My Findings As A Real Estate Agent

I recently visited a potential client's home, who has now become my client, and took this picture. I work as a Real Estate Agent here in New York City and have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great homeowners. This client I recently visited was interested in selling his property and I actually met him as he was setting his property up for Christmas. He lives in my neighborhood in Queens. I was passing by and I introduced myself and he was eager to show me the inside of his property because he thought it would be worth a good amount of money. He asked that I not post any pictures of the inside of his property itself but let's just say that it was a very well kept property.

I was amazed by the details along the ceilings and baseboards. I was taking a close look at all the details and then wanted to see out the window and since I had this blog post in mind was keeping an eye closely on every detail to see what I could use. As i drew the curtains there were large windows that looked out to a beautiful tree lined street but these were in the way of the view. It then came to me that this picture would become an important part of this project. I asked for his permission to come back later once it was dark outside take the picture. I came back and flipped them towards the inside to better see them and take a picture because it was hard to take a picture of them from the outside. After I explained why he understood the strange request. He said that he only really cared about the religious aspect.

He was really into the birth of Christ and how it came about and didn't see how it related with Santa Claus. He only put up the Santa Claus because his grandchildren liked to see the Santa head and it was the only way to keep some peace and then laughed. Pictured here are two Christmas decorations, side to side, that are Santa Claus' head and an angel. Two different things, a religious angel and a common version of what Christmas is. I am a practicing Catholic but have heard this debate go on for years. Religiously, Christmas is the birth of Christ but the other view has been this gift-giving by Santa Claus. When he said peace and I saw the angel, I recalled the title of the book by Joshua Liebman, Peace of Mind. This whole thing of gift-giving was something that maybe to Liebman wasn't really important.

As I can recall, Liebman was really into examining peace of mind because he saw no real gains in life to come from wealth, health, love, etc.. Peace of mind became his central search because only that could be a road to true happiness and success. We need peace of mind to be satisfied with what we have because if we don't, we just keep wanting bigger and better things. The owner said that Christmas wasn't about presents but about the relationships we have with one another and being together as a family, just how we see happens in the Nativity story with the Holy family.

This gift giving also, according to my family's customs, being Mexican, doesn't concur with Christmas. In Mexico, gift-giving isn't traditional. There, the people actually do recreations of the Nativity scenes called Posadas and singing Cánticos. Mexicans don't treat Christmas as a gift-giving time because this is the day Christ was born and see no relation with gifts. The gift-giving aspect doesn't come until January 6th which is Three Kings Day. This is a day where it's more sensible to give gifts because tit follows a tradition that the Three Kings established.

This also connected with the reading by Caroline Moxley-Rouse, Engaged Surrender. In this reading we see how the ambiguity in the Qu'ran was leaving many who read it to interpret in a variety of ways. Every person took a different view of it so that it would adapt to what they personally wanted. Just the same we see how Christmas has become almost a business. Stores are having sales for people to buy presents. I was raised in a Catholic Kindergarten and we were taught the meaning of Christmas but I think that society just ended up twisting that eventually to the point that Christmas is a time for children to draft their wish lists for presents which range anywhere from a new toy to the new iPhone to a car.

Christmas Angels at Rockefeller

The twelve wire-sculptured angels stand triumphant with brass trumpets in their hands in front of the famous tree at Rockefeller Center. The white angel sculptures, created by Valerie Clarebout in 1954, are adorned with sparkling white lights; it is truly a magnificent splendor that radiates the warm, uplifting energy of the Christmas holiday.

The sculpted angels, however, are not merely a wondrous sight. They stand proudly as a symbolic representation of the Christian religion that still holds dominance in America. The depiction of angels have their origins in Christianity and are religious symbols in many facets of the religion. Angels, in the Christian tradition, are considered the messengers of God. The Christmas angels at Rockefeller hold their trumpets to signify the glory in the arrival of Baby Jesus.

Upon arrival and observing the structures, I realized I couldn’t make much of the angels. I couldn’t derive their significance, besides the obvious fact of being a symbol of Christianity. Was that all there was to it?

I watched the crowds of people gravitate to the site of the angels, snapping photos, posing in front of them. I pondered the implications of the sculpted angels being home to one of the most popular tourist spots of New York City during the Holiday season. I wondered if the tourists and natives who visited the tree and saw the sparkling angels understood its essence. I began to think of what we make of our American society that molds the Christmas holiday into the consumerist culture, basking in the visual aesthetics of Christmas.

There are two perspectives; the first elaborates on the concept that the Christmas angels are objects of the secularization of the Christian religion and the Christmas tradition.  People crowd in front of display of angels, posing in front of them, taking and sending photos, solely for the beauty it holds. In attempts to gain different insights on the religious artifact, I found myself engaged in an intellectual conversation with a fellow colleague about the Christmas angels, in which she remarked something along the lines of how America has capitalized the religious symbols of Christmas and has fully immersed themselves in the consumerist mindset of making a business out of all Christmas things. I contemplated that rather pessimistic, bitter criticism of America’s take on Christmas and recalled the discussion of the sermon, “Religion and the Beautiful”, given by Henry Ward Beecher, a liberal Protestant and passionate minister of the mid-nineteenth century. Beecher provides us with an optimistic outlook on his era, negotiating an increasingly industrialized, consumerist society with religion. He encouraged all things beautiful, even the materialistic beautiful, because he believed that beautiful things on Earth was living proof of the existence of God and his undeniable presence in our lives. He bridged the gap between two contrasting cultures and found a way to harmonize them. Instead of rejecting social order and society, Beecher seeks out the good and celebrates it. I think this is a new and entirely different approach in the discussion of the consumerist society, especially in regard to Christmas. It would be wrong to lose sight of the significance of the twelve sculpted angels, blindly taking photos without recognizing the true essence of its placement there. In Beecher’s view, however, it would not be wrong to be there to admire and take in the visual aesthetics of the Christmas holiday. The brilliant, intricately crafted angels, hung with sparkling lights are pieces of God’s creation. The sight of the lavishly decorated tree and angels pointing their trumpets in the direction of the tree, creates the site that leaves the audiences wide-eyed and enchanted. For Beecher, to revel in the tangible, material things, should be encouraged, because it is not just the spiritual aspects of religion that is to be celebrated. The presence of Christ, in Beecher’s view, is ubiquitous. It stares at you in the face when you take a stroll around Rockefeller during Christmas time. In its twinkling lights and ornate structure and design, the presence of Christ is there, in the twelve angels, and that should be cherished and celebrated.

Graffiti and White Christianity

Originating in South Bronx during the early 1970s, the Hip-hop movement was embodied by four different artistic elements, Rap Music, Turntablism, B-boying, and Graffiti, all of which were used to highlight the social problems that seriously troubled the African American community.  Hip-hop culture quickly spread throughout the Bronx and was adopted by the many other sub-cultures outside of the Male African American community.  One sub-culture to quickly embrace Hip-Hop and most notably Graffiti were young Puerto Rican Males.  This is evidenced by the several famous Puerto rican graffiti artists to emerge out of the late 70s and 80s such as Cope2.  While Hip-Hop has spread around the globe, its roots are still firmly planted in the Bronx.  One prime example of this is the aforementioned Cope2 and his “Street Art” store “Tuff City” that is located right across from Fordham University’s Rose Hill Campus.  Cope2 has served as a mentor and inspiration for many young Graffiti artists across the Southwest Bronx area.  His and other graffiti artists influence can literally be seen on walls, street signs, overpasses, and even cars throughout the borough. 

Having lived in the Bronx for the last four years, I have been fortunate enough to have seen a fair amount of Graffiti across my neighborhood.  While not all of it is good, a large amount of it is very aesthetically pleasing and should be considered Art (in my opinion).  On my walk to the subway everyday, I always see one piece in particular that always piques my interest.  While not particularly aesthetically pleasing or well crafted, it draws my scrutiny over the sheer oddity of it.  The piece is a large spray painted image depicting Jesus Christ and the Sacred Heart.  For the first few years, every time I would wait for the subway I couldn’t help my mind from contemplating the nature of this particular piece.  Since there was no “tag”, as is common in the graffiti world, I wondered who painted it. Based on the fact its been there as long as I can remember, I wondered if the owner of the building had some attachment to the piece.  But mainly, I wondered why the hell was there a giant Jesus sticking out of an alleyway.  Like I said, it isn’t particularly well done nor did it seem to convey any specific point or meaning.  After a while I started to dismiss the graffiti as just a random depiction of Jesus.  It wasn’t until recently that I came across a new and more engaging question. 

Having very little formal religious schooling, I just dismissed the Sacred Heart as just some typical Christian imagery.  But after passing the piece recently with a friend who attended catholic school, I asked him if the piece meant anything to him. All he could tell me is that he recognized the Sacred Heart as a symbol of the Roman Catholic church.  Considering that it was in a neighborhood heavily populated by Puerto Rican’s and African Americans, I began to wonder about the skin color of Jesus.  This depiction of Jesus has a very distinct white-european look, which made me think about James Baldwin and his rejection of Christianity.  Baldwin rejected Christianity largely because of the way he believed it was shaped by whiteness which in turn vilified black people while instilling black self-contempt.  Considering that both African Americans and Puerto Ricans have a history of having Christianity imposed on them, I found it interesting that the piece depicted a white Jesus.  I wondered if this was evidence of Baldwin’s claims against Christianity.  The fact that the idea of a white Jesus has permeated into the minds of young African American and Puerto Rican Catholics could be evidence that Christianity bolsters and promotes symbols of whiteness.  If this is true it is easy to see how this could foster feelings of self-contempt among people of other ethnicities like Baldwin. 

Graffiti started as one way to provide a social commentary on the troubles plaguing the African American Community.  While I don’t believe this particular piece consciously begs any socio-political questions, I think there are some serious questions raised by the subconscious undertones. 

Guardian at the Pedestal of Christopher Columbus

One spring day, a Rose Hill sophomore jumped off the Ram Van at 60th and Columbus, turned to the guy who stepped off after him, and said, "Uhm, where's Columbus Circle?"

Oh, hon'.

But in his defense, any other visitor who didn't know of Columbus Circle as a New York landmark could walk around the circle, and never know unless they read the marker. Situated at 59th/Central Park South, 7th/Central Park West, and just touched by 60th, the statue isn't even on its namesake's avenue. Columbus' likeness sits 70 feet above street level, far from us pedestrians, looming and gazing towards the south of the island.

The face we do see at eye level is the angle guarding a globe, also facing south, right under Christopher’s gaze. At night, when the lights come up, they literally come “up” under the statue, so it is the angel who is illuminated more than the namesake.

Our winged friend brings to mind the angels from our texts and lectures - of the westward bound Manifest Destiny, the visions and intangible guiding forces felt by Jarena Lee, and the American virtues warning patriots of the coming immigrants.

In most narratives, angels are God’s servants, sent down from heaven to earth to carry a message or guide His people.

It is unfortunate, that the motif of angels can - and have - been commodified to serve selfish agendas.

We have heard of unexplainable circumstances being credited to angels - the Immaculate Conception, many of the prophecies across religions, even the family tale of how old grandpa Johnny survived falling down a well, because of his guardian angel.

But we don’t hear of angels guiding Columbus, leading the conquistadors to greatness in Central America, or protecting great generals in battle. We - the present day public who erect and maintain these statues and stories, leave angels out of the picture, crediting these men entirely for their (supposedly) own merits. Even in this statue that does feature an angel, he sits seventy feet below Columbus, practically seated on the ground with the pigeons and American Religious Texts students.

If a modern day paragon of service, of expanding the forefront of a field, were made today, we could easily see a push for Dorothy Day, Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis, or Malala Yousafzai. The former three would surely be enshrined within or under angels or saints - though, as we know from her autobiography and other quotations, Dorothy Day would shy away from being immortalized as such; no way should she be “dismissed so easily”.

The grounded angel under Columbus - is he part of the dismissal of Christopher’s acts? And what, if so, are we dismissing through this enshrinement? Is it dismissing Columbus’ feats and wins? Or are we dismissing the war, abuse of native peoples, and Old World imposition he brought to the Americas? Does our angel stay away, holding the globe in reminder of Columbus’ discovery, or is he guarding the globe from the past?

Exploring American Faith Outside Macy’s

Right on Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, there is an American religious artifact. The artifact is Macy’s, the department store. The store itself and its surrounding advertisements are full of phrases that embody a certain form of Christian thought reminiscent of Henry Ward Beecher’s “Religion and the Beautiful.” Along 5th Ave. near the store, there are advertisements that read: “Believe in the magic of giving” and in the store there was an ad that read:  “A warm spirit of giving.” Also, on the broadside of the store is a giant sign that reads: “Believe.” At first glance, this seems insignificant but upon further analysis it is evident that there is Christian rhetoric evident in the advertisements. Not only are the advertisements full of Christian rhetoric, the store itself is using a certain string of American Christianity to promote the purchasing of gifts and giving them for Christmas.

By using religious words such “spirit” and “believe”, Macy’s is aligning itself with the philosophy of Henry Ward Beecher, specifically in his “Religion and the Beautiful.” In this work, Beecher argues that in a growing American economy that supports a healthy middle class that: “It is the business of every person on the globe upon whom you exert an influence. It is the business not only of yourself, and of God, but of all who are in any wise affected by you, how you live, what your influence is and whether your heart breathes benevolence or breathes selfishness” (Beecher 215). He continues to say: “That it is a part of his [mankind’s] necessity to develop beauty, as it is a part of his [mankind’s] necessity to develop thought or emotion.” Beecher brings his argument into the realm of commercial goods by saying: “there is an essential unity in all forms of the beautiful. It will not do to object to art, to embellishments of dress and furniture, and yet to sat that in speech and in manners and in moral elements the the beautiful is right,” (Beecher 219, 220). In his arguments, one can see the underlying themes of associating beautiful items with closeness to God and God’s will. Not only is it one’s duty to influence others with their wealth, it is their duty to do so with beautiful items which share in the glory of God.

With this in mind, we can look at Macy’s campaign during the holiday season as a direct descendent of Beecher’s philosophy. Macy’s is using religious phrases and elements to make it seem as if buying things from their store is good. Buying items from their store and giving it to someone for Christmas is good because it is sharing wealth and giving someone something beautiful. I think if Beecher saw Macy’s and its slogans he would agree with their logic and would support their campaign.

Macy’s is particularly interesting because it is a department store that is portraying itself as being in tune with the nature of giving and believing associated with Christianity. It is quite literally a place that is marketing itself as somewhere that is selling some form of Christian goodness by being the source of gifts and beautiful objects to give to others on Christmas. Instead of religious ideas coming from a church or a religious texts, religious ideas are being communicated through advertisements and the way Macy’s is trying to portray itself.

This form of American religious consumption is seen and criticised in Jack Kerouac's “The Dharma Bums.” Japhy and Ray both see the work, consume, repeat cycle present in 1950’s American Life. Both of them disdain this sort of lifestyle. I believe that this lifestyle they opposed is still alive today and can be seen in Macy’s advertisements and the way that they are trying to portray their business.

Macy’s is a religious artifact of modern American Christianity,which is categorized by ambiguous overtones of religious ideals in the public and private spheres of life. I think it is a particularly American form of religious expression to tie together spending money and Christianity together.  

Pablo D. Durán

Professor Seitz
American Religious Texts

December 10, 2015

Religious Things in NYC - Analysis

Fordham University students who frequent the university library usually have their focus on their books or computer screens. On the occasion that students have the leisure to explore the endless resources that the library has to offer, students might notice that the library has interesting art mounted throughout the library. Some of the artwork is is authentic, including a philanthropic gift to the university of a de Kooning, and some are merely replicas. Because the Fordham University is a religious institution, it comes as no surprise that religious artwork is ubiquitous. One of the featured images  displays a The Descent from the Cross scene. The image appears to be composed of tempera on parchment paper. Tempera is commonly used because it is a highly permanent paint. Permanent material is appropriate when depicting the scene because Christ descends to his eternal existence. The painting displays Jesus Christ as he is brought down from the cross. In addition to Christ, the scene displays The Virgin Mary retrieving Christ, four men who collaboratively remove Christ’s body from the cross, and four women who mourn the corpse of Jesus Christ. All of the characters are depicted with halos which highlights their pious nature. The cross is positioned in the center of the painting and extends to the top, bottom, left, and right points of the image. The overall structure of the painting is symmetrical, but the symmetry is disrupted by the organization, positioning and gestures of the characters.

The painting accentuates the intended emotions with the use of color. The women are unobstructed and wear long, boldly colored garbs, and the men wear garbs that are less pronounced. The garments that are worn by the characters are dramatic and lively for the occasion. Normally, dark colors are used when depicting death and horror. However, the artist uses dramatic colors that vary from shades of green to shades of red. To acknowledge Christ as the prominent, central figure, Christ appears positioned in the middle of the scene with skin in the jaundiced tone.

To contrast the dramatic, lively colors that the non-central characters display, the artist uses simplified, unrealistic lighting for the background. The higher portion of the painting is quite dark and ominous, while the lower portion of the painting is displayed with broad daylight. The lighting in the background is not illusionistic of reality, but it evokes melancholia and somberness. The variation of the darkness in the background works with the organization of the painting, as it places characters into their corresponding spectrums. The Descent from the Cross places the crucifixion scene in foreground, where the saints stand in the daylight, and the area where Christ hung stands in front of the dark, empty sky .

The Descent from the Cross juxtaposes horror with hope, which is a theme that is displayed throughout the painting. In its organization and use of color and movement, the painting shows Christ descending into peace and hope. The top half of the painting consists of the empty space from which Christ once hung in suffering. Contrastly, the saint’s figures which occupy the bottom half of the painting are incarnations of the eternal peace and hope that Christ will now receive. Moreover, The Descent from the Cross use of color also contributes to the juxtaposing theme of horror and hope. The artist accentuates the emotions of The Descent from the Cross with the use of dramatic colors. The bright colors of the garbs inspire holiness, hope, peace, and emotions that are not typically associated with death. However, these colors of the garments are then contrasted with the deathly color of Jesus Christ’s corpse and the dull color of his garb, reminding the viewer of the importance of this sacrificial event.

Whether students visit the library on their spare time, or they are in the library and in need of a study break, students who have free time whilst in the library are encouraged to appreciate the many works of art that are displayed throughout facility. The collection of religious artwork is abundant; however, the collection is not limited to religious artwork.

The Virgin Mary at Gallow Green

While the weather was still nice, my friends and I decided to get brunch at a restaurant called Gallow Green. Gallow Green is located in Chelsea, on top of the McKittrick Hotel. I had been there before to see the immersive performance piece Sleep No More, the main attraction of the McKittrick Hotel, and my ticket to see the play allowed a friend and I to get post-show food at their rooftop restaurant. Sleep No More is an immersive experience in that every part of the performance space has objects to be touched, rooms to be explored, and stories to be experienced. The sense of mystery and discovery imparted by the show itself extends throughout the building where it takes place. The rooftop restaurant Gallow Green is designed to look like an outdoor space, and as such it has hidden artifacts amongst its foliage. It was in these little green grottoes that I found a small statue of the Virgin Mary, and I was reminded of the connection between religious objects, religious experiences, and nature.

The Virgin Mary tucked into the corner is small, but placed within its own little altar of an overturned crate and a small bunch of flowers. It is made out of worn stone, and looks as if it was weathered out of a larger rock by forces of nature. Its inclusion in the space added to the feeling that one had entered into a sort of clearing in a forest. She seemed a natural part of the landscape of the restaurant, and finding her felt like being included into a private moment.

I was reminded of her when we read Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums. In section 19 of the book, Kerouac’s protagonist Ray Smith, returns to his home in North Carolina to find his little section of nature to meditate in. Kerouac writes, “In [the forest], the previous spring, I’d worn out a little path going to meditate under a favorite baby pine… I always bowed there and clasped my hands and thanked Avalokitesvara for the privilege of the wood,” (Kerouac 134). Ray’s retreat into nature and seclusion in order to pray and meditate echoes the placement of the little Virgin Mary. Ray goes to a quiet space removed from others in order to meditate, and the Virgin Mary I found was set apart from the restaurant itself. Nature offers Ray a retreat from his friends and family and allows him to be introspective and appreciate the beauty around him. I took a moment to stand with the little statue and appreciate the beautiful green space around me. I found that, despite the contrived nature of the space, being in a space that attempts to replicate the beauty of the natural world was soothing, similar to way that actually being in nature can be soothing. It is that soothing aspect that Ray Smith searches for, and spends the entire book in pursuit of and it is only in nature that he is able to find it.

While the nature at Gallow Green is manufactured, it is telling that the creators of the environment included a religious figure to supplement their creation of an outdoor space. Nature is conducive to religious experience because of the way that it allows for a person to be apart from the rest of society. Ray Smith in The Dharma Bums retreats into nature in order to connect with the world on a spiritual level. His travels situate him amongst people and apart from them, and Gallow Green mimics that aspect by providing small corners throughout the restaurant. The quiet that can be offered by natural spaces (whether or not they are truly natural) is something that people desire, whether they are trying to escape from urban life or if they are trying to find peace with the world. The solace offered by nature is linked to the solace offered by religion and spirituality. The inclusion of the little Virgin Mary in the restaurant brings that solace to the space and Ray’s actions in The Dharma Bums echo that pursuit and attainment of solace.

Gallow Green

Gandhi: Through the Lens of Dharma Bums

In Union Square Park stands a bronze sculpture of Mohandas Gandhi. Its placement was precisely thought out, as the park is home to many, various protests. Gandhi is a symbol of freedom, of independence, of meditation and of nonviolent protest. He is seen standing, amid a garden, clenching a pole in his right hand, suggesting the notion that he is on a journey. One foot in front of the other, Gandhi appears both reflective and calm. The accompanying description reads “My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence… In a gentle way you can shake the world”. Gandhi’s quotation relates to the Dharma Bums, in that Ray Smith (and Jack Kerouac), attempt to “shake the world”, specifically America by subtly commenting on America and its looming police state, although not necessarily making a distinct effort to provoke any action. Ray’s agenda is quite different from Gandhi’s, and some may argue less crucial and more obscure. Ray wishes to enact and revert back to a time period where hobo’s, seekers, and other travellers are not perceived as threats, but rather as autonomous and self-reliant individuals, free to go about in the world as they please. Madeleine Leininger wrote, “Gandhi is remembered as saying that almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” (32) Gandhi’s statement relates to Ray Smith, in that although Ray did not necessarily change the ways of life of others, he did find for himself, a way to live his life and a philosophy of his own that would guide him in his future endeavors.

Through the lens of Dharma Bums, Ray can be imagined as standing where Gandhi stands, in the midst of nature. Although, obviously Ray is not as prominent and recognized, and a statue of him would not be placed in the middle of Union Square Park, the image of Gandhi reminds me of how I pictured Ray throughout the novel. Ray is consistently portrayed as a soul yearning for liberation and as being on a quest to seek that release. When he is travelling on the mountains with Japhy, I picture him peacefully moving upwards, stick in hand, contemplating the perplexities of life. Both exhibit simple ways of living; Gandhi in his dhoti, and Ray with his pack.

Gandhi is portrayed as being off the path, literally in this installation. There is a trail of rocks beside him implying that there are many paths one can take to achieve one’s goals. It seems as if both Gandhi’s and the actual trail both lead to the same destination, though. Ray Smith is also on a very different path than the society he is surrounded by; most people are not seekers, nor following the meditation tradition that he obeys so strictly. Also, even Japhy and him differ in the routes they choose within the same tradition – “We were two strange dissimilar monks on the same path.” (Kerouac, 176) Looking at it from the bigger picture, they are both on the same path towards enlightenment or Truth, (by adhering to Buddhism) but, they are taking different routes to get there. Ray practices “do-nothing”, while Japhy’s Buddhism is activity. The path that Gandhi is on and the path that is cut out near him, could represent the different paths that both Japhy and Ray are taking towards the Truth. Gandhi, also a believer in Buddhism, as for him, it was not a new and separate religion from Hinduism, is also portrayed on a different path because of the endless possibilities that Buddhism offers, and as mentioned in the description, because of the “infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence”. There is no one or right way to achieve enlightenment; the tracks are infinite.

Although Gandhi is better known for his contribution to India’s independence, he is also a representation of the power of meditation, drawing from his spiritual strength to liberate India. Ray also draws his strength from his spiritual life, but not towards such a goal as Gandhi had in mind, but rather for personal insight. He explores both Buddhism and Christianity and attempts to merge the two as non-competing forces and philosophies for his life. Imagining Ray in Gandhi’s statue position, the path where Gandhi is standing and the actual path made of rocks could be understood to characterize the paths of Buddhism and of Christianity, in which both ultimately lead to the same destination. Though they are separate, they could potentially become united farther down the road, which is what Ray struggles with throughout the Dharma Bums. The unification between Buddhism and Christianity is what Ray seeks for, while Gandhi sought to unify India and break from England.

Kerouac, Jack. The Dharma Bums. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Leininger, Madeleine M. Ethical and Moral Dimensions of Care. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 

          1990. Print.

The Catholic Worker

On a cool Saturday afternoon, I was walking along East 1st Street in Lower Manhattan’s East  Village.  The plan was to get my nails done and then walk to the corner of Kenmare and Mott Streets in Nolita to take pictures of a mural that someone had painted of intricate angel wings in hopes of writing about it as a religious artifact in New York City.  When I got there, the wings were replaced but luckily, I had already found my religious artifact.  

I got to the salon and immediately my eye was drawn to the bright blue door across the street.  Low and behold, I had stumbled upon the office of the Catholic Worker.  The outside of the Catholic Worker is unsuspecting.  You wouldn’t walk past and guess right away that the building with foggy windows and bricks covered in graffiti would be the center of a Catholic Worker Movement in New York City.  

It’s the site at which Dorothy Day, a woman now being considered for Sainthood, and Peter Maurin, whom Day personally considered to be of the utmost holiness, started on a journey to spread the messages of positivity and acceptance from the Catholic Church in 1933.  

The way that Day, Maurin, and their Catholic Workers reached people was by creating a newspaper filled with “protest[s of] injustice, war, racism, and violence of all forms,” (Catholic Worker).  At the end of the day, I don’t think that these messages of equality solely represent the Catholic faith.  Instead, I think that you can find this love in people of all religions and varying levels of spirituality.

In Dorothy Day’s autobiography, The Long Loneliness, she talks about the love of her life, Forster, and what he, a scientist, taught her about sacramentality: 

“If breath is life, then I was beginning to be full of it because of him.  I was filling my lungs with it, walking on the beach, resting on the pier beside him while he fished, rowing with him in the calm bay, walking through fields and woods—a new experience entirely for me, one which brought me to life, and filled me with joy,” (Day 136).  

The humble quality of the Catholic Worker speaks to the people and causes that it celebrates.  I think that the above passage represents the Catholic Worker lifestyle.  The goal is to live simply and within your means, giving to others all the while.  There is nothing explicitly exciting about Dorothy and Forster’s day at the pier, yet there’s a spiritual spirit in the air that she can’t resist.  It is a sensation that can be felt all throughout the city.

The neighborhood that surrounds this little brick building on the Lower East Side is filled with people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as varying levels of economic standing.  The building itself is a bit run down on the outside, as you can see by the graffiti and griminess in the windows; just like everyone trying to find their way in the city, it could use a little bit of help so perhaps we can do something for the Catholic Workers inside printing their newspapers to spread their faith to all of us in New York City and beyond.  

For more information about the Catholic Worker, please visit http://www.catholicworker.org/.  

Day, Dorothy. The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1952. 136. Print.

Beneath the Elm Tree

           

In 1966 a Hindu Sadhu (a religious and spiritual leader) began singing and preaching under a tree in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village of New York City. This Sadhu, Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in his preaching and singing underneath that elm tree began the movement of Hare Krishna in the United States. Thought of as a sect of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a religious movement founded in India, Hare Krishna has seven purposes that aim the devotee towards deeper spirituality, spreading their spiritual knowledge and living a simpler life.

Followers of Hare Krishna gathered in the park to chant their 16-word phrase, dance and play instruments. The elm tree under which such gatherings took place is now memorialized and worshiped by the devotees of the religion and is recognized by a plaque, installed by the New York City Parks and Recreation department. That this tree is in a public park, and not enclosed by fences as the other elm trees are in Tompkins Square Park, parallels the goals of gatherers in 1966. They wanted to spread the message of their religion with chanting and dancing and singing and preaching, and to attract followers, they would pass out pamphlets to passersby.

In attendance of the inaugural outdoor gathering was poet Allen Ginsberg, whose representative character in Jack Kerouac’s, The Dharma Bums, Alvah Goldbook, was described as someone not entirely onboard with Buddhism practiced by main characters Japhy and Ray (page 33). That Ginsberg attended the Hare Krishna outdoor session in 1966 shows the plurality and diversity through which religion can be attained and by whom. His character clearly had no affinity for the Buddhism that his friends practiced in The Dharma Bums, written eight years prior to the establishment of Hare Krishna in the United States, however, in diversity of religion, different people will be attracted to different kinds of religious practices.

Occupying a public space, this tree is symbolic of the notion that a variety of religion, or no religion at all, can be attainable to all. Of course not one religion will be applicable to all, but the application of various religions onto the lives of various individuals is important to respect and acknowledge. Not one religion is more important than another, and the application of such religion is not more important or more valid than the application of another.

The point that I am trying to make is the fact that this tree, which is worshipped by certain religious people, is in public, affirms that the religious experiences of others are valid and should not be confined by others who do not share in the same belief. We are granted the right to practice religion freely and in doing so, the accessibility to and of religion increases.