Experience with Paramahansa Yogananda's Self Realization Fellowship Essay

Experience with Paramahansa Yogananda's Self Realization Fellowship The Lake Shrine - Essay Example On the other side were plaques with inspirational and moving scriptures on them. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus, and Lord Buddha were some of the statues in the beautiful garden. The writings on them were uplifting and people gathered around in meditation and repentance. On joining them, I could see love among the people around courtesy of the passed on legends and what came to my mind is the philosophical saying that if you care about others you are doing good to yourself. There was a temple in the garden where individuals were taught about religion and way of living. Looking at the portraits, I came to understand that Yogananda believed that one comes to know God through intuition. All religions were in the temple who called their Gods in different names which made me meditate on the philosophical saying that there exist different Gods in different situations. The site does not only give spiritual teachings and comfort but also gives the opportunity to learn about other

The Korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Korean War - Essay Example That policy was reiterated in 1945 at the Yalta Summit. It was further agreed that until Korea became independent, it would be under the joint trusteeship of the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. 1 The world's first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan on 6 August 1945; Russia entered the war on 8 August; and the Japanese surrendered on 14 August. With the sudden and unexpected Japanese surrender, there was great haste to cobble together plans to accept the surrender of Japanese field forces and to disarm them. The opportunistic Soviet declaration of war on Japan, coming two days after the first atomic bomb was dropped, made it necessary to agree on a line of demarcation between the zones within which the United States and the Soviets would accept the Japanese surrender. The U.S. State Department wanted the American zone to be as far north on the mainland of China as possible, including key points in Manchuria. The Army did not want to go into an area where few other forces were close at hand. In the planning for the surrender, two young American colonels, Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel, from the War Department's Operations and Plans Division (OPD), were assigned the task of findi ng a line. Neither was particularly knowledgeable about Korea or the Far East, although Rusk had served briefly with Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell in China during the war. They retired to an office and pondered over a National Geographic map. The Army wanted to have two ports, Inchon in the north and Pusan in the south. North of Inchon, there did not seem to be any natural geographic division. They settled on the thirty-eighth parallel. The Soviets agreed. Later Rusk learned that in the early 1900s, the Russians and japanese had, initially, proposed the thirty-eighth parallel as the dividing line between their respective spheres of influence. There has since been suspicion that the Soviets took agreement on the thirty-eighth parallel to be an acknowledgment of their historic sphere of influence.2 The U.S. XXIV Corps came ashore at Inchon to carry out the U.S. occupation mission. The Soviet Army moved down from the north, closed on the thirty-eighth parallel, and sealed the border. All subsequent attempts to proceed with a coordinated policy toward Korea failed. The occupation was not a happy task. Lieutenant General John R. Hodges, the XXIV Corps commander, called it the worst job he ever had. The troops disliked it intensely. In Japan, one commander addressed his incoming troops, warning them to behave and saying that they had only three things to fear -- diarrhea, gonorrhea, and Korea. In the south, the Koreans were not willing to wait for "due course" to achieve freedom and independence. They wanted it right away. And there were competing groups of all political stripes ready to take on the job. 3 The wisdom of maintaining American troops in Korea was questioned almost from the very start. To the Joint Chiefs, the troops were needed elsewhere. In the years that followed, with the Cold War becoming more frosty, force levels dropping, and other needs increasing, the question became more urgent. It was not a decision easily made. An ongoing discussion of the subject continued from 1947 to 1949. It revolved around the strategic value of Korea, its political importance, and its importance in contributing to U.S. prestige. In April 1947, the joint Strategic Survey Committee noted, "This is one country within which we alone have for almost two years carried on ideological warfare in direct contact with our ideological opponents so that to lose this battle would be gravely detrimental to the United States prestige and therefore security." 4The State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee (prior to the formation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) concluded: ". . . the U.S. cannot

The Impact of the European Union on British Employment Relations Essay

The Impact of the European Union on British Employment Relations - Essay Example The paper tells that the subject of employment relationship has been established with the help of an interdisciplinary method through conceptions and ideas that have been determined from sociology, psychology, and history. Employee relations can be of an individual dimension which is based upon the belief of every employee or can be of the collective dimension that is based upon the relationship between the management of an organization and the trade unions. Employment relationship in Britain has had a significant impact on the European Union. It has been observed that there is a long history regarding Britain’s employment relations that is considerably affected by the European Union (EU). Britain has witnessed a reduction in the trade unions. For instance, in the year 1979, there were 475 trade unions which reduced to 221 in the year 2000 and in the year 2001 the number of trade unions reduced to 206. These figures reveal that there has been a significant reduction of trade u nions in the recent years. The EU has led to an influential change in the labor law of Britain in relation to socio-economic, socio-demographic and managerial changes. Emphasis has been given to the quality of work amid the unions and the employers due to which there has been a decline in the quality of labor. There has been a rise in problems relating to the work-life balance due to which the EU directives have taken the initiative to improve this balance through egalitarianism, physical well-being, security and social dialogue. Employers have revealed that there has been an upsurge in the level of stress for the employees due to the increase in the qualitative requirements of the product and high competition. The EU legislation has not established any specific policy to provide the trade unions a greater power for negotiation.

The rules if youre not religious. Discuss Essay Example for Free

The rules if youre not religious. Discuss Essay In this democratic age we vote in those people (or party) who we want to rule our country and in turn create our laws. However this is a very old system, which some could argue takes its basis from the 10 Commandments from the Old Testament. If this is the case, in a growing atheistic state, why should you follow the rules if you are not religious, for which the 10 Commandments were designed for? In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague. This law has an obvious provenance; during the Black Death, in order to prevent the spread of the disease. However nowadays, this previously appropriate law is out of date and obsolete. How can something created thousands of years ago still be relevant to modern life? A more secular set of laws would be more appropriate and representative to govern the people. The 10 Commandments are very inflexible; they don’t take into account the situation and are inexorable. For instance, there are some cases when you should lie i. e. for the greater good. However in this narrow and oppressive set of laws, this is never allowed, which is against our autonomy. The 10 Commandments do not mention any form of punishment, for religious people they wouldn’t need any deterrence, just the idea of serving God and going to Heaven. So in effect, the actual punishment for each of these crimes has been created by man, and therefore a crime which God thought was insignificant, could hold a serious punishment. There is also the need for a system to decide and enforce this system. This set of laws is designed for those who are religious, but with people who hold different views, they are going to disagree with them. You also need lots of laws to avoid loop-holes as these laws are very general. However, in spite of a large proportion of people are not religious, they will still hold similar ideals to those who are; good and bad, right and wrong. The Ten Commandments are a universal set of rules which show indisputable and clear criteria for right and wrong. Aside from laws, they cover morality as well: â€Å"Honour your father and your mother† and â€Å"You shall not covet you neighbour’s hut†. These views should be inherent in everybody as they lead to a good upbringing and moral understanding. We need rules as it is unrealistic to expect people to do the right thing. For example, to try and prevent speeding, speed cameras were introduced. But now people speed as they used to, but slow down just to pass the camera. Our system of laws has changed and diversified over many years. This means that even if these original Commandments were used to base new laws on, they will have changed and been tweaked over the years. Also any inherently good person (even if they’re not religious) would want to have religious ideals as they lead to a good and fulfilling life. In conclusion, it is necessary to follow the rules even if you’re not religious, for nowadays they are not as heavily based on religion, but still hold good, moral and relevant views.

The Black Panther Party Essay -- essays research papers fc

"There is nothing more dangerous than a large segment of people in society that feel that they have no place or stake in it, who feel they have nothing to lose. People who have stake in the society perpetuate that society, when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it." Unknown As a culture, we are told how to act, think, and speak among other things. We are taught to do what is considered "right" and if we choose not to, we are punished, ridiculed, and considered a menace to society. We are considered thuggish and belittled and put down for living in an alternative way. Don't get me wrong, there is some good in having a controlled society because it brings some order and stability within our society. However, the questions at hand are, could there be a way for those who do realize that we're being controlled to free themselves from the power and control that causes them to become oppressed? Could it be that we are bound and constrained and unable to have some type of agency in order to be free? If we can free ourselves, what type of agency is used? These questions are the basis for my paper. I plan to present examples of control and oppression through the film Panther that shows the struggle of the Black Panther Party of Self-Defense. The film takes place in the 1960's and it shows the struggles that the members had to go through in order to form some type of agency to free themselves from the control and oppression that the government had over their lives and their community. Huey Newton and Bobby Seale were two African-American men growing up in the ghetto of California where they saw and experienced racism and police brutality. There voices weren't heard when it came to their communities and it took three young children to die by car crashes, and a peaceful candlelight vigil that turned into a fight between a neighborhood and the police (In which the police covered up their badges so that no one could report them to the police department) for them to want to make... ...oes have a place in society because without it, there would be no stability within our society and everything would be chaotic and confusing. However, for those who don't want to be controlled, and do have a form of agency which they feel will free them really don't seem to be free anyway. It seems to me that no matter what you do, say, or learn you are always controlled. I thought that the fact that the Panther Party becoming knowledgeable would have worked very well but soon some laws were changed such as the one concerning being able to carry firearms as long as they were in clear view. After all they went through they still weren't free. Many of the Panthers were either killed while fighting for the cause or are now political prisoners. So, from my observation, the only agency available to free oneself from oppression is, to become knowledgeable and that only works to a certain extent. I guess there is no plain yes or no answer to my question about whether we can free ourselves from oppression. It's as if you think you've won when you really haven't. Works Cited Panther. Dir. Mario Van Peebles. Polygram Video. 1995.

Traditional Ways Or Not :: essays research papers

Traditional Ways Or Not From generation to generation plays have become a major part of our existence. For some families customs and traditions can either make or break a family. Some family traditions mean a lot. However breaking a family custom can start major uproars or even serious altercations between family members. For some families fights and altercations cam also bring them closer as a family. In the play " A Doll House " written by Henrik Isben, conflicts and customs play important roles for the survival of the Helmer family. For Nora Helmer growing up in the shadow of her husband Torvald and her father was Nora 's way of life. In the play " A Doll House " Nora is faced with a past mistake which leaves her in disbelief. Throughout the play Nora tries to hide the secret from her husband , but runs into a problem. Nils Krogstad who was fired from the bank by Torvald is going to blackmail Nora if she does not help him get his job at the bank back. " When your husband was ill, you came to me to borrow two hundred and fifty pounds." ( Isben, 22). Nora must tell her husband Torvald that she has taken money without his consent, which in those days was against the law. Nora is faced with a very serious matter which can end her marriage if Torvald finds out about the loan. At the end of the play Torvald finds out about the loan which ends the marriage and breaks up the family for good. This shows how important family customs and traditions mean to the Helmer family. To some people having a family means everything in the world. Nora on the other hand leaving her husband and children behind was easy to do. At the end of the play Nora Helmer leaves her family do to the fact that she does not love her Husband Torvald anymore. " No, I have never been happy. I thought I was, but it has never really been so. I must try to educate myself- you are not the man to help me in that. I must do that for myself. And that is why I am going to leave you now." ( Isben, 66). Nora feels that she has been treated unfairly and needs to move on. Torvald forgives Nora, but it is not enough to keep her around any longer.

Development Study

Development study is a branch in social sciences that explores issues relating developing countries. Historically it has focused on social and economic development therefore may extend its significance to other regions and communities apart from concentration on the developing world. There are various approaches that conceptualize development studies. Among them are the modernization and dependency theories. This paper focuses to explore their similarities and difference in their significance to development studies.Dependency theory is a social science approach that argues that the developed nation draws resources from underdeveloped nations making them richer at the expense of their counterparts. The proponent of this theory is Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Milvin Defleur (1976). Dependency theory initially was in the communication discipline but merged out integrating several prospects. It merges prospects from psychology from social category theory, from causal approaches, media effects and traditions as well as contextual philosophy.â€Å"in its urge to appropriate productive forces for the purpose of exploitation, capital ransacks the entire world, provides itself with the means of production from all corners of the earth, obtaining these from all levels of civilization and from all forms of society† (Perry 1996. p. 35) It sometimes referred to as underdevelopment theory based upon Marxist theory in other words, it assumes that wealth western nation uses their superior status to exploit peripheral weaker nations reflecting earlier colonial bonds. These under developed nations expose their economical and political structure maintaining their reliance on developed nations.They become developmentally enslaved mastered by the west. Some argument exist that tourism has evolved somehow reflecting economic dependency and colonialism. However, potential underdevelopment resulting from dependency is the main focus. (Bramswell 2004. p. 323) Modernization on the oth er hand argues that low economically empowered societies can develop if only they seize from their traditional methods and adapt to modern technologies, cultural values and economic institutions that puts an emphasis on productive investment and savings.The social institutions and traditional values of low income nations hinder their effectiveness in economy. Most of people in undeveloped society have low work ethics, they usually consume without thinking of investing in the future. Most of these societies have large families therefore saving money for investing is almost impossible. They therefore rag behind in their economic ability (Griffiths & Giddens 2006 p . 405) Modernization tends to criticize Marxist theory. It emphasizes the process of change and the reason to that change.Marquis de Condorcet is among the proponents of this theory. His argument was that, people's cultural values and morals in the society can be changed by economical and technological advancement. He encour aged technological advancement arguing that it helps society have control to the environment and adapt to it. He argued that technological advancement encourage social progress. (Soylent communications 2008) Modernization theory contrasts the dependency theory in a number of ways.In many parts of the world where it have ever been applied, it has failed to take into account historical and social factors influencing development. Such factors are like the traditional social structures, colonialism, and religious factors. Natural past outcomes have also not put into account and which may have affected a society; famine, floods, volcanic activities and other natural environmental conflicts. Many nations like the Middle East historical process influenced its development.It emphasis on modern values in development cannot be fully relied as the back born to development. The historical processes in politics, economic, cultural, educational of a society influence its development. Development theory argument that richer nations exploits less developed nations natural resources contrast the free market that advances poor states to full economic growth. The international market gives every nation an opportunity to realize it full economic growth.It is through this freedom that a society can take advantage to purchase modern values that can help it develop. A poorer state can purchase new technological advancement improving production in its industries which in return will improve it economy. However, dependency theory contrasts this situation arguing that it is exploitation. Dependency theory argument that colonialism of undeveloped nations still exist is a contrast to modernization. In the previous century, many undeveloped countries evoked from colonialism after realizing their independence.This independence was not granted to just political matters but also to the economy and social structures. Most of these nations have their natural resources still fully unexploited. Not because their former colonial master have not exploited these but because they lack modern facilities which would help them. This therefore is a contrast to modernization. The continued reliance on colonial masters should not be argued as a modern colonialism. It is evident that the colonialist had an influence politically, economically and socially to their colonies.Therefore, these nations will tend to consult their colonial masters as well as trade with them even in the modern world. Contrast between dependency theory and modernization exist in their views on international dimensions that influence economic development of a nation. These dimensions include tourism, trade, global investment and many others. Dependency argues that tourism, free trade and global investment are a reflection of the dependency that exists between the developed and undeveloped world. Most of the global investors are from the developed world.This is also in tourism. Dependency theory proponents argue s that this is a clean indication of how developed nations exploits the less developed for their growth. Modernization on the other hand views this kind of relation to enhance purchase and adoption of modern technologies. Trade exposes undeveloped countries acquire modern technology. In enhancing tourism, the undeveloped countries adopt new technology to maximize turn outs. Though global investors’ targets at making profits, they as well enhance modernity in less developed nations.Dependency theory puts into accounts exogenous and indigenous political processes which have a role in national continuity and formation. It puts into account changing circumstances like religious background of nation. However, modernization contrasts this as its main emphasis is on new technology influence on development. Its notion of class difference which challenges it universality contrast dependency theory. In addition, modernization ignores rural poverty, unemployment, inflation, economic and political dependency and the growing gap between the poor and the rich.This contrasts dependency theory. (Paidar 2005) Though these two theories contrast, their arguments are both very effective in development studies. Development in a society is a complex issue which primarily may depend on modernization and dependency theory as well as other concepts in the society. Whichever perspective one would take, development is about the nature of a society economic, political and social ability. However if modernization and dependency theories are merged, they would have a more efficient development studies description on a particular society.