Faith, Spirituality, and Where I Fall Amongst Them

Before I begin, just to clarify: I decided to break up part three and simply place it with parts 1 & 2 as I dictate my results. This will help me think more clearly.

Alright. Time to find out what I believe. Here we go:

Part 1: Level Of Spirituality

I received a 57 on the quiz, placing me in the Spiritual Straddler category (50-59). The descriptor says: "One foot in traditional religion, the other in free form spirituality."

I have mixed emotions about this. I think this is a fair way to describe me, seeing as how I am not committed to a particular religion or spirituality. To be honest, I did expect to see a result like this. As to whether I agree with the findings or not, here is what I think after looking at the next step up and the step below the one I got. The next step up implies that I have a particular religion that I follow, which is incorrect. So I could go no higher than the category I'm in now. The category below could apply to me, as it says I am spiritual, but sometimes turned off by organized religion, which is true.

I did have difficulty responding to some of the questions, because, to be honest, I don't know exactly what I believe. I know what I value, and what moral beliefs I have, but I have difficulty paralleling those to religion.

Part 2: What is my faith?

The assignment only asked for us to post our top five results for this quiz, but I am posting my top ten. Here they are:


1.
Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2.
Liberal Quakers (94%)
3.
Neo-Pagan (89%)
4.
Reform Judaism (84%)
5.
Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (78%)
6.
Mahayana Buddhism (78%)
7.
New Age (78%)
8.
Secular Humanism (75%)
9.
Taoism (68%)
10.
Theravada Buddhism (65%)

Highest Ranking Eastern Religion: I was not sure if Unitarian Universalist or Reform Judaist counted, so I chose Mahayana Buddhism as my top Eastern Religion.

Here is what it gave me as my beliefs:


•Belief in Deity

Mahayana Buddhism (like Theravada Buddhism) posits no Creator or ruler God. However, deity belief is present in the Mahayana doctrine of The Three Bodies (forms) of Buddha: (1) Body of Essence--the indescribable, impersonal Absolute Reality, or Ultimate Truth that is Nirvana (Infinite Bliss); (2) Body of Bliss or Enjoyment--Buddha as divine, deity, formless, celestial spirit with saving power of grace, omnipotence, omniscience; and (3) Body of Transformation or Emanation--an illusion or emanation in human form provided by the divine Buddha to guide humans to Enlightenment. Any person can potentially achieve Buddhahood, transcending personality and becoming one with the impersonal Ultimate Reality, which is Infinite Bliss (Nirvana). There are countless Buddhas presiding over countless universes. Bodhisattvas--humans and celestial spirits who sacrifice their imminent liberation (Buddhahood) to help all others to become liberated--are revered or worshipped as gods or saints by some.


•Incarnations

The historic Buddha, the person Siddhartha Gautama, is considered by many as an emanation or illusion of the highest power (which is also called Buddha). Many believe there have been countless Buddhas on earth.


•Origin of Universe and Life

No Creator God. All matter is illusion or manifestation of the Ultimate Reality. Generally, Mahayana Buddhist beliefs don't find modern scientific discoveries contradictory to Buddhist thought.


•After Death

There is no transmigration of individual souls, but through the law of karma, one's wholesome or unwholesome intentions become imprinted in the mind. Negative mental states persist through continual rebirth until one's intentions become wholesome. Once fully enlightened, one is liberated from rebirths, reaching a state of absolute selflessness resulting in ultimate bliss called Nirvana--the "Deathless State." One becomes Buddha (or one with Buddha). Some Buddhists, especially modern Western, don't emphasize or believe in literal rebirth.


•Why Evil?

People have free will to commit wrongs. Evil results as cravings, attachments, and ignorance accumulate through perpetual rebirths, thus perpetuating greed, hatred, and violence.


• Salvation:

The goal is enlightenment, leading to Nirvana--liberation from cycles of rebirth and suffering--which is life. All are already endowed with Buddha-nature but need to come to realize fully that only the Ultimate Reality (the great "void" or "emptiness") is real (or nonconditional) and permanent. The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path show the way, along with worship of the essential Buddha. One must work to extinguish self: All worldly cravings, desires, and attachments, through loving-kindness, compassion, charity, moral conduct, wisdom, and meditation. Renouncing worldly possessions and goals is not necessary for the laity, if balanced. Buddha taught the middle path, moderation. Human and spirit world Bodhisattvas are sought for help in gaining enlightenment. Pure Land Mahayana Buddhists aim to find a place of eternal Nirvana in a paradisiacal Pure Land, attainable by calling out the name of the Buddha ruler of the Pure Land.


• Undeserved Suffering:

Life is suffering. Suffering results from this and past life greed, hatred, and ignorance, which, unless mitigated, returns as suffering (karma). Intense suffering may be viewed as the release of karma, hastening one's liberation. Suffering is illusion or ignorance of one's true nature as Buddha.


• Contemporary Issues:

Abortion is considered murder, and all violent acts cause horrific karmic consequence. Homosexuality in itself is not specifically condemned by scripture, but opinions vary, especially among various Buddhist cultures--e.g., American Buddhists are generally very accepting, while Asian Buddhists are generally strongly opposed to homosexuality. It is believed that divorce wouldn't occur if one follows Buddhist precepts, but a couple is not condemned if they separate due to vast personal differences. Gender roles are generally traditional (e.g. women are child caretakers and men are providers), but are growing less rigid as society inflicts more and more contemporary demands (e.g. women working in increasing numbers).

I again have mixed emotions regarding my results. This time there are quite a few more religions involved, and I was surprised to find that I had a 100% match. Upon further investigation, I realized this is because Unitarian Universalism is somewhat vague, providing the fact that they are very accepting, but not much else.

My highest ranking Eastern Religion was also a surprise, because for some reason I was expecting to get Hinduism before Buddhism. I'm not complaining though, as I've always been really intrigued by Buddhism. My particular sect is called Mahayan Buddhism, and its beliefs are listed above. After reading through them, I felt as if parts suited me and parts did not. I identify with the belief that there is no creator god, as creation puzzles me always. I like the idea that "god" is not necessarily a particular being, but an underlying spiritual body/essence/energy. That said, since I do not know what my beliefs are at this point in my life, I don't necessarily wholeheartedly agree with these ideas. On the other hand, there are definitely things I do not agree with. I do not believe that life is suffering, or that we have past lives. Even more than that, I strongly disagree with their stances on contemporary issues. It seems to me like they try to appear as if they are accepting, but I do not think this is the case.

And in that one fact lies my largest problem with religion. Many religions pimp the "We accept everyone for who they are and what they believe" speech, but then they all have a long list that accompanies that speech. That long list is: God accepts you for what you are, unless you are this, this, this, or this. I have a major problem with that. Religion is supposed to be untainted by man, and simply taken from the divine texts, stories, etc. But the fact that religion is sometimes SO discriminatory makes me think perhaps we are inserting more of our own personal issues into it than is necessary or fair.

Sorry for that little rant. Back to my thoughts on my results. Overall, I don't think that Mahayan Buddhism is the best fit for me. But looking through my top ten list, I found a few religions I do quite like. Number 9, for example. Taoism. As odd as it may seem, and as out there as it may be, I like what it stands for, and the basic idea of balance it presents. I am super excited to continue learning about Eastern philosophy and religions, along with the history that shaped them. Or did religions help shape history? I guess I'll find out!


Part 4: Researching Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism appears to me to have originated from Guatama Buddha, although many scholars believe it originated in India. It is one of three routes to enlightenment under a particular bracket of Buddhism known as Vajrayana Buddhism. It is mainly practiced today in Eastern Asia.

In general, I found that the beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism are broken into four main parts. Universalism, Bodhicitta (or realization), Compassion, and Transcendental Imminence. Now I'll do my best to give a basic explanation each of these areas.

Universalism: Mahayana Buddhists believe enlightenment is reached at two levels. First, they acheive basic enlightenment, and then at death, something called Mahaparinirvana. As far as I can tell, this simply means "Final Nirvana", and can only be reached when you are at death's door. Some find this "Final Nirvana" as they are dying, others in the moment of death, and others are forced to search for it even in death. The reason Mahayana Buddhism is considered a form of universalism is because under it, everyone will reach total enlightenment. This is pre-determined.

Bodhicitta/Realization: Put simply, this is the idea that acheiving enlightenment for one's self is too small a goal. Once you have reached it yourself, you should help others to do so as well, so eventually everyone shall be in enlightenment together.

Compassion: A large part of Bodhicitta, compassion is the key idea that ones' merit can be transferred to others. I think this means that your accomplishments and the lessons you have learned from them can be given as gifts to others. Whether this is through teaching or cooperating, compassion is spread, and it is a linking force between those who believe in Mahayand Buddhism.

Transcendental Imminence: The longest words, but the simplest concept. It simply means that the immortal Buddha is present in all human beings. Essentially, he is a part of us all as we are a part of him.


Part 4.5: My Thoughts

My initial response to this religion was that I did not feel it was for me, and my opinion stands. However, after some more in depth research, I do see it is a very complex and geniusly created religion. I respect the beliefs associated with Mahayan Buddhism and particularly like the idea of Transcendental Imminence (see above). I do not think I could practice this religion for my entire life, but I do think I would like to experience it sometime. Perhaps when I am older and I visit Asia I will seek out someone to take me somewhere where I can learn and practice more about this religion. That way I can at least say I have tried it out, and seen what it has to offer. In terms of my worldview, I think this religion shares some unfortunate realizations. For example, the idea that evil arises due to individual greed, spite, and other dark emotions is one I also believe. It is unfortunate, and I do wish it was untrue, as I like to look at things through a positive lens, but it is important to take everything with a grain of salt. In the words of Buddha himself, the jug fills drop by drop. I had never heard of Mahayana Buddhism before, but I am glad that I have now. Each bit of information I gain about other's beliefs and cultures makes me more aware, and only that much more of a world citizen.

Cultural Bias & My Apparent Lack Of Geographical Knowledge

Geography Test Results: 82.5%

To be entirely honest, I am happy with this for now. Considering my embarassing lack of geographical knowledge, I feel as if I did as well as I could. Sri Lanka was the kicker. I sware I clicked on it in error trying to find another country, and when it came up as a question later, I was clueless. I knew it was an island, but then I realized I'd already used every possible island (or so I thought.) I would like to see my score improve to 100% asap. I think this is completely reasonable, considering this area is my topic of study for the next year. I also hope that as I learn more about different places, I can associate customs and religions with the picture on the map, instead of just names. That's enough of a rant on this for tonight, and now I'll move on to... CULTURAL BIAS & THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HISTORY! Woohoo!

Why is it important (or not important) to study Asian history or any history for that matter?

First of all, I'd like to hear the argument for why it is not important. I mean seriously, history is unmeasurably valuable to us in so many ways. In fact, I can think of few things more important. We no longer live in a world where messages are sent by ship and everyone hunts for their own food. We are interdepenent, and inextricably tied to each other. It is crucial that we pay attention to history, because history often repeats itself, and we can learn so much from the past. We can learn from the mistakes made by people who existed hundreds of years ago, and learn why things are the way they are today. Even though it happened long ago, that does not mean it is not still affecting us today. Another reason it is important to study history is for the sake of appreciation. How can we appreciate the many cultures, religions, and marvelous places our world has to offer if we know nothing about how they were created? It is important to know why wars were started, and how they were resolved. Or when a country became sovereign, and what they had to do to receive that recognition. For the two reasons outlines above, I believe it is very important to be educated on the history of our world, and the same thing applies to Asia in particular. America's relationship with various Asian countries can only be determined by looking at the past. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? How did China come to be the one to hold our debt? Crack open a history book and you might find your answer.

What must be considered when studying different countries or cultures?

I think the most important thing to consider is that all countries and cultures are different. What we find strange, disgusting, or politically incorrect in other cultures may be a valued part of the daily routine. It is always important to learn to respect and accept idealogies and practices that differ from your own. There may be a more logical explanation behind the things that people in other cultures do than I think, and I must have an open mind. Another thing to be considered is that while these people and cultures may seem very foreign and strange to us, they are probably more like us than we think. For example, we may speak different languages, but everyone shares the experience of music. Art has no language, no ideal living conditions. It is simply one more thing that connects us to the outside world, one more thing we share. So respect other cultures and their practices, because it is simply the right thing to do.

Those are my thoughts on the questions we were assigned, and I believe I did what was asked of me for the assignment. I'm still getting used to the Upper School way of life, so bear with me. :)

Live Bravely,
Sam