Teachings of Buddhism

Teachings of Buddhism Buddhism is the second largest religion in Asia after Hinduism. Being also a philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, Buddhism is based on numerous teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, who lived between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. Buddhists recognize his enlightenment (‘bodhi) achieved by entering a deep state of meditation and during which Buddha has achieved a total and direct realization of the truth. Exactly Buddhas Enlightenment is the source of the majority of Buddhist teachings and practices and the proof that any human being (not a god) can directly perceive the true nature of reality through ones own efforts. It is the source of endless inspirations for every Buddhist and a sacred dream and aim of all Buddhas followers. The early texts provide somewhat different accounts of Buddhas biography. The major evidence suggests that Gautama was born on the periphery, taught by famous religious teachers of the day, and not finding the answer on how to permanently end suffering attempted an extreme asceticism, underwent prolonged fasting, breath-holding, and exposure to pain. Not finding any solution again, he chose the so-called Middle Way approach between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification meditation. At the age of 35, he has finally completed his spiritual quest under a sacred fig tree (later to be known as the Bodhi tree, or ‘tree of Enlightenment): During his intensive forty-nine-day meditation, Gautama has achieved the complete and unshakeable state of full enlightenment and so had become the Buddha (â€Å"One who is fully awake†). Some important factors around Buddhas achievement of enlightenment state were finding a suitable place for meditation (the Bodhi Tree), conq uering all distractions (the same as Jesus Christ, Buddha was being tempted by demons and evil forces), and, factually, attaining enlightenment. After this, Buddha gathered followers, instituted a monastic order, and spent the rest of his life travelling and teaching the path of awakening he discovered. Before discussing the teaching of Buddhism, it is important to fully understand what a state enlightenment is. Difficult to determine or properly describe, enlightenment refers to the state of having a direct insight into the nature of reality and into truth. Achieved through Buddhist meditation, enlightenment is a dynamic state of an innate wisdom with its basic nature allowing the mind staying quieted and focused and concentration strengthened. This means, it is far not about an intellectual knowledge, visions, or supernatural experiences, but about wisdom of another kind. Enlightenment releases from negative feelings and experiences like ignorance, worries, sorrow and unhappiness, and allows one enjoying pure being and seeing things as they actually are. It is ‘the hearts release or nirvana and can be achieved both in ones life and after death. All Buddhas followers practice to and strive for achieving the state of enlightenment. At that, the faith is considered the primary condition to enter the sea of Buddhas teachings. Buddhas enlightenment had happened in three stages allowing him to realize the ultimate truth of reality unfolded like a lotus. The first one is calm thinking and a state of removal from everyday consciousness and reality. The second stage is detachment from the chatter of mind and entering the state of exalted rapture. Finally, the third stage is reaching ever purer joy and the final level of consciousness. This last stage makes the mind absolutely peaceful and clear enabling its direct perception into reality. The enlightenment had happened also on three different levels: of a Buddha, of a bodhisattva (a â€Å"wisdom-being†), and of an ordinary person. Shunryu Suzuki in his Zen Mind, Beginners Mind defines enlightenment as â€Å"nothing special. You may say ‘universal nature or ‘Buddha nature or ‘enlightenment. You may call it by many names, but for the person who has it, it is nothing, and it is something.† And this characteristic of an ‘ordi nary mystery is maybe the most valuable about Buddhas enlightenment. Today, the entire Buddhist tradition exists in order to try and share Buddhas insight with others. The following principles, or primary/basic teachings, which are fixed in Tipitaka (the preliminary body of Buddhist teachings, analogous to the Old Testament in Christianity) and are shared by all schools of Buddhism, were revealed to Buddha during his enlightenment: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and the Precepts. These teachings explicate the Buddhist doctrines of suffering, the five aggregates of being, refusing the self, ethics, karma, rebirth, enlightenment and Nirvana. The most basic Buddhist teachings, the Four Noble Truths give start to the spiritual path of this religion and encompass all Buddhas knowledge. They present the knowledge and understanding of the self, of karma and rebirth, and of enlightenment and Nirvana. These four are: (1) there is suffering in life; (2) the causes of suffering can be known; (3) suffering can be brought to an end by removing its cause; (4) the Eightfold path is the way to end suffering. The Eightfold Path, logically, includes eight points to cure the suffering of life. These are: (1) right understanding, (2) right intention, (3) right speech, (4) right action, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right mindfulness, and (8) right concentration. Right understanding refers to the Four Truths about suffering, the fact about changing nature of everything, and the fact about illusive nature of the self. Right intention is about giving up everything wrong and undertaking only good things/deeds as well as abandoning and cultivating the corresponding thoughts along with the deeds. Right speech refers to telling only the truth, avoiding negative statements, impolite and abusive language, babbles and gossiping, etc. as well as practicing kindly, meaningful, harmonious and necessary speech exclusively. Right action includes morally right, peaceful and honorable conduct and avoidance of causing suffering. Right livelihood means living in a right way, without doing any har m to humans, animals and whatsoever, including making of weapons, etc. Right effort refers to fostering good and preventing evil as well as constant self-improvement. Right mindfulness is about wakefulness. It refers to intentional awareness development and fostering right attention. Right concentration is mainly about practicing Buddhist meditation. These eight truth points aim at cultivating wisdom, ethical behavior, and mental discipline. They also are the key way of resolving all possible questions about life, death and oneself and the live guidelines for every Buddhist. The Precepts can be paralleled to Ten Commandments of Christianity. There are five of them: (1) do not kill but practice love; (2) do not steal but practice giving; (3) do not indulge in sexual misconduct but practice contentment; (4) do not tell lies but practice truthfulness and open-mindedness; and (5) practice awareness and mental clarity. In addition, Buddhas enlightenment is about understanding the fact that religious (and any) beliefs should not be taken as such. Buddhist doctrine asserts that one should not believe in something because he/she has heard of it, because there are long-lasting traditions, because it is spoken or written somewhere (e.g. in Bible) or popular, because it is taught so, etc. On contrary, one should believe because he/she has found the reasons to believe and has decided to choose and fully accept this particular way of living. Mysterious and wonderful, philosophic and deep, Buddhas enlightenment can and should be compared to the perfect way of meditation popular at the East. No other religion suggest similar way of perceiving the truth and the reality as well as says it is available for every ordinary person who has faith and who is willing to strive for this perfect state of consciousness. Buddhas revelation and teachings which he has received during his enlightenment makes him special, but he is a more close person (not really God factually) to his followers than any other god in any other worlds religion. In contrast to all other religions, Buddhism enlightenment experience is to figure out, to realize, to understand, to attain wisdom, and not to get the ready doctrines from the Bible, Koran, etc. Buddhism calls to strive for at least partial enlightenment to meditate in order to have at least some enlightenment experience. This is the core of this religion; this makes it democratic and very close to e ach of its followers. Because it is not after enlightenment that the true meaning is attained it is during the enlightenment An ordinary example of a raining weather can help explain Buddhas teachings in simple words. Today it is raining this is Buddhas teaching because he is everywhere. Religion is absolute and independent of somebodys perspective or interpretation; religion is everywhere. Buddhism says there should not be any particular teaching. Instead, people should see teaching in every moment of life, in their very existence this is Buddhas major teaching; this is what he was enlightened about. His enlightenment is not only the source of Buddhist teachings it illustrates the absence of a personal God present in Christianity, Judaism and Islam and the philosophic nature of faith which asserts that God is present everywhere in the world and in the human soul and at the same time transcends the world and the nature.

Piercy?s Use Of Implied And Ex Essay example -- essays research papers

In this poem Marge Piercy’s speaker evokes a concrete vision of a woman who has lost her personal identity to her job. Her bold and descriptive use of metaphors allow the reader to envision a woman who is living her life vicariously through her career. Ms. Piercy successfully uses paradox, personification, and the pun to bring the character alive. With the use of metaphors, both implied and explicit, the reader can deeply empathize with the central character of this poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the first line of the poem the tone is set for the reader. It is not so vague as to use a simple simile, but a strong manifestation of the idea of the speaker as an actual personification of a material object. She does not say â€Å"My hips are like a desk†, she says â€Å"My hips are a desk† (line 1). Throughout the rest of the poem, personification of the woman as nothing more than a piece of office equipment is expressed with striking realism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first six lines of the poem the speaker describes herself in salient detail. Each of her body parts are placed with an obvious piece of office equipment. This allows the reader to form a solid picture of a woman sitting at her desk performing the daily drudgery of a secretary. She does not see herself as a real woman but a woman whose hair is†rubber bands† (3), whose†breasts are wells of mimeograph ink†, (5) and whose â€Å"feet bear casters† (6).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The secretary is so entren...

The Old Man and the Sea as an Allegory: Sharks

The Old Man and the Sea as an Allegory: Sharks The novel â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† was an allegory for Hemingway’s life, meaning the book was symbolic to Ernest’s journey and struggles. In this novel, the old man was faced with a dramatic life or death situation when he was getting chased by sharks while catching for the marlin. â€Å"The old man's head was clear and good now and he was full of resolution but he had little hope. It was too good to last, he thought. He took one look at the great fish as he watched the shark close in† (101).The â€Å"sharks† are planning to hurt him and Santiago just notices it. These sharks are symbolic to Ernest’s problems and demons as an author, as they were much like â€Å"sharks† in the fact that they caused him a lot of trouble and worry. A few of these â€Å"sharks† were his parents and his poorly received book â€Å"Across the River and Into the Trees. † For example, Hemingway ’s parents did not want him to become a writer. They wanted him to go to college and pursue a different path.His parents were like the â€Å"sharks† because just like how the sharks were trying to eat the old man, his parents were â€Å"eating† his plans and future. The critics of his were also â€Å"sharks. † Hemingway’s critics were not exactly the nicest to him about his book â€Å"Across the River and Into the Trees. † â€Å"However, O'Hara's was one of the few good reviews, with negative reviews appearing in more than 150 publications. Critics claimed the novel was too emotional, had inferior prose and a â€Å"static plot†, and that Cantwell was an â€Å"avatar† for Hemingway's character Nick Adams. (Wikipedia) Hemingway’s books are symbolic to his life, and for it to be criticized as too emotional, boring, and like a bad autobiography can be taken to heart. The critics were â€Å"sharks† because they had no mercy with Hemingway, they ate up prey (beat his book to the ground) and left nothing behind, which is cruel to his artistry and his pride. The above clearly shows that Hemingway had to deal with â€Å"sharks† as a writer, which were his parents and his critics.

How to Get a Job in HealthCare Administration

How to Get a Job in HealthCare Administration if you look around at industries that have weathered the recession with few losses in jobs and pay, the healthcare professions are at the forefront. and the best news is, not every job in health care requires advanced medical training or degrees. there are literally hundreds of opportunities in different aspects of the field, both clinical and otherwise. here are five strategies to get your foot in the door- a crucial first step toward getting your career off the ground.1. pay attentionparticularly when trying to break into a new and complicated industry, it’s crucial to do a good deal of research. what are the driving issues of the moment? who are the important companies and names to keep in mind? bone up until you can speak intelligently about the industry. then figure out who’s hiring, and start staking out networking opportunities.2. minglenetworking is going to be your best friend here. remember that the most important factor when changing careers is who you know ( not what you know). volunteer, get active in social media discussions, ask friends of friends to introduce you to their contacts. show your eagerness and willingness to the right people and eventually you’ll find your in.3. assess your skill setyou may think you’re starting at the bottom rung with nothing, but most likely you have a number of skills under your belt that are totally transferrable into your new health care career. experience in sales, it, marketing, client care, administration- all of these can be extremely valuable. when in doubt, find an entry-level non-clinical position that can get you through the door, then work your way further into the field from that position.4. be humbleyou may be a 5- or 10-year veteran in the workforce, but if you have 0 years medical experience, you might want to take a step back and consider taking a job that might otherwise be beneath your current stage in life. remember that an entry-level gig in your brand-new medical car eer might serve you 10 times better (and much faster) than any position in current field. do what’s right for you, but remember to maintain some perspective.5. ask for helpfinding a mentor can be just the thing to help you on your quest. once you get your first gig in a hospital or office, even if you’re barely just answering the phones, you can absolutely seek out an experienced veteran and ask them to help steer you in the right direction. you’ll never go wrong emphasizing your willingness to learn, to put in the hard work and effort, and your keenness to keep advancing in your field.interested? Â  apply here

The Effects of the Korea Division on South Korea after the Korean War

The Effects of the Korea Division on South Korea after the Korean War Introduction The division of Korea was an event, which stemmed from the 1945 World War II victory of the Allied nations. The victory marked the end of the 35 year long Japanese rule over Korea. The division, resulted from the declined proposal, for the United States and the Soviet Union, to transitorily occupy Korea, in the form of a trusteeship.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effects of the Korea Division on South Korea after the Korean War specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The trusteeship, was intended to bring about the establishment of a Korean provisional government, which would be liberated to independence, after gaining stability. In line with the proposal, elections had been scheduled, a move that the Soviet Union refused consenting to. The refusal by the Soviet Union, was mainly because the elections would be administered in a free and fair manner, across the two Korean divisions. As a result of the non-cooperation, a communist nation was formed, under the directive of the Soviet Union, at the Northern division. A pro-western state was also established at the South Division, through the backing of the two super powers. Also, the two super powers, backed the different leaderships of the different territories, which led to the effective establishment of the two states. However, the two states claimed superiority over the entire Korean region (Landsberg 71). Discussion The Korean War of 1950 to 1953, was a war between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, backed up by China and the Soviet Union; and the Republic of Korea, backed by the United States of America. The war was primarily, the result of the political separation of Korea, which was made through the agreement by the Allied Nations after the World War II (Cumings 607). The impacts of the Korean division on South Korea are many, and they include land border issues, maritime incidents, and air attacks by the North Korean authorities. Other impacts include the democratization of South Korea. After the division of South and North Korea; the political climate was a cause for the political evolution of Soul, after running from authoritarian rule to democratic governance. Through the democratization of Southern Korea, the South Korean economy was able to establish an increased number of relations with foreign countries. As a result, the southern territory was able to develop security and foreign issues, which greatly affected the democratization of the state and the ability to establish cross-strait relations. This in turn contributed to the development of the state in its different aspects. These include the trade relations between South Korea and Taiwan (Lee 124).Advertising Looking for research paper on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After the division, South Korea was forced into the domination of the territory b y foreign powers. The effects of this domination may be seen in the area of the victimization of the people of South Korea, especially the women living at the Cheju region. Long after the division, the women at Cheju have had to condone to sexual exploitation by foreigners, especially Japanese men. However, after a lengthy period of such victimization, the women at the Cheju region resolved to enter into prostitution business, a case that can be traced to the bereavement of a majority of them, after the 1988 attack on the group branded the Guerillas. The effect of their decision to move into sex tourism is evident up to date, and is a case which is known among church leaders and administrative authorities. For instance, during a 1988 International church seminar held at the YMCA, church affiliates were reported, as saying that there was a need to have more Japanese tourists visit the Cheju region, as they would bring money into the area. The same people are quoted as reporting that the income from the sex tourism business, increases the endowment of the church in the area of giving (Lee 124). The division of Korea, also resulted in the instability of the South Korean state, a situation that pushed them into becoming reliant on nuclear war strategies, drawn from the superpowers backing them. For instance, it was reported that during the 1990s, there were enough nuclear bombs in the South Korean territory, enough to vandalize the entire Korean Peninsula biologically. According to the reports, there were between 120 and 1200 nuclear bombs, owned by the Unites States, at the South Korean state. During the same period, there were also more than forty thousand U.S ground troops in South Korea. Further, the autonomy of the U.S in the area of using nuclear bombs at the South Korean region, shows that South Korea fell into foreign dominance soon after the division. This is the case, as it is illegal for America to start the use of nuclear weapons in Europe, except at t he South Korean region, where they carry on such activities without the permission of local authorities (Lee 124). South Korea also became a pollutant-dependent nation after the division, mainly because of the establishment of poisonous production plants. For instance, there was the incidence of a boy who had died, after working at a mercury-producing factory for a period of six months. The case shows that South Korea, fell into chemical exploitation after the division of the different states. Further exploitation can be traced in the challenges placed in the way of the agricultural sector in the South Korean region.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effects of the Korea Division on South Korea after the Korean War specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These include the strategy to keep South Korea under the rule of the U.S. During the 1990s, Korean farmers were under the threat of being faced out of the agric ultural production platform by the U.S. For instance, the U.S importation of beef products into South Korea, led to the loss of domesticated animals, like cows, and in other cases, the suicide of the indebted farmers. This was the case, as these farmers grew into debt, to the level that they could not keep their lands, thus becoming mere tenants. From the case, it is evident that foreign dominance was killing the Korean economy to its advantage (Oberdorfer 472). Other effects of the division of the two Koreas, include the land border attacks on South Korea by the North Korean forces. Some of these attacks include the April 1970 attempt, the November 1974, the recent 2006 attempts by the North Korean military, seeking to cross into South Korea, and the November 2010 attack on South Korean military training grounds. From these attacks, South Korea has had to remain on alert, ready for an attack from the North Korean forces, a case that led them into instituting readiness drills. These may be traced to the November 23, 2010 attack, which came after the Northern authorities had warned against planned military preparedness drills by South Korea. The drills were taking place at the Yeonpyong Island, where North Korean forces attacked. From the attack, there was an exchange of fire, which led to the death of 4 people and 15 others injured. This clearly shows the subjective treatment of South Korea by their North Korean counterparts, which has been the situation for South Korea, ever since the division. Other areas that South Korea has had to cultivate attack preparedness, include air operations and centers, especially after the 2003 attack by a North Korean jet fighter, which had entered the South Korean territory (Craig 75). Conclusion The division of Korea into the Northern and the Southern territories, took place after 1945 World War II victory of the Allied nations. The planned unification of Korea through a free and fair election failed, after the Soviet Union f ailed consenting to the proposal, a case that led to the creation of two autonomous states, backed by the Soviet Union and the United States. However, that was not the end, as the two states and the respective leaderships, were competing for autonomous control over the entire Korean Peninsula. As a result, the conflict culminated into the Koran war of 1950-1953. After the war, the two states were declared autonomous. However, North Korea continued its revolt against the autonomy of the Southern state, attacking it both from land, borders and air. The effects of the division of Korea on the South Korean state, include the range of attacks by the Korean forces, the democratization of the South Korean economy, and the domination of the territory by foreign nations, these including Japan and the United States.Advertising Looking for research paper on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other effects include reliance on nuclear war strategies, South Korea hosting a pollutant – dependent economy, and the exploitation of the South Korean economy by foreign nations. The forms of exploitation evident at South Korea, include sexual exploitation from Japanese men, and economic exploitation by the United States. Craig, Albert. The Heritage of World Civilizations, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers, 2012. Print. Cumings, Bruce.  The Origins of the Korean War: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes,  Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1981. Print. Landsberg, Martin. â€Å"Korea: Division, Reunification, U.S. Foreign Policy.† Monthly Review 7.9 (1998): 71–77. Print. Lee, Ki-baik.  A New History of Korea, Seoul: Ilchokak Publishers, 1984. Print. Oberdorfer, Don.  The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History,  Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1997. Print.

The evolution of us gaap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The evolution of us gaap - Essay Example However, high-tech companies, with the help of Congress, effectively stopped this move. Instead, the amount of expense for options recently granted was to be mentioned in a footnote. Then, FASB started developing a standard that would force companies to expense the fair value of stock options granted to executives and other employees. However, as Zeff points out, company CEOs were quick in opposing as it would affect their personal compensation packages. When it became clear that FASB would continue with its efforts, the companies sought the help of Congress. It was discussed in the House and the Senate where majority of the members opposed, evidently under pressure from companies. As FASB further proceeded in issuing a standard, the Senate passed a resolution stopping FASB from acting further in that regard. More issues were to come. FASB issued the directive on reporting the comprehensive income either through a separate statement of comprehensive income or an additional section in the income statement. The companies wanted to disclose it in the Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity. However, FEI pressured FASB to allow presenting it in a financial statement that few readers notice.

Metaphysics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Metaphysics - Term Paper Example According to metaphysicians, those features they share are called Universals. Widely, universals are often abstract while particulars are often concrete. However, this is not always the case as metaphysicians like D.M. Armstrong choose to also view universals not just as concrete, but in many lights that some other philosophers might not agree with. As far as universals and particulars are concerned, there are two main points of view that are competing for attention (Crane & Farkas 131). The first point of view is the theory which holds that the things in existence cannot be considered to be what they really are without the sum total of all their characteristic features. The implication of this position is that whatsoever an element is, it is as a result of the features that can be attributed to it. These features also pertain to space and time. This point of view is called the Bundle Theory (Inwagen & Zimmerman 62). The second point of view that is worthy of mention is the Substance-Attributes Theory. The Substance-Attributes Theory does not hold the opinion that the totality of a thing is the summation of all its properties, rather it opines that objects are ultimate, not their properties. Thus, there is the need to contrast between these things and the attributes they possess (Inwagen & Zimmerman 17). The position of D.M. Armstrong is not in tandem with the Bundle Theory. What Armstrong does is that he uses the basic arguments that support bundle theory as the premises on which he build his argument against. Armstrong’s first premise against the Bundle Theory is that a thing should be regarded as nothing without its bundle of properties, which of course includes the spatial and the temporary. He then goes on to posit that â€Å"if a thing occupies the same place at different times, then it has different properties and has to be a different thing.† (56). This implies that it does not change its properties as time changes. With this premise, he concludes