Taoism And Buddism Essay Example For Students

Taoism And Buddism Essay Taoism and Buddhism are the two great philosophical and religious traditions that originated in China. Taoism began the sixth century BCE. And Buddhism came to China from India around the second century of the Common Era. These two religions have shaped Chinese life and thought for nearly twenty-five hundred years. One dominant concept in Taoism and Buddhism is the belief in some form of reincarnation. The idea that life does not end when one die is an integral part of these religions and the culture of the Chinese people. Reincarnations, life after death, and beliefs are not standardized. Each religion has a different way of applying this concept to its beliefs. This paper will discuss the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism, and then provide a comparison of both. TaoismThe goal in Taoism is to achieve Tao, to find ?the Way?. Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everythi ng in it. Tao is sometimes identified as ?the Mother?, or the source of all things. That source is not a god or a Supreme Being, as Taoism is not monotheistic. The focus is not to worship one god, but instead to come into harmony with Tao. Tao is the essence of everything that is right, and complications exist only because people choose to complicate their own lives. Desire, ambition, fame, and selfishness are seen as hindrances to a harmonious life. One can only achieve Tao if he rids himself of all desires. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on the self. The longer the persons life, the more saintly the person is presumed to become. Eventually the hope is to become immortal, to achieve Tao, to reach the deeper life. This is the after life for a Taoist, to be in harmony with the universe, and to have achieved Tao. The origin of the word Tao can explain the relationship between life, and the Taoism concept of life and death. The Chinese characte r for Tao is a combination of two characters that represent the words as head and foot. The character for foot represents the idea of a persons direction or path. The character for head represents the idea of conscious choice. The character for head also suggests a beginning, and foot, an ending. Thus the character for Tao also conveys the continuing course of the universe, the circle of heaven and earth. Finally, the character for Tao represents the Taoist idea that the eternal Tao is both moving and unmoving. The head in the character means the beginning, the source of all things, or Tao itself, which never moves or changes; the foot is the movement on the path. Taoism upholds the belief in the survival of the spirit after death. Taoist believes birth is not a beginning, and death is not an end. There is an existence without limit. There is continuity without a starting point. Applying reincarnation theory to Taoism is the belief that the soul never dies, a persons soul is eternal . In the writings of the Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching, Tao is described as having existed before heaven and earth. Tao is formless, it stands alone without change and reaches everywhere without harm. The Taoist is told to use the light that is inside to revert to the natural clearness of sight. By divesting oneself of all external distractions and desires, only then can one achieve Tao. In ancient days a Taoist that had transcended birth and death, achieved Tao, was said to have cut the Thread of Life. In Taoism, the soul or spirit does not die at death. The soul is not reborn, it simply migrates to another life. This process, the Taoist version of reincarnation, is repeated until Tao is achieved. The following translation from the Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching summarizes the theory behind Tao and how a Taoist can achieve Tao. The Great Tao flows everywhere. It may go left or right. All things depend on it for life, and it does not turn away from them. It accomplishes its task, but dies not claim cr edit for it. It clothes and feeds all things but does not claim to be master over them. Always without desires, it may be called the Small. All things come to it and it does not master them; it may be called the Great. Therefore (the sage) never strives himself for the great, and thereby the great is achieved. We will write a custom essay on Taoism And Buddism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now (Te-Tao Ching, Chapter 34) BuddhismThe followers of the Buddha believe that life goes on and on in many reincarnations or rebirths. The eternal hope for all followers of Buddha is that through reincarnation one comes back into successively better lives until one achieves the goal of being free from pain and suffering and not having to come back again. This wheel of rebirth, known as Samsara, goes on forever until one achieves Nirvana. The Buddhist definition of Nirvana is the highest state of spiritual bliss, as absolute immortality through absorption of the soul into itself, but preserving individuality. Birth is not the beginning and death is not the end. This cycle of life has no beginning and can go on forever without an end. The ultimate goal for every Buddhist, Nirvana, is to accomplish total enlightenment and liberation. By achieving this goal, one can be liberated from the never ending round of birth, death, and rebirth. Transmigration, the Buddhist cycle of birth, death, an d rebirth, does not involve the reincarnation of a spirit, but only the rebirth of a consciousness containing the seeds of good and evil deeds. Buddhisms world of transmigration encompasses three stages. The first stage concerns with desire, which goes against the teachings of Buddha. It is the lowest form and involves a rebirth into hell. The second stage is one in which animals dominate. But after many reincarnations in this stage the spirit becomes more and more human, until one attains a deeper spiritual understanding. At this point the Buddhist gradually begins to abandon materialism and seek a contemplative life. In the third stage, the Buddhist is able to put his ego to the side and become pure spirit, having no perception of the material world. This stage requires one to move from perception to non-perception. And so, through many stages of spiritual evolution and numerous reincarnations, the Buddhist reaches the state of Nirvana. The transition from one stage to another, or the progression within a stage is based on the actions of the Buddhist. All actions are simply the display of thought, the will of man. This is caused by the persons character, and character is manufactured from karma. Karma means action or doing. Any kind of intentional action, such as mental, verbal or physical action, is regarded as karma. All good and bad actions constitute karma. A persons karma determines what he deserves and what goals can be achieved. What the Buddhist does in his past life determines his present standing in life and that determines his next life. .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .postImageUrl , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:hover , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:visited , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:active { border:0!important; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:active , .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86 .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue691eaceb4f20beab3370834789d6c86:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Biography: During his few weeks as Vice President, EssayBuddha developed a doctrine known as the Four Noble Truths based on his experience and inspiration about the nature of life. These truths are the basis for all schools of Buddhism. The fourth truth describes the way to overcome personal desire through the Eightfold Path. Buddha called his path the Middle Way, because it lies between a life of luxury and a life of poverty. Not everyone can reach the goal of Nirvana, but every Buddhist is at least on the path toward enlightenment. To achieve Nirvana the Buddhist must follow the steps of the Eightfold Path. Step 1: ?Right Understanding? is knowledge of what life is all a bout; knowledge of the Four Noble Truths is basic to any further growth as a Buddhist. It includes the true understanding of ourselves, of our real motives, of our hopes and fears, envies and hatreds. Step 2: ?Right Thought? is those thoughts that are free from lust, form ill-will, and from cruelty. It means a clear devotion to being on the Path toward Enlightenment. Step 3: ?Right Speech? involves both clarity of what is said and speaking kindly and without malice. It avoids harsh language and foolish talk. It is the speech which is true, kind, efficacious and to the point. Step 4: ?Right Action? involves reflecting on ones behavior and the reasons for it. It also involves five basic laws of actions for Buddhists: not to kill, steal, lie, drink intoxicants, or commit sexual offenses. ?Kill not, for pity-sake, and lest ye stay The meanest thing upon its upward way. Give freely and receive, but take from none By greed, or force, or fraud, what is his own. Bear not false witness, slander not, nor lie;Truth is the speech of inward purity. Shun drugs and drink which work the wit abuse; Clear minds, clean bodies need no Soma Juice. Touch not thy neighbors wife, neither commit Sins of the flesh, unlawful and unfit.? ? (Light of Asia) Step 5: ?Right Livelihood? involves choosing an occupation that keeps an individual on the Path; that is, a path that promotes life and well being, rather than the accumulation of a lot of money. It would exclude the professions of soldier, fisherman, hunter, or any profession that kills, harms or promotes the hurting of any living being. Step 6: ?Right Effort? is the effort to avoid wrong conditioning factors. It means training the will and curbing selfish passions and wants. It also means placing oneself along the Path toward Enlightenment. Step 7: ?Right Mindfulness? implies continuing self-examination and awareness. ?Irrigators lead the waters;Fletchers fashion the shafts;Carpenters bend the wood;The wise control themselves.When a wise man, established well in virtue,Develops consciousness (mindfulness) and understanding,Then?ardent and sagaciousHe succeeds in disentangling this tangle.? ?(Samyutta-Nikaya 1, 13) Step 8: ?Right Concentration? is the final goal to be absorbed into a state of Nirvana. It is the kind of mental concentration which is presented in every wholesome state of consciousness, and hence is accompanied by at least Right Thought, Right Effort and Right Mindfulness. Compliance to the path does not guarantee reaching Nirvana, but it is the only path that leads to Nirvana. Only by following this path, a Buddhist could have a chance to reach enlightenment, to free oneself from the continuous rounds of birth, death and rebirth, to have reached the ultimate goal to be absorbed into a state of Nirvana. Comparison of Taoism and BuddhismThe purpose in both Taoism and Buddhism is to reach the ultimate goal, to transcend life on earth as a physical being, and to achieve harmony with nature and the universe. The ultimate goal for both religions is to achieve immortality. The Taoist called this ultimate goal Tao, while the Buddhist seeks Nirvana. The followers of both religions believe there is an existence beyond life that can be achieved following the right path or behavior. .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .postImageUrl , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:hover , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:visited , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:active { border:0!important; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:active , .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5 .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1fa6d7c0e8b38591c8bfd07ba00244f5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Laws Against Assisted Suicide in Canada EssayThe path to Tao and Nirvana are similar, yet different. Both believe that there is an Inner Light, which guides a person in the right direction to the ultimate goal. Personal desires must be forsaken in order for the Inner Light to guide a person to achieve eternal bliss. The teaching regarding the Inner Light is just as prominent in the Taoist schools as it is among the practices of Buddhism. The Inner Light concept is similar, but the actual path is different between Taoism and Buddhism. The path toward enlightenment for the Buddhist was defined by Buddha in his Eightfold Path. The Buddhist can only reach Nirvana by following this path. On the other hand, the path to Tao is individual, it comes from within. No one can define a path for the Taoist, it must come from the Inner Light. Tao means Way, but in the original and succeeding manuscripts no direct path is explored or expounded. Desire, ambition, fame, and selfishness are seen as complications. That idea is consistent with Buddhist teachings; it is the personal life of each individual that gives Taoism its special form. Taoism and Buddhism perceive life, death and rebirth as a continuous cycle. This cycle has no beginning and no end. The soul is eternal, yet the soul is not the object of reincarnation. Taoist believes the soul is not reborn, it migrates to another life. Buddhist also believes the soul is not reborn, but instead a consciousness containing the seeds of good and evil deeds is the object of rebirth. One major difference between Taoism and Buddhism is the concept of karma. Karma refers to the idea that actions are the display of thought, the will of man. Karma determines the Buddhist actions and position in life. A persons karma limits the goals that he can achieve. Karma determines where in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth the consciousness returns. This return can be in the form of an animal or human, and the Buddhist must progress through a hierarchy to achieve Nirvana. The Taoist has no concept similar to karma, and Taoism does not mention the soul migrating to an animal form. The determining factor to ones life is contained in the individual behavior for the Taoist. By forsaking personal desires in life, and by focusing on the self, one can live longer. Eventually, by following the Inner Light, immortality can be achieved. The similarities between Taoism and Buddhism in the belief of life after death far outweigh the differences. Both religions believe the individual mu st focus on the self to achieve the ultimate goal. To focus on oneself, all desires and personal ambitions must be forsaken. One must focus on the self and the proper way of life to reach immortality. The cycle of life continues indefinitely until the Thread of Life is broken. Only through proper living, and by following the correct path guided by the Inner Light, can one achieve the ultimate goal of Tao or Nirvana. BibliographyRobert G. Henricks, ?Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching ? Translated. With an introduction and commentary?, The Bodley Head, London, 1989. Dolly Facter, ?The Doctrine of Buddha?, Phiosophical Library Inc., NY, 1965. Religion Essays

The Cooperative Principle in Conversation

The Cooperative Principle in Conversation In conversation analysis, the cooperative principle is the assumption that participants in a conversation normally attempt to be informative, truthful, relevant, and clear. The concept of the cooperative principle was introduced by philosopher H. Paul Grice in his article Logic and Conversation (Syntax and Semantics, 1975). In that article, Grice argued that talk exchanges arent merely a succession of disconnected remarks, and would not be rational if they did. They are characteristically, to some degree at least, cooperative efforts; and each participant recognizes in them, to some extent, a common purpose or set of purposes, or at least a mutually accepted direction.   Examples and Observations We might then formulate a rough general principle which participants will be expected (ceteris paribus) to observe, namely: Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged. One might label this the Cooperative Principle.  (Paul Grice, Logic and Conversation, 1975. Reprinted in Studies in the Way of Words. Harvard University  Press, 1989)[T]he  sum and substance of the Cooperative  Principle might be put this way: Do whatever is necessary to achieve the purpose of your talk; dont do anything that will frustrate that purpose. (Aloysius Martinich,  Communication and Reference.  Walter de Gruyter, 1984) Grice's Conversational Maxims [Paul] Grice fleshed out the cooperative principle in four conversational maxims, which are commandments that people tacitly follow (or should follow) to further the conversation efficiently: Quantity: Say no less than the conversation requires.Say no more than the conversation requires. Quality: Dont say what you believe to be false.Dont say things for which you lack evidence. Manner: Dont be obscure.Dont be ambiguous.Be brief.Be orderly. Relevance: Be relevant. People undoubtedly can be tight-lipped, long-winded, mendacious, cavalier, obscure, ambiguous, verbose, rambling, or off-topic. But on closer examination they are far less so than they could be, given the possibilities. . . . Because human hearers can count on some degree of adherence to the maxims, they can read between the lines, weed out unintended ambiguities, and connect the dots when they listen and read. (Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought. Viking, 2007) Cooperation vs. Agreeableness We need to make a distinction between communicatively cooperative and socially cooperative . . ..  The Cooperative Principle is  not about being positive and socially smooth, or agreeable. It is a presumption that when people speak, they intend and expect that they will communicate by doing so, and that the hearer will help at making this happen. When two people quarrel or have a disagreement, the Cooperative Principle still holds, even though the speakers may not be doing anything positive or cooperative. . . . Even if individuals are aggressive, self-serving, egotistic, and so on, and not quite focusing on the other participants of the interaction, they cant have spoken at all to someone else without expecting that something would come out of it, that there would be some result, and that the other person/s was/were engaged with them. That is what the Cooperative Principle is all about, and it certainly does have to continue to be considered as the main driving force in communic ation. (Istvan Kecskes,  Intercultural Pragmatics. Oxford University Press,  2014) Jack Reacher's Telephone Conversation The operator answered  and I asked for Shoemaker  and I got transferred, maybe elsewhere in the building, or the country, or the world, and after a bunch of clicks  and hisses and some long minutes of dead air Shoemaker came on the line and said Yes? This is Jack Reacher, I said. Where are you? Dont you have all kinds of automatic machines to tell you that? Yes, he said. Youre in Seattle, on a pay phone  down by the fish market. But we prefer it when people volunteer the information themselves. We find that makes the subsequent conversation go better. Because theyre already cooperating. Theyre invested. In what? The conversation. Are we having a conversation? Not really. (Lee Child, Personal.  Delacorte Press, 2014) The Lighter Side of the Cooperative Principle Sheldon Cooper: Ive been giving the matter some thought, and I think Id be willing to be a house pet to a race of superintelligent aliens.​ Leonard Hofstadter: Interesting.​ Sheldon Cooper: Ask me why?​ Leonard Hofstadter: Do I have to?​ Sheldon Cooper: Of course. Thats how you move a conversation forward. (Jim Parsons and  Johnny Galecki, The Financial Permeability. The Big Bang Theory, 2009)

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Human Resource Management - Essay Example With modernization, organizations grew larger and the demand for human resource management kept increasing. With fordism in place human resource management emerged. Skills became fragmented and specialized as positions were highly differentiated. Organizations, therefore, updated service delivery to answer to the demands of the customers. Fordism highly supported division of labor mass production is widespread and most production companies still implement fordism principles in their administration of human resource management. Long hours and labor that is cheap are factors that are still profitable to the small manufacturing companies. However, the fordism principles cannot be as successful as before but they have highly helped in shaping the future of human resource management in most industries. There is so much improvement in technology, complexity of social environment and so many other changes. The human resource management being applied today has some traces of fordism but ford sim alone cannot be successful (Petit 220). The concept of institutional economics is a foundation of human resource management. The neoclassical and neo-institutional schools of economics argue that the economic theories are a foundation and great implications of the human resource management theory. The macro-prudential policies provide policy makers with a set of policy instruments to complement changes. The instruments implicate the policy makers to make fine judgment on risks to financial stability and traditional concerns on monetary policy. Caution when making judgments is highly encourages by the monetary policies. The macro-prudential policies are the main components of human resource management. People are highly affected by the changing customs and changing institutions and the institutional economics are pecuniary and emphasize on collective action of