Financial Leverage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial Leverage - Essay Example Higher expected returns are associated with the firms that are having high financial leverage ratios when the economy of a country is normal. Whereas, when the economy of a country is in recession so firms having high financial leverage ratios will face risk of loss. On the other hand, firms having low financial leverage ratios are supposed to be less risky but higher expected returns are not associated with these firms. IMPORTANCE OR AIM OF THE STUDY The importance or aim of this study is to show that analysts use financial leverage ratios to accomplish two things: †¢First, they are a measure of the extent to which firms finance their assets through debt. †¢Second, they are the indicators of the financial risk of the firm. Analysis of a firm’s financial leverage ratios is essential to evaluate its long-term risk and return prospects. Leverage as a debt-financing indicator is important because whenever a firm’s rate of return on assets is in access of interest rate, the profits to equity investors are magnified in direct proportions to increases in leverage. The reverse also holds true-whenever the rate of return falls below the interest rate, the profits to investors decline with increases in leverage. In fact, if the firm is sufficiently levered, interest expenses may be so high that under adverse economic conditions the firm may not be capable of paying them-that is, financial risk is directly proportional to leverage. In conclusion it can be said that analysis of a firm’s financial leverage ratios is essential to evaluate its long-term risk and return prospects. Leveraged firms accrue excess returns to their shareholders so long as the rate of return on the investments financed by debt is greater than the cost of debt.

The claim that in 1914 states went to war Essay Example for Free

The claim that in 1914 states went to war Essay How valid is the claim that in 1914 states went to war due to fear rather then motives of gain?Austrias quarrel, Germanys warOne of the theories about the outbreak of the First World War is that nations went to war not to necessarily gain something but mainly because of fear which caused by many different factors. Europe before the war can be compared to a round-about with the countries involved, Germany being the central pole, speeding up and thus causing the nations into uncontrollable chaos resulting in them breaking off. The basis of the alliance systems started forming as early as 1871. France and Russia had been supportive of each other ever since France lent Russia money to start industrialization during the reign of Alexander II. The bond between these two great powers was strengthened by their shared enemies, the Central Powers. Their reasons to agree on such alliance, however, were very different. After the Franco-Prussian war of 1871, in which France lost Alsace and Lorraine, both rich in coal and iron reserves to the Prussians, there was a bitter, revengeful feeling in France-Revanchism. The French believed it was their right to fight a victorious war against Germany and retrieve Alsace and Lorraine. Germany was aware of this and Bismarck demanded 5 billion francs as war reparations, believing that this punishment will cripple France for years. Bismarck was, however, no economist, and Germany was to fear France ever since 1873, when last francs were handed over to Germany. German acquisition of Alsace and Lorraine meant that there must be a war between Germany and France Karl MarxAt the Algeciras conference in Spain, almost all great powers and other nations decided to support the French rights in Morocco during the First Moroccan crisis, leaving Germany without any potential allies except for Austria-Hungary. This conspiracy against Germany led to her fear of encirclement and their alliance, therefore, was not because of strong mutual sympathy or the Gross Deutschland ideal, but simply due to this fear of encirclement- Austria-Hungary was the only option. As Germany was relatively young, full of energy, ambitions, and primarily a respect-wanting country, its main potential gain- if a war was to break out- would be widening its colonial empire. This is understandable when we realize that in the 19th century power, respect and an empire were tightly tied together. From now nothing will happen in the world without Germany and its Kaiser Wilhelm IIGermany already had some colonies, but this number was relatively small and certainly not big enough to satisfy its aspirations. But even for these colonies a navy was necessary. Therefore, under Admiral Tirpitz, the great improvement of the German navy began with the goal of protecting their existent and potential colonies. However, it was obvious that the main goal is to tease Britain. This turned out to work well; Britain had always been dependant on its navy as it was the best and only way of keeping all prospective threats away from the islands. It could not afford to let Germany develop its navy so drastically, especially because of Germanys strategic position by the North Sea where Britain had her weakest point. This accumulated with Kaisers arrogance (especially Realpolitik- accomplishes the goal no matter how- murders, blackmail†¦) and clumsy politics (The Daily Telegraph affair) resulting in a strongly anti-German felling in Britain. Except for her colonial ambitions, another goal that would come out of a war for Germany was what Von Moltke called an immediate, preventive war against France and Russia, since Russia was planning on increasing her army from 1.5 to 2.0 million. Except for the threat of German navy, Britain was not affected by the actions on the continent too much- and it did not want to get affected. It remained in Splendid isolationism as Britains attitude towards continental Europe was described by Lord Salisbury. English policy is to float lazily downstream, occasionally putting out a diplomatic boathook to avoid collisions. Lord Salisbury. As Britain did not have much to gain from a war with the Central powers, it was not clear until the last moments whether it will stick to its promise and join the war on the French side. In the end, however, the British found something profitable in the war. There were many protests in Britain as socialist parties were emerging. Ireland also wanted its own rule and first suffragettes appeared. A short, successful war would have been a good way of moving the focus of the society on something else. The obvious potential gain was destroying German navy and causing a stop to its growth. This was, on the other hand, too risky, as this could inflict big damage to the British navy. Slavs looked up to Russia as the mother of all Slavs (this is called Panslavism). The goal of most Slavic nationalists, liberals and intellectuals at the time was to form a state in which all Slavs would live together. This very much concerned Austria-Hungary, Germanys main ally, as many Slavic nations were included in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It also had its own ambitions in the Balkans (annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908). Austria was worried as Serbia was growing stronger and stronger, wanting to form a state similar to later Yugoslavia. Russia supported this Serbian struggle. With Austria-Hungary and her support of the Central powers on one side and Russia with French, and perhaps even British support on the other, the Balkans formed a perfect conflict site. We have to crush Serbia like a viper Austrian commander in chief. Austria-Hungary and Germany thus had reasons for their slight paranoia. As and addition to this served the image of barbaric hordes from the steppes of Asia, charging the civilized central Europe. This visceral fear and the fact that with the population of 166 million people, Russia had practically unlimited human power reserves (and would be therefore practically undefeatable if there were an adequate amount of equipment) made Russia itself the biggest fear of the Central Powers, as proved by the Schlieffen plan, which stated that it was necessary to focus on Russia after quickly defeating France. We cannot compete with the Russian masses. Von MoltkeA perfect example of the fact that nations went to war mostly because of fear and not gain is first war declaration. This was caused by the Russian mobilization, which was a reaction to German aggression towards Prussia. Russia, however, was for now not going to precede any further then a mobilization. But fear and confusion led the Germans into the certainty that Russia is about to attack. German mobilization was then the obvious next step, and The Great War was about to begin. States therefore did go to war because of fear of different issues. But it must be remembered that without any perspective of profit, there would not be anything to fear in the first place. For example, Frances gain would be Germanys loss and thus reasons for war for all countries included both gain and fear aspects. It is, however, obvious that the many miscalculations of mainly, but not only, the German government caused severe confusion and uncertainty about who is actually the one in control, causing this to result in the dominance of fear reasons. Bibliography: my history teacher

Research Paper -- essays papers

Research Paper Recent studies on parental involvement in education have found that there are many benefits for both the student and the adult when parents become involved in their children’s education. Without parent support, it is very difficult for a child to be motivated. From what I have seen growing up, only a small percentage of students are self-motivated, so it is absolutely vital that parents assist in the motivation process. I found this table to be particularly interesting and important. TABLE 3: FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED OUTCOMES OF PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SCHOOL # 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 To the Student: Raised self-esteem, motivation * * * * * * * * * * Increased Resources * * * * * To Staff and School: Decreased Stress / Improved Performance * * * * * * * * * * Improved Parental Support * * * * * * * * To Parents and Community Improved Realtions with School * * * * * * * * * Better able to help at home * * * (Cross Case Analysis) This is depicting ten different schools that were surveyed about their feelings on certain issues, and it turns out that eight of the ten schools thought parental involvement was necessary. This is either saying that parents are not needed by those two schools, or that their attit... ... importance of parental involvement in education can be found in the following statement. â€Å"Children whose parents are involved in their formal education have many advantages. They have better grades, test scores, long-term academic achievement, attitudes, and behavior than those with disinterested mothers and fathers.† (Henderson, 1988 p.1). Bibliography Peterson, David (1989). Parental Involvement in the Educational Process. ERIC Digest, 89 (ED 312776). Scudder, Gail (2003). Parental Involvement, a Key to Better Education. Morning Call Newspaper, 2003. The WGAL Channel. (2003). Lebanon Revises Parent Report Card Plan. The State of Texas Education. (1999). Parental Involvement in Education. http://www.cppp.org/kidscount/education/parental_involvement.html. Cross Case Analysis. http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/community/TQLLP/models/cca.htm.

Comparing the Hero in Henry IV and Dr. Faustus :: comparison compare contrast essays

Becoming a Hero in Henry IV and Dr. Faustus      Ã‚   Hero worship has existed in this world since the beginning of time, from the Jews honoring Moses, to the Germans honoring Adolf Hitler.   Becoming a hero is a very difficult thing to accomplish.   One must be successful in gaining the reverence of one's peers while at the same time not developing to big of an ego. Two examples of men trying to become heroes are Prince Henry and Dr. Faustus. Both, in their respective plays, have the capabilities of becoming a hero, but only Prince Henry succeeds while Dr. Faustus fails.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the beginning of The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, Faustus is a well known doctor and is looked up to by his friends.   Hal, on the other hand, starts out in Henry IV, Part I, spending much of his time in a tavern engaged in talk with robbers and hoodlums, therefore being looked down upon by the high society which he is supposed to live in.   While it appears that Faustus seems to be headed to becoming a hero and Hal seems to be throwing away his chances, the audience can see from their soliloquies, that they both plan on changing their ways; Hal for the better and Faustus for the worse.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Faustus has risen to a great point in his life.   He was born to "parents base of stock (line 11)," but still has managed to gain a degree from the University of Wittengberg, thus acquiring much respect from the professional world.   From the onset though, Faustus has his mind set on other things; such as magic and necromancy.   Hal, on the other hand was born to a high society.   Even though he does all of these mischievous things, he plans on repenting and returning to his father.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The audience can see from Hal's soliloquy at the end of Act I, scene 2, that no matter how unruly the individuals are that he hangs out with, they do not have an influence on him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet herein will I imitate the sun,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who doth permit the base contagious clouds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To smother up his beauty from the world,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That, when he please again to be himself,

Corn Coffee Essay

Corn ranks second to rice, not only in terms of area devoted to its production but it has been a staple food of about 20% of the total population of the Filipinos. Aside from this, the green corn, boiled or roasted, is a popular snack food and may also be cooked a vegetable or soup. Other by-products of corn include corn flour and syrup, sugar and oil. In terms of nutritive value, corn is richer source of vitamin A than polished rice. It contains high amounts of minerals such as calcium and phosphorous. Moreover, it is also a source of starch derivatives for oil, fibers and other industrial uses. Corn is raised as source of food and food products for people, livestock feed, and industrial products including ceramics, explosives, construction materials, metal molds, paints, paper goods, textiles, industrial alcohols, and ethanol. Corn is now also used to produce a healthy coffee as people nowadays are health conscious. Since corn coffee was introduced in the Manila market by the farmers of Sumilao, Bukidnon, further study about corn coffee in Region III (Central Luzon) was made since corn is abundant on the said region. Distribution of questionnaires and analysis activities conducted to determine the frequency distribution of corn coffee in the market because this is not the first to introduce corn coffee in the Philippine market especially in Manila. On the data gathered, 98% of the respondents are coffee drinkers, majority of them are young professionals, 91% of them have no knowledge about corn coffee, 88% are willing to try corn coffee and 22% have no idea what would corn coffee would taste like. With this data, Le Maiz come up on marketing strategies how to introduce and expand the corn coffee market in Region III and NCR. Corn Cafe is an alternative to coffee beans that is rich in nutrients that coffee beans can not provide. The company’s objective is to fit in and adapt to the people’s taste and preferences as well as offering diverse kinds of nutritious products. Effective marketing program and strategy would be made in order to meet the established objective. The marketing strategies will consist of flyers, radio and newspaper advertisements, trade fairs, vis-a-vis contact with customers. 10% of the gross sale will be allocated on marketing the product. On technical aspect, the production of corn coffee is simple, healthy and all natural that it has only one ingredient, which is the corn alone, no additives and a healthy alternative of drinking coffee. Preparation of corn before roasting is the first step in making our product, roasting, grinding/ pulverizing are the main activities in making corn coffee. Packaging and putting into the storage were done before putting on the distribution channel like our selling area, inner-retail coffee stands as well as supermarkets within our designated market. On this study, corn coffee production started January 2011. Corn was purchased at the average of Php15 per kilo. The sum of 15,600 kilograms of Corn were purchased during 2011 while on 2012 to 2015, 12,480 kilograms of corn were purchased. Also, part of Raw Materials inventories are Packaging Slip and Sticker. 60,000 pcs. were purchased respectively. Around 1% has incurred in transportation cost and other miscellaneous expense. Purchases Return and Allowances is expected to be 1% of Gross Purchases while Purchase Discount will be 2% Net of Freight In. The production of coffee is continuous process thus leaving no goods in progress beginning or ending. This is in line with company’s policy to keep the product fresh and all natural. Sales Return and Allowances is expected to be 1% of Gross Sales. Sales Discount of 2% is given to cash buyers but only 5% of Gross Sales will avail the discount. Operating expenses is divided into 2 category; Distribution Cost and Administrative Cost. For Distribution cost for 2011( % of Gross Sales ); Traveling 1%, Advertising 5%, Delivery 10% and Depreciation expense based on Straight Line Depreciation of 5yrs. For Administrative cost ( % of Gross Sales ); Officers’ Salaries, 3 partners assumed as managing partners with annual salary of 96,000. 00 each. The Pre-operating cost Php 9,454. 00 has been incurred which include DTI registration, Dole registration, BIR Fee, SSS registration, Police Clearance, Barangay Clearance and Business Permit issued by Tarlac City Hall. Office supplies is 10%, Depreciation Expense ( Straight Line Depreciation of 5 yrs. ), Lease Payment ( 40% to Administration ), other expenses is 1%. On socio-economic aspect, we have shown the significance of our business and its contributions to the society. Its share to community and to its people is to create employment and thus improving the standard of living of people in the community. It can also help the community development by way of paying taxes in the government. It is through taxes paid by businesses and individuals that the government funded its projects such as roads, bridges, and community development. Lowering of prices of competitors to compete with the product in order to maintain the customers. We could also help the people in community by utilizing local materials which is very abundant in the province. We can motivate farmers to grow corn and not just corn but corn of good quality. Our business can be the pride of our province since it’s inclined with the program of the Department of Trade and Industry which is the â€Å"One Town One Product†. Lastly, the Le Maiz proponents chose partnership as the form of organization. Aside from the six (6) partners, we will be hiring three (3) employees to help to produce and market the healthy and nutritious coffee. Le Maiz with a mission, to provide coffee drinkers quality products, quality service, affordable prices and a healthy lifestyle. Competent and responsible employees will be hired for the success of the company. The company shall also continue working for innovative and efficient ways of achieving the company’s goals. The company’s vision are to be number one (1) corn coffee in the Philippines; to expand not only in Central Luzon and NCR but throughout the country as well; to build own production and distribution facilities and to adopt new technologies and methodologies. The company decided a hierarchical type of organizational chart. The capitalist partners will act as the general manager and three of the six (6) partners will be managing partners whom will receive monthly salary as well as the three (3) employees. On Administrative Department, the Administrative Officer/ Purchasing Officer will be the crucial person in the organization, he assumes the full control on the organization’s activities and is responsible for all decisions undertaken by the organization, responsible in monitoring and managing the production of corn coffee, counter checks the financial position of the organization, handles all personnel and the daily business activities, purchase ordered and will deliver on time to the production area and hold the budget for purchases of raw materials and shall provide summary or report of the used and unused funds. On Sales Department, the Marketing Officer/ Salesperson is responsible for the all related selling activities, product development, packaging, proposes new ideas for improvement and replacement, communicating with suppliers of materials and know the current trend in the market. For the Inventory Officer, he is responsible in listing down sales, the used materials and finished products. Must be alert, with good communication skills, trustworthy and diligent. The three (3) employees that will work for the company were the Machine Operator, responsible on the control of the machine in producing corn coffee, Packager, for packaging of the finished products and Delivery Man, he will act as the driver and responsible in delivering the finished products to our target markets.

War and the Meaning of Home

War and the Meaning of Home Wendell Berry, an American author and farmer, was a devoted countryman as well as a person of place. Being the first son in a huge family, Berry realized that the attention and respect to the land you live in is important. He realized that love to land and native home is integral for many people, and he truly believed that his devotion to his roots could make him more humane. Wendell was greatly inspired by the land where he lived in and decided to stick to the old farming methods of using horses to plough instead of modern tractors.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on War and the Meaning of Home specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At age thirty, he acquired a farm in his indigenous Henry County where he became a full time farmer and improved his teaching and writing (Kramer, A Farmers Gift, para. 1). In his works, Berry makes a wonderful attempt to compare a soldier’s attitude before and after war, analyze what aspects of war are able to change a soldier’s mind and principles, and explain why war has to be accepted as the merciless disperser only that negatively influence the current state of affairs. According to Wendell Berry, war plays a crucial role in the life of everybody involved. If a soldier leaves home for war, he has to consider whether or not he will survive, and how he will be welcomed upon his return. War has a significant characteristic to influence everything around and inside a person: his mind, his home, his relationships, and his existence. Berry has written approximately twenty-five poetry books, sixteen essays, and eleven novels along with a collection of short narratives. Berry devoted about fifty-five years of his life to the improvement of his publishing career, and as a result, he has become quite admired in the American publishing sphere. One of Berry’s more popular literary works is a short story called â€Å"Making It Home†, which is fr om a book called â€Å"Fidelity: Five Stories†. This particular story expresses many of the War related problems a soldier is faced with upon returning home. The essay that follows will clearly attempt to demonstrate how war and home are two things that cannot be separated from a soldier’s mind. Berry clearly explains himself by stating, â€Å"War is the great scatterer, the merciless disperser† (Peters, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, 17). From this, we can conclude that war has the drastic effect of devastating the homes that were left behind by the soldiers just as much as it has agonizing and devastating effects in the battlefield. Berry introduces the main causality of war as the death of a country because truth usually perishes during the process of diplomacy; however, the country remains to suffer the devastating consequences of the war long after it has ended. The aftermath of war on both the opposing and the attacking side is usually what brings out this relationship between war and home for the soldier.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Did we win? If we lost, how it is possible to return home? How do we as a nation pick up the pieces? Wendell Berry explores ways in which war and its considerable aftereffects feature the countryside in its quest for transition for the desirable land that is usually found in urbanized areas. War has the drastic effect of devastating the homes that were left behind by the soldiers just as much as it has agonizing and devastating effects in the battlefield. Soldiers usually have an assignment of going into a battlefield with predestined effects in their lives. Within a short period of time, soldier’s thoughts demonstrate how dramatic the changes can be and make him believe that â€Å"I am not a stranger, but I am changed. Now I know a mighty power† (Berry, Making It Home, 97). A person is changed, and it is useless to think over possible reasons for such changes as it can be summed up with war only. War may change human life or even take it away, but Berry suggests considering the details of what may happen when a person comes back home after war, when almost all living principles are changed, and when the desire to continue living under after-war conditions disappears. After all the fighting and war is done, where does the soldier expect to go back? Moreover, this coming back is only applicable in the case of a draftee who has been lucky enough to survive these deracinating forces. In retrospect, what does this soldier hope to return to? Do they hope to return to a land that has been stripped bare by the great exodus that occurred during the war by the migration of people shifting to the opportunities that the war presented in the industrial cities? It is known that â€Å"war devastates the home front as surely as it does the killing fiel ds† (Peters, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, 17). So then, in a soldier’s mind the following question surfaces: whether there is any purpose at all in re-uniting with people at home? Will they even be there and will it be the same as it was? The devastating and undesirable consequences of war and the impossibility to forecast what happens after the war and to be sure about personal understanding of the events is one more peculiar feature of war outcomes. World War II made many people chose to be urban dwellers instead of living in the countryside that had once had the potential of being lucrative. Many dwellers instead eclipsed the lush countryside that had once had the potential of being lucrative. Berry feels that â€Å"War†¦ in the outer darkness beyond the reach of love, where people do not know one another kill one another and there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where nothing is allowed to be real enough to be spread† (Peters, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, 19).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on War and the Meaning of Home specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This proved to be a constant issue Berry wrote about in his fictitious work. The Second World War was a representation of destruction, mechanization, and depopulation. Thus, many lost their loved ones in the war (Wendell, A Citizen’s Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America, 436). This therefore exemplifies the anxiety in a soldier’s mind about the fear of coming back to drastic changes, which seem to have no place for him/ her anymore. The cultural aspect of war makes it possible to nationalize a nation and develop another force that can retain or even change considerably the features which cannot belong to the existed requirements. The traditional neutrality of the American culture would be abandoned in the course of the two world wars. The school was appr oached as a repository for collective memories as a bodily expression of community culture (Peters, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, 22). Again, the effects of war become a reason to unify a nation’s interests and purpose giving a soldier a sense of purpose. On the flipside though, this creates an uncomfortable and unsettling feeling of obsoleteness upon the return home. A home is the place that remains to be a common ground where a good life can be achieved even after a war. In Making It Home, Berry demonstrates one of the happiest moments in the life of every soldier, the moment when he â€Å"has his place to which he can return† (Peters, Wendell Berry: Life and Work, 22). Art qualifies to be one of the lucky soldiers who survive the war. He has a place to which he can return a utopia or reality. After three years of operating as an expendable cog, Art finally makes it and is able to come back home. Art travels by way of bus towards home. On his way home, he cannot eve n realize that now he is one of those who know nothing about his surroundings. Before he reaches his place, he is only separated by several creeks that he once knew by name: â€Å"It pleased Art to think that the government owed him nothing, and that he needed nothing from it, and he was on his own. Nonetheless, the government thought it owed him tribute. It wanted to praise him and the rest for their acts that it considered heroic as well as glorious. This is because the war was ending and their victory was glorious.† (Berry, Making It Home, 87) With the help of this quote, Berry tries to explain how the government accepts the idea of victory and compares it to the thoughts and attitudes of the soldier. Though government is an evident participant in the war, its representatives never fight the battle on the front lines. They may support soldiers and promise them many things; however, when the war is over, a soldier returns home. He is going home, and nothing can distract him except the idea of what is waiting for him.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is difficult to imagine how mane problems may bother a person when war is over, and Berry makes an attempt to define the most burning aspects; one of them is capital punishment with its possibility to infringe upon moral justice and disappear during times of war. He describes this so perfectly in Berry’s poem â€Å"The Morning’s News.† In this work, Berry makes one more attempt to evaluate the impact of war and its aftereffects. He tries to compare death by its design and introduces the tragic nature of war using the innocence of the nature and of the child. â€Å"I look at my son, whose eyes are like a young god’s,/ they are so open to the world† (Berry, The Morning’s News, 88). Berry is sickened by the killing that is done to human beings and he explains further â€Å"and I am sickened by the complicity in my race† (Berry, The Morning’s News, 87). In addition, he argues the following: â€Å"to kill or be killed in hot sav agery like a beast is understandable. It is forgivable and curable. But to kill, by design, deliberately, without wrath, that is the sullen labor that perfects Hell.† (Berry, The Morning’s News, 87) This ideas disturbs him to think how cruel a human being can be and has a connection to the fact that a soldier and, in some cases, a prisoner of war convicted of heinous crimes are sentenced to capital punishment. Berry critically wonders when peace will settle in the world for both him and his family. He ends up finding solace in how wild things conduct their lives: â€Å"When despair for the world grows in me/ and I wake in the night at the least sound/ in fear of what my life and my childrens lives may be†¦/ I come into the peace of wild things†¦/ I enjoy the light of the stars.† (Berry, The Peace of Wild Things, 85) Berry feels some kind of freedom when he forgets the constant â€Å"war† he has to face with his conscience about the difficulties t hat are found in life. Christians were certainly confused about the writings in the scripture, and Wendell Berry brought understanding of the scripture and a definite guidance that sought to show environmental ethics that were brought out in the scriptures. Berry’s works â€Å"have revealed significant shifts in his religious thought and important intensifications of his commitment to religious foundations for an ethical life, his fiction invariably remains firmly secular with none of his main characters espousing strong religious beliefs† (Murphy, The Unforeseen Self in the Works of Wendell Berry para.1). The works of poetry that he has written best demonstrate what it actually means to inhabit a holy community where creation is forever taking place. His opinion about Christian ecology can be best obtained by interpretations of his poetry. The motivation that drives Wendell to write this poetry is to bring about emancipation to Christians from â€Å"failures and erro rs of Christian practice†. His purpose is to bring Christians to view divinity as something that exists in all features of the earthly population. People need to have something to believe in, and Berry finds Christianity as a powerful means to rely on. In an essay written by Berry, he brings out what the nature poems bring out. â€Å"It seeks to give us a sense of our proper place in the scheme of things. Man, it keeps reminding us, is the center of the universe only in the sense that wherever he is, it seems to him that he is at the center of his own horizon; the truth is that he is only a part of a vast complex of life, on the totality and order of which he is blindly dependent. Since that totality and order have never yet come within the rational competence of our race the natural effect of such poetry is the religious one of humility and awe.† (McKibben, Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life: A Readers Guide para. 12) This attitude helps to explain why a soldie r continues to serve their country zealously and protect his home wishing for the day when such senseless conflicts can resolved without resorting to such drastic measures. Wendell Berry clearly explains how war and home are directly linked in a soldier’s mind. His desire to evaluate the details of the event makes him more interesting and more intriguing. He makes a good attempt to focus on war times and the outcomes which are inalienable for people. According to him, war is a devastating event that ought to be avoided altogether. There are numerous reasons why wars begin, but the consequences it brings are far worse compared to the reasons why the war was fought in the first place. We must avoid these situations altogether. Such people like Berry show some possible ways to advocate peace in order to solve things and take measures to prevent the occurrence of wars. Berry, Wendell. The Hurt Man. Hudson Review 56.3 (2003): 431-438. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. http://s earch.ebscohost.com/login.as Berry, Wendell. â€Å"A Citizen’s Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America.† Orion. Arp. 2003. Mar. 2010. quietspaces.com/wendellberry.html Berry, Wendell. â€Å"Making It Home.† Fidelity Five Stories. New York and San Francisco: Pantheon Books, 1992: 83-105. Berry, Wendell. â€Å"The Morning’s News.† In David Impastato Upholding Mystery: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Berry, Wendell. The Peace of Wild Things. 4 Mar. 2010 gratefulness.org/poetry/peace_of_wild_things.htm. Brockman, Holly. Personal Interview. January/February 2006. Berry, Wendell. Interview. How Can a Family ‘Live at the Center of its own Attention?. The Southerner. 4 Mar. 2010. Fearnside, Jefferson. Personal interview. Jul 2008. Berry, Wendell. Interview. Digging In. The Sun. 4 Mar. 2010. Kramer, Kyle T. A Farmers Gift. America 200.13 (2009): 17-19. 4 Mar. 20 10 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=37570467site=ehost-live. McKibben, Bill. Wendell Berry and the Cultivation of Life: A Readers Guide. Christianity Toda 53.3 (2009): 63. 4 Mar. 2010 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=rfhAN=ATLA0001513922site=ehost-live. Murphy, Patrick D. The Unforeseen Self in the Works of Wendell Berry. Christianity and Literature 52.4 (2003): 580. 4 Mar. 2010 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=rfhAN=ATLA0001513922site=ehost-live Peters, Jason. Wendell Berry: Life and Work. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. 2007.

Definition and Examples of Assemblage Errors in English

Definition and Examples of Assemblage Errors in English Definition In  speech  and  writing, an assemblage error  is an unintentional rearrangement of sounds, letters, syllables, or words. Also called a movement error or slip of the tongue. As linguist Jean Aitchison explains below, assemblage errors provide important information about the way humans prepare and produce speech. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Aphasia Cognitive Linguistics and Psycholinguistics EggcornsMalapropismsMalapropisms and Mondegreens: Unintentional Word PlayMetathesisMispronunciation Slip of the Ear, Slip of the Pen, and Slip of the Tongue SpoonerismVerbal Play Examples and Observations A . . . common form of assemblage error is anticipation, which occurs when a person utters a word or sound too early. Instead of saying that he or she is about to make an important point, a person might anticipate the oi sound and say impoitant point. Words can also be anticipated, as in the phrase when you buy the laundry, instead of when you take the laundry, buy me some cigarettes. In other cases, people sometimes repeat sounds, saying a tall toy instead of a tall boy. These mistakes most frequently occur close together, within a single phrase. This suggests that people plan the entire phrase before saying it, choosing and arranging several words at a time and then occasionally misassembling the parts.(William D. Allstetter, Speech and Hearing. Chelsea House, 1991) Main Types of Assemblage Errors- These misorderings are of three main types: anticipations (premature insertion), as in she shells sea shells, exchanges or transpositions (place swapping), as in cling spreaning spring c leaning, and perseverations (repetitions), as in one-way woad one-way road. Such errors provide important information about the way humans prepare and produce speech: for example, the large number of anticipations, compared with perseverations, indicates that humans are thinking ahead as they speak, and are able to erase the memory of what they have said quite fast. Assemblage errors contrast with selection errors, in which a wrong item has been chosen. Together, these form the two major subdivisions within slips of the tongue (speech errors). A similar distinction can be made within slips of the pen (writing errors), and slips of the hand (signing errors).(Jean Aitchison, A Glossary of Language and Mind. Oxford University Press, 2003)- Not all slips fit neatly into one or other of the categories suggested earlier. For example, is conversation for conservation a selection error, in which one similar-sounding word has been picked instead of another? Or an assemblage error, in which t he [s] and [v] were reversed? Or what about the student who, describing her new boyfriend, said Hes such a lovely huskuline man. Was this a genuine blend, in which the similar-meaning words husky and masculine had been bundled together, when she meant to say only one? Or was it a telescopic blend, in which two adjacent words had been telescoped together in a hurry, so that what she had really meant to say was husky AND masculine? Or what went wrong in the slip peach seduction for speech production? This one is especially hard to categorize.(Jean Aitchison, Words in the Mind: An Introduction to the Mental Lexicon, 4th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012) Implications of Movement (Assemblage) Errors[M]ovement errors have provided a basis for claims that sentence-planning processes proceed in distinct processing levels, and that lexical and segmental content are significantly dissociated from their phrasal environments in the computational processes that build sentence form. . . .The two levels of sentence processing indicated by the movement errors correlate directly with two major types of lexical processing implied by the patterns of lexical substitution errors. The two levels of sentence structure motivated by the several types of movement errors may plausibly be associated, respectively, with a conceptually driven process that provides lexical content for abstract syntactic structures, and with a form-driven process that associates the phonological descriptions of words with their phrasal environments.(Merrill F. Garrett, Lexical Retrieval Process: Semantic Field Effects. Frames, Fields, and Contrasts: New Essays in Semantic and Lexical Organization, ed. by Adrienne Lehrer and Eva Feder Kittay. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1992) The Lighter Side of Assemblage ErrorsOnce a time upon, a gritty little pearl named Little Rude Riding Head had a gasket for her branny.She had . . .. . . a broaf of homemade lead,. . . a wottle of bine,. . . grapples and apes,. . . three or four belly jeans,. . . a bag of pollilops,. . . some shop chewey,. . . a twelve-inch peese chizza. . . some sicken noodle choop,. . . some plack-eyed bees,. . . and a bottle of boot rear.(Rob Reid, Something Funny Happened at the Library: How to Create Humorous Programs for Children and Young Adults. American Library Association, 2003)

Nucleic Acid Quick Facts

Nucleic Acid Quick Facts If youre taking general chemistry, organic, or biochemistry, youll need to understand some basic concepts about nucleic acids, the polymers used to code the genetic information of organisms. Here are some quick nucleic acid facts to get you started: Genetic Information Nucleic acids are the molecules that code the genetic information of organisms.The two nucleic acids used in the repair, reproduction and protein synthesis are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA, shown) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).DNA and RNA are polymers made up of monomers called nucleotides. Double Helix A DNA molecule is a double helix made up of two strands of polymers that are complementary to each other, but not identical. Hydrogen bonding holds the base pairs of the two strands together.The DNA base pairs are made up of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and ThymineRNA uses Uracil in place of ThiamineRNA is used to direct the production of proteins by the cell.RNA is created by copying DNA

Organisation, Competition and Environment Assignment

Organisation, Competition and Environment - Assignment Example The Unique Point Tutorials has over a hundred students, taught by Dowell herself with the assistance of some half a dozen teachers for different subjects. Dowell prefers coaching the younger children, leaving the older children of higher grades to the teachers who are specialized in different subjects. As an individual proprietor, Dowell had never felt the need to draw up objectives or targets. Business-wise, she was prospering. However, a few students of the higher standards had opted to change over to the new classes since they were offering offshore services, being affiliated with universities abroad. This has made Dowell think on global terms. On her husband's advice, she consulted a chartered accountant, who has asked her to crystallize her aims and objective, and targets from the current year. She decided on a two-pronged approach to her objectives which were to be external objectives and stakeholders'/internal objectives. To institutionalize her tutorial with her husband as a co-associate, and draw up a Memorandum of Association and encourage interested parents to become members in the association, with a view to promote total education for everybody in the locality. With a view to further strengthen her position vis--vis the competiti... To formulate principles of best practice, promote research, and link up with reputed overseas universities. To lobby for increased funding for capital expenditure to rent or purchase additional rooms to accommodate a hundred more students. (http://www.aicafmha.net.au)1 With a view to further strengthen her position vis--vis the competition, Dowell decided to identify her stakeholders and their objectives, and the objectives' status as of date. After deliberating, she concluded that her chief stakeholders were the students, parents and the teachers/staff. She also decided to make time for discussion and consultation with each of them in order to gather useful data and ideas, strengthen relationships, enhance the associations' reputation, improve decision-making, and also make these practices a part of her mainstream business practice. B)The stakeholders'/internal Objectives were: 1) For Students: To pursue and foster learning, enquiry, and through this to realise the Association's mission to be an academic community working together to create a learning environment in which teaching and learning is of the highest quality, supporting students and their personal development, and contributing to the well-being of their region and nation. To offer programmes of study at school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels that provide students with varying entry qualifications, experience and an educational base for a range of employment and further training opportunities. To provide appropriate curricula and learning experiences that satisfy the requirements of relevant professional and accrediting bodies. To provide scholarship to deserving students. To enable students to acquire a working knowledge of core

South circa 1900 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

South circa 1900 - Essay Example While slavery ended at the end of the century, segregation came in the dawn of the new century with the passage of the Segregation Law in 1880. The southern states, particularly Tennessee first passed the segregation law prohibiting the mingling of races in all public places particularly in public transportation. Another law was also passed which is the Disenfranchisement Law that deprived Afro Americans of their right to vote. The passage of the segregation law and disenfranchisement law meant the white and the black cannot be together on public places and public transportation. These oppressive laws were then implemented in various states and municipality mandating the segregation of the blacks and the whites not only on public transportation but also in other aspects of public life that include, schools, hospitals, parks, movie houses, hotels and even restrooms. Even courtrooms which are supposed to dispense justice were not spared as it was required to have separate bibles for a black and white witness. The separation of books was not only limited in theological scriptures but also on schoolbooks where the textbooks of the white and black students were stored in different warehouses. The famous anecdote about Rosa Parks not giving up her seat to a white passenger sprung up from the segregation law where a black person has to give up his or her seat to a white person (blacks and white in the early phase of the segregation law cannot be together in public transportation). The Disfranchisement Law as the name implies, remove the right of the Negro to exercise his civil liberty to vote by despite the guarantee of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. This was evident with the exclusion of the blacks from the list of those who can vote in 1870 and made it more difficult for blacks to vote (if they can) by passing the poll tax law. Ridiculous as it may sound but a literacy requirement was also enacted in 1890 that if a black person is allowed to vote, he or sh e must satisfy the â€Å"understanding clause† that they understood the constitution before the state registrar. Naturally, the determination of the black person’s fitness to vote became arbitrary that deprived many of them of their right to vote. Voting restrictions were also imposed to make it difficult for black people by stating deadlines of poll tax payment and voter registration unannounced. All of these were designed to make it difficult, if not impossible for a black person to vote. Many scholars, including Ayers are seeking the answer why was the law passed and many scholars contended that American society was not yet ready to accept the Negro as equals in all dimension of life that it was too radical an idea for a race that was once a slave to become an equal. Such, the separation between the two races, where the white can again impose its superiority among the blacks had to be imposed through the creation and passage of segregation and disenfranchisement law . Ayers however argued that while to some extent this could be true, there are several factors that led to the passage of these laws that shaped the socio-economic status of Afro-Americans in the 19th century. Ayers contended that the Jim Crow law was a result of various forces that include political, class, and psychological issues that was a byproduct of America’s industrialization. It could also be taken as an attempt to put the Negro in the south in his or her â€Å"

Thermoregulation in Desert Lizards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thermoregulation in Desert Lizards - Essay Example Among ectotherms, lizards inhabiting tropical regions are most likely to be affected since biodiversity in their habitats are most affected (Meek 1). Change in temperatures affects lizards in terms of thermoregulation mechanisms, energy expenditure, as well as biological activity. Investigation on how temperature changes, caused by global warming, are affecting lizards is of utmost importance especially considering that lizards are at a high risk of extinction. According to Huey et al, â€Å"Forest lizards are key components of tropical ecosystems, but appear vulnerable to the cascading physiological and ecological effects of climate warming, even though rates of tropical warming may be relatively low† (Huey et al 1939-1940). This paper explores the effect of global warming on thermoregulation mechanisms of lizards. Strategies to Thermoregulation of Desert Lizard According to theories of evolution, thermoregulatory mechanisms in many species especially reptiles has evolved wit h time in response to changing climatic conditions (Huey et al 1939-1942). Changes in climatic conditions cause increase in temperature variations forcing lizards to adopt both biological and behavioral temperature regulation mechanisms in order to cope with changing weather conditions. According to Meek, â€Å"The evolution of thermoregulatory behavior in reptiles almost certainly arose because environments are not usually thermally stable but fluctuate both on a daily or seasonal basis or because of uneven heat distributions within environments† (Meek 1). Meek hypothesized that any thermoregulation mechanism adopted by lizards comes at costs and benefits. For instance, lguanid lizard inhabiting high altitudes where temperatures are extremely low use ground vegetation for insulation. It was observed that the lizards could raise their body temperature to approximately 35degrees by basking on the sun for two hours. They could then return to their shelters and maintain their bo dy temperature for the whole afternoon. However, such a thermoregulatory mechanism comes at a cost since the lizards remain inactive, minimal habitat utilization, and increased basking (Meek 1). These findings correlate with findings by Kearney et al â€Å"Warmer environments also may increase maintenance energy costs while simultaneously constraining activity time, putting pressure on mass, and energy budgets† (Kearney et al 1). One of behavioral mechanisms adopted by lizard is change of body color in relation to surrounding environment temperatures. According to Bradshaw, this type of behavior enables the desert lizard to maintain its body temperature in a normal range. As the temperature goes down the lizard turns into black. Black color is a good absorber of heat and hence it is able to absorb heat faster from the environment. Once the environmental temperature rises, light color becomes prominent. This turns the heat away and enables the lizard to cool its body. This exp lains why desert lizards are light in color as compared to lizards in cold regions (Bradshaw 90). Besides being a thermoregulatory mechanism, a study by Bujes and Verrastro found out that color change was also found to be a camouflage mechanism (Bujes and Verrastro 1). Activity of the Lizard in Different Seasons The most important factor in behavioral regulation of temperature in desert lizards is use of burrows. Indeed, different studies have pointed to the same fact that desert lizards spend almost 75% of their lifetime in burrows throughout annual season. These burrows offer temporary rescue or long-term survival mechanism. Lizards either dig their own burrows or use already existing ones (Bradshaw 166). Similar findings were found by â€Å"The activity of

Bancassurance and assurancebank strategie Essay

Bancassurance and assurancebank strategie - Essay Example Hence, an opening up of the markets eventually led the production houses to operate in an environment saturated with stringent competition. The companies worldwide have responded to this change by adapting themselves into newer strategies while designing their financial plans. Many firms have introduced added features in their operations so that they are able to meet more of the people’s demands and thus are able to capture a higher fraction of the market. Since it becomes easier for people to shop or transact under the same roof, this introduced feature is enough to lure them (Staikouras, 2009). One such move that was simultaneously embraced by the insurance as well as the banking sector was that of indulging themselves in each other’s activities. Hence, two new strategies of ‘bancassurance’ and ‘assurancebank’ were introduced in some of the units in the banking and the insurance sectors respectively (Nurullah & Staikouras, 2008). For instance, in Europe, there is the HSBC Bank which has adopted the strategy of ‘bankassurance’ while there is the ING Group which has embraced the other strategy. The strategy of bancassurance implies an embedding of the insurance sector in the activities of the banking sector (Ennew & Waite, 2007). The advantage to the customers in case such a strategy is introduced are, firstly, they are able to transact under a single roof which is time as well as cost-saving, and secondly, the moment that a customer takes some loan, he automatically is entitled to the insurance benefit that accompanies it. Thus, if the loan is meant for some investment and it fails to reap the returns it is expected to yield after a specified time period, then an insurance coverage will help him to forgo the loan and thus the person’s tremor is reduced by a great extent. The HSBC Group adopted the

A Madmans Diary by Lu Xun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Madmans Diary by Lu Xun - Essay Example From the visit, he learns about the younger brother’s tribulations; he suffered from a mental condition, but he recovered and has since relocated to another area. The narrator is given a diary by the older brother whereby an account of the younger brother’s illness was kept. This is the diary referred to as the ‘Madman’s Diary’ by the narrator, and its contents constitute the bulk of the story. From the diary, we learn of the extreme paranoia of the protagonist during the time of his illness (Xun & Nadolny 36). The story describes about social conditions in china at the time. The diary talks about cannibalism, which is a common practice in Chinese history and culture. During the early 1900s, Chinese people were desperate as a result of the extreme famine, and this culminated into cannibalism. It is this cannibalism that the protagonist describes during his illness by being paranoid that those surrounding him would soon or later eat him up. A deeper analysis of the story shows that the author was castigating and condemning Chinese culture at this time, whereby the strong in society devoured the weaker ones. The character that catches my attention is the madman himself. Even though he has crazy ideas about cannibalism, he typifies change in society. Despite his hardships, he struggles to get better, and later he gets a good job in another city. From his diary, he has given us insight into the Chinese society at that time whereby strong people ‘ate up’ weaker ones (Hsun & Yang

Bancassurance and assurancebank strategie Essay

Bancassurance and assurancebank strategie - Essay Example Hence, an opening up of the markets eventually led the production houses to operate in an environment saturated with stringent competition. The companies worldwide have responded to this change by adapting themselves into newer strategies while designing their financial plans. Many firms have introduced added features in their operations so that they are able to meet more of the people’s demands and thus are able to capture a higher fraction of the market. Since it becomes easier for people to shop or transact under the same roof, this introduced feature is enough to lure them (Staikouras, 2009). One such move that was simultaneously embraced by the insurance as well as the banking sector was that of indulging themselves in each other’s activities. Hence, two new strategies of ‘bancassurance’ and ‘assurancebank’ were introduced in some of the units in the banking and the insurance sectors respectively (Nurullah & Staikouras, 2008). For instance, in Europe, there is the HSBC Bank which has adopted the strategy of ‘bankassurance’ while there is the ING Group which has embraced the other strategy. The strategy of bancassurance implies an embedding of the insurance sector in the activities of the banking sector (Ennew & Waite, 2007). The advantage to the customers in case such a strategy is introduced are, firstly, they are able to transact under a single roof which is time as well as cost-saving, and secondly, the moment that a customer takes some loan, he automatically is entitled to the insurance benefit that accompanies it. Thus, if the loan is meant for some investment and it fails to reap the returns it is expected to yield after a specified time period, then an insurance coverage will help him to forgo the loan and thus the person’s tremor is reduced by a great extent. The HSBC Group adopted the

New Labour Education Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

New Labour Education Policy - Essay Example In keeping step with the concept that the school is a reflection of society, New Labour's educational policies have been framed in their philosophy of free market competition, equality, and the recognition and reward of ability. New Labour has made a significant commitment to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor and lessening the effects of the social and cultural capital that permeates the system. The policy is also committed to "reversing the increasing social exclusion of the unemployed and low-paid, and to equality of opportunity in education and the need to develop the potential of every child" (Tomlinson 2003, p.195). In addition, New Labour has maintained a steadfast commitment to "choice and competition, with education developing as a market commodity driven by consumer demand, fuelled by league tables of examination results, school 'choice' by parents, specialist schools and failing schools" (Tomlinson 2003, p.196). The ruthlessness of the market and cultural trad itions have often compromised the drive towards equality and fairness and has created tension in New Labour's controversial educational policies. No matter where you look in the educational system you will see the influence of the social stratification, racism, the gap between the poor and rich, and the class attitudes that are reflected in education's mirror. However, national standards and mandates have dictated that these influences must be overlooked and not considered in favour of an inclusive and performance based system. The initial enthusiasm that met New Labour's educational reforms has "dissipated into puzzlement, disappointment and concern about the direction of education policy, at least in... The researcher of this essay concluds that education reform in the UK has followed a violent and rocky road since the beginnings of formal education. Once thought to be the property of the elite, the researcher states that education is now perceived as a right that every citizen has an opportunity to attain. The traditional view that the school should be a reflection of the society becomes problematic when trying to instil equality, while honestly accounting for the culture. The call for free market choice and competition add additional tension to the multiple goals of the educational initiatives. Traditional social and cultural groups that underperform in society or economics will also underperform in education. This results in socio-economic groupings that take on the characteristic of being exclusionary. The students with social capital will group with like peers and self perpetuate the segregation. Meritocracy further increases the gap, as the most capable students will be the on es from an advantaged background. The researcher hopes that thse phenomena will resonate through race, ethnicity, gender, and the disabled. In this scenario demands that society make some fundamental changes in correcting its own prejudice. Still, Labour has shown a willingness to acknowledge its failures and alter their approach when possible. They have begun to consider the social context of the schools and it can be concluded that educational reform is far from ideal, but continues to evolve as society pulls it along.

Types of Teachers Essay Example for Free

Types of Teachers Essay Abstract This paper explains three different types of teachers and their role and impact over the educational system. By the same token it is emphasized that the teacher is an important part of the learning process who impacts the shaping of the lives of young children. The relationship between a student and a teacher is a difficult one in most of cases and it is something that raises problems which need to be resolved. At this point every teacher has different way of presenting and teaching the given material and the crucial role in establishing a good and fruitful collaboration with students is the approach of the teacher which should inspire positive attitudes and amiable atmospheres for learning. To illustrate such an approach, as well as the opposite of it, this paper consists of the following types of teachers: intimate, authoritative and indifferent teachers. Keywords: authoritative, intimate, indifferent teacher; Types of Teachers. Teachers are the ones that pass the knowledge over to the students and they utilize different way of presenting the given material. According to Jupp (2012), â€Å"Teachers make thousands of decisions each day, and they don’t do it about abstract ideas. They do it about a life of a child. You can’t imagine anything harder. † For instance, some teachers bear this in mind and manage to create a friendly atmosphere which gives the students the needed motivation for seeking knowledge, whereas some teachers are not so proficient. The reason for this can be the lack of motivation of the teacher, because there are many teachers who evolve in this profession only because there was nothing else to do and their interest is simply based on earning money. Their goal at the end of the class is a finished syllabus, not passing knowledge. Students find this kind of situation frustrating and their frustration is seen in the outer world. Balanced, positive classroom will bring out the best of students. Many psychological studies, such as Baumrind (1971) which shows the various parenting styles can correlate with various teachers’ classroom styles in the sense that a good model of a parent is an appropriate model for teacher. According to the study, the crucial elements of relationships are the responsiveness and demandingness. Considering these elements teachers can be classified as authoritative, intimate, and indifferent. Authoritative teachers will be characterized by a high response, and a high demand, and are considered to be the closest to the ideal picture of a teacher. Most of them can be described with personality traits such as: curious, creative, attentive, principled, astute, patient, hardworking, gregarious, communicative, and openhearted and perhaps the most important, proficient. They are eager to know something more about the student apart from their first and last name, something more about their individuality, more personal. They are more likely to build a good relationship with the students and will allow them participation in the class, as long as it is something relevant to the topic of the lesson, so the student involvement in the class is at a very high rate. These ways of participations are â€Å"important predictors of social and academic adjustment† (Hughes, 2002). The authoritative classroom might be an excellent opportunity for developing speaking skills, because an authoritative teacher is open to feedback and debates with the students. However, authoritative classroom might not be ideal for developing speaking skills because some authoritative teachers are closed to feedback as this may question their authority. An authoritative teacher would organize the class neatly and orderly and the discipline would be present throughout the class, so the students would feel comfortable and respectful. In ideal situation mutual respect and cooperation are the most important tools of an authoritative teacher for their approach of teaching, although not every authoritative teacher uses them. Intimate teachers are characterized by high response and low demand, i. e. high involvement in students’ lives but occasionally poor establishment of a control in the classroom. When making decisions, the students’ feelings might be taken into consideration and nothing else. Intimate teachers often ignore disrespectful behaviour and discipline will not be present in such a classroom. This atmosphere is more like to be friendly but chaotic and may result in a classroom which is entirely out of control. Being kind is good, still being too kind and ignoring the discipline will be a dead end. This kind of teacher will probably be liked by most of the students but the teaching can be poor and it may result in poor academic skills. Indifferent teachers are characterized by low response, low demand, and little or no control over the class. They are one of the worst types of teachers. The image that students get of them is that they seem to be bored with the class and are eager to finish with it as soon as possible. The involvement of the students is at a very low rate. Some of these teachers do not prepare for class and usually are sitting in front of the class, sighing and citing word by word the lesson from the book. Others will tell the students to read silently as they are gazing somewhere or contemplating matters not even close to the lesson material. An indifferent teacher lacks motivation and is not at all hardworking. This teacher appears generally uninterested and might not even bother to provide different materials during the course, so students are able to get the exams from the previous years. That will certainly have negative feedback and students will have low motivation and poor or no knowledge at all. Classroom discipline is a concept unknown for these teachers. They lack the skill and motivation to establish a discipline in the class needed to provide an orderly atmosphere class. The reason for the indifference may be due to the lack of motivation for teaching. As mentioned in the abstract, some of these teachers may be those who become teachers unintentionally, because there was nothing else to do. Students will respond negatively of the atmosphere. If one asks a student to describe an indifferent teacher, he/she will probably sigh and say something like learning is up to the students as far as that teacher is concerned. Students who have this type of teacher do not have the opportunity to exercise speaking skills at all. According to Rowe, K. (2003), the type of the approach of the teacher i. e. the established relationships result in creating certain characteristic behaviours. The statistics show that the authoritative type produce students who are responsible, socially competent, well prepared and knowledgeable, the intimate teachers produce irresponsible students with poor leadership skills; and indifferent teachers produces students with poor verbal skills and poor or no knowledge at all. Teachers are the ones that teach the lessons of humanity and should take more responsibility in creating their approaches towards students. Regarding these classifications the closest to an ideal teacher is the authoritative one. In addition, according to Baumrind (1971), the authoritative approach is the best approach because it correlates with appropriate student behaviors. It is true that to be an authoritative teacher is much easier to imagine than to accomplish. Since, the students are to be the next academic citizens who deal with various positions and for that purpose teachers should think twice before stepping into a classroom unprepared. However, even the least motivated teachers should simply consider if the teachers they are being at the moment are the ones they would prefer their children to have. References Baumrind, D. (1971). Cornell University College of Human Ecology. Parenting styles and adolescents. Retrieved from http://www. human. cornell. edu/pam/outreach/parenting/research/upload/Parenting-20Styles-20and-20Adolescents. pdf Hughes, Jan N. (2002) Authoritative Teaching: Tipping the balance in favor of school versus peer effects. Journal of School Psychology 40(6), 485-492 Retrieved from http://www. centerforcsri. org/research/improvement. cgi? st=ssr=SR005149 Jupp, B. (2012, January 18). Join ED and teachers for#teach talk discussion on twitter Retrieved from http://www. ed. gov/blog/2012/01/join-ed-and-teachers-for-a-teachtalk-discussion-on-twitter/ Rowe, K. (2003) â€Å"The Importance of Teacher Quality as a Key Determinant of Students’ Experiences and Outcomes of Schooling Retrieved from http://research. acer. edu. au/research_conference_2003/3.

The Buddhist Five Precepts In A Nutshell Philosophy Essay

The Buddhist Five Precepts In A Nutshell Philosophy Essay Many of us know that negative emotions and behaviour are unwholesome and lead to suffering, and that, in contrast, positive emotions and behaviour are wholesome and lead to happiness. Yet, even with this knowledge, few of us are dedicated practitioners, following the Buddhist Five Precepts faithfully and sincerely on a daily basis. In other words, there is a gap between knowledge and practice. The purpose of Dharma education is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the use and application of knowledge to bring about change within us. The teachings of Dharma help us develop a good heart and true happiness for the benefit of ourselves as well as for others. True happiness requires training and a certain degree of inner discipline. We need to train the intellect and feelings, as well as the heart and mind. In this process we undergo a transformation of our attitudes, and our entire outlook, as well as our approach to living. Buddhism provides the framework and guidance to work towards this transformation. However, such transformation does not come naturally. As human beings, we have many negative mental traits; we need to address and counteract each of these and there is no easy way out. We are unlike computers, where a simple push of a keyboard button can delete a negative trait from our mind. As humans, we need to apply a variety of approaches and methods, such as observing the precepts, meditation and so forth to deal with our varied and complex negative mental traits. Observing the Five Precepts is one of the very basic methods, a set of guiding principles with which to counteract our negative traits. The Five Precepts also help to guide our bodily actions, our speech and our mental attitudes. It is a systematic means of actualising our aim of purifying our body, speech and mind. The process of transformation requires commitment and perseverance. We need to constantly apply various techniques and take time to familiarise ourselves with the practices. Determination and inner discip line are important qualities we need to develop if we are to bring about successful transformation. The training process encompasses faith, understanding, practice, experience and realisation. First, we need to have a certain degree of faith to enter the path. We need to have faith that the Five Precepts will lead us to happiness and that we can uphold them. Next, we need to learn the value of upholding the precepts, and how this can be accomplished by understanding their contents and principles. Learning the precepts helps us to understand the importance of becoming more ethical in our behavior and increasing our mental discipline. Subsequently, we transform this knowledge into action, that is, keeping the precepts sincerely on a daily basis. Determination and inner discipline are very important in upholding the precepts. By learning, understanding and upholding the precepts, we change our perception of the world, and most importantly of ourselves. As a result, our interactions with others and the way we conduct our daily lives will become positive, fruitful and light. Such experi ence and realisation will further enhance our understanding and faith in the precepts. In the beginning, positive changes may be very minor. The negative influences that we have held for so long within our minds remain strong, leading us to continue to violate the precepts. We have to be patient with ourselves and keep working at it. Little by little, our life will come into alignment with wisdom. With growing wisdom, we will become more mindful (aware) of our thoughts and actions. Negative actions that we once committed with little or no awareness are suddenly revealed to us. As a result, it becomes easier to maintain the precepts. Just like learning to ride a bicycle, we will fall often. However, with constant practice, we will get there eventually. Observing the Five Precepts is an ethical discipline which will require constant effort from ourselves, as old negative habits are replaced with new, positive ones. We need to work with ourselves and be patient. No one saves us but ourselves, and the Buddha merely guides the way! 3.1 THE BUDDHIST FIVE PRECEPTS IN A NUTSHELL The Five Precepts were recommended by the Buddha for anyone who wishes to lead a life of peace, while also contributing to the happiness of family and society. The Five Precepts are voluntarily observed by lay Buddhists; they are not commandments that have to be strictly abided by. They form the basis of universal morality outlined in the Noble Eightfold Path, which is very important, especially when one is beginning to follow the Buddhist way. WHAT ARE THE FIVE PRECEPTS? THE FIRST PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM KILLING Respect Life, Not Kill and Being Compassionate I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life, so that I will practise compassion by protecting and benefiting all life. THE SECOND PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM STEALING Respect Personal Property, Not Steal and Being Generous I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given, so that I will practise generosity by sharing and giving away my material and spiritual wealth. THE THIRD PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Respect Personal Relationships, Not Indulge the Senses and To Be Content I undertake the training rule to abstain from misconduct regarding objects and subjects of sense pleasures, especially adultery, so that I will practices contentment and channel my energies towards spiritual development. THE FOURTH PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM UNTRUTHFUL SPEECH Respect Truth, Not Lying and Being Truthful in Speech I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech, and other unwholesome modes of speech, so that I will communicate positively. THE FIFTH PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM CONSUMING INTOXICATING DRINKS AND DRUGS Respect Mental and Physical Well-being, Not Taking Intoxicants and Being Mindful I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking alcohol, and that which causes intoxication, so that I will be more healthy and not break the precepts through loss of mindfulness. 2.1.1 The First Precept: ABSTAIN FROM KILLING I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life The pali word panna means that which breathes. A living being is one that has breath and consciousness, including human beings, animals and insects. Plants are excluded as they do not have consciousness.This precept prohibits the killing of living beings. In broader terms, it should also be understood to prohibit injuring, maiming, and torturing a living being. Conditions Under Which A Violation Is Considered to Have Occurred à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Object: The fact and presence of a living being, human or animal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge: The knowledge that the object is a living being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intention: The intent or resolution to kill à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Act: The act of killing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consequence: A resulting death Exceptions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ By accident no intention The act of killing can take place through action of the body, or speech, such as commanding someone to kill, resulting in the death of a living being. The key factor for the violation of this precept is intention. The mental factor is the propeller while the body only functions as the channel for actualising the intent to kill. A complete act of killing constituting a full violation of the precept needs to involve the five conditions stated earlier. Let us first look at the first condition: Object. There is violation only when a living being is present and one perceives it as a living being. Here is a straightforward example to illustrate this idea. In a demonstration or riot where mobs are very angry with a political leader, they might burn the photos and/ or slash the statue of the political leader. In this case, there is no killing as the rioters only perceive the photo or statue as a living being. Intending to kill one being and killing another by mistake also does not constitute a full transgression. The second condition, Knowledge, denotes that killing occurs only when the killer is aware that the object of his action is a living being, not a photo or statue. So, if we step on an insect we do not see, the knowledge (awareness) of a living being is not there and hence full violation has not occurred. The third condition, Intention, ensures that the taking of life is intentional. There is no violation if there is no intent to kill, for example accidentally killing a fly when we try to keep it away. The fourth condition holds that the action must be directed towards killing and the fifth, that the being (human or animal) dies as a result of this action. Full violation of the precept is not deemed to have happened if there is no resulting death. Underlying Motivations for Killing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hatred à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delusion An example of killing motivated primarily by greed is killing for material gain, such as hunting; or to gain enjoyment, such as fishing or eating seafood. Killing motivated by hatred is evident in cases of vicious murder out of strong aversion, cruelty, or jealousy. Killing motivated by delusion can be seen in the case of animal sacrifices in certain religious practices, or in holy wars, where one kills followers of other religious beliefs, and believing that to be a sacred act. How the Precept is Violated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Committed by oneself à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ By commanding or instructing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rejoicing in the act The precept could be violated by taking a life, or by commanding someone else to do so verbally or with gestures. A common example of instructing someone else to kill on our behalf is by ordering live seafood in a restaurant. Sometimes we may rejoice in the act of killing, for example, rejoicing in the murder of someone we do not like. When reading the news that an enemy has been killed, we must be careful not to rejoice in it. The Intensity / Severity of Violation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spiritual Nobility of the victim à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of animal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Type of animal There is a difference between killing a human being and an animal. Killing a human being is certainly a more serious violation than killing an animal. Within the category of humans, it is a more serious violation to kill ones parent or benefactor, than a stranger. In the case of animals, the severity of violation is said to be proportional to the size of the animal, that is, killing a larger animal is more reprehensible than killing a small animal (such as a tiny insect). It also matters if the animals are domesticated or wild, and if they have a gentle or vicious temperament. Of all killings, the most culpable is the killing of an arahant/arahantini (a fully liberated being), and of ones parents. The Purpose of the this Precept à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To respect life à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To have compassion The purpose of this precept is to respect all living beings. In doing so, we learn to be kind and compassionate to all living beings and live in harmony with them. By upholding the precept of not killing, we give all living creatures security and freedom from danger. Quotes from Scriptures Giving up killing, we abstain from taking the life of any living being; laying aside stick and sword, modest and merciful, he lives kind and compassionate to all living beings. (DN.1) There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift original, long- standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives and priests. (AN8.39) The First Mindfulness Training by Thich Nhat Hanh Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life. Thich Nhat Hanh has extended the First Precept of not killing humans and animals (sentient beings) to the protection of plants and minerals, which are technically not sentient beings though they are part of nature. The essence of observing this precept is to respect life, cultivate loving kindness and to live in harmony with our ecosystem and environment. In view of the consumerist world we live in, driven often by greed, this mindfulness training can help in our reflection on how we live, and how our actions contribute to harming our environment and the planet. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FIRST PRECEPT What is the Buddhist perspective on suicide? Chan Master Sheng Yen: According to the Buddhist teaching of cause and effect, since one has not realised the truth of all phenomena, or is not liberated from life and death, suicide is pointless. When ones karmic retribution is not exhausted, death by suicide only leads to another cycle of rebirth. This is why Buddhists do not support suicide, and instead, encourage constructive living, using this life to diligently practise good, thus changing the present and the future for the better. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: Some people commit suicide; they seem to think that there is suffering simply because there is the human life, and that by cutting off the life there will be nothingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But, according to the Buddhist viewpoint, thats not the case; your consciousness will continue. Even if you take your own life, this life, you will have to take another body that again will be the basis of suffering. If you really want to get rid of all your suffering, all the difficulties you experience in your life, you have to get rid of the fundamental cause (greed, hatred and delusion) that gives rise to the aggregates that are the basis of all suffering. Killing yourself isnt going to solve your problem. Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda: Taking ones own life under any circumstances is morally and spiritually wrong. Taking ones own life owing to frustration or disappointment only causes greater suffering. Suicide is a cowardly way to end ones problems of life. A person cannot commit suicide if his mind is pure and tranquil. If one leaves this world with a confused and frustrated mind, it is most unlikely that he would be born again in a better condition. Suicide is an unwholesome or unskillful act since it is encouraged by a mind filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Those who commit suicide have not learnt how to face their problems, how to face the facts of life, and how to use their mind in a proper manner. Such people have not been able to understand the nature of life and worldly conditions. Ven. S. Dhammika, Good Question Good Answer, 2008, p26: When one person murders another they might do it out of fear, anger, fury, greed or some other negative emotions. When a person kills himself or herself they might do it for very similar reasons or because of other negative emotions like despair or frustration. So whereas murder is the result of negative emotions directed towards another, suicide is the result of negative emotions directed towards oneself, and therefore would be breaking the Precept. However, someone who is contemplating suicide or has attempted suicide does not need to be told that what they are doing is wrong. They need our support and our understanding. We have to help them understand that killing themselves is perpetuating their problem, surrendering to it, not solving it. To keep the precept of not killing, must we be vegetarian? There are various opinions among the different Buddhist traditions with regards to this question. The Buddha, himself, was not a vegetarian. Traditionally, Theravadin monastics live on alms food; they receive whatever is put into their alms bowl. In other words, they have no control over their diet. However, in the Jivaka Sutta (MN 55), it is mentioned that the Buddha only allowed meat to be taken on the condition that it is pure in three aspects that the monastic: 1. did not see the animal being killed 2. did not hear the cry of the animal being killed 3. did not suspect that the animal was killed specifically for the monk/nun Although these conditions technically apply only to monastics, they are often used as a reasonable guide by devout lay people. The Mahayanists relate these three types of purified meat to the nurturing of compassion. If we see the suffering of the dying animal, we should be compassionate towards them and try to relieve their suffering. It is against the principle of compassion if we do not help them, and indeed, even go ahead to consume their meat. Exceptions have also appeared in Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibet, people traditionally lived as nomads and it was, and probably still is, difficult to grow vegetables in the high altitudes, making it difficult to be vegetarian. Hence, monastics from the Theravadin and Tibetan traditions are generally not vegetarian. When Buddhism spread to China, the idea of compassion was developed further in the Chinese Mahayanist tradition, and the Bodhisattva vow of not taking meat was strongly emphasised and made compulsory. Chinese Mahayanist monastics are therefore vegetarian, and so are many devotees who have taken the Bodhisattva precepts. Today, more and more Theravadin monastics are encouraging vegetarianism, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama also encourages Tibetan monastics living outside Tibet, and who have control over their diet, to be vegetarian. In my opinion, vegetarianism should be encouraged, but not imposed on others. Are we not contributing to killing by eating meat? Isnt the meat in restaurants and supermarkets killed for our consumption? Let us look at the example of poultry farming. In the old days, chickens were allowed to roam freely and grow in a natural environment. They were only sent for slaughter when naturally fully grown. In other words, the production of meat was not human-controlled but based on the natural growth of the animals. Today, driven by demand in capitalist economies, poultry is produced in controlled high-tech conditions. Poultry and other animals are now raised in large-scale factory farms, deprived of natural conditions which allow them to move around and seek food freely in a natural environment. They are fed solely by humans and/or machines and kept in cages or pens, just big enough for them to stand in, day and night. Driven by human greed, some poultry farmers, for example, speed up the growth of the chickens to generate more income, causing tremendous pain and suffering to the poultry. By creating longer days and shorter nights with the use of indoor lighting, the animals are misled into eating more often than normal. Under these factory farming conditions, these animals suffer greatly. Some reports say these animals attack each other, pecking out of frustration and wounding their mates, causing each other to bleed and suffer. To prevent them from attacking each other, farmers cut their beaks off, inflicting even more pain and suffering to the poor chickens. During festive seasons, there is massive slaughter of animals to satisfy the sensual pleasures of humans. So, if we look deeply into the consumption of meat, we could be indirectly contributing to the act of killing, because the production of meat today is dependent on demand in the market. Therefore, if we can reduce our meat consumption, it will certainly reduce the demand for meat, and thereby minimising animal slaughter. If we are truly concerned for the well-being of animals and not wanting to contribute to the cruelty of modern industrial farming, we will naturally develop a kind heart and compassion towards animals. The practice of the First Precept to abstain from killing is a celebration of life. We do not support any act of killing, and we can extend it further by teaching others not to. Being mindful of what we eat and what we buy, and making an effort in our diet are ways of preventing killing. Many Buddhists find that as they develop in their spiritual path, they have a natural tendency to become vegetarian. By doing so, they live up to the Buddhas teaching on loving kindness. This energy of loving kindness brings feelings of safety, health and joy to them and all sentient beings. What did the Buddha say about vegetarianism? (Taken from Ven. Sangye Khadros article, Mandala Magazine, June 2007) There is a lot of debate within Buddhism about this issue. There are some Buddhists who are vegetarian (no meat or fish), and some who are vegans (no animal products at all, including dairy products and eggs). And there are some Buddhists who do eat meat. What did the Buddha himself say about eating meat? Well, it seems that he said different things at different times. This may sound like he contradicted himself, but the Tibetans say that the Buddha was a very skilful teacher who understood the minds and needs of his listeners and would teach them accordingly. So to some, the Buddha said it was okay to eat meat, provided that they did not kill the animal themselves, or order it to be killed. But to others, the Buddha said that if you are a follower of the bodhisattva path, and truly compassionate, you should not eat meat. To these people he spoke of the harmful consequences of doing so. In fact, there is an entire chapter in the Lankavatara Sutra (a Mahayana sutra which has been translated into English) in which the Buddha spoke very strongly against meat-eating. So as I understand it, the Buddha did not actually forbid his followers to eat meat, but left it up to each person to decide this issue for him/herself. In a way, that was compassionate of the Buddha, because some people live in places and conditions where it would be extremely difficult to abstain from meat, and if they had to be vegetarian in order to be Buddhist, they probably would not be able to do it. Also, some people are unable to be strictly vegetarian because of their physical make-up or their health. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is an example of this. He tried to be vegetarian, but his health suffered and his doctors advised him to eat meat. But I am sure he eats as little as possible, because in his teachings he often encourages people (especially the Tibetans, who are quite fond of meat) to either give up or at least cut down on the consumption of meat. His advice seems to be working, because I have noticed in the last few years an increase in the number of Tibetans who have given up meat, as well as Tibetan-run organisations promoting vegetarianism. I even heard that Sera Monastery in South India is a meat- free zone! Is abortion a form of killing? Isnt it better to end a pregnancy if the couple is not ready? Abortion is medically defined as the expulsion of a not yet viable foetus in humans as well as animals before the end of pregnancy, during which the foetus is not capable of maintaining an independent existence. Is abortion a form of killing? To answer this question, we need to understand when life begins. According to Buddhist teachings, the existence of a human being begins from the minds first arising, that is, from the first moment of the existence of consciousness in a foetus. In other words, life begins from the moment of conception, when an egg is fertilised by a sperm. Hence, abortion is indeed a form of killing. However, according to Buddhism, abortion is allowed only in situations where it is the most humane alternative; for example, in order to save the life of the mother. But let us be honest, most abortions are performed simply because the pregnancy is inconvenient, or an embarrassment (pre-marital pregnancy or the result of adultery). These are very poor reasons for the destruction of a life. Abortion is never a good solution to unwanted pregnancies. Prevention is better than cure. Education is the long term solution. Educating couples on sexual responsibility is a better option than destroying a life. Couples entering into sexual activity should think carefully beforehand. Are they ready to bring a new life into this world? Are they financially ready to bring up the child? Sexual activity should not be carried out without long term commitment; that is, if pregnancy occurs, the couple must be responsible for their act of bringing a new life into the world. What if a woman is raped? A child conceived as a result of rape is entitled to live and be loved just as any other child. The baby (foetus) is innocent. He or she should not be killed simply because their biological father committed a crime. In dealing with unwanted pregnancy, the child could be given away or adopted by others. How should I deal with an infestation of ants or cockroaches? Our intention is not to kill. We try our best to bring the least harm to all living creatures. We can avoid using harmful pesticides by using organic/natural ones that do not kill the creatures. For example, fresh pandan (pandanus) leaves are good for keeping cockroaches away without killing them. We also need to be aware of actions that may invite pests into our house. Some people have the habit of leaving dishes and cutlery in the basin after meals. Some wash the dishes only when there are no more clean plates and spoons in the cupboard. This will certainly invite ants and cockroaches into their homes. When their house is infected with ants and cockroaches, they start spraying pesticides. We need to be mindful and responsible for our actions. If we make an effort to keep our environment clean and dry, and keeping food out of reach, it will certainly reduce the incidence of pests. At other times when it is unavoidable, we just need to be patient and tolerant. With mindfulness and pe rseverance, we can do our best to minimise harm to living creatures. Refer to Appendix 1 (p87) for tips on how to keep insects away without killing them. Some detractors say, You Buddhists are too concerned about ants and bugs. (Taken from Ven. S. Dhammika, Good Question Good Answer, p25) Buddhists try to develop a compassion that is undiscriminating and all-embracing. We see the world as a unified whole where each thing and creature has its place and function. We believe that before we destroy or upset natures delicate balance, we should be very careful. Where emphasis has been on exploiting nature to the full, squeezing every last drop out of it without putting anything back, conquering and subduing it, nature has revolted. The air is becoming poisoned, the rivers polluted and dead, so many animals and plants are heading for extinction, the slopes of the mountains are barren and eroded. Even the climate is changing. If people were a little less anxious to crush, destroy and kill, this terrible situation might not have arisen. We should strive to develop a little more respect for all life. And this is what the First Precept is about. What if we are practicing non-violence and someone breaks into our house and threatens us? What should we do? It all depends on your level of cultivation. If you are an experienced practitioner who practises non-violence in your daily life, the chances are you will be more likely to react calmly and intelligently without harming anyone. The compassion one generates could influence the intruder to be less violent. But in order to be able to react in an intelligent and non-violent way, our day-to-day training is important. It may take years to develop. If you wait till a crisis happens, it will be too late. And at that crucial moment, even if you know all the teachings to embrace compassion, to be non- violent, it is only intellectual knowledge. Since it is not an intrinsic part of your being, you may not be able to act in a non-violent manner. The self-centred cherishing attitude, the fear and anger in you will likely obstruct you from acting that way. Hence, it is important to transform our knowledge into practice and to embrace loving kindness and compassion in our daily life. Here is the story of a practising Buddhist reacting in a non-violent way when confronted with a robber. Home Intrusion and the Protection by the Triple Gems (The following article is extracted from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia Newsletter, Feb/Mar issue, 2010) On that fateful night of 19 January 2010, a masked intruder armed with a knife, garden fork and a hammer walked into my house through an unlocked door around 9 p.m. I was cooking in my kitchen and happened to turn around to be confronted by this strange looking masked man standing about 4 feet away holding up his weapons. Extreme terror came over me. I let out two blood curdling screams in quick succession. In a split second, I went into denial as I stared into his face to see if it was my husband, Sunny dressed up like that to frighten me. Hearing the screams, Sunny came flying into the kitchen to investigate. The intruder ordered both of us to lie down on the kitchen floor and not to look at him. He told us to just look at his feet to know where he was. As we went down on the floor, Sunny started chanting om mani padme hum, the Buddha of Compassions mantra, and I joined him in chanting quietly under our breaths. At that point I was shaking with fear. Thoughts of being robbed, bashed senseless, raped or even killed ran amok in my mind. Minutes later a calmness came over me. I even questioned myself then as to why I was feeling so calm. The first thing I said to the intruder was We are peaceful people. Just tell us what you want and we will give it to you but please do not harm us. His reply to that was, I am also a peaceful person. If you do as I tell you, I will not harm you. That was cold comfort to us as he was the one holding the weapons and looked quite agitated and menacing. He added, I want money. My wife is pregnant and I am homeless. To that Sunny said, I have $50 in my wallet. When he opened the wallet, he only found a $20 note. So then I gave him my purse which contained $30. At that point I thought he would ask us to drive him to the nearest ATM to get more cash and then will probably finish us off, but surprisingly there were no demands from him for more cash or anything else. He was quite happy with the $50 cash, mobile phone and our car. He said he would return the car keys another day and leave them in our letter box. He later changed his mind, saying he would drive to Warwick Station and leave the keys under the car seat. During our half hour ordeal, he apologised numerous times and asked for forgiveness. Twice he sounded as though he was about to cry for putting us throug