Patrick Hahn

We live in the north
and dwell within midgard
we pray to the gods
up high within asgard

Help us o gods
for these seas are a dangerous place
protect us from storms and villains
so we may be a strong and mighty race

let us be proud warriors
and die a hero's death
we shall dwell within valhalla
and feast like twenty kings


hindu reflection

"I am a muslim, a hindu, a christian, and a jew; so are you." Gandhi displays this through his actions by treating everyone equally. He means to say that religion presents no boundaries to him and that everyone is the same in his eyes. Even though he was fighting for the rights of the indians, he still treated the british with respect.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" This quote is saying that getting revenge will only bring about complete obliteration. Gandhi took on this philosophy and used nonviolence to fight against the british. One scene where this is shown clearly is when he leads many people to the salt works. Even thought they get beaten up, they do not fight back and keep going.

The yoga was a good experience. It made me feel very relaxed and at peace with myself. The control of movements and trying to go past the limits of the body helped me become calm. I think I understand the purpose of hindus doing it. By doing yoga, they are removing all worldly concerns form one's mind. Also, by trying to break the limits of the human body, they are getting closer to nirvana.

1. What, in Gandhi’s life, informed his non-violent ideas? How did his principle of non-violence impact his life? 

It allowed him to effectively protest against the British. If he was violent then the british would have a reason to shut him down for good, but because Gandhi was nonviolent, they weren’t able to do anything without looking like tyrants

1. What things did he sacrifice to live according to his principles? (think about the NY Times article)

he left his life of luxury, being an attorney and being rich

1. What historical events in the movie, challenged his principles, his love for India, and the desire for home-rule?

world war 2, the salt march, a massacre of indians

1. What do you think Gandhi thought would happen to him upon his death? Why? 

He would think that people might go back to their old and violent ways

1. Was Gandhi’s fasting an effective tactic? Is it a form of ‘moral blackmail’? Is moral blackmail, more or less, ethical than violence?

it was an effective tactic. It is a moral blackmail because if the people don’t want gandhi to die, then they would have to be peaceful

1. What would a Hindu think might happen to Gandhi?

they thought that he would eventually succeed in his protests. Or that he would die if he kept on fasting because he wanted them to stop fighting.

1. What is the Hindu concept of women? What practices symbolize this?

They view being a women as a punishment for their previous life. A practice that symbolizes this is sati, the widows of men immolating themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre. Although this was usually voluntary, they were sometimes forced to do this.

1. How was the caste system addressed in the film, Gandhi?

He disregarded the caste system because even though he was of a higher caste, he still interacted with all indians including the untouchables

On Edline, under “Contents” you’ll find a folder on Buddhism which contains the 8 Fold Meditation we shared in class, a link to the Bongwonsa Temple website and the Buddhism power point. Use these resources and your own experience to:

Write a 2 paragraph reflection on the meditation we did in class and on the visit to the Bongwonsa Temple. Consider these questions: What made the meditation difficult? What helped you during the meditation? What is something new you learned about yourself, the world, or Buddhism? How is Buddhism lived out at Bongwonsa?

From these two paragraphs you should share at least 1 new insight you learned about Buddhism and 1 new insight you learned about yourself.

Honestly, before i learned about buddhism in this class I thought it was a religion where people worship buddha statues and hum all day. My perspective changed greatly when I learned about it in class and experienced some of the rituals. I learned that Buddhism did not start off as worshipping a deity, but as an atheist religion. It focused on trying to reach enlightenment by cutting off all attachments while living a life of compassion. 

The meditation we did in class was actually quite relaxing. It helped me reach a peace of mind that I had never experienced before. The meditation helped me because it helped my mind to become blank. The emptiness of mind gave me satisfaction; not worrying about the problems of this world and just having an empty mind helped me reach peace. The meditation itself didn't present much difficulties except for the fact that random parts of my body started to irritate when I stayed still. When I went to the Bongowonsa temple, they had traditional architecture while still having some evident modern elements. I saw cars, a security office, and lightbulbs. Nevertheless, the monks there chose a simplistic life of living and modern civilians also came to visit the temple too.



After discussing your own concept of God in class, create your own Shema. On your blog page summarize what you talked about by writing:
1. 3 characteristics of your God
2. An experience that shaped this understanding
3. A way that you remember or revere this God
Finally write a 3-4 line Shema- your core idea of God and your response to Him.
Due Friday, Nov. 16th at noon.


I believe in a one, all-powerful God. He is the Christian God who loves everyone. I was shaped into this understanding because i was raised in a Christian household and my family's faith influenced me. I remember my God because I go to Church and he created this universe. I kind of fear him because he can do anything to me at any moment. 

Shema
God is my protector and provider. He sent his son to Earth to die for our sins. I don't really see, hear, or smell him but he is there and is caring for me. 

christmas carol thingy

During the break, i participated in a christmas service singing. One of the songs that came out was called "you are holy" by Michael Smith. I couldn't find the date of the creation of the song because all I found on google was lyrics for this song. It doesn't exactly portray the Christmas story but it focuses rather on glorifying Jesus. Throughout this song, he is called many names. He is called Lord of Lords, King of kings, Prince of peace, the lamb, the living God, the saving grace, the ancient of days, Emmanuel, Alpha, omega, beginning and end, savior, messiah redeemer, and friend. Looking back on it, I didn't realize how many times his name was said. He is portrayed as an absolute but benevolent ruler whom the people also see as a father and a savior. He gave grace to the people and brought salvation. His glory is so great that people deem him worthy of praise.