Download In what ways is Pi`s chosen name a reflection of his

IN WHAT WAYS IS PI’S CHOSEN
NAME A REFLECTION OF HIS
SPIRITUAL SELF?
DISCUSSION PROMPT
Read Pi’s presentation and definition of his name
aloud (pp. 22–23 beginning, “I got up
 from my desk…” and p. 24 beginning, “And so, in
that Greek letter…”).
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DISCUSSION QUESTION
o
What is pi? What do
you know about the
qualities of pi?
QUALITIES OF PI
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By definition, pi is the ratio of the circumference of a
circle to its diameter. Pi is always the same number,
no matter which circle you use to compute it.
Pi (rather than some other Greek letters like Alpha or
Omega) was chosen as the letter to represent the
number 3.141592... because the letter in Greek,
pronounced like our letter 'p', stands for 'perimeter'.
Pi is an infinite decimal. Unlike numbers such as 3,
9.876, and 4.5, which have finitely many nonzero
numbers to the right of the decimal place, pi has
infinitely many numbers to the right of the decimal
point.
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.pi.html
DISCUSSION PROMPT
o
How do these qualities of pi relate to spirituality
or religion?
SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
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Transcendent (adj.): 1 :
exceeding usual limits :
SURPASSING; 2 : extending or
lying beyond the
limits of ordinary experience; 3 :
in Kantian philosophy : being
beyond the limits of all possible
experience and knowledge; 4 :
being beyond comprehension
Universal (adj.): 1: present or
occurring everywhere; 2 : existent
or operative everywhere or
under all conditions <universal
cultural patterns>; 3 a :
embracing a major part or the
greatest
portion (as of mankind) <a
universal state> <universal
practices>
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
WORK PERIOD

Working with a partner, locate and briefly
examine the textual references that explain Pi’s
experience and understanding of Hinduism and
atheism.
Chapters 18, 19, 20
 Page 69
 Chapters 25 & 26

HINDUISM
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Unlike most other
religions, Hinduism has no
single founder, no single
scripture, and no
commonly agreed set of
teachings. Throughout its
extensive history, there
have been many key
figures teaching different
philosophies and writing
numerous holy books. For
these reasons, writers
often refer to Hinduism as
'a way of life' or 'a family of
religions' rather than a
single religion.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism
HINDUISM
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Although it is not easy to define Hinduism, we can say that it is rooted in
India, most Hindus revere a body of texts as sacred scripture known as the
Veda, and most Hindus draw on a common system of values known as dharma.
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Hinduism originated around the Indus Valley near the River Indus in modern
day Pakistan.
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About 80% of the Indian population regard themselves as Hindu.
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Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God, whose qualities and forms are
represented by the multitude of deities which emanate from him.
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Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed
by Karma.
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Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its
next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived.
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The main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their supplements (books based on
the Vedas). Veda is a Sanskrit word meaning 'knowledge'. These scriptures do
not mention the word 'Hindu' but many scriptures discuss dharma, which can
be rendered as 'code of conduct', 'law', or 'duty'
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Hindus celebrate many holy days, but the Festival of Lights, Diwali is the best
known.
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The 2001 census recorded 559,000 Hindus in Britain, around 1% of the
population.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism
CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is the
most popular religion
in the world with over
2 billion adherents. 42
million Britons see
themselves as
nominally Christian,
and there are 6
million who are
actively practising.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity
CHRISTIANITY
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Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old
Testament.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity
from the consequences of its sins.
One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus
giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead
on the third day (the Resurrection).
Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three
elements to this one God:
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God the Father
God the Son
The Holy Spirit
Christians worship in churches.
Their spiritual leaders are called priests or ministers.
The Christian holy book is the Bible, and consists of the Old and New
Testaments.
Christian holy days such as Easter and Christmas are important
milestones in the Western secular calendar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity
ISLAM
The word Islam
means 'submission to
the will of God'.
 Islam is the second
largest religion in the
world with over 1
billion followers. The
2001 census recorded
1,591,000 Muslims in
the UK, around 2.7%
of the population.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam
ISLAM
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Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in
Mecca, Arabia.
Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims believe that there is only One God.
The Arabic word for God is Allah.
According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to mankind to
teach them how to live according to His law.
Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets of God.
They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad.
Muslims believe that Islam has always existed, but for practical
purposes, date their religion from the time of the migration of
Muhammad.
Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Qur'an, and the
Sunnah.
Muslims believe the Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet
Muhammad and that there are five basic Pillars of Islam.
These pillars are the declaration of faith, praying five times a day,
giving money to charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca (at least
once).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam
ATHEISM
 Atheism
is the
absence of belief in
any Gods or
spiritual beings.
The word Atheism
comes from a,
meaning without,
and theism
meaning belief in
god or gods.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/athesim
ATHEISM
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Atheists don't use God to explain the existence of the universe.
Atheists say that human beings can devise suitable moral codes to live by without
the aid of Gods or scriptures.
Reasons for non-belief
People are atheist for many reasons, among them:
They find insufficient evidence to support any religion.
They think that religion is nonsensical.
They once had a religion and have lost faith in it.
They live in a non-religious culture.
Religion doesn't interest them.
Religion doesn't seem relevant to their lives.
Religions seem to have done a lot of harm in the world.
The world is such a bad place that there can't be a God.
Many atheists are also secularist, and are hostile to any special treatment given to
organised religion.
It is possible to be both atheist and religious. Virtually all Buddhists manage it, as
do some adherents of other religions, such as Judaism and Christianity.
Atheists and morality
Atheists are as moral (or immoral) as religious people.
In practical terms atheists often follow the same moral code as religious people, but
they arrive at the decision of what is good or bad without any help from the idea of
God.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism
SUMMARY DISCUSSION QUESTION
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We began class by discussing the symbolic value
of Pi’s name and its relation to spirituality. We
have located evidence in the text that clearly
supports the idea that Pi is seeking spiritual
knowledge by examining the religions of the
world. In religious studies, the term universalism
is used to define the belief that truth and spiritual
knowledge are available in many of the religious
traditions of the world. In what ways do Pi’s
religious beliefs seem to fit the ideas of
universalism? Provide textual evidence to support
your response
SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
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Transcendent (adj.): 1 :
exceeding usual limits :
SURPASSING; 2 : extending or
lying beyond the
limits of ordinary experience; 3 :
in Kantian philosophy : being
beyond the limits of all possible
experience and knowledge; 4 :
being beyond comprehension
Universal (adj.): 1: present or
occurring everywhere; 2 : existent
or operative everywhere or
under all conditions <universal
cultural patterns>; 3 a :
embracing a major part or the
greatest
portion (as of mankind) <a
universal state> <universal
practices>
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
THIS IS A SAMPLE OF A STUDENT’S WRITTEN
RESPONSE TO THE SUMMARY WRITING PROMPT.
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There is so much information packed into this book
that it is hard to keep track. In just a few pages, I
learned about three major world religions and listened
to an atheist describe how God does not exist. Mr.
Kumar’s message is dark and desperate, while
Pi’s is full of light and hope. Although Pi identifies
himself as a Hindu, he also claims to practice all of
the religions he encounters and experiences. This
seems to incorporate the Universalist message.
Additionally, when Pi is being questioned by his
father and the pandit he says, “Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All
religions are true.’ I just want to love God.”
This seems a Universalist way of thinking, gathering
knowledge from all religions.
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