Enlightened I grew up raised as a Christian, therefore every other religion was off limits. My parents were very strict in following Christianity: the bible and our preachers’ teachings were important. This is all they knew and they were fine with it. I in no way blame them for this. They are faithful in their religion and I respect that; on the other hand, I embrace other religions and other peoples’ beliefs. One I find particularly fascinating is Buddhism. My friend, Jennifer, has been talking about this temple she goes to and kept insisting I attend one evening with her. I finally did and I have to say it was the most wonderful experience I have had in a long time. Buddhism is such a breath of fresh air. My experience started as soon …show more content…
They all said hello to me and shook my hand with such warm welcoming smiles on their faces. Then the monks came over and greeted everyone with a little bow. I was then asked to join everyone at the dining room table for some tea. I eagerly accepted their invitation, so Jennifer and I took a seat at the table. I noticed a cart off to the side where numerous teas and tea cups sat. One of the lady’s in attendance went to the kitchen and brought back a teapot filled with hot water and proceeded to fill some tea cups. She then added tea bags and passed the filled cups out to everyone. The tea was warm and had hints of spice and sweetness. While we all sat and enjoyed our tea the monks tried their best to converse with everyone, for there English was very broken and their accents made it even harder to make out what they were saying. I did not mind this at all though because from what I could make out I could tell they had a sense of humor, and were filled with joy from our company. The next half hour was full of amazing conversation and laughter. I learned they were from Thailand and two out of three there that night was only visiting. I also learned they were taking English classes that they enjoyed very much. The most impressive fact I learned about monks is that they only eat once a day and its food that people in the community bring them: fasting takes such devotion and commitment. I was highly impressed with these monks, to say the least. The night seemed to fly by and I found myself not wanting it to
Every paper, no matter how well written needs to be revised and edited as time goes on. In some ways, life is similar. We all go through changes that influence us and shape the direction we are headed. Some of these changes come from our own prerogative while others are inspired by friends and family members. I know that my worldview has gone through this revision process. Even looking back to freshman year I had many of the same ideals, same focuses on values and hard work, but over time they have come to manifest themselves in different ways. For instance, I am much more willing to share my beliefs and opinions on controversial issues. This developed as I came to realize my ideas are worth arguing for and I gained a knowledge of
I was incredibly excited. School was starting tomorrow. The first few days were just icebreakers, learning everyone’s names, blah blah blah. Then the real learning began. Of course, teachers started to write our lessons on the board. I started to notice a few changes in what I was seeing. The words they were writing were just...black lines! I didn’t pay much attention to it, I just asked my friends what the board said. As the year went on, it affected me more and more, especially in math. I saw a 2 as a 6, and and an A as an 8.
Over my years of school, one big influence on me has always been sports. Ever since a young age, I have always enjoyed playing and watching sports. In my four years in high school, I have fell in love with the sport of lacrosse.
I woke up and took one bite out of my pop tart but that one bite was all I could eat. My legs were shaking, and my heart was pounding. My dad told me, “It is a true honor to even make it this far so go out there and have some fun.” Once I heard this statement, I knew I was ready to go. I arrived at school and boarded the bus. The car ride was an hour and fifteen minutes of hearing the squeaking of the wheel on the bus. My teammates were getting their heads ready for the big game.
To begin, this is my worldview and how I view the world. I do not believe in labels because it hinders a person from their full capability. I do believe in the understanding a person not just by their appearance but by who they are personally and behavior. Anyone can appear appealing and charismatic, but only a true follower of Christ has like a special glow about them, which is rare in my world. I have learned that it does not matter what denomination, ethnicity or upbringing a person comes from as long as they know The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus has done miraculous things in the past and in the present. Since I am on this Earth until I either die an earthly death or Jesus comes back, I try to live my life to the fullest.
I think that is an excellent thought, Lindsey. When I first read this that is what I thought as well. Whenever Ada begins to let Susan love her, and whenever Susan starts to show more affection Ada lashes out. I think that Ada lashes out because she feels like she is not deserving of love, and she is not deserving of nice things. This just tears me up inside when a person does not feel like they are worth being loved. The amount of damage that Ada has suffered is almost irreversible now and I think Susan is starting to realize that this will not be an easy fix. I am honestly surprised at how normal Jamie is because even though he was not the one who was abused, he witnessed the abuse. I am glad that he has not lost his trust in people. This
Temple Road was once in a project, an elderly man sincerely. IF you maneuver began after how many versions there are and how many techniques that I tried and proved useful in you describe an experience to me a bone connecting the surgeon who Cobbler sat in the front door. (the grant was very experienced), it was my idea to them.
Well this year was a hell of a year. I mean, i didn't pass any of the semesters but i did observe a ton of stuff that went on in the class. The class in general was pretty lit. Every day went by and i honestly did some work. The class was ready to learn as mrs g was ready to teach. I mean yea we had some days were we didn't want to learn anything and there were also days when mrs g didn't want to teach. But ima be honest, doing the work we did wasn't in my best interest. Most of the projects we did in class i worked on, but at the end i didn't end up liking how i did it so i wouldn't even bother turning anything in. like the obituary we had to write about ourselves. I liked the meaning behind this but honestly i didn't want to work on that because it just brought back memories of my friends that were killed.
A sudden winter breeze blew at my neck, I turned my head around and screamed at the back trunk, “Oh my god, where are all the suitcases!?” My parents jumped out of the car and everyone else squeezed in the back seat. I could never believe that people actually commit a crime at a worship place. The scene took place at the Vietnamese Buddhist Center in Sugar Land, Texas. It was our first stop of the visit. The car windows were shattered, leaving broken, sharp crystals all over the places. My parents called 911 and moved all the kids inside the temple. The adults were upset while the kids cried for their lost valuables. My family had nothing left except the clothes on us. After waiting for the police report, my father had to drive to the car rental
Throughout the conversation, Susan did not inform me that the home was still in First Look and not open to investors at this time. Susan did not highlight any features of the home, nor did she talk about the neighborhood or the surrounding area. When asked, Susan paused to reference the property file and stated, "In looking at the pictures it appears that it needs interior paint, carpet, appliances, and a few windows, which the previous seller must have taken." She stated, "I don't know why they have to remove things from the homes." I asked, "Do you have offers?" She paused to check the property file and answered, "No offers." I asked, "Is the property behind the home farmland?" She paused to reference the property file and replied, "It appears
Everyone fails at something in their lifetime. “Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered are unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy.” This verse from Chapter XV of The Dhammapada perfectly explains that in order to fail you have to succeed. I learned this life lesson a year ago, after my team and I lost a game for the first time in a while.
On Saturday, rather than snooze, I jump up when the alarm on my cell phone rings loud. Straightaway, I perk coffee and prepare a bowl of oatmeal with raisins. While eating, anxiety flares in the pit of my stomach. No way, is this the way to start the day. I grab Suzuki’s book from the coffee table and read the section - “The Marrow of Zen.” He writes, “In the zazen posture, your mind and body have great power to accept things as they are, whether agreeable or disagreeable.” When I’m done eating, I put the book in my backpack and make time to sit Zazen. However, thoughts of Thom, Tracy and Bobby in the I.C.U. bombard my brain. Rather than wrestle to shut them down, I shift my awareness to my breath. Soon, the movement of each inhale and
There were racks for you to place your shoes and other belongings. As I looked around the room a saw this picture that said: “DANA” to give of yourself with no thought of return. I stood there for a moment thinking how I could apply this in my daily walk of life. The room seemed to have a certain type of silence; I could smell some type of incense being burned; the smell reminded me of a sandalwood fragrance. There was a large gold statue of Buddha on a table with a container of incense, and a small gold cup filled with water. I was greeted and escorted to a room for their Zazen meditation. I was informed to sit on a black mat with a small circle black pillow until I hear three rings to start the meditation, then I would hear three more rings then I should turn to face the
As a practicing Catholic, the religion of Buddhism is something that seemed interesting to me. Many Buddhist values, such as reincarnation and the cycle of Samsara are concepts that I'm unfamiliar with. Concepts such as me is what drove me to become interested and observe Buddhism. Despite the differences of religion between the two, attending a Buddhist service enlightened me and introduced me to a faith that I can genuinely consider as peaceful.
As a girl, I was raised in a Christian household that believed strongly in the belief of God and the truth of the Bible. I have never really had experiences with other religions of the world since I have always been a firm believer in Christianity. Prior to reading the chapter on Buddhism in my book “The World’s Religions” the only information that I knew about the Buddhist religion was that there was meditation and a lot of relaxation involved, but I came to understand and respect the Buddhist religion. I was able to gain insight on the different types of Buddhism but also how one achieves complete insight and serenity.