Please read in Wherever You There You Are, the following sections - Selfing, Anger, & Cat Food Lessons - pgs. 236-246

After reading the above 3 selections, please write a response. What resonates for you? What does not? How do these readings help you understand the Buddhist tradition. You may handwrite or type this assignment. This will help you in your final synthesis. Please reference the above readings in a specific way.

For the next two weeks that we study the Buddhist tradition, I am going to ask you to do the following:

Mindwatch - Tanha Journal: Make 1 journal entry/day (4-6 sentences) for the next two weeks, noting what your thoughts/judgements/"cravings" (tanha) are of yourself, situations, classes, &/or other people. This is an exercise in internal honesty and mindfulness - paying attention to your own mind and its thought patterns, its own tanha.. We will explore these journal entries at various times, so keep them with you in your binders. I will collect at the end of the unit, so please keep pace with 1/day for a total of 10 over 2 weeks. The one for Friday can also cover the weekend, I'm sure there will be some tahna over the weekend :) .

See example below for an idea of what I want.

Ex: Mar. 9th - I was sitting in class today and really wanted to be somewhere else. I am sooooooo ready for school to end and to be in college. What I noticed was how strong the feeling was and actually, it made the class go by a lot slower since I was really not wanting to be there. (Aversion Tanha)

See below for Kundun assignment.

Please choose 10 of the 16 questions listed. You will need to research some of these using the Kundun Overview and the International Campaign for Tibet website. See links to the right.

Please type the answers to these questions. They will be due 4th meeting this week, as we will finish the film at our 3rd meeting.

Kundun Questions

Kundun Overview

International Campaign for Tibet

For the weekend, please watch the 1st 30 minutes of the above video. You will learn about one of the most well-known Tibetan Buddhist nuns - Pema Chodron - an American convert to Buddhism.

Please take notes on this video and summarize the key insights of Pema Chodron in 2 paragraphs, handwritten or typed. We will share these on Monday. I think you will find her teaching very clear.

For the 2nd meeting this week, please contiune the Mindwatch for the 2nd week. I would also like to add 1 part to this Mindwatch.

The Fourth Noble Truth is the Path to Peace, freedom from the suffering (dukkha) we create for ourselves and others. This is the 8-Fold Path: Wise Intention, Wise Understanding, Wise Action, Wise Speech, Wise Livelihood, Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, Wise Concentration. I am going to ask that you put one of these into practice for the week. Notice if it decreases the tanha and dukkha in your life as Buddists affirm

Please have 2 entries in your journal, now, 1) noticing tanha and 2) practing 1 aspect of the 8-Fold path.

For a basic introduction to the 8-Fold Path, please see the links to the right. Choose 1 of the 8 and practice it for the week as best you can. This not unlike your Virtue practice Junior Year.

8-Fold Path

Four Noble Truths by Ajahn Sumedho - please click on the appropriate link for the 4th Noble Truth and read the background for your choice. We will clarify in class if you have questions.

Wise Action - by Thich Nhat Hanh

Please read the following short reflection on mindfulness from a student last year.

Student Reflection on Mindfulness

Next, please take a look at the Hindu/Buddhist Final Synthesis, see links to the right. This will be due on Tuesday, Mar. 24th -1st pd, Wed. Mar. 25th - 6th pd . Please begin working on it this week. You will have no other homework this week. Your Mindwatch assignment should be very helpful here.

Practice some meditation this week...and see what insights arise for you.

Finally, you will staple your Mindwatch and Pema Chodron paragraphs to the essay as well.

Hindu & Buddhist Final Synthesis

Hindu & Buddhist Final Synthesis Rubric

In case you lose your permission slip, the link is to the right.

We leave right after 4th pd, at 12:35 and will return by 2:30 on Thurs, Mar. 26th.

Take 10 minutes and look over the link to the Vedanta Society so you have a sense of where we are going.

Vedanta Society

Vedanta Society Permission Slip

Please read and complete Taoism questions in Smith text.

These are due on Monday, March 30th.

If you are interested, here is the link to Eckhart Tolle's website and the 10 Webcasts with Oprah.

Don't forget Vedanta Society permission slip and spend 5-10 minutes at the link before we go tomorrow.

Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle & Oprah

Vedanta Society

Vedanta Society Permission Slip

Please complete the Taoism Questions for Novak by next class, Tues - 6th pd, Wed - 1st pd.

Also, please print, fill out and get signed your Zen Center Permission Slip.