Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Hidden Meaning behind Yin and Yang
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-hidden-meanings-of-yin-and-yang-john-bellaimey#review
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Taoism Reading Questions
The Dao (pp.
1515-1519 & 1526-1530) (Book 1)
page 1514
page 1514
•Define,
in detail and your own words, the Dao.
•Compare
and contrast the ideas (not the ease of reading) of Laozi & Zhuangzi.
•Evaluate
the meaning of the seemingly abstract and contrasting poems in the Dao
De Jing.
(Pick one or two good examples and analyze them, specifically.)
•Discuss
the importance of animals and their interactions in the understanding of Daoism.
•Examine
the commentaries of both works on the relationship and role of humans and the
natural world
•Deduce
the importance of parables in the work of Zhuangzi. To what extent do this make
Daoism less classical and what are the ramifications of this?
De & the state of perfection (pp.
1521-1525 & 1530-1531) (Book 2)
•Explain
the difference between Dao and De.
•Evaluate
the impact of how Laozi’s more concrete commentary on virtue effects Classical
Daoism.
•Some
scholars have argued that originally the work was written/orally told with Book
2 (De) first and then later changed so that the book on the Dao would come
first. To what extent would this change one’s understanding of Daoism?
•Explain
the “Parable of Knives” in the context of virtue and its oneness with the Dao.
•Define
heaven in the terms of Classical Daoism
•To
what extent is Zhuangzi a better textual source for the religion than Laozi;
but,
why is
Laozi considered more authoritative?
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Exam Format
Paper 1:
- Answer 5 Questions total
- At least 1 from each section (3 sections)
- These are the questions that quote sacred texts and have a
- knowledge and understanding component (3 marks)
- analysis and application (7 marks)
- Paper 1 part b Rubric
Part 2
- Answer 2 Questions Total
- 1 from each section
- These are the free response questions that will look at:
- incorporating as many of the 5 themes (rituals, sacred texts, doctrines and beliefs, religious experience, ðics and moral conduct ) as possible
- **There is an open-ended question that is also an option for each section
- Paper 2 Rubric
You want review? I got your review right here.....
Taoism PowerPoint
Judaism: an Introduction
Hinduism: an Introduction
Buddhism: an Introduction
Buddhism: In Depth
Islam: In Depth
Christianity: a history
Christianity: an introduction
Buddhism Review: Student Project
Hinduism Review: Student Project
Judaism Review (Student Project)
Islam Review (Student Project)
Judaism: an Introduction
Hinduism: an Introduction
Buddhism: an Introduction
Buddhism: In Depth
Islam: In Depth
Christianity: a history
Christianity: an introduction
Buddhism Review: Student Project
Hinduism Review: Student Project
Judaism Review (Student Project)
Islam Review (Student Project)
Tao of Pooh and Other Resources
Tao of Pooh
The Basics of Taoism (supplemental reading - for booklet)
Taoism Initial Reading (supplemental reading WITH questions)
Taoism Vocabulary
Taoism: Basics and Intro
Taoism: Questions and Practices
Juniors:
1. Initial Reading
2. Tao of Pooh
Seniors:
1. Taoism Initial Reading
2. Taoism: Basics and Intro
3. Applying Taoism (see Basics and Intro PPT)
4. Taoism for Dummies Booklet (see Basics and Intro PPT - FRIDAY)
The Basics of Taoism (supplemental reading - for booklet)
Taoism Initial Reading (supplemental reading WITH questions)
Taoism Vocabulary
Taoism: Basics and Intro
Taoism: Questions and Practices
Juniors:
1. Initial Reading
2. Tao of Pooh
- In the format of "Paper People" - explain from your reading and understanding of The Tao of Pooh what the major principles of Taoism are. Use examples and quotes from the book to aid your explanation. Then, to what degree do you accept or reject the major principles of Taoism?
Seniors:
1. Taoism Initial Reading
2. Taoism: Basics and Intro
3. Applying Taoism (see Basics and Intro PPT)
4. Taoism for Dummies Booklet (see Basics and Intro PPT - FRIDAY)
Friday, April 22, 2016
Homework: due 4/27
Read Huston Smith's chapter on Taoism. Be prepared to discuss the following questions:
Reading: Chapter V
Opening Words
Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.
—from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu,
translated by S. Mitchell
Questions for Discussion
1. What do you find most appealing or intriguing about Taoism, based on your reading? What
do you find difficult to accept or understand?
2. Huston Smith says that Tao is “the way of ultimate reality” (p. 198). It is also “the way of the
universe” and “the way of human life.” What is your understanding of the Tao? How is the
Tao different than, or similar to, the idea of God?
3. Ch’i is the generic Chinese term for vital energy, and Taoism advocates various techniques
for increasing the flow of ch’i, for example, through nutrition, tai chi chuan, and acupuncture.
Is there any Western equivalent for the concept of ch’i? How do diet, exercise, and health
practices affect your own spiritual well-being?
4. Popular Taoism, according to Smith, includes many elements that might be considered
magical, for example, astrology, divination, and psychic healing (p. 205). Do you believe in
magic? Why or why not?
5. “Creative quietude” or wu wei is at the essence of philosophical Taoism (p. 207). What is
your understanding of wu wei? Can you offer examples from your own experience of the
power of “creative quietude”?
6. Define yin and yang. Is it a help or a hindrance to speak of “masculine” and “feminine”
spiritual energies?
7. Smith says that “in the Taoist perspective good and evil are not head-on opposites. The West
has tended to dichotomize the two, but Taoists are less categorical” (p. 215). Are some
actions intrinsically good and others intrinsically evil, or are all values relative and
contextual?
8. According to Smith, the symbol for Taoism is a circle, suggesting that “life does not move
onward and upward toward a fixed pinnacle or pole. It bends back upon itself” (p. 215). Is the
life journey one of forward progression toward a goal, or one that ventures outward only to
return to its own origins?
9. Humor and play seem to be an important part of Taoist teachings (p. 217). Can you think of
any other religious traditions that place a high value on being lighthearted?
10. What other questions do you have about Taoism?
Closing Words
There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
—from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu,
translated by S. Mitchell
Reading: Chapter V
Opening Words
Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.
—from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu,
translated by S. Mitchell
Questions for Discussion
1. What do you find most appealing or intriguing about Taoism, based on your reading? What
do you find difficult to accept or understand?
2. Huston Smith says that Tao is “the way of ultimate reality” (p. 198). It is also “the way of the
universe” and “the way of human life.” What is your understanding of the Tao? How is the
Tao different than, or similar to, the idea of God?
3. Ch’i is the generic Chinese term for vital energy, and Taoism advocates various techniques
for increasing the flow of ch’i, for example, through nutrition, tai chi chuan, and acupuncture.
Is there any Western equivalent for the concept of ch’i? How do diet, exercise, and health
practices affect your own spiritual well-being?
4. Popular Taoism, according to Smith, includes many elements that might be considered
magical, for example, astrology, divination, and psychic healing (p. 205). Do you believe in
magic? Why or why not?
5. “Creative quietude” or wu wei is at the essence of philosophical Taoism (p. 207). What is
your understanding of wu wei? Can you offer examples from your own experience of the
power of “creative quietude”?
6. Define yin and yang. Is it a help or a hindrance to speak of “masculine” and “feminine”
spiritual energies?
7. Smith says that “in the Taoist perspective good and evil are not head-on opposites. The West
has tended to dichotomize the two, but Taoists are less categorical” (p. 215). Are some
actions intrinsically good and others intrinsically evil, or are all values relative and
contextual?
8. According to Smith, the symbol for Taoism is a circle, suggesting that “life does not move
onward and upward toward a fixed pinnacle or pole. It bends back upon itself” (p. 215). Is the
life journey one of forward progression toward a goal, or one that ventures outward only to
return to its own origins?
9. Humor and play seem to be an important part of Taoist teachings (p. 217). Can you think of
any other religious traditions that place a high value on being lighthearted?
10. What other questions do you have about Taoism?
Closing Words
There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
—from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu,
translated by S. Mitchell
Thursday, April 21, 2016
-
1. What is the human condition?
Humans must strive to submit themselves to the will of God for, without divine guidance, they are likely to stray from the path of prescribed and prohibited actions that God has set out in order to prevent moral error.
2. Where are we going?
-
For the faithful, to eternal janna (paradise), by obedience to God’s will
-
By disobedience to God’s will, to jahannam (hell), which is reserved for those whom God has decided
to punish for a time for committing grave sins and not repenting
3. How do we get there?
We attain salvation via submission to God’s will. This may be achieved by:
-
acknowledging tawhid (the oneness of God) and submitting to his will, as revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad and his prophets
-
believing in God, the scriptures, angels, jinns and akhira (life after death)
-
living according to the Qur’an and the divinely inspired sayings of the Prophet Muhammad
-
practising the Five Pillars of Islam, the obligations prescribed in the Qur’an for individual Muslims.
Paper 1 Quotes
“This is the Book [al-kitab], in it is guidance, without doubt, to those who are righteous, who believe
in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer [salat] and spend of what We have provided for them, and who
believe in the revelation sent to you and sent before your time, and in their hearts have the assurance
of the Hereafter.” Qur’an 2:2–4
“O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His messenger, and the scripture which He has sent to His messenger, and the scripture which he sent to those before him. Any who denies Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Day of Judgment, has gone far, far astray.”
in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer [salat] and spend of what We have provided for them, and who
believe in the revelation sent to you and sent before your time, and in their hearts have the assurance
of the Hereafter.” Qur’an 2:2–4
“O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His messenger, and the scripture which He has sent to His messenger, and the scripture which he sent to those before him. Any who denies Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Day of Judgment, has gone far, far astray.”
Qur’an 4:136
Monday, April 18, 2016
Islam Test - Friday, April 22
Format:
- 3 Fundamental Questions fill in the blank /18 points
- Vocabulary matching/32 points
- "Paper 1" Questions 2 Questions/20 points
- "Paper 2" Question (handout from last week on controversial issue)written response /20 points
Total: 90 points
Sharia Law HW: 5 points
Participation in Islam Hexagon Board Narrative: 5 points
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Koran By Heart - A Documentary
Focus Question: In what ways is recitation of the Qur’an a spiritual experience?
additional resources - Current Events - conflicts in Middle East
http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/programs/islam-and-world-politics/list/essays
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Sufism
Question: Analyse the mystical experience of the Sufi dancers.
Sufism Excerpt 1
Sufism Excerpt 2
Sufi Dance 1
Sufi Dance 2
Sufism Excerpt 1
Sufism Excerpt 2
Sufi Dance 1
Sufi Dance 2
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Sunni-Shia Divide
*Note: I found an updated resource (the NPR series was from 2007)
Objective: To understand the origins and key events of the Sunni-Shiite split. Aim to develop an appreciation for the controversy that surrounds this topic in the world today
Task: Create a basic outline that includes the details. Outline should follow the following format:
Sunni and Shia (optional to include)
Council on Foreign Relations (mandatory)
Complete Idiot's Guide to Islam (pgs)334-337 (optional to include)
We will aim to use these outlines to discuss the following question:
The origin of the Sunni-Shia conflict in early Islamic history was a difference of opinion on how leaders of the Muslim community should be selected. Do those origins relate directly to existing Sunni-Shia conflicts today? If so, demonstrate the connections between the origins and the current conflicts. If not, discuss what Sunni and Shia identity have come to mean in those conflicts today.
Objective: To understand the origins and key events of the Sunni-Shiite split. Aim to develop an appreciation for the controversy that surrounds this topic in the world today
Task: Create a basic outline that includes the details. Outline should follow the following format:
I. Title
A. Subheading
1. info info info
2. info info info
Sunni and Shia (optional to include)
Council on Foreign Relations (mandatory)
Complete Idiot's Guide to Islam (pgs)334-337 (optional to include)
We will aim to use these outlines to discuss the following question:
The origin of the Sunni-Shia conflict in early Islamic history was a difference of opinion on how leaders of the Muslim community should be selected. Do those origins relate directly to existing Sunni-Shia conflicts today? If so, demonstrate the connections between the origins and the current conflicts. If not, discuss what Sunni and Shia identity have come to mean in those conflicts today.
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