Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Life of the Buddha Essay Example for Free

The Life of the Buddha Essay Question 1- Select, describe and explain the events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, which illustrate his religious development There are generally many events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, which illustrate his religious development, but personally, I have planned to look at specific events very carefully. It can be said that the events contained specifically within the past lives of Siddhartha Guatama illustrate his religious development. There are, most evidently, the Jataka tales of the Pali Canon, which are supposedly stories of his actual rebirths. First of all, there is a most fundamental event, which occurs at around 100,000,000 aeons ago, where Dipuncena makes the crucial Bodhissatva vow to devote a life for the help of others. Now, after this, we see many stories of compassionate actions done by the 547 reincarnations of Dipuncena in the form of animal, god, and man. For example, one is the courageous story of Prince Vessantra, who gives up everything that he owns, even his wife and children out of compassion. The fact that he did this, giving everything and not expecting anything in return, portrays Dana, which is the idea of charity, and is a fundamental quality that is essential to be on the way to the Bodhissatva Path. There is also the story of the young prince, who slits his own throat in order for a starving tigress with seven hungry cubs, might live by eating his own flesh1. In terms of religious development, this is clearly showing the Bodhisattva Concept as it is displaying extreme compassion, or Karuna. A clear favourite, is of the loving, and righteous monkey king, and how he, by bridging himself, saved his fellow monkeys, but died while being bridged. This shows the Bodhisattva Concept again as he died to save his fellow monkeys and therefore delayed his enlightenment to help others. He developed the religious virtue of patience (Kshanti) as an ascetic in a previous life where he felt no hatred, only pity, for the evil king who cut his body into pieces, bit by bit. These stories all exemplify how the Bodhisattva developed all the qualities and characteristics of someone on the Bodhissatva path (according to Mahayana), and also, it shows the Bodhissatva concept, as his own enlightenment is delayed purely for the sake of others enlightenment, but on the other hand, he religiously develops himself to bring his spirit and mind even closer to attaining the ultimate enlightenment, and fulfilment of his vow. The most obvious and clear event, which shows his religious development, is the four sights. Here, upon leaving the palace with a charioteer, he sees an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man. Certainly in the first three, he realises that everyone grows old, everyone may face disease and everyone has to die. This is actually very moving for Siddhartha Gautama, as it increases his religious, and therefore Buddhist development, but more importantly, his awareness of life. However, a deeper analysis of his situation concludes that this impact of shock was even more penetrating, as his father had shielded Siddhartha from the natures of suffering. These sights he sees at the age of 29 while riding with his charioteer set him thinking about the issues now central to Buddhism (key to religious development) which lead him to realise that there is no release from suffering. After this critical and indeed, pivotal moment, Siddhartha could now no longer enjoy any of the luxuries which had been set out for him, as he was conscious of the fact that none of these could save him from age, disease, or even death. However, he finally sees the fourth sight, the holy man, i.e a person truly devoted to spirituality. Now, this consequently leads him to decide that he too, can go and seek after the unborn, unageing, unailing, deathless, sorrowless, undefiled supreme surceases of bondage, nibbana2. So, he decided that he too would leave home to seek a cure for the worlds suffering3. He had felt so uneasy about human suffering that he thought by becoming an ascetic; he would understand and comprehend everything there is. Therefore it can be said that these sights led him straight onto the path of religious development, and especially on the road to understanding Dukkha (all life is suffering). One of the most evident parts of Siddhartha Gautamas religious development, was when he was enlightened. After receiving an alms bowl, Siddhartha Gautama left the hardship, and arduousness of the ascetic life. Upon doing this however, he left himself with no friends from his past, but nevertheless, was strongly assured by what he was doing, since he had evidently found the middle way (the reality between luxury and poverty). Hence this was because he had discovered neither had given him real satisfaction.4 Now, in spite of this departure, Siddhatha was determined to reach enlightenment, in such a way, that he sat under a Bodhi tree (pipal tree) determined to sit until he had reached divine reality and knowledge. As he sat in a meditative state, Mara tried to cast him away with his temptations, however they were futile and seemed to reflect of Siddhartha, since he had such a strong concentration and determination to fulfil his aim. Mara even tried to deny him the right to be enlightened, but yet again, Siddhartha called upon the Earth goddess as witness, and eventually, upon realisation that Siddhatha would not be beaten, Mara backed down. Then the real enlightenment took place, in the form of the four watches. The first watch began with Siddhartha recalling past lives with unbelievable detail and understanding. The second watch took place with Siddhartha watching people and animals passing into and out of existence, and crucially at this point realising constant change. The third watch was the realisation that all suffering is caused by a constant continual cycle of craving, and realised the way to overcome suffering. Finally, he was enlightened and blessed with Nibbana and showered with supreme knowledge and understanding, beyond belief. This represents his huge step into the known, and into the aspects of life in which we do not understand. This was all the result of determination, and specifically effort to fulfil the Bodhisattva vow, and was the final hurdle of the Bodhisattva Path, and after enlightenment, the BUDDHA could now teach, and help others more supremely than ever before. After a life of purity and sincerity of teaching, the life of Siddhartha Gautama, had come to an end. His death marked the end of religious development for him. He died at Kushinara at the age of 80 from food poisoning, and his last, and severely crucial, words, were , remember, all things are subject to decay, so be mindful and vigilant in working out your own salvation 5. Here he sends out his message, that all things are subject to change, even him. He died in an obscure place which shows his humility and desire for people to listen to his message rather to make a fuss about his person.6 The main point though, is that the Buddha didnt want to increase fame, or celebrity status, he only wanted people to care for him for what he did. He subtly died while in the jhana of meditation, and this critically shows the extreme emphasis on the fact that he was not a god, but a man, and even he would eventually die. His death, is extremely significant, and specifically illustrates his religious development, as it represents him entering parinibbana, and enlightenment beyond death. So, hence, consequently, an escape of Samsara (cycle of rebirth) occurs, and he has obtained total bliss. As a religious teacher, here he had reiterated and emphasised one of his most important teachings, and died in the highest form of concentration and meditation there is. Overall, at this point, religiously, he had reached the highest place and thus, the peak of his religious development. 1 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 25 2 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 20 3 S. Clark M. Thompson: Buddhism: a New Approach London, Hodder and Stoughton 1996, p10 4 S. Clark M. Thompson: Buddhism: a New Approach London, Hodder and Stoughton 1996, p11 5 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 25 6 Denise Cush: Buddhism London, Hodder and Stoughton 1995, page 23

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Language in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay -- essays research papers

This essay will attempt to find out the type of language that Shakespeare has used to portray the hatred and utter spite Prospero evidently has over Caliban. The great number of offensive dialogue during the argumentative conversation between Caliban and Prospero will be commented on. During the conversation, many ill-disguised remarks of contempt are made by all three characters. This will be analysed further and the reasons and consequences of the exchange will be described. There are a great number of reasons for why Prospero and Caliban are not by any means on respectful terms, and the factors that have lead to this occurrence will be expressed in order to explain the spiteful nature of Prospero in particular. In the play ‘The Tempest’, Prospero and Caliban are portrayed as two completely opposite characters with contradictory and clashing views. Prospero, who was the rightful heir to become duke of Milan before being cast away and the ‘deformed slave’ Caliban are symbolic of opposite extremes, particularly in their roles in society and hierarchy. Prospero is a natural leader and is intellectually disciplined, while Caliban not only does not behave in this kind of manner, he seems to completely stand against it and ignore any order and is ‘capable of all ill’ according to Prospero. Caliban’s careless, unethical nature, and being born as part of a ‘vile race’ is an immediately apparent reason for Prospero’s hatred of him. Shakespeare quickly portrays the two characters as of clashing personalities during the passage, depicting Prospero as a person who emphasizes social lustre and class and uses his great intellect to onl y give others what he thinks they deserve. While Caliban is illustrated as an animalistic character, wi... ...can show his true contempt. In conclusion, the language Shakespeare uses to depict the hatred Prospero has for Caliban emphasises the separate backgrounds and values they share and the lack of understanding they have for one another. The fact that Prospero is heir to being duke of Milan and Caliban is the product of an unholy passion between the witch Sycorax and the devil, suggest opposing themes of backgrounds and therefore they share contradictory views of each others heritage and conduct. Therefore they stand against what the other values, causing a clash. The reader may feel that Prospero’s contempt of Caliban is within reason, due to his attempted violation of Miranda, and the fact that Prospero has been hurt and betrayed by many in the past, and therefore has a great amount of vengeance he can share out due to the attachment he has with his fiery emotions.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Nutrition Discussion Set 1

NUTR 2202 DISCUSSION SET I CHAPTERS 1-5 1. (30 points) Using Appendix H in your textbook: †¢ Fill in the calories, carbohydrate, fat and its components (sat, poly, mono, trans), and fiber values for each food/beverage in the table found on the last page of this Discussion Set. Remember to look at the portion and adjust values if the portion in the table is different than that listed in Appendix H. †¢ Add each column to get a total for all nutrients. Please answer this question by filling in the chart.TIP: we will also use this day’s intake for DS2 and DS3. Highlight the entries in your text and you won’t have to find them again. 2. (35 points) Using the example for how to calculate the energy from food (page 10 in the text): †¢ Determine what percentage of the calories for this day’s intake were from carbohydrate (CHO), total fat, and each type of fat. Percentage of the Calories from CHO: 41% Percentage of the Calories from total fat: 48% Sat. Fat: 17% Mono Fat: 8% Poly Fat: 4% Trans Fat: 3% †¢ Show or explain your calculations.To find the % of the calories that were from carbs I took the total amount of carbs consumed for the day (380. 3 g) and multiplied it by 4kcal/g (380. 3 x 4) to get 1521. 3 kcal. I then divided that product by my total overall calories for the day (3736. 5) to give me . 407, and from there a multiplied that number by 100 to give me 41%. *I used the same format for the remaining calculations. * Total Fat: 200. 3 x 9 = 1802. 7†¦.. 1802. 7/3736. 5 = . 482†¦. 0. 482 x 100 = 48% Sat Fat: 72. 55 x 9 = 652. 95†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦652. 95/3736. 5 = . 174†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦0. 74 x 100 = 17% Mono Fat: 34. 55 x 9 = 310. 95†¦.. 310. 95/3736. 5 = . 083†¦.. 0. 083 x 100 = 8% Poly Fat: 18. 1 x 9 = 162. 9†¦.. 162. 9/3736. 5 = . 043†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0. 043 x 100 = 4% Trans Fat: 13 x 9 = 117†¦. 117/3736. 5 = . 031†¦.. 0. 031 x 100 = 3% †¢ Compare the CHO and total fat values to the Accepta ble Macronutrient Distribution Ranges. The % of calories from carbs fell just short of AMDR’s range of 45 – 65% with a percentage of 41%. The % of calories from total fats was good amount over AMDR’s range of 20 – 35% with a percentage of 48% . (20 points) Using the information in Highlight 1 in your textbook, find a credible website that has nutrition and/or health information that is of interest to you: www. healthypeople. gov †¢ Give at least 3 ways you determined it was reliable. 1. The web address ends in â€Å". gov†. 2. The web page is often updated and its last update was on Thursday, September 20, 2012. 3. The web site is managed by the U. S Department of Health and Human Services and it states this at the bottom of each page of the website. Provide a summary of the information provided by the website and how it will be helpful to you (beyond what you have learned in the text). Healthy People is a scientifically based website that pro vides objectives and opportunities to help improve the health and lifestyles of all Americans. The website gives you multiple different topics regarding health (anything from Nutrition and Weight status to topics about Cancer) to help better inform you about the topic, how to act on the topic, and institutions/interventions working on the topic.It will be helpful to me because it provides me with information about some topics that I might not have known very much about, and if I am passionate or am directly affected by a topic, it gives me many different ways on how to act on the topic. 4. (10 points) What is the most common cause of peptic ulcers? What is recommended treatment? The most common cause is due to H. pylori bacterial infection. Recommended treatment is to treat for infection, eliminate any food that routinely causes indigestion or pain, and avoid coffee and caffeine- and alcohol- containing beverages. 5. 10 points) In your own words, describe the difference in soluble a nd insoluble fibers, including how they impact our health. Soluble fibers dissolve/absorb in contact with water and essentially swell up to form a gel like substance. Soluble fibers impact our health in that they help aid in keeping blood glucose at a moderate level and lowering cholesterol. Insoluble fibers are the exact opposite of soluble fibers in that they do not dissolve or absorb in water and pass through our digestive system with little or no change. Insoluble fibers help greatly with intestinal health (i. . hemorrhoid and constipation prevention). USE THE LABEL INFORMATION ON THE LAST PAGE of the Discussion Set FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE QUESTIONS. SHOW ANY CALCULATIONS NEEDED TO ARRIVE AT YOUR ANSWERS. 6. (10 points) What percentage of your AI for fiber would 2 servings of this food contribute to your day’s intake? My AI for fiber would be at right about 41 grams, therefore, 2 servings of this cereal (14 g fiber) would contribute to 29% of my day’s intake (14/4 1 = . 292†¦.. 0. 292 x 100 = 29. 2=29%). 7. (10 points) What type of fiber do you think is included in this food?I think it included both soluble and insoluble fiber because it has both oats (which contain soluble) and bran (which contain insoluble). 8. (5 points) What is the predominant ingredient in this food? Whole Oats 9. (10 points) Does this product contain trans fat? Tell me what information on the label justifies your answer. No, because it shows 0 grams next to trans-fat in the nutrition label, but even then some foods can still contain trans-fat even if it says 0g so I had to look at the ingredients to check to see if hydrogenated/ partially hydrogenated was in the list and in this case it was not. 0. (10 points) Would this be considered a low-fat food? Why or why not? No, because generally for it to be considered a low fat food it needs to have 3g or less fat per serving, and this product has 7g. 5 EC points: is your computer file named correctly? [pic] NOTE—t his page is in Landscape format so it will be wider than the previous pages and, if you print it out, should print in the Landscape orientation. FOOD |PORTION |CALORIES (kcal) |Carbohydrate (g) |FAT (g) | Sat (g) | Mono (g) | Poly (g) | Trans (g) |FIBER (g) | |Breakfast | | | | | | | | | | |Skim milk |1. cups |124. 5 kcal |18. 3 g |0. 3 g |0. 15 g |0. 15 g |0 g |——— |0 g | |Cracklin’ Oat Bran |1 cup |267 kcal |46. 7 g |9. 3 g |4. 0 g |4. 7 g |1. 3 g |0 g |8. 0 g | |A. M. Snack | | | | | | | | | | |Popcorn (popped in oil) |2 cups |128 kcal |10. 0 g |9. 6 g |1. 6 g |2. 2 g |5. 2 g |——– |1. 8 g | |Kool-Aid |16 oz. |216 kcal |55. 6 g |0 g | 0 g |0 g |0 g |——– |0. 4 g | |Lunch | | | | | | | | | | |Jack in the Box. Ultimate Cheeseburger |1 |1010 kcal |53. 0 g |71. 0 g |28. 0 g |——– |——- |3. 0 g |2. g | |Jack in the Box Onion Rings |1 serving |500 kcal |51. 0 g |30. 0 g |6. 0 g | Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ |——— |10 g |3. 0 g | |Coke (regular) |12 oz. |136 kcal |35. 2 g |0. 1 g |0 g |0 g |0 g |——- |0 g | |P. M. Snack | | | | | | | | | | |Peanut Butter cookies |3 |489 kcal |50. 7 g |27. 6 g |5. 1 g |14. 1 g |6. 9 g |——– |2. 7 g | |Tap Water |2 cups |0 kcal |0 g |0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | |Dinner | | | | | | | | | | |Potato, baked (flesh only) |? cup |57 kcal |13. 1 g |0. 1 g |0 g |0 g |0 g |——— |0. g | |Butter |3 tablespoons |306 kcal |0 g |34. 5 g |21. 9 g |9. 0 g |1. 2 g |——— |0 g | |Ham, cured, boneless, 11% fat, roasted |6 ounces |302 kcal |0 g |15. 4 g |5. 4 g |3. 8 g |2. 4 g |———- |0 g | |Yellow sweet corn, boiled, drained |1 cup |178 kcal |41. 2 g |2. 2 g |0. 4 g |0. 6 g |1 g |———- |4. 6 g | |Strawberries, raw |? cup |23 kcal |5. 5 g |0. 2 g |0 g |0 g |0. 1 g |——— |1. 4 g | | TOTALS | —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- |3736. 5 kcal |380. 3 g |200. 3 g |72. 55 g |34. 55 g |18. 1 g |13 g |24. 8 g | |

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Should You Take Kaplans SAT Classroom Prep Course

Kaplan has long been a leader in the test preparation industry, and the companys online delivery system makes courses convenient and accessible. In the spring of 2012, I was able to eavesdrop on and interview a high school junior who was taking Kaplans SAT Classroom course. The review below is based on both my own and the students impressions of the course. What You Get for Your Money At $749, Kaplans SAT Classroom  package isnt cheap. However, students do get quite a bit for the investment (note that some of the details have changed slightly since 2012--Kaplan is constantly updating and evolving their products): An orientation session to get enrolled students logged into the system and to introduce them to the software, instructor, and teaching assistants6 live, online 3-hour classroom sessions. These sessions include live streaming video of your instructor, an online whiteboard for problem solving, a chat area supported by the teaching assistants, and frequent student polling.8 full-length practice tests with score analysisTimed practice exams with detailed review and explanation of answersAccess to The SAT Channel that includes live streaming videos and interactive prep with Kaplans instructors. Kaplan notes that they offer more hours of live instruction than any major prep provider.Kaplans Higher Score Guarantee. Kaplans guarantee is two-fold. If your SAT scores do not go up, you can get your money back. If your scores dont go up as much as you had hoped, you can repeat the course for free. The Class Schedule The student I observed took SAT Classroom over three weeks from February 14th to March 8th. The class met Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (a bit longer for the proctored exams). Thats a total of 11 class meetings -- the orientation session, the six three-hour classes, and the four proctored exams. Kaplan has a lot of options that work with different student schedules. You can choose from classes that meet one, two, three or four times a week. Some options are during weekdays only while others are just on the weekends. Kaplan times the classes to end right before an SAT test date. Note that the class does have homework, so the more compressed class schedules can be very demanding on a students time (before each classroom session, students must take quizzes on what they have learned and watch videos on what they will cover in the next class). The class I observed looked like this (again, the exact class content has changed since 2012, especially with the new SAT, but this overview should give a good sense of what a course might look like): Session 1: Orientation. Meet your teacher, teaching assistants, and learn about the tools.Session 2: Proctored full-length SAT used to establish your strengths and weaknessesSession 3: Classroom session. Sample problems and an introduction to Kaplan strategies.Session 4: Classroom session. Critical Reading.Session 5: Proctored full-length SAT.Session 6: Classroom session. Math.Session 7: Classroom session. Writing.Session 8: Proctored full-length SAT.Session 9: Classroom session. Math.Session 10: Proctored full-length SATSession 11: Classroom session. Vocabulary; Final test-taking tips. Student Feedback After the course was over, the student I observed wrote up some feedback on his experience with SAT Complete Prep. Here are the highlights: Pros Great techniquesSmart Track is a great place to check performance and do homeworkTeacher is very likable and you feel as though she really does care about how you do (Ill second this -- Katie was an excellent and personable online instructor)The classroom is well designedPractice tests are great and help to show you that these techniques are usefulWith the proctoring, you feel as though you are truly taking the SATCourse book is well thought out and good to look back on to review strategies Cons Homework does take a minimum of 3 hours which can be a problem with other homework from schoolSmart Track is great but navigation takes a little getting used toSome classes you only get about 10 sample problems done within three hours The student noted that he would recommend the course to a friend. Final Thoughts and Recommendations I was more impressed with this course than I thought I would be. As a professor who likes a physical classroom and interacting with my students face-to-face, Ive always been resistant to online learning. Seeing the class in action, however, made me reconsider that position. Since the class had a teacher and two TAs, multiple students could be getting individualized help simultaneously -- something that cant happen very easily in a physical classroom. Also, Katie was an engaging and interactive instructor, and the video/chat/whiteboard classroom space was pleasingly effective. Im also someone who is skeptical about the need for spending hundreds of dollars on test prep, and I still believe it is not necessary. You can spend $20 on a book and teach yourself quite effectively, including Kaplans test-taking strategies. That said, the $749 price tag isnt bad for the number of instructional hours and the level of personalized feedback youll receive. So if the price doesnt create hardship for you, the course provides excellent instruction and feedback. Perhaps more important, it provides a concrete structure and study plan. Many students arent disciplined enough to put in a sustained and focused effort when they go the self-taught route. As with any class, there were moments that dragged as the instructor and TAs helped students who were struggling with a particular concept. The students who arent struggling end up waiting around at these moments. Of course, the only way to avoid this issue is to get individual tutoring, and then youll see the price tag go way up. The student I observed saw his scores in the practice tests go up 230 points from the beginning of the course to the end. His confidence and test-taking skills certainly improved. When he retook the actual SAT at the end of the course, however, the improvement wasnt as remarkable: a 60 point gain (still much better than the 30 point gain that some studies show as the average for SAT test prep courses). Overall, I feel SAT Classroom is an excellent product. Im not thrilled that the college admissions process tends to place so much weight on a single exam that courses like this are necessary, but the reality is what it is, and this course can truly help students earn the scores that will help them get into a selective college.