Galileo Galilei Essays (1288 words) - Galileo Affair,

Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Galileo Galilei was born near Pisa, Italy, on February 15, 1564 (Drake). Galileo was the first child of Vincezio Galiei, a merchant and a musician (Jaki 289). In 1574, Galileo's family moved from Pisa to Florence, where Galileo started his formal education (Jaki 289). Seven years latter, in 1581, Galileo entered the University of Pisa as a medical student (Drake). In 1583, home on vacation from medical school, Galileo began to study mathematics and physical sciences (Jaki 289). A Family friend and professor at the Academy of Design, Ostilio Ricci, worked on translating some of Archimedes, which Galileo read and became interested in. This is where Galileo got his deep interest in Archimedes (Jaki 289). When returning to medical school, medical school became less appealing to Galileo, and his deep interests in Archimedes and mathematics drew him in, Galileo left without a degree in 1584 (Drake). Starting his studies, in 1585, in Aristotelian physics and cosmology, Galileo had to leave the University of Pisa before he got his degree, because of financial problems (Jaki 289). Going back to Florence, Galileo spent three unsuccessful years looking for a teaching position (Jaki 289). During this time Galileo was increasing his understanding of physics and mathematics. Also during this hard time Galileo wrote two discourses one about principles of balancing and the other about center of gravity of different solid objects (Jaki 289). These writings were circulated in manuscript form only, but they made Galileo well known in the scientific community. Galileo became renowned in 1588, when he gave a lecture at the Florentine Academy on the topography of Dante's Inferno, where he showed his extensive knowledge on mathematics and geometry (Jaki 289). In 1589, Galileo's rising reputation as a mathematician and natural philosopher (physicist), earned him a teaching spot at the University of Pisa (Jaki 289). Galileo spent three years at the University of Pisa. This move changed his concepts of physics in two ways. The first way was when he was at the university he was exposed to the writings of Fiovanni Battista Benedetti, which got his ideas from 14th century scientist Jean Buridan and Nicole Oresme at the University of Paris (Jaki 289). These writing made him break away from Aristotelian physics and start his own route through physical theories. The second part was when Galileo started teaching he argued and hated the fact that teachers had to wear academic robes while teaching. He would accept wearing ordinary clothes, but he rather that it would be the best to be naked (Jaki 289). In 1591, Galileo's father died and he had the burden to take care of his mother, brothers, and sisters (Jaki 289). Looking for a better position to support his family, Galileo found one in the University of Padua, part of the Venetian Republic (Jaki 289). There according to him he spent the happiest eighteen-years of his life (Jaki 289). ?He often visited Venice and made many influential friend, among them Giovanfrancesco Sagredo, whom he later immortalized in the Dialogue as the representative of judiciousness and good sense? (Jaki 289). In 1604, Galileo publicly declared that he was a believer of the famous astronomer Copernicus (Jaki 290). ?In three public lectures given in Venice, before an overflow audience, he argued that the new star which appeared earlier that year was major evidence in support of the doctrine of Copernicus. (Actually the new star merely proved that there was something seriously wrong with the Aristotelian doctrine of the heavens)? (Jaki 290). ?More important was the letter Galileo wrote that year to Father Paolo Sarpi, in which he stated that ?the distance covered in natural motion are proportional to the squares of time intervals, and there fore, the distances covered in equal time are as the odd numbers beginning from one? (Jaki 290). What he proposed was the law of free fall, later written as s = ? (gt2), where s is the distance, t is time, and g is the acceleration due to gravity at sea level (Jaki 290). In 1606, he published a small booklet, The Operations of the Geometrical and Military Compass (Jaki 290). He defended that he move to University of Padua and said it was because of personal

Terrain essays

Terrain essays Advantageous terrain was perhaps the most important factor in the Civil War battles. There are an incredible amount of factors involved in winning a battle which all revolve around the terrain and the position of the units in that terrain. Terrain can effect such things as troop morale, ease of command and strategic placement, profitable early views of the enemy troops, and of course methods of shielding. It has been proven many times throughout history that terrain can be the winning factor in a battle, even in cases where the winner was extremely outnumbered. One of the best utilizations of advantageous terrain, displayed especially during the Civil War, was having the high ground. The high ground enabled the soldiers to dig in and fortify a position with great efficiency. This came in handy especially if the soldiers on high ground were defending, but it also helped immensely when attacking. When defending, a soldier could easily set himself behind a tree or obstacle of some sort and act as a sniper. Longstreet explains it very well in The Killer Angels. He explains, Just put one man behind a tree. You can hardly see him from two hundred yards away, but he can see you. And shoot. And shoot again. How many men do you think it will take to get to that man behind a tree, in a ditch, defended by a cannon, if you have to cross an open field to get him? (Shaara 142) This defensive tactic would of course be best utilized when defending and having the beneficial terrain. Longstreet goes on to explain that it would probably take at l east three men to get to him and the man in the ditch would kill at least two. This method makes perfect sense but amazingly it was not a popular method of battle at the time (and especially prior to that time). He begins to mention that if the soldiers were instead attacking uphill, they were much more apt to lose. This is exactly what happened in the Little Roun...

Is Evolution True Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Is Evolution True - Essay Example Individuals who have better survival characteristics will have greater chance of reproducing and pass on those characteristics to the off springs (Shubin, 2009). Comparative anatomy is the evidence that two different species of animals share similar anatomical similarities such as similar bone structures. For example, whales and hummingbirds have tetrapod skeletons that are inherited from a common ancestor. However, their bodies have changed and parts have been lost through natural selection. Another example that clearly demonstrates this is the similarities between crocodiles and alligators (Coyne, 2010). Comparative embryology is another concept supporting the theory of natural selection. All vertebrate embryos follow a similar developmental path because of their common ancestry. These embryos have a similar basic body plan due to the similar set of genes they exhibit. For example, the embryos of humans, fish, birds and rabbits look very similar during the early stages. In addition, they all have gill slits and two-chambered heart (Shubin, 2009). In conclusion, evolution by natural selection can still be exhibited in day to day life. For example, nowadays bacteria and viruses are constantly becoming resistant to antibiotics that would work effectively previously. Also, if two people get into a fight, the strongest is likely to win or whereby the strongest and fastest sperm cell usually fertilizes the ovum in

Final exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final exam questions - Essay Example It will also help in delivering the right products to the right market. Demographics Segmenting a market for baby-ware can be challenging because the consumer is not the actual decision maker. In considering the demographics of such a market, it is essential to understand that the demographics of the parents will be necessary. In this case, the age and gender of the parents of the children who are the target market will be necessary to be considered. This will help in creating marketing campaigns which are directed towards specific groups of people (Wedel & Kamakura, 2000). Psychographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation is also important. This refers to the behaviour of the customers and the way in which these customers are likely to behave in relations to the product (Webster, 1995). Some customers are likely to be willing to pay a little more if the quality of the product is raised higher. Others are likely to buy more often while others may be more exposed to the fashion ap peal of the product. In developing a product for parents who want to buy fashionable clothing for their children, it will be necessary for the organisation to consider having fashionable products. Segmentation by occasions There are various occasions and seasons which may require various kinds of clothing for the occasions. For example, selling Christmas clothing may only be necessary during the Christmas season. Halloween attire may again need to be sold during the Halloween season. Question 2 Every product has to go through four main stages as follows; Introduction Introduction stage of a product is the time when the product has just been innovated and being introduced to the market. For an ice cream product at this stage, it would be necessary to have intensive market in order to make sure that as many consumers have managed to know the existence of the product. Active marketing such as advertising in the main media outlets will also help a lot in giving the product popularity (W ebster, 1995). Growth The growth stage is crucial because not only does it show that the product is improving, but also because the product at this time has started to make money, thus making it possible to retain it. At this stage, the important thing is to increase the visibility of the product in order to have access to a wider market. Maturity At this time, the product is always at its best and it making a lot of money. However, the product mow has faces two main risks. The first risk comes from the fact that this product has no more room for growth because the product has reached its peak. The second risk is the risk of imitation from new market entrants. At this point, the best thing would be to look for ways to re-innovate the product. Decline The last stage of a product is the decline stage and at this stage the product is dying out. At this stage, the product cannot be redeemed, and it is important to utilize it as a platform to introduce its successor (Ranchhod & Gurau, 20 07). Although the product is declining, it is still enjoying the fact that it is well known in the market. The best thing is to look at ways in which this product can be use to help the new product developed during stage three into the market. Question 3 In marketing, maintaining and strengthening customer relationship is always important. BMW has been one auto manufacturers who have managed to use modern marketing

The Epic of Gilgamesh (trans. Maureen Gallery Kovacs) Essay

The Epic of Gilgamesh (trans. Maureen Gallery Kovacs) - Essay Example King Gilgamesh is supposed to have lived around 2700 B.C. After the death of Gilgamesh stories of his great deeds were propagated through oral transmission. Though short episodes of these stories were written later, the first complete version of the epic was written in Akkadian, the extinct Semitic language of the Southern Mesopotamia. Later so many versions of the epic appeared in written form. The translation by Maureen Gallery Kovacs is from the â€Å"Standard† Akkadian â€Å"Edition.†. Originally written in 12 clay tablets in Cuneiform script, the translator chooses to eliminate tablet twelve, for the simple reason that it appears to be more a sequel to the first eleven tablets. Why it is an Epic? : Epic poems are long poems that celebrate the deeds of heroes of legendary Stature. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk was two third God and one third human. â€Å"Gilgamesh is strong to perfection, son of august cow Rimat Ninsun; Gilgamesh is awesome to perfection.† (Epi c of Gilgamesh, Tablet 1; 35-36). The stories of legendary epic heroes happen long long ago, there by taking the listener/reader to a world of super reality and strange enchantment. Both the time and the space of the epics are, far too removed from our day today realities. The Epic of Gilgamesh is no different. ... xamples for these epic poetic patterns are Homer’s Odyssey, and Saint Valmiki’s Indian epic poem, Ramayana written in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The second and third books of Ramayana deals with the going of King Rama into exile into the forest where he confronts the demon king Ravana who steals away the king’s wife Sita and he had to fight to get back his wife. Odyssey, as the very title of the epic indicates is the return journey of the King Odysseus ten years after the Trojan War which it self lasted for ten years. The Epic of Gilgamesh has two journeys – One from the forest and wild life into the civilization and the other a reverse journey from the evils of civilization to the wisdom of the wilderness. Both journeys are hazardous, full of challenges -- physical as well as from the forces of nature. Odysseus and Gilgamesh: Comparison between Odysseus and Gilgamesh, both heroes of ancient literature, is very interesting in that their appro aches to the challenges are different. Gilgamesh, one third God and the rest human used to be sadistic to his people. He oppressed the newly married women during their wedding nights. He challenged young men with games and tests of strength or exhausted them with forced labor. Unable to bear with these the people of the kingdom cry out to the Gods in the haven above, to rescue them from the sadistic attitudes and actions of their own king. The Gods responding to the plea of the people decide to create an equal to Gilgamesh so that he will get distracted from his sadistic attitudes and activities. This alter ego of Gilgamesh is Enkidu. He is a primitive man who has a very hairy body and is inhabited with animals in the forest. The first journey in â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† is the journey of Enkidu from the

Without Her by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Without Her by Dante Gabriel Rossetti ‘Without Her’ Dante Gabriel Rossetti Formed in 1848, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood consisted of a group of young artists who wished to throw off the conventions of the art establishment and found a new movement that took its inspiration from the more ‘primitive‘ art of the medieval and early Renaissance period. Dante Gabriel Rossetti was one of the founding members of the group and acted as an energising force to the other artists. Rossetti himself, though, was never exclusively devoted to painting. Dividing his time between painting and poetry, he was in part responsible for the group’s use of literary subjects and symbols in their work as well as for the printing of the group‘s short-lived literary journal, The Germ. A significant number of his poems were written to supplement painted subjects and his philosophical ideas about painting were also argued in his poems. Following the death of his wife, Elizabeth Siddal, many of his poems were preoccupied with love and death. It is believed that h is marital infidelities, together with his experience of falling in love with the wife of his friend, William Morris, led to feelings of guilt and remorse and influenced the pessimistic tone of his later poems (Wilmer, 1991, 7-21). Walter Pater (1889, 230) comments upon the ‘definiteness of sensible imagery’ and the ‘minute and definite’ attention to visual detail in Rossetti’s work and it is certainly the case that the symbolism of ‘Without Her’ is grounded in particular physical objects which are described with a painterly eye and with the typical Pre-Raphaelite attention to the detail of nature. Yet Rossetti is also concerned with the sound and rhythms of poetry. He translated Italian verse into English and his sonnet sequence, The House of Life, shows that influence, particularly in his use of Petrarch‘s model of the sonnet cycle. The sonnet ‘Without Her’ is written in the Petrarchan form, its fourteen lines of iambic pentameter arranged as an octet followed by a sestet. The rhyme scheme, abbaabba cddccd also follows this convention. However, within this framework, Rossetti frequently subverts the form, especially in irregular patterns of rhyt hm and stress, in order to convey the pressure of emotion. This irregularity of rhythm is present in the opening line, which breaks in the middle and then runs on to the second line. Rossetti rejects the normal iambic rhythm, beginning the line with the stressed word ‘What’ and ending with two stressed words ‘blank grey’. The second line has a similar pattern, varied in the middle, but again beginning with a stressed word, ‘There’ and ending with the double stress of ‘moon’s face’. To add greater emphasis, he makes use of alliteration in the hard g of ‘glass’ and ‘grey’ in the fist line and the assonance of ‘pool’ and ‘moon’, ‘there’ and ‘where‘ in the second. Straddling these two lines, the alliteration of ‘blank‘ and ‘blind‘ also echoes the consonant ‘l’ from ‘glass’ and ‘pool‘. The diction of these lines is deceptively simple, made up as it is of single-syllable words. However, these images work in a symbolic way, repeating images such as the mirror, the pool and the moon that have occurred elsewhere in The House of Life (for example, in XLI, ’Through Death to Love’ and in the ’Willowwood’ sequence, XLIX-LII). His lost lover is linked with the moon a conventional symbol of femininity and the mirror that had previously reflected her presence is now empty. In the second pair of lines, Rossetti continues this pattern of irregular stresses. Just as the despair of the first lines is emphasised by the double stress of ‘blank grey’, so the third line contains the phrase ‘tossed empty space’. The ‘s’ sound in ‘dress’ in taken up by ‘tossed’, ‘space’, ‘whence’ and ‘passed’ and the absence of the moon is reiterated. In the second quatrain, Rossetti subverts the expectation that he will create pairs of lines that break in the middle of the first and run on to the end of the second; instead, three consecutive lines are broken in the middle and run on to the next. Only the final line of this quatrain is a completed. In this greater metric irregularity, Rossetti shows a greater emotional agitation, especially in the exclamation ’Tears, ah me!’, followed by the triple stress of ’love’s good grace’, with its alliterative ‘g’ sounds adding weight to the feeling. Again, he uses alliteration for emphasis, especially when referring to the bed from which she is absent as ‘her pillowed place’, which picks up the ‘p’ sound from ‘paths’ and ‘appointed’ in the previous line. Whilst the octet uses four concrete instances from the outward physical world to represent the absence of the beloved, the sestet turns inward to the heart of the poet. With the question ’What of the heart without her?’, the poem becomes self-reflexive in its tone and these six lines also begin to have a more regular metrical rhythm. The overriding image is of the ’wayfarer’ who is ’weary’ and ’labouring’. The emptiness of his existence is thus emphasised by a more settled rhythm, which represents the dull despair of a lonely journey through life. Particularly effective are the final four lines, in which the diction is dominated by words such as ’barren’, ’chill’, ’steep’, ’weary’, ’darkness’ and ’labouring’. The repetition of the pair of words ’the long’ in the penultimate line shows that the poet regards his life as a series of te dious repetitions without his love. Furthermore, this repetition is taken up in the final line with the alliterative phrase ’doubled darkness’, where the cloud and the wood become oppressive to the poet, feeling as he does that his life consists of ’labouring’ up a steep hill. Throughout the sonnet, the phrase ’without her’ has recurred six times and so the final images of ’doubled darkness’ takes up this sense that the poet feels grief as a kind of constant repetition of emptiness and darkness which is reflected in the repetitions that he sees in the natural world around him. In the use of such visual imagery, Rossetti has thus written a sonnet where his painterly eye complements his poet’s ear to create a fusion of the two art forms to which he devoted his life. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary sources Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1928. The House of Life: A Sonnet-Sequence, Paul Franklin Baum, ed., Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, ‘Without Her’ (with textual notes) accessed at http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/26-1871.raw.html Secondary Sources Pater, Walter, 1889. ‘Dante Gabriel Rossetti’, in Appreciations, with an Essay on Style, accessed at  http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/pr99.p32.rad.html Wilmer, Clive, 1991 ‘Introduction’, in Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, Selected Poems and Translations, Manchester: Carcanet.

Stanley Yelnat in Louis Sachar’s Holes :: Holes Essays

In Louis Sachar’s Holes, Stanley changes his perspective of life through fear, courage, and perseverance. Louis Sachar began Holes as a basic concept of the area which would later be called Camp Green Lake (Sachar). The story puts us into the streets of Stanley’s neighborhood and immediately into the action. We meet the young Stanley Yelnats, who is about to embark on an unexpected journey that takes him through the extremely painful and unforgettable Camp Green Lake where he is forced to fight for survival against the unbearable heat and all of the dangers lurking in the sandy pit of a camp. Stanley is a typical everyday kid that finds himself in the wrong place and the wrong time. Although he is a good kid that never seems to bother anyone, his family has an alleged history of being cursed. It ran in his family for centuries and it was only a matter of time before it caught up to him. After taking a pair of used sneakers that had been thrown down from a nearby overpass, Stanley finds himself sitting in a prison camp bus seat with nothing more than a toothbrush, toothpaste, and some writing utensils waiting on the unknown. He can’t get much passed the guards on the bus despite his good behavior, they only ignore him or bash at him to be quiet. The bus ride is long and painfully boring as they travel further and further into the desert heat. Eventually the bus slows down and the patrolling guard tells Yelnats that this is his stop. Stanley steps right from the bus onto the grounds of what used to be a camp for young adults called Camp Green Lake. Now it is a fiery oasis filed with holes. The biggest mystery behind Camp Green was why that the once wonderful lake and campgrounds were nothing more than sand and rocks in a desert now (Sutton). Stanley is then introduced to the camp warden, a mean and vicious woman with no sympathy for any human that walks the gro unds of the camp. Stanley is walked around the camp to his new living quarters where he meets Zero. They soon become best friends and Stanley finds himself at peace with the camp. It doesn’t take long for the warden to ruin that, however, as she walks in and takes Stanley to see what must be done for the duration of the time he is at the camp.

Impact of Computers in Todays Society

Computer, as the term is most commonly used, refers to the digital computer, an electronic device that makes lengthy or complicated calculations at high speeds and (except for certain small models) is also able to make decisions based on logic. A less common type of computer is the analog computer. A digital computer forms the core of a data processing system. Data processing is, basically, the organization of information into a useful form by such processes as comparing, selecting, and arranging. A very simple example of data processing is alphabetizing a list of names. Electronic data processing, or EDP, is data processing performed by a computer. Computers vary greatly in the speed at which they can perform calculations and in their ability to handle complicated tasks. Computers also vary greatly in size—from arrays of equipment occupying a large room to a slice of silicon smaller than a postage stamp. In general, small computers are referred to as microcomputers; large computers, as mainframes; and computers of intermediate size, as minicomputers. General-purpose microcomputers are commonly called personal computers. The computer ranks as one of the major technological developments of the 20th century. Beginning about 1950, it took the computer less than two decades to revolutionize the methods of business, industry, and government; to greatly advance work in the sciences; and to find wide application in such diverse fields as accounting, education, medicine, and publishing. Today, the computer industry—which includes the manufacturing of computers, the designing and marketing of computer programs, and the providing of computer-related services—is among the most important in the world. History Early forerunners of the computer were the abacus, developed in the ancient times in the Far East, and an adding machine invented in 1641 by Blaise Pascal of France. The principle of the punched card was developed about 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard, also of France. His cards were used to control the pattern produced in textiles by a loom. All of the basic principles of the modern digital computer—input and output devices, storage and arithmetic units, and the sequencing of instructions—were conceived in the 1820’s and 1830’s by Charles Babbage, an English mathematician. He completed a small computer, called a difference engine, in 1822. It consisted primarily of gears and levers and was similar to a modern mechanical desk calculator. Impact and use of computers A computer is a high-speed mathematician, file clerk, and a typist. It can perform many thousands of times more rapidly than human without error. Its many uses grow out of these characteristics. Computers are used in business to do many routine and time-consuming jobs, such as handling billing, payrolls, and inventory. Computers can be used in making forecasts of future sales figures or economic conditions. In many organizations, computers are used as word processors, simplifying the production of reports, letters, and other documents. Some organizations routinely transmit memos and other messages by means of computer linkups, a form of communication known as electronic mail. Reporters, salespeople, and other workers can produce their written work on portable computers and then transmit the work to an office via telephone lines. In the school, computers are used in many classrooms to assist teachers in instructing students. Computers are used in a variety of ways, from supplying simple drills to providing complex simulations of such processes as conducting a scientific experiments or managing a large company. In such sciences as physics, chemistry, and psychology, computers are used to monitor experiments and organize the results so that they can be interpreted more easily. In astronomy, computers perform the complicated alculations necessary for determining the orbits and relative positions of various heavenly bodies. In engineering, computers are used to help produce and evaluate the design of new products. Another use of computers is to control industrial processes. This form of control, a type of automation, has been applied to such processes as machining, oil refining, and the manufacture of chemicals. Another industrial use is to control robots used in assembly operations. Computers are essential for a variety of functions performed by government agencies. For example, computers are used by the National Weather Services for analyzing large amounts of weather data to make weather forecasts; by the Federal Aviation Administration for operating the complex equipment needed to direct air traffic; by the Internal Revenue Service for handling tax records; by the Census Bureau for compiling statistical data on the country’s population; and by the military for communication, defense, and weapons systems. In the home, computers are used for a number of purposes. A popular used of home computers is for playing video games. They are also used to gain access by telephone hook-up to networks providing a variety of information and communication services. In some homes, computers are used for word processing and for maintaining household records. It is also known to surf the web and collect various information off of the internet. Many people work off of a computer for a living. A computer can perform a virtually unlimited number of calculations, one after another, without further action on the part of the person using it. It is this ability that sets a computer apart from an ordinary calculating machine, which requires control by a human operator for each calculation. Although the computer itself deals only with numbers, it can work with information that was not originally in numerical form if that information lends itself to mathematical and logical analysis. It does so by first converting the information into numbers; it then performs calculations with the numbers and converts the result into a usable form. Although computer does not think, it does make decisions. Each decision is based on a logical pattern previously stored—by a human being—in the computer. It makes a decision by following instructions such as â€Å"If the number you are reading is 10 or less, proceed to the next step. If it is greater than 10, skip the next step. † In making decisions, the computer uses the same processes as those described in the article LOGIC.

Buddhism In Countries

Buddhism is one of the most followed religions in the world. It ushered in Northeastern India in the late 500 B. C. as a monastic movement against the orthodox caste oriented Indian society. The world wide range of followers alters from 150 to 350 millions. Siddhartha Gautama founded this religion. Being a prince he lead a life of ample luxury and comfort. But no sooner did he realize the emptiness of his life; he renounced his pompous and pampered lifestyle and opted to embark on a journey to the ultimate destination to seek truth, enlightenment, and cycle of rebirths.Glenn Wallis cites a light philosophical insight on the teachings and idioms of Buddhism. A selected assimilation of 16 essential discourses extracted from more than 5000 Pali suttas of Buddhism. Wallis provides an illuminating insight analyzing in details the text containing Mahasattipatthana Sutta, Anapanasati Sutta, Sakunagghi Sutta, Culamalukya Sutta, Tevijja Sutta, Sabba Sutta, Kesamutti Sutta, Phenapindupama Sutt a, Anattalakkhana Sutta, Bhara Sutta, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Gotama Sutta, Parayana Sutta, Nibbuta Sutta, Sankhatalakkhana Sutta, and Asankhatalakkhana Sutta.This compilation is a useful text and a valuable source book citing the selected fundamental suttas elaborately versed with an eloquent introduction and fairly understandable notes. Glenn’s accessible translation of the Buddha’s doctrines to his followers had given an opportunity to the twenty-first century readers in the modern west to take lessons of life from the great teacher. The enlightened Buddha is a figure vastly acclaimed throughout Asia since millenniums for his great wisdom that enlightened mass illuminating the path to a meaningful life of satisfaction.Today, in the west his teachings are intensely adapted by adherents, psychologists, philosophers and physicists who find his doctrines on human situation lucidly descriptive and his recommended practice of meditation to be implemented in awakening to a situation with transparency and calm temperament. Buddha, the mythical figure is not an answer to a suffering seeker of relief; the optimum answer lays in the preached teachings of Siddhartha Gautama- an ordinary person who rose to be a great spiritual teacher. Buddhism emerged in crisis.Siddhartha Gautama, the royal youth one day started finding the worldly pleasures useless and threatening. His life started walking towards a destination to find a significant answer to the perturbed life of human race. On his path towards enlightenment he claims to have discovered a noticeable aspect which was capable of dealing with Life’s problems. The Pali cannon contain two classical sutras which supports this discovery. The sutras are – â€Å"Quenched† and â€Å"Destination†. Glenn summarized sixteen suttas from the five thousand Pali dialects.The two most popular discourses of Pali Cannon from the Theravada Buddhism are the Satipatthana Sutta and the Mahasatt ipatthana sutta. This sutta is accepted and provides a potential practice to â€Å"mindfulness†. Buddha defines this Sutta in four parts for establishing mindfulness (Sattipatthana): body, sensations (or feelings), mind (or consciousness) and mental contents: Kaya (body): ? Breathing ? Postures (Walking, Standing, Sitting, Lying Down) ? Clarity of understanding ? Thoughtful approach towards repulsiveness of the Body ? Thoughtfulness over Material Elements ? Cemetery meditationsFeelings (sensations): †¢ Satisfactory or unsatisfactory or feelings of neutrality. †¢ Materialistic or spiritual feelings Chitta (Mind/Consciousness) ? Passionate desire(saragam) or non passionate (vitaragam) ? Hatred or aversion(sadosam) or without hatred (vitadosam) ? False self belief (samoham) or not delusive (vitamoham) ? Contracted (sankhittam) or dispersed (vikkhittam) ? Nobility (mahaggatam) or without nobility (amahaggatam) ? Outstanding (sa-uttaram) or unsurpassed (anuttaram) ? disc reet (samahitam) or indiscreet (asamahitam) ? released (vimuttam) or unreleased (avimuttam)(Dhamma) Mental Contents ? The five obstructions ? The Aggregates (skandha) of clinging (upadana). ? The Sense-Bases (Atayana) and their Fetters. ? The seven factors of Enlightenment. ? The four noble Truths. The Anapanasati Sutta (Breath – mindfulness) illustrates the detailed instructions of the Buddha on the practice of using breadth (anapana) as a focus of mindfulness (sati) meditation. The discourse leads to a sixteen step procedure to develop mental concentration. The destination is to forge to be insightful and understandable regarding the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipahana), the Seven Factors of Awakening (Bojjhangas), and finally Nibbana. The Anapanasati Sutta is an acclaimed text in Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Pali Cannon represents this as the 118th discourse in the Majjhima Nikaya. Buddha defines mindfulness of the breath to be developed and repeatedly practiced t o receive fruitful benefits in life leading to clarity of vision and deliverance. The path to be traced to reach this destination follows: †¢ Excelling in Breath mindfulness (Pali: anapanasati) aids to the perfection of the four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthana).†¢ The perfection of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhanga) is the result of developing The Four Foundations of Mindfulness. †¢ Development in The Seven Foundations of Enlightenment aids to clarity vision and deliverance. According to Jataka, the Sakunagghi sutta relates a story which goes on like this: The Bodhisattva once reincarnated as a quail and was snatched one day by a falcon. Its then that the quail lamented on not being in the feeding ground of his own people, he felt his suffering was due to his diversion from his fellow beings.The proud falcon let the Quail go saying that he is capable of seizing him from any situation or place. The quail grabbed the opportunity and fled back and pe rched on an immense lump of earth and challenged the Falcon. The falcon took an attempt to swoop down to get hold of the quail, but dashed to pieces against the clod as the Quail efficiently took a sharp turn over. Sakunagghi Sutta is the name given in the Uddana of the Samayutta. It is the introductory Jataka of the Sutta. A monk must be attached spiritually to his own pasture ground, his own possession, his native beat (pettikavisaya) – e.g. the four Satipattanas. Lust is the result of getting incited through passion fraught of objects, sounds etc. Jataka was related through the preaching of the Sakunovada Sutta. Culamalukya Sutta was delivered at Savatthi to the Bhikkhu Malukya. One afternoon the vulnerable Bhikkhu Malukya interrupted Buddha’s meditation to clarify his queries regarding the popular classical questions: How eternal is the universe, how similar is the soul and the body, is soul and body are different from one another, whether life ends after death or it still exists and so on.The blessed one, Buddha patiently replied and explained that these views do not regulate the practice of holy life. No matter what notion one creates its evident that there will be birth, ageing, decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and distress. Buddha made it clear that he teaches only about Dukkha- its cause, cessation and the way leading to its cessation. He assured Malukya to show the path of ultimate realization of truth. Tevijja Sutta is compiled as the thirteenth Sutta of the Digha Nikaya. This doctrine was preached to Vasettha and Bharadvaja when they visited the blessed one at Manasakata.The Buddha through detailed conversation educates them about the futility of the long procured notion that merely attaining knowledge of the three Vedas can be a leading channel to reunite with Brahma. Such union can be attained only by practicing the four Brahma-Viharas. When Buddha was on a tour through the kingdom of Kosala, two Brahmin youths had the privilege to meet him. They requested Buddha to settle their dispute as to how they could attain the path leading to companionship with the eternal Brahma. Each of them cultivated their own notion to be true, as shown by their own master.Buddha explained that none of their masters had happened to see Brahma, so they are blindfolded to precede the ever traced path of the unknown. He further helped them derive the true path that actually led to the Brahma realm, i. e. the path that kindled morality and concentration, and development of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity for all sentient beings. According to the Sabbasava Sutta the blessed one put forward his message for the monks saying, fermentation ends when one knows and sees, but it is not relevant to one who does not know and does not see.This knowledge and sight is related to appropriate attention and inappropriate attention. A monk’s inappropriate attention arise unaccomplished fermentation, and arisen fermentation increases. But appropriate attention doesn’t leave space for unaccomplished fermentation to arise and abandon the arisen fermentation. This sutta proposes a process of eradication of few taints: strong desire tamed for acquiring sensual pleasure, desire for being and ignorance. These taints are eventually nurtured along with incorrect attentiveness causing defilements.Such defilement can be regulated through the seven method path of optimistic attribute: Observing or Seeing, Restraining, Using, Enduring, Avoiding, Removing and Developing. So says the Blessed one, â€Å"When you know for yourselves, ‘These things are wholesome; these things are blameless; these things are praised by the wise; these things, if undertaken and practiced, lead to welfare and happiness,’ then you should engage in them†. – Buddha Kesamutti Sutta is a well known discourse to the Kalamas is often related as the Buddha’s charter for Freedom of enqu iry.It can be found in the Book of threes in the gradual Sayings. Kesamutta was a business town of the Kalamas. This being an important part of the entire discourse, begins with Kalamas desirous to clarify how relevant are the doctrines that they have been hearing from various teachers. They wanted to know the truth as every teacher appreciates their own opinions and disparages the view point of others. Buddha clears their views by asking them to experiment every teaching and then imply them in their own life.But that doesn’t mean one should defy all teachings and prove to be a cynical materialist. This attitude would rather soar up unnecessary self esteem and reverse their urge to investigate any further. To conclude it states how an admirable disciple abides to defy covetousness, ill-will, and confusion, with an expanded morality nurturing love, kindness, compassion, sympathy, joy, and equanimity. This enriches his bliss and gears his happiness till eternity. To sum up, he is self assured and content.The Phenapindupama Sutta speaks about Rupa which is frothy in nature due to its instability, impermanency, and constantly rising and diminishing attribute. Hence it is not self, rather unrealistic. Vedana is truly comparable to an air bubble which is always unsustainable. Our life values various sensations similar to bubbles, vanishing in no time, impermanent, untrustworthy, the nature of Anicca, dukhha and anatta. Perception of sense apprehends whatever it visualizes, hears, smells, tastes, touches or knows are nothing but a mirage.Consideration of samana as a being, the gender difference is but a mere illusion like a mirage. Practically it is merely a phenomenon of incessant emerging and diminishing. Sankara, volitional activities, are similar to plantain trunks. Layers of fibrous materials constitute to form the plantain trunk without any substantial, solid inner core. Shankara is just like the plantain trunk without any inner substance. Consciousness has similarity with conjuror’s trick. It emerges and vanishes within no time. Consciousness arises devoid of ones desire, but as per condition of its own cause and circumstances.The Anattalakkhana Sutta (Pali, â€Å"not- self Characteristic Discourse†), also popular as the Pancavaggiya Sutta (Pali, â€Å"Group of Five Ascetics†), is considered to be the second discourse delivered by the Blessed Buddha. In this discourse Buddha dealt with the physical and mental human constituents and surfaces that they both are impermanent. (anicca), subject to suffering ( dukkha) and thus unfit for identification with the ‘self’ the soul (atta). The pali canon contains Anattalakkhana Sutta in the Samuyatta Nikaya (â€Å"Connected Collection†).This discourse happens to be a part of the Buddhist monastic code (Vinaya). The Bhara sutta can be illustrated as; human body being one of the Khandhas bears a heavy burden. Desire to serve it persists on carrying the h eavy burden. We are carrying the burden even when we feed or clothe ourselves. We are just mere servants to the wholesome matter (rupakkhandha). Along with the food and clothing we are responsible of maintaining the physical and psychological stability and scatter happiness. This service is towards the aggregate of feelings and sentiments ( vedanakkhandha).We are also liable to cater to the bodies hearing and visual needs and the wellness. Consciousness deals these concerns. Hence we are ultimately a servant to the aggregate of consciousness (vinnanakkhandha). The violation of activities (sankharakkhandha) and our temperament to do the unlawful to satisfy our desires also constitute to our burden. We also tend to bear the burden of aggregate perception (sannakkhandha) as this sense of human beings which train their faculties of mind and brain to retain knowledge and make it capable of realizing what is good and what is evil.Our desires on being good if satisfied finds tempted toward s evil and after committing a mistake we repent and unknowingly the burden adds on. Hence, Buddha declared the five aggregates of clinging (Upadanakkhandha) as a heavy burden. Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is the first discourse that he delivered soon after attaining Enlightenment. He illustrated this Sutta to the group of five monks who accompanied him while practicing austerities in the forest for long years. This discourse contains significant teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.Hearing to this discourse, his disciple monk Kondanna attained the first stage of Enlightenment, hence giving rise to Ariya Sangha (Noble Sangha). This discourse is better known as the Dhammachakka Sutta or the Wheel of Dhamma discourse. The Gotama Sutta is an elaborate description that Buddha delivers to his disciples, reveals the path he traversed to attain the ultimate Enlightenment. He had some thoughts disturbing him throughout and he wanted an apparent release from death de cay and suffering that human race had been tolerating since long.Through Paryana Sutta Buddha teaches Goal, the ultimate destination and the path to be followed to attain it. It was so called because it leads to Nibbana (Nibbanasankhatam Param Ayanto Parayana Ti Laddhavoharam Dhammam). Nibbuta Sutta derives from human character of leading life noticeably beyond limit and quenching the desires he had nurtured whole life. It is the extraction of all the sacrifices a person does to achieve the ultimate goal. Nibbuta is the coolness which is derived by quenching of defilement, either by himself or by someone else.As this thirst is quenched only coolness persists. Sankhatalakkhana Sutta demonstrates how a person fabricates his wishes in life on not having achieved naturally. How he makes amends to illuminate his life and forget the failures. Where as Asankhatalakkana sutta displays a satisfactory life contended with whatever is provided naturally and does not keep his soul in disguise bu t demonstrate the true atma. Buddhism, a philosophical religion encompasses a variety of traditions beliefs and practices mainly based on the doctrines and preaching of Lord Buddha (the awakened one).The Blessed one resided in North eastern Indian subcontinent between the 6th and the 4th century B. C. he is considered to be an awakened teacher who shared his insight with his disciples to aid sentient beings end suffering (Dukkha) and achieve Nirvana. The religion is divided into two branches, The Theravada and The Mahayana. Both branches are found throughout the world. It is considered to be the world’s fourth largest religion with near about 500 million followers. In spite of being a royal character Siddhartha Gautama left behind the worldly pleasures to find a path that leads to an end to human sufferings.He attained his Enlightenment demolishing the fetters of his mind, under a Boddhi tree in Boddh Gaya, India. Through his doctrines (popularly known as Suttas) preached the reality of life through his Eight fold Paths and The Four Noble Paths. Buddha was an epitome of spirituality. Glenn Wallis had highlighted a descriptive insight of the sixteen Suttas which are always relevant to aid human life and inspire them to strive to end suffering. Glenn’s keen eye for the details is highly appreciable both for the resource and quality it resembles.

Thoughts on Christmas Eve

Thoughts on Christmas Eve Free Online Research Papers Wow, it’s another Christmas Eve, but this time, it’s the one of the year 2010. It’s a beautiful evening and I was feeling inspired to just leave every single thing that I was doing to come write this down. It’s coming straight from the heart. As I walked around my home, a few days ago, I realized that this Christmas season isn’t as much fun as the others have been. At first, I thought that it was just me and everyone in my home who wasn’t in the Christmas spirit, but the other day, I decided to go out and I realized that I wasn’t the only one with the feeling, the city also wasn’t alive as it ought to be, I kept wondering what is going on? Is it the economy or what? Then, this blessed Christmas Eve, I started doing what I know how to do best, fantasizing and recollecting. I began to fantasize about a perfect Christmas holiday, how perfect everything ought to be and when I was done with that, I started to recollect all the great but not perfect past Christmas holidays that I’ve had and the fun that came with it. But as I was in this crazy state of mind, something dawned on me and it was that I should enjoy the moment before it passed me by. Then, all of a sudden I stopped and I got myself back to reality, back to the present. I stopped complaining about how boring this Christmas season has been. I realized that even if I might not be having as much fun as I wanted, there’s much to be grateful for. Just the other day, I got sad news about the passing away of someone whom I used to know. I began to realize how this gift of life we take so much for granted could be easily taken away. Now, I’m in my bedroom just typing and thinking alongside. Normally, since this is Christmas Eve, I would be outside looking at the stars, making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages, or watching a movie with my family and probably making preparations for tomorrow, Christmas day. But I’m compelled to just sit back and take a break from my normal routine and thank God for the year so far. It’s been such a great year; I had the best time in school, spiritually, academically, and socially. My family also has been so blessed by God in many ways and I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for, so why complain. So now, I’ve decided to enjoy the present and thank God for everything he has done for me. I’m surrounded by the best people in the world and I ought not to complain about how boring things are, I’ve to make things as much fun as I want them to be. I have decided to give as much love as I can possibly give, God gives us little chances everyday to show kindness to people, so why not use the opportunities you have to put laughter into the hearts of others and you’ll realize that you too will definitely laugh and have a smile on your face. So, all I’ve been trying to say is don’t keep thinking about how things can get better, make things better, be thankful for everything, both the good and the bad because you know when there’s life, there’s definitely hope. Above, let’s all try and learn the lesson of living in the present and also taking time to enjoy the moment because it’s all we’ve got for now. Merry Christmas, everyone, enjoy the holidays. Research Papers on Thoughts on Christmas EveLifes What IfsThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtStandardized TestingThe Hockey GameEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenWhere Wild and West MeetCapital Punishment

Ambition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ambition - Essay Example (Brim, pp. 11-12) The word ambition is often referred as aspiration and pretension, which relates it with the possibility of a higher authority influencing the individual to have a similar ambition in his life. Such practice has been very usual nowadays, as business tycoons inspire young business individuals to have ambition to be like them. On the other hand, high scope of electrical engineering motivates students to acquire an ambition to get a bachelor science degree in the similar field. Every individual is diverse in terms of thinking, and therefore, different ambitions can be seen in minds of people that work day and night to fulfill their ambitions. In other words, ambitions can be different; however, every ambition allows the individual to seek a level of advancement and improvement in his life. It is very important that a higher level of advancement should be sought by the individuals, in order to live a meaningful life. Moreover, humans are created in such a way that they require some level of desire for improvement, and therefore, ambition plays a significant role in the continuation of human lives. In a logical point of view, it is very important that an individual should desire for an advanced level. For instance, it has been observed that people with no ambition results in nothing but a machine that works when switches on and does not, when switched off. In other words, it is very imperative that daily life of individuals should be equipped with ambition, motivation, or aspiration, or else, there would be no use of intellect or other human capabilities. Thus, it is very imperative that the term ambition should be taken into logical consideration rather than just empirical manner, as human lives are based more on systematic and logical factors. Now, the paper will try to discuss some other perspectives that may support the earlier discussed definition of ambition. Ambition is often referred as motivation and aspiration, some

Personal Statement for Admission to UCSD Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

For Admission to UCSD - Personal Statement Example I did not have the usual experiences that children have. I never asked my mom to buy anything special for me because I knew how hard she was working just to put food on the table. During middle school, when my mom gave me lunch money each day, I chose not to buy anything. In fact, when I came home, I put the money back into her purse without her knowing about it. When I was 14 year-old, I found my first job doing construction work. As soon as I finished school, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and went straight to my job; I wouldn’t get home until 11 p.m. While I was there, I mopped, painted, and operated jackhammers and drills to break up concrete. The job was physically hard; at times I was left with dry blood around my finger nails. Moreover, my feet hurt so bad due to the cheap shoes I was wearing, but I did not let my mom notice how difficult life was for me. I did not give up on my schoolwork because school was incredibly important to me. The reason is that I wanted somethi ng better for my family! I did not want my would-be kids to experience what I did. However, attaining an education in Baghdad was difficult due to the limited resources we had; there were no internships, field trips, labs, technology, or anything like that. To make it even worse, the standard of education deteriorated after the war because everyone was scared to go to school; even the teachers did not care about their students. I had no choice but to come to the United States to seek for a better future. When I was 16, I heard about the UN refugee agency. I applied right away and explained that I wanted a better future. As soon as I realized that I might be coming to the United States, I began improving my English skills; I started working twice as hard in school. A couple of years after I made an application to the UN refugee agency, I was accepted and received a flight appointment. I first came to the U.S. in 2009. In two months after I arrived I got my first job where I was event ually promoted to the position of manager. After this, I was able to buy my first car and put some money aside for my savings. The reason why I am writing this personal statement to apply to UCSD is because I want to accomplish the dream that I have always wanted for myself and my family. Coming to the U.S. was the proudest moment in my life; it helped give me a different perspective on things. Furthermore, it made me see how important education is. I now have confidence in myself and I realize that I can do anything in this world: there is nothing that I cannot achieve. What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement. Ever since I was a small child wandering around aimlessly at the clinic of our neighborhood dentist, I found myself constantly gazing at the anatomical diagram of the human body that hung on the front door. This was the same diagram that all the other kids were scared to look at. All that blood, flesh, and bones did not intimidate me; it actually perked up my interest. I have always been extremely fascinated by the human body and how it functions. After the war began in Baghdad in 2003, there were a couple of explosions in the neighborhood next to my family. These