Everyday Hinduism

While on my expedition to find the meaning and goal behind Hinduism, my friend and I went to the only Hindu Temple in town, and were left empty handed. The people inside had little information to discuss with us, we were given a pamphlet and told to come back on a Sunday. My friend contacted a close family friend, who attends the Hindu Temple on Sundays, and we scheduled a day to visit him and discuss religious matters. His name is Ranjit Jain and he follows the Jain religion- which has similarities and differences with Hinduism. The majority of the time we spend with Ranjit, we discussed the concecpts of Hinduism belief and then compared them to Jainism. Hinduism has a great deal of stories which contradict themselves, and thus that is how other sects have emerged from it. Hinduism believes that everything is already destined to happen, no one can be pro-active in their own life, the gods have already chosen the path of the world's events and its people. Another concept is that the faith you must have for your gods is that of blind faith. Whereas Jainism wants you to be proactive and conscient about everything you do. It also calls for non-violence and to have a balanced karma- all positive and negative sides must come together to balance out to zero.

So much to say and not enough words to express myself

I'm currently over run with preoccupations: with my own life, world events, family, issues I don't know how to handle, etc. I feel guilty about blogging so much about my love life, and not enough about how beautiful life is meant to be and the few things we can  innocently indulge in. Lately its been overwhelmingly difficult for me to see the balance of things in life. I feel selfish for complaining and ranting, meanwhile people are going through revolutions in the Middle East and suffering natural disasters in New Zealand. And all the while, my dormant garden has begun to bud and today the first flower bloomed on my peach tree.

Life is a funny thing, we always say that in order to learn something, we need to experience it first hand, but many times we fail to learn from our mistakes and end up in a rut. We tell ourselves that we cannot appreciate things until we lose them, but are we mistaking appreciation for possessive behavior? I lost a very close and dear family member not so long ago, and I told myself that with his loss I would push myself to become a well-rounded person, to live in the present, take advantage of what life gave me, and endlessly learn from my mistakes. But I feel like i only live up to these things every so often.

I'm a hypocrite and I'm honest about it. I don't know what I'm doing half of the time with myself, but I try ever so hard to stay true to my ideals and find happiness wherever it is that I end up. Its hard to admit, but as optimistic as I usually am, I cant find many things that bring joy and radiance to my life. I've lost so much within the past year: my passion for architecture, my love for all the little things, the hope to find happiness with previous loves. But at the same time, I can see all that I was given and everything that I still have: good health, an amazing family who brings me pride and inspiration, irreplaceable friends, and plenty of opportunities in life. I don't understand why I fixate on the doors that have closed themselves or that others have closed for me, while I have so many waiting for me open and others continuously opening at the same time.

Within the course of this new year, I've in essence been redefining myself from the ground up. I felt lost and confused, with little or no drive to accomplish a single thing. My task to reinvent my persona has proven to be an arduous mission. I've taken interest in exploring other religions than my own, learning about new cultures, discovering new activities which have therapeutic effects, and find the love I've lost for all the little things I once cherished. I have come a long way already. I once again feel alive; I can feel emotions stir inside of me, music can bring tears to my eyes, and coffee warms up my soul. I'm not hoping to feel complete anytime soon, but I still want to feel so much more. I want to wake up and cry because life is a beautiful miracle, feel in love with myself and with the universe, bask in the glorious sun and feel free from guilt, pain, and disappointment.

I don't want to waste my life chasing dreams and filling myself with wishful thinking. I'd rather be honest and educated than to be happy and ignorant- continuously leading me nowhere. I want so many things and fear the consequences that follow them. At the same time, I refuse to not accept anything and live in a shadow. I can live with the hope that one day the sun will shine and everything will come together in my life, but until then, I'll take what life gives me day by day.

Buddhism

I'm currently on a sort of voyage to learn more about other religions and thus understand other viewpoints better. This whole adventure has been full so far of coincidences. For example, when I was researching the difference of Buddhism and Hinduism, I just so happen to blurt out loud my inquiries about religions and their common grounds, while there was another person crazy enough who wanted to learn as well. His name is Andreas, and so far his lack of religion and deep cultural background along with my open-mindedness has helped us navigate through Buddhism.

This adventure started with the very important decision of which day to go on our excursion- and since we both had free afternoons on Thursday, it had to take place that day. And then since it would be unfair to decide amongst us which religion to digest first, we flipped a coin. And Buddhism took it home. So on the scheduled Thursday we traveled to the only Buddhist Temple in Las Vegas. Hoping to see monumental architecture, all we found was a vast collection of items compiled to form the temple. No one was around, we walked around and called out for someone to help us, but no response came back. Then we saw there was a door mat with 3 pairs of shoes, this must be the entrance we thought, and so we knocked. Two monks came to the door and showed us to another door in which we could enter. Inside we found a sweet old lady who was visiting the temple herself, and it just so happened that she was the only one who spoke Thai and English- flipping that coin was monumental to the success of this trip.

Within our discussion with one of the monks, through her translation, we learned so much that afternoon. The types of concepts we were introduced to were complex and yet easy to assimilate and thus we could dig deeper to understand the beliefs of the Buddhists. We were told that we are all born blind- we cannot see or make out what objects truly are, but as we gain wisdom, our sight will improve and we will begin to see forms more clearly and then color. To the Buddhists, the first step of committing into Buddhism is to acknowledge and accept that you are blind. From there on, you learn about the beliefs of reincarnation and the never ending cycle of rebirth, called Samsara. The only way to break out of this cycle is to reach Enlightenment and thus reach Nirvana. The only way known to the Buddhists is the Buddha's Eightfold Path- which is a set of principles which help you refrain from things which prevent Enlightenment. What creates pain is the sense of disappointment- which comes about reading a situation wrongly or expecting something which was never there in the first place. And so to not experience pain, we must refrain from having expectations and giving others false hope. The only way to understand Buddhism, is to meditate and only you can find the answers you seek. And finally, one day you can ask yourself the Ultimate Truth- which was worded as: Can you have 4 legs? Can a dog be a lion?

After reflecting deeply upon what we learned, I have analyzed very meticulously myself and what I know true about life, science, and philosophy. I have started to apply the Buddhist thinking towards how I react to situations and thus have found that pain is truly constituted of disappointment. Whether we believed someone loved us, or would never leave, we cannot decide for others what to do or change the course of nature. Regarding the matter of finding the answers you seek through meditation, I wonder do you only find the answers yourself because no one can learn without experiencing themselves or because the answer is different for all of us? And as for the Ultimate Truth, is it perhaps as easy as answering yes- we are all in essence composed of the same energy. Think back to the lion king- the circle of life- When we die, our bodies then transform themselves into carbon and minerals, which enrich the soil. Thus feeding into the plants and vegetation, which the animals eat. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. When we die, where does our energy go then? Reflect upon the way you go about your day, the decisions you make, what makes you happy, sad, take a different viewpoint as food for thought. Life is too short to be ignorant and narrow-minded. Try something new, explore the world, and find yourself in it.

Sunrise Coffee Co.

After enduring a bad day, I decided to begin my on my journey to find good coffee in Las Vegas. First on my list was Sunrise Coffee Co. As you walk in, its got a weird vibe between home and a Southeast Asian temple. There were various seating options, red leather couches- like from the Matrix, a set of French Renaissance chaises, modern couches, tables, etc. The decoration was as well interesting. A deep mix between nature-inspired wall art, a fire place, a bookshelf, Buddhist-inspired art, and a wide variety of local art being sold as well. The drink options seemed simple: Tea, Espresso- cold or hot, Pastries, and other knick-knacks. As for the prices, although everything is deemed to be organic, it was considerably pricey. I decided to start off with a Hazelnut Latte. You are given the option of being served in a mug or a to-go cup. The mugs although add a nice touch and help reduce waste, were of such large and awkward sizes, I decided to go with the to-go container. And I found out that they use the new cups which are composed of paper and corn syrup- that means biodegradable and fully compostable! :) As I got my drink and prepared myself to finish reading a few chapters before my evening class, I came to find the little nook by the fireplace with the red chairs empty- signs of my bad day coming to an end! The coffee tasting and critiquing then began. The first sip was not scalding hot, which was pleasant. But the coffee was weak... perhaps I enjoy my coffee stronger than others, but at the price they are charging, I expected more. The hazelnut flavor was good though, not artificial like when they pump flavor shots into your coffee. And the milk in it wasn't too heavy either, which is a first- I drink fat free milk, so I immediately notice the thickness in different dairies.

The coffee wasn't horrible, but I had put so much hope into getting amazing coffee in my first visit to the local coffee houses of Vegas. The atmosphere was relaxed, but focusing enough to entice me to not fall asleep while I finished up my reading. And the chair as cheesy as it sounds and looks, is actually comfortable. And finally when I finished my latte, I ordered up the Americano. And I was delighted to see them properly prepare it by starting off with espresso and then adding hot water. The coffee this time was good, not Illy good, but a world of a difference from the hazelnut latte. The organic coffee is not as spicy or fruity as I had hoped, yet its up to par with a decent french roast.

And so, that concludes the Sunrise Coffee Co. Large prices, meager drinks, but a great place to wind down.

Taking a wild, girlish fling at writing

Well, to begin things off, I am not writing this blog to lecture anyone, or gain anyones' approval- more or less to reflect upon those peculiarities in life. Its simply a wild, girlish fling at writing. Since its a new year, I've decided to try a variety of things, from embarking on a journey to find the best local coffee, to enriching my knowledge concerning religions foreign to me, and finally to blogging.

A good place to start is the beginning- I have had the delightful opportunity to befriend a coffee shop owner from Australia. And although I have been exposed to coffee from a young age and thus grew to love it, I never fully appreciated it for its complex roasting methods or understood the importance of perfecting the brewing process. And so I have decided that although the coffee maker in my kitchen is good enough for everyday use, I occasionally need to educate my palate by indulging in a wide variety of toasts and beverages. I have been to Italy once with my sister a few years ago, and there we treated ourselves to our daily Illy espresso. And while we have an Illy coffee shop here in town, my search goes farther than that. I'm looking for a local coffee house in which I can feel at home at. I googled "local coffee shops" and I got a wide range of local Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Java Detour, and a few actual coffee houses which fit my search criteria. In the next following weeks I will try to visit all the coffee houses on the list and try to taste two things: one which will be something that sounds appetizing, and the other will be a Cafe Americano- which I will compare directly to those of the other coffee shops.

As for my other adventures, I am currently double-majoring in Interior Architecture and Design and Art History. Throughout this semester, I am viewing in one of my Art History Survey classes art from Non-Western areas of the world. And some of the most important religions are Hinduism and Buddhism- which I know little or nothing about. And so to further appreciate the art of these regions, I have decided to visit temples of these religions with a friend who seems to share the same interest in learning about religion. As I visit and try to submerge myself into their culture and beliefs, even if for a few hours, I will also blog about my experiences and what I gain from each visit.

So if anyone is reading along, sit back, enjoy, and hopefully you can learn something from my adventures and mistakes.