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updated: 3/12/16
The "mission and core purpose" of the University of Texas at Austin is" to transform lives for the benefit of society through the core values of learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity and responsibility."
Born Free
http://www.youtube.com/v/1qBK4RRpouQ&hl=en&fs=1&
Born free, as free as the wind blows
As free as the grass grows
Born free to follow your heart
Live free and beauty surrounds you
The world still astounds you
Each time you look at a star
Stay free, where no walls divide you
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide
Born free, and life is worth living
But only worth living
'cause you're born free
(Stay free, where no walls divide you)
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide
Born free, and life is worth living
But only worth living
'cause you're born free
TODAY'S GOALS:
Understand the role of philosophy in ethics generally and advancing animal rights specifically; become aware of the advantages and disadvantages of analogies such as that between the Holocaust and slaughterhouses.
[2A2] ETHICS [ The second goal of the required leadership/ethics flag courses -- learn to make real-life ethical choices -- is closely related to the core purpose of the University of Texas, to transform lives for the benefit of society. It is also one of the basic education requirements of U.T.: "have experience in thinking about moral and ethical problems." Our ethics goals are
[2A2a] To experience by analogy a little of ethical dilemma presented by Anti-Semitism, especially the Holocaust.
[2A2b] To experience by analogy a little of ethical dilemma presented by racism, especially slavery.
[2A2c] To experience more directly the ethical dilemmas presented by speciesism, especially cruelty to animals.
[2A2d] To become aware of real-life ethical choices made daily by all of us involving cruelty to animals.
[2A2e] To return to the traditional college goals of developing character and conscience.
[2A2f] To practice replacing fear and greed with love, compassion, tolerance, and the sympathetic imagination.
TODAY'S ACTIVITIES:Einstein quote:
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) Source: Mathematical Circles
Dass Guided Imagery focused on sending light and love, focusing on imprisonment, loss of freedom, especially as represented by Kafka here
3-19 EXTRA CREDIT: HOLI: 38 pts possible http://radhamadhavdham.org/event/holi/
400 Barsana Road 78737
+10 pts. if seen by me (email me for my cellphone #) : 3:00-3:30 Kirtan by Swami NikhilanandJi
+ 8 pts. if seen by me: 3:30-3:50 Discourse by Banchary DidiJi
+ 10 pts. if seen by me: 3:50-4:25 Cultural program in the prayer hall
4:25 4:40 Parikrama
4:45 5:00 Arti in Maharas Mandal
+ 10 pts. if seen by me: 5:00 6:30 Holi play with Live Band.
This version of Holi comes from Braj: where the Hindu deity Krishna grew up. There, the festival is celebrated for sixteen days in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love. There is a symbolic myth behind commemorating Krishna as well. As a baby, Krishna developed his characteristic dark blue skin colour because the she-demon Putanapoisoned him with her breast milk.In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha and other girls would like him because of his skin colour. His mother, tired of the desperation, asks him to approach Radha and colour her face in any colour he wanted. This he does, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha's face has been commemorated as Holi." (Wikipedia)
Relevance to our course: "Cows and Krishna have always been together. In His original form, Krishna is a cowherd boy in the agricultural community of Goloka ("cow planet" or Vindavan), where He keeps unlimited, transcendental, surabhi cows.
When He descends to earth, Krishna brings a replica of Vrindavan with Him, and He spends His childhood tending cows and calves while playing in the pasturing grounds with His friends. His example shows the importance of cows to human society, the practical benefits of caring for them, and the advantages of an agrarian economy based on cooperation between man and cows. Krishna established the original economic system for the spiritual and material progress of all living beings. Protected cows are a major component of this system; bulls and oxen till the fields, and cows give milk. Cows are are considered one of the mothers of humankind because cow's milk—when properly prepared—is perfectly suited to maintaining human life. Milk can be made into a wide variety of preparations, such as yogurt and butter, which are also essential ingredients for use in the ceremonial worship of Krishna in His transcendental form.In His famous book of instructions for humankind, the Gita, Krishna mentions cow protection as one of the prime duties of any civilized society."
LOOKING AHEAD:
3-22 Carnism: Best and Worst pairs, quiz, discussion of blogs LEADER?
3-24 Sacred cattle: Best and Worst 1st half of alphabet;quiz, discussion of blogs LEADER?
FEELING STRESSED?Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, once wrote, "to allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times.
More than that, it is cooperation with violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys her own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful."
One interpretation: The fear of failure and the need to get things done create this downward spiral of the spirit. To break this "circle of violence" we must step back, reflect, meditate. While at rest we may be able to see things anew, which will increase our "fruitfulness at work" and at home.
“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!
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