Due Thurs - 1st, Fri - 6th , read the Hindu section in Novak .

Please read selections from Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and Grace Notes.   See Novak link for questions... you must answer # 11, 12, 27-29 (5 questions) & then choose any additional 7 questions under each sub-heading (Vedas-2, Upanishads-2, Gita-2) + any additional 1. Total = 12 Questions!

1) We begin the other spiritual tradition of India - Buddhism.

Please complete the Buddhist chapter in Smith and answer the 30 questions listed by Thurs - Oct. 23rd - 1st pd/Fri Oct. 24th - 6th pd . Feel free to work on this during your break if you want to.

2) Buddhist Novak Questions will be due the 2nd meeting day of the folowing week:

Tues October 28th - 1st pd

Wed Oct. 29th - 6th pd

Please complete questions 25-31 and 1st part of #24 (3 Marks of Existence?), and then choose any 7 not already answered in the Smith questions , for a total of 15 questions. Take this time to read the actual sacred texts themselves and think about what Buddhism is trying to reveal about the human condition.

Enjoy Buddhism and please complete these questions on time.

REMINDERS:

• SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY IS DUE Mon Dec. 8th Please plan accordingly. See link - Spiritual Activity - if you haven't already done so!

• Field Trip to Vedanta Society - please see link for more info after our trip

For the next 2 weeks that we study the Buddhist tradition, I am going to ask you to do the following:

• Mindwatch: Make 1-2 journal entries/day for the next 2 weeks/5 days/week = 10 days = 10-20 entries, noting how tanha shows up in your life. For example: what are your thoughts/judgements of other people: family, friends, different races, genders, cliques, social class, economic class, sexual orientation, general appearances, etc. - Many judgements we make are vibhava tanha - desire to get rid of.

  You may also note the times when you are not really present to what is happeing...in class, at lunch, at home. Just make an effort to pay attention to the quality of your own presence as you move through the day and the quality of your tahna - your craving.

  Please do not censor your entries, you do NOT have to include any names. This is an exercise in internal honesty and mindfulness - paying attention to your own mind and its thought patterns. 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 1-2 entries/day.

  May you be well (common Buddhst prayer).

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/media_players/chodron_full.html

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 1/2 -1 pg typed - 250-350 words. We will share these on Monday. I think you will find her teaching very clear.