Blog-o-signment #2

What's Your Spirituality Type:

On the "What's Your Spirituality Type" Quiz, I scored a 42, which is on the level of an Active Spiritual Seeker (40-49)- Spiritual but turned off by organized religion.

Belief-o-matic:

1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2.Unitarian Universalism (90%)
3. Liberal Quakers (74%)
4. Nontheist (74%)
5. Theravada Buddhism (72%)

Theravada Buddhism-
•Belief in DeityThe concept of a supreme Creator God is rejected or at least considered irrelevant to Theravada Buddhism. Buddha, "the Awakened One," is revered above all--not as "God" but as supreme sage, model of a fully enlightened person.
•IncarnationsBuddha was a human, a fully enlightened spiritual teacher and inspiration. As there is no belief in or relevant God, there are no incarnations of God worshipped.
•Origin of Universe and LifeBuddhists consider it the job of scientists to explain origins of the universe and life. There is no contradiction with scientific discovery, however many maintain that the world creates and recreates itself millions of times every fraction of a second.
•After DeathThere is no transmigration of individual souls, but through the law of karma, one's wholesome or unwholesome intentions become imprinted in the mind. Negative mental states persist through continual rebirth until one's intentions become wholesome. Once fully enlightened, one is liberated from rebirths, reaching a state of absolute selflessness resulting in ultimate bliss called Nirvana--the "Deathless State." One becomes Buddha (or one with Buddha). Some Buddhists, especially modern Western, don't emphasize or believe in literal rebirth.
•Why Evil?People have free will to commit wrongs or rights. Evil doings may result when egoism, cravings, attachments, and ignorance are expressed as greed, hatred, and violence, which, if unmitigated, is perpetuated through rebirth.
•SalvationEnlightenment is an individual journey to Nirvana (complete bliss)--liberation from suffering and cycles of rebirth--acheived by following the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path. To eliminate karma, which causes rebirth, one must extinguish the belief in a separate self that give rise to cravings, desires, and attachments. The path to enlightenment includes loving-kindness and compassion, moral conduct, charity, wisdom, and meditation.
•Undeserved SufferingUnenlightened life is suffering, and the cessation of this suffering is the primary goal of Buddhism--to reach Nirvana, to end cycles of rebirth. Suffering is a result of past-life greed, hatred, and ignorance, which return as suffering (karma), while compassion toward others who suffer reduces the effects of karma.
•Contemporary IssuesAbortion is considered murder, and all violent acts cause horrific karmic consequence. Homosexuality in itself is not specifically condemned by scripture, but opinions vary, especially among various Buddhist cultures--e.g., Buddhists in the United States are generally very accepting, while some Asian Buddhists are generally strongly opposed to homosexuality. It is believed that divorce wouldn't occur if one follows Buddhist precepts, but a couple is not condemned if they separate due to vast personal differences. In Theravada countries, gender roles are generally traditional (e.g. woman as child caretakers and men as providers), but less rigid as contemporary demands are made on women (e.g. working women).

Personal Responses:

I think these surveys do an adequate job of categorizing my "spirituality." Before I took the first survey, I hadn't really thought about how many levels of spirituality there are, and I had no idea what to expect from the second survey. I was surprised by all of the religions it came up with- I hadn't even heard of half of them! I do agree that I have a lot of beliefs in common with those of Secular Humanism, which was the top religion from the second survey, and also particular parts from the other religions.
The surveys themselves were somewhat difficult, and they really made me think about myself and my beliefs before I answered them. For the most part, I felt I was pretty impartial to some of the questions it asked me, yet in the end, even not giving a definite answer contributed to the outcome of the survey. It was fun to read about the different religions that before now I had no idea even existed.

Theravada Buddhism:

Theravada, translated as the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the school of Buddhism which has the earliest teachings of the Buddha, a great and fully enlightened person. Historically, Theravada Buddhism was practiced in areas of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, and Loas. Today however, these practices have grown and spread across the world. Theravada Buddhism is greatly based upon the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, dukkha (suffering and discontent), the cause of dukkha (craving), the cessation of dukkha (relinquishing the craving), and the path leading to the cessation of dukkha (the Eightfold Path).
Theravada Buddhists also believe in the cycle of rebirths, due to our ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. They believe that through karma, the law of causes and effects of actions, they may eventually gain enlightenment. However, there are four stages to enlightenment, or Awakening. After reaching each stage, they shed a bit of the ignorance that holds them to the cycle of rebirths. But there are countless more steps that must be taken in order to reach full enlightenment and selflessness, which is known as Nirvana. They believe the path to Nirvana, and to end the suffering of the cycle of rebirths, includes achieving many things, among them kindness, compassion, charity, and wisdom.

Before taking the survey, I had not heard of this religion. I do not necessarily believe that my beliefs are closest to those of Thervada Buddhism, however there are pieces and parts that do pertain to me. For example, I do not believe in one God and I believe the creation of the universe can be explained scientifically, as do most Thervada Buddhists. On the other hand, I don't believe that life should be described as suffering and I don't believe in a cycle of rebirths due to karma either. The survey was accurate in placing this religion as 5th, opposed to higher on the list, as I share some beliefs but not a majority.

Blog-o-signment

Step one:
I took the Asian Geography Quiz, and I got a 62%. A 62 isn't good, but it's better than I thought I would do on my first try. It's a really cool website, and drawing the map of Asia has helped too.

Cultural bias/Pre-conceived notions and putting it in perspective:
It is important to study Asian history, and the history of places around the world, because all aspects of our life are increasingly being affected by global events and international relations. In order to live cohesively, do business with, and relate to people in other regions, we must study their history, culture, language, and learn more about them in general. This is particularly important for Americans, because I believe we are greatly known for our ignorance of other cultures, including biases and stereotypes. I know that I don't know nearly as much as I probably should.
However, when studying different cultures, we must keep in mind that their way of life and customs may be different from ours. When learning about new cultures, we have to go about it with an open mind and remember that our traditions or customs may be just as strange to other people as theirs may be to us. We just have to be willing to think outside our "comfort zones" and absorb as much information as we can.