18. Quarter Three Exam

Answer THREE of the following ten essay questions in your own words.

Each answer must be comprehensive and demonstrate your understanding of the subject matter.

1. Develop an essay on the similarities between Sufism & Yoga. (100 to 10,000 characters)

2. The concept of varna can be difficult to understand in contemporary society. Discuss: The concept itself and its relationship to karma and self-awareness. How can this concept be applied to your life to assist in your spiritual search? (100 to 10,000 characters)

3. Discuss the concept of symbols as carriers of energy, having shakti (power). Use examples from your own learning and experience of how this works on the personal, cultural, and universal levels. (100 to 10,000 characters)

4. Drawing on all the material you have studied on symbols (including the material from previous quarters), develop an essay on the importance of symbols in the life of a swami. (100 to 10,000 characters)

5. Explain the mystical value of organizing your experiences by using a system of twelve. What can you learn from this practice? (100 to 10,000 characters)

6. Goswami Kriyananda discusses several of the principal Upanishads in this series of lessons. Choose one of the Upanishads that he did not discuss and write about one or more of the key themes expressed in it. (100 to 10,000 characters)

7. The Upanishads tell the same “story” from different perspectives. What is the key theme that gives the Upanishads their completeness and unity? In developing your answer, include examples from the Upanishads that you are studying this quarter, including citations or paraphrasing from the Upanishad. (100 to 10,000 characters)

8. Choose a key practice or a spiritual concept introduced by Pir Vilayat Inayat Kahn in Awakening. Develop an essay describing the practice or concept and why it is important to the spiritual life. (100 to 10,000 characters)

9. Briefly describe the four degrees of education in Vedic Knowledge that correspond to the four ashramas of brahminical culture.

Note: The 4 ashramas of brahminical culture are:
the brahmacari or student ashrama
the grhastha or householder ashrama
the vanaprastha or retired ashrama
the sannyasa or renounced ashrama (100 to 10,000 characters)