Understanding the Buddha: Life, Death, and Enlightenment
The Buddha
Literal Comprehension
An artist needed to paint a picture of the death of Buddha for the village temple. To do this, he had to understand the Buddha. On the first day, he imagined himself as the young prince Siddhartha, living in the palace. He won Princess Yashodhara in a competition and felt no ill will towards his rivals. The artist imagined servants serving him food when his housekeeper arrived with his midday meal. He even imagined his cat as a dancing girl.
On the second day, he became
Read MoreKey Concepts: Secularization, Faith, and Vatican II Reforms
1. Secularization: The process by which people begin to understand life, the world, and society without God.
2. Consequences of Secularization on the State Church:
Privileges of the clergy are limited or suppressed, as are religious congregations. Loss of possessions, an indispensable means for maintenance, especially for monasteries, occurs through confiscations. In Spain, the best known example is the confiscation by Mendizabal.
3. Industrial Revolution:
Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum,
Read MoreEvolution of Education: From Sparta to Universities
Historical Overview of Education
Spartan Education
Spartan education was unique and bore no resemblance to Athenian education. The primary purpose was the formation of a Spartan warrior. The qualities of a Spartan included obedience to the law, respect for elders, and empowerment through sacrifice.
Athenian Education
Athenian education had two specific goals:
- The development of citizens loyal to the state.
- The training of individuals who achieved full harmony and mastery of their own abilities.
Roman Education
Roman
Read MoreSaint Augustine: The City of God and the Trinity
Saint Augustine: The City of God
This text comments on the importance of Chapter XXVI, Book XI of Augustine’s The City of God. It highlights the relationship between rational knowledge (acquired by reason) and faith, both in the search for truth. Augustine distinguishes between faith and reason as sources of knowledge. He establishes the limits between the two in the context of Christian truth.
We cannot dispense with either of the two, as both can lead to truth. For Augustine, the first relationship
Read MoreStoic Determinism, Self-Actualization, and Happiness
Stoic determinism explores the destination. According to Heraclitus, all things are governed by a universal law, and the ideal sage’s destiny is predetermined. The conscious mind, through its actions, ensures inner peace. There is a distinction between the inner and outer worlds, and predestination presents a causal order problem concerning freedom, similar to the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. If God knows everything, then, in some opinions, all human actions are caused by Him. However, people
Read MoreSacraments: Anointing, Orders, Marriage, and More
Anointing of the Sick
Biblical Foundations: Reflects Jesus’ attitude towards the sick.
Human Experience: The person receiving the Anointing of the Sick acknowledges the limitations of their nature and may feel the finiteness of existence. This sacrament is a call to encounter God during a time of personal suffering. From Christian hope, we believe that God can ultimately bring freedom from disease.
- The Anointing of the Sick is administered before a serious surgical operation, in case of serious