WEEK #6

Post #1 The Zahir
Trippy video. Still trying to really understand what this video is trying to get at or explain. From what i know "The Zahir" stands for beings the has the power to be unforgettable, and whos image turns people really mad. Its a coin of some sort that has a date of 1929 stamped on it. The man in this film supposedly experience the effects of the Zahir and dreamed about how he was gaurded by a grip of coins. The narrotor tried to overcome the Zahir by repating the image and its name, if he was able to surpass that then he will find God. What i this movie is explaining is money gets the best of people. I believe in the saying "more money, more problems". More money means more freedom and more freedom may lead to some unwanted problems. Money might be something that is bad, but if didn't have money we would be screwed too. There needs to be a balance of wealth. The lottery winners on T.V, not all of them live good lives beacuse the hit the jackpot. I remember watching something on T.V where the documented a few of them and how there lives crumbled because of the lottery. I think you should be fourtunate for what you have not what you don't have.

Post#2 Inner Visions and Running Trains
This video talks about a person by the name of Baba Faqir Chand. When they werein a middle of a war, and there was a seize fire. They then realized that theywere short on ammo and they began to panic. Everyone thought that they weregoing to die. But then his guru showed up and told him everything is going to befine. The guru said that the enemy arent going to fire at them, they are justgoing to come and pick up their dead soilders. After they had survived the warthey worshiped him, thinking hes a guru and saved their lives. He himself don'teven believe hes a guru.No one thinks about how their God, became a God. Instead they fall into thebelief that God is just God. Also people look to their Gods when they aretroubled and think that he/she will save them. I don't nesscearliy beleive thatGod will save you everytime you ask him too. It is that belief that is insideyou that made you think everything is going to be alright that does. Many peopletend to think that they aren't good enough to solve some problems in life sothey look to God to guide them. I think a everyone has enough knowlege andwisdom to overcome anything that life throws at them.

Post #3 Ramana Maharshi and Indian philosophy
Ramana Maharshi was very dedicated to his religion and his beliefs. It was veryfascinating to see that a little kid can meditate for weeks on end. Also tostarve himself while doing so. His life was compelled with everything that hasto do with his religion. He was very attached to his religion, and i find thatkind of odd since he was very yound at that age. His meditation brought alot ofattention from people that surrounded him. It made him a bit famous. His beliefin self which is something i believe in also. It brings individuality andcharacter to a person. But i believe that self comes from the people thatsurround you. You find yourself and who you are from the people that are amongsyour peers. You see yourself the way you are from others.I can't see myself as a young kid and be as dedicated to a religion as muchas Ramana was. The way he changed was when he suddenly had a overcome a fear ofdeath. I also believe in happiness is your true nature, as do Ramana. He gave upeverything to be an insturment of God. He is a very interesting man.

Post #4 A free man's worship
This essay basically talks about his beliefs on how the world began and how religion started. Russell says that the creation and the blief in God is to answer those of the unknown. I believe in his theory also. I beleive that God was somewhat created to fill in those gaps of the unaswered questions that we have. I feel as if God was made in the belief so that we have someone above us to guide us we feel useless or directionless. Hes there to tell us whats the goods and the bads. But then again i kind of do believe in God and saying all that would just make me a hypocrite. I am not at all religious, but i do believe in God. But i do believe in Russell's theory. What i see around me is people are so devoted to God, that no one can really say bads about him, or use his name in vain. I believe in God, but not at all religious. Coming from a background where most of my family memebers are catholic i find it very hard to fit in when iam not at all religious.

Post #5 A confession
This was a story about a boy who grew up in a religious family and followedeverything within the family. He later grew up and started to lose faith in hisreligion. He then later started thinking about what is the reason he is livingand then soon found faith again. I think that religion should be a personalchoice and shouldn't be force upon you. I hate it when your somewhere and peoplewalk up to you and start talking about God and faith. "Not to disrepect yourbeleifs and religion or anything but iam trying to enjoy my time and i wouldappreicate it if you would lay off the subject." I know God exists. You don'thave to tell me what i already know. The boy was religious because his familyforced him to believe in faith. I was never religous even when i was little. Iwould go to church with my friends and would sit through mass not knowing why iwas there. Soon later i found out about religion and God but wasn't really intothe whole religious aspect of it. But i do believe in God, and i feel it shouldbe a personal choice to believe in what you believe.

Magazine Post "The Cerebal Wave"
This magazine was about travelers who stop at a coffee shop and they started talking about the topic of religion. Each person says that their God is surpreme. The last person that speaks about his God says that our Gods to us is surpreme, but we have to ignore their pride and beliefs towards others. This i believe is the key that keeps all of the religions going. That is why there is so many religions cause people think differently. I think that religion should be a personal thing and how you see the world in your perspective. Their is so much history with war fighthing over religion. If it was kept as a personal thing there wouldn't be so much killings that had happened.