The Assembly of Religions: What We're Learning about The Baha'i Faith

Here are some things we're learning about the Baha'i Faith:

1. The Baha'i Faith was started in the 1800's by two men: the Bab and Baha'u'llah. This religion started in Iran, and many of the Muslims living there viewed it as a threat because Baha'u'llah claimed to be a prophet delivering an important message from God (Muslims believe that Muhammad was God's final messenger).

2. Baha'u'llah believed that God wanted him to unite all of humanity into a single race.

3. Baha'is believe that all religions share the same God and that previous prophets (including Moses, Jesus and Muhammad) used different languages to express a common purpose.

4. The symbol of the Baha'i Faith is a nine-pointed star. Baha'is believe that 9 is the most special number because it's the highest single digit number and it represents completeness.

Some Questions That We're Asking ...

Henry: Are there any pictures of Baha'u'llah? If so, do they help some people understand and believe the religion?

[Great question, Henry, and the answer is yes; a photograph from 1869 is pasted above]

Henry (#2): Are there pictures in any of the holy books? If so, how does that affect those who read it?

Carter K: Do all Baha'is believe that every religion will be included when the religions unify? Do all Baha'is like the non-discrimination part of the Baha'i Faith?

This is a painting of the Baha'i shrine in Haifa, Israel, where the Bab is buried. 

Many Baha'is take a pilgrimage here.

The Assembly of Religions: What We're Learning About Shinto

The Shinto groups are teaching me a ton about the history and beliefs of Japan's traditional religion:

1. Shinto means "the way of the kami." Kami are the spiritual powers that are believed to exist in the natural world.

2. For thousands of years, Japan's emperor and his family were believed to have descended from the Sun goddess, Amaterasu.

3. Many Japanese people consider themselves both Shinto and Buddhist.

4. Only the Shinto priests are allowed to enter the Inner Hall of their shrines, because people believe that kami live within the Hall.

5. White horses are viewed as sacred in Japan because one of the first Japanese emperors gave a white horse to a Shinto shrine, as an offering to the kami.

This is the current Emperor of Japan, Naruhito. He is deeply respected, but he does make actual political decisions.

They are also asking some interesting deep questions:

Charlie: What is the relationship between Shintoism and Buddhism? Is everyone who follows Shinto also a Buddhist? Are the followers of Shintoism and Buddhist sometimes rivals?

Chaney: Something I like about the Shinto religion is that the main god is actually a goddess. Does this change people's perspectives about the religion?

Caroline: Are kami alive within you? Can kami have kami? And do kami die, or do they live forever?

Observations About Strong Informative Writing

I asked the students to read Kate and Ashton's pilgrimage paragraphs (posted here) and help me identify the characteristics of K & A's writing that make it stand out.

They noticed a variety of things:

Charlotte and Sebastian C.: Kate uses a lot of very powerful words.

Daniel and Carter: Her use of the word "crave" in the first sentence gets the paragraph off to a strong start.

Durland: Kate's descriptions are precise.

Henry: Her strong opening sentence entices one's interest.

Pete: Great grammar, and no run on sentences!!

Hunter: Ashton's sentences flow together.

Grace E.: I really like the way she didn't just talk about the pilgrims' journey, but also the history and outfits.

Sebastian L. and Olivia: Ashton uses very detailed sentences that enable the reader to understand everything well.

Henry: She packs in tons of information, but she writes it in a way that's not hard to understand.

Daniel and Carter: Ashton included stories that are interesting to the reader, like the story about Hagar and the story about the pilgrims swimming during the flood.

And speaking of Kate and Ashton: together with their groupmates Kai, Axel, Phoebe, Palmer, Ginny and Dante, they are off to a great start as they explore the beliefs and rituals of Taoism and Sikhism.

Musical Monday: Student Selections

A big thanks to Carson and Grace E. for getting the Student Musical Mondays off to a fantastic start!!

Examples of Strong Informative Writing

The students worked diligently on their pilgrimage paragraphs.

I was pleased with the way that several students dramatically expanded the range of vocabulary that they used in their second drafts.

I also noticed some close proofreading ... it's really important to track down your punctuation and spelling mistakes, and make them right!

Here are two examples of excellent writing.

Rituals at the Ganges River

By Kate C.

           Hindus crave to perform many different rituals before and after they gaze upon the mystical river. Before Hindus set off on their journey, they go to a Hindu temple in their town or somewhere along the pilgrimage. At the temple, Hindus will pray to their god Shiva for a safe trip. Pilgrims will sometimes purchase prayer shawls, with sacred texts printed on, to wear during the excursion. Ancient Hindu scriptures say that seeing, hearing, or touching the Ganges will cleanse you of your sins. At the ghats, Hindus perform the rituals needed for spreading the ashes of their ancestors into the river. By scattering the ashes, they believe it will send the souls to heaven. All of these rituals are Hindu and performed at the Ganges River.

Rituals During the Hajj

By Ashton

      On the hajj, a six day journey, Muslims perform important rituals every day. Hajj, if you look close enough, is really one big ritual packed into many days. On Day One, the pilgrims will change into ihram, for men two plain, white, cotton cloths that go around their legs and torso, and for women just plain modest clothing that covers them. After they have changed they will perform Tawaf and Sa’i. During the Tawaf pilgrims must circle the Kabah seven times. One interesting fact about Tawaf is that in 1941 a big flood happened during Kabah season, and instead of walking around the Kabah the pilgrims swam! During the Sa’i pilgrims hustle between the two mountains of Safa and Marwa. They do this to represent Hagar, Abraham's wife, running between the two hills of Safa and Marwa in search for water for her son. She eventually did find water that an angel made spring up for her. The last thing that they do for the day is head to Mina for an overnight. On Day Two, the pilgrims move from Mina to Mt. Arafat for a day of reflection and repentance. For most pilgrims Mt. Arafat is very sacred. From their they will go to Muzdalifah for another overnight and to collect pebbles for their next day of hajj. On Day Three, the pilgrims will head back to Mina and go to the Jamarat location. There they will cast the pebbles they collected at a pillar representing the devil. For the days of 4-6, they will be spent by going back to Mecca from Mina, and performing a farewell Tawaf and Sa’i in Mecca. During the hajj there is always something to do and a ritual to perform.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven - Review Questions

Please answer these questions on a sheet of looseleaf paper.

1. How many days does the artist spend thinking about the Buddha's life, before he understands what the Buddha should look like?


2. After he paints the Buddha (and before he starts painting the animals), what (or who) does he paint next?


3. How do the snails protect the Buddha?


4. In his painting of the Buddha, what are the animals actually doing?


5. In some of her songs, the housekeeper feels proud about ways that she is contributing to the artist's work (even though she is not actually painting). What are two activities that she mentions as being helpful?


6. In the Eighth Song of the Housekeeper, what does she mean when she says "The mercy of the Buddha has no end"?

I hope you enjoy these "majestic" sketches by A&D Artistry, Inc.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven is reminding me of some very kind and generous behaviors that I witnessed when you interacted with Chapel Buddies in December.

Are Cats Buddhist?

Yesterday, we talked about the uncanny ways in which certain cat behaviors seem to mirror the characteristics of Buddhist meditation.

For example:

Catnaps = Samatha (the form of meditation that emphasizes calming one’s mind): Cats know that living beings must sleep when they are tired. Otherwise, they cannot obtain the mental focus needed for true insight (“where has the laser pointer gone?!”). Not only does this give them energy for when they need it, but it also provides mental relaxation and a calm mind.

Cats’ Ability to Focus = Vipassana (the form of meditation that emphasizes intense concentration and awareness of one’s body): Never, I repeat NEVER, get into a staring contest with a cat. They will win. Cats perform a very unique version of meditation where they can focus on an object (a bird, a bug, or even a person sleeping!) for extended periods of time. Everything is taken into consideration and absorbed, so the cat can achieve right understanding and right action. The cat’s mind and body transforms with this meditation. 

Purring = Chanting (repeating mantras): Chanting is a form of meditation. Cats actually purr all the time, but you can only hear it at certain times. Purring is still a mystery to humans, and nobody can truly explain why they do it.

What is known is that purring can offer a calming effect on cats during stress (such as during a trip to the vet), or when a cat is showing loving-kindness to its human. It was recently discovered that the frequency that cats purr is therapeutic: it helps them to heal from injury. By purring, cats calm themselves and thus calm their mind and body, which helps them obtain peace.

Finally, here's an excellent question about the photos of cats with Buddhist monks, asked by Caroline, Juliet and Emily: If cats refused to pay homage to the Buddha (and cannot go to paradise), then why do the monks seem to love and respect the cats so much?

The Artist's Evolving Feelings Towards the Cat

I asked the students to consider whether the artist felt more happy or frustrated with the housekeeper's decision to purchase the cat.

Here are some of the thoughtful responses:

Alex B.: I think the artist was not happy at first because he thought the cat was a waste of money. "A cat? A cat?" he cried. "Have you gone mad? He we are starving, and you must bring a goblin, a goblin to share the little we have and perhaps to suck our blood."

Later, he liked the cat. "Oh, a three-colored cat" said the artist. "Why didn't you say so from the beginning? They are very lucky, I understand."

Kate R.: At the start, the artist is more frustrated by the cat, because after the housekeeper mentions the reason for getting the cat, he says "You have brought us home nothing to eat," showing that he only wants food.

After he finds out the cat is three-colored, he starts to change his mind.

Pete: At first the artist was frustrated with the decision because he thought it was a waste of money to take care of the cat. That changed when the artist realized how great and loyal the cat was.

Durland: I think the cat is more happy now because he says "I am ashamed when I think that I called such a cat a goblin." Also, he seems to really like Good Fortune because he thinks she is beautiful, intelligent and very special. Plus, the artist knows that she's not a normal cat.

We also discussed Good Fortune's behaviors that demonstrate her compassion and kindness...

Stuart and Daniel: She lets the captured bird go, which most cats wouldn't do ("Good Fortune hesitated and then slowly, slowly lifted one white paw and then another from the sparrow.")

Davis O., Hunter and Jacob: She bows her head to the artist ("As soon as the little cat heard him speak so kindly, she walked over to him and bowed down her head as though she were saluting him.")

Ellie and Molly: She only eats half of her meal, because she does not want to be a burden to the artist and the housekeeper ("It was as though she kept the rest for the next day, wishing to be no more of a burden than she could help.")

The Cat Who Went to Heaven: Questions Are Arising

Alex A. asked an excellent opening question about The Cat Who Went to Heaven: If the main character (the artist) is so poor, then how can he afford a housekeeper?

In thinking about Alex's question, Durland surmised -- based on a clue in the text -- that the housekeeper had been employed for many, many years by the artist's family. That is an excellent close reading by Durland.

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Axel, meanwhile, was surprised when the story mentioned Buddhist priests. "I thought priests were from Christianity?" mused Axel.

In truth, most scholars would say that Buddhism does not really have priests, but there are teachers within the Buddhist religion/philosophy, who help guide others with their reading, praying and meditation. 

The fairy tale on which The Cat Who Went to Heaven was translated into English, and the translator chose the word "priest" rather than the more accurate "teacher."

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The translation of texts (including sacred texts) is a fascinating subject all of its own! Thanks for helping us to think about it, Axel!

Pet corner is looking great! 

Your classmates are very happy to meet your beloved pets.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven: Getting Started

... Then a round, white head came slowly above the bamboo, and two big yellow eyes looked about the room, and a little white paw appeared on the rim. Suddenly, without moving the basket at all, a little white cat jumped out on the mats and stood there as a person might stand who scarcely knew if she were welcome.

                                                                  (With thanks to Molly for helping us to imagine the scene)

 

                                                                (And thanks to Sebastian for his spot-on reenactment)