What is religion?

In my opinion religion is an ideal that people base their morals, ideals and opinion of after life off. Religion is thought to revolve around the belief in a figure that is above human kind that gives answers to human existence. In my opinion religion is not centered around a greater power but is a way in which someone can explore what their own opinion of life is, morals for living and the purpose of human kind. I also believe that it provided a way in which people can become connected with their people, learn about their past culture and peoples beliefs. I think that religion is a private belief and that it is specific to the individual, they make their own conclusions of the meaning life and reasons for human existence and to an extend is not the preforming of others thoughts.

Describe a numinous (spiritual) experience where you encountered something beyond the natural realm.

Personally I do not believe that anything beyond this world has an effect on people but only human nature and people can create enlightening and overwhelming atmosphere. During summer I visited Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. As I wondered the great hall I felt a sense of enlightenment but was created by the amassment of the architecture and the reverence of the people there. Everyone was silent for they were all awestruck with Gaudi's creativity and amazing talents. The buildings grandeur, immense size and the fact that the work is still being worked on symbolize the great importance it was to Gaudi. I do not think that the religious significance of the Cathedral had any effect on my awe of the experience but that it was due to my intense admiration for Gaudi's work and how it was a way in which he put his life and creativity into one of his artworks.

Ultimate Concern 

Paul Tillich considers an ultimate concern as something that a person revolves around, whether they acknowledge it or not. In my life my ultimate concern is my personal relationships for example family and friends. My family and friends are the most important thing to me and are the people I base my life around. Tillich said that we consider our ultimate concerns when deciding what to do in situation. This statement proves that my relationships are my ultimate concern for whenever I make a decision I consider the implications it may have on the people close to me, their opinions and possibly the decisions they would make themselves. I believe that an ultimate concern is something that will be present throughout your life, testing you and supporting you. I know that my family will always be there for me no matter the circumstances and that I will have others to support me also.

Karma Marga: The Path of Selfless Action

SFS provide various opportunities for all students to contribute in selfless acts from simply buying a cupcake at a charity bake sale to traveling to various countries in pursuit to help the less fortunate. I was lucky enough to travel to Nepal this year for Discovery Week. As a group we spent two days helping at a small village school. Our jobs were to repaint several classrooms and remove a stonewall separating to classroom. Prier to these jobs I had spent two weeks walking around school selling tickets for my lolly counting competition to raise money to fund the re-paint and cementing that was going on at the same time.  Having the chance to help out the school in both funds and physical labour was extremely rewarding. We had a small insight to what those peoples lives were like, everything dependent on physical labour, which is very different to our lives that mostly depend on mental work. We also had the opportunity to spend time with the children that we were doing the work for. To see how excited these children were and grateful for our small contribution only made it even more of a special moment. This whole experience made me think about how we live our everyday lives and how we can improve them to make them less self-centre but focussed on others.

Buddhism: The Four Sights

When I was living in Shanghai approximately two years ago my other took my older sister, younger brother and myself to a child’s hospital to visit this little Chinese girl whom we had sponsored for a heart surgery. The girl was from a distant province in Middle Eastern China and had travel all this way with only her grandmother. She had been with a slight hole in her heart ventricle, which cause her to often be quickly exhausted and a weak immune system.

The hospital itself seemed to portray the life of the patients, deprived, exhausted and over worked. Every doctor or social worker that I passed seem at the breaking point but yet they still seemed to give all knowing that they were making a great different to all these peoples quality of life.

When I first walked into the room alongside my family I saw this very thin and fragile girl sprawled across a bare bed. Several cords and tubes were attached to her income way perverting any sufficient amount of moment. As we came into her plan of sight her eyes seem curious and intrigued. I noticed that she didn’t even have the energy to lift her het but only move her eyes around. The doctor that had accompanied my family informed us that she had just come out of surgery and that it had been quite successful. He then went on the translate a few words from my mother to the girls grandmother but all this time I could not help but watch the girl. After the few exchanges were made I took a quick instant photo of the girls face with her grandmother and placed it in her hand as a token of affection. The moment the photo touch her skin she gapped it and brought it up to plan sight, a great smile spread over her mouth as she watch the faded colours for figures.

When I fist saw the girl I felt anger and confusion for I could not understand why someone so innocent was predetermine to such a life. I then went on to appreciate how strong her parents must have been to send their child on such a trip, her grandmother for having the courage to be with the girl and the girl in all her troubles to the still find happiness in a simple photo.