Chinese attitudes towards creation and death are much different that what we are familiar with. “One theme that emerges in this text is that answers to death-related questions are often found in a culture’s creation stories” (Kramer, 1988). In American culture you either believe that God created us or that we evolved from monkeys. For the Chinese culture there are many versions of creation. One is as follows: “There was something formless yet complete, that existed before heaven and earth; without sound, without substance, dependent on nothing, unchanging, all pervading, unfailing. One may think of it as the mother of all things under heaven. Its true name we don’t know; “way” is the by-name that we give it” (Kramer, 1988).
The Chinese culture believe in the way (Tao) and its virtue (Te). The Chinese believe the Tao is formless yet formed, silent and void, and can also be called the mother of all things. It is so interesting for me to read about other cultures and what they believe, compared to what we believe. The book states “Many images have been given to depict the Tao, the way, that which generates itself, mother of the universe, the nature of nature. Over and over again, it is referred to as the flowing of water which subtly, non-aggressively, rhythmically, streams around all obstacles. Ultimately, the Tao is a mirror in which one discovers one’s own, original harmonious nature”. What I get from this quote is that the Chinese are extremely intuitive to nature and discovering one’s self through exploration.
The book goes on to talk about the relationship between Yang and Yin. “Creation occurs at the moment of the separation of being into Yang and Yin: In the beginning there was the unity of Yang-Yi (light-darkness, heat-cold, dry-moist). when the subtle went upward, and the gross downward, when heavens formed from the subtle , and earth from the gross, then there was and is now Yang and Yin (active and receptive, male and female). From the harmonious interaction of Yang and Yin come the seasons and all of earth’s products. Yang produces fire whose subtlest parts formed the sun; Yin produced water whose subtlest parts formed the moon. The sun’s interaction with the moon produced the stars which fill heaven, just as rivers and dust fill earth. When Yang combines with Yin, all creatures are produced. In these two is the All ( Tai Chi)” (Kramer,1988). I found this story particularly interesting because I have seen the Yin-Yang symbol many times and never really knew what it meant. To read that it is a version of creation for the Chinese is so interesting to me. I went on to read that the Yin and the Yang each have many different meanings. For instance the Yang is male and the Yin is female, also the Yang is life and the Yin is death.
“Life is the companion of death, death is the beginning of life. Who understands their workings? Man’s life is a coming together of breath. If it comes together, there is life; if it scatters, there is death. And if life and death are companions to each other, then what is there for us to be anxious about?” (Kramer, 1988) I found this quote to explain the Chinese and their attitudes towards life and death. I think that people are so scared of death that they forget to live. If you spend your whole life worrying about death and what happens after you leave the earth then you will miss out on life itself.
References:
Kramer, K. (1988) The Sacred Art Of Dying. Paulist Press, New York.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Death is nothing at all
It is really hard to think about having only twenty four hours left on
this earth. If that were the case and I in fact only had one day left to live I would spend it with my boyfriend Aaron. Aaron has inspired me in so many aspects of my life and I am forever grateful to him. I consider Aaron to be a part of my family and truly love him with all of my heart. I would spend my last day with Aaron because he is not only my soul mate but best friend. We can have fun doing anything and always make each other laugh while doing it. He balances me out perfectly, and I really feel like God put us together for a reason.
It’s hard to think about how you would spend your last day alive. It really makes you put things into perspective and think about what is important to you. “When you visualize your possessions and relationships from the perspective of being dead, hopefully, you’ll find people and things you actually do care about” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). This quote rings so true to me. You can’t take anything with you when you die and if you look at everything you have from the perspective of not being alive, it changes how you feel about some things.
There is a place called profile rock in Assonet, MA that my boyfriend and I love to go to. The trails and foliage are so beautiful and peaceful. There is a huge rock you can climb up and the top is kind of a flat surface, which is cool because after you conquer climbing the rock you can relax and look out at the beautiful view. During my last day alive I would bring Aaron there so we could explore trails that we had never been on and just take in the nature all around us. I would bring a picnic basket full of our favorite foods so that once we reached the top we could enjoy a good meal and relax atop the rock with the sun beating down on us.
After profile rock I would want to visit my family. Family is so important to me and Aaron knows that and would want to go spend time with them. We would sit around and talk about our lives and all of the funny and not so funny things that we have all been through together. I can’t imagine not being close with my family and being able to talk to them about anything. My family is my foundation and mean the world to me. Shortly after my grandpa passed away my grandma found a great poem about death that made all of us feel a little more at peace with his passing. The poem is titled Death is nothing at all by Henry Scott Holland. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you, whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. This poem got me through a lot after my grandpa passed.
Aaron and I love to be outdoors. During my last day alive I would like to take a camping trip with him. There is a campground off of the Kagamangus Highway called Jigger Johnson. This campground is beautiful and is hidden in the gorgeous White Mountains. We would spend our time there hiking, kayaking, and relaxing around a campfire. Aaron and me both love to be outside and enjoy nature, we enjoy the little things in life that others may take for granted.
I feel like a lot of people just go through life doing what they feel others want them to do. “If popular culture had its way, our lives would be dedicated to the relentless pursuit of things we are told we can’t live without- as if it was actually true that things go better with coke, $200 sneakers, cool clothes, and personality dialysis, plus a new, different, and better wife, husband, lover, friend, and co worker” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I feel like people don’t appreciate what they have as much as what they want. Materialistic thing do not make you happy and can not be taken with you when you die and it’s sad because some people don’t realize it until it’s too late.
Death used to scare me, even just hearing the word frightened me. Ever since starting this class I have begun to change the way I look at things in my life. Even though we’ve just begun to delve into the class I am really grateful that I have the opportunity to see life in a whole new light. “Just as life depends on the interaction of four basic elements- earth, water, fire, and air, plus ether- the process of dying begins with the dissolution of these elements” ( Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). This quote talks about how we leave this world just as we came into it. Death is a part of life and everyone is forced to deal with it in one way or another, whether we like it or not.
References:
Porras, J. , Emery, S. , Thompson, M. (2007). Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters. Penguin Group Inc. New York, New York.
Kramer, K. (1988) The Sacred Art Of Dying. Paulist Press, New York.
this earth. If that were the case and I in fact only had one day left to live I would spend it with my boyfriend Aaron. Aaron has inspired me in so many aspects of my life and I am forever grateful to him. I consider Aaron to be a part of my family and truly love him with all of my heart. I would spend my last day with Aaron because he is not only my soul mate but best friend. We can have fun doing anything and always make each other laugh while doing it. He balances me out perfectly, and I really feel like God put us together for a reason.
It’s hard to think about how you would spend your last day alive. It really makes you put things into perspective and think about what is important to you. “When you visualize your possessions and relationships from the perspective of being dead, hopefully, you’ll find people and things you actually do care about” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). This quote rings so true to me. You can’t take anything with you when you die and if you look at everything you have from the perspective of not being alive, it changes how you feel about some things.
There is a place called profile rock in Assonet, MA that my boyfriend and I love to go to. The trails and foliage are so beautiful and peaceful. There is a huge rock you can climb up and the top is kind of a flat surface, which is cool because after you conquer climbing the rock you can relax and look out at the beautiful view. During my last day alive I would bring Aaron there so we could explore trails that we had never been on and just take in the nature all around us. I would bring a picnic basket full of our favorite foods so that once we reached the top we could enjoy a good meal and relax atop the rock with the sun beating down on us.
After profile rock I would want to visit my family. Family is so important to me and Aaron knows that and would want to go spend time with them. We would sit around and talk about our lives and all of the funny and not so funny things that we have all been through together. I can’t imagine not being close with my family and being able to talk to them about anything. My family is my foundation and mean the world to me. Shortly after my grandpa passed away my grandma found a great poem about death that made all of us feel a little more at peace with his passing. The poem is titled Death is nothing at all by Henry Scott Holland. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you, whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. This poem got me through a lot after my grandpa passed.
Aaron and I love to be outdoors. During my last day alive I would like to take a camping trip with him. There is a campground off of the Kagamangus Highway called Jigger Johnson. This campground is beautiful and is hidden in the gorgeous White Mountains. We would spend our time there hiking, kayaking, and relaxing around a campfire. Aaron and me both love to be outside and enjoy nature, we enjoy the little things in life that others may take for granted.
I feel like a lot of people just go through life doing what they feel others want them to do. “If popular culture had its way, our lives would be dedicated to the relentless pursuit of things we are told we can’t live without- as if it was actually true that things go better with coke, $200 sneakers, cool clothes, and personality dialysis, plus a new, different, and better wife, husband, lover, friend, and co worker” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I feel like people don’t appreciate what they have as much as what they want. Materialistic thing do not make you happy and can not be taken with you when you die and it’s sad because some people don’t realize it until it’s too late.
Death used to scare me, even just hearing the word frightened me. Ever since starting this class I have begun to change the way I look at things in my life. Even though we’ve just begun to delve into the class I am really grateful that I have the opportunity to see life in a whole new light. “Just as life depends on the interaction of four basic elements- earth, water, fire, and air, plus ether- the process of dying begins with the dissolution of these elements” ( Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). This quote talks about how we leave this world just as we came into it. Death is a part of life and everyone is forced to deal with it in one way or another, whether we like it or not.
References:
Porras, J. , Emery, S. , Thompson, M. (2007). Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters. Penguin Group Inc. New York, New York.
Kramer, K. (1988) The Sacred Art Of Dying. Paulist Press, New York.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Reach for success
What struck me most during this weeks readings was the story about Richard Branson. “Struggling with dyslexia for years, it had become painfully obvious to Rickie that he would be lucky to graduate from high school. So like many kids who suffer academic humiliation, he had hoped to go to college on an athletic scholarship” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). Richard played rugby in high school and tore his knee one day during a game. His future plans to graduate with an athletic scholarship imploded.
Richard never went to college. One of Richard’s headmasters said, “I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” Richard did in fact go to prison for a brief period of time for dodging customs selling records. After serving time, “Rickie reconsidered what mattered to him, which helped him change the way he thought about his circumstances” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I think that really says a lot about a person. Being able to change your life around and make the best of what you have.
Richard dedicated the next two decades of his life to becoming an expert in rock music and partying. At age sixteen Richard dropped out of high school and started a British magazine called Student. Having great confidence and ambition really does pay off. If you’re like Richard, you know what you want and are willing to fight all odds to succeed, you will. “As his passion for entertainment, wild parties, and building relationships around music launched his team onto the bleeding edge of pop culture. What had been a behavior problem in high school had become his genius as a shamless promoter” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). Giving your all to what you love doing will pay off in the end, as Richard proves to us.
At age twenty Richard founded a mail-order record company, then a record shop and also a recording studio- all under the name Virgin. He had learned to use his dyslexia as an asset: forcing and new ideas to be made compellingly simple so he could decode them. “Richard Branson had become a man whose name was synonymous with the hippest musical acts” (Porras, Emery & Thompson,2007). Richard Branson is an idol for all of us. Having trouble throughout high school and going above and beyond to overcome his dyslexia and using it for good to start a major record label and become a millionaire.
"Their passions create meaning in their lives that is nothing short of a lifelong obsession from which they seek no escape" (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I feel like this is so true. Loving what you do is so important in life. Going through life with meaning and such strong passions about something is necessary in order to be successful. I'm so thankful that I have a job that I adore. When I leave work each day I truly feel like I enriched someone's life that day, and that is a great feeling. I hope everyone can experience that feeling at some point in their lives.
References:
Porras, J., Emery, S. & Thompson, M. (2007(. Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters. New York: Penguin Group.
Richard never went to college. One of Richard’s headmasters said, “I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” Richard did in fact go to prison for a brief period of time for dodging customs selling records. After serving time, “Rickie reconsidered what mattered to him, which helped him change the way he thought about his circumstances” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I think that really says a lot about a person. Being able to change your life around and make the best of what you have.
Richard dedicated the next two decades of his life to becoming an expert in rock music and partying. At age sixteen Richard dropped out of high school and started a British magazine called Student. Having great confidence and ambition really does pay off. If you’re like Richard, you know what you want and are willing to fight all odds to succeed, you will. “As his passion for entertainment, wild parties, and building relationships around music launched his team onto the bleeding edge of pop culture. What had been a behavior problem in high school had become his genius as a shamless promoter” (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). Giving your all to what you love doing will pay off in the end, as Richard proves to us.
At age twenty Richard founded a mail-order record company, then a record shop and also a recording studio- all under the name Virgin. He had learned to use his dyslexia as an asset: forcing and new ideas to be made compellingly simple so he could decode them. “Richard Branson had become a man whose name was synonymous with the hippest musical acts” (Porras, Emery & Thompson,2007). Richard Branson is an idol for all of us. Having trouble throughout high school and going above and beyond to overcome his dyslexia and using it for good to start a major record label and become a millionaire.
"Their passions create meaning in their lives that is nothing short of a lifelong obsession from which they seek no escape" (Porras, Emery & Thompson, 2007). I feel like this is so true. Loving what you do is so important in life. Going through life with meaning and such strong passions about something is necessary in order to be successful. I'm so thankful that I have a job that I adore. When I leave work each day I truly feel like I enriched someone's life that day, and that is a great feeling. I hope everyone can experience that feeling at some point in their lives.
References:
Porras, J., Emery, S. & Thompson, M. (2007(. Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters. New York: Penguin Group.
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