Simone Weil

I really liked what he said in paragraph 3 because everyone has wants and desires when really we don't need those things. Also when he talks about waiting is proven to be satisfied, i think that is true, we all need to be clam and wait for what our path takes us in life. Constantly wanting something and not waiting for it, can get you frustrated and upset when you don't need to waste your energy on being negative. The wants and desires are just objects...

"God continually showers the fullness of his grace on every being in the universe." This quote is true, God is loving us everyday, He is always here for each and every one of us. A lot of people don't appreciate what God has to offer. Believing in Him that He really is by our sides. You realize that God is with you and being loved by Him is all you need.

In the 7th paragraph, Weil says "We find fullness of joy in the thought that God exists," I think this is true because we are happy and feel saved by Him. We know that he is watching over us, He is the creator of everything. The last part of this paragraph talks about how we would have not exist if it weren't for God. I believe that for sure!

Bakhya Ibn Pakuda

In the beginning of this reading it talks about how a woman became a believer of God. She is blessed by God and devotes herself to Him; "devoting herself entirely to him, loving him, and trusting him completely." Many people are this woman, wanting to know God, believe in the creator and wanting to be blessed by Him. We are all blessed by Him.
Just recently I went to an amazing worship concert and the Hillsong Church from Australia performed. This wasn't your typical concert, this was devoting yourself to God through the power of words and music. Music is a way of connecting to God, the words we sing is from Him and we sing them for Him and for everyone else. It was an amazing night to be there with everyone singing from the heart, worshiping Him. People may think that singing is not the right way and by just going to church and reading from the bible is the right way. But there are so many ways to give yourself to God. We all have our beliefs in God. Anyways, I think what the passage is saying is that when people to find God and believe in Him, they want love and forgiveness from Him. They want to devote to Him in their own way.
I liked this line, "He who trusts in God is able to remove his attention from worldly anxieties and devote it entirely to doing what is right." Believing in God and trusting Him that He will lead you on the right path for you. By helping and giving to others is a good and right for the world. There are people out there who are only surviving one day at a time and they need us and we need them; We are all created by God, we are brothers and sisters.

Symeon the New Theologian

What I understood in the first paragraph is that some people who don't know God they only know of Him of the creator and some people don't believe in God. But once you connect with God you know that He does exists.In the first paragraph it talks about when the man walks into the sea up to his knees and waist that he can only see the water around him. I think this means that people only have a certain image of God and they only see their problems, their everyday lives and don't see that God did create everything around them.

Then the other part says when the man dives into the water, he no longer sees anything outside, and he knows only his whole body is in the water. Meaning when you connect with God and build a relationship with Him, you know that He does exist. And you have a better vision and image of who God truly is. People who have a connection with God, know that He is our Father and that He is the creator of the world. God's people want to reach out to others and help others. That's the power of God's doing through His people. They love Him.

"Our mind is pure and simple." Our minds can be pure and simple but can also be crazy and all over the place. It can be difficult to become emptied minded because these days we are all focused on getting things done and have some many thoughts going through our minds.

I think we all have a special bond with God. I don't think we have to become emptied minded to connect with Him.

Al-Muhasibi

"When love is established in the heart of a servant of God, there is no place there for remembrance of men or demons or of Paradise or Hell, or for anything except the remembrance of the Beloved and his grace." I really like this statement because we all love our God and he loves us. We see that our loved ones have past on but we know that they will continue on to Heaven and be with their Father.

Everyday we live on our lives and God guides each and everyone one of us on our paths that we take. What we do and who we are is through God.

God's People=
"Who do righteousness, who are gifted with heavenly wisdom, who are on their guard both night and day, pure in their thoughts, those whom God has prepared for his service, whom he has preserved by his care, whom he has invested with his own authority." People who accept God in their lives and know that he did create the world, are on the right path. Everyday more and more people are building long lasting relationships with Him. A good example is going to church. People may think church is based off money and a scam when its not the people are the church. I see some many churches giving back to not only their community but to the world community, the people continually serve Him and love Him. Whats so awesome about that is God is doing this all. He is reaching to us and we are spreading His love within us to everyone around us.

"Whoever knows God loves him, and whoever loves him he brings to dwell with him, and whomever he brings to dwell with him, in whom he dwells, blessed is he, yes, blessed is he."
I love this saying! Its amazing how much we know of Him through the Bible, He did so much for us. He cares, loves, forgives each and everyone of us.

Abi'l Khayr

The part where it says "for a while, to pride yourself upon efforts, thinking that you are advancing or achieving something, but afterward you fall into despair and feel no joy." Sometimes we all get a little big headed and become conceded, but I think it's good to feel good about yourself for what you accomplished. It's saying that really God's grace did everything and you understand that God did create everything. God opens his wide arms and gives us love, certainty, unity. "It is God who loves you and keeps you in state of loving, and that this is the result of divine love and grace not of your own endeavor."

We all understand that the things happen in life, what is created in life is all God's doing. We gain peace with in us and we no loner desire our needs we desire God's desires. Abi'l Khayr writing reminds me of what a Buddhist would say. Bring peace with in yourself let go all your wants and needs. I think we should do this, we are so focused on what we need to get done. This is a hard thing to do like it said in the reading, "this is not easy to know, it is a thing that cannot be rightly learned by instruction..." We all have our struggles in life and it takes time for us to become at peace.

Johannes Scotus Erigena

What I got from the reading is that God is everything around us. "We ought not to understand God and creation as two things distinct from each other, but as one and the same." We are all brothers and sisters of God. We are all the same.

Erigena explains that we are God, God is inside each and everyone of us and everything. He is the creator of everything, "The creator of all things created in all things..."

He talks about the term "nothing" that is the divine goodness. Nothing is no existing thing, but when divine goodness is identifying by sight of our minds, we see everything. Nothing can be found in all things.

"When is begins to appear in its theophanies, it is said to proceed as though from nothing into something." We have a divine appearance of everything around us, we see the appearance of God.

Novalis

"We are close to waking up when we dream that we are dreaming."- What I get from this quote is that when we dream it feels as if it was real. For example, if you have ever falling off of something in your dream that it woke you up because the dream seemed so real. Our minds are filled with some many thoughts when we are awake and asleep.

"We are alone with everything we love."- meaning we love ourselves. It's a good thing we love ourselves, we should appreciate for who we are. You have to love yourself before you love anyone else. Be at peace with yourself.

"There is only one temple in the world and that is the human body."- Continuing about loving yourself and accepting yourself, this quote explains that our human body is a precious thing. Today people are always finding ways to change their bodies, but people do this in a dangerous way. An example would be anorexia or bulimia and in result to that is being sick all the time.

"Marriage is the highest mystery."- What this quote means to me is that I don't think marriage is a mystery its a commitment. Maybe the way people see marriage is a mystery is because nobody can stay together. For example someone being divorced many times in their life and don't understand the meaning of marriage. From my experience i see how my parents view marriage. I don't think their marriage is a mystery at all because I see them everyday loving each other, building their relationship and growing strong together.

Franz Kafka

Impatience is a big cause in this world and the result of impatience leads to anger, anxious and unwillingness to do something or go somewhere. "Because of impatience they were expelled, because of impatience they don't return."

"Beyond a certain point there is no return. This point has to be reached."- Everyone has been impatient in their lives and we just give up. When we should be patient and reach what were waiting for.

Indolence is also said in his writing. We tend to avoid and not act upon our problems, actions and there are questions we have that are never going to be answered. This quote, "There are questions that we wouldn't be able to get over if we weren't by our very nature set free from them." Letting go and being free from the pain of not knowing the answers of questions that go through your mind is the best. You don't want to feel sluggish or feel lazy. There are so many questions i have floating around in my mind that i know i will never receive an answer and sometimes its the best way to just let them free.

"The fact that our task is exactly as large as our life makes it appear infinite."-Life is a cycle of tasks, getting things done. We all have crazy lives filled with tasks that we have to complete. Impatience and indolence doesn't solve anything, you become inactive and don't want to wait. We may have infinite lists in our lives, but live each day. Reach your goals and dreams and don't give up.

The Hermetic Writings

I agree with the Hermetic Writings, everyone should be free from wanting and needing and become eternal; become one with God. We can let go of things that are physical, be free of mind. I like this quote from the reading, "find your home in the heart of every living creature; make yourself higher than all heights and lower that all depths...understand that you are everywhere..." This quote goes on and its very powerful. Everything surrounding us is what God created, what we see, hear, touch is through God.

Another quote from the reading is "God will come to meet you everywhere, he will appear to you everywhere, at times and places when you don't expect it..." It says in the speech that wanting to know God is the road that leads to God and I think that is true because for me now that I understand more about God was that I build a stronger relationship with Him. Anyone that wants a relationship with God can have one, He accepts each and everyone of us and everything. I believe that God is here with us each and everyday, watching over us, loving us and being here for us giving forgiveness to us when we need it. "That is why he made all things, so that through all things you can see him."

Maximus of Tyre

His short writing in the book, Enlightened Mind, was very good and he seemed clam, sincere and comes from the heart. He is right about God being on earth way longer then us, God created us and even though we can't see him, we can. "His essence, use the help of sounds and names and pictures, of beaten gold and ivory and silver, of plants and rivers, mountain peaks and torrents, yearning for the knowledge of him, and in our weakness naming all that is beautiful in this world after his nature."
What God created is beautiful, each living thing is beautiful and unique and thats what God wanted it to be.

Maximus of Tyre does not judge anyone, he accepts everyone and everything for what they are. He explains how everyone has an image of God."If a Greek is stirred to the remembrance of God by the art of Phildias, an Egyptian by paying worship to animals, another man by a river, another by fire."
He does not show anger or forces people to believe God as a certain image. He only wants them know, let them love, let them remember. The Greeks have many Gods and Goddess and you can choose whatever one you want to worship.I think thats pretty cool having many Gods and Goddess. You can choose which one you want to pray too and believe in that God or Goddess; its very interesting.

Dhu' L-nun Al-Misri

Many were followers of God and taught God's teachings to many others. Those people are very inspiring and knowledgeable. "Their movements are caused by God, and their words are the words of God." These well-known people or saints are good people who want to teach and help others to learn about God. I think he loves everyone equally and in the speech it seemed that God loves his saints more. That's how I interpret it. I know that God cares for each one of us and everything. He is thankful and happy that his saint are sharing and telling everyone God's way. I mean I can see why God puts a lot of love towards these saints because they put so much effort and love to Him. "The saints are those whom God has invested with the radiance of his love and adorned with the mantle of his grace; he set the crown of joy upon their heads, and he put love for them into hearts of his creatures." A lot of people have a great and special bond with God and God loves that. People who go out and teach others about God's way are the people God trust and love them for doing what they can. God tells us if someone who is sick, heal them; if someone despairs of my grace, help them; and the list goes on and on. All these powerful statements He says are true and we should give love and help to each other not turn our backs and give evil.

"You are my saints, my beloved: you are mine and I am yours." For me I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools and church, but that was when I was younger and didn't really know anything better. For awhile I didn't go to church, of course I believed in God, but It felt like my relationship wasn't as strong. Now I am going to church learning a lot and building my bond with Him. Its a great feeling.

Muhammad

I like Muhammad and what he had to say in his speech. He is a leader and an honest man; his religion is very similar to Christianity. He talks about in his speech that we are created by God and "We are closer to him than his jugular vein," each person is a piece of God. The statement Muhammad says, "From the heaven We have sent down the blessed rain by which We make the garden grow, and grain of the harvest and tall palm trees laden with clustered dates," I love this because if it weren't for God himself we wouldn't be hear and anything and everything wouldn't be hear on earth.

God gives life and he is the all-strong and all-wise, he gave us life. "He gives life and He brings on death and He is omnipotent over all things." God is the one who lived and died and had came back, he is the first and last Muhammad says. Muhammad explains his beliefs very well and has experienced so much in his life. Another good statement he says, "do not despise the world, for the world too is God." Don't turn your back on the world, your family, friends, anyone because you are letting God down. He loves each and everyone of us and everything, he doesn't turn his back on us and gives us pain. God is only wanting to be there for us, to love, care for and help us with anything.

You know what I have learned so far about each religion is that they are all different, but the same as well. What I liked about Muhammad was that he didn't care if you believed in what he had to say or if you disagreed with him and had beliefs in a different religion. Muhammad was a good man and he had considered himself a messenger transmitting God's will to the human world. Like it said in the world religions book, "a model for all believers."

The Gospel of Thomas

Jesus expresses a lot of his teachings to his disciples and to everyone. We are always searching for an answer, but we have to find the answer ourselves and a lot of the answers already have come, we just don't recognize it.

"If you bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don't bring forth what is inside you, what you don't bring forth will destroy you."
Asking where and how for the Kingdom of God, he will not answer you because he doesn't know the answer only you know the answer. It is within you, it can be sought then discovered and then entered.

Another quote I liked in this speech is the disciples ask Jesus who he is and he responds, "You search for me through heaven and earth, but you don't know the one who is right before your eyes, because you don't know how to search into this very moment." He is saying that you are not seeing the presents of him, not seeing the truth of him even though he is right in front of you.

The disciples ask him when will the kingdom come? The kingdom of God is within us and it grows naturally like a plant within us. Searching for it will not come, discovering the kingdom of God is giving up everything you want and the joy it brings to you to do anything. "For the kingdom of the Father is already spread out over the earth, but people don't see it." We don't see it because its within us and we shall seek, discover, enter and it will grow within us.

The Cloud of Unknowing

I liked this speech a lot, very inspirational. Just forget about everything and let everything be, give yourself to God. "Lift up your heart to God with a meek stirring of love; and intend God himself and none of his created things." We are always having things on our minds and are always doing activities when letting them be and take "no heed" of them is what pleases God. Good example from my experience was that I recently got out of a relationship and it was 11 month long relationship. I out so much time and effort and I gave my heart to this person. I really thought this person was the one for me, we did everything together and shared some many things in common. Things went down hill and we had broken up, after that I really wanted a change and I wanted to build a better relationship with God. I'm catholic and I was baptized catholic, when I was younger I used to go to church every Sunday and I went to catholic school as well. But of course I didn't really understand a lot of things because I was young. Anyways back to what I was saying, since this new relationship with God made me realize that my ex was just another created thing made by God. I know that by letting go of that relationship was just an experience and that person wasn't for me.

"When you first begin it, you find just a darkness and as it were, a cloud of unknowing." This is a good analogy, its hard for a lot of people to just let go what they want or desire and focus on their relationship with God. Building a relationship with him may take time and take as long as you want. I know that my relationship with him is growing more and more each day. "Just as this cloud of unknowing is above you, between you and your God, so you must put a cloud of forgetting beneath you, between you and all creatures that were ever made." God doesn't exclude anything or anyone, but for us to let go of things that don't matter for example money. This is a hard one because money is a big thing in this world. Money is just a thing and its a great obstacle.

I like how it says that he cannot answer you how to think upon God because we have to do it ourselves. The kingdom of God is within us and we shall find it. Doing so by seeking, discovering, enter the kingdom of God and grow with God, build a stronger, trusting relationship with him. "Let go of this everywhere and this is something, in exchange for this nowhere and this nothing." God will be pleased, he loves you and he is our father.

Short and sweet Pai-Chang

Short and sweet like Pai-chang's speech. This speech is very similar to Hui-hai's speech talking about the free mind. Buddhism believes in enlightenment but "After enlightenment you are still the same as you were before. There is no mind and there is no truth."

I think these Chinese readings are very similar to the Buddhism readings because they both believe to become an empty mind and free from reality and delusion. In my opinion we are always have something on our minds. In meditation we can become calm, empty minded and be at peace within ourselves yet we still are thinking. Without thought we would be vegetables, we would be dead.

Hui-Hai

In this speech I liked how Hui-Hai said trying to empty your minds is a waste of energy. He quoted Ma-tzu, "Your own treasure house already contains everything you need. Why don't you use it freely, instead of chasing after something outside yourself?" This is a good statement, why try to empty your mind or become enlightened. Just be free and live your life how you want it; make use of your own treasure house. I do think Buddhism is very interesting religion, but I like how Hui-Hai says that our minds are purity and impurity that this is the original form of mind and body. In meditation you shouldn't think about the past, whats done is done, you shouldn't think about the future it hasn't arrived yet and when thinking about the future it disappears. Just have a free mind and if your mind does wander and think about these things don't follow it or go after it or search for it. Hui-Hai made some good points in his speech, "if you don't run after sounds and sights, or let appearances give rise to conceptual thinking, you will become men unattached to all things."

"This full awareness in yourself of a mind that dwells upon nothing is known as having a clear perception of your own mind or your own true nature." This mind is said to be the Buddha mind and that it is uncreated mind and unreal. In both these religions I like what they have to say about freeing your mind and become a state of peace within your mind and body. These religions are very interesting and both have different perspectives on about the mind.

Shunryu Suzuki

Having an open and empty mind, you are ready for anything. "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few." It takes time and practice to have an empty mind and a ready mind. The original mind is free from everything you think about and to let go all our thoughts we become more clam and serene.

"The mind which is always on your side is not just your mind, it is universal mind, always the same, not different from another's mind." Everyone has a beginner's mind, we always think, plan and know everything in its present form and color. This quote from the speech explains that in Buddhism our minds are not ours, everything and everyone exist together.
Becoming one with the mind is by doing sitting meditation and this was apart of Zen Buddhism called zazen. The mind becomes more peaceful, and ideally, with long practice, a state of awareness takes over and finds true nature with in yourself.

I feel that in this world today, everyone should do meditation. In a way it takes the stress and releases the mind into a form of relaxation, giving the mind to breath, to be free and clam. "Our throat is like a swinging door, the air comes in and goes out." Suzuki says in his speech that the inner world, when we inhale and the outer world, when we exhale, that both these are just one whole world. Our bodies and the outer world are one and both rely on the other, but we need to follow our breathing with in us so that the inner world of the mind and breathing become one.

The Buddha

Buddhism is a very interesting religion and I like how there is many different types of Buddhism. Buddha means the enlightened one and Siddhartha is known as the Buddha. He was a prince and he got everything he wanted, but that wasn't enough, he left everything behind to make things right, the "great going forth." He taught many people his beliefs and values, he message was "you are all Buddhas. There is nothing that you need to achieve. Just open your eyes." Meaning doesn't matter what you need to prove to anyone what you did, that you should appreciate what you did. The example in the speech talks about a man crossing the river with a raft made out of sticks and foliage and when reaching the other side, he takes the raft and puts it on his head. Thats not the appropriate way, a man that leaves the raft behind and walks with out it knows and understands that is the appropriate way. You should let go of your desires and there will be no more suffering.

"When you realize that something is unwholesome and bad for you, give it up. And when you realize that something is wholesome and good for you, do it." I like this saying a lot because we strive to do this but sometimes we don't, we make mistakes.

Schmelke of Nicholsburg

The world we live in is bound to have evil in it. We are all apart of this world that God created and if someone does something wrong or bad, we do have the right to dislike that person for their actions but we shouldn't because God created that person too. We should give that person love and we should all give each other love. "If you punish him, you only hurt yourself." We are all one soul from God, in a way if someone fails we all fail together. By disliking or judging someone for who they are or what they have done, you are only judging yourself. God wants us to accept each other for who we are and that we are all different.
"It may happen that your hand makes a mistake and hits you. But would you then take a stick and punish your hand cause it lacked understanding, and so increase your pain?" This is a good quote because by punishing, hating or hurting someone from their wrong doings or anything, you are only hurting yourself. No one is perfect, we all made mistakes in our lives and God has never punished us for it, he has only accepted us from the beginning.
Teaching the correct behavior is more powerful then punishing someone that does not know that it was wrong whatever they have done or didn't realize what they have done. Showing forgiveness is a strong quality and it will help those who do wrong and by giving them a chance to do right.

Philo

Philo gave a great speech, I really liked this one a lot. Every living thing in this world, God created. God loves each and every one of us, no matter who we are or what we did he gives us love. "God loves to give, and freely bestows good things on all people..."

We all are apart of God, we each have a piece of him. "He has given a share of his own beauty to all particular beings, from the fountain of beauty: himself." Each living being is different, God made each one of us to be different and unique. I like how they describe God's beauty, "the fountain of beauty." The picture comes to mind is that I can image a beautiful fountain filled with glorious water and everyone gets to drink the holy water. The beautiful fountain is God and he blessed us with his beauty, all the beautiful living things would not be hear but because of him they are.

God is at peace, he is so serene and filled with joy. Moses says the goal of wisdom is laughter and play but not as you see in children. As you grow more mature through time and understanding. I believe in this statement because when we grow up through time we understand things better, make better choices and judgments. "If someone has experienced the wisdom that can only be heard from oneself, learned from oneself, and created from oneself, he does not merely participate in laughter: he becomes laughter itself." I think it means that you are grown up, but still immature and don't understand what the goal of wisdom is.

"Every being in the world, and world itself, manifests the blessings and generosity of God." We are blessed to be living, God is always hear for us when we are in need of help, when we are celebrating, he loves us and cherishes each and every one of us.

Shankara

I enjoyed this speech because its different and its well written. Brahman is the universe all made of one substances and even though we all have different names, skin color, culture, etc, we are all still made the same. "Devote yourself to the Atman and live happily forever," become one with the Atman meaning your sense of yourself. Live the life you want to live but know that your soul is not yours. The combination with Brahman and Atman is away of releasing suffering and become kind, peaceful, gentle and free of mind.

"Apart from the Atman, these appearances are worthless, bodiless, unreal." We are only here because of the Lord and the Atman is our souls, our bodies and minds. In this world we are always wanting something, not totally satisfied and with connecting to the Atman you forget and let go with the wants and needs to make peace with yourself, with the Atman. The Atman is everywhere, "he appears to be an individual, yet he is present in all things, everywhere."

It is a difficult thing to let go everything you want, desire or need but it can be done. You realize that all the cravings are pointless and no longer need anything, you are free from distracting thoughts, free from everything and no more rules. "The things perceived by the senses cause him neither grief nor pleasure." We are just attached to all our wants and cannot let go.

The Upanishads

I like the statement, "The ignorant think that God can be grasped by the mind; the wise know it beyond knowledge." A lot of people think they know who God is but no one knows him. I don't know him. I admit I know God from images I've seen or through the bible, but I do not know God.God put us here on this planet to fulfill a duty, to live life. We are here because of him, everything surrounded by us is him, we are him. Everyone has some good in them and anyone can decide to choose the right path for themselves that's why God put us here on Earth.

"When you see that God acts through you at every moment, in every moment of mind or body, you attain true freedom. When you realize the truth, and cling to nothing in the world, you enter eternal life." This saying is powerful and passionate and I believe in this statement. We all go about life differently yet God is with us, he is by our side. He gave us a mind to think, eyes to see and ears to hear yet none of these senses can be used to understand God to the fullest.

The Upanishads are saying in this passage that God is a part of you.

Chief Seattle (1786-1866)

There was not a lot of trust between the white man and the red man, always fighting with each other. When he says that "Your God loves your people and hates mine. He puts his arm around the white man and leads him by the hand...There is no one to help us." I know back then that they believed the white people would not help them and took everything away from them. I admit the white people were cruel back then, but now we are all treated equally. It says that "we are two separate races, and we must stay separate. There is little in common between us." In my opinion we are all brothers and sisters. Doesn't matter what race we are or what we believe in, we are all equal.

This man was very harsh in what he had to say in this speech. I didn't like how he said that the white people forget about everything when they die and never return back spiritually. Seems like he's a bit judgmental, he doesn't know that for sure. He says that his people never forget the beautiful earth and come back spiritually. We are all the same yet different too. This speech is the total opposite from the other speech. Chief Seattle is so close minded and not open about anything.
I didn't enjoy this speech as much as the other one (Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha). Chief Seattle and Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha are completely two different people, Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha is a kind man and has respect for the white man and does not judge. Chief Seattle doesn't care for the white man, he only judges and points fingers.

Chief Seattle has so much anger and he has the right to be angry a lot of his people have died because of the white people. I mean if I was the Chief and my people died and everything was taken a way from me, I would be upset too because you built a family, a home and your people put all their trust on you for their safety and now everything was taken a way from them. The Chief understands and is not blaming the white brothers for causing this riot because he knows that they are partly to blame too.

Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha (1752-1830)

This was an inspiring speech by Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha. What I liked about this speech was the part where Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha says "You say that you are right and that we are lost. How do you know that this is true?" This is a good statement because we all have our own thoughts, ideas and opinions about religions. Each religion is different and has its own perspectives, so theres no need to tell someone that a certain religion is right and another one is wrong. You can choose any path of religion, you can decide what to believe in either its written in a book or spiritually or anything. Another part of this speech I liked was when Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha talked about how "The Great Spirit has made us all." We are all different in many ways, skin color, culture, religion, etc. Each person has their own opinion and can believe in whatever they want.

The red man thought that he could live in peace with the white man and be friends, but that wasn't true. The white man wanted more and more land and power by forcing his beliefs on them. In my opinion, I think the chief and his people can believe in whatever they want and the white man should not push his beliefs on them but to show them how his religion works. Anyone can preach what they believe in and anyone can worship privately.

We should not judge each other, we should understand each other and know that each religion is different. I'm not a religious person but I would like to learn about what each religion believes in.

Everyone needs to respect each other, not put each other down and to unite together as one. Its amazing that this speech is 200 years old because it seems I would hear this speech today.