Padmasambhava (8th Century)

The first thing in this reading that really made me think was when it said, " I have arrived at the time of death, I will adopt only the attitude of the enlightened state of mind, friendliness, compassion, and attain perfect enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings as limitless as space". When I looked up in the dictionary the word sentient it said, "being able to perceive and feel things". Why when they are close to death would they want to have this enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings? Perceive means to, "come to realize or understand". Wouldn't you want to understand things before you die so you are able to help and benefit others? This really made me think what it was saying and trying to get across to the reader. I also enjoyed when he talked about our minds in their true state are immaculate, transparent, timeless. He then continues to compare our wisdom to the current of a mighty river, continuous and unstoppable(just as Chief Seattle did with his people)and says, to know whether it is true or not look inside your own mind. He continues to say, "when you realize all  phenomena-"a fact or situation, observed to exist or happen", are as unstable as air, they lose their power to fascinate and bind you. To know whether it is true look inside your own mind. I love how he leaves it up to us to look inside ourselves to see whether it is true. He continues all though out his speech to say if you want to know if it is true or not, look in to your own mind. I loves the words he uses and how he incorporates the different aspects of his speech, it was great. 

Ramana Maharshi

This speech really made me think and have a different point of view. I loved how he said, " wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the whole world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes". When I read this it made me think of something my dad told me, "don't throw stones at others, when you live in a glass house". Meaning don't try to better others when you still have faults and short comings that you need to work on. I also like when he said, " silence is a perennial flow of language, interrupted by words. It is like electricity. When there is resistance to its passage, it glows as a lamp or resolves as a fan". "Silence is the eternal flow of language". That although one may be silent they are still full of words, just arranging the words and how to best speak them. When he was talking about how god's grace was in the beginning, middle and end. He continues to say, when you pray for gods grace, you are like someone crying for water standing neck deep in it. Gods grace is everywhere it is up to us to receive his grace in our life. This speech is great and really made me think what he had to say. 

Chief Seattle

I thought is was very interesting when he said the sky has pitied our fathers for many hundred of years. How does he know this and what makes him think this? I liked how he compared his words to the stars, and how he says they do not set. You can really tell that he loves earth and nature as he makes many comparisons to the world. He says that the White Chief's people are as the grass that covers the plain, and his people are few like the trees. I also like how he compares the people covering the land to a flood tide in the wind. It was very interesting that he said, "your god loves your people and hates mine" and that "god is prejudice". He continues to make relations to the earth and says that his people are as an ebb tide, never returning. I enjoyed that he was respectful to the graves of their fathers and viewed them as sacred, but didn't like how he said that they leave their fathers graves behind and don't care. I loved how he views the earth, all in sacred by his people, every hill, and clearing and wood. I love his many comparisons he uses between his people and the earth but don't agree with how he views the white man's god. 

SO-GO-YE-WAT-HA

This reading had some great points and positive insight. I thought that as the missionary left and the indians extended their hands as a sign of parting friendship, the missionary was very quick to judge them and say that there is no friendship between the religion of god and the devil. I think that we need to be more accepting of people and not so quick to judge. I liked it when he said he knows that the great spirit is pleased with their actions, because he blesses them. I also liked that they said that everything came from the great spirit. That when we are hungry, the forest is filled with game, when we are thirsty, we drink at his pure streams. Everything they have and take part in they know it came from the great spirit. It was very interesting to me when so-go-ye-wat-ha said that it doesn't matter the form of worship, but rather how sincere the heart is when you worship. I really enjoyed that when he closed his speech he was very kind to the missionary and said that as we part we hope the great spirit is with you to protect you. Despite what the missionary said or did he was still very kind. I really enjoyed this reading.