Buddhism Essay -- Papers Religion Buddha Essays Papers

Buddhism is one of the biggest religions founded in India in the 6th and 5th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as â€Å"the Buddha.† As one of the greatest Asian religion, it teaches the practice and the observance of moral perceptions. â€Å"Buddhism begins with a man. In his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was. Not ‘Who are you?’ but ‘What are you?’ ‘Are you god?’ they asked. ‘No.’ ‘An angel?’ ‘No.’ ‘A saint?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then, what are you?’ Buddha answered, ‘I am awake.’ His answer became his title, for this is what Buddha means. The Sanskrit root budh means to awake and to know. While the rest of humanity was dreaming the dream we call the waking human state, one of their number roused himself. Buddhism begins with a man who woke up. Buddha was born a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in a small kingdom in what is now Nepal. Siddharta’s birth is described as a miraculous event, his birth being the result of his mother's impregnation by a sacred white elephant that touched her left side with a lotus flower. The scriptures claim that when Gautama was born â€Å"immeasurable light spread through ten thousand worlds; the blind recovering their sight, as if from desire to see his glory" (Evans 141) Shortly after his birth, his father consulted with a number of astrologers, all of whom declared that the newborn prince would become a great king and that he would rule the world in truth and righteousness. Among these astrologers, there was one who declared that if the prince were to see a sick person, an old person, a corpse, and a world-renouncing ascetic, he w... ...he physical world and one's perceptions of it as a means towards enlightenment. All activities, including sex, can be used as a meditative technique. This was called Vajrayana, or "The Vehicle of the Thunder-Bolt." The Vajrayanans believed that each bodhisattva had consorts or wives, called taras These female counterparts embodied the active aspects of the bodhisattva, and so were worshipped. One learned the teachings of Tantrism from a master, and then one joined a group of others who had been trained. There one would practice the rituals learned from the master. For the Tantrists, the physical world was identical with the Void and human perception was identical with Nirvana. Buddhism, however, was slowly fading off of the Indian landscape; Tantrism came on the scene just as Buddhism began to slowly lose its vitality.

A Critique Paper on the Article Essay

There had been rampant news about economic crises that come and go due to a variety of reasons. More often than not, these crises affected a number of countries, and not surprisingly, a lot of businesses as well, especially those that operated in the affected countries. The issue here now is how a business’s top management will respond when faced with the repercussions of a crisis. Of course, there are many courses of action to choose from, and one of these options is restructuring. Corporate restructuring is entered into by firms that deemed that no other viable options exist but this. The usual form of restructuring is debt restructuring, wherein the creditor and the debtor renegotiate the terms and conditions of the existing debt of the latter in order to make it less onerous to fulfill. It may lead one to wonder why any sensible creditor would agree to this knowing it would be disadvantageous on his part. One of the main reasons why creditors agree to this arrangement is because of its relationship with the debtor. If it is in good terms with the debtor or has a history of mutual benefit, creditors would then consider this option, notwithstanding the detriments on its part. Restructuring is not also limited to corporate bodies. Any types of businesses, may it be small, medium or large enterprises, may use this option. In fact, this paper tackles the restructuring process and the probability of its success based on small- and medium-sized enterprises, given the following variables of determination enumerated in the paper. II. Main discussion a. Summary of the article This paper aims to measure the likelihood of success of a firm’s restructuring process with a bank’s assistance, given identified factors. To empirically test the paper’s hypothesis, the model is formulated as follows: Success in Restructuring = f (firm size, ROA, debt ratio, debt structure, bank debt, restructuring period, value of collateral) The size of the firm, which is measured using a firm’s total assets, is taken into consideration in determining the outcome of the restructuring process. This is so because it determines the level of resources a firm possesses. In the same vein, the value of collateral is considered as well as the degree of collaterized debt a firm has. The firm’s return on assets (ROA) is included as a measure of the firm’s profitability. The debt ratio, which is the portion of total debt on total assets, is considered for obvious reasons. The debt structure is incorporated to determine mainly the percentage of short-term and longterm to the total debt of the firm. The bank debt, measured as the percentage of debt owed to the bank in relation to the total debt, is taken into consideration. This is so because a firm receiving bank assistance for its debt restructuring may be affected because of their liabilities towards the ones helping them during their tumultuous times. Lastly, the restructuring period is added. A longer period would require more resources to be expended on the part of the distressed firm, in turn affecting the likelihood of success of its restructuring. Since this [paper] was made in the context of the Netherlands, the sample of firms and all other relevant data were taken from said country. The researchers gathered and classified 51 â€Å"successful firms† and 22 â€Å"unsuccessful firms†. The paper employed a qualitative response model (QRM), particularly the logit, to test their model in its multi-variate setting. The results of the empirical test were summarized in the subsequent tables (all taken from the paper): Table 2. 1 shows that both classes of firms were relatively comparable in terms of their size despite the difference (Total assets), but this is significant only at the 10% level, meaning, the size discrepancy is not enough to be a source of bias in the results. In the industry level, it can be seen that the Manufacturing and the Services and Transport industries are the ones that experience a lot of financial distress (results were significant at the 1% level, in other words, really significant). However, it is a different story between the two. The Manufacturing industry has more cases of unsuccessful restructurings whereas it is the other way around for the Services and Transport. The Other industries is also significant (10% level), which can mean that the researchers should have considered more industries rather than lumping them all in one. For the reasons of distress, it is surprising to see that only Overinvestment was significant (5% level). This can explain the reason why Manufacturing is on the top of the list: overinvestment has led the firms to grow at unmanageable levels, which was also coupled by a decreasing demand for the firm’s products, leading to their demise. Table 2. 2 answers the main topic at hand, which is the determination of significant factors (firm characteristics) to the probability of successful restructuring. These figures were taken pre-restructuring. The results show that the significant factors were those that relate to a firm’s debt. Moreover, it can be seen that unsuccessful firms had a really high debt ratio compared to the successful firms. It can therefore be concluded that a firm’s debt condition spells out its success or failure in debt restructuring. b. Significance This study can be useful for firms of all sizes and also to banks, the former to determine if restructuring is a wise decision given their debt situation, and the latter to decide if a financially-distressed irm is worth helping given their financial constraints. To put it simply, it helps both parties (especially the banks) to maximize the use of their resources that will reap them the most benefits. This is also not limited to developed countries, since this can also be applied in developing countries like the Philippines. Policy-makers can also get value from the results of this study by implementing the appropriate rules in connection with t his issue to ensure that the economic condition of the country will be protected from any harm that can emanate from this. III. Relation to class discussion It was actually in class that I have first heard of restructuring, and of course how to address the accounting problems posed by debt restructuring. In relation to this article, it actually deviates from the accounting issues learned in class, and takes it to another level, which is applying it in the real-world context. For my part, journal articles like these make me think that there is more to something that what we initially see. For instance, the class opened my eyes to the accounting perspective of debt restructuring, but this article made me appreciate this topic a whole lot more because of the familiarity I have with the topic and the discussion itself. Moreover, it has enriched my knowledge on the said topic. After this, I am really encouraged to read a lot more to quench my thirst for knowledge not only in my chosen field of expertise, but also in anything I am curious about. After all, living a meaningful and satisfying life is not by being ignorant, but by being curious about the things around you.

Hamlets Love for Ophelia Essay - 776 Words

Hamlets Love for Ophelia In Hamlet, we are introduced to the complexities of a man who is struggling to murder his uncle while trying to understand his mothers motives. His inner turmoil has left him emotionally unavailable and completely disenchanted with humanity in general. Hamlet seems to be at his best when he is cruel which could reveal a deeper method for self-medication in which he hurts those he loves most - especially his mother Ophelia. However, while we can clearly discern his reasons for rejecting his mother, we are left with a sort of bitterness when it comes to Ophelia. Why does he treat her so cruelly? Through the very text in which he scolds her, we can uncover some answers that reveal†¦show more content†¦However, in determining its importance, we must first define the word nunnery in order to decipher what it represents within the context of its usage. A nunnery by definition is a haven where woman enter to become nuns. It can be measured as the purest form of sacrifice since the end is to serve God. So, we could discern that to be in a nunnery would surely deliver us from any possible contamination with evil; because a nunnery represents a place that is pure and virtuous. From this definition, we might conclude that Hamlet is metaphorically attempting to deliver Ophelia from evil, that he sees her as a nunnery - pure - virtuous! As if she represents all that is good with the world and he all that is corrupt and hopeless. So, while on the surface his words may seem cruel and hateful, his intentions in this light are quite noble. It is a love that Hamlet would rather loose through alienation than to corrupt with his association. Lastly, it is through his words I must be cruel only to be kind that we can correlate the relationship between his cruelty and his justification in being so (4.1. 177). This statement only serves to reinforce the notion that his use of specific words (while harsh crude at times) along with a certain passionate madness - are meantShow MoreRelatedHamlets Love for Ophelia1231 Words   |  5 PagesIntro to Literature Drama Paper Hamlet’s Love   Ã‚      In the tragic play  Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, one of the most common themes found throughout the story’s plot is the theme of love. Shakespeare interlaces many layers of thematic love through the complex relationships of  Hamlet; primarily between Hamlet and Ophelia. From Act one until the final scene of the play, Hamlet struggles with the decision to kill Claudius while he concurrently tries to comprehend the chaos surroundingRead MoreHamlets Love For Ophelia1414 Words   |  6 Pagesfeelings for Ophelia until she is on her deathbed. This so called scholar is not intelligent enough to be aware of the fact that he is in love in Ophelia because his brain in clouded by the thought of revenge. 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Wheeler ENGL 1302.S17 Date 2/4/12 Did Hamlet Love Ophelia? Although some scholars argue that Hamlet has a concise story, it is filled with many uncertainties relating to Hamlet. One of which is Hamlet love for Ophelia, despite some argue otherwise, the evidence provides that the Prince truly did love Ophelia. The word â€Å"love† is a powerful one, both in real life, and in Shakespeares play Hamlet. It is often a confusing conceptRead MoreEssay on The Destruction of Love Between Hamlet and Ophelia1643 Words   |  7 PagesThe Destruction of Love Between Hamlet and Ophelia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ophelia describes Hamlet as the courtiers soldier, scholars eye, tongue and sword, Thexpectancy and rose of fair state, the glass of fashion and the mould of form, Thobserved of all observers (Act 3 Scene 1) He is the ideal man. But, after his madness and the death of her father she sees him as a noble mind oer thrown! (Act 3 Scene 1). 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The characters of Horatio and Ophelia have two very different functions in the play. Horatio is used as a foil for Hamlet, the person to whom Hamlet can discuss his course of action and act like his true self. Ophelia, however, has a major role that is not initiallyRead MoreThe Relationship Between Ophelia and Hamlet: William Shakespeare970 Words   |  4 Pagesmadness, such as Ophelia and Claudius, but in different forms. Existentialist philosopher Friedrich Nietzche says, â€Å"There is always some madness in love. But there is also some reason in madness.† What Nietzche is saying is tha t when you are in love with someone or something, there is always a little bit of madness or crazy to it, but there is also some reason, some explanation, to madness. This essay will prove Nietzche’s statement by looking at Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship, Hamlet’s plot to foolRead MoreHamlet Temperament Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst â€Å"revenge tragedies† (â€Å"Hamlet: Violence†). 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Although he did break up with her at one point during the play and said he did not love her, it was obvious throughout the rest of the