Free Essays on Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods

â€Å"Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods† The documentary â€Å"Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods†, narrated by David Gyre, explores the ancient religion of Hinduism in it’s native India, elucidating its philosophies and offering first-hand accounts of its rituals and practices. By exposing western minds to the radically dissimilar mentality of Hinduism and the lifestyles if its practitioners, this film succeeds in explaining the central ideas of the practiced religion as well as the philosophy of Hinduism. Several of those concepts examined include: the many Gods and Goddesses; the ritual practice of image worship; and the lives of ascetics who denounce society and wander off alone in search of enlightenment. Throughout the fifty minutes of this film, Gyre introduces his viewers to the realities of rural Indian life; the modesty of their existence, their strife during difficult times of drought and famine, and the traditional caste system in which they live. Gyre explains the divergent practices of Hinduism throughout the country, the reverence of specific gods such as Krishna and Shiva, as well as the fundamental philosophies such as karma and reincarnation. By enforcing the idea that Hinduism is practiced differently, and has different meaning for every individual, Gyre succeeds in exposing the universal nature of Hinduism and its philosophy. In Hinduism, there are several main gods. Gyre introduces the audience to many of these deities, including Brahma, who is considered to be the creator God; he is traditionally depicted as having four faces, representing the four Vedas. The god Vishnu represents the preservation and salvation aspect of god, and is often represented as one of his ten avatars, or incarnations, such as Krishna or Rama. As Goddess worship in India can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilization, it is not difficult to imagine why he majority of Hindu gods are readily depicted in both art and lite... Free Essays on Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods Free Essays on Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods â€Å"Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods† The documentary â€Å"Three Hundred and Thirty Million Gods†, narrated by David Gyre, explores the ancient religion of Hinduism in it’s native India, elucidating its philosophies and offering first-hand accounts of its rituals and practices. By exposing western minds to the radically dissimilar mentality of Hinduism and the lifestyles if its practitioners, this film succeeds in explaining the central ideas of the practiced religion as well as the philosophy of Hinduism. Several of those concepts examined include: the many Gods and Goddesses; the ritual practice of image worship; and the lives of ascetics who denounce society and wander off alone in search of enlightenment. Throughout the fifty minutes of this film, Gyre introduces his viewers to the realities of rural Indian life; the modesty of their existence, their strife during difficult times of drought and famine, and the traditional caste system in which they live. Gyre explains the divergent practices of Hinduism throughout the country, the reverence of specific gods such as Krishna and Shiva, as well as the fundamental philosophies such as karma and reincarnation. By enforcing the idea that Hinduism is practiced differently, and has different meaning for every individual, Gyre succeeds in exposing the universal nature of Hinduism and its philosophy. In Hinduism, there are several main gods. Gyre introduces the audience to many of these deities, including Brahma, who is considered to be the creator God; he is traditionally depicted as having four faces, representing the four Vedas. The god Vishnu represents the preservation and salvation aspect of god, and is often represented as one of his ten avatars, or incarnations, such as Krishna or Rama. As Goddess worship in India can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilization, it is not difficult to imagine why he majority of Hindu gods are readily depicted in both art and lite...

The Invention of the Saddle Stirrup

The Invention of the Saddle Stirrup It seems like such a simple idea. Why not add two pieces to the saddle, hanging down on either side, for your feet to rest in while you ride a horse? After all, humans seem to have domesticated the horse around 4500 BCE. The saddle was invented at least as early as 800 BCE, yet the first proper stirrup probably came about roughly 1,000 years later, around 200-300 CE. Nobody knows who first invented the stirrup, or even in which part of Asia the inventor lived. Indeed, this is a highly controversial topic among scholars of horsemanship, ancient and medieval warfare, and the history of technology. Although ordinary people likely do not rank the stirrup as one of historys greatest inventions, up there with paper, gunpowder and pre-sliced bread, military historians consider it a truly key development in the arts of war and conquest. Was the stirrup invented once, with the technology then spreading to riders everywhere? Or did riders in different areas come up with the idea independently? In either case, when did this happen? Unfortunately, since early stirrups were likely made of biodegradable materials such as leather, bone, and wood, we may never have precise answers to these questions. First Known Examples of Stirrups So what do we know? Ancient Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdis terracotta army (c. 210 BCE) includes a number of horses, but their saddles do not have stirrups. In sculptures from ancient India, c. 200 BCE, bare-footed riders use big-toe stirrups. These early stirrups consisted simply of a small loop of leather, in which the rider could brace each big toe to provide a bit of stability. Suitable for riders in hot climates, however, the big-toe stirrup would have been no use for booted riders in the steppes of Central Asia or western China. Interestingly, there is also a small Kushan engraving in carnelian that shows a rider using hook-style or platform stirrups; these are L-shaped pieces of wood or horn that do not encircle the foot like modern stirrups, but rather provide a sort of foot-rest. This intriguing engraving seems to indicate that Central Asian riders may have been using stirrups circa 100 CE, but it is the only known depiction of that region, so more evidence is needed to conclude that stirrups were indeed in use in Central Asia from such an early age. Modern-style Stirrups The earliest known representation of modern-style enclosed stirrups comes from a ceramic horse figurine that was buried in a First Jin Dynasty Chinese tomb near Nanjing in 322 CE. The stirrups are triangular in shape and appear on both sides of the horse, but since this is a stylized figure, it is impossible to determine other details about the construction of the stirrups. Fortunately, a grave near Anyang, China from approximately the same date yielded an actual example of a stirrup. The deceased was buried with full equipage for a horse, including a gold-plated bronze stirrup, which was circular in shape. Yet another tomb from the Jin era in China also contained a truly unique pair of stirrups. These are more triangular in shape, made of leather bound around a wooden core, then covered with lacquer. The stirrups were then painted with clouds in red. This decorative motif brings to mind the Heavenly Horse design found later in both China and Korea. The first stirrups for which we have a direct date are from the tomb of Feng Sufu, who died in 415 CE. He was a prince of Northern Yan, just north of the Koguryeo Kingdom of Korea. Fengs stirrups are quite complex. The rounded top of each stirrup was made from a bent piece of mulberry wood, which was covered with gilded bronze sheets on the outer surfaces, and iron plates covered with lacquer on the inside, where Fengs feet would have gone. These stirrups are of typical Koguryeo Korean design. Fifth-century tumuli from Korea proper also yield stirrups, including those at Pokchong-dong and Pan-gyeje. They also appear in wall murals and figurines from the Koguryeo and Silla dynasties. Japan also adopted the stirrup in the fifth century, according to tomb art. By the eighth century, the Nara period, Japanese stirrups were open-sided cups rather than rings, designed to prevent the riders feet from becoming entangled if he or she fell off (or was shot off) of the horse. Stirrups Reach Europe Meanwhile, European riders made do without stirrups until the eighth century. The introduction of this idea (which earlier generations of European historians credited to the Franks, rather than Asia), allowed for the development of heavy cavalry. Without the stirrups, European knights could not have gotten onto their horses wearing heavy armor, nor could they have jousted. Indeed, the Middle Ages in Europe would have been quite different without this simple little Asian invention. Remaining Questions: So where does this leave us? So many questions and previous assumptions remain up in the air, given this somewhat scanty evidence. How did the Parthians of ancient Persia (247 BCE - 224 CE) turn in their saddles and fire off a parthian (parting) shot from their bows, if they did not have stirrups? (Evidently, they used highly arched saddles for extra stability, but this still seems incredible.) Did Attila the Hun really introduce the stirrup into Europe? Or were the Huns able to strike fear into the hearts of all Eurasia with their horsemanship and shooting skills, even while riding without stirrups? There is no evidence that the Huns actually used this technology. Did ancient trade routes, now little remembered, ensure that this technology spread rapidly across Central Asia and into the Middle East? Did new refinements and innovations in stirrup design wash back and forth between Persia, India, China and even Japan, or was this a secret that only gradually infiltrated Eurasian culture? Until new evidence is unearthed, we will simply have to wonder. Sources Azzaroli, Augusto. An Early History of Horsemanship, Leiden: E.J. Brill Company, 1985.Chamberlin, J. Edward. Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations, Random House Digital, 2007.Dien, Albert E. The Stirrup and Its Effect on Chinese Military History, Ars Orientalis, Vol 16 (1986), 33-56.Sinor, Denis. The Inner Asian Warriors, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 101, No. 2 (Apr. - June, 1983), 133-144.

Bermuda Triangle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Bermuda Triangle - Research Paper Example A body of water that seems to take human sacrifices, making both man and machine disappear as they trek across its waters. Be it by air or sea, it seems that there is an unnatural force existing in that area that our modern abilities cannot overcome. The Bermuda Triangle has thus, remained a mystery for many decades now. However, time has not satiated man's quest to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Rather, it has only fed his desire to conquer one of the most inexplicable places on our planet. Therefore, the questions continues to remain â€Å"What is the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle?†. There have actually been a number of myths developing around the strange and mysterious disappearance that have happened in the area that can be traced all the way back to the time of Columbus and the discovery of the New World. Historically, there have been a long line of military and private vessels that have gone missing within the triangle area, the most popular disappearance being that of the fame female pilot Amelia Earhart. Most recently however, famed fashion designer Vittorio Missoni was also reported to have disappeared during a flight that took his plane directly into the triangle's path (Speigel, Lee â€Å"Vittorio Missoni's Disappearance Gives Rise to New Fears of Bermuda Triangle Worldwide†). ... on in the North Atlantic Ocean that forms a triangle using the bodies of water located within three key points; Miami, Florida, Bermuda, and San Juan, Puerto Rico (â€Å"The Bermuda Triangle†). When one views the and traces these location points on a current world map, one will easily notice the triangle formation that exists within the three. It is this very specific shape of the area that led to the name Bermuda Triangle, with Bermuda being the central point between the three. Although most popularly known as the Bermuda Triangle by most people, the name was never made official for the area. In fact, there is still a huge scientific and social debate as to whether the Bermuda Triangle actually exists or not. The area has not even been cordoned off ala Area 51. Instead, the stretch of water occupied by these points continue to be a source of air and water traffic for the region. There have been no reports of extra precautions being undertaken such as higher insurance premiums or vessel surveillance when ships and planes pass through the area. Agrosy Magazine was the first magazine to have used the term â€Å"Bermuda Triangle† in an article written by Vincent H. Gaddis in 1964. Gaddis is documented in the magazine article as being the first person to use the term in making a publicly claim that ships and planes disappeared under mysterious circumstances within this sea area. However, Fate Magazine in 1952 published the first documented claim that the area seemed to be infested with strange accidents (â€Å"The â€Å"Mystery† of the Bermuda Triangle†). These published claims helped fuel the various theories that added to the mystery and interest of the public in learning more about what lay beneath the mysterious waters. Covering an area of over 500,000 square miles, the

Finance for E-Business (Report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Finance for E-Business (Report) - Essay Example BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.† (btplc.com). The group has four (4) principal lines of business: BT Global Services; Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. The principal activities of the group include: â€Å"networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher value broadband and internet products and services† (btplc.com).) The ratios below and an explanation as to their use will indicate to you why this particular company’s share may or may not be recommended. However, as you will find out, there are limitations to these ratios. Profitability ratios are usually calculated in order to perform vertical analysis or to compare one year with another. These ratios include net profit margin and gross profit margin. Figures are also taken from the balance sheet and used for the calculation of specific ratios to determine how well the fixed assets were utilised. These ratios are known as asset management ratios. These include asset turnover ratios and return on capital employed. Shareholder or investment ratios such as return on equity, earnings per share and price earnings ratio are some of the other ratios that are useful here. A number of these ratios will be used to assess the financial performance of BT group over the past three (3) years. â€Å"It is impossible to assess profits or profit growth properly without relating them to the amount of funds (capital) that were employed in making the profits. The most important profitability ratio is therefore return on capital employed (ROCE), which states the profit as a percentage of the amount of capital employed† (BPP 2009) The figures above show the return on capital employed for the past three (3) years.. ROCE fell sharply from 11.86% in 2008 to 1.5% in 2009. However it increased in 2010 to 11.63%. These

The Mouse and His Child :: American Literature

The Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban, is a melancholy fable about a wind-up pair of tin mice that explore various themes such as hope and perseverance. However, the prevailing lesson taken from this book can be found in the way that Hoban employs his cast of wind-up toys to advocate the importance of the family unit. The story begins with the family together, but it is divided and they go out in separate directions. The father mouse and his child have different views on what to do after the break up of the family. The father's goal of self-winding is a wish for independence, while his child only wishes to bring the family back together. In fact, when the child tells Frog, "I want to find the elephant, I want her to be my mama, and I want the seal to be my sister..." (35), the father is flabbergasted since he was not aware of his child's desire. However, since they are bound together with the father mouse pushing the child along, the father's dream of self-winding/independence takes priority. Hoban cleverly uses the dialogue of the father mouse to show that the family broke up because of differences between the father and mother. In reply to his child's desire to go look for the elephant/mama and the seal/sister, the father says, "I cannot imagine myself being cozy with that elephant." (46) Yet the father humors his child and goes in the direction that they believe may lead them to the seal/sister and elephant/mama saying, "Finding the elephant would be as pointless as looking for her, but since I cannot convince you of that, ... we shall (at least) see something of the world" (47). While the elephant/mama had grown accustom to her royal lifestyle at the dollhouse in the store, she began to be snooty to her family. In replying to why she had been at the store so long she stated, "I'm part of the establishment...and this is my house." (5). It is not until she has been separated from her possessions and the family that she realizes how well off she was when the family was together. When she sees the father and child cutting the tree, she is "completely overwhelmed" (127). Until then she had only thought of herself. She realizes the error of their split as "a world of love and pain was printed on her vision" (128).

A Comparison and Contrast of Andrew Marvell’s

Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress and Robert Herrick’s Corinna’s Going A-Maying are poems which both present a familiar theme in literature which is Carpe diem which means seize the day. The poems tell about different situations wherein you have to take advantage of the moment because such instances are not permanent and wouldn’t last long.â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is about a young man professing his love for a young lady, but the lad responds by being playfully hesitant and demure, as though she was full of uncertainty (Marvell, 1999). But according to the female, dallying as such will not do, because youth will pass them by swiftly, so there is a need for them to take advantage of the situation. He then expounds that if they had the luxury of time, then they could their days idly, admiring each other while leisurely passing time.But for them the reality is that time is not on their side because it s a winged chariot ever racing along, they wou ldn’t know exactly when their youth will be gone, but it is certain that if they don’t seize the moment, the only thing that would await them would be the grave.In â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying†, the narrator urges Corinna to wake up and get up early on the first of May, so that she would be able to enjoy the fun of the day, as well as the beautiful flowers of the month of May (Herrick, 2008). She is also told to hurry her morning prayers so that she can already go out into the fields to enjoy May.The narrator also told her that while she spent her time sleeping, many couples have already been engaged, many had played the kissing game, and several other things that could encourage Corinna to go out. In the end, she is told to go while they’re still in their prime, to seize the opportunity before they grow old and die. With life being short, if Corinna would let the opportunity pass, then she couldn’t turn back the hands of time.The title â €Å"To His Coy Mistress† would mean that the lady love of young man is not an easy catch. It is phrased in a way that the author reports the plea of a young man to his beloved. The title â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying† implies that Corinna would eventually go out and enjoy the month of May, as she is being persuaded by the narrator.Marvell’s poem is written in the first person point of view, though it is presented as a plea of some other person. It reports of what goes on inside the mind of the man, as his thoughts were manifested through the words in the poem.It shows of an impatient young man, who desperately urges the young lady not to waste any more time temporizing and playing hard-to-get. It can be seen as more of a selfish desire for something carnal rather than true love by the man, as he is overflowing with passion, like he can’t contain it anymore. He can be characterized as more of an immature and selfish person than a loving one.On the other hand, Herrick’s poem is also in the first persona point of view that of a narrator. He is an unnamed individual who urges Corinna to get up of from the bed, go out, and enjoy the first of May. The narrator tells more of the events that Corinna had missed while she was spending her time sleeping. It is more of an exposition of the joys that May brings, and what they could expect in the coming times. The narrator is more of a persuasive individual, telling every kind of story just to convince Corinna that she needs to go out of bed already.The setting of â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is not specified in the poem. There is no scene that presents such a place in which the characters would interact. The young man and the young lady are assumed to be from somewhere in England, as suggested by the River Humber which was mentioned in the poem. In â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying† there is also no specified place of interaction for the people in the poem. It can be assumed that it is in the house of Corinna, wherein she is still in her bedroom, still sleeping.It is evident that for both poems, the speaker or the narrator spoke first of beautiful things before telling about the consequences of not seizing the day or grabbing the opportunity. In the poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† it was shown that if the lady and the man were to have the luxury of time, then they could afford of being idle, praising and adoring each other for hundreds of years to come.In the poem â€Å"Corinna’s Going A-Maying†, the narrator speaks of wonderful things that can be done outside, in order to fully enjoy May. They can pick flowers, interact with other people, and explore love with the opposite sex. However, in the end, the speakers in both poems stated that if they don’t seize the opportunity, then the only thing certain for them is that they would grow old and eventually die, without the chance of enjoying the opportunity that they missed.Andrew Marvell and Robert Herrick’s poems tell the readers about grabbing the opportunity while it is there. We cannot afford to let the opportunity pass us by because we would end up losing it forever. We don’t have the luxury of time, and we would eventually find ourselves aging, and unable to do the things when we were young. This is why we should grab every opportunity and seize the day.References:Herrick, R. (2008). Corinna's Going A-Maying.  Ã‚   Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/corinna-s-going-a-maying/Marvell, A. (1999). To his Coy Mistress.  Ã‚   Retrieved September 17, 2008, from http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/marvell/coy.htm  

Essay about Violence in America - 2573 Words

Violence in America Beginning with the urban drug wars and the Rodney King riot all the way up the spectacular lynchings in Texas and Wyoming, and now the mass murder/terrorist strike by teenagers in their own high school, the 90s is a decade made numb by civil disorder. In between came the incidents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, involving dubious law enforcement assaults on separatists, which led to the terrorist bombing at Oklahoma City — the single worst terrorist act in American history. Since then, law enforcement agencies have thwarted twenty-four major domestic terrorist attacks. Shootings and bombings at abortion clinics, the slaying of abortion providers by right-wing fanatics and racial disturbances, some of†¦show more content†¦They are the latest incarnation of a disturbing fact of life. Teenage murders may be unprecedented, but violence is not. The past has followed us right up to today. Several national magazines recently ran alarming stories about the epidemic of criminal and group violence. Rolling Stone in A Pistol-Whipped Nation and both Time and Newsweek ran alarming cover stories about the virtual epidemic of youth violence. Newsweeks Teen Violence: Wild in the Streets, decried the number of young people carrying guns, using them, being shot, and being killed. Accompanying all this was a casual if not blase attitude indicating that, as one expert quoted in Time put it, Violence is hip right now. Several weeks later, Time was back again, in wake of President Clintons crime bill and the murder of Michael Jordans father, with another cover story, America the Violent: Crime is spreading and patience is running out. The writers argued America was in a crime wave characterized by wild violence that was moving into the suburbs, into hospitals, malls, and McDonalds. According to UCLA criminologist James Q. Wilson, our cyclical rise in crime and violence will get worse as baby boomer babies get older. But more important, as we have had an artistic and economic explosion (since the 60s), we have had a crime explosion. Which Mr. Wilson attributes in part to the dramatic expansion inShow MoreRelatedViolence in America: The Representation of Violence in the Media505 Words   |  2 PagesIn America, violence has always been an integral part of national culture. Crime and bloodshed, euphemized through use of â€Å"action† (this has a source) plots, are glorified both on and off sc reen. The more disturbing the act of violence, the more enthralled the public seems. The most prolific of crimes, those committed by infamous serial killers, inspire the most attention. 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