Asoka was one of the greatest rulers of ancient India. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya of Magadha who established the first Indian empire. Chandragupta reigned for twenty-four years before relinquishing his throne in favor of his son, Bundusara (Asoka’s father), who left no noticeable mark upon the empire. Asoka was born in 304 B.C. and was known in his youth as Canda Asoka (the fierce Asoka) because of his aggressive nature.
Asoka came to the throne in 270 B.C. after a power struggle that ended in the death of one of his brothers. He was at first disposed to follow the example of his father and grandfather and complete the conquest of the Indian peninsula. In about 256 B.C. Asoka attacked Kalinga, a country on the east coast of Madras, in order to expand his empire, which he ruled as a tyrant at the time. Asoka succeeded in conquering Kalinga in the bloody war in which 100,000 men were killed, 150,000 injured, and thousands were captured and retained as slaves. The sight of the slaughter involved in his conquest deeply distressed Asoka and deeply affected his mind. Overwhelmed by the carnage, he changed his way of life.
Asoka, who practiced Brahmanism, renounced war forever and sought peace in Buddha’s preachings of love and ahimsa. The war developed in him a hatred of all kinds of violence so he gave up hunting and the slaughtering of animals. He became a strict vegetarian. His son, Mahinda, became a Theraveda monk and was sent to introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Asoka spent time piously retracing the steps of the Buddha and raising stupas inscribed with moral injunctions and imperatives at holy places of pilgrimage, and for some two years he became a member of a Buddhist order without relinquishing his role as Emperor.
Asoka’s conversion to Buddhism, affected with the help of his own teacher, Upragupta, was gradual. Even though he did little to change the system of government he inherited, he introduced a novel and powerful moral idealism, which was a moral rule or way of life in the Buddhist sense, as he understood it. He called this the “Law of Piety.” This law, though following the tenets of the Buddha, was distinct from them and peculiar to Asoka. It was to become one of the great turning points of the civilization of the East, having profound effects throughout the neighboring kingdoms, not least in
Indian Givers How the Indians of the Americas transformed the world. This paper tries to explain Jack Weatherford's Indian Givers by examining the history of the Native American connection to many agricultural products that would not have been produced without the knowledge that Indians gave. Weatherford further stipulates that it is through these advances in agriculture that the United States has remained a strong contender in the global market, that without the influences of the Native Americans on the early settlers those early immigrants to America would not have survived. Through his work, "Indian Givers: How Indians of the Americas Transformed the World", Weatherford brings an insight to a people that most individuals have neglected to consider. The paper concludes that it is Weatherford's purpose to demonstrate that Native Americans have been a misrepresented and forgotten people when the history of North America is discussed.
However parents spending money for prom shouldn 't be a problem for the principal. They just wanted to see their kid have a good time together, with friends. It’s good to have a prom in high school when it comes to seniors graduating and they don’t have the very special moment with friends. Its even worst when some juniors and seniors loves a special someone in there heart but can’t share a special moment in school. But because Kleinberg Memorial High School is a Catholic school, Principal Hoagland wanted to save the student from doing things immoral after prom that may harm their
“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”(1) This is a quote from author Mark Twain in response to the banning of his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from public libraries. Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of the most controversial books in the United States since its first publication in the 1880s. Many people disagree with the language and themes of this book, and bemoan the teaching of it in public high schools. Others argue that Mark Twain’s narrative is an important work of American literature and students that are mature enough for these topics should be exposed to it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain should not be banned from public high school curriculums because it teaches students about Southern culture in the 19th century, introduces students to information for learning and discussion, and brings up social issues that need to be addressed in today’s society.
It starts with Phaedo, Simmias and Cebes, all interlocutors who recount the story of Socrates execution. This dialogue is unique because it contains discussions of the philosopher, a soul’s immortality through the opposites, recollection, affinity and the last argument. A philosopher is capable to relate to death and understand what happens to the soul. Socrates mentioned that those who called themselves philosophers should be ready to face death and not commit suicide or violently lay hands upon themselves. One should not commit suicide because men are looked after the Gods and “doing nothing in association with it unless we simply can’t avoid it, not letting it infect us with the kind of thing it is but purifying ourselves from its influence – until such time that the gods themselves set us free” (67a). Therefore, it would be impolite for one to end their life on their own terms before God willed it. A philosopher is “always eager to set the soul free” and sets the least value on the body (67d). A philosopher is someone who denies his self-pleasures, interests, wealth, and tries to spend his life to detach his soul from the body and its limitations. According to Socrates, the philosopher is on a journey to seek virtue, wisdom and knowledge. Moreover, if intelligence is a philosopher’s only goal then the body acts as a hindrance because of its
It takes away the discussion of how the word is used. Smith says that they censored the book so that readers would not “engage in provocative discussions about the role of racism in American History” (183). Students could learn so much from questions such as; “Why did Twain use that word? What kind of country must this have been that it was so ubiquitous? And how hardy is the weed of self-loathing that many black people rationalize and justify its use, even now?” (Pitts). How would students have discussions such as this with a censored edition? Without the use of it in the book, how could there be questions about the use of it? The discussion about the book and the word are just as vital to the students as the uncensored version of the book itself. They both go hand in hand in the student’s progression as an educated person. Without the original book and the discussion to follow, students will not be able to completely understand Mark Twain’s message and purpose of his work of
This advertisement promotes Herbal Essences’ shampoo and conditioner. There are a few main focal points within this advertisement, one being Nicole Scherzinger. By having her on the advertisement makes the audience think if a celebrity has the shampoo well then I must get it as well. Having her as a focal point draws the consumer in. Another focal point would be the semi- hidden brand name, Herbal Essences. The brand name is off in the corner sort of invisible. By having the name sort of hidden in the corner tangled into her hair makes the audiences’ eye drawn to the name. The last focal ...
The right to privacy is something that all Americans have and it is used as defense when people’s privacy is intruded upon. Some corporations have found tricky ways to breach people’s rights to privacy like through social networks, e-mail, sign-up forms for gyms or bank accounts, and more. The right to privacy is a serious matter, it involves all personal information about a person and they have the right to share their information or keep it to themselves. If someone’s right to privacy is breached, they can bring that breach to court as a lawsuit. Henrietta Lacks’s right to privacy was breached when her cells were taken, Facebook breached user privacy rights by
Socrates claims that the most important thing is that we must not just live, but we must live well (106). What this suggests is that there is something “more paltry than the body,” something that must be guided if we are to find value in our life. In following the tenets of Socrates’ philosophy, one is able to live a just life, which equates to living a good life. This is perhaps the largest defense of Socrates and his philosophy, something that is not as explicit in Plato’s other works. In claiming that living well (i.e. in accordance with justice) is all that matters, Plato is giving the reader a clear definition of what philosophy is good for if adhered to: it ensures that all people act just, creating a just and livable world. What this all amounts to is that philosophy, specifically Socrates’ philosophy, is both important and defendable because it acts as a guide for our morality and
He wants us to philosophize on life in the interest of having a philosophical life. He defends critical thinking. We can see in this text, Socrates go around the city and questions everyone, the merchants, the politicians … He questions the laws of society, the power that make the society function, challenges authority, wisdom, the common opinion, tradition and he questions god. This gives him the right to question their authority and accordingly their legitimacy as he finds out that authorities can be ranked; politics have authority and legitimacy but gods have more. Nonetheless, the ultimate form of authority and legitimacy would be an independent standard of right or wrong to which each one of us must obey to, first and foremost before anything else. You must live and act in a just and wise manner.
Chandragupta Maurya was a man who was very paranoid in his time of power. He greatly feared assassination. His food was always tasted before he consumed anything, and he had a secret police to look after him. There was also a very large army and inspectors. Chandragupta did not even sleep in the same bed more than once in his palace to make sure no one could kill him in his sleep. Finally, after years of ruling, Chandragupta Maurya became too paranoid for his own good and retired from ruling. He then handed over his power to his son, Bindusara. Chandragupta converted to Jainism in his late...
The first book of the Vinaya, the five book of the Vinaya, the five volumes Book of behaviour, begins with the Enlightenment of the Buddha and illustrates in general terms the growth of the Sangha in excess of the next twelve years. It then presents numerous anecdotes about the processing of prominent lay figures into the Buddhist Sangha and the development of an informal lay following. The informal lay following would be used as a permanent base for sustaining the...
Through analysis of the Aśokāvadāna, a statue titled The Story of the Buddha and Angulimala, and texts that tell the story of Angulimala, I will argue that the stories of both Angulimala and Asoka show that redemption for past crimes is possible through meritorious action, and the best way to redeem oneself is by taking refuge in the Buddha and following the eight-fold path. To effectively argue this, it is necessary to first discuss the concepts of karma and refuge.
Socrates states that men should never concern themselves with living or dying, but whether what they are doing in life is right or wrong. Socrates spent his life coercing answers out of society in pursuit of truth, with the belief that discovering truth was the correct way to live. Socrates did not burden himself with the idea of death, because he believed he was doing the right thing. Furthermore, in The Apology, Socrates expresses that men should remain where they are placed by their commander, and should think about the duty at hand rather than death, even when clenched firmly in danger’s grasp. Socrates’ was consistently victimized for his tendency to ask pestering questions, and he was eventually executed for it. However, Socrates continued to question others until the very end because he saw it as his duty. When Socrates’ stated that the unexamined life was not worth living, he truly meant he would rather live a life in constant pursuit of knowledge while facing persecution and the awareness of his imminent death than to be an ignorant fool and live a lengthy, peaceful
Ashoka was the 3rd ruler of the Mauryan Empire. He ruled from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. He started one of the most brutal wars in world history when he took over the state
The Constitution of the United States protects basic rights of the people, which includes privacy and security. Though the word privacy is not directly encountered in the Constitution of the United States. According to the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, it is the right of the people to be secure in their private property. No one is allowed to violate their privacy; however, based on certain circumstances, when there is some written or oral proof, personal places could be searched (U.S. Const., amend. IV). Also, Congress