Blog Post 21

1) The three functions of the synagogue are an a meeting place, a worship space, and a learning center.

2) In the synagogue, men and women are seated in separate sections. The ark is on the Eastern wall of the synagogue. The Ten Commandments are the laws that God gave to Moses and they are above the door in a synagogue. Torah scrolls contain all of Jewish law and tradition.

3) A rabbi is a Jewish teacher. A man must complete college with completing other classes of the training of a rabbi in order to become a rabbi. Also, he must live in Israel for at least a year in order to learn the Hebrew language. A rabbi is not a clergyman because he does not have the authority to perform certain rituals. The rabbi’s job is to determine and interpret religious laws.

4) The Sabbath is observed on Saturdays as a time to devote yourself to God.

5) The Torah is all of Jewish law and tradition. The Talmud is the oral tradition that explains the teachings of the Torah.

6) Orthodox Jews follow the teachings of the Torah. 

Reform Jews believe that the Torah and their faith are always changing. 

Conservative Jews believe that Jewish laws should be able to help them relate to the current time period. 

Zionist Jews believe that all Jews should return to the Holy Land.

7) Hebrew is the historical language of the Jews.

8) Yiddish is the language of European Jews.

9) “Mazal tov” means congratulations. “Shalom” means hello, peace, and goodbye. “Mitzva” is a precept, commandment, or a good deed done because of a religious requirement.

10) Brit Milah is when baby male Jews are circumcised. Bar/Bat Mitzvah is when a Jewish boy/girl is of the age to receive the commandments. Marriage is a natural part of Jewish life because it provides security and companionship.

11) Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. Hanukkah is the Festival of Rededication/ the Festival of Lights. Passover is when the Jews remember how G-d passed over their houses in Egypt.

12) I knew that the Sabbath was a time to devote yourself to God.

13) I learned that Yiddish is the language of European Jews.

14) Jews have a day of rest and so do we but they are on different days.

15) Men and women don't have to sit in separate sections.

blog 20

1) Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha and founded Buddhism.
2) The Four Passing Signs were an old man (sickness), a sick man (suffering), a dead man (death), and an ascetic (a way to escape the pain of the world).
3) The Middle Way is a teaching that says that the way to enlightenment is to avoid extremes.
4) Gautama gained enlightenment after resisting temptations from Mara and his daughters.
5) The Sangha is a Buddhist monastic community composed of both men and women.
6) The Three Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
7) Samsara, “the wheel of rebirth,” is common to both Buddhism and Hinduism cosmology.
8) The Buddha did not approve of the Hindu philosophy and the sacrificial rituals that the brahmin performed.
9) The Three Marks of Existence are no-self, impermanence, and suffering. They are related because they are symbolized by the Four Passing Signs.
10) The doctrine of anatta is the existence of the “no-self.” It is the opposite of the Hindu concept of Atman.
11) In samsara, a person’s energy is passed from one body to the next. Karma determines what type of body the energy will go to in its next life.
12) For all Buddhists: Do not take life; Do not take what is not given; Do not engage in sensuous misconduct; Do not use false speech; Do not drink intoxicants. For Buddhist monks: Do not eat after noon; Do not watch dancing of shows; Do not use garlands perfumes, or ornaments; Do not use a high or soft bed; Do not accept gold or silver.
13) Dukkha can be translated as “suffering,” “frustration,” “dislocation,” or “discomfort.”
14) Tanha is desire, thirst, or craving. Tanha leads to dukkha.
15) The Nobel Eightfold Path consists of the following teachings: Perfect Vision, Perfect Emotion, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood Perfect Effort, Perfect Awareness, and Perfect Meditation.
16) The Buddha serves as a reminder and example of how to become enlightened while others who become enlightened are merely following in his path.
17) An arhat is a person who has become enlightened but is still alive and has not entered into nirvana.
18) Nirvana means “blowing out.” Nirvana is the end to, or blowing out of, suffering and pain.
19) The three divisions of Buddhism are the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
20) The main focus of Theravada Buddhism is the teachings of the Buddha.
21) Mahayana means the “greater vehicle.” This implies that Mahayana Buddhism is more relatable to the majority of Buddhists than the other sects of Buddhism are.

Blog 19

Biography: Siddhartha was born into a royal family near India. As a child, he was very spoiled because his father wanted to shield him from the harsh realities of life. As he became older, he wanted to leave the palace. When he went into the real world, he was shocked to find terrible things such as sickness, suffering, and death. After coming across these hardships, Siddhartha met a religious man. This inspired him to search for the meaning behind the hardships of life. After wandering for years, he still had not found the answer to his question. He then sat under a tree and vowed to not move until he had come to an answer. After being tempted by many gods, he had finally become the Buddha, or “the enlightened.” The Threefold Way consists of of ethics, meditation, and wisdom. Ethical actions are actions that bring about good, rather than harm, to oneself and others. Meditation is a deep, internal reflection of oneself and one’s life. Wisdom is the culmination of all Buddhist efforts: to become enlightened.

The Three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha is important as he serves as an example of how to live one’s life and how to achieve enlightenment. Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, is important as it serves as a story of how to effectively become enlightened. The Sangha is the practice of following in the footsteps of other Buddhists who have gone before you. Additionally, it is learning from another Buddhist.

The Four Noble Truths are: 1) All existence is suffering; 2) The cause of suffering is craving; 3) The end of suffering comes with the end of craving; and 4) There is a path that leads away from suffering.

The Nobel Eightfold Path consists of the following teachings: Perfect Vision, Perfect Emotion, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood Perfect Effort, Perfect Awareness, and Perfect Meditation.