STAB 2016

Today we began to study our third religion: Buddhism . Buddhism is sometimes called a "philosophy" rather than a religion, since many Buddhists choose not to focus on the question of whether god (or another higher power) exists. Later this week, Mrs. Ripley and I will begin work on an informational essay about Siddhartha Gautama, and we will learn some of the fascinating details of his life. Musical Mondays : We listened to the Piano Guys' fun rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High . Here's another video by "the Guys": And, with special apologies to Nia for the long delay, here's the video for an earlier Musical Monday selection, Mitwa (from the excellent Bollywood film Lagaan ):

Map #1 Map #2

By Nolan Phineas : What do Jews believe happens to them if they disobey one of the Ten Commandments? Maxwell and  Artie : Is there a Satan in Judaism? Are there evil gods or spirits in Judaism? Lilly : Do Jewish people have a specific time when they think the messiah will come? By Lilly Henry ,  Thomas , and  Maya G. : If the messiah does arrive in the future, how will Jews know that he/she is the true messiah? How would someone prove that he/she is the messiah? Thomas (#2) : Do Jews have any sacred objects? If so, what are some of their sacred objects? Leo : If a messiah comes to Earth and Jews believe him, will Judaism become a lost religion? Ellie : When God/Yahweh was choosing the Promised Land, how and why do you think he chose Canaan? By Morgan Mary Holland : Why do you think so many people and countries took advantage of the Jews and mistreated them? Kat  and  Brehanu : How is the Star of David religious? What does it symbolize? What is it...

Today we discussed the Jewish belief in the  covenant  between God and Abraham.  According to the  Torah , God told Abraham that his descendants would be the Chosen People, and that they would be as plentiful as the stars in the sky,  if  they followed the one true God and  if  they obeyed his commandments. Here is a part of the story, from the  Torah : And God took Abraham outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them."  And He said to Abraham, "So shall your descendants be." A couple of students asked whether Jews believe that they have broken the covenant with God. The answer is  yes : Jews believe that all people have broken the covenant with God, and they believe that God's  messiah  will eventually come to Earth in order to save believers from their wrongdoing.

Today we practiced yoga . We learned an alternate nostril breathing technique , and then we tried several different asanas . Thanks to Meredith ,  Sarah , and  Darrah  for introducing me to the savasana posture ... I love it!

Today we discussed the idea of a  pilgrimage : a religious journey to a sacred place.  Several students pointed out that a pilgrimage is a  physical  way for religious believers to experience the long, difficult,  spiritual  struggle of religious belief. In Hinduism, many believers take a pilgrimage to the  Ganges River .  Hindus believe that the water in the Ganges helps to cleanse a person's spirit. The pilgrims bathe in the river, and they also put the ashes of the deceased into the river. Lindsay :  Why is the Ganges River so sacred to Hindus?  What about the other rivers in India -- couldn't they be sacred, too? This is a fantastic question.  My understanding is that the Ganges River was  especially   important in the birth of Indian civilization (similar to the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Nile and the Yellow Rivers in each of their civilizations). The fertile soil along the Ganges enabled the early Indians to gro...

Today we talked the Hindu concept of  Brahman . Brahman is frequently described as the "universal soul" or an all-encompassing force in which we all live. It can be difficult for people not raised within the Hindu tradition to understand the idea of Brahman, because many non-Hindus are more familiar with the idea of " God " or " gods ." Brahman is not the equivalent of God. Here are some helpful descriptions of Brahman that were written by your classmates: Priya :  Brahman is everywhere. Brahman is invisible. Brahman is in everyone. Lilly :  Brahman is not a person but an invisible force that is everywhere. Brahman is something everyone wants to be part of. Not a God, but a  force . Mary Holland :  Brahman is the universal soul. It is neither a person or a god. Hindus believe that if a person is reincarnated enough times, the person's individual soul will become one with Brahman, the universal soul and the unchanging reality beneath the illusion of lif...

Video #1: Hindu Creation Stories   Video #2: Pilgrimage to the Ganges River (this video is broken into two clips)   Video #3: Diwali - The Festival of Lights