Tag Archives: Religion and Spirituality

Reflection for today…Critical Reading -Henry David Thoreau & Tupac Shakur

* Editor’s Note: Today {September 13th, 1996} marks the 23rd anniversary of Tupac’s tragic death at the age of 25.

Rest in Peace Tupac.

We will continue to celebrate your life and your legacy.

{Things are not the same without you…}

https://2paclegacy.net/today-marks-23-years-since-tupac-was-killed/

In this reflection, I wanted to explore the intellectual and poetic side of Tupac that is rarely discussed {the same happens with Jim Morrison the lead singer of The Doors}.

I hope to explore other artist’s reading lists in future reflections.

“Readers are plentiful;

thinkers are rare.”
–Henry David Thoreau

Tupac Shakur was always hungry for knowledge.

He was a voracious reader and student of life. His passion for learning and social justice advocacy was a part of his essence.

Tupac’s intellectual power came from a vast knowledge of eclectic topics. He loved to explore esoteric, the metaphysical and philosophical topics. This study became the foundation for his song lyrics and life philosophy.

His mother, Afeni Shakur, had already instilled in him a revolutionary education as she was a member of The Black Panthers. She passed on her wisdom and Tupac continued to polish the jewels.

Tupac was truly an autodidact {a self-taught person}. He would educate others through his song lyrics.

“Before his tragic death at age of 25, Tupac rapped about poverty, violence in the black community, police brutality, black empowerment, political strategy and spirituality.” https://www.blackfaves.com/story/11-books-tupac-shakurs-bookshelf-still-relevant-today/

In this short video, Tupac’s first manager Leila Steinberg discusses Tupac’s love of literature and critical thinking.

“Leila Steinberg is an artist and community organizer who began working with youth twenty years ago in the San Francisco Bay area. As the daughter of a criminal defence attorney, she grew up surrounded by the workings of the justice system and took a front row seat at the personal tragedies and socio-economic pressures that turn so many at-risk youths into hardened felons. Steinberg helps them connect with their hearts and turn anger and pain into creativity.
AIM promotes artistic expression as a way to handle problems as opposed to choosing violence, drugs or other forms of escape. As the program facilitator, Steinberg sees confronting pain as the best way to move past it. She believes self-awareness is a key to making better choices.
Steinberg is committed to helping people who fall through the cracks of society. In 1995 she began a series of specialized programs for youth within the juvenile justice system and those residing in residential treatment facilities. As hip-hop music became the expression of today’s youth, Steinberg began training artists to develop voices powerful enough to reach a generation. While conducting poetry workshops in Northern California, she met Tupac Shakur and he became a regular participant in her class. They shared a vision of developing a space where each artist in attendance is encouraged, inspired and motivated to address social change in their work. Tupac referred to Leila as the “bow” and himself as the “arrow.” –http://www.pinlight.com/leila.htm

This clip is from the movie Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel.

It is said to be a “documentary examining the politics, music and life of Tupac Shakur.”

This is the description from the Youtube video…

“This is a list of books read by Tupac during his lifetime including while he was at the Baltimore School of Arts and in prison. They are presented in no particular order. The topics include Black history, the afterlife, religion including Zen, war, women’s liberation, music, and poetry. Reading these books, it is clear how they moulded Tupac’s thinking and language. This is a handy list of good reading material if you ever find yourself locked up.”

One Hundred Years of Solitude
Written by: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

1984
Written by: George Orwell

Ah, This!
Written by: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

All God’s Children:
The Boskett Family and the American Tradition of Violence
Written by: Fox Butterfield

All You Need to Know About the Music Business
Written by: Donald Passman

And Still I Rise
Written by: Maya Angelou

Art of War
Written by: Sun Tzu

Assata: An Autobiography
Written by: Assata Shakur

At the Bottom of the River
Written by: Jamaica Kincaid

The Autobiography of Malcolm X
As told to: Alex Haley

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Written by: A.C. Bhaktive-danta Swami Prabhupada

Black Like Me
Written by: John Howard Griffin

Black Sister:
Poetry by Black American Women, 1746 to 1980
Edited by Earlene Stetson

Blues People
Written by: Amiri Baraka

Catcher in the Rye
Written by: J.D. Salinger

The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences
Written by: Walter B. Gibson and Litzka R. Gibson

The Confessions of Nat Turner
Written by: William Styron

The Destiny of the Nations
Written by: Alice A. Bailey

The Diary of Anais Nin
Edited and with a Preface by: Gunther Stuhlmann

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
Written by: E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil

The Grapes of Wrath
Written by: John Steinbeck

Great White Lie:
Slavery, Emancipation and Changing Racial Attitudes
Written by: Jack Gratus

The Harder We Run:
Black Workers Since the Civil War
Written by: William H. Harris

Here and Hereafter
Written by: Ruth Montgomery

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Written by: Maya Angelou

I Shall Not Be Moved
Written by: Maya Angelou

Imitation of Christ
Written by: Thomas a Kempis

In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens
Written by: Alice Walker

Initiation
Written by: Elisabeth Haich

Interesting People:
Black American History Makers
Written by: George L. Lee

James Baldwin: The Legacy
Edited by: Quincy Troupe

Kabbalah
Written by: Gersham Scholem

Life and Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by: Ira Peck

Life as Carola
Written by: Joan Grant

Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs
Written by: Linda Goodman

Makes Me Wanna Holler
Written by: Nathan McCall

The Meaning of Masonry
Written by: W.L. Wilmshurst

Moby Dick
Written by: Herman Melville

Monster:
The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member
Written by: Sanyika Shakur

Music of Black Americans: A History
Written by: Eileen Southern

Mysticism
Written by: Evelyn Underhill

Native Son
Written by: Richard Wright

Nature, Man and Woman
Written by: Alan W. Watts

No Man Is an Island
Written by: Thomas Merton

Nostradamus: The Millennium & Beyond
Written by: Peter Lorie

The Phenomenon of Man
Written by: Teilhard de Chardin

Ponder on This: A Compilation
From the Writings of: Alice A Bailey & the Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul

The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing
Written by: Mark Bricklin

The Prince
Written by: Niccolo Machiavelli

The Psychedelic Experience:
A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Written by: Timothy Leary, Ph.D., Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., Richard Alpert, Ph.D.

The Psychic Realm
Written by: Naomi A. Hintze and J. Gaither Pratt, Ph.D.

A Raisin in the Sun
Written by: Lorraine Hansberry

Roots
Written by: Alex Haley

Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools
Written by: Jonathan Kozol

Secret Splendor
Written by: Charles Essert

Serving Humanity
From the writings of: Alice A. Bailey

Sisterhood is Powerful:
Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement
Written by: Robin Morgan

The State of the World Atlas
Written by: Michael Kidron and Ronald Segal

Social Essays
Written by: LeRoi Jones

The Souls of Black Folk
Written by: W.E. Burghardt DuBois

Teachings of the Buddha
Written by: Jack Kornfield

Telepathy
Written by: Alice A Bailey

The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Written by: W.Y. Evans-Wentz

Thoughts and Meditations
Written by: Kahlil Gibran

Tropic of Cancer
Written by: Henry Miller

The Visionary Poetics of Allen Ginsberg
Written by: Paul Portuges

Wisdom of Insecurity
Written by: A.N. Watts

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Written by: Robert M. Pirsig

Copied from: https://www.thuglifearmy.com/index.php/tupac-reading-library.html

{Goodreads also has an alternate list of books that Tupac read}.

For more information…

Henry David Thoreau…http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau_life.html

Tupac Shakur…http://2pac.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000637/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23942.Books_Read_by_Tupac_Shakur_

Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel Movie…http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314806/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Peace & Poetic Love…

-V.

Tags: Ability to Think Critically, Advocate, Afeni Shakur, Autodidact, Book, Books, Creative Reading, Critical Reader, Critical Reading, Critical Thinker, Critical Thinking, Eclectic, Education, Enlighten, Enlightening, Enlightens, Esoteric, Henry David Thoreau, Hip Hop, Hip Hop Artist, Hip hop music, Hip Hop Musician, Intellect, Intellectual, Intelligence, Intelligent, Knowledge, Learn, Learning, Legacy, Literature, Metaphysical, Metaphysics, Music, Music Therapy, Musician, Old School Hip Hop Artist, Old School Hip Hop., Passion, Passionate, Philosophical, Philosophy, Poet, Poetic, Rap Music, Rap., Rapper, Read, Reading, Reading List, Religion and Spirituality, Revolution, Revolutionary, Self Taught, Social Commentary., Social Inequality, Social Justice, Social Justice Advocacy, Spiritual, Spirituality, The Black Panthers, Thoreau, Tupac, Tupac Shakur

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Categories Critical Thinking, Literature..., Music Therapy..., Revolution..., Wisdom

Reflection for today…Invite Peace -Buddha

16 May

“The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful.”

-Buddha

Buddha’s Universal Love, Compassion, Peace & Wisdom…

Tags: Activism and Peace Work, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist Teaching, Buddhist Teachings, Buddhist Wisdom, Dharma, Gautama Buddha, Morcheeba, Music, Music Therapy, Peace, Peaceful, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Tranquil, Tranquility, Trip Hop, Wisdom

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Categories Freedom, Healing..., Health is Wealth..., Purpose..., Revolution..., Wisdom

Reflection for today…Faith In One’s Spiritual Path -Paulo Coelho

11 Apr

“In order to have faith in his own path,

he does not need to prove that someone else’s path is wrong.”
―Paulo Coelho

Warrior of the Light

Stic Man Praying…

Buddhism is an inclusive spiritual path…

Please enjoy “No Way As The Way” by Dead Prez…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEXB0WsFVKg

I love how inclusive “no way as the way” is.

“…My mind is a Buddhist temple.

The truth is simple.

I try to be principled.

Walking with a warrior’s spirit.

Aint’ nothing like learning from first hand life experience.

I’m a realist.

That’s all I deal with.

Respecting truth, that’s all I build with.

A child of the universe.

My religion is life and it’s just as valid.

I strive for balance…”

For more information…

Paulo Coelho…http://paulocoelhoblog.com/

Dead Prez….http://deadprezblog.wordpress.com/

Their new album “Information Age” is available for purchase now…

{Thank you Stic Man & M-1!}

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/information-age/id565661367

http://www.amazon.com/Information-Age/dp/B009I5LNMW

Peace & Namaste…

Tags: Balance, Buddha, Buddhism, Dead Prez, Faith, Hip Hop, Hip hop music, Inclusive, Information Age, Learn, Learning, Life, Music, Music Therapy, Open Mind, Paulo Coelho, Pray, Praying, Realist, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Religious, Respect, Spiritual, Spiritual Path, Spirituality, The Universe, Tolerance, Tolerate, Truth, Universe, Warrior, Warrior of The Light, Warrior of the Light: A Manual, Warrior's Spirit

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Categories Critical Thinking, Freedom, Music Therapy..., Purpose..., Revolution..., Wisdom

Reflection for today…Use Buddhist Teachings As A Catalyst -Dalai Lama

28 Jan

“Don’t try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist;
use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.“
–His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Butterflies: A Symbol of Metamorphosis
Photo Courtesy of: http://till-we-droop.tumblr.com/

I love how inclusive Buddhism is.

Every life is precious.

Everyone has buddha nature.

Everyone has the potential to reach enlightenment.

I know Buddhism is a religion but I see it as a way of life.

Peace & Namaste…

The Best Guide to Buddhism (I’ve found) (tinygrenade.com)
Reflection for today…Time is of The Essence -Buddha (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)

Tags: 14th Dalai Lama, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Buddhism, Buddhist Teachings, Buddhist Wisdom, Catalyst, Dalai Lama, Dharma, Enlighten, Enlightenment, Metamorphosis, Potential, Religion and Spirituality, Spiritual Growth, Spirituality, Tibetan Buddhism, Transformation

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Categories Critical Thinking, Freedom, Purpose..., Revolution..., Wisdom

Reflection for today…Awakening Compassion -Pema Chödrön

9 Jan

“Learning how to be kind to ourselves is important.

When we look into our own hearts and begin to discover what is confused and what is brilliant, what is bitter and what is sweet, it isn’t just ourselves that we’re discovering.

We’re discovering the universe.

When we discover the buddha that we are, we realize that everything and everyone is Buddha.

We discover that everything is awake, and everyone is awake.

Everything and everyone is precious and whole and good. When we regard thoughts and emotions with humor and openness, that’s how we perceive the universe.”

–Pema Chödrön

Peace & Namaste…

A Modern Interpretation of Buddha Nature (aumparasamgate.wordpress.com)
Dissolving Our Self-Importance (shambhala.com)

Tags: Awake, Bitter, Brilliant, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Buddhism, Buddhist Teachings, Buddhist Wisdom, Compassion, Compassion for Self, Compassionate, Compassionate Heart, Confused, Confusion, Discover, Discovery, Emotions, Gautama Buddha, Heart, Hearts, Humor, Kindness, Learn, Learning, Open, Openness, Pema Chödrön, Perceive, Perception, Religion and Spirituality, Self-Compassion, Self-Discovery, Spiritual, Spiritual Awakening, Spiritual Path, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Sweet, The Universe, Thoughts, Wisdom

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Categories Freedom, Healing..., Love..., Purpose..., Revolution..., Wisdom

Reflection for today…The Manifesto of Encouragement -Danielle LaPorte

20 Oct

The Manifesto of Encouragement

“Right now:

There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.

Someone you haven’t met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.

Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.

Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God’s children.

A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, “nourish them.”

Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you.

Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie.

Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you — for free.

Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.

The next great song is being rehearsed.

Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.

Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.

Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they’ll be thriving like never before. They just can’t see it from where they’re at.

Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want — and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it’s reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all “So worth the wait.“

Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche — this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.

Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.

Someone is fighting the fight so that you don’t have to.

Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.

Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.

You. Me. Some. One. Now.”

–Danielle LaPorte

Copied & Pasted from: http://www.daniellelaporte.com/inspiration-spirituality-articles/the-manifesto-of-encouragement/

“Danielle LaPorte is the creator of WhiteHotTruth.com, which has been called the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality.”

Please visit her website for some inspiration and wisdom…She is so brilliant. I just “discovered” her and will most likely be doing more blog posts about her and her writing.

If you want more inspiration and wisdom from Danielle, please go to her website: http://www.daniellelaporte.com/ to sign up for her newsletters.
You can choose to receive via email a “daily truthbomb”, a “somewhat weekly” newsletter and a “monthly digest” newsletter.
I am signed up for all of them and highly recommend them.

Her book The Fire Starter Sessions is at the top of my reading list.

Danielle has generously provided the first chapter of her book for free on her website. You can read it on Scribd or download it in pdf format. Please click on this link: The Fire Starter Sessions Chapter One.

Peace & Namaste Friends…