Trip to Yogaville

From the moment that the LOTUS Shrine was exposed to the class by Professor Rasnic, I was determined to visit it.  The photo displayed on the homepage of the shrine showed great beauty and I became very curious about what was enclosed in the giant lotus structure that I saw on the computer.  Rather than watching a virtual tour or scanning the pictures on the LOTUS website, I decided to make the drive on Saturday April 23^rd.

In order to get to the shrine it is necessary to drive through country roads.  I didn’t realize how isolated the property was after learning of the meaning of the LOTUS, it makes complete sense to why it was stationed on the Yogaville property.  I knew once reaching the top of the winding hill that I would be in awe at the sight.

I eagerly anticipated my visit to the shrine.  I had expectations of meeting many Hindu followers and possibly participating in Hindu worship.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to be the only visitor to the shrine who was not a Hindu and I was terrified I wouldn’t know what to do upon my arrival.  I expected there to be vibrant colors and much decoration within the shrine corridor.  Visions of crowded meditation areas stuck in my head as the countdown for my visit occurred.

When I first walked onto the property, I realized it was very, very calm and serene.  There were very few visitors and a very welcoming staff who were there to answer questions and instruct you with Hindu tradition.

After watching a welcoming video and having the opportunity to talk with the members who volunteer at the shrine, I realized that the LOTUS shrine is not a Hindu temple- it's a place of worship and appreciation for all religions of the world.  I had it in my mind that I was going to have a Hindu experience but instead, I had an overwhelming sense of connectedness between Hinduism and all religion.  The lower section of the LOTUS is an area with different 'shrines' to 12 major religions and another section that displays prime concepts of most small religions that exist in the world.  I took pictures of our most recent religions of focus in our class.

 It is clear to see the historic Buddha in the picture above.

From the apparent yin-yang above, this is a shrine to Taoism.

I finally understood that the purpose of the LOTUS shrine is to have a place of worship for all religions.  It was built by H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda who had the goal of establishing a sacred place where "universal and spiritual vision" can produce a positive change in the world.  This idea was clear by statues and artwork throughout the establishment.

In the top portion of the LOTUS shrine there is a meditation room.  With exception of one half hour in each day, it is open to individual mediation and one of the most beautiful rooms I had ever seen.  I probably spent about 20 minutes walking around and reading famous sayings from the different scriptures of prominent faiths and about 30 minutes of individual meditation on the edge of the room.  The gorgeous ceiling was symbolic of all types of paths (in this sense religions) leading to one ultimate goal (truth/happiness).  The symbolism within the shrine was very moving.

"Truth is One, Paths are Many."

By the end of my meditation I was very happy and at peace with everything.  I wasn't stressing about my upcoming tests or the two hour drive home; I was happy to be there at the very moment in time.  It was very calming and exactly what I wanted it to be.

After having a chance to visit Sri Swami Satchidananda small shrine and traveling to the top of the hill (advice from a volunteer), I was able to see a breathtaking view of the entire area which solidified my happiness in the moment.  At the top of the hill I was able to see very exquisite statues of Ganesha and Krishna.

The most beautiful view of the mountains and the LOTUS really made the trip worthwhile.

My visit to the LOTUS shrine was slightly different from what I had imagined it to be.  The busy Hindu temple that had imagined was actually a quite, peaceful shrine to all religions that exist.  I found this trip extremely rewarding and I really hope to visit the LOTUS shrine again.  I really hope to have the chance to go soon and have another chance to meditate in the peaceful meditation room again.

"The Tunnel" and Shinto Ethics

I chose to watch Kurosawa’s segment entitled “The Tunnel” from his film Dreams.  In this section, a gentleman is confronted by a barking dog, ignores it, and then walks through a tunnel.  His footsteps are loud and the tunnel was fairly long.  After leaving the tunnel, he realizes he is followed by what seems to be a ghost soldier who begins to ask questions about his death and describes his last memories of his life.  The gentleman who seems to be a leader of the dead soldier tells him that he is dead and that the memories of home and his family must have been a dream he had before he died.  The soldier pleads that he is alive and the gentleman continues to assure him that he is not and that he needs to go back to where he came from.  After departing, the man hears more noise and sees his whole platoon, dead and in line, emerge from the tunnel.  He cries aloud to them that they are all dead and that it is his fault and he tries his best to express his guilt to them.  They all depart after a command and he falls to his knees in shame.  In the last minute, the dog runs into the scene again, barking as loud as possible.

The dog barking, the footsteps of the man, and the sound of a marching platoon are all very emphasized in this segment of Dreams.  The main gentleman in the segment is obviously an army officer who is alone at the end of a war.  He walks alone with his thoughts and is haunted by the guilt of losing his men in the war.  After reviewing the basic points of Shinto religion, it is clear that honor to a person’s country and community is an important part of the lifestyle.  It is a part of the ethics of a person to devote themselves to a country and leader.  With that said, it is obvious that the dead soldiers that appeared from the tunnel had the Shinto ethic.  Despite dying tragic ways and having a sense of bitterness toward the commander, the platoon continues to follow him even after death. 

It is obvious that the commander feels guilty.  Even with the small exchange of words, it is apparent that the soldiers aren’t mad at them.  They are sad that they are dead and that they will not have a chance to spend time with their families, but that was their decision to go into battle.  After realizing they are dead after hearing the crying words of their leader, they continued to march on into the tunnel and maintain focus on their country and have a sense honor.  As stated in class by Professor Rasnic, “dishonor is worse than death” and Kurosawa’s film clearly displays this.  Maintaining love and loyalty to their leader who lead them astray in the war is important to the dead soldiers.  The barking dog doesn’t hold back much of his anger about what has occurred and barks loudly at the leader.  The gentleman who walked through the tunnel a made a crying plea to his dead soldiers will not be able to be completely at peace because of the dog that outwardly expresses his anger and resentment towards him.

Kurosawa’s film shows prominent views of the Shinto religion.  “The Tunnel” in particular represents loyalty and devotion to a group of people.  The devotion of the ghost soldiers to their surviving leader is a very important code of ethic that Shinto followers live by.

Taoist Approach

     The Tao of Pooh was one of the most light-hearted, enjoyable books I have read for a college course.  Because I was such an avid Winnie-The-Pooh fan as a child, it was so easy for me to envision the characters once more and identify all of the qualities described within the book.  It was very easy for me to finally understand the qualities of Taoists when they were related to the characters in Christopher Robin’s neighborhood.  I had a very positive reaction to reading this book but at times, I had to realize that I was reading about a certain religion and not only about characters from my childhood.

     I could not stop from laughing at the multi-page description of the ‘bisy backsons’ because I see myself as one of those people.  I feel the need to enroll in as many classes as possible, take on any favor that is asked of me, and to say “yes” to any and all opportunities assigned at work and within my student organization.  I can’t stop myself from being busy!  I’m “nervously glancing at [my] watch” as I rush from one activity to the next (95).   I constantly complain, like most Americans, about time flying and never having the time to accomplish all tasks desired.  America is full of bisy backsons who find it hard to just find the time to enjoy the little things in life.  Each day goes by with hopes that their effort will pay off as they “try their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere” (97).  There was little exaggeration in Benjamin Hoff’s critique.  I, and many people I know, am completely guilty of focusing on a To-Do List and not taking the time to enjoy the beautiful, serene things in life. 

     I find it interesting that Winnie the Pooh, a Taoist type outlook, describes it as a “Brain” getting in the way of daily activity.  Goal oriented Americans “have Brain, and Brain can be fooled” which indicates that the ‘Inner Nature’ of all people can be misguided and ultimately leave people unhappy (57).  It was stated that enjoyment is the answer to this problem and if people took it upon themselves to enjoy each daily process, they would feel more fulfilled (112).  I agree that if people take a step back from business and actually have time relaxing and enjoying nature, the people around them, and the fun in conversation, they would lead a much happier life.  I will not go as far to say that following Pooh is the complete solution- it may help but it will not solve problems.  If Taoism really is the solution, then more people would have caught on by now and simple Pooh-like characters would be more prominent in everyday life.

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** All quotes taken from the Tao of Pooh pages 1-115

Buddhism Blog #1

Ask Happy Buddha

The iPhone application “Ask Happy Buddha” is a reference to the Buddhist stereotype of a happy, carefree Buddha living in a peaceful and serene Buddhist world.  The application involves people submitting the questions they face in life and an automated Buddha response being sent back to them.  The questions asked are yes and no and all of his responses are insightful and “uplifting”.  The point of the application is to provide some entertainment with some witty Buddha guidance.  This is probably one of the most common stereotypes in popular culture.  The happy go-lucky character is a somewhat positive stereotype but it puts an entertaining view on the Buddhist culture because one of the goals of the application is to make people laugh.

After some research, I realized that the historic Buddha is different than the one depicted in statues and popular culture.  The Buddha represented in popular culture, Budai,  is actually the symbol of contentment and prosperity².  The actual understanding of what Buddhism is was finally cleared up after the lessons on historic Buddha and Brad Warner’s clarification of current Buddhist practice.   It’s the twenty-first century and people need to make a living in life.  Brad Warner, a Zen Buddhist and a monster filmmaker, breaks down the role of a Buddhist teacher in the current world.  Warner talks about how teachers and monks today should have the right to “live a decent life and have some cool stuff” (23)³. 

Most practicing Buddhist in the world need support themselves and the “only jobs that qualify what Buddha called the “right livelihood” are thearapists or yoga teachers. That’s bullshit” (Warner 12)³.   His two main jobs consist of creating films and spreading the word of Buddhism which don’t sound like they belong together.  Modern Buddhist teachers give lectures in their spare time and work when they can in order to get by financially.  Clearly, Warner dispels the notion that teachers and monks can only spend their time praying and spreading the word.  Warner’s discussion about his punk rock past and transition into the Buddhist teacher allowed him to dispel current misunderstandings about the Buddhist religion.

¹iTunes, 2011

² Buddah, Wikipedia, 2011

³ Warner, Brad. Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate. 2009


Also, this is just a little addition.  I found this comic on a website and thought I would share.  It's entertaining and obviously another stereotype of Buddhist monks.

Buddhist Jokes

Hindu Aims 2 and 4

Liberation

1. Tracy Chapman "Fast Car", folk, 1988

2. Old Crow Medicine Show "Wagon Wheel", bluegrass, 2004

3. The National, "Baby We'll Be Fine", post-punk, 2005

4. Bob Dylan, "Beyond Here Lies Nothing" , folk, 2009

5. Queen, "I Want to Break Free", rock, 1984

Tracy Chapman starts the list because she talks about liberation from the life she was born into.  She clearly discusses the hardships she goes through on a daily basis and in the end, allows the fast car of her unlikeable boyfriend to take him away and let her live her life.  "Wagon Wheel" is a fun song about heading down the east coast and doing what he wants as he is put in various situations.  The National's song is about a couple finding happiness in life and just freeing themselves from the worries of the world around them.  Bob Dylan's song is also about him finding happiness with a woman and finding peace and liberation.  Queen's song is obvious about becoming free of a person and their lies; liberation from a relationship!

Success

1. The Clash "Death or Glory", punk, 1979

2. Animal Collective, "My Girls", experimental rock, 2009

3. The National, "All the Wine", post-punk, 2004

4. Dirty Projectors, "Stillness is the Move", experimental rock, 2009

5. Notorious B.I.G., "Big Poppa", hip-hop, 1995

Animal Collective "My Girls"

The Clash sings about glory in a revolution.  Animal Collective discusses success in life and it's represented by living in a plain house with wives and children.  The National sings about making it big and having "all the wine" and being amazing.  The Dirty Projectors also sing about success in life and everything working out in the end.  Notorious B.I.G. lists the fancy thing and notes living "In mansion and Benz's givin' ends to my friends and feeling stupendous".

Discussion

Attempting to think of songs pertaining to liberation and success seemed to be equally as difficult for me.  I honestly think that certain genres tend focus on a particular type of theme and it was difficult trying to find songs in a variety of genres.  For example, I think a lot of hip-hop and rap artists like to discuss success because for a lot of them, it is the opportunity to talk about changes in live and how they were able to overcome certain obstacles. Songs of liberation are composed by many folk artists because a lot of them have either had hardships or been a witness to struggle in areas around them.  The songs of liberation could refer to personally freeing oneself from a difficult situation or the actual liberation of a group of people from a country or overbearing power.  Either way, I think general concepts of liberation and success all depend on the person discussing them.  Particular events in life will ultimately lead a person to sing about certain themes.

If you were to take a look at Animal Collective’s “My Girls”, I think it really does coincide with the Hindu idea of success (well, one of the ideas).  Success of supporting a household and completing civic duties is clearly described in the song and is one of the Hindu prongs.  The Hindu concepts also explain that individual success is only temporary and should not be the focus of life.  I think that Biggie’s “Big Poppa” is the type of song that describes wealth, fame, and power and is not generally accepted into Hindu life.  Liberation in Hindu terms discusses “infinite being, infinite awareness, and infinite joy” which is the goal of all humans.  The American idea of liberation is somewhat similar to this Hindu concept, but isn’t as simply stated most of the time.  The liberation of a particular thing or event is what is discussed in song (example: “Fast Car”).

Overall, success is more prevalent in our American culture.  Everyone strives to be successful, primarily for money reasons.  People want to get what they want which is typically material type objects.  Most people will try to be successful by any means possible which could be damaging to others as a result.  Restating what I said in my previous post, Americans are selfish.  Liberation from hardships is a good thing, but focusing on happiness and success in the end dominates most American lives. 

Community Service
1. Ben E. King, "Stand by Me", soul, 1961
    Ben E. King sings about people standing together when times are tough and when they feel like there is nothing left to live for.  He attempts to bring comfort to people by saying "Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me".
2. Phil Collins, "Another Day in Paradise", pop, 1989
   Homelessness is the topic of this song and Phil Collins describes a woman living on the street who people ignore on a daily basis.  He urges every person to think twice because everyone is living in the same world and no one should be treated differently.
3. Ani DiFranco, "32 Flavors", pop, 1995
    This song describes differences in people and once again, is trying to have people accept others based upon differences.  Identifying people of lower class and just being kind to them will ultimately change your life.
4. N.W.A. "Express Yourself", rap, 1989
   Dr. Dre is the primary voice on the track and he is urging people of all races to express themselves through words.  It's probably N.W.A.'s only song that doesn't highlight the importance of drugs and violence (don't get me wrong, I love all of their songs).  Speaking your mind in order to benefit yourself and the people around you is important.
5. Tracy Chapman "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" , folk, 1988
   Tracy Chapman is notorious for talking about hardships in life and in this song, she discusses how people in unfortunate situations should rise up and start a revolution to receive equality.  It is an inspirational song that people can listen to and feel some sort of empowerment to make their lives better.
6. The Beatles, "Eleanor Rigby", pop, 1966






This song can be looked at as a form of community service.  It talks about a woman two people who are extremely lonely who live life day to day with  hopes of a change.  It can be interpreted that these people are there for all the lonely people, but there is no one there to recognize it.  You can say that Eleanor helps out the lonely people.

Pleasure
1. Tilly and the Wall, "Nights of the Living Dead", pop, 2004
   The entire premise of this song is a group of young adults living life the way they want and messing things up in order to have fun.  They drink in parking lots, go wild, and damage whatever they can.  They live the reckless young lives that they want.
2. Notorious B.I.G., "Ten Crack Commandments", rap,  1997
    Biggie is has many songs about drugs, but this one clearly goes into depth about how to be a drug dealer.  This pleasure or selling and doing drugs is extremely apparent.
3. Paul Baribeau, "Ten Things", alternative, 2007
   Paul discusses a 'bucket list' of sorts and he talks about doing your favorite activities before its too late.  It describes the pleasure received from doing what you like.
4. The Mountain Goats, "Dance Music", alternative, 2005
   The pleasure of dancing is apparent and the lead singer just talks about his desire to listen to dance music in order to calm down.
5. Michael Jackson, "Dirty Diana", pop, 1987
   Michael discusses ultimate pleasure of a woman who sleeps with musicians without a care in the world if they are in relationships or not.

The aim that is most prevalent in American society today is the aim of pleasure.  Our society is full of people who are obsessed with themselves.  People will do anything to be the focus of attention on themselves in order to discuss their likes, dislikes, what annoys them, and how their daily life is.  If you think about this then you will realize that almost all songs focus on what makes a person happy, sad, or about something that is a topic of interest.  A millionaire rap artist will discuss his love of strippers while an old age rock n’ roll singer will write songs about his excessive drug use.  Whatever makes someone happy will typically turn into the most entertaining of songs. 

It isn’t too difficult to find songs involving pleasure.  Listeners are most drawn to the exciting lives of music artists that put thrilling beats and background music to simple, rhyming versus.  To most people, the perfect life is being carefree and surrounding oneself with luxurious things like money, cars, alcohol, drugs, and beautiful people.  A lot of songs glorify this type of life so people want to listen to them and just envision living these lives even if it’s for a few minutes.  It is more difficult to find songs that focus on helping other people in a community.  It is assumed that those songs dwell on negative aspects of society and most people would prefer to listen to more uplifting or fun songs.  Pleasure is fun and desirable.  In order to make a song relevant and exciting in a selfish America, it is vital that songs must have some sort of pleasure to interest listeners.

There are differences between how I view pleasure and what the Hindu aims signify.  The overall concept of pleasure is that it will promote happiness at the time but will not be good enough to satisfy a person’s total nature by the end.  The Hindu aim of pleasure says that as long as integrity and respect stay important to a person throughout his/her life, then to go ahead with what is pleasurable as long as he/she realizes that it will not satisfy him/her totally.  The Hindu aim actually does not give a negative meaning to pleasure unlike American point of views.  In all, the Hindu aims state that we as people want joy in the end but pleasure, community service, and success will not completely satisfy that desire in the end so it isn’t necessary to focus too much on them.  Pop music, on the other hand, makes it seem like living a life with pleasure will lead to unlimited happiness.  Happiness at the end of a life is the goal of all people and following either the Hindu way of thinking or following the American pop culture way of life is a choice all people will make.