Religious Literature

Tao Te Ching
22, 24, 25, 32, 37, 49, 53, 56, 77, 79

22.
You cannot feel or experience one thing without the other. To feel the full experience of life, you must feel nothing first to know the difference. One must let go of expectations, pride, goals, and simply live and trust yourself without force or intervention.

24.
Again we see the importance of letting go and not forcing one's self. Aggressively living is not the way. Instead it is better to be and to do without inhibition.

25.
The Tao is the eternal cosmic force that pervades all things, that precedes all things, even the universe.

32.
The Tao is both large and infinitely small. If powerful people focused on the Tao being in harmony, the entire world could be peaceful. Names and forms are temporary things, just like institutions, just like our states or corporations. They have a function, a purpose, but only up to a certain point. It's when they go beyond that purpose is their danger. All of this does not matter because it will always end in the Tao.

37.
The Tao is passive, yet constructive. This chapter talks again about, "powerful people" and goes further into why the the world could be at peace. I think that if powerful people focused more on the Tao, which is a universal force, power and essence; the world would be a better place because they would not desire power. "When there is no desire, all things are at peace."

49.
Who is the master? Master of the Tao? This chapter seems to be about being good and believing in all people, not picking and choosing of what you deem their merit to be. "The master's mind is like space." This is incomprehensible to others, so others must wait to understand until the master explains.

53.
The first part of this section reminds me of Buddhism and the middle way. Staying centered on the Tao is the way to harmony, but people still choose to go on side paths. The second half of this section has more to do with social equality and the way of the Tao. To me it seems Latzu would be outraged at our current society, so out of balance with the Tao. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and life begins to spiral out of control.

56.
"Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know." I find this chapter to be the most instructive in centering oneself in the Tao. One needs to let go and withdraw from worldly senses. "Soften your glove, settle your dust." This part says to just be, easy and gentle. The Tao isn't any specific thing that can be used or abused because it is always present and always giving.

77.
The Tao balances the world. Those who try to unbalance the Tao go against it. This section once again focuses on those in power and on social equality. The master of the Tao gives generously, acts without expectation, and succeeds without pride.

79.
"Failure is an opportunity." Failure as an opportunity is an optimistic way to view the world. Taking responsibility, fulfilling obligations and fixing mistakes is a wonderful way to grow and be. "She does what she needs to and demands nothing of others."

Dhammapada
1, 7, 11, 14, 15

1. Twin verse.
Our thoughts make up who we are, what we think influences our actions and happiness. If we dwellmon hatred then it will never stop; love is the only way to end hatred and quarrels. Living for pleasure makes one weak, but we become stranger without them.

This section compares between a foolish, evil, weak, thoughtless, or otherwise unvirtuous person who will be unhappy and suffer to a virtuous person without desire and hate who is satisfied and fulfilled.

7. The venerable.
This chapter speaks about the life of a ascetic, who has given up passion and desire to achieve nirvana. The way of the ascetic is difficult for others to understand because one must renounce all things and pleasure. However the ascetic know the true joy is freedom from samsara. I particularly liked the verse that dealt with the ascetic finding delight in the forest simply because.

11. Old age.
I did not quite understand the point of this passage. I believe the author is talking about the inevitability and horror of old age. The ladder part of this passage discusses the regret that comes with old age. The wise person knows it is not death that one should fear but endless rebirth.

14. The buddha
This passage deals with what and who a Buddha is, and the joys and benefits of being enlightened. The Buddha is awakened, pure, and without desire for worldly things or otherwise. Wisdom, meditation and withdrawal from the world helps one to enlightenment, and one avoids being led a stray. The chapter also discusses how to live, which is the middle way of moderation. The four noble truths are also included: pain, the orgin of pain, the destruction of pain, and the eight fold path. Buddha's are not easily found.

15. Happiness
This chapter is a reiteration of what it takes to be happy in this world. Happiness seems to not be so much about joy than it is about being free from suffering by giving up desires and worldly things. This passages encourages one to live simply and with love, an done will be happy and content. This chapter encourages one to eschew negative emotions and thoughts, and to live without greed or lust or any other Buddhist vice.

Gospel of Thomas

I read all 114 Coptic Sayings of Jesus, and a few of the Greek translations as well. It was very interesting to
read the sayings of Jesus because despite it being the same person as the Jesus in the New Testament, I felt that this Jesus was a much more mystical figure focused on the mysteries of life rather than a savior. Jesus seems like a mystic teacher, answering unanswerable questions and giving analogies that take time to even understand. It took me quite a while to understand what was meant when Jesus said that the Kingdom is like a fisherman who throws his net into the ocean and pulls it back full of small fish and then searches for the large, fine fish and then throws the rest back into the ocean. Perhaps this means that only those who are ready for the Kingdom or return to the divine can go, the rest must return to the sea from whence they came until they are large and fine like the one fish.

The Gospel of Thomas seems to be Jesus attempting to teach that the inner self is divine, that the kingdom of god is in us and all around us. Several passages deal with this idea and I think it is an important facet of the Gospel of Thomas.  My favorite two passages are " Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds he will become trouble. When becomes troubled he will be astonished, and he will rule over all" and "men think, perhaps, that it is peace which i have come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is dissension which I have come to cast upon the earth. Fire, sword and war." I think these passage illustrate a much different sort of message than the New Testament and I like how Jesus didn't come to pacify, but to arouse the people, to awaken them. I also especially like the last passage because Jesus didn't bring peace, instead he brought much turmoil to those who decided to follow him, and later to those who did not. It seems he understood the kind of force Christianity could be and the battles it would wage in gods name. I cannot know for certain, but that is what it seems.

The Koran 
Ch. 87, 75, 16, 2, 4


Sura 87. The Most High
This sura praises Allah in all his glory by acknowledging his power in the world and in all things. This sura also reminds the reader that if one does not follow the righteous laws of Allah, he will turn away and fear Allah's power and grace, and he will be punished for it in the end. However, if one is god and adheres to to the will of Allah, he will have a better afterlife than one who would not follow the way.

Sura 76. The Resurrection 
Both passages so far seem to have a very negative and dark tone for those who do not obey and worship Allah. This sura talks about the coming day of resurrection, when Allah will heal the dead and infirm and judge those who have not led a right life. It tells of the joy experienced by adherents and the devastation and fear others will experience on the day of judgement. 

Sura 16. The Bee
I find it interesting that every sura begins with "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful." After the greeting this sura goes on to marvel and exclaim at all the beauty, comfort and convenience Allah has created for man. It talks about the glory of Allah but then begins to descended into a lesson to those who do not follow Allah or his will. It talks again of the day of resurrection, and the judgments people will face. This sura also talks about how Allah is responsible for all creation, including our own, and he has the power to end that creation too. 

Sura 4. The Women
This particular sura is commanding Muslims to show kindness and goodwill towards orphans and women. This sura gives protection and rights to these two vulnerable groups of people. It tells adherents to respect the property of women and orphans and to not use the wealth in a greedy fashion but to use it for necessities if needed, but to otherwise leave the property untouched. This sura also contains other rules, such as who a man may take for a wife and to not make marriage compulsory and also take all the womens wealth. It also contains rules about what to do to a non-believer or those who would attack the religion. 

Sura 2. The Cow
This sura talks about the kind of god Allah is, one will reward his righteous followers and punish those who do not follow him, or decide to follow him to simply to avoid judgement. It covers some of the history of Islam, the ancient prophets Abraham and Moses. Although this sura is very little, it seems to emphasizing these very important points.