Thursday, February 12, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
The Agnicayana Ritual in India 1975-1976
Wikipedia:
"The Atiratra Agnicayana
is the piling of the altar of Agni. It is a Śrauta ritual of the Vedic religion and is considered to be the greatest ritual as per the Vedic ritual hierarchy. It has been claimed as the world's oldest surviving ritual.
The practice of this ritual was generally discontinued among Brahmins by the late Vedic period, during the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in India. Nevertheless, a continuous, unbroken 3,000 year tradition has been claimed to exist among a few Nambudiri Brahmin families in Kerala, South India."
In 1975 Indologist Frits Staal documented in great detail the performance of an Agnicayana performed by Nambudiri Brahmins according to Samaveda tradition[5] at Panjal, Kerala.[6][7] The last performance before that had been in 1956, and the Nambudiris were concerned that the ritual was threatened by extinction. It had never before been observed by outsiders. The scholars contributed towards the cost of the ritual, and the Nambudiris agreed that it should be filmed and recorded. The ritual was performed from 12 to 24 April 1975. An effigy was used to symbolize the goat sacrifice, due to overwhelming opposition by animal protection groups
The practice of this ritual was generally discontinued among Brahmins by the late Vedic period, during the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in India. Nevertheless, a continuous, unbroken 3,000 year tradition has been claimed to exist among a few Nambudiri Brahmin families in Kerala, South India."
In 1975 Indologist Frits Staal documented in great detail the performance of an Agnicayana performed by Nambudiri Brahmins according to Samaveda tradition[5] at Panjal, Kerala.[6][7] The last performance before that had been in 1956, and the Nambudiris were concerned that the ritual was threatened by extinction. It had never before been observed by outsiders. The scholars contributed towards the cost of the ritual, and the Nambudiris agreed that it should be filmed and recorded. The ritual was performed from 12 to 24 April 1975. An effigy was used to symbolize the goat sacrifice, due to overwhelming opposition by animal protection groups
Refusing to be enemies
Students: I am posting below a great example of my metaphor about being "peacemakers" and "bridgebuilders" below. These were two of your fellow students making a difference
September 2, 2014|By Sergio Carmona, Staff Writer
September 2, 2014|By Sergio Carmona, Staff Writer
Sholom Neistein and Mohamed Ghumrawi are good friends trying to inspire future generations.
Neistein, a 26-year-old pro-Israel Jewish man living in North Miami Beach, and Ghumrawi, a 24-year-old Arab American of Palestinian descent living in Miami, both recently created the Facebook page, "Humans Refusing To Be Enemies," where they promote peace by educating, enlightening, humanizing and cultivating discourse from a number of different perspectives. This is a campaign that both men have talked since early on in their friendship, which began when they met as college students at Florida International University in 2008.
Both men can be reached at humansrefusingtobeenemies@gmail.com, 954-736-8198 or 561-846-0830 for more information.
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To read the whole article, click here (or go to The Sun Sentinel, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-09-02/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jjdc-campaign-0903-20140902_1_peace-palestinian-middle-east)
To listen to the NPR interview, click here: or go to WLRN archives for "politics" for 2:04 AM on July 25, 2015: http://wlrn.org/post/sholom-mohamed-brothers-spite-israeli-palestinian-conflict?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=FBWLRN3693
The Daily Show - Extended Interview - Malala Yousafzai
This is great ... we all need to think like this and we can change the world! And people say that moderate Muslims are not speaking out?! I can post several more examples of Muslims who are courageously speaking out on behalf of civility, education, forgiveness and human rights.
For the link click here
For the link click here
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Video: Introduction to Sacred Ritual
hi students, I sat down this morning to record an introduction to chapter 5, Sacred Ritual, with my Prezi. Remember, this only touches the highlights, there is much more detail in the book and the Powerpoints.
Questions for discussion:
1) Which Sacred Rites (or holy Sacraments) have you experienced in your faith background?
2) Where are you in your life cycle rites?
3) What (if any) daily rituals do you adhere to?
4) Why, in your opinion, are rituals important?
Here is the introductory video:
Questions for discussion:
1) Which Sacred Rites (or holy Sacraments) have you experienced in your faith background?
2) Where are you in your life cycle rites?
3) What (if any) daily rituals do you adhere to?
4) Why, in your opinion, are rituals important?
Here is the introductory video:
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Iceland to build first temple to Norse gods since Viking age
A modern version of Norse paganism has been gaining popularity in recent years as followers see the stories as metaphors for life not worship of the gods
Icelanders will soon be able to publicly worship at a shrine to Thor, Odin and Frigg with construction starting this month on the island’s first major temple to the Norse gods since the Viking age.
Worship of the gods in Scandinavia gave way to Christianity around 1,000 years ago but a modern version of Norse paganism has been gaining popularity in Iceland.
“I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet,” said Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, high priest of Ásatrúarfélagið, an association that promotes faith in the Norse gods.
“We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology.”
Membership in Ásatrúarfélagið has tripled in Iceland in the last decade to 2,400 members last year, out of a total population of 330,000, data from StatisticsIceland showed.
The temple will be circular and will be dug 4 metres (13ft) down into a hill overlooking the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, with a dome on top to let in the sunlight.
“The sun changes with the seasons so we are in a way having the sun paint the space for us,” Hilmarsson said.
The temple will host ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. The group will also confer names to children and initiate teenagers, similar to other religious communities.
Iceland’s neo-pagans still celebrate the ancient sacrificial ritual of Blot with music, reading, eating and drinking, but nowadays leave out the slaughter of animals.
Access the original post here
Sunday, February 1, 2015
“Gabriel’s Oboe” and music as a channel of the numinous
Can music be a gateway or a portal to the Sacred?
For the full text of the post on why this music is so important to me on a personal level, go to my blog FAITH, HOPE, LOVE (and REASON).
Below is the full rendition of Gabriel's Oboe, which was composed for the film The Mission.
Ennio Morricone - The Mission Main Theme (Morricone Conducts Morricone)
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