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updated 3/28/15
transfer
of power
three SYMBOLS to be chosen by the new leader from this group:
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The large medallion was brought back from Azerbaijan for us by the grandfather of Kian Azimpoor, a former student in this class. One side is a mirror, representing our egotism. The other side is the eye of God representing the shift from the ego to the something greater.
The red string carries the stone hand raised in the expression of ahimsa, the ultimate sign of nonviolence in Janism and Hinduism, and the hole in the hand is in the shape of the heart, the symbol of Love in the West.This necklace was brought back from India to us by Prya Shankar. Added to that on the red string now is their silver symbol of Om, the ultimate ONENESS.
The manacles represent the "mind-forged manacles" described by William Blake in his poem "London." In this class they represent the unexamined ideologies and beliefs that keep us in unconscious slavery. In this regard, our goal is represented on the Tower:
brought to us by Ben Glick who walked the last hundred kilometers of The Way to Santiago de Compostella in Spain to bring this back to us, symbolizing our pilgrimages to the Truth That Will Set Us Free
Give me my scallop shell of quiet . . . .And then I'll take
my pilgrimage. - Sir Walter Raleigh
"Scallop shell symbolism is associated with
the apostle, James. A series of legends dating from the Middle Ages tells
of his mission to Spain and burial at Compostella, which then became one of
the great centers of Christian pilgrimage by the eleventh century, next in
importance to Jerusalem and Rome. In art James appears as three distinct types;
one of them is the pilgrim. His special attribute, the scallop shell, appears
on his hat or cloak, or on the wallet. To this day, on arrival at the cathedral
of Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims present their Pilgrim Passports , duly
stamped at each of their halts along the way, at the Cathedral's Pilgrim Office,
and apply for the Compostela , the traditional certificate in Latin confirming
their completion of the pilgrimage.
Found
in abundance along northern Spanish beaches, the scallop shell has become closely
intertwined with the Camino de Santiago. The shell is carved into the walls
and fittings of this parish" and all over the U.T. campus, reminding each of
us that we are on a pilgrimage (what is your destination? your goal?).
"The scallop
design symbolizes the many European starting points from which medieval pilgrims
began their journey, all drawn to a single point at the base of the shell,
Santiago de Compostela. Today in Spain cement scallop shell markers along the
Camino reassure participants that they have not taken a wrong turn and local
residents decorate their gardens and houses with shells in solidarity with
the pilgrims. In all their variations, they marked the route for hundreds
of miles. They reminded all of us pilgrims that in the midst of a world both
beautiful and broken there are signs to help lead us forward, sometimes right
under our feet.”
)http://www.la.utexas.edu/users/bump/shells.html
http://theway-themovie.com/
MEDITATION BEADS TO ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT AND LIBERATION FROM THE NET OF LANGUAGE:
beads with tassle are Hindu and made from a Bodi tree in India; given to Prof. Bump by Ram Dass
larger beads made from a Bodi tree in China; donated to the class by Liz Wong, who climbed a mountain in China to a Buddhist monastery to get them for us
“Stress Recess” Stressed by
papers? Tests? Relationship issues? For these and other stressors,
take a few minutes to check out a new interactive website called “Stress
Recess” at http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/stressrecess,
a component of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center. This site
is loaded with videos, animation, video games, body scans, quizzes,
clickable charts and graphics and practical information tailored to
YOU. Learn what causes stress, signs of stress and—most importantly---what
you can do to manage stress in healthy ways!
