This passage is like stated in the introduction, "Short and sweet". Within one paragraph, Pai-Chang manages to explain one of the most complicated and difficult to understand concepts. After reading this a few times I have managed to gain a slight understanding of what he is trying to explain. I think what he is saying is that the mind is perfect as is, its only our perception of it and its abilities that are clouded. Enlightenment seems like it isn't a change in what one's mind consists of but merely the clarity of seeing what it really is. Every one's mind is the same, they are all originally perfect, the difference between an ordinary person and a sage is that the sage lacks delusion and sees things clearly. It is like saying that we are equipped with all that we could ever need from the very start, it is just a matter of understanding that, that allows us to behold the Buddha nature.

Albert Einstein

Einsteins first quote approaches religion in a very interesting way. The greatest feeling he says is experience of the unknown. He continues to connect the amazing feeling of not knowing to religion, as it being the very center. If you think about it, we choose to believe in something in order to explain the unexplainable or unknown or "mystical". If we knew everything as facts, their would be no need for beliefs which means in turn, no need for religion. I really liked Albert's last quote about how all of us are caught up in only ourselves and our immediate surroundings. So many times we have our blinders on and only can see what is set directly in front of us. I think Albert must have been one to really embrace life to the fullest. He understood that there is alot more in the world besides himself and his close friends. If everyone thought like this, I think that the world would be a completely different place.

Novalis

I found the writings of Novalis very interesting. The concepts he was trying to communicate took me a little while to fully understand, and some I am still left pondering. One that i still am a little confused about is the quote that "we are alone with everything we love." I couldn't figure out if he meant that when we have everything we love, then we are truly alone, or that in life we exist only amongst the things that we love. The first quote about being close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming caught my eye. I have been studying how to control my dreams because being narcoleptic, most of my dreams tend to be nightmares, so I have been trying to bring my aware mind into my dreams so that I can control their outcomes. I don't know if the quote means that one literally is dreaming that they are dreaming or that one is aware in their dream that it is only a dream and not really happening. This passage of quotes left me with many questions of the exact meaning of them. Perhaps they were vague purposefully so that one can interpret them how they please.

Muhammad

There are two quotes in the writings of Muhammad that i found to be very profound. "Whoever knows himself knows God." Once again this sounds very similiar to the messages of previous readings we have reviewed. God is said to be everywhere and that we are created in his image. So, in turn if we truly know who we are, we would know that we are the creation of God. Another quote I found very profound was the very last, and shortest one in the reading. "True religion is surrender." This makes so much sense to me. To be a follower of God we must set aside the worries of our days and place them in his hands. Not only that but sacrfices often are made to change ones life to be on the path of God. We have to stop putting importance in worldly things and stop trying to control our own lives. Surrenedering our life to God and trusting that he will do what's best for us is probably one of the most difficult things a believer has to do not once, not twice but constantly. I liked the whole reading but especially those two quotes stood out to me.

Abu Abdallah Al-Harith Al-Muhasibi

In this reading it is stated that "The love of God in its essence is the illumination of the heart by joy because of its nearness to the Beloved, for love, in solitude rises up triumphant, and the heart of the love is possessed by the sense of its fellowship with him, and when solitude is combined with the secret intercourse of the Beloved, the joy of that intercourse overwhelms the mind, so that it is no longer concerned with this world and what is in it." This in some ways made sense to me, and others was a little confusing for me. Only confusing in a way that there is alot being stated in just a few sentences and it all is so profound that it takes a second or third read to really understand what it says. I think that it is communicating that once you really have found God and a deep and passionate love for him, your earthly desires will soon pass. This passage seemed to want the reader to have a completely and souly God centered life. Like having everything you do in life be an act of worship. Very interesting writing.

The gospel of john

In the gospel of Thomas there is a quote that sounds very similiar to the philosophies of other religions. Jesus states that "If you know yourselves, then you will be known and you will know that you are the sons of the living father. Alot of religions seem to base alot of what is important about believing around knowing oneself and understanding who you are. I suppose it makes sense becuase if you believe that we are all sons of the living father, the better you know yourself, the stronger you will believe that. Jesus also states that if you haven't found the beginning, why ask about the end? This reminds me of the idea of living life in the present and not being caught up regretting the past or being anxious and anticipating the future. Be content in the moment you are experiencing and you will be content with your past and trust in your future.

Hung Pao

In the writings of Hung Pao I really liked the section about a person's true nature. A person's true nature can never be lost because it is the inner core of their being. There is no beginning and no end, no passions, no time, no space. I like the idea that one person cannot be happy until they stop searching for things to make them happy. Like the soldier and the pearl, we spend so much of our times trying to fit the guidelines of what is accepted. Just like us, he could look for it fever and never be satisfied, but the moment he realizes he already had the pearl he was at peace. I think that might be a similar feeling to nirvana or enlightenment. Once finding a place of enlightenment it is like the soldier realizing that you had the pearl on time. That is the simple point that is trying to send, we all are ready and unique and all that we have to do is acknowledge and realize that fact and we will in turn be forever happy.
Rebecca Sawyer