History project- religious development in India during medieval ages Essay

With the coming of the Mughals in India and the Turkish rule, there were many developments and changes in the Indian culture and religion. The Sultans of Delhi and Mughal tolerated different religions, especially Hinduism, though they were followers of Islam. This lead to the beggining of indo-islamic culture. Since dawn of history, India has been the cradle of religious developments. In the early medival period, two parrelel movements in Hinduism and Islam representing the Bhakti and Sufi movements emerged in India. The Indo-Islamic strands have been woven into the texture of India by intertwining Bhakti and Sufi traditions. Bhakti movement The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion towards Shiva or Vishnu. Bhakti movement is also closely related to Sufism of Islam which rose in the same time period and both advocated ‘love of God’ as the easiest way to attain God. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu. The Nayanmars and the Alvars played a major role in the Bhakti movement. The Bhakti movement co-existed peacefully with the other movements in Hinduism. It was initially considered unorthodox, as it rebelled against caste distinctions and disregarded Brahmanic rituals, which according to Bhakti saints were not necessary for salvation. In the course of time, however, owing to its immense popularity among the masses it became ‘orthodox’ and continues to be one of the most important modes of religious expression in modern India. The world ‘Bhakti’ means devotion to God. The Bhakti movement had its origin in the Bhagavadgita and the Upanishads. The Bhaktas of God did not believe in any sort of caste distinctions. They advocated love and devotion to God and discarded all sorts of rituals and ceremonies. They preached oneness of God and â€Å"that all religions were but roads leading to the same goal†. Chief Principles of Bhakti Movement: The chief principles of the Bhakti movement were as follows: 1. It is Bhakti or devotion to God alone that can help man attain salvation. 2. It is important to follow a true guru for realizing God. 3. All men are equal and no one is superior or inferior. 4. Caste distinctions, rituals, fasts, etc. , are useless and lead to nowhere. 5. All men should be tolerant. Effects of the Bhakti Movement: The Bhakti movement had far-reaching effects on the people. Firstly, it helped a lot in removing the existing bitterness between the Hindus and the Muslims. Both became more tolerant towards each other. Secondly, the Bhaktas exposed the hollowness of empty rituals and ceremonies and taught the people to give up evils like belief in superstitions etc. This movement delta a blow to the superiority of the Brahmins, for it propagated the equality of all men. This also helped in checking conversions. Thirdly, the Bhakti reformers preached in the common language of the people, which gave rise to the vernacular languages such as Bengali in the east, Gujarati and Marathi in the west and Punjabi in the north. Important Bhakti Reformers Ramanuja : Ramanuja was one of the earliest reformers. His teachings were based on the Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita. he had taught in the language of the common man. Soon a large number of people became his followers. Ramananda was his disciple. Ramananda : Ramananda was the first reformer to preach in Hindi, the main language spoken by the people of the North. He was educated at Benaras. He preached that there is nothing high or low. He was an ardent worshipper of Rama. He considered God as a loving father. He lived in the 14th century A. D. Kabir : Kabir was an ardent disciple of Ramananda. He wanted unity between the Hindus and the Muslims. He preached that both the Hindus and the Muslims are the children of a single God. He had no faith in idol worship, religious rituals and ceremonies. The devotees of Kabir were known as Kabir Panthis. Chaitanya : Chaitanya, a great devotee of Lord Krishna, was a saint from Bengal. From his very childhood, he had showed great interest in education and studied Sanskrit. He married the daughter of a Saintly person. Later at the age of 24, he renounced the worldly life and became a sanyasin. His followers regarded him as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He helped the old and the needy. He was opposed to the inequalities of the caste system. He emphasised the need for tolerance, humanity and love. He spread the message of Bhakti in Bengal. He popularised ‘Sankritan’or public singing of God’s name. He was addressed `Mahaprabhu’ by his followers. Meera Bai : Meerabai was a Rajput princess. She married the Rana of Mewar. She was a pious devotee of Lord Krishna. Her songs or hymns are even today sung all over India. Her palace was kept open to people of all castes to join her Bhajans of Lord Krishna. She had lived for the most part of her life in Mathura, the birth place of Krishna and Vrindaban. There is a temple dedicated to Meerabai in Chittor, the capital of Mewar. Sufi movement Sufism was a reform movement within Islam which applies greater stress on free thinking, liberal ideas and toleration. The Sufis believed in the equality of all human beings and brotherhood mankind. The Sufi movement started in Persia. Some of the Sufi saints also came to India. They began to preach their liberal ideas and to remove the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims and join them together. The word Sufi has been taken from the Arabic word ‘Suf’ which means wool. The movement may have been given the name Sufism because of the course wool garments they wore as a mark of their rejection of worldly things. Sufis have traditionally taken vows of poverty and celibacy. Sufism developed religious practices focusing on strict self-control that enable both psychological and mystical insights as well as a loss of self, with the ultimate goal of mystical union with God. The Sufi movement consists of fraternal orders in which leaders train and assist disciples in the mastery of Sufism’s philosophical principles and ritual practices. Such rituals and practices include writing and reciting poetry and hymns; some of the most famous and beautiful literature of the Islamic world has been written by Sufis. Sufis engage in a variety of ritual practices intended to help them realize union with God, such as distinct forms of ritual prayer including the recitation of God’s names, as well as bodily rituals such as those practices by the so-called â€Å"Whirling Dervishes,† a Turkish Sufi order that practices meditation and contemplation of God through spinning. Teaching of Sufism: 1. There is one God, the Eternal, the Only Being; none else exists save He. 2. There is only one Master, the Guiding Spirit of all souls, who constantly leads his followers towards the light. 3. There is one Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature: the only scripture, which can enlighten the reader. 4. There is one Religion, the unswerving progress in the right direction towards the ideal, which fulfills the life’s purpose of every soul. 5. There is one Law, the Law of reciprocity, which can be observed by a selfless conscience together with a sense of awakened justice. 6. There is one Brotherhood, the human brotherhood, which unites the children of earth indiscriminately in the fatherhood of God. 7. There is one Moral Principle, the love which springs forth from self-denial, and blooms in deeds of beneficence. 8. There is one Object of Praise, the beauty which uplifts the heart of its worshipper through all aspects from the seen to the Unseen. 9. There is one Truth, the true knowledge of our being within and without, which is the essence of all wisdom. 10. There is one Path, the annihilation of the false ego in the real, which raises the mortal to immortality and in which resides all perfection. The Sufi Movement there is no priesthood in the ordinary sense, the priesthood is only to conduct the service and to answer the need of a priest which always exists in our everyday life. Those ordained in the Sufi Movement are called Sirajs and Cherags. There is no distinction between women and men. The worthy soul is ordained; this gives an example to the world that in all places – in the church, in the school, in parliament, in court – it is woman and man together who make evolution complete. But at the same time every Sufi is a priest, a preacher, a teacher, and a pupil of every soul that he meets in the world. The Sufi prayers such as Saum and Salat are not man-made prayers. They have descended from above, just as in every period of spiritual reconstruction prayers were given. And there is every power and blessing in them, especially for those who believe. Sikhism Guru Nanak is the founder of the religion of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated world-wide on Kartik Puranmashi, the full-moon day which falls on different dates each year in the month of Katak, October-November. Guru Nanak travelled to places far and wide teaching people the message of one God who dwells in every one of God’s creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. He setup a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternity love, goodness, and virtue. Nanak was born on 15 April 1469, now celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab. Today, his birthplace is marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan. His parents were Kalyan Chand Das Bedi and Mata Tripta. His father was a patwari (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi, employed by a Muslim landlord of that area, Rai Bular Bhatti. He had one sister, Bibi Nanaki, who was five years older than him and became a spiritual figure in her own right. Nanak also found work with Daulat Khan, when he was around 16 years old. On 24 September 1487 Nanak married Mata Sulakkhani, daughter of Mul Chand and Chando Ra? i, in the town of Batala. The couple had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand. Inspite of his married life, he spent most of his time in the company of holy men. At the age of 29, he left his home to spread the message of faith far and wide. Sikh teaching emphasizes the principle of equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikh principles encourage living life as a householder Sikh Religion and Worship: 1)A Sikh believes in, and worships only one God. 2)A Sikh regards the succession of ten gurus, and the written word of the Guru Granth, a channel through which divine light manifests as salvation. 3)Sikhs worship in the gurdwara, congregating with spiritual companions, and communing with God, by singing divine hymns selected from the Guru Granth. 4)Sikhs perform ardas, a formal prayer, and read from Guru Granth before embarking on important endeavors. 5)The uniqueness of Sikhism is upheld without any derogatory attitude towards others, or belittling of others faith. . A brief of the next 9 Gurus: http://www. sarabsanjhigurbani. com/ten-guru. asp

Obesity Has a Deep Impact in the Life of a Child Essay

Using the Center for Writing Excellence and MyFoundationsLab resources, provide the topic sentence and informal outline for your Personal Ethics Statement. †¢ Topic sentence: Obesity has a deep impact in the life of a child. †¢ Informal outline: 1. Explain how obesity affects the child’s physical health. 2. Explain how obesity affects the child’s mental health. 3. Give ideas of how parents can be involved in the change of habits in the obese child. 5. Summarize why obesity has a deep impact in the life of a child. Obesity has a deep impact in the life of a child, physically, and mentally as well. An obese child is at risk of having health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, and strokes as an adult, if he or she is not treated in an early age. An overweight child can be a target for bullying at school, making his or her social life poor, creating anxiety, depression, and lowering their self esteem. The parents play an important role in the life of an obese child. does not matter if the child is obese because a genetic factor, or just because his or her does not have a proper eating habit, the condition it is treatable. Encourage the child to follow a healthy diet, being an example for him or her, and being supportive, are examples of how a parent can be involve in the life of an obese child. Taking obesity in a child seriously, and trying to find ways to improve this condition, are the first steps to a better future in an obese child’s life.

International Current Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Current Issues - Essay Example self-defence in international law Contemporary attitudes on the issue of pre-emptive self-defence appear to fall into four distinct schools of thought. The strict-constructionist school starts with the proposition that Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter details broader prohibition on the utilization of force. The utilization of force, as opposed to â€Å"war,† mirror a desire to ban transnational armed conflicts, not merely conflicts emanating from formal state of war. Strict constructionists’ highlights that Article 2 (4) ban any trans-boundary utilization of military force, inclusive of force justified by reference to the diverse doctrines established in the pre-Charter era of reprisal, forcible self-help, humanitarian intervention, and protection of nationals. Strict constructionist outlines that states may utilize force in self-defence as dictated by Article 51 of the UN charter. Proponents of the â€Å"imminent threat† school embrace the language of Article 51 speaks of self-defence in retaliation to an armed attack. However, proponents of this school of thought employ three lines of argument to progress a norm favouring a right of anticipatory self-defence, rather than pre-emptive self-defence. The proponents of this school of thought acknowledge that the UN Charter provides an intrinsic right to defend against an imminent threat. The provision â€Å"if an armed attack occurs† fails to impose conditions on the exercise of the intrinsic right; moreover, the broad meaning of the term â€Å"armed attack† accommodates the perception of â€Å"armed attack† as encompassing an attack that is imminent and inevitable. Nevertheless, proponents of this school of thought are unwilling to broaden the meaning of Article 51 beyond the notion of addressing imminent armed attack.2 This... This paper approves that the customary international law has a huge bearing on issues relating to self-defence. However, controversy still reigns since there is minimal scholarly consensus on the meaning of â€Å"imminence† within the context of contemporary threats. Furthermore, there is minimal consensus on who may be targeted in the sphere of non-state actors of those threatening, planning, perpetrating, and availing material support critical to organizing an armed attack. The labelling of an armed attack as â€Å"imminent† can be shaped by the relevant circumstances inclusive of the immediacy and nature of the threat; the possibility of an attack; whether the foreseen attack is part of a concerted pattern of persistent armed activity; the probability scale of the attack and the injury scale, or damage possible to emanate in the absence of mitigating action, and, the the probability that other opportunities to effect effective action in self-defence, which may yield to severe collateral injury, damage, or loss. This report makes a conclusion that opinions regarding the legality of self-defence under international law remain divided; one school of thought demands that an armed attack ought to occur prior to a state lawfully acting in self-defence. The resort to armed force remains outlawed as per the international law, except in cases where the UN Security Council awards permission. Military action ought to be employed as a last resort and must be essential to utilize force to deal with the precise threat at hand.

Effect of Technology on Workplace Privacy Essay

Effect of Technology on Workplace Privacy - Essay Example As the masses became cognisant of the consequences followed by the increasing attacks to individual's privacy in the workplace owing to the development in surveillance technology, the demand for legal demarcation strengthened and eventually several laws were created by the government to curtail and confine the scope of the surveillance technology to accomplish only the legitimate objectives of the employers. Although, these laws have been developed by most of the countries to protect the rights of both the employers and the employees in particular, yet there has been an ongoing debate on the compatibility of unravelling surveillance technology with the laws and legal boundaries confining the scope of intrusion into an employees' privacy. Therefore the major issue concerning this essay is the extent to which the advancement into workplace surveillance technology is consistent with the laws and what could be done to bring it to the level proposed by the different laws and legal authorities. The surveillance in the workplace has existed in historical era in the same manner, as it seems to be prevailing in the modern times. However, the major difference remains in the introduction and development of different forms of technology that have further assisted the way to introduce more and more sensitive surveillance in the organisation. ... Consequently, the employees or the labour force could not be capable of putting all of their efforts into the organisational goals, however they kept on selling their services to the employers and organisations on agreed terms and conditions. Hence, their happened to be direct and physical surveillance on the part of the employers influencing the employee motivation and work behaviour. According to Rushing (1966), due to such acts in the past, the employers never became aware of the fact that they could have gained more by driving their motivation towards work. However, this was the initial form of developing surveillance in the workplace by the employers and this trend remained prevalent throughout the 20th century. By the end of the 21st century, the technology took a rapid progression and the workers continued to fall prey of the new development in technology affecting the workplace environment with regard to privacy and convenience. The new advancements into technology result into change in working as well as surveillance needs and as a new innovation in technology takes place, the perceptions and conceptions concerning the surveillance at workplace also change. Therefore, the level and intensity of workplace surveillance alter with the development and advancement of technology. SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, WORKPLACE PRIVACY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK The recent rise in the surveillance activities on the part of the employers both positively and negatively have constantly been attributed to the world's continuous advancement in technology. Unique and modern measures keep on evolving regularly to facilitate the employers in keeping an eye over the employees and their activities. The use of technology in workplace surveillance

Business Ethics and SRI Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics and SRI - Literature review Example This emerging phenomenon is known as Socially Responsible Investment (Hicks,2003; Schueth, 2003) Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), also known as ethical investment, is an investment discipline that in addition to the risk and returns issues in investment, takes into account social or environmental issues. The difference between SRI and conventional investment is the employment of specific investment strategies. The purpose of such strategies is to select or exclude certain assets from investment portfolio. (Renneboog et al., 2008,p. 1723). It simply means that conventional investment strategies are considered natural—having financial return on investment at the core. However, SRI strategies are either socially sensitive or socially dictating(Hicks,2003; Schueth, 2003) SRI has three major distinctive techniques, which may overlap or follow one another. These are screening, activism, and cause-based investment( Spark and Cowton,2004; Vivers, 2007) . Further, SRI may be carr ied out at individual as well as institutional level. Individuals normally develop mutual funds whereas institutions execute it through charitable foundations and pension funds. Since its modern emergence, SRI, its strategies, its terminology and its definition have been under strong debates ( Spark and Cowton,2004; Schueth, 2003 Hicks,2003). ... At the end of this review , I shall present the growing importance of SRI at international level. 2. Definition and basic terminology 2.1. Business Ethics In current literature of business ethics, there are two major streams. One expects that business shall not be immoral enterprise and the second that consider the morality and self-interest at certain point sometime are opposite. ( Hicks,2003). The first group assume that business is amoral whereas second argue that if it is amoral it is immoral ( Hicks,2003).In current stream of business ethics literature second group is becoming dominant and either calls for the practice of personal values or even urges the investors to play an active role for the implementation of those values into the businesses.( Hicks,2003; Schueth, 2003, Vivers, 2007). 2.2. SRI and Other Terms There are various terms representing the concepts of business ethics. For instance, "Socially Responsible Investing" , "social investing," "socially aware investing," " ethical investing," "mission-based investing," and "double-bottom line investing.". These terms has been used interchangeably in literature (Pan and Mardfin ,2001; Schueth, 2003;Spark and Cowton,2004). However the two most common terms are â€Å"ethical investing† and â€Å"Socially Responsible Investment† (Spark and Cowton,2004, p 46). Term â€Å"ethical investment† is relatively older one and it reflects the fact that the movement was initially religiously motivated and churches played a vital role in the development of earliest ethical funds in UK, USA and Australia(Schueth, 2003; Spark and Cowton,2004). Later on, the term has gradually been replaced by Socially Responsible Investment (SRI). Many people have reservation on the use of

Dominican Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dominican Republic - Essay Example Such news includes stories portraying the negativity of Haitians and their poor way of life. This negative depiction of Haitians plays a major role in instilling antihaitinismo among the Dominican people. Haiti’s politics is portrayed as bad and viewed as a political failure by the Dominican press. All the media wants is negative news about Haiti so as to make great headlines and, as a result, make money by attracting many readers. Political cartoons are very common in print media and are used to give news that are hard to spread in words. Such news is greatly exaggerated to come up with cartoons that will be attractive enough for news consumers among the Dominican People. The negative news portraying antihaitinismo in the Dominican Republic is mostly false, but due to the media restriction within the Dominican Republic, the Dominican people tend to believe it to be true. In fact, very few Dominican reporters know the truth about Haiti. The rest only give news based on seconda ry sources, rather than firsthand experience or sources. None of them has been to Haiti to experience their way of life and to give a true account of it (Sagas, 2003). During the Trujillo error, antihaitinismo was an ideology, fitting the totalitarian model. The dictatorship required and ideology to dwell on, and on which to misguide the people and into hating the Haitians. The Trujillo error molded antihaitinismo into a system that was to be loathed. It was depicted as having a very great difference with Dominican ways. This propaganda against Haiti was instilled into Dominicans for decades, around thirty-one years.It means that, some people were born among the Dominican people when the propaganda was still on and lived a great part of their lives under a dictatorship that instilled it into them.It created a nation that had fully embraced antihaitinismo. Such a generation becomes hard to modify their mindset or view towards

Intercultural Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intercultural Paper - Essay Example This culture simply identifies itself with codes of conduct that promote love and respect with the main aim of maintaining modesty and purity. Institutions lead to the establishment of norms that support individual survival in a social setting. Stability and functionality of society depend upon roles and responsibilities that are created and defined by different institutions. However many societies may differ, they all have institutions that influence the culture or rather the way of life of individuals. Religious institutions for instance control behaviour and determine the actions of individuals. The religious institution that defines the Hindu culture comprises of various religious practices of which people are expected to abide by. Being the most dominant religion in India, the religion emphasizes with humility, respect, purity and modesty. There are various religious practices that promote these four doctrines. For instance, touching people’s feet is considered a sign of respect. Touch the feet of individuals who are considered to be holy is considered a sign of humility (WordPress, n.d). Hindus also consider i t a tradition to offer gifts to priests and gurus as a sign of appreciating the spiritual blessings they receive. Religious institutions in the Hindu Culture consider purity to be of great essence. Purity takes three forms: purity of body, purity of thoughts and purity of deeds. In their daily activities, Hindus protect this purity through following their religious codes of ethics and living wisely (Sharma, 2002). Religious offerings are usually given to deities from time to time. These offerings are usually in the form of food or flowers. Sniffing of offerings is not allowed based on the belief that sniffing is meant for the gods. All items that are intended to be offered for offerings are cleaned and covered as a sign of purity. Their temples and shrines are