great people- view on life

8/8/2019 Great People- View on Life

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VIEWS ON LIFE BY SOME VIEWS ON LIFE BY SOMEOF THE GREAT PEOPLE FROMOF THE GREAT PEOPLE FROM

DIFFERENT FAITH TRADITIONSDIFFERENT FAITH TRADITIONS


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John Baptist de La SalleJohn Baptist de La Salle

BACKGROUND:BACKGROUND:Renounced his life of wealth and comfort andRenounced his life of wealth and comfort and

dedicated more than 40 years of his life to thededicated more than 40 years of his life to theeducation of the children of the poor;education of the children of the poor;To be more effective, he abandoned his familyTo be more effective, he abandoned his family

home, moved in with the teachers, renounced hishome, moved in with the teachers, renounced his

position as Canon and formed a new communityposition as Canon and formed a new communityof lay religious teachers.of lay religious teachers.


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John Baptist de La SalleJohn Baptist de La Salle

The fundamental principle of St. John Baptist de laThe fundamental principle of St. John Baptist de laSalle was dependence on the WILL OF GOD;Salle was dependence on the WILL OF GOD;The cultivation of the spirit of faith, piety,The cultivation of the spirit of faith, piety,

mortification and obedience was his primarymortification and obedience was his primaryconcern;concern;For him, Man had a destiny, and the teacher wasFor him, Man had a destiny, and the teacher was

to inculcate this truth by cultivating and developingto inculcate this truth by cultivating and developingthe theological virtues in the souls of children.the theological virtues in the souls of children.


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C ONFU C IUSC ONFU C IUS

BACKGROUND:BACKGROUND:Kung Fu Tz u Kung Fu Tz u or Kung the Master is un do u btedly o n eor Kung the Master is un do u btedly o n e

of the world s g reatest teachers;of the world s g reatest teachers;

He was prepared to i n str u ct his st u de n ts i n virt u allyHe was prepared to i n str u ct his st u de n ts i n virt u allyall the discipli n es of his time. He was a o n eall the discipli n es of his time. He was a o n e--ma n ma n un iversity;un iversity;His e n tire teachi ng was practical a n d ethical ratherHis e n tire teachi ng was practical a n d ethical rather

tha n relig iou s;tha n relig iou s;He was o n e of the most importa n t in dividu als i n He was o n e of the most importa n t in dividu als i n

Chin ese history a n d its 1st g reat social philosopher,Chin ese history a n d its 1st g reat social philosopher,ed u cator a n d thi nker.ed u cator a n d thi nker.


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C ONFU C IUSC ONFU C IUS

To Confucius, reciprocity orTo Confucius, reciprocity or shushu impels people toimpels people tosee k propriety or reverence orsee k propriety or reverence or li li in all social andin all social andreligious behaviors. Propriety has to be manifestedreligious behaviors. Propriety has to be manifestedin the basic relationships in society;in the basic relationships in society;

He saw the human self as a node, not an entity.He saw the human self as a node, not an entity.The self is a meeting place where lives intersect;The self is a meeting place where lives intersect;Becoming a fully realized human being orBecoming a fully realized human being or chun tzu,chun tzu,

isis attained by living ones role in the family,attained by living ones role in the family,

community, nation and in all of humanity.community, nation and in all of humanity.For Confucius, a wellFor Confucius, a well- -lived life is one where we livelived life is one where we livewith compassion and loving others and we canwith compassion and loving others and we canshow this by practicing the golden rule Do not doshow this by practicing the golden rule Do not doto others what you do not wish for yourself.to others what you do not wish for yourself.


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LAO TZULAO TZU

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUNDThe legendary Lao Tzu was the founding spirit of The legendary Lao Tzu was the founding spirit of Taoism, a system of thin king and living with TheTaoism, a system of thin king and living with TheWay orWay or Tao;Tao;The term Lao Tzu is not a name but a title that The term Lao Tzu is not a name but a title that means Grand Old Master.means Grand Old Master.


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LAO TZULAO TZU

Lao Tzu believed that human life, li ke everything elseLao Tzu believed that human life, li ke everything elsein the universe, is constantly influenced by outsidein the universe, is constantly influenced by outsideforces;forces;He believed simplicity to be the key to truth andHe believed simplicity to be the key to truth andfreedom;freedom;He encouraged his followers to observe, and see k toHe encouraged his followers to observe, and see k tounderstand the laws of nature; to develop intuitionunderstand the laws of nature; to develop intuition

and build up personal power; and to use that powerand build up personal power; and to use that powerto lead life with love, and without force.to lead life with love, and without force.


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SIDDHARTA GAUTAMASIDDHARTA GAUTAMA

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUNDBuddhism traces its origin to Siddharta Gautama, aBuddhism traces its origin to Siddharta Gautama, aHindu by birth, who felt that revitalization wasHindu by birth, who felt that revitalization wasnecessary;necessary;

After a life of luxury at his father s palace, and later After a life of luxury at his father s palace, and laterof extreme penance, he realized that the true pathof extreme penance, he realized that the true pathwas the Middle Way ;was the Middle Way ;The Middle way is the balance between being tooThe Middle way is the balance between being too

easy and being too hard on oneself. This insight easy and being too hard on oneself. This insight came after a long period of meditation under thecame after a long period of meditation under theWisdom tree or theWisdom tree or the BodhiBodhi that made him into thethat made him into theBuddhaBuddha or the Awa kened One.or the Awa kened One.


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SIDDHARTA GAUTAMASIDDHARTA GAUTAMA

He believes that He believes that if a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him. To if a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him. Tolive a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one slive a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one sown in the midst of abundanceown in the midst of abundance

Without health, life is not a life; it is only a state of Without health, life is not a life; it is only a state of languor and sufferinglanguor and suffering an image of death.an image of death.The goal was not to live a completely worldly life, norThe goal was not to live a completely worldly life, norwas it to live a life in complete denial of the physicalwas it to live a life in complete denial of the physicalbody, but to live in a Middle Way.body, but to live in a Middle Way.The way out of suffering was through concentration, andThe way out of suffering was through concentration, andsince the mind is connected to the body, denying thesince the mind is connected to the body, denying thebody would hamper concentration, just asbody would hamper concentration, just asoverindulgence would distract one from concentration.overindulgence would distract one from concentration.


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MUHAMMADMUHAMMADBACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

Like Christianity, Islam has a single founder, Muhammad;Like Christianity, Islam has a single founder, Muhammad;He stands out among the religious leaders of history for theHe stands out among the religious leaders of history for thediversity of his qualities and achievements:diversity of his qualities and achievements:-- a mystic and saint a mystic and saint when he was 40, he felt God spea kingwhen he was 40, he felt God spea king

to him; instructed by Allah, he shared these revelations withto him; instructed by Allah, he shared these revelations withothers; he ran in trouble in his city, Mecca, and had to fleeothers; he ran in trouble in his city, Mecca, and had to fleeto Medina.to Medina.-- a politiciana politician in Medina, he developed into an astutein Medina, he developed into an astutepolitician who organized the city into the 1politician who organized the city into the 1 st st Islamic society.Islamic society.-- a military leadera military leader his success in Medina prompted thehis success in Medina prompted theleaders of Mecca to send their armies but Muhammad wasleaders of Mecca to send their armies but Muhammad wasvictorious and cleansed the city of its idols and religiousvictorious and cleansed the city of its idols and religioustraffic king and transformed it into the focal point of Muslimtraffic king and transformed it into the focal point of Muslimdevotion and pilgrimage centered on the Ka bah.devotion and pilgrimage centered on the Ka bah.


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MUHAMMADMUHAMMAD

Muhammad s message, written down in the Holy Qur an:Muhammad s message, written down in the Holy Qur an: Life is oneness. At the heart of it is the oneness or Life is oneness. At the heart of it is the oneness ortawidtawid of Allah. Because Allah is one, to feel the realityof Allah. Because Allah is one, to feel the realityof Allah is to bring a peaceof Allah is to bring a peace- -giving unity and powerfulgiving unity and powerful

focus to one s life.focus to one s life. Believing in and feeling Allah, one is centered, Believing in and feeling Allah, one is centered,rooted, concentrated.rooted, concentrated.

Human life ought to comprise a unity and not to be Human life ought to comprise a unity and not to be

departmentalized; everything originates from the onedepartmentalized; everything originates from the oneGod, worship of whom is the human being s primaryGod, worship of whom is the human being s primarypurpose.purpose.


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MOHANDAS GANDHIMOHANDAS GANDHI

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND An advocate of simple living, Gandhi ate a vegetarian An advocate of simple living, Gandhi ate a vegetariandiet and made his own clothes; the spinning wheeldiet and made his own clothes; the spinning wheelbecame a symbol of his uncluttered lifestyle;became a symbol of his uncluttered lifestyle;

His union with his wife became, as he himself stated,His union with his wife became, as he himself stated,that of a brother and sister;that of a brother and sister;Refusing earthly possessions, he wore the loincloth of Refusing earthly possessions, he wore the loincloth of and shawl of the lowliest Indian and subsisted onand shawl of the lowliest Indian and subsisted on

vegetables, fruit juices and goat s mil k.vegetables, fruit juices and goat s mil k.Indians revered him as a saint and began to call himIndians revered him as a saint and began to call himMahatma (great Mahatma (great- -souled), a title reserved for thesouled), a title reserved for thegreatest sages.greatest sages.


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MOHANDAS GANDHIMOHANDAS GANDHI

He lived a spiritual and ascetic life of prayer,He lived a spiritual and ascetic life of prayer,fasting and meditation;fasting and meditation;Gandhi s advocacy of nonGandhi s advocacy of non- -violence, known asviolence, known as

ahimsa (nonahimsa (non- -violence), was the expression of aviolence), was the expression of away of life implicit in the Hindu religion.way of life implicit in the Hindu religion.

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