Post #2 Intro to Indian Thought

Among the eight Indian gurus in the text who were your five favorites and why?

Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi had an interesting point of view on the topic of death because he had experienced a near death experience as a teen. He believed the self was separate from the body and the self was untouched after death. Ramana Maharshi also practiced ahimsa. After getting robbed by six thieves he chose not to seek retribution. He felt it would be like knocking his own teeth out if he accidently bit his own tongue. Ramana was also a very open person. He even let devotees see him the day of his death. He also loved animals. And he treated them with the same love as he treated every one else. He did not feel like they were below him. He also loved to exercise by walking around this spiritual hill. He felt it brought him closer to god.

Jain monk Acharya Sushil

I liked Sushil Kumar's because he practiced and taught ahimsa. He felt that you should respect all living things, and you should never injure them. He also had an intriguing point of view on the source of fear. He thought that mans cruelty came from the fear of the other, and the fear that is felt my humans was a product of this. Anything that is not the "self" man is prone to fear. I also admire him because he was open to all religions ideas, and he didn't claim his religion was the best. He felt that one could find truth in any religion. And no religion or faith could monopolize reality traditions.

Faqir Chand

I liked Faqir Chand because he reminded me of my grandpa. I think one of his greatest qualities was humbleness. He didn't claim to be a miracle worker or something he was not. He thought that miracles, inner visions that his devotees went through was a result of the divine power that we all have deep inside. Also, you got to admire his answer to the question of death. He didn't want to make claims about something he wasn't certain about. To him the afterlife could be a dream about railway trains or something else. He wasn't sure.

Yogini Mataji

I liked Yogini Mataji because she was down to earth just like the rest of Indian Gurus. She even smoked cigarettes which shows that she was human just like everyone else. I think her point of view on near death experiences was interesting. She thought death was just the start of a journey through universes that consisted of light, love, and beauty. She also said that practice makes perfect isn't always necessarily true as it was for her with Surat Shabd Yoga. She felt that nothing could get in the way of the love for the lord. And having that strong love was what made her very good at Surat Shabd Yoga.

Kriya Yoga

I think I like Kriya Yoga mostly because of the fantastic stories that are told about him. He recalled living a past life as a yogi in the Himalayan mountains which could be proof of reincarnation. I also love the story about when Kriya Yoga was deep in prayer and out of know where Babaji an undying yogi appears at his door. He tells him god has heard his prayer, and he tells him to go to America. And I like the story how his body didn't decay after death. I find these stories very interesting, and I'd like to believe their true. But I'm not sure if they are. It would be very cool though is they were though.

Do you see similarities among them? Any significant differences?

I think all the Indian Gurus were very similar to each other. They all seemed to be very nice and you can tell that people genuinely liked them because of the way the flocked around them. Also, they all were smart and thought very deep about certain subjects. Furthermore, I do see differences in Yogini Mataji & Faqir Chand points of view on death. Faqir Chand didn't really claim to know anything about death. On the other hand, Yogini Mataji claimed that death was a sojourn into universes that were made of light, love, and beauty.

Now discuss the films on the two gurus: as presented in the videos what is the message of Faqir Chand and of Ramana Maharsi?

In the video of Ramana Maharsi. It points out that the Maharsi believed in spiritual exercise. He would walk around this sacred hill because he felt it brought him closer to god. And he would tell others to do the same. Also, believed in equality. Everyone one who came to visit or stayed with him was treated the same. He even believed the smallest bug progresses spiritually. Also, he believed the most important spiritual practice was the self inquiry. Searching for the inward I.

I thought the Faqir Chand video was funny. I would of loved to of seen David's look on his face when Faqir Chand comes out of his out of body experience and says hi to David.

The third video I watched was the how to sleep and meditation video by Yogananda. Who knew I was sleeping wrong because I usually sleep on my stomach or side. I think his techniques on sleeping and meditating are intriguing. However, I find it hard to believe that one can sleep or stay awake for days doing this

Having read this material what is your take on the gurus and their yoga? Do you think that they are tapping into a mystical realm?

Personal Reflection

I personally like the teachings of the gurus and their yoga. I agree with their teachings of equality. I think humans and even bugs should be treated with respect. Also, I think that more people should be non violent, so there would be no more wars. Also, I think that the gurus take on death is very interesting. I agree with Ramana Maharshi that the body is like a vessel and the self does continue after death. Furthermore, I do think some of these gurus are tapping into mystical realms through deep meditation and out of body experiences.

Post #1-Intro to Religion

Religion is a set of beliefs that a group or community approves of. These beliefs are sometimes based on emotions like fear. The strongest ideas of a religion tend to survive over time, and the weaker ideas are scrapped in order to benefit the people of the religion. Religion in a nutshell is a reflection of us. I think most people choose a religion that has ideas that make sense to them.

According, to Smart we should study religion with empathy. We should have no bias when studying a religion that's new to us. Also, we should look at the religion through the eyes of the devotee. That way we can get a better understanding of what a certain religion is all about. Berger also thinks that religious students should be unbiased when it comes to god and take seriously the experience of the believer so he or she can get the facts straight.

We should study religion because its the right thing to do. We become better people when we study religion. People are less likely to be bigots when familiarized with other religions. Studying religion makes people better members of the world community, and it makes the world better to live in. It allows us to relate to people we didn't before. Also, we should study religion because it makes us smarter people.

Religion typically starts as a cult and it gets bigger and bigger over time. When a cult gets big enough and has enough followers, and the beliefs of the cult are widely accepted by believers. The cult moves up in rank and is proclaimed to be a religion. Some evolutionary psychologists believe human beings start religions because it is necessary for our very survival. As long as there is a human being on earth with the need to survive, there will be religion.

Nietzsche was wrong when he said god will decay. Religious ideas will just morph towards the believers view points. Just like a meme the strongest and simplest beliefs will survive. Also, gods will not decay because of peoples fear of death. Without religion some people will feel there is no meaning to life. Religion provides people with a purpose in life. It helps them to get through.

Personally, I think religion was necessary for survival. Someone had to create a moral code that people could follow. That way there wouldn't be chaos. Religion was created to help ensure the future existence of society. It helps people overcome their fears, and it helps people find meaning in life.