MAT540 Homework Week 1 Page 1 of 3 MAT540 Wee.docx

MAT540 Homework
Week 1
Page 1 of 3
MAT540
Week 1 Homework
Chapter 1
1. The Retread Tire Company recaps tires. The fixed annual
cost of the recapping operation is
$55,000.The variable cost of recapping a tire is $8.The company
charges $21 to recap a tire.
a. For an annual volume of 10,000 tires, determine the total
cost, total revenue, and profit.
b. Determine the annual break-even volume for the Retread Tire
Company operation.
2. Evergreen Fertilizer Company produces fertilizer. The
company’s fixed monthly cost is $30,000, and
its variable cost per pound of fertilizer is $0.16. Evergreen sells
the fertilizer for $0.40 per pound.
Determine the monthly break-even volume for the company.

3. If Evergreen Fertilizer Company in Problem 2 changes the
price of its fertilizer from $0.40 per pound
to $0.60 per pound, what effect will the change have on the
break-even volume?
4. If Evergreen Fertilizer Company increases its advertising
expenditures by $14,000 per year, what
effect will the increase have on the break-even volume
computed in Problem 2?
5. Annie McCoy, a student at Tech, plans to open a hot dog
stand inside Tech’s football stadium during
home games. There are seven home games scheduled for the
upcoming season. She must pay the
Tech athletic department a vendor’s fee of $2,500 for the
season. Her stand and other equipment
will cost her $3,100 for the season. She estimates that each hot
dog she sells will cost her $0.35. She
has talked to friends at other universities who sell hot dogs at
games. Based on their information
and the athletic department’s forecast that each game will sell
out, she anticipates that she will sell
approximately 2,000 hot dogs during each game.
a. What price should she charge for a hot dog in order to break
even?
b. What factors might occur during the season that would alter

the volume sold and thus the break-
even price Annie might charge?
6. The College of Business at Kerouac University is planning to
begin an online MBA program. The initial
start-up cost for computing equipment, facilities, course
development, and staff recruitment and
development is $360,000.The college plans to charge tuition of
$17,000 per student per year.
However, the university administration will charge the college
$12,000 per student for the first 100
students enrolled each year for administrative costs and its
share of the tuition payments.
a. How many students does the college need to enroll in the first
year to break even?
b. If the college can enroll 75 students the first year, how much
profit will it make?
c. The college believes it can increase tuition to $22,000, but
doing so would reduce enrollment to
MAT540 Homework
Week 1
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35. Should the college consider doing this?
Chapter 11
7. The following probabilities for grades in management science
have been determined based on past
records:
Grade Probability
A 0.15
B 0..25
C 0..38
D 0..12
F 0.10
1.00
The grades are assigned on a 4.0 scale, where an A is a 4.0, a B
a 3.0, and so on. Determine the
expected grade and variance for the course.
8. An investment firm is considering two alternative
investments, A and B, under two possible future
sets of economic conditions, good and poor. There is a .60
probability of good economic conditions
occurring and a .40 probability of poor economic conditions
occurring. The expected gains and
losses under each economic type of conditions are shown in the
following table:

Economic Conditions
Investment Good Poor
A $350,000 -$350,000
B 120,000 70,000
Using the expected value of each investment alternative,
determine which should be selected.
9. The weight of bags of fertilizer is normally distributed, with
a mean of 50 pounds and a standard
deviation of 7 pounds. What is the probability that a bag of
fertilizer will weigh between 45 and 55
pounds?
10. The Polo Development Firm is building a shopping center.
It has informed renters that their rental
spaces will be ready for occupancy in 19 months. If the
expected time until the shopping center is
completed is estimated to be 16 months, with a standard
deviation of 4 months, what is the
probability that the renters will not be able to occupy in 19
months?
11. The manager of the local National Video Store sells
videocassette recorders at discount prices. If the
store does not have a video recorder in stock when a customer

wants to buy one, it will lose the sale
because the customer will purchase a recorder from one of the
many local competitors. The
problem is that the cost of renting warehouse space to keep
enough recorders in inventory to meet
all demand is excessively high. The manager has determined
that if 90% of customer demand for
MAT540 Homework
Week 1
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recorders can be met, then the combined cost of lost sales and
inventory will be minimized. The
manager has estimated that monthly demand for recorders is
normally distributed, with a mean of
180 recorders and a standard deviation of 60. Determine the
number of recorders the manager
should order each month to meet 90% of customer demand.

Taoism
Chuang Tzu
The Tao – the “Way”Major founder was Lao TzuTzu – means
great teacher, or sageThe seminal work which serves as the
foundation for Taoism is the Tao Te ChingLao Tzu lived around
the 5-6th century BCEWhen Boddhidharma- in 500 CE-
traversed over the Himalaya mountains, he brought Buddhism to
China where it mixed with Taoism and created a separate strand
of Buddhism called Mahayana.
Contemporaries Lao Tzu was a contemporary of Confucius – the
most famous Chinese philosopher everConfucius, who authored
The Analects, was an optimist, as were his disciples.
Confucius:Mencius::Socrates:PlatoMencius was a contemporary
of Chuang Tzu
Chuang TzuLived around 350-275 BCEFrom the state of Sung, a
small, weak state surrounded by more powerful states
Like his contemporaries, Chuang Tzu was writing during what’s
called the Warring States Period
Given the ubiquity of feudal wars during this period, the central
question became, “How is man to live in a world dominated by
chaos, suffering and absurdity?”
Adjoining questions arose connected to that one, which included
competing theories on both human nature and the natural world.

Freedom He, a mystic, thought that true freedom and peace
come from disengaging from the social traps in the world,
which he labeled the “essential meaninglessness of conventional
values.” If one wants to become one with heaven, with nature,
then one mustn’t struggle for $, fame, success or safety. We
create our own individual mess by buying fully into
conventional standards (becoming a lawyer – for the prestige -
or working 60 hours a week and hating life).The mentality to
cultivate is wu wei – commonly translated as inactivity.
Part of our misery is the thinking that we shouldn’t have
misery. It’s a part of life, and we refuse to accept it. We add
drama by being surprised when loss or disappointment knocks
on our door.
The Secret Of Caring For Life – section 3“Your life has a limit
but knowledge has none.”Opening line highlights how we
should live, with our compasses heading towards heaven, and
not towards the finite realities of earth. “If you do good, stay
away from fame.” Notion here is that fame will feed your ego,
and once that begins one’s ego will never be satisfied. One
becomes the hungry ghost. Much wiser to try and live in
accordance with one’s own values rather than by others’ values
to get their approval. Seek self-acceptance and peace will come.
Seek others’ approval and insecurity and disatisfaction will
arrive.
Wu Wei (the “flow” or effortless activity)“I go at it by spirit
and don’t look with my eyes.”Spretzatura – to achieve

excellence with apparent ease.
“If you are content with the time and willing to follow along,
then grief and joy have no way to enter in. In the old days, this
was called being freed from the bonds of God.”
Accept life on its own terms. Don’t freak out when colleges
reject you, for instance. Your ego is blocking your ability to see
reality. To feed our egos, we often downplay our weaknesses
and exaggerate our strengths. In others, we do the opposite: we
downplay their strengths and exaggerate their weaknesses.
The Sign of Virtue – section 5“Life and death are great affairs,
and yet they are no change to him.”Don’t be too surprised when
people die. It will be a heavy matter, but we mustn’t be
shocked. There’s literally nothing we can do to guarantee that
we will be alive tomorrow. Thinking we can creates our own
delusions.
Still waterIn order to live correctly, we need a calm steady
mind. Be aware of the disturbances of emotions. Be mindful of
their nature, but don’t be controlled by them. Pay attention to
logic and reason. Be careful of strong reactions to other’s. avoid
two opposite traps: “Of course” & “No way.” The first accepts
too easily. The second rejects too quickly. Pay attention and
consider all feedback.
Wise to accept one’s own weaknesses“People who excuse their
faults and claim they didn’t deserve to be punished – there are

lots of them. But those who don’t excuse their faults and who
admit they didn’t deserve to be spared – they are few.”When our
parents caught us fighting with our siblings, we’d immediately
say, “She/he started it.” Our egos stay away from blame. We
hide the truth from ourselves in order to feel good. When the
referee calls a foul on us, our common reaction is that we act as
it was a bad call.
Happiness MUST include practicing virtue“Virtue is the
establishment of perfect harmony.”One who lives according to
social values ($, fame) will never have lasting happiness. [Look
at the 30for30 called “Broke” young rich athletes in ruin.]Being
kind, generous and humble will provide longer last experiences
of joy.
Supreme Happiness – section 18Wu Wei (pronounced “ooo
way”)Top athletes talk about being in the zone, or in the flow
when they are operating from a place of pure excellence. “Chi”
is the Chinese word for an inner river. When we are at our best,
our chi is flowing. This is what Chuang Tzu means when he
writes, “I take inaction to be truly happy.”
Just Be Yourself Trying too hard can bring us ruin. Don’t force
it or it will not turn out well. Mencius wrote, “Try but not too
hard.”We are happiest when we are grounded in the realization
that we are good enough, though not perfect.
Once you master a skill, it becomes second nature and this is
the goal – effortless action.

Don’t be overly concerned with opinionsPerhaps the easiest way
to disrupt one’s peace of mind is an overconcern with others’
perceptions. Chuang Tzu writes, “The world can’t decide what
is right and what is wrong.”We must make these judgments for
ourselves rather than abide by common standards. We have a
unique value system and must live in accordance with it, and
not by other’s value system.
Chuang Tzu’s WifeShe dies and he is okay with it, after a
period of mourning, which is key. Some never get over loss, and
this ruins their life. Others adjust, and life full lives. “If I were
to follow after her bawling and sobbing, it would show that I
don’t understand anything about fate.”Best to adjust to change,
rather than resist it.
Life after death“Why would I throw away more happiness than
that of a king on a throne and take on the troubles of a human
being again?”Chuang Tzu is open to the possibility that life
after death is better than life on earth. We, too, should consider
this idea.
How one thinks determines one’s happiness“Small bags won’t
hold big things; short well ropes won’t dip up deep
water.”Again, we must understand how life works before we can
be happy. If we have wrong perceptions, it’s impossible to be
happy. If you want to nourish a bird, you must give it bird, not
human, food. It must live deep in the forest. What must you
need to in order to be happy? We cannot live under water, for
instance. Right or correct thinking is a monumental in living the

good life.
The movie, “The Beach”The very notions of what we think will
make us happy can become the very thoughts that bring us
unhappiness.
Related to this is the idea of conformity. Chuang Tzu writes,
“conformity is not compatible with perfect wisdom nor solid
virtue.”Often we pursue things mainly because everyone else is
doing so.
External Things – section 26“External things cannot be counted
on.”Better to follow the way of virtue and truth. People cannot
always be trusted. Get ready for people to disappoint. As long
as you know this, you will be better prepared for how life truly
is.
Karmic determinism“If in life you gave no alms, in death how
do you deserve a pearl?”One becomes what one does. Action
determines character. This is why we say he is a liar, if in fact
he lies with great repetition. Or, he is a great swimmer if he
very regularly swims fast.
Discernment “The sage is hesitant and reluctant to begin an
affair, and so he always ends in success. But what good are
these actions of yours? They end in nothing but a boast.”Be
slow to begin things. Figure out if its right for you, first. Think
through it before you launch a project.

Penetrating senses “The eye that is penetrating sees clearly, the
ear that is penetrating hears clearly… the mind that is
penetrating has understanding, and the understanding that is
penetrating has virtue.”The point here is not to always believe
what people say. Often what people say is not the truth.
Intentionally or not, people deceive us. We must contemplate
what they say, and figure out what the truth is. Don’t’
immediately accept things as they appear. Only if you know the
truth can you be wise and this leads to virtue.
The Butterfly Dream Once upon a time, Chuang Tzu dreamed
that he was a butterfly, flying about enjoying itself. It did not
know that it was Chuang Chou. In fact, it did not know whether
it was Chuang Chou dreaming that he was a butterfly, or
whether it was the butterfly dreaming that it was Chuang Chou.
Suddenly he awoke, and veritably was Chuang Chou again.
Between Chuang Chou and the butterfly there must be some
distinction. This is a case of what is called the transformation of
things.
Islam
What it means to be Muslim
Background Since 9/11 there has a been a tremendous hunger
for reliable information about Islam. It’s been in the newspaper
almost daily for the past 13 years. Additionally, there’s been

centuries of misinformation in the West regarding Islam dating
back 1000+ years. First example of inter-religious dialogue was
Francis of Assisi conversing with a Sultan peacefully. Also
ahead of his time was a Dominican priest in the middle ages
who wrote about Muslims and their seven “works of
perfection.”What students first realize is that Islam is as
complex as Christianity, given the amount of denominations,
etc. Is Westborough Baptist Church an accurate portrait of
Christianity? “Godhatesfags.com” is their webpage, by the way.
Clarification: Arab doesn’t = Muslim. Only about 20% of the
Muslim world is from the Middle East.
Islam and GeographyMore than 30% live in south Asia
(Pakistan, India and Bangladesh)Most populous Muslim nation
is Indonesia which has more than 200 million Muslims. About 1
percent of Americans are Muslims.
Bad blood between the West and the Muslim worldIn distant
history, there were the Crusades. In more recent history, the US
has had drone strikes in about 7 Muslim countries, and we’ve
invaded 2 Muslim countries (soon to be 3 with Syria).
Consequently, tens of thousands of civilians have died even
though we have not tried to kill them. Nevertheless, US military
action has led to many lost innocent lives, and a deep anger
towards us and a questioning of why so many Muslim nations
have been attacked.
Islam means “submission,” meaning we get a certain peace
when we submit to the will of God. One who is a Muslim
follows Islam. Allah means “the God,” meaning there’s only

one. Same lineage as the Christian Bible (through Abraham),
but the path splits: Ishmael went to Arabia and that began the
Muslim lineage; Isaac went to Palestine and that lineage marks
the Judaic path.The lifestyle on the Arabian pennisula was
“bedouin” or nomadic.
Muhammad Born in 570 in Mecca and was named Muhammad
(highly praised). Orphaned at a young age; his uncle raised him.
He came from a middle class, merchant family. This made him
particularly sensitive and committed to those on the margins
(widows, orphans, and the poor). Called the Seal of the
Prophets, the greatest (& last) of all prophetsLife in Arabia
during the 6th century was unrealiable and harsh, not to mention
evil flourished. He turned inward during this time. At the time,
the culture was polytheistic and animistic. In Mecca, there were
360 gods and altars. Ka’ba was originally a pilgrimage sight for
polytheists.
The Early YearsIn 610 during the month of Ramadan, the angel
Gabriel delivered messages (recitations) to Muhammad from
Allah. The basic message of the Qur’an was to accept ONE God,
Allah, and to turn from paganism, to practice charity, and to
prepare for the final judgment. Justice and charity towards the
needy were pillars of Islam, as was women’s rights. With
Muhammad, women received new rights, such as inheritance,
ownership of land, and the capacity to refuse a marriage
proposal.
Historical FactorsMecca was a thriving trade city on the
Arabian peninsula. People were experiencing extreme economic

hardship. This is a contributing factor that shaped the character
of Islam. The disparity between the rich and the poor was a pre-
condition for Islam. Allah was known as a god but most
Arabians were politheistic. Animism was the belief that God
resided in all things – stones, trees, water.
He married Khadija, a woman 15 years his senior. He went to a
cave and prayed fervently. La ilaha illa ‘llah! There is no god
but God. These words were branded on his soul. He realized he
was either a madman or a prophet. His life was no longer his
own. Journey from Mecca to Medina (hijra) to establish first
Muslim community (umma) in 622.
The quick spread:In Mecca, the prophet’s message wasn’t
accepted. He and his few followers emigrated to Medina (the
hijra) in 622. Eight years later, they returned and captured
Mecca. Muhammad cleared the Ka’ba of the many altars and
instituted only one for Allah.By 632 all of Arabia had
converted. In less than 125 years most of North Africa, parts of
Europe, the Middle East, and as far as China there were
converts.
411 on Islam Jesus: Christianity:: Qur’an: IslamJerusalem:
Christianity:: Mecca: IslamQur’an means “recitation”Allah
means “the God” in Arabic. Jesus was a great prophet, but
wasn’t God. The scriptures are treated differently:Qur’an 100%
GodBible: part God, part human

Who is this One God?
What does submission look like?Orthopraxy (right practice) is
more important than orthodoxy (right belief)[Clarification:
Muhammad isn’t divine.]Caliph – high ranking religious leader
5 Pillars1. There is One God, and Allah is his name (“Shahada”
is the most important of the 5 pillars).Muhammad is his
prophet. 2. Pray 5 times a day towards Mecca: formal and
includes purification ritual beforehand. 3. Hajj: Take a
pilgrimage to Mecca once in your lifetime if you can afford it
(financially and health wise). Common dress code (white garb)
to get rid of external differences. 4. Fast during Ramaddan (no
food, sex, liquids, smoking)5. Moral obligation to give to the
poor (at least 2.5% of income).[Giving to the poor stemmed
from 2 factors: Muhammad was an orphan and because there
was great tension between the rich and the poor during the
prophet’s life.]
The Qur’an The Qur’an is the single most memorized and
recited sacred text in the world. The only true Qur’an is in
Arabic. It is a guide for daily living as well as law. Style is
poetic, not narrative Qur’an renews the Torah and the Gospels.
It is the last and most complete revelation from God – the first
and second being the Old and New Testament. The Qur’an
contains many of the same Bible stories: Creation, Noah and the
flood, Abraham and Isaac, Moses and the exodus, and Jesus.One
who has memorized the entire book is called a hafiz.

Other religious texts:Muslims also consult the Sunna, which is a
collection of the tradition and customs of Muhammad recorded
in the Hadith (sayings). The Sunna is considered second in
authority to the Qur’an. Six major collections of the Hadith
were complied during the first 300 years of Islamic history. The
Hadith provides a valuable supplement to the Qur’an.
A danger in Islam is shirk: meaning to associate something or
someone with God. Therefore, no Islamic art or images of God.
Blasphemy extends to both God and the prophet Muhammad. In
some countries, like Pakistan, there is a death penalty for this.
Jihad: striving against evil. Commonly misunderstood and
misused. 2 types: militaristic, and the internal version which the
Prophet said was the greater of the 2.
Religious ParallelsThe Muslims defeating the Qurashis is much
like the Jews defeating Pharoah’s army in Egypt.
Jews:Canaan::Muslims:MeccaBoth describe original sin by
Adam and Eve (no mention of her name in the Qur’an).
Christians put more blame on Eve who tempted Adam, but the
Qur’an makes it clear that both are equally at fault.Women are
mentioned a lot more in the Qur’an than in the Bible.
Interestingly, in the former both women and men are
commanded to dress modestly despite the contemporary Muslim
dress code for women.
Islam on ChristianityMuslims do not regard Jesus as the Son of
God.The Qur’an does not refer to any of Jesus’ teachings. It

denies Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, but asserts that God
took Jesus alive to heaven while another man was killed instead.
God would not allow an authentic prophet to die on a cross, the
belief goes.Unlike Christianity which uses a calendar that
begins with Jesus’ birth, the Muslim calendar begins in 622
with the first established Muslim community. Prior to that,
Muslims refer to the era of ignorance (jahiliyya)
In today’s worldIslam is the 2nd largest (and fastest growing)
religion: 1.6 Billion (v 2.5 Billion Christians).Sunnis comprise
85% of Islam, and Shià 15%.Shiìtes live primarily in Iran,
Iraq, and Afghanistan. Over 50 countries have Muslim
majorities. Largest Muslim populations: Indonesia, Pakistan,
and India. Only one fifth of Muslims live in the Arab Middle
East.
Islam and the StateNo real separation between church and state.
Theoretically, all Muslim rulers are to submit to God’s will.
The range is from intentionally religious states (Iran) to
secularized military dictatorships (Pakistan, Syria), to limited
democracies with some Islamic character (Jordan).
Militant MuslimsMilitants attempt, using violent and political
means, to convert governments to strict Islamic rule. Most
Muslim countries have two legal systems: one secular, and a
religious one steeped in Sharià (Islamic) law. Sharià law is
based upon the Qur’an and the Sunna, or way of the Prophet,
together with human reason and community consensus. Sharià
courts often deal with matters related to inheritance and
divorce.

Wahhabi movementBegan in 18th century in ArabiaKnown as
very conservativeCritical of Sufism (mystical branch of Islam)
which was seen as not sufficiently grounded in fundamental
teachings, and too nebulous. Also erroneously promoted saint
worship. Pushed for a return to pure Islam practiced in the 7th
century. Iconoclasts – destroyed statues/tombs of saints and
venerated pilgrimage locations.
Mohandas Karamchand
GANDHI
The Father of India
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And, “An eye for
an eye only makes the world blind.”
Biography: 1869-1948Born and raised in India.As a lawyer
(who was educated in London), Gandhi began a civil rights
movement in South Africa from 1893-1914. Led India in the
fight for Home Rule (1915-1947) also known as swarag.“Christ
gave us the goals; Gandhi gave us the tactics.”Martin Luther
King, Jr.

What started it allAs a lawyer in South Africa, Gandhi bought a
first class train ticket. When the conductor saw that he was not
white, he kicked him off the train. This enraged Gandhi, and
completely changed his life forever. He devoted himself to
causes of social injustice until the day that he died.
His Principles Tagore, the great poet, coined the term
“Mahatma” (great soul).“If God exists, God must be truth,” said
Gandhi. He prized truth over everything. Gandhi’s approach to
conflict resolution taps into his search for God, for truth and
justice. Preach through personal example Gandhi cleaned
toilets, fasted, owned nothing, and criticized himself ruthlessly.
This will win over enemies, he thought. Rather than attack
them, we should first do in depth self-inquiry to rid ourselves of
illusions, greed, and hatred.
Tools for conflict resolutionFollow the right means and the
right ends will follow.Satyagraha (truth force): typically we see
the truth in our own arguments and develop a high regard for
them; additionally, we develop resistance and disregard for our
opponents’ views. This is to make our ego more comfortable. If
we want truth, we should do the opposite: we should find the
truth in our opponents’ position, and the inaccuracies in our
own views. This will bring us much closer to truth. Are we more
about our egos or the truth? Speaking honest truth will elicit
honesty from one’s opponent. Hiding will breed mistrust.
Fasting First, self-purification. One must be courageously

honest and transparent. This wins confidence and respect from
one’s adversary. Needed trust for a substantive
conversation/relationship.Second, social protest. He challenged
his opponents without harming them. Instead, he believed that
their hearts would be moved. Fasting banks on the opponent
caring about you, or minimally receiving social pressure to
avoid a death from hunger. [Death usually occurs between 40-45
days without food.]
Political methods Experience has taught me that civility is the
most difficult part of Satyagraha… an inborn gentleness and
desire to do the opponent good. Boycott: a nonviolent way to
withdraw economic support of a regime/group. Self-reliance
creates independence and positive self-esteem.
Two types of Laws:St. Augustine wrote that there are just laws
and unjust laws. As we have a moral obligation to abide by just
laws, so too do we have a moral obligation to break unjust laws.
When breaking an unjust law, one must do it openly and
lovingly. Additionally, one must be willing to serve the
punishment. The more one suffers due to an unjust cause, the
more political and social momentum is created. Gandhi used to
ask for the maximum punishment when at trial in order to create
as much public pressure and exposure as possible to the unjust
law.
Ahimsa (non-harming)Love does belong in politics. It must be
at the core of all our actions. Fasting as a political tool. It
disarms our opponents. Rather than attack one’s opponent,
fasting purifies one’s intentions and demonstrates goodwill. I

wont attack you; I will first make sure I am motivated by justice
and truth. This was all harshly contrasted by the massacre at
Amritsar in which 1500 innocent, unarmed Indians were shot
(1000 died) were gunned down for peacefully protesting.
Violence versus Nonviolence:Those who support the usage of
military force often see that their action is the only one left,
that the opponent is so intractable and unable to negotiate that
force is unfortunately the last option. Those who support the
usage of nonviolence have a higher moral estimation of their
opponents. They see a moral diversity (by avoiding blanket
moral judgments) within their opponents: for instance, not all in
ISIS are in favor of beheadings.
The short and long term uses of violenceYou can bomb a people
but their will might become even more emboldened.
We are bombing ISIS but unless we address the issues that they
are responding to we will never win the war.
Bombs have practical short term results, but sow seeds of long
term resentment.
Look at the overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadegh in 1953 in
Iran.
Non-cooperation The “powerless” can shut a system down by
simply not cooperating with it. You risk suffering, however. Jail
time: Gandhi spent 11 years in total behind bars.Economic
boycotts are another method. This approach was incredibly
crippling to the British system, particularly their clothing
industry. Gandhi promoted weaving one’s own homespun cloth
(kadhi) rather than patron western style clothes made in

England. He also was non-cooperative with the caste system,
calling untouchables “the children of God.”
Related thoughtsAparigraha: non-possession“I possess nothing
and yet I feel like the richest man in the world.”Richness stems
from gratitude and freedom, not from possessions. Do you
possess your possessions or do they possess you? If they
possess you, your “riches” bring you poverty. It is only in
giving that we discover pure happiness. Simplicity brings
freedom; greed, complications.
Real wealth..is measured by how much you can go without, how
much you can give away to others who are in dire need.
Poverty, incidentally, is measured by how much you “need”, not
how much you don’t have. Gandhi, as many spiritual leaders,
flip this all around: poverty is how much you “need”; rich is
how much you give away. The principle here is how one’s mind
is amid all these possessions.
Einstein remarked “Generations to come will scarcely believe
that such a man walked the earth.”Gandhi lived with such moral
strength that he disarmed people. “First they will laugh at you,
then they will fight you, and then you will win.” Personal life
exemplified the ideals of selflessness and dispassion which
were, for him, the cornerstones of the Hindu faith.
Hierarchy of courageLast is a coward, higher than that is a
soldier who uses violence, and the highest is one who uses

ahimsa: one who has the courage to face fear yet one who does
not strike back.
Hinduism
The first to develop an Interior Life
Silence becomes a religious ingredient, a medium for religious
growth.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest wisdom tradition
No human founder
This religion leads the devotee to personally experience the
Truth within, and finally reach the peak of consciousness where
man and God are one.
HINDUS 2000 BC - PresentTruth is ONE, and yet there is great
diversity within HinduismThere are many Hindu texts, not one,
like most religions. What is the path to moral, spiritual
progress?
Sanatana – the eternal wayBhakti – personal spiritual
devotionWe participate as humans in a universal whole The
Vedas – filled with shruti (revelation)The Brahman (the eternal)
literally gave the Vedas as they are (similar to the Qur’an).

Sacred scripturesThe Upanishads primary concern is with right
relationship with Brahman (ultimate reality).Huge focus on
looking inwardly to find one’s true self. Find the Brahman
inside yourself. Less focus on rituals or scriptures. The
Ramayana (Vishnu incarnated as Prince Rama) focuses on
dharma (duty in relationships).
Scriptures (cont)Rama, experiencing a rivalry with his new
stepmom, is wrongly exiled by his dad. Despite the injustice of
this, Rama still abides by moral duty. This is all about doing as
one ought: loyalty even in the face of injustice. The Gita: is the
story between Arjuna and Lord Krishna (another avatar of
Vishnu) who has to do battle against his family.
Scriptures (continued)The Gita focuses on inwardly attitudes,
and de-emphasizes worldly outcomes. “One who works for the
fruits of their labor makes him/herself into a slave.”Laws of
Manu are seen as antithetical to the Gita. They arose to counter
the rise in popularity of Buddhism, similar to the Catholic
Counter Reformation. Laws of Manu reinforce the caste system.
More on Laws of ManuCaste system – a rigid designation of
what one’s permanent place is in society. Mobility occurs only
through karma and after one is reincarnated. Buddhism rejected
Indian gender norms by furthering gender equality. The Laws of
Manu reasserted those gender norms in India. Social
organization is very important. This reflects a traditional
patriarchal and hierarchical culture.

Historical DevelopmentsThe Vedic religion stems from the
Aryan migration to the subcontinent (1700 BCE). [Compare the
Indian swastika with the Third Reich’s swastika.]The central
ceremony in the ancient Vedic ritual life is the fire sacrifice.
Personal devotion to one god or manifestations of Brahman is
dominate in Vedic practice. These gods are really
manifestations of one God, Brahman.
Stations of Life4 basic castes, but over 3,000 subcastes There
are inequalities (it’s based on an hierarchal system); pressure
against inter-caste “love” marriages, and even against
interdining. 1. Brahmins who are the religious and intellectual
leaders2. the administrators (kshatriya)3. the producers
(vaishya)4. the unskilled laborers (shudra caste)The
untouchables (dahlit)
Classical Hinduism Samkhya is the oldest philosophy school in
India. Founded by Kapila and asserts two principles: 1. purusha
is beyond cause (unchanging)2. prakriti is the ordinary material
worldForgetting the difference causes suffering for us.
Developing purusha is the goal of spirituality.
Non attachmentNon-attachment: draw a line between your
impermanent self and your permanent one. The goal is to dis-
identify with your impermanent self. The goal is to be like the
center of the spinning wheel: active yet stable and in control:
“stillness in absolute motion.”If you identify with your ego, bad
karma will follow. [What’s best for me without considering

others’ interests and needs]
The 4 successive stages of life:
1. A student (brahmachari)
2. A married householder
3. A 'forest- dweller'
4. A renouncer (sannyasin)
The 4 Goals in Life
Path of Desire
Kama - pleasure
Artha – worldly success
Path of Renunciation
3. Dharma – ethical duty
4. Moksha – liberation
What people want
PATH OF DESIRE
1. Kama – pleasure, seek it intelligently, it is good, natural and
part of being human
Artha – worldly success, seek to attain wealth and stability and
take care of one’s family & responsibilities.
Limitations to DesirePleasure & Success are fleeting, they do

not last, one wants more and more, ultimately not satisfying.
Drive for success can be insatiable, never-ending, you can never
get enough of what you really think you want. How can one
extinguish greed with money?Finite nature of self, as opposed
to the Self.
What People Really Want
PATH OF RENUNCIATION
3. Dharma – Ethical duty, community
Moksha – liberation/release of the individual self from samsara
Atman – principle of individuation (akin to an individual
soul)Brahman – the principle and source of reality; that which
is different from the ordinary world
Only Brahman exists and the visible world is a product of maya
(human ignorance)
Bhakti restores right understanding and right relationship with
God.
Atman Brahman“ The Self which is free from sin, free from old
age, from death and from grief, from hunger and thirst, which
desires nothing but what it ought to desire, and imagines
nothing but what it ought to imagine, that it is which we must
search out, that it is which we must try to understand. He who
has searched out that Self and understands it, obtains all worlds
and all desires.” Khândogya-Upanishad 8.7.1

Liberation
Liberation for a Hindu is called Moksha.
It is liberation from Samsara (cycle of life and death)
When an enlightened human being is freed from samsara and
comes into a state of completeness, he then becomes one with
God.
Karma Reincarnation can be understood as “transmigration.”
just as we travel from the body of a baby to being a teenager to
being an old man, we, too, travel from one body to another after
death.Along the path, God is one’s constant companion.What
we must destroy is illusion and attachments to this world. This
is why many Hindu paintings depict destruction (usually a god
holding a sword).
Four Paths to Moksha
The way of action (karma)
The way of knowledge (jnana)
The way of devotion (bhakti)
The royal road (raja)
These paths/yogas lead to Moksha!
Prayer and ritualsPuja - worship done privately &
publiclySamskaras – rites of passage which resemble the
Christian notion of a sacramentIn one’s home, there often are
mini altars or devotional spaces that can include small statues,
portraits, and even food offerings to one’s chosen deity (for
instance, Ganesh – elephant headed deity)Use of incense and

bells (awaken the senses)Similar to Islam, Hindus emphasize
orthopraxy (practices are more important than doctrine)OM
represents the primordial sound of creation. Chanting OM
allows one to commune with the vibration of the universe.
Renaissance Periods (2)1. 3rd century BCE when Buddhism
spread rapidly. Hindus felt threatened with the mass exodus,
and needed to clarify and re-market how Hinduism differed
from Buddhism. Among other things, it reasserted the belief in
the caste system, and the traditional notions of gender roles.
The Laws of Manu emerged during this time.
Part IIAs the British colonized the subcontinent, there emerged
a nationalistic, religious movement to resist the British both on
a political level as well as a religious one. Spike in Christian
missionary effortsNational effort to preserve ethnic and
religious heritage of India.
Concepts of the SacredHuge range within Hindu theology, and
even apparent contradictionsCase for polytheism: There are
many gods, such as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, etc. Case for
monotheism: All the gods are mere manifestations of Brahman –
a genderless entity that creates and destroys all.
Hindu Ethics Anchored in moral duty Duty connects to
dharmaOne should act according to their designated place in
societyKarma is the cosmic force generated by one’s actions
Accumulated karma determines one’s reincarnated location

Gurus Highly important given the theological diversity and
complexity of HinduismA Guru makes all the difference in
one’s understanding and practice. Gurus guide which god to
venerate and how one understands what a god is.
Yoga “Yoga is an all-embracing way of life, a science of self-
culture and mental discipline that ensures the purgation of the
ignoble in man and brings forth what is most noble in
him.”Karma yoga: the way of action. All is done mindfully and
in service to the absolute. Act in the world but be free of
attachments to outcomes.Goal is to discipline the egoistic self.
Yoga of action
Become God by acting like GodRequires a focused mindTeaches
selfless actsNo expectation of benefit
Yoga1. Keep personal life in reasonable order or no hope of
deeper self-knowledge. Abstain from lying, injury, stealing,
sensuality, and greed2. Observe cleanliness, contentment, self-
control, studiousness, and contemplation of the divine.
3. take care of the body in order that it does not disturb the
mind. The mind is way more important. 4. Get into a lotus
position: ankles on thighs, hands folded on top of each other,

erect spine, and unfocused stare on the ground. Turn your
attention to your breath. 5. unplug your sense perceptors so that
you can focus on your breath. You want to turn concentration
into a controlled skill.
6: the mind is its fiercest antagonist. The mind is like a
drunken, crazed monkey who has just been stung by a wasp. 7.
increase level of concentration and one will discover the
extreme power of the mind. Focus on an object and the ego will
disappear. 8. Samadhi = then the object will dissolve and the
raja yogi has achieved ultimate consciousness, or total being.
Bhakti Yoga: devotion/divine love
Most popular among Hindus
Everything is truly seen as God
Chanting and prayer are a large part
Personal devotion to one’s chosen deity.
Jnana YogaYoga of knowledge/wisdom
Rational inquiry Direct experience of MokshaIntegrates the
other Yoga pathsMost difficult pathDiscovery of one’s true self
brings peace and freedom
Raja Yoga: physical/mental controlMethod = clear the mind
through intense concentration
Final result = Absolute Mind Control
All energies become spiritual energies

Achieved by meditation
Asanas We are God, therefore our bodies are sacred and we
should keep them well. Exercise should be beneficial to the
mind and body while enjoyable to the person. It should be a
spiritual experience.
Pranayana (proper breathing)We should breathe as deep as
possible. Breathing should be slow, deep and in rhythm.
Savasana (proper relaxation)Inner peace and complete physical
rejuvenation can be achieved through Savasana.Proper Diet:
Yoga promotes a vegetarian diet for the complete health of a
person mentally, physically and spiritually.
Dhyana (meditation) “We become what we think.” We should
think happy thoughts to lead to a happy and healthful lifestyle.
Employs the philosophy of Vedanta.

Buddhism II
Pages 211-237
5 Precepts Avoid killingAvoid stealingAvoid lyingAvoid sexual
misconductAvoid intoxicants (alcohol, drugs, etc.)
The last two intersect. One is much more likely to commit
sexual misconduct when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Be aware of national trends that are coming to victims’ defense
around the issue of date rape, especially on college campuses.
Note: As many as 1/3 of all women are victims of sexual assault
in some form.
Right speechOne only says things that they know are true. Also,
one avoids gossip even if you know it’s true. Gossip causes
harm. It’s entertainment at another’s expense. It invites

judgment and exclusion. How does one speak about others in
ways that invite compassion, humility and social healing? Right
speech is anchored in ahimsa – the concept of non-harming.
No SelfThis teaching is in synchronicity with the Pauline idea
that “It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives within me”
(Galatians 2:19).We “sin” from a place of self importance – to
gratify our own ego. Goal is to avoid being reactive from a
place of self importance. Can one see beyond one’s ego? Goal is
to be non-reactive, and to understand. The point here is to
emphasize impermanence and non-attachment, especially as how
they relate to the nature of emotions. See that emotions will rise
and fall, and remember no to be attached to an emotion (“Sorry,
I couldn’t help myself”).
Impermanence For instance with anger, treat it as a mother
treats a crying baby. Rather than ignore it – which will lead to
tension to a point of an emotional explosion - pay attention to
it. Pick up the baby, so to speak, and hold it. Look into the
anger, and try and gain insight into its source. Sift through the
narrative and give others the benefit of the doubt. Be aware of
self importance, and try and see the other’s position. Avoid
right and wrong, and instead aim for harmony and deeper
understanding.
The middle pathAvoid two pitfalls:1. I am right and you are
wrong2. You are right and I am wrongInstead, seek
understanding of both perceptions and focus on the causes and
conditions of reality. The goal should be seeking truth(s), and it
shouldn’t be to win the argument or to be right.

Buddhism and Western PsychologyOverlap in the area of self
understanding“Play the tape forward” See the relationship
between greed and ignorance: “If I had _____
(sex,power,possessions), I’d be happy.” Really? One meditates
in order to gain insight. One goes to therapy to gain deeper
understanding of how one’s past conditions one’s present
condition. Both are interested in how to deal with adversity
through deeper understanding, and offer tips on how to live a
more harmonious life.
Dhammapada Huge emphasis on how one thinks, how one sees
the world and the self. Your mind creates your world. Happiness
follows from a skilled mindIf your mind is plagued with raging
passions, your life will be filled with hedonism. Can you tame
those passions by thinking about them with deep insight?If you
hold onto grudges, the world becomes a terrible place. If you let
go, you are free.
“We read the world wrong and then say it has deceived us.”
Rabindranath Tagore Those who have known the valuable as
valuable, and the worthless as worthless: they attain the
valuable. What is valuable, and what is worthless?Why do some
get it wrong? What are the illusions in our society?Many
problems stem from the pursuit of false pleasures – immediately
positive effects but problematic long term results.Sukha is
lasting happiness, ease and comfort.

Dhammapada continuedJust as rain doesn’t penetrate a well
thatched house, so passion fails to enter a well-cultivated mind.
How one thinks determines how one acts. Can you see through
illusions?Temporary gain for long term lossWhat brings
temporary sacrifice & long term gain?Knowing the ‘right’ is
insufficient. One must act in accordance with right teaching.
The spiritual fruits of the pathReally, this is about liberation
from one’s cravings. How are you when you don’t get your
way?Ignatius would use the words interior freedom or
indifference. One needs freedom in order to be happy – an
ability to deal with life given all the imperfections and
uncertainties. Life will not always go our way. Are we capable
of dealing with the vicissitudes of life?
How you see the worldMano – represents how one perceives
realityHow do you tell stories about your world, and are those
stories congruent with reality?This raises a key aspect of
Buddhism, which is how pivotal one’s own mind is in whether
liberation or salvation is possible. It’s up to you, ultimately.
The Sangha helps, as does venerating the Buddha and studying
the dharma* but in the end we must save ourselves. *The
dharma’s value is in living in accordance with it. Knowing it
simply isn’t sufficient.
Hungry Ghost or “Preta”…is when someone’s appetite is such
that they are never satisfied. A hungry ghost has a thin, long
neck and a large stomach. No matter how much they consume,
they forever remain hungry. Goal: develop a wide neck and a
small stomach for even when you consume a little, you are

satisfied. Attitude determines happiness, not amount of
possessions.
Present moment; only momentOne of the key emphases in
BuddhismHappiness is only possible in the present moment. If
you want to understand the past, look at how one lives in the
present. If you want to understand the future, look in the
present to see how one lives. Additionally, we cannot always
trust our memories, so how true is our past? On the same note,
the future doesn’t exist as we imagine it so why bother with the
projections. Best to simply remain in the present moment.
Lotus Nirvana Teaching Near the end of his life he taught this.
Anybody who recited the Buddha’s name even once planted a
seed in their consciousness that in the future would result in
Buddhahood. Upon hearing this, 5,000 irate disciples stormed
out in protest, thinking that all their efforts were unfairly equal
to one who took one small step. The Buddha thought these
childish monks were selfish, and were far from having the
boundless, giving heart of the dharma. Even small acts can yield
massive returns.
The Metta Sutta Desire universal flourishing for all beings. One
must be gentle and humble; self importance has no place on this
path. Live simply. Materialism hinders growth. Radiate a
boundless love throughout the whole universe. Don’t cling to
views, nor sensual desires.

Equanimity is all about freedom, and mustn’t be understood as
listless apathy or emotional disengagement from the world.
When one has equanimity, one is more able to engage others
lovingly (devoid of selfishness). True love is anchored in the
desire for the other to flourish, and certainly isn’t about how
she/he makes ME feel. Integrate “Understanding” into one’s
notion of love, and make it less about emotions. Paying
attention to each day (present moment mindset) allows for one
to continue to deepen one’s love for another by furthering one’s
understanding of the constantly changing partner.
Key teachings May all beings be happyThis idea connects us
with everything. It creates a key common ground, linking all
people together- an interpretive lens through which to view all
interactions benevolently. “As a mother would risk her own life
to protect her only child, cultivate this same boundless heart for
all beings.” Huge focus on service, too. This shrinks the ego to
its proper size
Non attachmentOne shouldn’t even be attached to the idea of
non-attachment. You are already enlightened; you just don’t
know it. Seeking nirvana as though it were something out there
is exactly what keeps one from Nirvana. Before you are
enlightened, a mountain is a mountain; a river a river; and a tree
a tree. Once you are enlightened, a mountain is a mountain; a
river a river, and a tree is a tree. Or, “There is nothing to be
attained.”There is fullness in emptiness and emptiness in
fullness. The spiritual life is all about self-emptying, not filling
yourself with this or that.

Buddhist teachings cont.3 poisons Greed – all about the ego and
can never be fully satisfiedAnger – you want to harm the other;
see the other as separate; filled with illusion and hatredDelusion
– far from the truth, you are lost in a separate narrative that
makes reality far from you. With a wrong map, you cannot find
the destination.
Suffering: The 2 Arrows There are two types of suffering:
avoidable and unavoidable. We cannot stop the arrows in life
for we cannot control others. But we can control whether we get
struck by a second arrow, which is the arrow that comes from
how we react to the first arrow. Do we cultivate hatred, non-
acceptance when we are struck by an arrow or do we accept,
move on, learn, and utilize compassion and thus avoid the
second arrow?
Guan Yi – the boddhisattva of compassion. Notice the many
arms (helping others, action oriented, not something strictly
cerebral).
Mount Potala is their Lourdes.
There are stupas (temples) devoted to her.
Vocabulary Satori – immediate awakening, an ‘aha’ moment
Koan – a riddle of sorts that gets one out of linear thinking in
hopes of fostering a mystical, deeper understanding of the
worldSutta – teaching
Metta – loving kindness

84,000 paths to the dharma
Avalokiteshvara – the boddhisattva of listening
Due: In class on Friday, January 9, 2015
2.25 pages single spaced (minimally 2 pages)
Just put your name – and nothing else - in the top left corner
MIDTERM TAKE HOME EXAM/PAPER
In the book, Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah et al make the
case – and provide ample evidence to support it – that those
who actively belong to a church are happier (in several ways)
than those who are not involved in a church. Accepting this
claim for a moment, please make the case how the religions that
you’ve studied this semester hold the potential for not just
contributing to one’s personal happiness but to alleviating some
of the social, economic and environmental issues that plague
our globe.
Write a 2 page (single spaced) paper on how each of the
traditions holds the potential for attending to and curbing global
injustices, such as poverty, war, the environment or sexism.
Select 6 ideas from this past semester that could be utilized in
an effort to stem real world problems. You should have 8
paragraphs (an intro and a conclusion alongside a paragraph for
each idea) that thoroughly explain how religion and its ideas
have significant utility today given the alarming larger social
issues that cause much current suffering. With each of your 6
ideas, thoroughly explain what the idea is exactly, and secondly
its utility in the social and political sphere.

Buddhism
Awakened One (in Sanskrit)
Basic BiographyBorn in Lumbini 500 BCE, current day
NepalPrince with a sheltered life (no physical discomforts)His
father shelters him but Siddhartha sees 4 realities: aging, sick,
dead, & a holy manConcludes “dukkha”
(suffering/dissatisfaction)Flees his material privilege and seeks
out teachers to ask how to end suffering.No one provides a
meaningful answer despite speaking to the greatest teachers
around.
First answer is to become an extreme ascetic because “sin
comes from doing things that make us feel good.”Stops
asceticism Meditates to discover his own answer,and finds the
middle path.Mara, the Evil one, tempts him. Her arrows turn
into flowers, though. [Power of insight]He obtains
enlightenment: “The earth is my witness” under the Bodhi tree,
in Bodgaya, Bihar, India.Teaches from age 30 to 81
The BuddhasThe “Buddha” is the buddha of the present,
Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni (caste)Maitreya is the Buddha
of the future. Boddhisattva is a “saint” – one who has attained
enlightenment but stays in the world to help others (found in
northern buddhism). The southern buddhist equivalent is the
arhat: one who has attained enlightenment. Nirvana – “heaven”

translates as emptinessSamsara – cycle of life and death What
keeps people in samsara are greed, hatred and ignorance We all
are reincarnated until we get it right.
3 jewelsDharma – “to hold,” truth or way The body of teachings
Buddha – reverence for his achievement Sangha – community of
practitioners (we cannot do it on our own; and yet we must
meditate as if it depends entirely on our own).Speech should be
useful, gentle, edifying and truthful.Action should be peaceful
and respectful. Livelihood should be non-harming.
4 Noble truths1. Life involves Dhukkha 2. Dissatisfaction is
caused by our desires, cravings, demands (I must have
_______).3. We can end our dissatisfaction if we let go of our
cravings/attachments/demands.[Note: Preferences are okay.
Demands are what cause problems.] 4. The way to achieve
enlightenment is to follow the 8-fold path
8 fold path: the “How”
I Wisdom:
1. Right View
2. Right Intention
II Ethical Conduct:
1. Right Speech
2. Right Action
3. Right Livelihood
III Mental Discipline 1. Right Effort 2. Right Concentration3.
Right Mindfulness

Two schools:Theravada – southern Buddhism (small wheel) uses
only the earliest writings India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand,
CambodiaArhat – goes to nirvana straight awayGreater
emphasis on the monastic tradition. The community gives dona
to the monks/nuns. More focus on the individual obtaining
enlightenment, and less on helping others obtain it. “Small
wheel” because little focus on animals, insects, and the cosmos,
but a lot on human activity.
MahayanaAKA Northern Buddhism (big wheel)Focus is more
universal – including animals, insects, and the
interconnectedness of the entire cosmos. Is more open to
immediate enlightenment (satori) and the laity being vessels of
wisdom. Uses both early and later (philosophical)
writingsChina, Korea, JapanBodhisattva – attains enlightenment
but stays behind to help others, to help all sentient beings
Zen: to meditate (chan) Soto and Rinzai are the two Zen
schools. Zazen is the name (verb) of the actual practice of
meditation. A Zafu is the cushion on which one sits. To
meditate is to “sit” (in english).Bodhidarma brought Buddhism
from India to China in the 7th century CE. It mixes
theologically with Taoism. Zen is practiced in Vietnam, Korea,
China and Japan.
Buddhist Philosophy MeditationPresent MomentInsightNon-
dualism Non-attachmentNonviolence

Meditation The purpose is to build mindfulness. If you focus on
your breath and its subtleties, then you take that deepened
concentration into every facet of your life: baseball, family,
romantic love, friends, driving, school, etc… Conscious
breathing links the mind to the body. If you slow down, you can
begin to see the invisible, to notice what is not obvious to the
naked eye (wisdom).
Present Moment Stay in the here and now. The kingdom of God
is available in the here and now. It is only in the present
moment that one can attain happiness. The future does not exist.
Planning (future oriented thought) and reflection (thought
regarding the past) are good but not to be done in excess,
instead though in moderation: 15% 70% 15%. “Looking deeply
is the most effective way to transform anger, prejudice and
discrimination.”
Insight If you are a poet, you will clearly see that there is a
cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will
beno rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without
trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the
paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot
be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper inter-
are. If we look into this sheet of paper even more deeply, we
can see the sunshine in it. If the sunshine is not there, the forest
cannot grow… You cannot point out one thing that is not here –
time, space, the Earth, the rain, the minerals in the soil, the
sunshine, the cloud, the river, the heat. Everything coexists with
this piece of paper… This sheet of paper is because everything

else is.
Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh
Non-Dualism Despite appearances, all things are
interconnected; all things are ONE. Evil occurs only when we
think things are two: good versus evil. This assessment is an
illusion. Read the poem and discover the application of non-
dualism, how it ushers in nonviolence.
Non–attachment In many cases, it is our attachment to things
that are the very sources of our suffering. All things are
impermanent, therefore we should relinquish our grip on all
things. This creates freedom. Our problems come not from
“reality” or the world, but from our incapacity to adjust to
reality. You are more than your anger. Do not be attached or
controlled by it. Attachment is not love; it is controlling and it
kills love.
Nonviolence Honors the sacredness of each personAddresses
underlying symptoms without completely blaming single actors.
It does NOT mean non-activity. It simply means to address
conflict without causing further harm, exclusively attempting to
solve the problem using love and compassion. Understanding
breeds compassion.
If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. Don’t worship anyone,
not even Mr. Haardt. Rely on yourself. “Work out your own
salvation.”This dovetails with the Gospel’s notion of the

kingdom of God is within you. The entire project of Buddhism
rests on turning one’s arrow inwardly. Our problems/solutions
exist within ourselves. Any external object (person/$) isn’t the
problem, nor the solution. The Buddha is within, never another
person. You, no one else, are the Buddha.
Only you can save yourself “Work out your own salvation with
diligence” (the Buddha).There is no reliance on something
outside of yourself, ultimately. The sangha and teachings can
help, but they are not enough. You HAVE to meditate, learning
the truth that is accessible only to committed seekers. The
Buddha preached intense self-reliance: “A true disciple must
know for herself.”

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