Isaac of Nineveh

From what Isaac has to say, I think that the first passage is the only one that stuck out to me. What made me curious is how he mentions an infinite type of love. This sparked my attention because I feel like he is comparing the love of god lasting for eternity to the love of a spouse. I could be wrong but I feel he did this comparison to show just how strong God's love is especially when it is contrasted against the next biggest love. This is profound because if he is indeed comparing these two things, is it to justify his place as God or is it for us to feel--for lack of a better term--human?

Ludwig Wittgenstein

What Ludwig had to say is pretty interesting. However, what I want to point out is the last of the passages: "The truth can be only spoken by someone who already lives inside it; not by someone who still lives in untruth and only sometimes reaches out from untruth toward it." So since we live in an imperfect world full of lies and deceit, how can an "outsider" know that someone else is telling the truth and is actually derived from truth. I understand the underlying point Ludwig is trying to make about eliminating heresy and expanding the knowledge that is not compromised from heresy but the fact of the matter is, is that if individuals lived by this doctrine, would not there be many claiming that they descend from and are encapsulated in truth? I know that I will not be one of the one's to proclaim that I am too lazy to speak truth, and don't get this tainted view of what I am, because I am human and all humans are susceptible to the human nature of seeking power, in any degree. Truth is power.

Symeon the New Theologian

I really enjoyed the second passage by Symeon. "The more a man enters the light of understanding, the more aware he is of his own ignorance." It is a profound passage because when you contrast a man's knowledge against everything there is to know, the man knows nothing in comparison. This is a very humbling point because almost everyone suffers from thinking they know everything and it is because of this mentality that knowledge is hindered. I liked this because of how straight forward the point of this passage was.
The last passage is similar but still important in its own regard. "When our mind is emptied of thought, it finds nothing but light." If we empty our thoughts, especially our bad ones, we are more prone to be enlightened individuals with more awareness of the grace of life.

Hugh of St. Victor

Hugh of St. Victor has an intriguing take on what heavenly is. It comes off as a rather down to earth message because it keeps those seeking divinity "out of the clouds." This is an important way of trying to find solitude since he strongly emphasizes looking into oneself to find a deeper meaning for yourself. Looking deeper into yourself brings you closer to God because God is inside everyone. However, I think of this as a metaphor because God is synonymous with peace, hence, when you die you are at peace in heaven with God. It is also important because part of the reason to do this is to free yourself of material possessions. I like what Hugh of St. Victor has to say largely because it is real advice that is applicable to anyone who is seeking a religion, philosophy, or a more whole perspective of life.

Abi'l-Khayr

Even though this writer is of Islamic origin, I did not get the sense that he was until I looked at the name again. In fact, if a European name had been used instead, I would have thought him a Christian. This is intriguing because this exemplifies the relatedness of the two theologies and how much they are actually alike. The part of the text that really stood out to me was when he says, "You desire what God desires; your own desires are gone, you are emancipated from your wants, and have gained peace and joy in both worlds." This is a demonstration of how this philosopher's Islamic view is entirely on track with the Christian idea of living with as little indulgence, and even adequacy, as Jesus Christ had. It also reminds me of Buddhism and the path to Enlightenment. This is clearly a critical moral, communicated between several religions around the world and it still lives on today.

Huang-Po

From all of the other readings in this book, Huang-Po, to me is different. I find it interesting that he takes one idea, and beats it to death. What I am specifically referring to is "the mind." Basically, Huang-Po just says to leave it alone. Only marvel at the capabilities of the mind and do not analyze it. The mind is limitless in what it can do and in order to ascertain peace it must be through the mind because they are one in the the same. This is very much a Buddhistic way of thinking. This is profound because without bring peace to the mind and realizing that they are married to each other, peace will always be an elusive goal for anyone.

Albert Einstein

In this collection of Einstein quotes, the first and second quotes are my favorite. In the first quote, Einstein declares that the sensation of the mystical is the most profound human emotion. He ties it into the limitless possibilities that mysticism can bring. The fact that Einstein is a scientist shows that in order to be intellectual, unworldly ideas do in fact have a place in science, and that place begins at the theory. From the theory stems the hypothesis and from the hypothesis comes experimental research. The duty of experimental research is to falsify or support the hypothesis. However, without these ludicrous ideas, theories would never be propagated. It is incredibly important to note that of all people, Albert Einstein, often regarded as the most intelligent person to ever live, is the same person that suggests to not limit thinking and to invite abstract ideas. Putting this into perspective, I doubt that Einstein would have been able to single handily create distinctive contributions to astrophysics and nuclear physics without an imagination. This greatly ties in with the second passage when scientists and nature are brought up. Basically, this is a passage that suggests that nature is incredible and that scientists strive be as great as God's creation--to become a god in their own right, a Dr. Frankenstein so to speak.

Novalis

Novalis' lines were intriguing yet simplistic. "We are close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming," is a perfect example displaying simplicity. It is a thought provoking statement that makes complete sense. I notice that it is quite common, at least for me, that when I know I am dreaming I wake up not far after. This might not make sense to some people but when you dream that you are dreaming, the mind is actually consciously aware that you are, in fact, dreaming.
Another line I enjoyed is "When you understand how to love one thing--then you also understand how best to love everything." I particularly liked this line because I feel it is a true and compelling statement. When you read about love in literature or even in behavioral science, the person in love tends to show compassion for all other things, and even a lack of angst against hated ones.

Heraclitus

Though Heraclitus' sayings are very short they are condensed with meaning. "All things flow," reminds me of Albert Einsteins theory of relativism. However, I'm sure it is more closely related to the yin yang and the idea of equilibrium. From analyzing the other quotes from this excerpt, most seem to include this idea of flow, or somehow suggest it. A prime example being "Opposition brings together, and from discord comes perfect harmony." There is no flow or equilibrium without an opposite and this seems to suggest that much like the yin yang, where there is good there is evil and they will always coexist. Of course this would also apply to most polar identities like hot/cold, tall/short, angel/demon, etc. "From all, one; and from one, all," is probably the most eloquently crafted statement I've ever read. Not only does it elude to the unity of self but from the self to all; in order to convey that a great spirit is in all of us, individually and as a group. I've never read anything by Heraclitus before and although his statements are brief, they are sagacious in nature.

The Hermetic Writings

The Hermetic Writings have an omnipotent approach to the subject of God. I liked it because of the light but stern tone. This segment is proof of the tone: "If you don't make yourself equal to God, you can't perceive God; for like is known by like." This passage also introduces the moral of what the rest of the writing is about. After reading the rest of the writing, you will understand that it is impossible to be God. This is because it is not humanly possible to be old, young, unborn, in the sky, in the sea, on the land, etc. all at the same time. Therefore because you cannot experience all these things at once, you cannot be God or even completely perceive God. However, just because you can't fully perceive God doesn't mean you cannot get to know him. This is where I feel the Hermetic Writings gets profound. I believe it to be profound because of the emphasis this passage puts on spirituality instead of living by what is factual and learning to trust and believe in something you cannot behold. What we take from this passage is that God is beautiful from all aspects, including all of his creations--essentially the world we know, not just biological entities.

Rumi

A friend once told me about Rumi so then I read a couple of his shorter poetry. When I read the poetry contained in The Enlightened Mind, I thought most of it was pretty difficult to understand. However, the way in which he delivers deep thought (which reflects Islam) shows an adept poet, or perhaps a philosopher. I preferred the passage in which Rumi references gold but uses it metaphorically. I particularly enjoyed it because of its portrayal of love and what it should feel like to love; as if everything is golden. I found this to be a profound excerpt because of the way the message is carefully melded (no pun intended) by taking an inanimate object deemed beautiful by the masses while it also simultaneously represents greed. However, initially, Rumi creates an illusion that the gold is something good by taking advantage of the superficial nature of humans and then smacking the metaphor it represents, right in the reader's face. The complexity woven into Rumi's work is still unprecedented today.

Al-Bistami

This was an intriguing read and I liked it. I generally find Islam to be a very deep moral religion with a solid faith. I was intrigued by the complexity of the verses and the assertiveness contained within each. With that said, the following verse is my favorite from Al-Bistami, "Forgetfulness of self is remembrance of God. Whoever knows God through God becomes alive, and whoever knows God through self becomes dead." While this is not an entirely profound statement, I feel that it is an important part of this religions. Simply, this verse is wanting the reader to be a selfless person that believes in God and be humble in life so that you don't regard yourself as a God; which is usually regarded as a sin. Basically, each verse somehow implies or directly mentions God or heaven backed with a moral or wise statement.

The Gospel of Thomas

I am not particularly keen on the Gospel of Thomas. Most of what is in "his" sayings are just the reiterations from the Jesus of Nazareth passage, and just in general. With this in mind, I read as if talking was not Thomas but only Jesus. However, what I found important were the passages where the disciples ask Jesus a question and he answers them. While I didn't find the Gospel of Thomas very profound, I do think that it opens up what Jesus has said to the greater world by allowing a connection through friendship and love. Although I didn't prefer the Gospel of Thomas I did like this passage, "When you see one who was not born of a woman, bow down and worship him. That one is your father." I thought it was a clever passage that even felt "godly" in and of itself due to it's short but striking message because in order for someone to not be born from a woman implies a God, or in this case, thee God.

John the Evangelist

I liked what John had to say. I liked it because of the conjectures since Christianity as a whole tends to use a lot of it. My favorite was "those who don't love, don't know God." It's one of those in-your-face things that basically says if you don't love you will never be happy. I also liked how he views the spirit as being an important aspect of the religion because most people tend to forget that about Christianity, afterall there is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Overall his teachings come down and tell you to be truthful, loving, and bestowing; which are all profound things, even in modern life.

Tzu-Ssu

This reading has a very light-hearted approach to it, or I at least get that vibe. Like with most religious literature, this passage also has morals contained within it, sincerity is the main moral taught here. One of the observations I made was that I learned where a rather ubiquitous but necessary saying came from. I am talking about this famous line, "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." Even with it's ubiquity, I cannot recall anyone every telling me that this line came from a Confucius' grandson about 2500 years ago. I do not know much about Chinese proverbs, literature, or religion but I can now make the assumption that Chinese teachings, along with teachings from other cultures, are pervasive in our culture.
Aside from that, I like what is said about sincerity. I never thought about sincerity as this all-important aspect of living. Though, now that I think about it, I understand how it is essential to achieving perfect enlightenment.

Pai-Chang

Even though this passage was really short, the message it conveys is one that wants to show wholeness of being. I am going to be blunt, I enjoyed this reading because it was short. However, on a more serious note, I liked it because of the bluntness. This passage suggests that after gaining perfect enlightenment, one should retain it. The one thing I must question is this: If a person is to attain perfect enlightenment how is it even possible to lose it? In my opinion, the author wanted to finish on a facetious tone in order to encapsulate the symbolic message of this passage. With that said, this is relatively profound teaching that I agree with because of the fact that this teaching, along with many others, wants us to achieve a wholesome quality about ourselves.

The Buddha

This reading was also interesting because its thoughts appeared to be proper. What I found to be incredibly insightful was the last thought because of how it explains that believing in oneself is very important and I agree since it is essential to be your own person in life. Another thought out this reading that was intriguing was the third thought about the unborn, uncreated, and unconditioned. If you are capable of seeing those things you are liberated from the born, created, and conditioned. This implies that a person would have to be a rather grandeur spiritual being to see them so I think this teaching is trying to express the absurdness of claiming to be able to. The other passage that I liked was the one where a man built a boat, used it properly, and then used it improperly. To me this teaching shows how to become understanding of certain situations and apply the proper tool. I agree with this view on reality because if anyone applies the appropriate tool to a situation whether it may be a hammer, scale, or therapy there should be a successful outcome.

The Diamond Sutra

I enjoyed this reading because of the conjecture and deep thought that this reading provokes. The number one thing I got out of this reading is that bringing or having peace for our mind is all important so that it can be independent from thoughts. This teaching broadcasts the message of selflessness or the sake of just loving to live which is evident by the clever last thought, "When I attained Absolute Perfect Enlightenment, I attained absolutely nothing. That is why it is called Absolute Perfect Enlightenment." I especially agree with the author because of the clear philosophical argument against avarice and lust so that life can be lived without expectations, material possessions, and other desires. This is a very moving idea because it is implying to live wholely.

Dov Baer of Mezritch

I'm going to be honest; I really didn't get this one. However, after reading it several times it seems to me that this reading is also expounding respect. As a whole, I didn't particularly enjoy this reading because it tried to condense the same (or very similar) moral into three different but essentially the same mini passages. From my point of view, when I want to beat a moral into someone else's head, I would do so with a longer story, than that story cut-up and construed into three of the *same*.
Though I agree with the author's moral, I just didn't like the method it was delivered in; or maybe i should say methods. I think the author was just trying to be clever but in the end delivered with a paltry product.

Shmelke of Nikolsburg

I enjoyed Shmelke of Nikolsberg because it teaches respect. It teaches that you must show respect or care for something even if it makes a mistake because everything is interrelated hence the passage "Don't you know that the original soul came out of the essence of God, and that every human soul is a part of God?" I agree with the moral lesson being taught and has relevance in modern society especially when regarding the death penalty; should we teach that murdering is wrong by in turn murdering the murderer? The argument was profound especially with the example regarding your hand making a mistake. All the logic seems to be bullet proof in this writing.

Tu-Shun

Out of the five readings, I found Tu-Shun to be the most complex but was the most enjoyable because of it. The fact that a jewel is used as a metaphor for individuals is exceedingly abstract but also very clever. A jewel, no matter what the cut, always has many sides that are reflected in ever direction. An individual also has many sides, mentally speaking, that creates a personality that connects with all aspects of life and of course other people. After reading Ramana Maharshi, and especially this, I feel as if looking deeper into how you as an individual reacts in society and to oneself can effect not just oneself but everyone. Inherently, this is a profound reading just on the basis of the metaphor and because there are clauses with questions each followed by an answer. The bit of Q and A seems very informal but very informative with insight that really grabs the readers attention and makes them question their role. I agree with what Tu-Shun has to say and think that by incorporating jewels as a comparison, layers the morality with little adjectives that can also be inferred by what he is trying to say.

Ramana Maharshi

The passage on Ramana Maharshi is an interesting one. Each “mini story” is different yet seems to convey a similar moral. That moral is to question oneself and look deeper such as with a liberated master, is the master truly liberated from misery? Also, the last story which speaks about grace towards God seems to speak of its redundancy which infers that God already knows that you are graceful since he is essentially in you and in everything. I enjoyed reading this because of the above examples and I feel that more people should pay attention to their inner self. Obviously, I feel that the ideas were philosophically moving especially since I do not come across such brilliant observations or introverted thoughts when reading a book like Harry Potter.

Chief Seattle

I did not like Chief Seattle very much because the read was rather depressing than uplifting. In this speech, it appeared as if Chief Seattle was being submissive to the white man. His submissiveness to the white man irked me because I do not feel a perfectly good civilization should "bow down" and allow another civilization to take advantage of them. Also What I did like about his speech was that the Indians respect the dead and the earth, and I agree that more people, not just white people, should behave this way. Respect for the earth is important because it is our environment and everything we do causes a ripple effect, effecting other things.

Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha

Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha was an enjoyable read that really beckons the reader to understand the "red man's" plight. I agree with what Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha is speaking about. I thought it to be very profound for him to mention the irony of the white man leaving England because of religious oppression though they seek to oppress the Indians' religious beliefs, and for me this was the notion that should have opened the white people's eyes. I just do not understand how the Christian Missionoary could have been so cold as to essentially call Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha and the rest of the Indian population devil worshippers especially when they know very little of their religion except for a few facets such as not having a written text akin to the Bible. This mass ignorance led to much disaster much like how all ignorance ends up. It is just baffling especially since (it appears) they believe in the same god that the Indians happen to call the Great Spirit.
This speech really portrays the innocence of the Indians and how they were essentially taken advantage of. Indians gave them food and the white man gave rum, something they knew was not good for the body and mind. It the white man would have stayed and behaved the same as they did initially, there would probably be more Indians among us. The selfishness, ignorance, and overall indecency the white man expressed to the "red man" is atrocious.