Archives for March 2016

1. Siddhartha–Read and annotate Samsara. 

2. Vocab Quiz Wednesday for 10A and Thursday for 10C.

3. Mandala Project due March 30th (We will discuss the Mandalas tomorrow)

(Due Monday, March 21st!) Research and take notes on The Mandala. Be sure to visit this link to get a sense of the process of making a mandala. This is the beginning step of the Mandala Project! 

Carl Jung and the mandala:

“I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. … I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point — namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation… I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate.” – C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections.

If we agree that the center of the mandala represents this center of the universe, thus the center of the self (the true self), then what would reside at the center of you…your true self. As seen in many of the examples, much, if not all, of the mandala is abstract expression. Certainly the center of the mandala should be abstract as it is a representation of your Self; yet, as you move beyond the center, closer to the edge, your visual may become more concrete as you are closer to your persona/ego, that which is tangible/material. So how will you represent your true self… We understand that the mandala is an expression of Self at the moment of its (the mandala’s) creation as the Self is always a work in progress.

How to Draw a Mandala

The Mandala will be worth 150 points and count as a project/essay grade. Keep in mind:

• Your base structure of your mandala should be a series of geometric shapes. The primary, and largest, shape must be a geometric shape.  Within there must be an arrangement of smaller geometric shapes.
• All geometric shapes must be PRECISE. The craftsmanship in general should be precise.
• The Mandala should use colors meaningfully. Meaning, you should be able to explain why you chose the colors you chose.
• All visuals beyond the base structure should be purposeful and powerful. Meaning, there should be a rationale for everything present in your Mandala and that rationale should be of great significance to you. Further, the images should be aesthetically pleasing in presentation.
• The Mandala should reflect great creative effort!
• The Mandala should reflect great overall effort!
• The Mandala should reflect you!

As for dimensions, there is flexibility here: if square 12-16 inches on each side; if circular, appx. 12-16 inches in diameter. Once again, there is flexibility here.  Review the following link to get another sense of the creation process. Note that the structure of the mandala should consist of precise geometric shapes.

4. E-Media Fast… : Hello all! In the spirit of Siddhartha (and being even more present in our lives and abstaining from elements of the physical world) we begin our e-media fast Thursday at 5pm. Don’t fret though as in a couple of days you can return to our e-world. The fast will be lifted at 7am Monday morning.

Here are the official ground rules for the thirteenth annual E-Media Fast. Starting Thursday at 5:00 PM the challenge begins. The fast will end Monday morning at 7am. You will try to avoid the “benefits” of the following:
• Television (Oh yeah, no movie theaters…)
• Radio
• Computer
• Internet
• Ipod (or any music player)
• Any handheld computer
• Game consoles (xbox, xbox360, Atari 2600, Pong, PS2, Intellivision, ColecoVision, etc.)
• Portable game players
• Cell phones (You may only use your cell phone to talk to your parents—anyone else and you have failed the challenge.)

Notes:

You may access the computer to take care of all school-related responsibilities.

We are playing by the HONOR CODE. I am operating under the assumption that all of you will be truthful throughout this experience.

I want you to document the entire experience in Sunday in your binder (or you can take a diary-like approach and document the experience in bits and  pieces over the weekend).  I want to know the details of the journey, including the moment(s) when you fail:). If you do fail, do not abandon the challenge. Document the failure and continue on till Monday. Of course, if you cannot bear the “pain”, then GIVE UP…document that too. I look forward to hearing your tales. I am very interested to hear about how you have chosen to spend your time over the extended weekend. By taking on this challenge you have freed up a chunk of time. How will you spend your jellybeans?

I expect everyone to give this challenge a shot. No opting out…

Let me remind you, this is not an exercise in the demonizing of technology. This is an effort to rethink how we spend our time, to become “hyper-aware” of the content of our lives.

1. Siddhartha–Be prepared to discuss the weekend’s reading!
2. E-Media Fast… : Hello all! In the spirit of Siddhartha (and being even more present in our lives and abstaining from elements of the physical world) we begin our e-media fast Thursday at 5pm. Don’t fret though as in a couple of days you can return to our e-world. The fast will be lifted at 7am Monday morning.

Here are the official ground rules for the thirteenth annual E-Media Fast. Starting Thursday at 5:00 PM the challenge begins. The fast will end Monday morning at 7am. You will try to avoid the “benefits” of the following:
• Television (Oh yeah, no movie theaters…)
• Radio
• Computer
• Internet
• Ipod (or any music player)
• Any handheld computer
• Game consoles (xbox, xbox360, Atari 2600, Pong, PS2, Intellivision, ColecoVision, etc.)
• Portable game players
• Cell phones (You may only use your cell phone to talk to your parents—anyone else and you have failed the challenge.)

Notes:

You may access the computer to take care of all school-related responsibilities.

We are playing by the HONOR CODE. I am operating under the assumption that all of you will be truthful throughout this experience.

I want you to document the entire experience in Sunday in your binder (or you can take a diary-like approach and document the experience in bits and  pieces over the weekend).  I want to know the details of the journey, including the moment(s) when you fail:). If you do fail, do not abandon the challenge. Document the failure and continue on till Monday. Of course, if you cannot bear the “pain”, then GIVE UP…document that too. I look forward to hearing your tales. I am very interested to hear about how you have chosen to spend your time over the extended weekend. By taking on this challenge you have freed up a chunk of time. How will you spend your jellybeans?

I expect everyone to give this challenge a shot. No opting out…

Let me remind you, this is not an exercise in the demonizing of technology. This is an effort to rethink how we spend our time, to become “hyper-aware” of the content of our lives.

1. Siddhartha–Read  and annotate Kamala and Amongst the People.
2. Class Forum
3. Mandala Project due March 30th

(Due Monday, March 21st!) Research and take notes on The Mandala. Be sure to visit this link to get a sense of the process of making a mandala. This is the beginning step of the Mandala Project! 

Carl Jung and the mandala:

“I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. … I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point — namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation… I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate.” – C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections.

If we agree that the center of the mandala represents this center of the universe, thus the center of the self (the true self), then what would reside at the center of you…your true self. As seen in many of the examples, much, if not all, of the mandala is abstract expression. Certainly the center of the mandala should be abstract as it is a representation of your Self; yet, as you move beyond the center, closer to the edge, your visual may become more concrete as you are closer to your persona/ego, that which is tangible/material. So how will you represent your true self… We understand that the mandala is an expression of Self at the moment of its (the mandala’s) creation as the Self is always a work in progress.

How to Draw a Mandala

The Mandala will be worth 150 points and count as a project/essay grade. Keep in mind:

• Your base structure of your mandala should be a series of geometric shapes. The primary, and largest, shape must be a geometric shape.  Within there must be an arrangement of smaller geometric shapes.
• All geometric shapes must be PRECISE. The craftsmanship in general should be precise.
• The Mandala should use colors meaningfully. Meaning, you should be able to explain why you chose the colors you chose.
• All visuals beyond the base structure should be purposeful and powerful. Meaning, there should be a rationale for everything present in your Mandala and that rationale should be of great significance to you. Further, the images should be aesthetically pleasing in presentation.
• The Mandala should reflect great creative effort!
• The Mandala should reflect great overall effort!
• The Mandala should reflect you!

As for dimensions, there is flexibility here: if square 12-16 inches on each side; if circular, appx. 12-16 inches in diameter. Once again, there is flexibility here.  Review the following link to get another sense of the creation process. Note that the structure of the mandala should consist of precise geometric shapes.