5. The Upanishads

The Upanishads date between 700 - 400 B.C.E. The collections of vedas have been the prime influence for the Hindu religion. The Upanishads are a collection of mantras that are the teachings of the Brahman or the Atman, which both represent the truth of the universe. The teachings are focus on how to center oneself in order to open the mind and body to the truth of the universe. The body and the soul are connected, and the actions of the body control the soul.

Much like in the readings of the Tao te Ching, I found that the Upanishads teach that the body and soul must be balanced with the universe. The Upanishads are much more complex and specific in their teachings (although it is argued that some of the mantras contradict themselves). Spiritual meditations connects the body and soul with the universe or Om.

4. Tao te-Ching

The supposed author of the first Chinese philosophical text, Lao-tzu, or Master Lao, wrote The Way and Its Power or the Tao te-Ching around the 3rd century B.C.E. Although its origins are disputed, this text remains the basis for Taoist beliefs. Lao-tzu, a contemporary of Confucius, is often compared to Confucianism.

I found the the Tao te-Ching to be profoundly interesting. The philosophies of mastery through challenging oneself are particularly worth mentioning. Through following the Tao, one challenges one's own self to master the world around him, both physical and spiritual, but he or she cannot ever attain full mastery. This is not because it is not possible, but it is not within the balance of the universe. One only uses their mastery when necessary and once it is wielded it is hidden once more. I think this idea is really powerful, and reminds me of the state of militarianism that exists in the United States. Although we believe or truly have become masters of war, we do not use that mastery properly. Instead of using the power that is possessed to achieve a particular goal, it is constantly being extended and abused. This extended abuse of power, in Taoism, disrupts the balance of the universe.

Another verse that struck me was "Their court-yards and buildings shall be well kept, but their fields shall be ill-cultivated, and their granaries empty. They shall wear elegant and ornamented robes, carry a sharp sword at their girdle, pamper themselves in eating and drinking, and have a superabundance of property and wealth; such princes may be called robbers and boasters." 53
This verse reminds me of the current global recession and the wealthy global populations unwilling to compromise their wealth although times are desperate. People are continuing to live outside of their means (myself included) creating much dire straights for our financial future. Not only that, we are disregarding the effects that our wants and desires have on the physical world around us. Whether or not you can argue global warming exists, we are continuing to destroy the world's environment. Knowing one's conditions and keeping an equilibrium between wants and desires; power and mastery; yin and yang keeps the spirit in balance.

3. The Odessey and The Iliad

So I have a confession. I hate epic poetry. After attempting to read these two pieces again, I realized I really hate epic poetry. I tried my hardest to get into the stories. The poetry, I admit is beautiful and actually entertaining to read. But when you're trying to follow a story that is complicated and the characters keep changing, I became exhausted. Also, I really had a hard time understanding how Ulysses was lost for so long on such a difficult journey, when the Greek islands aren't that far apart. Yes, I understand the gods played a role in his inability to navigate swiftly and efficiently home but my imagination couldn't get me there. I'm actually disappointed because I was looking forward to reading these books again. This won't be my final attempt at conquering these books but I'm going to give it a while before I try again.

2. The I Ching

The I Ching (the Book of Changes) is the ancient Chinese oracle of changes. Although the origin of the I Ching is debated, it is dated to be around 1500 B.C.E. The I Ching has been influential in reading prophecies since that time.

The I Ching uses a combination of lines to form 64 hexagrams. The hexagrams are then used to determine your stable position and if there are any changes that will come your way.

For this book I decided to read my own prophecy. Taking three pennies I focused on the question: Will I be in a relationship soon? Pretty lame, I know but my prophecy was quite interesting. Taking the three pennies I scattered them on the table. The first 'roll' so to speak was two heads and a tail, which represents a straight line. The next roll was two tails an a heads; broken line. The next was three heads straight line but is changing. The next two heads, next 2 tails, and finally 2 heads. So my hexagram looked like this:

-----------------
------ ------
-----------------
----------------->
------ ------
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This hexagram represents the 30th hexagram or Li/Dependence (Fire/Fire).

Here is what my prophecy read:

You must cling to proper principles in order to achieve spiritual awareness and enlightenment, and you must be honest in your relationships if you want them to flourish. Embrace and nurture the things that give you strength.

Line 1: You're entering into an unfamiliar situation. Approach everything that comes with an open mind and flexible attitude.
Line 2: A supportive atmosphere fosters common goals. Think and act in a moderate, balanced matter. Everything is as it should be.
Line 3:***Changing Line**** The sun has set (for now); nothing lasts forever. It's better to accept this and move on. Tomorrow is the dawn of a new day.
Line 4: Steadfast perseverance is met with success. Meandering from goal to goal leaves you exhausted, and it accomplishes nothing.
Line 5: You are remorseful, and you express sincere regret for past wrongdoing. Do everything in your power to rectify these mistakes.
Line 6: Weed out negative influences before they have a chance to take root and flourish.


Now, since my a third line was a changing line that means it will switch from a solid line to a broken line.

Then my hexagram is now going to change to #21 or Shih Ho/Biting Through (Fire/Thunder).

If you want to leap the hurdles before you, you'll need to ct in a deliberate, decisive fashion. This is one problem you have to tackle head-on. Don't let peer pressure lead you astray; stick to your guns, even though you'll encounter much resistance.

Line 1: In the initial stages, someone (or something) prevents you from making a mistake. Learn from this experience.
Line 2: It's obvious that someone is not being forthright or truthful. Remain calm. If you're neutral, the situation will rectify itself.
Line 3: Any attempt to lay blame or seek vengeance will only cause more hard feelilngs. If you're feeling vindictive, let it lie.
Line 4: Approach the situation in a way that's fair and balanced, persevere, and you will be triumphant.
Line 5:Your determination has been rewarded. If you place too much emphasis on this prize, however, misfortune will follow.
Line 6: You let your ego get the upper hand, and it has cost you. Listen to the advice of others.

So I don't really understand what this has to do with my relationship status but it really fits what I've been going through in this transitional period of my life. So what I can gather from my prophecy is to keep a steady mind, remain humble and have patience and everything will be alright.

1. The Old Testament

Although Seymour-Smith's book starts with I Ching as its first text, I decided to start with the Old Testament (I'm waiting for my library copy of I Ching and I just happened to have the Old Testament lying around).

Being raised in the Christian faith, the Old Testament is a book that I've been familiar with since childhood. The selection of readings I used for this review (Genesis, Job, A selection of Psalms, and Jonah) discuss the all-powerful nature of God. God is an all powerful being that people must fear, trust, and love. Life, which God has given, is one full of hardships. Some of these tribulations seem to happen one right after another, in the case of Joseph and Job. But if you have faith and love the Lord, he will reward you with solace and peace.

Having been raised with these texts, I have found value in the stories that are told. I will not speak much of my own religious faith, but these stories have played a profound role in the formation of my personal moral compass. Although my ideas of faith and religion have shifted, and will continue to evolve, the Old Testament will always remain a foundational part of my moral development.

A new project

I recently finished my Masters degree and I am looking to take on a new project. So why not read 100 of the most influential texts of all time? I'm going to be using "The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written" by Martin Seymour-Smith as a guide. I will try to blog about all 100 texts and I hope to finish them by September 1st, 2011. Wish me luck!