Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Dissertation Subjects

Exposition Subjects Exposition Subjects Exposition Subjects The decision of a thesis subject is significant, and it ought to be begun well before you start composing your paper. You can be a dexterous specialist and a splendid essayist, however in the event that you neglect to settle on a sufficient decision among heaps of conceivable thesis subjects, your work will likely not be a triumph. The Choice of Dissertation Subjects Choosing your paper subject, think about its degree. Your subject ought to be very expansive to permit you to assemble enough proof and think about all the inquiries inside your theme. For instance, in the event that you are relegated to compose a paper in geology, it isn't sensible to expound on the issue of contamination in the UK, since you won't have the option to cover this subject inside the extent of your exposition. That implies your subject ought to be very thin for you to have the option to make a profound examination of the issue. In addition, your examination should fit in your promise lim it. Thesis subjects ought to be assessed by the understudies foundation information. It's anything but a smart thought to begin expounding on something which is totally new to you, you won't have the option to create it inside the time you have. In reality, you need more an ideal opportunity to squander it on tests. Great Dissertation Topics Are Innovative You realize that great paper subjects ought to be new. In any case, it doesn't mean they ought to be totally new, you should explore subjects that as of now exist. Yet, it is significant that you research this subject in another, unique way. Picking a thesis subject is somewhat more troublesome than composing a paper itself. You should peruse a ton, considering conceivable paper subjects, to figure out what has been done previously. The consequences of your work will be valuable when you disregard to composing a writing audit and proposition. Utilize the assets your counselor can offer you, he can show you the way where you can lo cate a subject deserving of exploration. Your chief will most likely offer you some exposition subjects to browse, and it will be sensible to acknowledge this assistance. Pick the one speaking to you. Keep in mind, that in the event that you have backing of your manager, your panel will most likely be progressively faithful to you, as well. Last Note on Dissertation Topics Finally, the most significant part of a thesis subject is that it ought to be intriguing for you, as a decent theme is the one that you like!

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Reflective Statement King of Chess Essay Example For Students

Intelligent Statement: King of Chess Essay In Cheng’s King of Chess, the subject of yin and yang is predominant in the characters’ perspectives and activities. The storyteller and Wang Yisheng are two altogether different individuals when they initially meet one another, yet they are attracted to one another in the need to adjust themselves. After the Cultural Revolution, numerous progressions occur which vigorously impact both the storyteller and Wang Yisheng’s lives. The storyteller loses his family, and stresses over getting enough food and shelterâ€yet he gets plentiful assistance from his companions and winds up finding a new line of work so he could get paid and eat. The storyteller has no different pastimes or uncommon interests, yet appears to be forlorn and is searching for a companion. Wang is a foil to the storyteller on the grounds that while he has lived in neediness his entire life and is fixated on food and chess, he doesn’t need whatever else to keep him cheerful. The storyteller, before all else, comprehends why they call him â€Å"Chess Fool†: in light of the fact that he doesn’t care about anything aside from chess and is excessively socially cumbersome to be acknowledged anyplace. Over the long haul, and Wang and the storyteller become companions, the two of them understand that you can have the entirety of your fundamental necessities yet still hunger for additional from life. For this situation Wang simply needs somebody to play chess with, yet subtly feels the need of friendship, and the storyteller understands that he has his fundamental needs dealt with, and that they additionally incorporate having the emotionally supportive network of friendsâ€not just on an essential level as he encountered help from them when he was stranded, yet on a passionate level. Along these lines the two characters start their excursion diversely however arrive at similar resolutions, arriving at profound satisfaction toward the finish of the novel. This sort of mentality mirrors a portion of the way of life in China due to the solid Daoism subjects in this story. Daoism assumes a significant job in both of the character’s improvement all through the story. Wang learns empathy and modesty, characteristics he needed before his encounters. The two characters at long last parity each other out, which is one of the primary thoughts of Daoism: otherworldly, physical and passionate equalization, or yin and yang. This is a difference toward the Western world, since it will in general be that individuals continue needing things in any event, when essential necessities have been dealt with, and don’ts see the incentive in a basic life.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Threat Of Substitutes

Threat Of Substitutes INTRODUCTION A substitute product is one that may offer the same or similar benefits to a company as a product from another industry. The threat of a substitute is the level of risk that a company faces from replacement by its substitutes. For more generic, undifferentiated products the threat is always higher that from more unique products. A company that has several possible substitutes that can easily be switched to has little control over the prices it sets or how it chooses to sell the product. © Entrepreneurial Insights based on the concept of Porters 5 ForcesPorter defined this threat as one of the forces that affect competitive structure within an industry. It is an important factor because it affects company and industry profitability. A low threat from substitutes means that there will be less competition among the existing firms and there will be more potential to earn higher profits.In this article, we will look at an 1) introduction to the threat of substitutes, 2) conditions that increase the risk of substitutes, 3) analyzing the threat of substitutes, 4) mitigating threat of substitution, 5) capitalizing on the availability of substitutes, as well as 6) example from the soft drink and 7) example from airline industries.INTRODUCTIONThe existence of substitute product offers customers different choices and allows them options within the industry and beyond it to products that may fulfill a similar need. In more generic products, there are often more than one ways t o address a particular need. An example of this is the option to choose different modes of transportation when going from destination A to destination B. If an airline operates on that route, it must compete with all other airlines on that route as well as any possible ground routes such as car rentals, buses and trains.Analyzing the threat of substitutes can be tricky because any items being compared are not exactly alike but vary either slightly or greatly in what they offer. A customer will often base their analysis on the value offered by an item and its price.CONDITIONS THAT INCREASE THE RISK OF SUBSTITUTES There are many situations or conditions in which the threat of substitutes is stronger than usual. Some of these conditions are:Switching Costs: If there are little of no switching costs for a consumer, then there is more of a chance that they may explore and move over to a more attractive substitute. In the absence of other factors such as brand loyalty or differentiation, the choice to move will not be a difficult one. For example, if a consumer wants to replace cable subscriptions with online streaming site subscription, they may be able to do so easily unless there is some cost associated with discontinuing the cable service.Product Price: If substitutes are priced more reasonably, then there may be more risk of consumers switching products. In addition, this can act as a barrier to how much a company can raise the prices for its own product. Any move to price higher than substitutes may lead to consumer migration and loss profits.Product Quality: If the quality of substitute pro ducts is higher than that of any product, then it is more likely that consumers will want to make use of this difference and switch over.Product Performance: If a substitute products functions at the same level or at a better level than a product than there is a chance that consumers will want to switch over. For example, in travelling short distances, if an airline’s flights are always delayed, while a train or bus is on time, customers may choose to travel by road rather than wait endlessly for a plane to take off.Substitute Availability: All of the above factors can only come into play if there are actually substitutes available in the market. To identify potential threats, the company needs to be creative in its thought process and look beyond traditional competitors.ANALYZING THREAT OF SUBSTITUTESAs mentioned previously, substitutes are not immediately recognizable since they are often from outside the industry a company operates within. This is why there needs to be special attention paid towards identifying the threat of substitutes and developing strategies to counter it in the long term. There is always the danger that a company may be too focused on handling its direct competitors and may miss the imminent threat of a substitute. This can even happen at an industry scale, where in the effort to compete with companies within the industry can overshadow threats from the outside.A company can keep a check on possible substitutes by doing the following:Identify Problems Identify the problems that can be solved by your product or service? These should be listed down in detail and creative thought through in order to generate as close to an exhaustive list as possible.Identify other SolutionsNow identify what other means exist to solve the same problem. What can be reasonable alternates that a consumer may consider?Identify Substitute AppealAt this point, try to understand why an alternate solution may be appealing to a consumer. Some questions to ask he re may be:What are benefits that your product doesn’t provide but the alternate does?What are the price points and how do they differ?Can prices change suddenly? If so, why?Are there any weak points in the substitute item? Are there any limitations to its use?Are there any barriers that may stop a customer from switching?Are there any trends that define the substitute products industry? What aspects are responsible for value to the customer?Create Counter Measures and StrategiesWith understanding of substitutes, how they work and the basis of their possible appeal to consumers, the company can now create strategies to handle these alternates. There can be two sets of strategies. One to prevent customers from leaving for a substitute and the other to entice people over from a substitute.Determining Threat SeverityThe severity of a substitute’s threat to consumers of a product can be determined by asking a series of questions. If any one of more of these applies then the product m ay be under threat from substitute products.Are consumer switching costs low?Are substitute products cheaper than yours or other competing products within the industry?Are substitute products similar in quality or better than yours or other competing products within the industry?Are substitute products performing better than your product or other competing products within the industry?Are there one or more substitutes available in the market?MITIGATING THREAT OF SUBSTITUTESThough not foolproof, there are steps to take in order to prevent customers from needing to explore alternates or substitutes. These include:Differentiation: Through creating a unique product offering, customers will be able to satisfy a need through only a specific product and will not be easily swayed by substitute products. There could be additional features or benefits that may not be available in a substitute product.Customer Value: Customers often look for the product that provides the best value for money. This means that maximum benefits are being gained by spending the least amount of money. If this value is created for a customer than they may not need to look at other productsBrand Loyalty: Most companies strive to create and maintain a strong brand loyalty among their customers. This helps prevent easy switchovers to other brands or substitute products.CAPITALIZING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SUBSTITUTESIf substitute products have been identified and there is a threat of easy switching between a company’s product and the substitute, then a company can act preemptively and try to bring over customers over to their product. A company can:Identify Consumers With the Potential To Switch OverThe first thing a company can do is to identify those members of the potential audience that are most likely to move to a substitute. This group may collectively have an unmet need or a weak spot. An example could be unhappiness with the business practices of a company or an industry.Communicate and Build a Relationship with ThemOnce the target audience has been identified, a company may want to find ways to interact with these people and create a relationship with them. This could be through special information sessions, point of sale interaction or specialized mail or advertising.Educate Them About The Company’s ProductOnce a line of communication is opened, information can be shared about the product being sold by the company and the benefits and features it can offer.Offer Special Packages or Trial PurchasesIn order to encourage these consumers to take the first step towards change, it is a good idea to offer them special discounts, package deals or trial purchases. This may help ease the process of change and create value in the consumer’s mind.Reassure ConstantlyIn order to solidify the new relationship, consumers may need to be reassured that their needs are met and possibly in better ways than before. The established line of communication needs to be strengthened an d after sales service and communication needs to continue.Work Towards Building Customer LoyaltyThrough sustained good relationships, good service and continued value for money, customer loyalty can be created and built up over time.Work Towards Maintaining Customer LoyaltySustained customer loyalty is the way to ensure that customers will not switch back to their old product. Discounts and offers will only go so far. For long term relationships, it is vital to try to ensure that the product remains good value for money, it remains functioning at an optimal level of quality and it continues to fulfill an unmet need for the consumer.EXAMPLE COCA COLA © Wikimedia commons | The Coca-Cola CompanyProduced by the Coca Cola Company, ‘Coke’ is an extremely popular carbonated beverage sold all over the world. When it was invented in the 19th century, the product was intended to be used as a medicine. It was later purchased by a businessman, who used clever marketing to position it as a soft drink and eventually led to the brand’s global position today.The company operates through bottlers worldwide. Concentrate, made with a secret formula is sold to these bottlers who complete the product and sell it in its various forms in their designated markets. Apart from bottlers, concentrate is also sold to restaurants and fast food chains to be used in soda fountains.As of 2013, Coke and related products were available in more than 200 countries all over the world. Coca Cola remains the most valuable brand in the world according to a study conducted in 2011.Competitors and SubstitutesThe soft drink industry faces intense competition from w ithin its industry as well as from substitutes. The most major of its competitors is Pepsi Cola which competes in all the same markets and even outsells it in some of them. Other direct competition comes from local cola drinks, as well as other soft drinks. Close competition comes from items like fruit juices and other similar beverages. Alternates or substitutes can include water or even coffee or tea as sources of caffeine.The Threat of SubstitutesThere is medium to high pressure from substitutes in the beverage industry. As a product, most people cannot differentiate the taste from other similar cola products. So for many, it is an interchangeable product. In addition, the rising awareness of cola products and their negative repercussions on health have led to other beverages such as water and juices becoming more sought after.There is an ever increasing variety of sports and health based drinks in the market. In addition, chain stores such as Starbucks now offer a large variety of products that cater to different tastes. These also affect cola sales. For those looking for a caffeinated drink, there is always coffee and tea, both of which are now available in a myriad of flavors and tastes.There are low switching costs associated with a move from the product to another. While Coca Cola does enjoy some brand loyalty, this usually extends to refusal to drink another cola but not a refusal to consume another beverage altogether. The quality of the products, both competing soft drinks and substitutes are similar enough for the quality factor to not be an anchor for existing consumers.It remains in the interest of the cola industry to attempt to keep consumers within the industry. This means that collectively, any positive advertisements from one company can lead to a resultant increase in the sale of all colas or soft drinks. While any negative public relations related to the industry will drive all consumers away from the product regardless of their brand choi ces and preferences. For this reason, soft drink companies have huge marketing and advertising budgets and a lot of effort goes into creating and maintaining brand visibility and loyalty.EXAMPLE THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY © Wikimedia commons | Charaka RanasingheFrom the point of view of airlines themselves, the flying business is very competitive. There are hundreds of airlines all trying to get a bigger piece of the pie. Global recessions have also meant cost cutting exercises for most airlines in the industry and often less travel in the part of consumers. There is also the trend to move from government owned carriers to more privately owned enterprises. This means that there can be no subsidies during times of crisis and no bailouts. Other issues faced include airport capacity, the structure of roots, costs to buy, lease or maintain aircraft, adopting new technology, weather fluctuations, increased security requirements and checks, fuel and labor costs, as well as issues.There are four types of airlines divided by the types of services they provide. These include:International AirlinesDomestic AirlinesRegional AirlinesCargo AirlinesThreat of SubstitutesDepending on the nature of the airline’s bu siness, the threat of substitutes can range from lower on the scale to mid-range. For domestic or regional airlines or routes, there is always the option of taking a car, bus or train. It may take longer but often this consideration is outweighed by the cost advantages of substitute methods. There is also no switching cost to deal with.In the case of international airlines, the threat of substitutes is almost non-existent. On longer routes, a traveler needs to take a flight with no possible alternates. Threat here is from competitors who may offer better rewards, better prices or a better flying experience. There is also somewhat of a switching cost. Airlines offer miles that collect to offer rewards. If these collected miles are divided over multiple airlines, benefits are also divided and slow to accumulate.Image credit:  Wikimedia commons | The Coca-Cola Company under public domain and  Wikimedia commons | Charaka Ranasinghe under  Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Definition of Work in Physics

In  physics, work is defined as a  force  causing the movement—or displacement—of an object. In the case of a constant force, work is the scalar product of the force acting on an object and the displacement caused by that force. Though both force and displacement are vector quantities, work has no direction due to the nature of a scalar product (or dot product) in vector mathematics. This definition is consistent with the proper definition because a constant force integrates to merely the product of the force and distance. Read on to learn some real-life examples of work as well as how to calculate the amount of work being performed. Examples of Work There are many examples of work in everyday life.  The Physics Classroom  notes a few: a horse pulling a plow through the field; a father pushing a grocery cart down the aisle of a grocery store; a student lifting a backpack full of books upon her shoulder; a weightlifter lifting a barbell above his head; and an Olympian launching the shot-put. In general, for work to occur, a  force has to be exerted on an object causing it to move. So, a frustrated person pushing against a wall, only to exhaust himself, is not doing any work because the wall does not move. But, a book falling off a table and hitting the ground would be considered work, at least in terms of physics, because a force (gravity) acts on the book causing it to be displaced in a downward direction. Whats Not Work Interestingly, a waiter carrying a tray high above his head, supported by one arm, as he walks at a steady pace across a room, might think hes working hard. (He might even be perspiring.) But, by definition, he is not doing  any  work. True, the waiter is using force to push the tray above his head, and also true, the tray is moving across the room as the waiter walks. But, the force—the waiters lifting of the tray—does not cause the tray to move. To cause a displacement, there must be a component of force in the direction of the displacement, notes The Physics Classroom. Calculating Work The basic calculation of work is actually quite simple: W Fd Here, W stands for work, F is the force, and d represents displacement (or the distance the object travels).  Physics for Kids  gives this example problem: A baseball player throws a ball with a force of 10 Newtons. The ball travels 20 meters. What is the total work? To solve it, you first need to know that a Newton is  defined as the force necessary to provide a mass of 1  kilogram (2.2 pounds)  with an acceleration of 1  meter (1.1 yards) per second. A Newton  is generally abbreviated as N. So, use the formula: W Fd Thus: W 10 N * 20 meters (where the symbol * represents times) So: Work 200 joules A  joule,  a term used in physics, is equal to the  kinetic energy  of 1 kilogram moving  at 1 meter per second.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

A Critical Study of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar and Environmental Ethics - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2114 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Religion Essay Level High school Tags: Buddhism Essay Did you like this example? CHAPTER I Introduction 1.1 Background and Significance of the Problems The existence and development of human world as well as the historical process of man and woman is mainly created by the public who are working with endeavor. So, the principle of human history is the people who are working. Past history is the lessons for present and present is for future ones. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Critical Study of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar and Environmental Ethics" essay for you Create order Without studying history, one cannot understand the real situation of country and people. History actually cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and our common community. According to the saying of Robert Penn Warren, it cannot be deniable that studying history of country or religion can make people understand the good and bad beneficiaries of history concerned and they are managed to construct their lives better for their future. The topic I have chosen for my Ph.D degree is focus on the historical research concerning with Konbaung empire. When studying the historical background of Konbaung dynasty in brief, there appears the problems and research questions as follow: How did the Buddhism relate with Konbaung period? Is Buddhism really flourished in Myanmar and especially in that epoch? How did Buddhism spread and flourish in that era? Why did Konbaung heirs conclude under British? In what way did it influence the people in Myanmar in the field of environmental ethics? 1.2 Objectives of the research It is undeniable that to study history of Burma is nothing but to study the history of the teachings of the Buddha. This tendency could be exercised on the life of the Burmese people in the past or in the present. This projected study emphasises on history of Burma and the role of the Buddhist monks in Myanmar. The aims and objectives of this thesis are as under: To give the material of the policy on the tactic of several dynasties in Burma to apply the Theravada Buddhism as the official religion in the country. To know the role of the propagation of the Theravada Buddhism. To analyze why and how the kings and the people paid their respects and supported to their religion. To emphasize the role of Buddhist monks in the history of Burma and their contribution to education and moral values of society. To scrutinize the social background in which Theravada Buddhism influenced and how Theravada Buddhism molds the life of Burmese people in their daily life in economy, agricultural, social, education, administration, economics, culture, architecture, literature, politic in that period. 1.3 Statement of the Problems Desired to know There is a problem in Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar and environmental ethics of Konbaung empire. Despite expressing the historical background of that period by most scholars, there rarely provide how Buddhism arrived in Myanmar and how is related with environmental ethics. This problem has negatively affected the people and country because it is not completed in the historical field. A possible cause of this problem is that they are difficult to collect the data with original language. Perhaps a study which investigates Konbaung reign by a historical method could help resolve the situation. 1.4 Scope of the Research Even though there are a lot of evidences and references for the fact concerning with Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar, it is here limited the field of Buddhism in Konbaung empire from 1752-1885 because of the time limit. Since time frame is limited, the primary data cannot be going to the field. The analyses are made according to the data collected from secondary data in this study. The key findings and suggestions are forecast viewing these data expressed from ancient to modern days. 1.5 Research Hypotheses The Konbaung dynasty contributed significantly for unification of Burma and advancement of its civilization. This study suggests that the domination of the Konbaung dynasty was appreciably facilitated by Buddhism, which cemented the relationship between the rulers and ruled at one level and among Burmese people at another level. The Konbaung family attempted to create Burmese society based upon the strict principles of the Theravada Buddhism. This study is also proposing that Buddhism developed high popularity during the Konbaung dynasty and extended active patronage to Buddhism and monastic system. 1.6 Definition of the Terms Used in the Research The terms of the key words and phrases refer to concepts at the core of one’s study and concepts that must be unmistakable in conducting research with proper care and if the procedures and outcomes are to be properly understood by your reading audience. To illustrate key words of this research are as follows: Theravada Buddhism- it is believed to be the genuine doctrine of the Lord Buddha who has established the foundation of Theravada in Aparihaniyadesana. Konbaung dynastry- it means the period from king Alongphaya to king Thipaw (1752-1885) Environmental ethics – the term is concerned with environment of Myanmar people in their daily life in social, education, administration, economics, culture, architecture, literature, politic at the time of Konbaung Period. 1.7 Review of Related Literature and Research Works By the time we study the history of Myanmar and Buddhism, we found that Chronicles of Burma were written for one or quite a lot of of the following reasons: to inaugurate the fact that Buddhism reached to Burma since the life time of the Buddha. to preserve that the Rulers were the direct descendants of Mahasamata, the great king; to record the father to son heritage of kingship among the Burmese kings; to compile local histories with undisguised effort to attach importance to each locality as it has been founded by either a princely or saintly person; to recollect what meritorious deeds were done by each king who styled himself as the upholder of the religion; to praise the achievement of effective emperors so that the future kings could follow their example. Therefore the chronicle is a traditional way of writings the past of Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka and Burma and constitute a strong historical tradition. According to the Dipavamsa, King Ashoka, as his great missionary woks, sent Buddhist missions to nine places after third Buddhist council including Suvannabhum and Lankadipa among them. The Mahavamsa illustrates these facts in great detail and the Burmese chronicles also followed suit. Suvannabhumi was recognized as Thaton or Tikekala in Mon State in Burma. King Ramadhipati known as Dhammaceti of Pegu, now Bago in his Kalyani Sima inscription (A.C 1480). It was traced the beginning of Buddhism to Thaton by Venerable Sona and Uttara in 309 B.C. The story verify the arrival of Buddhism in Burma back to the 4th century B.C. We do have some archeology based studies of Buddhism in Burma before or after the Bagan and Early Bagan periods. 1.8 Conceptual Framework Even though the projected study aims to trace the history of the Konbaung period in Burma, the particular focus has been devoted to the religion especially the Theravada Buddhism. The ethics of the Theravada Buddhism deeply influenced the way Burmese people live. The proposed study attempts to trace the process of emergence of the Theravada Buddhism as a dominant mode of religion and a way of life in Burma especially in the Konbaung era. The proposed study is not a narrative of the antiquity and the attempt has been made to explore how the socio-economic and cultural process of Burma intertwined with Buddhism. In other words, this study is an ethno-historical study of religion of Burma. This approach is useful in understanding the factors that condition and mold the life patterns of a community. Venezuela historian, Bereta Perez proposes that history is a complicated domain that touches everyday life of the nation in a critical way and from India, Nicolas Dricks used the framework of ethohistory to construct the political history of South Indian dynasty. By using the similar framework the proposed study attempts to document the evolution of the Theravada Buddhism and its impact upon the Burmese civilization in the past and present. 1.9 Research Methodology The projected study is an attempt to document the history of Burma and Theravada Buddhism in Konbaung period. History is a study of the past events concerned with the development of a particular place. Every nation has its historical background, so Burma, one of the countries in the world had been standing with their own kings in their past for centuries. The original sources written mainly in Burmese language as well as English are applied and historical data have been gleaned as possible as reach to our knowledge. Apart from the original sources other methods such as comparative, historical, textual, inscriptions, archeological excavation, royal orders, reports and scientific have been utilized for the present work and rational thinking has been applied to clarify the facts. Apparently most of the historical sources on the Konbaung empire and Theravada Buddhism in Burma are available in Burmese language. Keeping this limitation into consideration, the proposed study attempts to use verities of historical sources available in Burmese language such court chronicles of the Konbaung empire, books written in Burmese language on Theravada Buddhism, inscriptions, and officials sources of Burmese government such as gazetteers have been used to explore and document the contribution of the Konbaung period for promotion of the Theravada Buddhism and its impact upon the socio-economic, cultural and civilizational process of Burma. 1.10 Advantages Expected to Obtain from the Research It is generally believed that Buddhism flourished in the Konbaung Period. This research is written to determine whether this view is correct using Primary and secondary sources in writing this dissertation. By studying this dissertation, it can be obtained the following advantages as follows; One can realize the situation of the teachings of the Buddha in Myanmar One can understand the way to apply the Theravada Buddhism as the official religion in the country. One can distinguish the role of the first Konbaung Empire and the last dynasty in the history of Burma in the propagation of the Theravada Buddhism. One analyze why and how the kings and the people paid their respects and supported to their religion. One can receive the knowledge on how Theravada Buddhism influenced the life of Myanmar people in their daily life in social, education, administration, economics, culture, architecture, literature, politic at the time of Konbaung Empire. 1.11 Brief chapterisation In my present work is divided in to five chapters as follows: Chapter –I Introduction Chapter-II Life of the Buddha and Brief introduction to Buddhism Chapter-III Historical background of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar Chapter-IV Theravada Buddhism in Konbaung Period (1752-1885) Chapter-V Environmental ethics of Theravada Buddhism in Konbaung Period Chapter –VI Conclusion Bibliography The first one consists of systematic introduction of the topic, objectives, hypothesis, methodology, context of study, review of literature and mention of sources and conceptual framework of thesis. Chapter two will describe the life of the Buddha and brief introduction to Buddhism which shows the starting place of Buddhism and the ways to liberation from Samsara, the circle of birth and death as well as the key Suttas for Buddhist people. Chapter three will describe the historical context of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar. With reference to the introduction of Buddhism into Myanmar, the views of the different scholars will be shown. The earliest form of Buddhism that arrived in Myanmar was a pure form of Theravada Buddhism is discussed. It is analyzed that the Myanmars came into contact with Buddhism only after Aniruddhas conquest of Thaton. Moreover, how the aris, who were disparaged in the Myanmar chronicles, did not appear in the early Pagan period, but appeared only in the later Pagan period and how they were powerful even in the post-Pagan periods and how no Myanmar King had ever stamped out the aris are discussed. How some kings were unable to carry through their reforms because they were not accepted by monks and laypersons is also explained. Chapter four deals with how the teachings of the Buddha are practised in Konbaung period (1752-1885) This chapter discusses the summary on the contextual of Kongaung dynasty and restructuring of Kongaung. And then religious activities of Konbaung kings and how Atin ayon problem which was disputed for many years were discussed. How King Badon attempted to push through religious reforms after studying Buddhism himself is also included. Chapter five discuss on the environmental ethics in Konbaung period inconformity with the teachings of the Buddha. It also explained how the teachings of the Buddha influenced Burmese people in their daily life in the field of social, education, administration, economics, culture, architecture, literature, politic and law at the time of Konbaung Empire. In chapter six, it has been drown conclusion regarding my thesis. It will recapitulate the main points of the whole carrier mine. Suggestions and lessons will be shown in it.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Public Speaking †Friends and Friendship. Free Essays

HPD 111 – PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGLISH MOHD HAFIZAN BIN MOHAMAD SAH 2010319793 OUTLINE TOPIC: Friends and friendship. OUTLINE Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about who are friend, and what is friendship. Central Idea: friends are people whom will always be at your side whenever you need to express or share your feeling and do some activities with them. We will write a custom essay sample on Public Speaking – Friends and Friendship. or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction I. It was a few years ago when I saw a group of teenagers do some bully to a teenager. However, that teenager didn’t report their activities to police but he got back up by some other teenagers whose are his friend came to elp him out. II. When I saw this incident, I have learnt that friends are essential whenever we are in pinch. III. They could help us out whenever we in serious trouble. IV. Today, I would like to inform you about friend and friendship. (Transition: Let’s start with the first point about friendship. ) Body I. Friendship is a blessing for us. A. Friends will help us whenever we are in a pinch. 1. True friends will help us from any trouble. 2. Friends will challenge us to attain our original limits with encouragement when we allow ourselves not to go beyond our easonable boundaries. B. They will cheer us when we’re sorrowful or depressed. 1. Friends will motivate us when we’re ready to give in, and they can provide for us whe n life falls apart. 2. Friendship is a blessing, and a friend is the channel through whom great emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even physical blessings flow. (Transition: Now you knew that friendship is like blesses to us, let’s look about the other meaning of friendship. ) II. Friendship is everlasting relationship. A. Friendship is the only everlasting feature in the world. 1. Friends will try to find new ways to make you not to fall into depression. 2. Friends can also make us realised that depression won’t help us from solving any trouble. B. Friendship will grow slowly as we experienced new things with friends and it will not be removed easily. 1. They will find innovative ways to stop us from falling, failing and try to get help to lift us up. 2. They will give us some good advice to rebuild strength on facing any troubles. (Transition: Given there about everlasting friendship, I’m sure you want to know what’s next. ) III. Friendship will give us courage to go through life. A. Friends, they are the only source of our brave hearts. 1. Friends will make us show more efforts and spirits when doing something that we can’t do before. 2. Friends will come to us to help us solve our problems. B. Friendship is one of our sources to become brave while making some activities that need more courage. 1. Friendship gives courage to our mind and body. 2. Friends will help us to escape from big troubles. Conclusion I. As we have look through there are lots things to consider about friends and friendship. II. Friends are the most precious treasure to us and we need to keep it in good condition. III. In case of getting some friends, you need to find the loyal friends in your life so that your relationship will become worthy at the end. Bibliography Albert, Prakash (2010). Friends and Friendship – Who are friends, and what are friendship. Lepp, Ignace (1966). The Ways of Friendship. New York: The Macmillan Company. L’Abate, Luciano (2007). Friendship, social support, and health. Low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health: Theory, research, and practice. (pp. 455–472). xxii, 526 pp. New York. How to cite Public Speaking – Friends and Friendship., Papers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Contextual Homiletic in the Patristic Age free essay sample

We find several instances in the Old Testament where praising God was done using musical instruments, songs, and sometimes even with dances. These songs are confessions about the greatness and power of God (e. g. Moses, Miriam, David etc. ), in other words demonstrating in a unified sense that contents and form, cognitive and affective parts are closely related in the sense of homiletics. Singing, as a form of preaching, still strongly tied to the Jewish heritage, is found also in the New Testament, especially in connection with the stories of the birth of Jesus. Mary and Zachariah praise the Lord with a song, as a response to the prophecy of the angel about the coming of the Messiah. On the sacred night of the birth, a choir of angels sing and glorify God. In the patristic period, following the primeval church, the song, as metaphor, originates mainly from the mythic anthropological images of the pagan world. This had an important effect both in preaching and in the cultivation of apology. Later the Christian kerygma, effected by the entering of the Hellenistic world took on the form of eloquence, which defined through several centuries its mainly deductive understanding and explanatory system. After this we find  »preaching in song « in the era of the reformation. Martin Luther, in particular, was the great master of this, able to interpret theological concepts by song. (Luther’s preaching by song is discussed in detail by Professor Jan Hermelink in his keynote lecture, so I do not discuss this matter further to save space). Beside the interpretation of theology by oral means, its appearance in other arts (like literature, song, later theatre) has always been an exciting topic, in which the age of reformation produced outstanding results. Although functionally  »singing theology « was counted as the best method of learning in a society where most people could hardly read, we cannot regard it solely and exclusively as a conscious approach. Aesthetic values cannot be evaded when branches of art are combined with preaching. And is there any form of preaching which is not connected to some form of art? Asking this question is important, especially in the case of Hungarian homiletics. At the end of the twentieth century the problem of song and music appears in the discourses of homiletics, as a metaphor of an event, a sort of analogy, which assists preaching, aside of rationality, to become an eventful, intuitive experience. This tendency is prominent in the American New Homiletic movement, mainly in the detailed problems of combination of contents and form. First I try to examine the metaphorical approach of music and song in the patristic age through Clement’s Protrepticos on the basis of the so called Orpheus legend. Secondly I will introduce, through the metaphor of song/music the new aesthetical approach in postmodern age. Thirdly, I will discuss how the 20th century Hungarian homiletical schools relate to aesthetical homiletics, that I call the modern age. Aesthetical homiletics in the patristic age Orpheus, the mythological hero, is regarded as the symbol of music/song and the strength of love; as a result his person became the icon of music and love. According to the myth, which was formed in the 6th century B. C. Orpheus was a Greek shepherd in Thracia, and was favoured by the gods because of his singing and playing of instruments like the zither, and lyre. He enchanted birds with his voice, and tamed beasts. Nature was revitalized around him, trees and even lifeless objects like stones began to move when hearing his music. When his beloved Eurydice died, the gods allowed Orpheus to descend into the underworld and to bring back his love. Charon took him across the river of death, and under the spell of his singing, left the barge and followed him. Cerberos, the three-headed beast, affected by the music, stopped barking and became calm. The fiery wheel of Ixion came to a halt, and vultures stopped tormenting the liver of Tityus, the daughters of Danaos discontinued the useless carrying of water, Sisyphus sat down on his rock, Tantalos’ hunger and thirst ceased and the judges of the dead were in tears. In one of the vaults of the Domitilla catacomb in Rome one can see a portrayal of Orpheus. Surrounded by trees and beasts, he wears a Phrygian cap, in his left hand he holds his lyre, on his right hand there is the plectrum, a small stick, with which he plays the cords. There arises a valid question: how did a mythological hero get into an ancient Christian burial site? The answer is as follows: Orpheus is Christ. Christ is the symbol of the animating singing, Christ is New Song. According to the Greek myth, despite his endeavours, Orpheus could not bring his beloved back from the underworld, but in early Christian symbolism the descent into the inferno and the momentum which changed everything there was sufficient imagery for him to be regarded by the pagan world as the precursor of Christ in preaching. In the syncretic practice of religions in the Roman Empire several gods and religions communicated with one another, sometimes these gods and beliefs even merged. Often it happened that gods or ceremonies from other religions were adapted in the other’s practice, or the older gods were identified as the new ones and their characteristics were united. Early Christian art did not exclude former pagan symbols from its practice. Thus, early Christian painting included both elements of pagan visual art as well as the then existing fashionable styles of painting. (e. g. emphasis of the head and eyes indicates influence from the East. ) In Greek mythology Orpheus was depicted as a Greek youngster, with a lyre, in a green, flowery background, or sometimes later in the underworld in front of Eurydice. On the frescoes of various representations of Christ one can observe clearly the influence of style and dressing of the given age. On one of these for example Christ appears as a young man in Roman clothes, with fashionable curly hair, without beard, with a plectrum, when resurrecting Lazarus. This Jesus is the same as Orpheus used to be, he revitalizes the dead. In theological terms Jesus descended onto earth, that means into the world of the dead, even died himself (descended into hell) to give those men who obediently listen to his singing, eternal life. Let us observe in a few citations how Clement of Alexandria Protrepticos (it means: exhortation) allegorizes this Orpheus-symbol in his work Exhortation to the Heathen. In this work we can encounter the characteristic contextual theology of the 2nd and following centuries, when he introduces Christ-Orpheus, as a new bard to the Greeks. The church in this era uses pagan images of their mythical anthropology to attract people to Christ. They tell by these images that our Christ is the marvellous lyre player, of whom you talked in the times of your myths. It alone has tamed men, the most intractable of animals; the frivolous among them answering to the fowls of the air, deceivers to reptiles, the irascible to lions, the voluptuous to swine, the rapacious to wolves. The silly are stocks and stones, and still more senseless than stones is a man who is steeped in ignorance. As our witness, let us adduce the voice of prophecy accordant with truth, and bewailing those who are crushed in igno rance and folly: †ºFor God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham†¹ [†¦] Behold the might of the new song! It has made men out of stones, men out of beasts. Those, moreover, that were as dead, not being partakers of the true life, have come to life again, simply by becoming listeners to this song.  « Christ’s preaching, and indeed the incarnation, according to Clement, is a new song. This is such a metaphor in his draft, which succinctly, but still easily explains to us that preaching is nothing else than a song of joy. This joy expands the dimensions of life for those who listen to it. Such songs do not want anything else but to make people free for a new life, which the Master of Life presents to them. Such songs give possibilities to blind, deaf, lame, straying, disobedient people, and even murderers to start a new life.  »What, then, does this instrument – the Word of God, the Lord, the New Song – desire? To open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf, and to lead the lame or the erring to righteousness, to exhibit God to the foolish, to put a stop to corruption, to conquer death, to reconcile disobedient children to their father. †¦] And do not suppose the song of salvation to be new, as a vessel or a house is new. For †ºbefore the morning star it was†¹ and †ºin the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. †¹ Error seems old, but truth seems a new thing. [†¦] Well, inasmuch as the Word was from the first, He was and is the divine source of all things; but inasmuch as H e has now assumed the name Christ, consecrated of old, and worthy of power, he has been called by me the New Song. Later Clement says:  »This is the New Song, the manifestation of the Word that was in the beginning, and before the beginning.  « And at the end of his work we read:  »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦this is symphony, this the harmony of the Father, this is the Son, this is Christ, this the Word of God.  « What is therefore the meaning of the metaphor song/music/tune in the second century, as well as in today’s homiletic terminology? The song penetrates the depths of the soul. It not only enters the brain, not only transfers knowledge, but touches the psyche and has influence on the body too. These last two effects bind men to the whole creation. Redemption has influence on the whole creation,  »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God « says the apostle Paul in Romans 8 (NRSV). This is how early Christians regarded Christ, and interpreted Christ-Orpheus who, at the fullness of time will equalise this world subject to corruption and inequality, and fulfils the perfect peace as prophesised. Every sermon has the aim to declare and sing this Good News. If not in completeness, but at least the beginnings of this eschatological peace is already present where the song of the gospel is heard, it creates a large space ( »wide place « in Psalm 18) of protection, in which people learn how to live in peace, how to encourage one another, how to wipe out tears, how to laugh and weep together. Where this new tune of preaching is heard, there is no further need for the culture of violence, there will be no more persecution and captivity, dictating and intimidation, the presence of menace and fear. In the  »broad place « of the new song there is no domination over others, only love and its consequence: freedom. From the point of preaching we must see, that God’s own soul provides through people the liberating tunes of the new song, the tune of life and hope. Thus, the lyre in the hand of Christ-Orpheus is in fact the body of Christ. As He appeared once in body during the course of history, he is present ever since in the body of the community of believers. According to Ignatius of Antioch, the Christian church recites this new tune in history. The plectrum, on the other hand, is the Holy Spirit, which touches the members of believers and makes them resonate and create the tune of the new song.  »And He who is of David, and yet before him, the Word of God, despising the lyre and harp, which are but lifeless instruments, and having tuned by the Holy Spirit the universe, and especially man, – who, composed of body and soul, is a universe in miniature, –makes melody to God on this instrument of many tones; and to this instrument – I mean man – he sings accordant: †ºFor thou art my harp, and pipe, and temple. [864] – a harp for harmony – a pipe by reason of the Spirit – a temple by reason of the word; so that the first may sound, the second breathe, the third contain the Lord. A beautiful breathing instrument of music the Lord made man, after His own image.  « Of course, Clement does not write homiletics, but an apology against pagans. However it is shown here how import ant is the new tune produced by Christ. This new song shows God as a power who induces amazement and attraction opposed to powers which create fear. This is Christ’s new song, this was Jesus’s preaching, and any Christian sermon must conform to this new tune of Christ. This new tune resonates in people who vibrate together with the liberating movement of the Spirit, and who convey the vibration of this new tune both in contents and form. Also in the theology of the reformation, this foundation of homiletics is important, meaning that the preacher does not simply talk about God, does not objectivise Him, but that he allows God himself to sing through him, in other words, God should speak in the sermon. As Jesus as Lord was revealed by his incarnation, now the Lord wishes to sing this new tune in body. In other words, God does not wish only to teach people, but wishes to be present, together with his people, so that they can experience His presence. The preacher therefore can achieve most if he does not merely talk about God but allows the liberating tune of God to be heard, and provides the new song through the presence of the Spirit. Aesthetical homiletic in postmodern age In the following section I try to examine how the movement of New Homiletic uses the metaphor of song/music in the formation of its homiletic messages. The first step was taken by Craddock in his work As One Without Authority, in which he calls into account the prevailing homiletic theories, that if the Bible provides such a wide range of forms of expression, why are the 20th century preaching theories so much attached to the forms of classical rhetoric. Research on the connection of contents and form soon arrived at the realization of biblical artistic forms. Thomas G. Long in his work Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible investigated the major artistic forms of the Bible. Mike Graves in his publication The Sermon and Symphony discusses the correlations between existing literary forms of the New Testament and forms of preaching through the metaphor of music, more precisely through symphony. Graves believes that the foundation of the metaphor becomes obvious when the preacher regarding the form of the biblical text poses three questions about the reading, and tries to formulate his sermon around the answers. First he examines what the text says, secondly what it does and thirdly he tries to show how his sermon can say and do these simultaneously. Just like the contents and tune of music together produce the effect to the audience, the unity of contents and form should appear in the sermon. Graves later explains the purpose of the sermon is not simply to present the contents or to accommodate it in the theological system, but to make the text an experience for the listener. To demonstrate this he uses the following analogy: when a musician wishes to compose music for a poem, he not only uses the meaning of the words, but also their mood, disposition, movement and occasion. When the orchestra plays, many instruments will be brought together, with their many different sounds, but still remaining in harmony, nevertheless several of these will become predominant in the symphony, and these together provide the experience for the audience. Thus, it becomes an event, a happening in the lives of persons present.  »The sermon as symphony, then, consists of an interpretation of a text, a searching for its mood and movement, an artistic blending of text and tune, a moving performance, and an acoustical event in which something happens. Thomas Troeger, a professor at Yale University used the metaphor of music in his works on homiletics – he made himself known by several publications on aesthetical homiletics. In one of his later works he devotes a separate chapter to the place of  »beauty « in preaching. A detailed investigation of the metaphor of music is found in his work entitled  »Imaging a Sermon «. Here he emphasises the musical characterist ics of speech, which is an acoustic phenomenon. He uses the example of the fact, that a recited text has its own musicality, and a deeply intuitive speech has its own tune. The physical properties of speech – its rhythm, pitch, volume, and inflection – are a kind of music that makes the imagination dance.  « According to Troeger the congruency of sound and words is a complex issue.  »It requires a spiritual, theological process of finding that place of the heart where the Gospel has touched the preacher’s own life. Nothing can replace speaking out of that spiritual center. It is the place from which the melody of redemption arises and permeates our voice. Naturally, the development of aesthetical homiletics can also be traced to groups outside America. Following the new turns in hermeneutics, distinguished experts of German homiletics also turned attention to the fact that aesthetics and homiletics are inseparable. Gert Otto emphasized this standpoint in the area of linguistics, while Rodolf Bohren and Albrecht Grozinger pointed out the importance of aesthetics from the standpoint of practical theology. Gerd Theissen writes in his work, that  »Religious texts [†¦] through their relationship to transcendence have an aesthetic quality. In addition, they share four qualities with poetic texts: by their nature they are poetic, pictorial, fictional, and form giving.  « The paradigm of aesthetical homiletics, which has a predilection for the metaphor of music in its terminology, attempts to emphasize the relation of preaching and beauty. It regards preaching as an art, which uses the revelations of other arts, and applies these in its own area. Brueggemann for example advocates that the preacher should also be a poet, who can unite sermon and poetry to oppose the narrowing tendencies of spoken language. Buttrick uses the art of motion pictures as the basis of composing a sermon as a sequence of moves, and applies the phenomenology of these moves by developing his homiletic theory. Jana Childers on the other hand mentions theatrical dramaturgy as an example to follow, which leads the tensions of conflicts to solutions. All these arts operate in different manner and visualise in different ways, but one principle is invariably there: the unity of form and contents. This statement is not only accepted by theory (like linguistic philosophy) but in reverse, also by the applied principles of theology. In other words, preaching is not simply theory and abstraction, but at the same time a live phenomenon, and thus an event. This event is in all cases an integrated phenomenon, where contents and form cannot be separated. The starting point of traditional homiletics is just the opposite, that is the precedence of contents is at best followed by secondary criteria of form. Linguistic philosophy, which started during the Enlightenment but peaked in the 19th century, emphasized the priority of thought, its strength for creating reality, the relation between subject and object which formulates statements. The abstracting and summarising tendencies of linguistic thought unambiguously valued contents above everything else, and rendered to this culturally available formation systems, classical oratorical forms (polished over the ages) and its operating method: deductive argument. Aesthetical homiletics does not aim to reverse this order, – that is first form, then content second – but wishes to create an integrated union of the two. The principle is the same, and is as Paul Valery described: beauty cannot be summarized. (Rien de beau se peut resumer. As art explains and visualizes reality, in other words does not summarize or compress it, but rather opens it up for the recipient of artistic values, aesthetical homiletics can have only one aim, to expand and to lift the recipient, the listener to a  »broad place « (Ps 18,19). Zoltan Literaty [ 1 ]. Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen, in: Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Ed. ), in The Ante-Nicene Fat hers, translation of The writing of the Fathers down to A. D. 325. Volume II. Fathers of the second century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus and Clement of Alexandria (entire). TT Clark and Eerdmans Publishing Company reprint 2001, 163-206. url: http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_i. html (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 2 ]. Ibid. , 172. http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_172. html. (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) Or see in Greek: Protreptikos : . , , . url: http://www. perseus. ufts. edu/hopper/text? doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0555. tlg001. perseus-grc1:1(Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 3 ]. Clement, 172-173. url: http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_173. html (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) ? . url: http://www. perseus. tufts. edu/hopper/text? doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0555. tlg001. perseus-grc1:1 (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 4 ]. Ibid. 173. [ 5 ]. Ibid. , 205. url: http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_205. html (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 6 ]. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians, IV. 1. –IV. 2. url: http://www. earlychristianwritings. om/text/ignatius-ephesians-lightfoot. html (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 7 ]. Clement, 172. http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_172. html (Access: 23. 12. 2012. ) [ 8 ]. Fred B. Craddock, As One without authority, Chalica Press 2001. [ 9 ]. Thomas G. Long, Preaching and the literary forms of the Bible, Fortress Press 1988. [ 10 ]. Mike Graves, The Sermon as Symphony. Preaching the literary forms of the New Testament, Judson Press 1997. [ 11 ]. Ibid. , 16. [ 12 ]. Ibid. , 18. [ 13 ]. Ibid. , 19. [ 14 ]. Thomas Troeger, Wonder Reborn. Creating Sermons on Hymns, Music, and Poetry, Oxford University Press 2010, 3-28. And Preaching and Worship, Chalice Press 2003, 43-72. [ 15 ]. Thomas Troeger, Imagining a sermon, Abingdon Press 1990, 67-88. [ 16 ]. Ibid. , 69. [ 17 ]. Ibid. , 67. [ 18 ]. Ibid. , 75. [ 19 ]. Gert Otto, Predigt als Rede. Uber die Wechselwirkungen von Homiletik und Rhetorik, Kohlhammer 1976. And Predigt, als rhetorische Aufgabe. Homiletische Perspektieven, Neukirchener Verlag 1987. [ 20 ]. Rudolf Bohren, Dass Gott schon werde. Praktische Theologie als theologische Asthetik, Munchen, Kaiser Verlag, 1975, and different parts from Predigtlehre, Christian Kaiser Verlag, Munchen1980. 21 ]. Albrecht Grozinger, Praktische Theologie und Asthetik. Ein Beitrag zur Grundlegung der Praktischen Theologie, Munchen 1987. [ 22 ]. Gerd Theissen, The New Testament. A Literary History, Fortress Press, Minneapolis 2012, 3. [ 23 ]. Walter Brueggemann, Finally Comes The Poet, Fortress Press, Minneapolis 1989. [ 24 ]. David Buttrick, Homiletic. Moves and Structures, Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1987. [ 25 ]. Childers, Jana, Performing the Word: Preaching as Theatre, Abingdon Press 1998.