaste
Welcome to Eastern Religions! Bookmark this site, for it will have assignments, links, pictures, videos, and good stuff from your classmates, too.
One of the things about this class that is very different is an experiential component. 25% of your grade comes from your direct experience with religions we're studying: You'll be going to temples, interviewing Muslims, seeing Buddhist movies, etc.... Class lectures and discussions will be fascinating (I hope), but you'll never forget dancing at a Hindu ceremony or interviewing a Buddhist woman. Note that on the right hand side of this blog there's a link to places to go and also to movies to see. Get started as soon as you can!
One of the things about this class that is very different is an experiential component. 25% of your grade comes from your direct experience with religions we're studying: You'll be going to temples, interviewing Muslims, seeing Buddhist movies, etc.... Class lectures and discussions will be fascinating (I hope), but you'll never forget dancing at a Hindu ceremony or interviewing a Buddhist woman. Note that on the right hand side of this blog there's a link to places to go and also to movies to see. Get started as soon as you can!
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