The Buddhas Four Noble Truths: A Logical Basis For Philosophy Essay

The Buddhas Four course of instructional Truths A Logical Basis for Philosophy     The Buddha Shakyamuni was born in the sixth century BCE in the areapresently known as Nepal. During his 80 year lifetime, he systematicallydeveloped a pragmatic, empirically based philosophical system which he claimed would leadits followers towards an enlightened existence. Buddhism is commonly called areligion however, it differs from the usual definition of a religion in that ithas no deities, does not set up worship of demigods, and is based on licitreasoning and observation rather than spiritual faith. At the heart of Buddhistphilosophy is the Buddhas enumeration of Four Noble Truths Dukkha (suffering),Samudaya (origin of suffering), Nirodha (cessation of suffering), and Magga(path to cessation of suffering). The Buddhas Four Noble Truths are based onarchetypal traits that were elucidated through careful empirical observance andintensive introspection. These Four Noble Tr uths form a logically coherent setof axioms upon which the whole of Buddhism is based, and provide a solidfoundation for a philosophy which is applicable several millennia after itsformulation.1"What we call a being, or an individual, or I, according to Buddhistphilosophy, is only a combination of ever-changing physical and mental forces orenergies...." - Walpola Rahula2     In order to fully understand the Four Noble Truths, it is necessary toinvestigate the Buddhist view of the individual and its makeup. In somerespects, the manner in which Buddhism deals with the psyche/body problem is muchmore advanced than most religious views, and closer to sciences understandingof the mind and body. Rather than postulating the existence of an eternal soulwith no physical manifestation, the Buddha taught that the person is really acollection of five skandhas or aggregates. These include rupa (matter), vedana(sensations), sanna (perceptions), samkhara (mental format ions), and vijnana(consciousness). The aggregate of matter encompasses all tangible aspects ofthe world. The aggregate of sensations is akin to the treat of sensory inpute.g., the activation of retinal cells in the eye. Vedana does not include theprocess of perception, however the act of perceiving the senses, i.e.,recognition of external sensations, is within the realm... ...nbsp The idea of the wheel around of death and rebirth, a central tenet to bothBuddhist philosophy and the Hindu religion, will not be brought into thisdiscussion of the Four Noble Truths. slice reincarnation was very important toBuddhas formulation of his beliefs, it is neither a necessary nor sufficientcondition for the Four Noble Truths to hold true. When examined from a purelylogical and empirical basis, the Four Noble Truths are still valid without theintroduction of reincarnation.2     Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught. varlet 25.3     Sherab Chdzin Koh n. The Life of the Buddha. Page 19.4     Sherab Chdzin Kohn. The Life of the Buddha. Page 19.5     Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught. Page 29.6     Sherab Chdzin Kohn. The Life of the Buddha. Page 19.7     B. Alan Wallace. Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up. Pages 40-41.8     Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught. Page 36.9     Sherab Chdzin Kohn. The Life of the Buddha. Page 19.

tragoed Metamorphosis of the Tragedy in Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and Desir

Metamorphosis of the Tragedy in Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and craving Under the Elms Tragedy is considered by some to be the greatest of the genres. Often something goes wrong and exposes something great. Characters generally apply more depth as proofd by Hamlet. Tragedy shows up in the great periods of history Classical Greece, Renaissance, and the early 20th century. It is a outlying(prenominal) more complex genre than comedy or romance. It teaches people to think since the storylines never have a simple answer or resolution. We see this in Desire Under the Elms. Family relationships and inheritances are confused and even when Abbie kills the baby, Eben decides to join her in her guilty plea when he is clearly not a participant in the murder. Unlike comedy, there is less spectacle onstage. Iokaste hangs herself offstage, King Hamlets murder is only reenacted but not seen directly, and the audience doesnt see Abbie murder her baby. This forces or spares the audience me mbers to use their imaginations to previse these crucial scenes, adding a layer of complexity to the play. Hamlet we are reminded of fate by the line, Theres a divinity that shapes our ends. Then in Desire, Cabot consistently looked to God for direction. These situations dont allow us to remain passive and simply be entertained when we view tragedy. We must grapple with the tough issues of life. Plot is considered significant in tragedy for many reasons. . Plot examines the limits of human greatness. It is the most examined area in the study of literature probably because it is unique to humans. It can be both edifying for an audience and, at the same time, allow for a catharsis. Plot allows characters to play out their fate. Freud believe... ...e less class conscious, the need for high status of one man disappears. In Desire the hero(es) were farmers. Another way that tragedy has evolved is through more comedy being added to the tragedy. Oedipus has no real comic sc enes. Hamlet had a few, but Desire had evidence of comedy sprinkled throughout by way of the brothers, the dance, food and drink, and animal references. Tragedy also had evolved to the point of having more romance. Again romance was missing from Oedipus, we saw a bit more in Hamlet between Claudius and Gertrude and Hamlet and Ophelia. But then in the modern tragedy romance is at the center of the play, albeit an uncomfortable, complicated romance. Some example in the play Desire include the sexual advances, the kiss and walk away together, the reuniting at the end, stage directions that describe the physical appearance.

Dominique LaPierres The City of Joy Essay -- Dominique LaPierre City

Dominique LaPierres The City of JoyHis suffering was transformed into surprise then peace, the peace that comesfrom beingness loved (C.O.J. p. 254). In the book the City of Joy, Hasari, Mother Theresa, Stephan Kolvaski and Max Loeb all experienced the joy and jockstrapfulness that comes from being loved. Their problems and troubles through out the book help them to understand how to make it through tough times. Examples from this book and life show that modern medicine is not always the best way to help the heave or injured. Peoples love and kindness for each other is the most valuable gift you can give someone.This city isnt all that inhuman (C.O.J. p. 82). Hasari express this when he wasable to become a rickshapuller. When Pam Chander befriended Hasari he saved himand his family from starvation. Ram showed Hasari that there was a still king person in a city, that was scene of as cruel. After Hasari started his job he was able to feed and buy treats for his family. Ram and Hasaris friendship continued to grow while working together. They alike continued to help each other out in times of need.Ram Chandler not only got Hasari a job, he helped teach him about the rickshawbusiness and life in Calcutta. Ram showed Hasari where to get business and how to helpthe soreness from pulling. Another thing he taught Hasari was how to hide any illness hegot. Ram also reminded Hasari how lucky he was to have what he did have. Good oldRam, there wa...