Discussion of Buddhism and the World’s Religions – Make 1 Post by Thurs., April 14 and 1 More by Sun., April 17th

For homework you should have read several articles discussing some key concepts from different religions in the world.

“The Basics of Buddhist Wisdom” and https://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/buddhawise.html (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) “5 Ways Buddha Taught to Maintain a Happy Life” https://www.thewayofmeditation.com.au/5-ways-buddha-taught-maintain-happy-life/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.); please also read for contrasts and comparisons https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/curriculum-resources/art-of-the-islamic-world/unit-one/the-five-pillars-of-islam (Links
to an external site.) (Links to an external site.); http://theollendorffcenter.org/principles.html (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.); https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/ten-commandments-list (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

Having
listened to the lecture and read two articles about basic ideas about
Buddhism , please share three concrete ways you see overlap or
connections between tenants (central ideas) of Buddhism discussed in
class and either the Ten Commandments, the Five Pillars of Islam, and
Ten Principles of Judaism. Use specific quotes from the articles to
support your points. You only need three points of overlap total (not
three from each religion ). For this discussion pick one of the
following questions to address. Post your responses in the threaded
discussions I have set up below.

• What are three concrete points of overlap or connection you see between Buddhism and the Ten Commandments?
• What are three concrete points of overlap or connection you see between Buddhism and the Five Pillars of Islam?
• What are three concrete points of overlap or connection you see between Buddhism and the Ten Principles of Judaism?

Please post your initial response by Thursday, April 14th at 11:59PM. Then, by Sunday, April 17th at 11:59PM respond to a classmate who selected a different topic than your initial response:

• Respond
  to someone who wrote about Buddhism and Islam sharing a specific point
  of overlap you see between their response and the Ten Commandments.
• Respond to someone who wrote about Judaism sharing a specific point of overlap you see with the Five Pillars of Islam.
• Respond to someone who wrote about the Ten Commandments sharing a specific point of overlap you see with Judaism
  ASSIGNMENT 2
  Humanities 105 Happiness Project JournalThe Situation: What makes us happy and can we make
  ourselves happier? For the next four weeks you will be keeping a
  happiness journal thinking about what brings you happiness. Once you
  have completed the journal, some of the ideas will be the basis for your
  next take-home writing assignment on the concept of happiness. This
  assignment is based on some of the strategies used by Dr. Laurie Santos
  who teaches the course Psychology and the Good Life at Yale University.
  You can watch a video of her talking about how she came up with the
  strategies working with college students here: Laurie Santos Psychology and the Good LifeLinks to an external site.
  (she really gets into this at around minute 10 in the video). What
  you’ll see in her discussion is that, just like His Holiness the Dalai
  Lama says, the “practice” of happiness is all about developing routines
  to find it. It’s not a destination, but a journey and a commitment to
  being in the moment, savoring connections, and maintaining perspective.
  So with that being said….here’s the assignment!
• The Purpose: As we are reading Frankenstein and How to Practice we
  can see lots of ways that the characters and authors are addressing
  concepts of happiness, peace, and struggles. While the focus of this
  course is on the human struggle, I’m hoping that you will also end class
  with some strategies to feel like life is less of a struggle.
• The Details: Do something each week to improve your
  happiness and write about your feelings. This completed assignment is
  worth 100 points. Just as in the case of our previous journal
  assignments you can write about it in a way that works best for you
  (type, handwritten, graphically organize, include pictures…).
• You do
  you!Week 1 (April 11-April 15 ): Take the character strengths test here: https://www.viacharacter.org/ (Links to an external site.).
  Find your four biggest strengths. Focus on using at least one each
  day. Write each day in your journal about what you found. Note: the
  test is free and you can opt out of receiving information from the
  organization. At some point this week find at least one quote from How to Practice that
  you can connect to one one of your strengths or something you observed
  when you were focusing on using those strengths. Integrate the quote
  into your journal entries for this week.
• Week 2 (April 16-April 24): This week, savor one
  intense experience (a good meal, a walk, a meditation, etc. once per
  day) write briefly about your experience. In addition, each day this
  week write down one thing you are grateful for and write a bit about
  this (no repeats allowed! Find a new thing you’re grateful for each
  day!). At some point this week find at least one quote from How to Practice that
  you can connect to your experience or what you are grateful for.
  Integrate the quote into your journal entries for this week.
• Week 3 (April 25-May 1): Make time at least once
  this week to connect with a family member or a friend. Take the time to
  practice being a good listener and listen to what is going in in their
  life. If you aren’t able to meet in person (understandable given where
  we are right now in the world!), write an email or a letter to a friend
  or family member writing to catch up and checking in with how they are
  doing. After you’ve done this, write about how this made you feel. At
  some point this week find at least one quote from How to Practice that
  you can connect to your experience reaching out to a family member or
  friend. Integrate the quote into your journal entries for this week.OR Many of you have written eloquently about how important the idea of
  “letting go” is to you in your life given all that we are facing in the
  world. This week write at least three times about ways that you are
  consciously choosing to “let go” of things, people, or forces that are
  interfering with your practice of happiness.
• Week 4 (May 2)
  Take one of the things we’ve done for the happiness project this
  semester that resonated with you. Write a brief entry telling me what
  you commit to doing and tell a friend, family member, coworker, or
  someone you care about this thing which has become meaningful to you.
  Share with them that you are going to commit to doing it each week for
  the rest of the semester. We’ll check in with each other at the end of
  the semester to see how things are going with keeping up with our happy
  habits… You only need to write one entry this week 🙂