The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Essay Example

The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Paper In his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Wilder develops his conceptual theme of bringing courage into life through an array of literary techniques including atmosphere characterization, diction, irony, flashback, and personification in order to portray character analysis and development . Wilder exploits his own point of view and position on the subject of love in life through the lessons learned by the Condesa. The initial dialogue between Pepita and the Condesa creates a barren and desolate, seemingly lonely atmosphere. When Pepita is questioned upon the letters concerning Madre Maria del Pilar, she abruptly changes the subject and refers back to her duties. She further responds to the Condesa with polite yet often hesitant and wary remarks, feeling as if she had a made a mistake (Wilder 40). Wilder is displaying the character of Pepita, a precautious and apprehensive child who is eager to please. Through the discourse Wilder further depicts the character of Dona Maria. The author highlights upon Dona Marias naiveti and desperation as she chooses to send letters that piteously asked her daughter how much she loved her (41). Wilder is illustrating Dona Marias delicate yet desperate nature. Upon Pepitas disposal of the letter the Condesa at last realizes one central theme to the novel that Wilder presents. The intent of the authors philosophy is conveyed through Dona Marias realization of what precisely life is. Dona Maria ultimately grasps that she had never brought courage to either life or love (41). We will write a custom essay sample on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Wilder The entire existence of Dona Maria was filled with lack of courage, and now she realizes the importance of bringing courage into life. Wilder further uses personification to emphasize Dona Marias ultimate understanding of the significance of life, as the Condesas eyes ransacked her heart (41). Dona Maria at last scrutinizes and carefully inspects the meaningfulness of her life through a set of flashbacks, only to discover that she lacked bravery in all that she did. Through flashbacks Wilder draws out the negative points of the Condesas life, including her amuletsbeads drunkenness wreckage neglect and exclusion (41). By repetition the Condesa blames her meaningless life on the circumstance and the way she was brought up, vowing as well to bring new courage into life. Wilder further emphasizes the beginnings of the Condesas new life through diction and symbolization. When Dona Maria writes her first letter, her first stumbling misspelled letter in courage (41), Wilder voices his intent and the theme of the novel: mistakes in life are normal so long as you live your life with courage. The author uses diction to convey that simple stumbles and mistakes like misspellings in life are normal, but the most important aspect is to display bravery. Wilder uses the letters as a symbol for the character development of Dona Maria. The letters in the beginning of Dona Marias life were filled with self-pity. Now, the first letter symbolizes the Condesas new and courageous, outspoken perspective on life. Wilders diction describing the free and generous letters show that Dona Maria is able to liberally and openhandedly express herself with newfound bravery. No one else has regarded them as stumbling (41), indicating that mistakes in life are typical, and no one truly cares. The first letter, regarded as the famous Letter LVI, contains an immortal paragraph of love (41). Wilder utilizes diction by describing love as immortal, highlighting upon another significant theme of the novel. The author is speaking out through the Condesa on the immortality of love. Wilder voices his position that even through death, love is connected between the land of the living and the land of the dead by the bridge of love. When Dona Maria at last completes her letter, she opened the door upon her balcony and looked at the great tiers of stars that glittered above the Andes (41). The opening of doors is a symbol for Dona Marias new beginnings of a courageous life. The use of personification in the singing of constellations (41) highlights the optimism in the future of Dona Maria. Wilder uses specific positive diction such as glittering and singing to illustrate the new light and brightness of the Condesas life. The emphasis of light is further stressed as Dona Maria brings a candle into theroom, (41) symbolizing the new warmth and light brought into her life. Wilder conveys his themes and intent through the development of Dona Maria in The Bridge of San Luis Rey, drawing upon literary techniques to highlight his point. The Condesa ultimately vows to relive and begin life again with a new perspective, but the irony is revealed in the catastrophic collapse of the bridge. When at last Dona Maria has accomplished her greatest adversity, she becomes tragically victim to the fall of the bridge of San Luis Rey only two days later.

ANWR Oil Drilling essays

ANWR Oil Drilling essays Destruction of the Environment or Over-Zealous Conservation? With the 2000 Presidential election looming and both candidates in a near deadlock, Al Gore and George W. Bush have been forced to take stands on some very tough issues that affect the lives of everyday Americans. One of these decisions is what to do about the recent escalating crude oil prices. Many people believe that the candidates should promise to open up the strategic crude oil reserve until the prices stabilize. Others believe that the candidates should promise to negotiate with members of the OPEC bloc in an effort to stabilize prices. Many others believe that the candidates should look within the country, and begin oil drilling in untapped regions of the country such as Alaska. There are several benefits to opening additional wells in the Alaskan region, such as new jobs for American workers, cheaper crude oil, and less dependency upon an often unstable Middle Eastern region. These people believe that because there are already wells drilled in Alaskan regions with sim ilar environmental conditions as the region in question, that there will be no harmful affects to begin drilling. Obviously there are many dissenters of this opinion who believe that by drilling in regions such as Alaska, we risk environmental disasters such as the Exxon Valdez, regardless if we drill in the ocean, or if we drill on land. These people believe that by drilling on land, we will destroy the permafrost that the oil derricks will be set upon permanently as well as well as risk the overall contamination of the environment. If we decide to drill into the ocean floor, we risk the chance of an oil pipe bursting, and risk an environmental disaster even worse than the Exxon Valdez incident. In addition, there are also several solutions to the increase in crude oil prices that do not involve risking the environmental region of Alaska. The area primarily in question regarding oil dr...

Speech Final about our last group project Essay

Speech Final about our last group project - Essay Example With the ever increasing multicultural diversification of the society these dynamics are therefore predicted to remain as a major concern for group workers like us volunteers. Team dynamics is determined by factors like, environment of the team, time, and composition of the team. The group dynamics can be categorized into five main domains: (1) patterns of interaction and communication processes, (2) cohesion and attraction that arises interpersonal, (3) influence and integrating socially, (4) control and wiled of power, (5) and the overall culture of the group. Comprehension of group dynamics is critical for effective practice with individuals together with the community in this case the school community. Therefore by ignoring the therapeutic power of dynamics of the group greatly reduces the ability of a worker like a volunteer to aid the members to attain their goals. This is very vital for any successful participation in volunteer work because it forms a benchmark for good workmanship. According to Engleberg & Wynn (p.245) argue that lack of training or wrong composition of the team will result in critical skill gaps that will most of the time lead to the decrease in the overall performance of the team. Moreover, the size of the team will influence the outcomes of the groups. By studying the relationship between the size of the group and group outcome in work places a negative relationship between the quality of the relationship among team members, size of the work group and organization was found. The processes of communication and patterns of interaction are paramount in group dynamics. These are very important components of social interaction that are an influence to the behavior and attitude of members of the group. The face to face group members have an experience of both verbal and non-verbal types of communication. Leaders who are effective in their work are to ensure that they listen attentively to the meaning

Benito Mussolini Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benito Mussolini - Research Paper Example While going to school, Benito rebelled against various issues. Rosa, his mother had insisted he go to this school which was operated by Catholic Monks. However, Benito’s behavior ridiculed the school’s rules and as such he was expelled. Benito’s father believed that the Roman Catholic Church was Italy’s biggest enemy, and he embedded this belief into his son which he solely agreed with. Benito showed improvements at his other school and continued on this pathway and became a teacher. Despite this, Benito’s passion was in politics. At the tender age of 19, Benito fled Italy for Switzerland to avoid military service. There in Switzerland, he met other Italian socialists and gained employment as a bricklayer and became a member of the Trade Union. Just one year later, at the age of 20, in 1903, Benito was expelled from Switzerland for suggesting a general strike. Benito then travelled to France but eventually went back to Italy to complete his military service. To be more precise, he went to Trentino north of Italy which was ruled by the Austrians. However, sooner than later, Benito’s beliefs caused him to be kicked out of Trentino in 1909. Austrian authorities described him as a trouble maker because he encouraged trade unions and launched attacks on the Catholic Church. Afterwards, Mussolini travelled south to Po Valley, where he advocated for farmers to get better salaries. He was appointed Secretary of the local Socialist Party in Forli and Editor of the socialist newspaper â€Å"La Lotta di Classe†. Since his return from Switzerland, Mussolini worked extensively as a journalist and a social activist at the same time. Later he became an Editor for the Avanti. Mussolini resigned his post as Secretary for the Socialist Party in Forli because they advocated support for the allies in World War I. Benito served in the Italian Military when Italy entered the First World War and Benito held the rank of Corporal in the Army. Mussolini was injured during the war and immediately upon his return to Milan; he decided to edit the right-wing â€Å"Popolo d’Italia†. It is probably safe to assume that the effects of the war transformed him from a socialist to a ruthless fascist. He was hungry for power and he was going to get by freewill or by force. Following the war, Mussolini carried out a myriad of activities influenced by Fascism and his many other beliefs. â€Å"The defining features of fascism are nationalism (including economic nationalism), corporatism (including economic planning), totalitarianism (including dictatorship and social interventionism), and militarism†. 1 He attacked Vittorio Orlando (Italy’s Prime Minister at the end of World War I) for his futile efforts in pursuing Italy’s objectives at Versailles Peace Treaty and aided in the compilation of the right-winged groups into the Fascist Party. Right-winged political individuals are a form of governme nt who believe that the individuals are more important than the country. â€Å"Right wingers believe in formal equality. They believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law and should be treated equally by government. Examples of right wing formal equality include equal pay for equal work and civil and political rights.† 2 Out of fear for more bloodshed, he was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1922 after the â€Å"March on Rome†. Mussolini’s fascist party â€Å"Black Shirts† made his rise to power rapid. By the time of Hitler’

Effectiveness and efficiency of Value Added Tax (VAT) system in Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Effectiveness and efficiency of Value Added Tax (VAT) system in Bangladesh Essay 1.1 Background Bangladesh introduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) in 1991 by replacing the age-old excise duty on the domestically produced goods and services and sales tax at the importation stage. The study of the practice and problems of the VAT in different countries shows that the VAT has been introduced not only because of its revenue raising potentials but also because of its simplicity, effectiveness and efficiency, transparency, equity, and progressiveness all of which complement the establishment of good governance. 1.2 Rationale of the study/problem definition The revenue-GDP ratio in Bangladesh is one of the lowest (8. 5%) in the world. Of all the tax revenues, VAT at present is the single largest contributor to GDP. It has been found that VAT funds the government expenditure more than any other tax. In the very first year of its introduction, VAT yielded a reve25.43% more than the previous year. Starting from 3190 crore taka in FY 1991-92, VAT yielded 28,657 crore taka in FY 2008-09.VAT now accounts for 4.3% of GDP while the total contribution of tax revenue to GDP is 8.36%. But still different stake holders raise the questions of efficiency and effectiveness of the VAT system in Bangladesh. By efficiency and effectiveness we mean â€Å"processes and institutions to produce results that meet the needs of society (effectiveness) while making the best use of resources at their disposal (efficiency).† No such study has so far been undertaken. 1.3 Objectives of the study The objectives of the study are: i. To examine to what extent VAT system is efficient in raising revenue by making the use of its resources as compared to the tax system that it had replaced ii. To examine the extent of the enforcement of principles of effectiveness and efficiency as embodied in the VAT legalization iii. To identify to what extent the stakeholders namely the taxpayers and consumers view VAT as an effective and efficient tax system iv. To find recommendations and suggestions for improving the VAT system as an efficient and effective tax system 1.4 Methodology i. Source of data: Mainly secondary data- published VAT legislations and statistics from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as well as from Bureau of Statistics will be used. For assessing the stakeholders’ perception of Bangladesh VAT as regards its efficiency and effectiveness primary data will be gathered from Bangladeshi stakeholders like the taxpayers and general consumers. ii. Sampling Based on the target population, probability sampling (stratified sampling) will be used. iii. Sample size The total sample size will be 100 (by choosing some strata (e.g. from consumers, from taxpayers, from the high dense and convenience place). Of them, 50% will be from the taxpayers segment and the remaining 50% from general consumers. iv. Questionnaire Two set of structured questionnaire with fixed alternative questions including simple dichotomy. determinant choice, frequency determination will be prepared for the target respondents for collecting primary data- one set for the general consumers and the other for the taxpaying business representatives. In order to ensure the accuracy and relevancy of data, questions will be in Bangla. Questionnaire will be pre-tested before putting into use. v. Data Collection Researchers (members of the group) themselves will collect data the target population staying in Dhaka and its neighborhood. vi. Statistical tools for data processing and analysis Appropriate statistical tools like tables, graphs and charts will be used to process and analyze data and to arrive at the conclusion of the study. 1.5 Limitations As VAT covers the whole of Bangladesh, the data to be truly representative needs to be gathered from a much bigger population. But due to time and resource constraints, the sample size has been kept small. 1.6 Conclusion Based on the findings and their interpretation, a report containing recommendations will be prepared within the given time limit and presented to the concerned audience.

This Comfortable Cage Called America :: Personal Narrative Essays

This Comfortable Cage Called America    My brothers have a cage in which they keep two iguanas.   I'm sure these creatures were born in captivity, and I assume they will die in the same cage they are in now.   It's not a bad cage.   There are quite a few square feet for them to run around, there is a stick they can climb up and down, there is a heat rock they can relax on, and they have everything they need to survive at their clawtips.   They don't even need to hunt for their meals because their meal tickets (my brothers) provide them with four square meals a day.   They can see outside their cage, but have no idea what it would be like to live outside.   I often wonder, however, what would happen if we were to set these two animals free in what would be considered a natural habitat for most iguanas in the wild.   Would they be likely to adapt in no time at all, or would they look for a nice place with four glass walls and a stick to play on?   And how could this story about two lizards, even if used metap horically, apply to us as a race?   We are responsible for our entrapment within four similar glass walls, yet we are not aware of them.   Inside of a cage called America we sit, and though we have a great view of the rest of the world, that's all it is-a view.   If we could somehow find a way of recognizing and breaking out of this comfortable cage called life, we would be more capable of coming together as a human race and putting an end to a division so obvious that terms such as "first world" and "third world" are created to define the differences.   Although I will incorporate the use of a few references, the main section of this essay will focus on my own experiences of life in another country which, in its own way, was another world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was taught little in school or home about cultures and people other than my own.   Was theple other than my own.   Was there a reason I should have learned about a less productive people in some remote country?   There was nothing wrong with the land of the free and the home of the brave, and whether or not I was culturally diverse was of little importance in my life-until I went to live in a different country.

Religion in China: Chinese Buddhism

As of July 2008, the population of the People’s Republic of China has reached 1,330,044,544 which has always been governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since October 1, 1949 (Central Intelligence Agency). Though PRC is under very strict communist control, the country has already opened itself up to the rest of the world after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. Deng Xiaoping turned the country into a market-driven economy issuing the Open Door Policy and engaging into foreign relations with countries like the United States of America.Aside from rejoining the world affairs, the people also experienced independence after being inhibited by the Cultural Revolution which suppressed all forms of freedom. One kind of freedom that the people have experienced is religious freedom (Central Intelligence Agency). PRC is a multi-religious country; hence, the country has diverse religious practices and beliefs (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America) .The major religions, though, in the country are Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestantism; however, there are still Chinese who practice traditional folk religions. In 1997, there are already more that 100 million Chinese who devote themselves to the religions mentioned above. Moreover, there are 85,000 locations dedicated to religious activities, 300,000 clergies, more than 3,000 religious organization, 74 schools and colleges managed by religious organizations (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America).This paper, though, will center on Chinese Buddhism and attempts to prove that is the country’s true religion. According to Travel China Guide, the most important religion in China is Buddhism. About 102 million Chinese practice Chinese Buddhism, making China the country which has the most number of Buddhists in the year 2007 (Buddhist-Tourism). In 1997, there are already about 13,000 Buddhist temples and 200,000 monks and nuns. In addi tion, there is also a Buddhist Association of China (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America).Gautama Buddha and His Teachings In general, Buddhism was formed through a Nepal prince, Siddharta Gautama, of the Shakya family. Ever since he was born in the 6th century BC, he was not aware of suffering of the people outside the palace; however, when he did become aware of this, he got upset and decided to leave the life of royalty. After leaving the life he used to live in the palace, Gautama resolved to practice asceticism for seven years only to find out that an ascetic lifestyle is not sufficient to take away suffering (Theobald).He then added meditation with asceticism and through meditation he was able to formulate inferences which turned him into a Buddha or an â€Å"Enlightened Man. † Afterwards, he went on and spread his teachings called the â€Å"Wheel of Teaching† – where the â€Å"wheel† stood as a symbol of Buddhi sm – and died at Kusinara (Theobald). Gautama Buddha formulated the Four Noble Truths which can be summed up as life is suffering due to the continuous yearning for survival and sensual pleasures (Theobald). Thus, Buddha devised the Eightfold Path that would restrain suffering.This Eightfold Path consists of (1) right views, (2) right intentions, (3) right speech, (4) right action, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right mindfulness and (8) right concentration which can be attained by conforming to a strict moral discipline, avoiding evil actions, doing good, cleansing the mind through mental discipline and mending it through the important aspects of doing good (Theobald). The Buddhist religion has what they call the Three Jewels which consists of the Buddha, the teachings and the community; moreover, the center of any Buddhist world is called Mount Sumeru that has its own Buddha (Theobald).Arrival of Buddhism in China Centuries after Gautama Buddha passed away, Bud dhism was finally able to enter China and began to co-exist with Confucianism and Taoism (Theobald). The Chinese Empire was able to gain contact with Buddhism in the Silk Road where there was a constant movement of traders and missionary. Chinese people were able to mingle with Buddhists from Central Asia – this was made possible due to the spread of Han Dynasty (25 AD – 220 AD) to the Central Asia during the 1st century AD in which increased the interaction of China and Central Asia through trading (BDEA Inc.& BuddhaNet). The Emperor Ming Ti of the Han Dynasty who ruled from 57 AD to 75 AD is said to have been a huge follower of Buddhism and Taoism (International Dunhuang Project). It was said that the Emperor dreamt of a foreign god – this triggered his sudden decision to sent messengers in India to look for Buddhist texts and teachers (Edkins, 88-89). Buddhists from India went to China along with the messengers that the Emperor sent as there is already a dema nd to translate Buddhist texts to Chinese. Buddhist monks like Lokashema, Kaspaya, Dharmaraksha, Kashiammadanga, Anshigao, etc.translated various Buddhist texts like the Shravakanaya texts, the Mahayana texts done by Lokashema, the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections done by Kashiapmadanga (who was said to have died in Lo-yang), Kasyapa and Dharmaraksha, etc. (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet; Edkins, 89; International Dunhuang Project). Along with other Buddhist texts being translated, Buddhism was spread more in China leading to the formation of a Chinese monastic order. In addition, there were already monks that are of Chinese decent – the first of them is said to be Anshigao’s disciple (BDEA Inc.& BuddhaNet). However, the Chinese were not able to comprehend the teachings of Buddhism at once for the translators used Taoist terms in order to translate the Buddhist terms; they encountered difficulty in finding the appropriate Chinese words to translate Buddhist concepts (BDEA Inc. & Bud dhaNet). Hence, the Chinese associated Buddhism to Taoism. Buddhism continued to grow despite the fall of the Han Dynasty in the early 3rd century. Translated Buddhist texts kept on going around and monasteries are being put up (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet).Chinese monks, like Dao-an, who is considered to be the most excellent Chinese monks of the 4th century, continued to invite translators like Kumarajiva from Kucha, who translated more important Buddhist texts and also revised the early translated Buddhist books (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). Development of Chinese Buddhism In Travel Guide China, the development of Buddhism in China is divided into four periods. The first period is Buddhism in Han Dynasty which was already discussed earlier, it was also in this period where the White Horse Temple was put up which is said to be the first Buddhist monastery in China (Theobald).The second period was in Jin during the 265 AD to 420 AD – at the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (385 AD – 589 AD). At the period of Jin, more Buddhist texts were translated, written and spread out, Buddhism became even more popular all over China and there was a growth in number of Chinese Buddhists (Travel China Guide). The third period was from the Sui Dynasty (581 AD – 618 AD) to the Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD). During these two dynasties, Buddhism reached its peak and its development had been exceptional.This unparalleled development of Buddhism during this period was because the Sui emperors are Buddhists and the Tang emperors accepted the growth of other religions despite being strict Taoists (Travel China Guide). During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism became a part of Chinese Art, Chinese Literature, Chinese Sculpture, Chinese Architecture and Chinese Philosophy (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The development was, however, halted during the late feudal society due to the heightening of social unrest in the country (Travel China Guide).The slumped developmen t of Buddhism occurred on the dying period of the Manchu Dynasty when the country got involved in wars against the Great Britain and series of peasant uprisings (ie. Boxer Rebellion) where China got striped off of its land and was divided among western countries and Japan in what was called the Spheres of Influence. The foreign occupation was followed by the fall of the Manchu Dynasty which was caused by the rise of the Nationalists, followed by the rise of the Communists which again triggered another civil revolution in the country which was briefly cut short due to World War II.Nonetheless, Buddhism was able to recover after the establishment of the PRC and even more after the reign of Mao Zedong. In addition, Buddhism has progressed into three different forms, namely, Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Southern Buddhism (Travel China Guide). Schools of Chinese Buddhism There were different schools of Chinese Buddhism which emerged during the Tang Dynasty. It was said that these s chools were derived from old forms of Buddhism that came to China, however, modern scholars stated that the said connections are most like tampered and flawed.Nonetheless, there are four main Chinese Buddhism schools that surfaced during the 7th century, namely, (1) T’ien-t’ai, (2) Hua-yen, (3) Ch’an, and (4) Pure Land (Lusthaus). T’ien-t’ai School This school was founded by Zhiyi (Lusthaus). He led Chinese Buddhism to a direction different from the path that various Buddhist theories and practices are leading it into. Zhiyi recommended a comprehensive synthesis. The whole T’ien-t’ai school was rooted on the Lotus Sutra – in this school, they view the Lotus Sutra as the carrier of salvation based on practice (China Views).This school is portrayed as principled and meditation- and philosophy-centered. It served as the connector of the developing Buddhism in Northern China as both religion of faith and discipline, and the intelle ctual tradition in Southern China (China Views). Hua-yen School While T’ien-t’ai School was based on the Lotus Sutra, the Hua-yen School has the Avatamsaka Sutra as their root (Lusthaus). The leading belief of Hua-yen School is â€Å"dharmadatu† or the â€Å"universal causation of the realm of the law† (China Views).The said realm refers to the whole of the universe including all of its dimensions while the universal causation is a philosophical development that is purely Chinese. The universal causation is an extension of Buddha’s teachings regarding â€Å"dependant origination† (China Views). Ch’an School The Ch’an School is the result of the reaction that rose against the T’ien-t’ai School and Hua-yen School (Lusthaus). The Ch’an School viewed the two other schools as an impediment towards enlightenment due to their capacious and complicated literatures. This school centers on meditation.Ch’an Sch ool was founded by an Indian monk from Southern India named Bodhidharma who arrived in China around the 5th and 6th century. He taught according to the Lankavatara Sutra and also practiced a tremendously simple mediation (China Views). Pure Land School Unlike the other three schools of Chinese Buddhism which center on devotional elements and rituals, the Pure Land School which focuses on the very fundamentals of devotionalism (Lusthaus). In addition, compared to the other schools, the founder or the origin of Pure Land is not known. However, there are contributors named Tanluan, Dao Chuo and Shandao.Aside from centering on devotionalism, the school also stresses the faith in Amitabha Buddha (China Views). The devotion will be centered on Amitabha in order for him to grant them salvation which is in the form of being born again the in the west pure land. Furthermore, this school has also ignored the need for self-development through the teachings of Buddha regarding the way of salvat ion (China Views). The scriptures that the Pure Land School use are the Larger and Smaller Sukhavati Sutras and the Guan Wuliangshuofo Jing (Lusthaus). Chinese Buddhist Temple and DeitiesThe temples of Chinese Buddhism are built according to the palaces of their imperial family and are definitely unlike the temples of Buddhism from other Buddhist countries like India. It is established facing south and have three cluster of buildings divided by courtyards (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The first cluster is the front hall where the four massive images of the Four Heavenly Kings (Devas) greet anyone who enters (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The Devas are the Guardians of the Four Directions and two of each are placed on the right and left. Thus, the hall is called â€Å"Si-Tien Wang Tien† – a name derived from the Four Heavenly Kings (BDEA Inc.& BuddhaNet). Visitors are mostly greeted by the soon-to-be Buddha called Maitreya Buddha, commonly known as the â€Å"Laughing Buddha† or â€Å"Ta-pao Mi-Lei-Fwo. † This particular Buddha is usually the one with a fat paunch. Precisely at the back of the Maitreya Buddha is the Projector of Buddhist Temples and Faith, the great King, Wei-to (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). He appears to be dressed in his full armor and is either holding a staff or a weapon in a shape of scepter. Aside from being the Projector of Buddhist Temples and Faith, Wei-to is also called the Protector of Buddhist Books (BDEA Inc.& BuddhaNet). Wei-to is always built facing the Great Hall or â€Å"Ta-Hung-Pau-Tien† – the second cluster which is separated away from the front hall by either a wall or a courtyard (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The main altar of the temple is found in this hall, the image of the altar being Sakyamuni Buddha and his two chief students, Mahakasyapa and Ananda, if not, the place of the two students can be replaced by other Buddhas from the past. Even the image of the main altar can be different; temples of Pu re Land Schools will have the image of Amitabha Buddha.Nonetheless, on the both left and right side of the main altar are the two Great Bodhisattvas, Manjusri or Wen-Shu-Shih-Li and Samantabhadra or Pu-Hsien, however, this too can vary (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The east and west halls of this hall have the assembled figures of the Eighteen Arhats. These Arhats or Lohas are said to be in control of different supernatural powers (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). On the north wall is the images of Dipankara or Jan-teng Fwo and other popular and non-popular Bodhisattvas. There are also instances when the image of the Protector of Buddhism, Kuan Ti, is also found in this hall.The Great Hall serves as the place where the dedicated Buddhists pray and offer flowers, fruits, etc. in the main altar (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The last cluster is the back hall which is, most of the time, split into smaller halls or smaller rooms. In the center of this hall is usually an altar of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva ( BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet). The right is usually the funerary tablet of the founder of the temple while the left is usually a hall for either teaching or meditating. Finally, there are living quarters, dining area and kitchen that are located either on the side of the three clusters or at their back (BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet).Chinese Buddhism in Modern China The Chinese people realized the need for Chinese Buddhism to modernize as early as the 20th century. There were efforts to modernize Chinese Buddhism and these efforts began during the Manchu Dynasty led by Yang Wen-hui by republishing and redispersing Buddhist texts (Lancashire, 220). He also tried to learn the significance of Chinese Buddhism in the modern world as a whole. Through his examinations, he was able to construe that Buddhims goes well with modern science, and, also, Chinese Buddhists have a role to serve – to introduce Buddhism to the outside world particularly in the West (Lancashire, 220).Hence, he encouraged the Chinese Buddhists to recognize the value of modern science and the existing connection between it and Buddhism, and also helped the Chinese Buddhist to prepare for the missionary tasks they have to fulfill in introducing the religion to the west (Lancashire, 221). It continued until the Chinese Buddhist Association was also established in 1929. Membership for the association was divided between the laity and the clergy with the latter having more dominance (Lancashire, 222).During the early stages of the association, it was able to saw of the two most politcally active monks of that period, namely, T’ai-hsii and Yuan-ying. T’ai-shii was said to be the leader of the progressives while Yuan-ying was the major head of the much contemporary ideas (Lancashire, 222). Personal Interest: Marriage Buddhist weddings are usually characterized as worldly and materialistic, however, the couples who are about to be wed always make sure that they will be able to receive the blessing of the monks from local Buddhist temples exactly right after accomplishing the civil registration procedures (BDEA Inc.& BuddhaNet). Chinese Buddhists strictly abide to their religion that even if two people are already married in a civil ceremony, they still need to have a Buddhist wedding in order to be considered as rightfully married (Urban Dharma). Choosing for the wedding day is usually relied on fortune tellers, however, the couple or the their parents could now have the right to choose for the appropriate wedding day (Urban Dharma). Before the wedding, as early as 5:30 AM, the family of the man will go to the house of the woman with trays that they will give to the woman (Walsh and Poremba).Each tray has its own corresponding purpose and may contain things like wine, fruit, traditional and western cake, tea, meat, trau cau and jewelry. One tray will have a pair of candles that will be lit up by the fathers of the soon-to-be groom and bride to represent the union of the two families, in addition, there will also be a tray that will have the traditional gown that the bride will wear for the wedding (Walsh and Poremba).A roasted pig will also be given to the family of the bride; this roasted pork will be cut into three, the family of the woman will keep the middle part while the rest will be given back to the family of the man (Urban Dharma). Afterwards, a tea ceremony will be conducted in which the couple will serve the elders of the woman’s family with tea and, in return, they will give them red packets with money or jewelry inside. The tea ceremony will also be repeated in the house of the man (Urban Dharma).The wedding ceremony will come after, in Buddhist weddings, the groom and the bride will be the ones who will administer the wedding ceremony (Walsh and Poremba). Just as how early the groom and his family went to the bride’s house for the gifts and ceremonies, they groom will again go to the house of the bride, or wherever she is st aying, early in the morning with his groomsmen. Before the groom could enter the house, the friends of the bride will ask him questions that are difficult enough to test if he is suitable for the bride.In addition, another test will be on the financial aspect where the groom will give the bridesmaid red packets with money or jewelry (Urban Dharma). Afterwards, the bride will bid farewell to her family and will pay respects to her ancestors in the their family’s spirit house, the groom will also follow suit, offering a bowl of trau cau to them with him (Walsh and Poremba). The couple along with the bridesmaids and groomsmen will then go to the house of the groom. The mother of the bride and the mother-in-law will put earrings on the bride to signify her virginity (Walsh and Poremba). Respects will again be paid to the ancestors of the groom.Again, a tea ceremony will be held where the groom and the bride will serve their parents. The tea ceremony will symbolize that the couple is married, it is also this ceremony which makes the bride a part of the groom’s family (Urban Dharma; Walsh and Poremba). Professional Interest: Interacting with Chinese Investors The essential beliefs and values of the Chinese are deeply rooted from philosophies and teachings of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism (Miroslawski, 46). Hence, even the holistic configuration of the Chinese society has its origin in the three major philosophies and religions in the country.Thus, in order to fully comprehend the Chinese culture, one must understand the different philosophies that the Chinese believe in and how these philosophies affect their way of life. In his study, Miroslawski (2008) compared and contrasted China and Germany using the cultural dimensions formulated by Geert Hofstede. In the comparison, it was learned that the organizational model of the Chinese emphasized on the necessity of a single supervisor at the top who will give those below instructions that should be fo llowed.This model is due to the Chinese inclination towards extensive power distance and the necessity for them to have an apparent and influential type of leadership (Miroslawski, 46-47). The Chinese are also collective in nature, hence, they always put the welfare of their group over their personal interests (Miroslawski, 47). Chinese have the tendency to not to speak out from the group just so they could maintain their good relationship with one another – this is also the case by not choosing to speak out towards their superiors.Aside from Hofstede’s explanation that if there is a high power distance, there is also high collectivism in the society, the organization model can also be attributed to China’s extended family and patriarchal society. Moreover, it is also due to Confucius’ teachings about filial piety (Miroslawski, 48). It is also because of the fact that Chinese are collectivists that their communication vary from those who are inside their group and those who are outside. This is also due to the huge amount of loyalty that the Chinese put on one another (Miroslawski, 48).Another finding was that China has a very high-context culture, hence, the value on face-saving is high and tremenduously important (Miroslawski, 48). Face-saving refers to instituing, sustaining and intensifying status. Despite being collectivists, the Chinese still give themselves value by having a significant status in the group, still, this reflects only within the group as every group tries to contain all their knowledge within them. In order to comprehend Chinese more easily, then, they must be from a high-context culture as well or at least attempt to study their ways (Miroslawski, 48).Conclusion Chinese Buddhists range from 50% to 80% of the Chinese population, their infrastructures are more than 10,000 in numbers while there are hundreds of thousands Chinese Buddhist monks, nuns, lamas and Buddhas (Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America; Vipassana Foundation). The Chinese have, indeed, welcomed and nourished the Buddhist religion ever since it arrived in China during the Han Dynasty. Emperors were open enough to accept its unstoppable growth and even allow it continue its development.Despite the turmoils that the country experienced during its fall at the period of the Manchu, the Chinese people still resurrected and modernized the religion in order to make it still fitting with the changing times. It can be said that the Chinese Buddhists are very loyal to their religion that when it comes to marriage, the couple should still be wed in a Buddhist ceremony in order to be considered married. Though the Chinese are no longer particular about having their child marrying another Chinese, they would still want the couple to undergo a Buddhist wedding ceremony.The rituals, the ceremonies and the traditions are still being strictly followed. However, there are practices that were no longer co nstantly done, like parents arranging the marriage of their children, going to the matchmakers, and consultation with forture tellers. Chinese are now allowing their children to chose who they want to marry irregardless of nationality and the couple are also free to choose what day they would like their wedding to be held. Perhaps the most difficult matter where other people from other countries to get along with the Chinese is regarding business.Chinese tends not to share what they know with others even with their fellow Chinese. Moreover, they also wanted to play a big role in a certain agreement. In addition, engaging a business with Chinese might take a lot of time as they will always consult their group regarding the business at hand. These qualities of the Chinese is attributable to their high power distance, collectivism and context culture (Miroslawski, 46-48). Chinese prefer having a someone above them who are capable of leading them irregardless of the circumstances.They w ill always put the best interests of the group their their own and they do not share anything to anyone easily for they find it hard to trust other people, however, they gave their utmost loyalty to their group. This is due to their philosophies and religion – Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism (Miroslawski, 46). 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