not given, "Buddhism."Academic American Encyclopedia. 2nd. 2000.
not given, "Buddhist Symbols." Veiw on Buddhism . 2008. not given. 22 May 2008
Jessie and I shared information.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Bibliography
not given, "Buddhist Holidays and Festivals." UrbanDharma.org. 2008. UrbanDharma. 22 May 2008 .
not given, "Buddhism."Academic American Encyclopedia. 2nd. 2000.
not given, "Buddhist Symbols." Veiw on Buddhism . 2008. not given. 22 May 2008.
Jessie and I shared information.
not given, "Buddhism."Academic American Encyclopedia. 2nd. 2000.
not given, "Buddhist Symbols." Veiw on Buddhism . 2008. not given. 22 May 2008
Jessie and I shared information.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
final
Comparing Buddhism and Christianity
By Kelsey Caminiti
Did you know that Buddhism started in 480 BC? There are many different religions in the world. They all have differences and similarities. Religion is based on beliefs of people and groups. Religions have affected everyone in the world. They have started wars, brought people together, and changed the world. Buddhism is very different from the beliefs in Christianity. They were started at different times, by different people, and in different places. These two religions have different beliefs, histories, holidays and ceremonies, and symbols. These religions have created a very different way of life for the people of that particular belief.
One thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity very different is their beliefs. Buddhists have a very unique religion. Unlike Christianity, which strongly believes that there is one God, Buddhists do not believe in any god. Buddhists do believe in rebirth until they have reached enlightenment. Christians on the other hand believe that God will reward people when they die by letting them into heaven, bringing them closer to God, if they have led a life as a good person. If they have not, they will be punished by being sent to purgatory or hell. Buddhist people live by the 4 noble truths. These are the rules the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama the first person the Buddhists believe was enlightened, taught his followers. The four noble truths are:life is full of suffering and we need to accept it, suffering is caused by craving, suffering can cease, and practicing the Eightfold Path will lead to enlightenment. The eightfold Path is also a belief that Siddhartha Gautama taught his people. This is a view of what is right, built by 8 ways of life, these include concentration, mediation and right of conduct. The Christian religion on the other hand lives by the 10 commandments. Many of the commandments have the same message, but they have a different way of going about them. For example, the Christians believe in praying to God when they are suffering. The Buddhists, believe that the way to escape suffering is too get rid of all greed and wanting. Both believe that greed is a sin, but they have different ways of expressing it. Mediation is a big part of Buddhism. It is one of the ways to reach enlightenment, which is a Buddhist goal in life. In Christianity the goal is to reach heaven, and to be with God when you die. To do this you much pray and have good conduct. In the Buddhist religion life is about finding the reason for suffering and escaping it. In Christianity the goal is much less complex, to lead a life as a good person, praying to God, and to love him over all.
The second thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity so different is the history and background of the religions. Buddhism started in Lumbini, which is near Kapilavastu. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born there. He lived from 560 to 480 BC. He was believed to be the son of a ruler of the Sakya clan. His father loved him so much that he wanted to hide all the things in the world that would make his son sad, but when Siddhartha turned 29 be wanted to know more about the world so he left his home. When he left his home he saw 4 kinds of suffering: death, growing old, sickness, and poverty. He wondered why there was so much suffering in the world and why we could not stop it. He resolved to find out. For 7 years Siddhartha deprived himself from all his desires. He left his wife and children, and lived along, homeless and poor. He thought by suffering he would find out why we suffered. He concluded that killing himself would not help him find his answer. He had discovered one thing, suffering was caused by wanting, and if you could find out how not to want you would reach enlightenment. After years of study, Siddhartha arrived in Boda Gaya in India. Here he finally reached enlightenment under a bodhi tree. He was believed to be the first Buddha. He taught what he learned to people and Buddhism began. It has spread though out the world. Christianity also started with one person, but the followers did have it as easy as the Buddhists. The founder of the Christian religion is Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Israel. The Virgin Mary, his mother, was unable to get a room in the Inn, so Jesus was born in a barn among the animals. He was believed to be the son of God. Jesus was raised Jewish. When he got older he began to have different beliefs. He showed and shared these. He gained some followers, but the government became scared. They were against him and his new beliefs. Jesus was persecuted because of this. His disciples went to look his body in his toms, but it was found empty. Jesus had been resurrected. He is now believed to be the son of God. Christianity spread from Israel though out the world. It is now the largest religion.
The third reason that Christianity and Buddhism are so different is because of the holidays and ceremonies celebrated. Many special holy days in the Buddhist religion have to do with celebrating the birthday or Bodhisattvas. Many of these holidays are defined from the moon. The holidays of the Buddhist religion do not concentrate on gift giving. The holidays of the Christian religion are very different. Most of them are gift giving holidays. They each have a set date, and are not defined by the moon. Most of them have to do with Jesus being born, resurrected, or dieing. In Christianity there are many ceremonies as a part of living by the religion. Children are baptized, which will remove the original sin from your sole. There are also ceremonies for confession and a first communion. Both are very important to the Christian religion. They are meant to bring people closer to god, and show that they are dedicated. In Buddhism there are no special ceremonies that will bring you closer to enlightenment. The Buddhists meditate and look at there good conduct. They may have shrines for the Buddha, but they do not have ceremonies that can bring you closer to enlightenment.
The Forth reason that these two religions are so different is because of the symbols they use. The symbols in Buddhism relate to the people who have followed it. Many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although they may have a different meaning. One important symbol in Buddhism is the “wheel of life”. It illustrates the teaching with ornamental stone carvings that come from the time of the Emperor Asoka. The wheel has eight spokes and the bodhi tree, but it can also have the Buddha’s footprints, and Empty throne, a begging bowl, and a lion. The wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of truth or law. This is another one of Buddha’s teachings. Each part of the wheel is part of a story and has a lesson. One of the symbols of Christianity is the sign of the cross. This symbol is much less complex to understand. Jesus died on the cross for his people, so Christians look to the cross as a sign of respect and remembrance of Jesus the son of God. Christianity has a bible. The bible is very different from any form of writing that the Buddhist have. The bible has the Old Testament, which are stories about the Christian people before Jesus Christ was born. Most of these stories are about Jewish people. After Jesus was born the New Testament starts. These are stories about the Christian people during Jesus’ life. The Buddhists do not have writings telling any stories about there religion. Before the first Buddha there were no Buddha beliefs, so there are no stories of the religion before it started. Buddhists do have books similar to the bible, but they are not as important to the religion as the bible it to Christianity.
By Kelsey Caminiti
Did you know that Buddhism started in 480 BC? There are many different religions in the world. They all have differences and similarities. Religion is based on beliefs of people and groups. Religions have affected everyone in the world. They have started wars, brought people together, and changed the world. Buddhism is very different from the beliefs in Christianity. They were started at different times, by different people, and in different places. These two religions have different beliefs, histories, holidays and ceremonies, and symbols. These religions have created a very different way of life for the people of that particular belief.
One thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity very different is their beliefs. Buddhists have a very unique religion. Unlike Christianity, which strongly believes that there is one God, Buddhists do not believe in any god. Buddhists do believe in rebirth until they have reached enlightenment. Christians on the other hand believe that God will reward people when they die by letting them into heaven, bringing them closer to God, if they have led a life as a good person. If they have not, they will be punished by being sent to purgatory or hell. Buddhist people live by the 4 noble truths. These are the rules the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama the first person the Buddhists believe was enlightened, taught his followers. The four noble truths are:life is full of suffering and we need to accept it, suffering is caused by craving, suffering can cease, and practicing the Eightfold Path will lead to enlightenment. The eightfold Path is also a belief that Siddhartha Gautama taught his people. This is a view of what is right, built by 8 ways of life, these include concentration, mediation and right of conduct. The Christian religion on the other hand lives by the 10 commandments. Many of the commandments have the same message, but they have a different way of going about them. For example, the Christians believe in praying to God when they are suffering. The Buddhists, believe that the way to escape suffering is too get rid of all greed and wanting. Both believe that greed is a sin, but they have different ways of expressing it. Mediation is a big part of Buddhism. It is one of the ways to reach enlightenment, which is a Buddhist goal in life. In Christianity the goal is to reach heaven, and to be with God when you die. To do this you much pray and have good conduct. In the Buddhist religion life is about finding the reason for suffering and escaping it. In Christianity the goal is much less complex, to lead a life as a good person, praying to God, and to love him over all.
The second thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity so different is the history and background of the religions. Buddhism started in Lumbini, which is near Kapilavastu. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born there. He lived from 560 to 480 BC. He was believed to be the son of a ruler of the Sakya clan. His father loved him so much that he wanted to hide all the things in the world that would make his son sad, but when Siddhartha turned 29 be wanted to know more about the world so he left his home. When he left his home he saw 4 kinds of suffering: death, growing old, sickness, and poverty. He wondered why there was so much suffering in the world and why we could not stop it. He resolved to find out. For 7 years Siddhartha deprived himself from all his desires. He left his wife and children, and lived along, homeless and poor. He thought by suffering he would find out why we suffered. He concluded that killing himself would not help him find his answer. He had discovered one thing, suffering was caused by wanting, and if you could find out how not to want you would reach enlightenment. After years of study, Siddhartha arrived in Boda Gaya in India. Here he finally reached enlightenment under a bodhi tree. He was believed to be the first Buddha. He taught what he learned to people and Buddhism began. It has spread though out the world. Christianity also started with one person, but the followers did have it as easy as the Buddhists. The founder of the Christian religion is Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Israel. The Virgin Mary, his mother, was unable to get a room in the Inn, so Jesus was born in a barn among the animals. He was believed to be the son of God. Jesus was raised Jewish. When he got older he began to have different beliefs. He showed and shared these. He gained some followers, but the government became scared. They were against him and his new beliefs. Jesus was persecuted because of this. His disciples went to look his body in his toms, but it was found empty. Jesus had been resurrected. He is now believed to be the son of God. Christianity spread from Israel though out the world. It is now the largest religion.
The third reason that Christianity and Buddhism are so different is because of the holidays and ceremonies celebrated. Many special holy days in the Buddhist religion have to do with celebrating the birthday or Bodhisattvas. Many of these holidays are defined from the moon. The holidays of the Buddhist religion do not concentrate on gift giving. The holidays of the Christian religion are very different. Most of them are gift giving holidays. They each have a set date, and are not defined by the moon. Most of them have to do with Jesus being born, resurrected, or dieing. In Christianity there are many ceremonies as a part of living by the religion. Children are baptized, which will remove the original sin from your sole. There are also ceremonies for confession and a first communion. Both are very important to the Christian religion. They are meant to bring people closer to god, and show that they are dedicated. In Buddhism there are no special ceremonies that will bring you closer to enlightenment. The Buddhists meditate and look at there good conduct. They may have shrines for the Buddha, but they do not have ceremonies that can bring you closer to enlightenment.
The Forth reason that these two religions are so different is because of the symbols they use. The symbols in Buddhism relate to the people who have followed it. Many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although they may have a different meaning. One important symbol in Buddhism is the “wheel of life”. It illustrates the teaching with ornamental stone carvings that come from the time of the Emperor Asoka. The wheel has eight spokes and the bodhi tree, but it can also have the Buddha’s footprints, and Empty throne, a begging bowl, and a lion. The wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of truth or law. This is another one of Buddha’s teachings. Each part of the wheel is part of a story and has a lesson. One of the symbols of Christianity is the sign of the cross. This symbol is much less complex to understand. Jesus died on the cross for his people, so Christians look to the cross as a sign of respect and remembrance of Jesus the son of God. Christianity has a bible. The bible is very different from any form of writing that the Buddhist have. The bible has the Old Testament, which are stories about the Christian people before Jesus Christ was born. Most of these stories are about Jewish people. After Jesus was born the New Testament starts. These are stories about the Christian people during Jesus’ life. The Buddhists do not have writings telling any stories about there religion. Before the first Buddha there were no Buddha beliefs, so there are no stories of the religion before it started. Buddhists do have books similar to the bible, but they are not as important to the religion as the bible it to Christianity.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
1st draft
There are many different religions in the world. They all have differences and similarities. Religion is based on beliefs of people and groups. Religions have affected everyone in the world. They have started wars, brought people together, and changed the world. Buddhism is very different from the beliefs in Christianity. These religions have different beliefs, holidays and ceremonies, symbols, and backgrounds. These have created a very different way of life for the people of that belief.
One thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity very different is their beliefs. Buddhists have a very unique way. Unlike Christianity, which strongly believes that there is one God, Buddhists do not believe in any god. Buddhists do believe in rebirth until they have reached enlightenment. Christians on the other hand believe that God will reward people when they die by letting them into heaven, bringing them closer to God, if they have led a life as a good person. If they have not, they will be punished by being sent to purgatory or hell. Buddhist people live by the 4 noble truths. These are the rules the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama the first person the Buddhist believe was enlightened, taught his followers. The four noble truths are: that life is full of suffering and we need to accept it, suffering is caused by craving, suffering can cease, and practicing the Eightfold Path will lead to enlightenment. The eightfold Path is also a belief that Siddhartha Gautama taught his people. This is a view of what is right, built by 8 ways of life, these include concentration, mediation, right or conduct, etc. The Christian religion on the other hand lives by the 10 commandments. Many of the commandments have the same message, but they have a different way of going about them. For example, the Christians believe in praying to God when they are suffering. The Buddhists, believe that the way to escape suffering is too get rid of all greed and wanting. Both believe that greed is a sin, but they have different ways of expressing it. Mediation is a big part of Buddhism. It is one of the ways to reach enlightenment, which is a Buddhist goal in life. In Christianity the goal is to reach heaven and be with God when you die. To do this you much pray and have good conduct. In the Buddhist religion life is about finding the reason for suffering and escaping it. In Christianity the goal is much less complex, to lead a life as a good person, praying to God and to love him over all.
The second thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity so different is the history and background of the religions. Buddhism started in Lumbini, which is near Kapilavastu. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born there. He lived form 560 to 480 BC. He was believed to be the son of a ruler of the Sakya clan. His father loved him so much that he wanted to hide all the things in the world that would make his son sad, but when Siddhartha turned 29 be wanted to know more about the world so he left his home. When he left his home he saw 4 kinds of suffering: death, growing old, sickness, and poverty. He wondered why there was so much suffering in the world and why we could not stop it. He resolved to find out. For 7 years Siddhartha deprived him self from everything. He left his wife and children, and lived homeless and poor. He thought by suffering he would find out why we suffered. He concluded that killing himself would not help him find his answer. He had discovered one thing, suffering was caused by wanting, and if you could find out how to not want you would reach enlightenment. After years of study Siddhartha arrived in Boda Gaya in India. Here he finally reached enlightenment under a bodhi tree. He was believed to be the first Buddha. He taught what he learned to people and Buddhism began. It has spread though out the world. Christianity also started with one person, but the followers did have it as easy as the Buddhists. The founder of the Christian religion is Jesus Chris. Jesus was born in Israel. The virgin Mary, his mother, was unable to get a room in the Inn, so Jesus was born in a barn among the animals. He was believed to be the son of god. Jesus was raised as a Jewish. When he got older he began to have different beliefs. He showed and shared these. He gained some followers, but the government became scared. They were very against him and his new religion. Jesus was persecuted because of this. His deciles went to look his body in his toms, but it was found empty. Jesus had been resurrected. He is now believed to be the son of God. Christianity spread from Israel though out the world. It is now the largest religion.
The third reason that Christianity and Buddhism are so different is because of the holidays and ceremonies celebrated. Many special holy days in the Buddhist religion have to do with celebrating the birthday or Bodhisattvas. Many of these holidays are defined from the moon. The holidays of the Buddhist religion do not concentrate on gift giving. The holidays of the Christian religion are very different. Most of them are gift giving holidays. They each have a set date. Most of them have to do with Jesus being born, resurrected, or dieing.
The Forth reason that these two religions are so different is because of the symbols they use. The symbols in Buddhism relate to the people who have followed it. Many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although they may have a different meaning. One important symbol in Buddhism is the “wheel of life”. It illustrates the teaching with ornamental stone carvings that come from the time of the Emperor Asoka. The wheel has Eight spokes and the bodhi tree, but it can also have the Buddha’s footprints, and Empty throne, a begging bowl, and a lion. The wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of truth or law. This is another one of Buddha’s teachings. Each part of the wheel is part of a story and has a lesson. One of the symbols of Christianity is the sign of the cross. This symbol is much less complex to understand. Jesus died on the cross for his people, so Christians look to the cross as a sign of respect and remembrance of Jesus the son of God.
In conclusion, these two religions are very different in many ways: their beliefs, the history and back round, the holidays and ceremonies celebrated the symbols. There are very few similarities, but the morals and messages are the same in every religion. If we can learn about more and more of them we may understand our world better.
One thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity very different is their beliefs. Buddhists have a very unique way. Unlike Christianity, which strongly believes that there is one God, Buddhists do not believe in any god. Buddhists do believe in rebirth until they have reached enlightenment. Christians on the other hand believe that God will reward people when they die by letting them into heaven, bringing them closer to God, if they have led a life as a good person. If they have not, they will be punished by being sent to purgatory or hell. Buddhist people live by the 4 noble truths. These are the rules the first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama the first person the Buddhist believe was enlightened, taught his followers. The four noble truths are: that life is full of suffering and we need to accept it, suffering is caused by craving, suffering can cease, and practicing the Eightfold Path will lead to enlightenment. The eightfold Path is also a belief that Siddhartha Gautama taught his people. This is a view of what is right, built by 8 ways of life, these include concentration, mediation, right or conduct, etc. The Christian religion on the other hand lives by the 10 commandments. Many of the commandments have the same message, but they have a different way of going about them. For example, the Christians believe in praying to God when they are suffering. The Buddhists, believe that the way to escape suffering is too get rid of all greed and wanting. Both believe that greed is a sin, but they have different ways of expressing it. Mediation is a big part of Buddhism. It is one of the ways to reach enlightenment, which is a Buddhist goal in life. In Christianity the goal is to reach heaven and be with God when you die. To do this you much pray and have good conduct. In the Buddhist religion life is about finding the reason for suffering and escaping it. In Christianity the goal is much less complex, to lead a life as a good person, praying to God and to love him over all.
The second thing that makes Buddhism and Christianity so different is the history and background of the religions. Buddhism started in Lumbini, which is near Kapilavastu. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born there. He lived form 560 to 480 BC. He was believed to be the son of a ruler of the Sakya clan. His father loved him so much that he wanted to hide all the things in the world that would make his son sad, but when Siddhartha turned 29 be wanted to know more about the world so he left his home. When he left his home he saw 4 kinds of suffering: death, growing old, sickness, and poverty. He wondered why there was so much suffering in the world and why we could not stop it. He resolved to find out. For 7 years Siddhartha deprived him self from everything. He left his wife and children, and lived homeless and poor. He thought by suffering he would find out why we suffered. He concluded that killing himself would not help him find his answer. He had discovered one thing, suffering was caused by wanting, and if you could find out how to not want you would reach enlightenment. After years of study Siddhartha arrived in Boda Gaya in India. Here he finally reached enlightenment under a bodhi tree. He was believed to be the first Buddha. He taught what he learned to people and Buddhism began. It has spread though out the world. Christianity also started with one person, but the followers did have it as easy as the Buddhists. The founder of the Christian religion is Jesus Chris. Jesus was born in Israel. The virgin Mary, his mother, was unable to get a room in the Inn, so Jesus was born in a barn among the animals. He was believed to be the son of god. Jesus was raised as a Jewish. When he got older he began to have different beliefs. He showed and shared these. He gained some followers, but the government became scared. They were very against him and his new religion. Jesus was persecuted because of this. His deciles went to look his body in his toms, but it was found empty. Jesus had been resurrected. He is now believed to be the son of God. Christianity spread from Israel though out the world. It is now the largest religion.
The third reason that Christianity and Buddhism are so different is because of the holidays and ceremonies celebrated. Many special holy days in the Buddhist religion have to do with celebrating the birthday or Bodhisattvas. Many of these holidays are defined from the moon. The holidays of the Buddhist religion do not concentrate on gift giving. The holidays of the Christian religion are very different. Most of them are gift giving holidays. They each have a set date. Most of them have to do with Jesus being born, resurrected, or dieing.
The Forth reason that these two religions are so different is because of the symbols they use. The symbols in Buddhism relate to the people who have followed it. Many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although they may have a different meaning. One important symbol in Buddhism is the “wheel of life”. It illustrates the teaching with ornamental stone carvings that come from the time of the Emperor Asoka. The wheel has Eight spokes and the bodhi tree, but it can also have the Buddha’s footprints, and Empty throne, a begging bowl, and a lion. The wheel symbolizes the turning of the wheel of truth or law. This is another one of Buddha’s teachings. Each part of the wheel is part of a story and has a lesson. One of the symbols of Christianity is the sign of the cross. This symbol is much less complex to understand. Jesus died on the cross for his people, so Christians look to the cross as a sign of respect and remembrance of Jesus the son of God.
In conclusion, these two religions are very different in many ways: their beliefs, the history and back round, the holidays and ceremonies celebrated the symbols. There are very few similarities, but the morals and messages are the same in every religion. If we can learn about more and more of them we may understand our world better.
Monday, May 5, 2008
sources
-http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/holidays.html
-Academic American Encyclopedia
-http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html
-Academic American Encyclopedia
-http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html
Major beliefs
Major Beliefs-
• 4 noble truths- 1. That this life is suffering. 2. it’s a source of craving. 3. that suffering can cease. 4, the practice of Eightfold Path- of right views, right intention, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration brings about this cessation. (practices concentration meditation, and development of enlightened wisdom all thought to be necessary.)
• Belief in rebirth if not enlightened. (suffering)
• Brahma came down from heaven and requested the Buddha to teach by offering him a Dharmachakra. The Buddha is known as the Wheel-Turner: he who sets a new cycle of teachings in motion and in consequence changes the course of destiny.
• After wandering the countryside for about six years the Buddha finally came to rest in a forest beside the Naranjara River, not far from modern day Bodhgaya. Sitting under a Bodhi tree, ardently practicing meditation, he finally realised his true nature. The next seven days were spent under the tree experiencing the bliss of freedom and contemplating the extent of his new understanding. The story then goes on to relate four other periods of seven days, each spent under a different tree - the Banyan, the Mucalinda and the Rajayatana tree and then once more back to the Banyan. Each of these 'tree scenes' has its own well known story which space here does not allow. The tree of enlightenment is called, in Latin, ficus religiosa, or sacred tree. It is also known as the pipal tree. For Buddhists it is generally called the Bodhi, or Bo tree. Bodhi is the Pali and Sanskrit word for enlightenment. There is a descendant of the original tree still growing at Bodhgaya and Bodhi trees are commonly found in Buddhist centres all over the world."
• Making offerings is a very common practice in the East. Every offering has a specific meaning, for example offering light is to dispel the darkness of one's ignorance, or offering incense to increase one's ethical behaviour. Offering is considered a good training against greed and attachment.
• The Eight Offerings: Offering water to cleanse the mouth or face: It signifies auspiciousness or all the positive causes and conditions which bring positive effects. So, make an offering of water which is clean, fresh, cool, smooth, light, delicious, comfortable to the throat and stomach - these qualities are the qualities of auspiciousness.
-Offering water to wash the feet: This is clear water mixed with incense or sandalwood which is made as an offering to all enlightened beings' feet. The symbolic meaning is purification. By cleansing the feet of the enlightened beings, we cleanse all our own negative karma and obscurations. By making offerings to clean the enlightened beings feet, we are really cleaning the "feet" of our own mind.
-Offering flowers signifies the practice of generosity and opens the heart.
-Offering incense symbolises moral ethics or discipline.
-Offering light signifies the stability and clarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance. According to Ven. Norlha Rinpoche: "It is also excellent to offer the butterlamps, candles or light because this act of offering this light symbolizes burning away our mental afflictions of desire, aggression, greed, jealousy, pride and so forth. The other part of the symbolism is that it is a way to burn away our illness."
-Offering of perfume or the fragrance from saffron or sandalwood. It signifies perseverance or joyous effort. Through that one quality, one develops all the qualities of enlightenment.
-Offering of food which has a lot of different tastes signifies samadhi, which is a nectar or ambrosia to feed the mind.
-Offering of musical instruments. There are different types of instruments -- cymbals, bells, guitars, lutes - - all of these are offered. Their nature is wisdom, which makes an offering to the ears of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all the enlightened beings. Sound represents wisdom because wisdom is a special power of the mind which penetrates phenomena. Compassion is achieved through great wisdom; interdependence of all phenomena is realised through great wisdom. of course all phenomena have the nature of interdependence, causes and conditions, but sound is especially easy to understand.
• 4 noble truths- 1. That this life is suffering. 2. it’s a source of craving. 3. that suffering can cease. 4, the practice of Eightfold Path- of right views, right intention, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration brings about this cessation. (practices concentration meditation, and development of enlightened wisdom all thought to be necessary.)
• Belief in rebirth if not enlightened. (suffering)
• Brahma came down from heaven and requested the Buddha to teach by offering him a Dharmachakra. The Buddha is known as the Wheel-Turner: he who sets a new cycle of teachings in motion and in consequence changes the course of destiny.
• After wandering the countryside for about six years the Buddha finally came to rest in a forest beside the Naranjara River, not far from modern day Bodhgaya. Sitting under a Bodhi tree, ardently practicing meditation, he finally realised his true nature. The next seven days were spent under the tree experiencing the bliss of freedom and contemplating the extent of his new understanding. The story then goes on to relate four other periods of seven days, each spent under a different tree - the Banyan, the Mucalinda and the Rajayatana tree and then once more back to the Banyan. Each of these 'tree scenes' has its own well known story which space here does not allow. The tree of enlightenment is called, in Latin, ficus religiosa, or sacred tree. It is also known as the pipal tree. For Buddhists it is generally called the Bodhi, or Bo tree. Bodhi is the Pali and Sanskrit word for enlightenment. There is a descendant of the original tree still growing at Bodhgaya and Bodhi trees are commonly found in Buddhist centres all over the world."
• Making offerings is a very common practice in the East. Every offering has a specific meaning, for example offering light is to dispel the darkness of one's ignorance, or offering incense to increase one's ethical behaviour. Offering is considered a good training against greed and attachment.
• The Eight Offerings: Offering water to cleanse the mouth or face: It signifies auspiciousness or all the positive causes and conditions which bring positive effects. So, make an offering of water which is clean, fresh, cool, smooth, light, delicious, comfortable to the throat and stomach - these qualities are the qualities of auspiciousness.
-Offering water to wash the feet: This is clear water mixed with incense or sandalwood which is made as an offering to all enlightened beings' feet. The symbolic meaning is purification. By cleansing the feet of the enlightened beings, we cleanse all our own negative karma and obscurations. By making offerings to clean the enlightened beings feet, we are really cleaning the "feet" of our own mind.
-Offering flowers signifies the practice of generosity and opens the heart.
-Offering incense symbolises moral ethics or discipline.
-Offering light signifies the stability and clarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance. According to Ven. Norlha Rinpoche: "It is also excellent to offer the butterlamps, candles or light because this act of offering this light symbolizes burning away our mental afflictions of desire, aggression, greed, jealousy, pride and so forth. The other part of the symbolism is that it is a way to burn away our illness."
-Offering of perfume or the fragrance from saffron or sandalwood. It signifies perseverance or joyous effort. Through that one quality, one develops all the qualities of enlightenment.
-Offering of food which has a lot of different tastes signifies samadhi, which is a nectar or ambrosia to feed the mind.
-Offering of musical instruments. There are different types of instruments -- cymbals, bells, guitars, lutes - - all of these are offered. Their nature is wisdom, which makes an offering to the ears of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all the enlightened beings. Sound represents wisdom because wisdom is a special power of the mind which penetrates phenomena. Compassion is achieved through great wisdom; interdependence of all phenomena is realised through great wisdom. of course all phenomena have the nature of interdependence, causes and conditions, but sound is especially easy to understand.
Holidays and Ceremonies
• There are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the Buddhist community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar.
• 3 March
(lunar calendar) : Makha Bucha
Commemorates when 1,250 of Buddha's disciples spontaneously gathered to hear the Buddha preach. Merit-making ceremonies at temples, candlelight processions at night.
• There are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the Buddhist community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar.
• Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit, and in the evening perhaps join in a ceremony of circumambulation of a stupa three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.
• Buddhist New Year
In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.
• Vesak or Visakah Puja ("Buddha Day")
Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
Magha Puja Day (Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day")
- Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March). This holy day is observed to commemorate an important event in the life of the Buddha. This event occurred early in the Buddha's teaching life.
-After the first Rains Retreat (Vassa) at the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha's disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana.
-Magha Puja Day (Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day")
Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March). This holy day is observed to commemorate an important event in the life of the Buddha. This event occurred early in the Buddha's teaching life.
-After the first Rains Retreat (Vassa) at the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha's disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana.
-The assembly is called the Fourfold Assembly because it consisted of four factors: (1) All 1250 were Arahats; (2) All of them were ordained by the Buddha himself; (3) They assembled by themselves without any prior call; (4) It was the full moon day of Magha month (March).
-Asalha Puja Day ("Dhamma Day")
Asalha Puja means to pay homage to the Buddha on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month (approximately July). It commemorates the Buddha's first teaching: the turning of the wheel of the Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) to the five ascetics at the Deer Park (Sarnath) near Benares city, India. Where Kondanna, the senior ascetic attained the first level of enlightenment (the Sotapanna level of mind purity).
-Uposatha (Observance Day)
The four monthly holy days which continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. Known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day. [ Web Link: Uposatha or Observance Days ]
-Pavarana Day
This day marks the conclusion of the Rains retreat (vassa). In the following month, the kathina ceremony is held, during which the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other requisites to the Sangha.
-Kathina Ceremony (Robe offering ceremony)
Is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the Vassa Retreat, which is the three month rains retreat season (Vassa) for the monastic order. It is the time of the year when new robes and other requisites may be offered by the laity to the monks.
-Anapanasati Day
At the end of one rains retreat (vassa), the Buddha was so pleased with the progress of the assembled monks that he encouraged them to extend their retreat for yet another month. On the full-moon day marking the end of that fourth month of retreat, he presented his now-famous instructions on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), which may be found in the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118) - The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing.
-Abhidhamma Day
In the Burmese tradition, this day celebrates the occasion when the Buddha is said to have gone to the Tushita Heaven to teach his mother the Abhidhamma. It is held on the full moon of the seventh month of the Burmese lunar year starting in April which corresponds to the full moon day in October.
Songkran
-This Thai Buddhist festival goes on for several days during the middle of April. People clean their houses and wash their clothes and enjoy sprinkling perfumed water on the monks, novices and other people for at least two or three days. They gather around the riverbank, carrying fishes in jars to put into the water, for April is so hot in Thailand that the ponds dry out and the fish would die if not rescued. People go to the beach or river bank with jars or buckets of water and splash each other. When everyone is happily wet they are usually entertained by boat races on the river.
-Loy Krathong (Festival of Floating Bowls)
At the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of water, the Loy Krathong Festival takes place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the Twelfth Lunar month. People bring bowls made of leaves (which contain flowers) candles and incense sticks, and float them in the water. As they go, all bad luck is suppose to disappear. The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the Namada River in India.
-The Ploughing Festival
In May, when the moon is half-full, two white oxen pull a gold painted plough, followed by four girls dressed in white who scatter rice seeds from gold and silver baskets. This is to celebrate the Buddha's first moment of enlightenment, which is said to have happened when the Buddha was seven years old, when he had gone with his father to watched the ploughing. (Known in Thailand as Raek Na)
-The Elephant Festival
The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant which, when it is caught, is harnessed to a tame one to train. In the same way, he said, a person new to Buddhism should have a special friendship of an older Buddhist. To mark this saying, Thais hold an elephant festival on the third Saturday in November.
-The Festival of the Tooth
Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside may caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it.
-Ulambana (Ancestor Day)
Is celebrated throughout the Mahayana tradition from the first to the fifteenth days of the eighth lunar month. It is believed that the gates of Hell are opened on the first day and the ghosts may visit the world for fifteen days. Food offerings are made during this time to relieve the sufferings of these ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ulambana or Ancestor Day, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the departed ancestors. Many Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also observe this festival.
-Ulambana is also a Japanese Buddhist festival known as Obon, beginning on the thirteenth of July and lasting for three days, which celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the living.
-Avalokitesvara’s Birthday (Kuan Yin)
This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs on the full moon day in March.
Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day)
Bodhi Day honours the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama -- the Buddha. Buddhists observe the importance of this event by celebrating Bodhi Day usually on the eighth of December. The day is observed in many ways, including prayer, meditation and teachings.
• 3 March
(lunar calendar) : Makha Bucha
Commemorates when 1,250 of Buddha's disciples spontaneously gathered to hear the Buddha preach. Merit-making ceremonies at temples, candlelight processions at night.
• There are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the Buddhist community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar.
• Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit, and in the evening perhaps join in a ceremony of circumambulation of a stupa three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.
• Buddhist New Year
In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.
• Vesak or Visakah Puja ("Buddha Day")
Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
Magha Puja Day (Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day")
- Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March). This holy day is observed to commemorate an important event in the life of the Buddha. This event occurred early in the Buddha's teaching life.
-After the first Rains Retreat (Vassa) at the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha's disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana.
-Magha Puja Day (Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day")
Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March). This holy day is observed to commemorate an important event in the life of the Buddha. This event occurred early in the Buddha's teaching life.
-After the first Rains Retreat (Vassa) at the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha's disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana.
-The assembly is called the Fourfold Assembly because it consisted of four factors: (1) All 1250 were Arahats; (2) All of them were ordained by the Buddha himself; (3) They assembled by themselves without any prior call; (4) It was the full moon day of Magha month (March).
-Asalha Puja Day ("Dhamma Day")
Asalha Puja means to pay homage to the Buddha on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month (approximately July). It commemorates the Buddha's first teaching: the turning of the wheel of the Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) to the five ascetics at the Deer Park (Sarnath) near Benares city, India. Where Kondanna, the senior ascetic attained the first level of enlightenment (the Sotapanna level of mind purity).
-Uposatha (Observance Day)
The four monthly holy days which continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. Known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day. [ Web Link: Uposatha or Observance Days ]
-Pavarana Day
This day marks the conclusion of the Rains retreat (vassa). In the following month, the kathina ceremony is held, during which the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other requisites to the Sangha.
-Kathina Ceremony (Robe offering ceremony)
Is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the Vassa Retreat, which is the three month rains retreat season (Vassa) for the monastic order. It is the time of the year when new robes and other requisites may be offered by the laity to the monks.
-Anapanasati Day
At the end of one rains retreat (vassa), the Buddha was so pleased with the progress of the assembled monks that he encouraged them to extend their retreat for yet another month. On the full-moon day marking the end of that fourth month of retreat, he presented his now-famous instructions on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), which may be found in the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118) - The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing.
-Abhidhamma Day
In the Burmese tradition, this day celebrates the occasion when the Buddha is said to have gone to the Tushita Heaven to teach his mother the Abhidhamma. It is held on the full moon of the seventh month of the Burmese lunar year starting in April which corresponds to the full moon day in October.
Songkran
-This Thai Buddhist festival goes on for several days during the middle of April. People clean their houses and wash their clothes and enjoy sprinkling perfumed water on the monks, novices and other people for at least two or three days. They gather around the riverbank, carrying fishes in jars to put into the water, for April is so hot in Thailand that the ponds dry out and the fish would die if not rescued. People go to the beach or river bank with jars or buckets of water and splash each other. When everyone is happily wet they are usually entertained by boat races on the river.
-Loy Krathong (Festival of Floating Bowls)
At the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of water, the Loy Krathong Festival takes place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the Twelfth Lunar month. People bring bowls made of leaves (which contain flowers) candles and incense sticks, and float them in the water. As they go, all bad luck is suppose to disappear. The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the Namada River in India.
-The Ploughing Festival
In May, when the moon is half-full, two white oxen pull a gold painted plough, followed by four girls dressed in white who scatter rice seeds from gold and silver baskets. This is to celebrate the Buddha's first moment of enlightenment, which is said to have happened when the Buddha was seven years old, when he had gone with his father to watched the ploughing. (Known in Thailand as Raek Na)
-The Elephant Festival
The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant which, when it is caught, is harnessed to a tame one to train. In the same way, he said, a person new to Buddhism should have a special friendship of an older Buddhist. To mark this saying, Thais hold an elephant festival on the third Saturday in November.
-The Festival of the Tooth
Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside may caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it.
-Ulambana (Ancestor Day)
Is celebrated throughout the Mahayana tradition from the first to the fifteenth days of the eighth lunar month. It is believed that the gates of Hell are opened on the first day and the ghosts may visit the world for fifteen days. Food offerings are made during this time to relieve the sufferings of these ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ulambana or Ancestor Day, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the departed ancestors. Many Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also observe this festival.
-Ulambana is also a Japanese Buddhist festival known as Obon, beginning on the thirteenth of July and lasting for three days, which celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the living.
-Avalokitesvara’s Birthday (Kuan Yin)
This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs on the full moon day in March.
Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day)
Bodhi Day honours the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama -- the Buddha. Buddhists observe the importance of this event by celebrating Bodhi Day usually on the eighth of December. The day is observed in many ways, including prayer, meditation and teachings.
Symbols
- much more recent symbol is the Buddhist flag. It was in designed in 1880 by Colonel Henry Steele Olcott an American journalist. It was first hoisted in 1885 in Sri Lanka and is a symbol of faith and peace, and is now used throughout the world to represent the Buddhism.
-the five colours of the flag represent the colours of the aura that emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained Enlightenment.
Blue- Loving kindness, peace and universal compassion
Yellow- The Middle Path - avoiding extremes, emptiness
Red- Blessings of practice - achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity
light blue- Purity of Dharma - it leads to liberation, outside of time or space
orange- The Buddha's Teaching - wisdom
• Many Buddhist symbols need to be considered within the culture of the people who follow it. Therefore, many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although possibly with a somewhat different meaning.
•'Wheel of Life' to illustrate the teachings. The first archaeological evidence, mainly of ornamental stone carvings, comes from the time of the Emperor Asoka (273 - 232 BCE), who converted to Buddhism and made it a popular religion in India and beyond .
• In the second century BCE, people started to excavate Buddhist monasteries in rock, creating a large amount of artwork to withstand the ages. Probably the earliest typical Buddhist monument is the stupa, which was often specially decorated. The first actual Buddha images appeared around the first century BCE, so until then the artwork was largely symbolic in nature.
• To symbolise the Buddha in the very early art, one used mainly the Eight Spoked Wheel and the Bodhi Tree, but also the Buddha's Footprints, an Empty Throne, a Begging Bowl and a Lion are used to represent him.
• The Eight-Spoked Dharma Wheel or 'Dharmachakra' (Sanskrit) symbolises the Buddha's turning the Wheel of Truth or Law (dharma = truth/law, chakra = wheel).
• Deer are a direct reference to the Buddha's first teaching in the Deer Park, Sarnath, also called Dharmachakra Parivartan. The suggestion is that so wondrous was the Buddha's appearance and peaceful his presence that even the animals came to listen. In the Tibetan tradition, a monastery which holds the Kangyur and Tengyur collections of texts would have this symbol of deer on both sides of the Dharma-wheel on the roof.
• Stupas generally represent the enlightened mind of the Buddha. They were constructed since the early days of Buddhism. One of the symbolic meanings is that they represent the five elements: the square base represents earth, the round dome is for water, the cone-shape is fire, the canopy is air and the volume of the stupa is space. Stupas are often used to store relics from important teachers.
• The Dharmachakra has eight spokes, symbolising the Eight-fold Noble Path. The 3 swirling segments in centre represent the Buddha, Dharma (the teachings) and Sangha (the spiritual community).
• The wheel can also be divided into three parts, each representing an aspect of Buddhist practice; the hub (discipline), the spokes (wisdom), and the rim (concentration).
• The Bodhi Tree refers to the tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment (See image on the right.).
Tree worship was already part of the existing culture in India, so the development of the bodhi tree and leaf as a devotional symbol was a natural one.
• The Throne is both a reference to Siddharta Gautama's royal ancestry and to the idea of spiritual kingship - enlightenment as ruler of the spiritual world. The ancient stone carvings above show the Dharmachakra and the Bodhitree on top of the throne. Sometimes the base of the throne is decorated with other symbols such as lions and deer, both associated with the Buddha's teachings.
• The Throne is both a reference to Siddharta Gautama's royal ancestry and to the idea of spiritual kingship - enlightenment as ruler of the spiritual world. The ancient stone carvings above show the Dharmachakra and the Bodhitree on top of the throne. Sometimes the base of the throne is decorated with other symbols such as lions and deer, both associated with the Buddha's teachings.
• "Footprints of the Buddha traditionally symbolize the physical presence of the Enlightened One. This image was reproduced from a rubbing of an ancient stone imprint at Bodh Gaya, India, site of the Buddha's enlightenment."
• The Begging-bowl refers to the the story that shortly before the Buddha reached enlightenment, a young woman named Sujata offered him a bowl of milk-rice. At that moment, he was practicing austerity by eating extremely little. But he realised at that moment that he would need to have more strength for the final steps to enlightenment, and further fasting would only reduce his energy. After he reached enlightenment, he is said to have thrown away what little was left in the bowl to signify his renunciation of all material possessions. Finding the middle way between extreme austerity and complete attachment to life is an important principle of Buddhism. The bowl also points to the monk's way of life; going from the monastery into the village each morning and living off what is put into it by lay people.
• The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
Obviously, the Triple Gem is usually represented as three jewels...
-the five colours of the flag represent the colours of the aura that emanated from the body of the Buddha when he attained Enlightenment.
Blue- Loving kindness, peace and universal compassion
Yellow- The Middle Path - avoiding extremes, emptiness
Red- Blessings of practice - achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity
light blue- Purity of Dharma - it leads to liberation, outside of time or space
orange- The Buddha's Teaching - wisdom
• Many Buddhist symbols need to be considered within the culture of the people who follow it. Therefore, many of the early symbols relate to ancient India and can be found in Hinduism as well, although possibly with a somewhat different meaning.
•'Wheel of Life' to illustrate the teachings. The first archaeological evidence, mainly of ornamental stone carvings, comes from the time of the Emperor Asoka (273 - 232 BCE), who converted to Buddhism and made it a popular religion in India and beyond .
• In the second century BCE, people started to excavate Buddhist monasteries in rock, creating a large amount of artwork to withstand the ages. Probably the earliest typical Buddhist monument is the stupa, which was often specially decorated. The first actual Buddha images appeared around the first century BCE, so until then the artwork was largely symbolic in nature.
• To symbolise the Buddha in the very early art, one used mainly the Eight Spoked Wheel and the Bodhi Tree, but also the Buddha's Footprints, an Empty Throne, a Begging Bowl and a Lion are used to represent him.
• The Eight-Spoked Dharma Wheel or 'Dharmachakra' (Sanskrit) symbolises the Buddha's turning the Wheel of Truth or Law (dharma = truth/law, chakra = wheel).
• Deer are a direct reference to the Buddha's first teaching in the Deer Park, Sarnath, also called Dharmachakra Parivartan. The suggestion is that so wondrous was the Buddha's appearance and peaceful his presence that even the animals came to listen. In the Tibetan tradition, a monastery which holds the Kangyur and Tengyur collections of texts would have this symbol of deer on both sides of the Dharma-wheel on the roof.
• Stupas generally represent the enlightened mind of the Buddha. They were constructed since the early days of Buddhism. One of the symbolic meanings is that they represent the five elements: the square base represents earth, the round dome is for water, the cone-shape is fire, the canopy is air and the volume of the stupa is space. Stupas are often used to store relics from important teachers.
• The Dharmachakra has eight spokes, symbolising the Eight-fold Noble Path. The 3 swirling segments in centre represent the Buddha, Dharma (the teachings) and Sangha (the spiritual community).
• The wheel can also be divided into three parts, each representing an aspect of Buddhist practice; the hub (discipline), the spokes (wisdom), and the rim (concentration).
• The Bodhi Tree refers to the tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment (See image on the right.).
Tree worship was already part of the existing culture in India, so the development of the bodhi tree and leaf as a devotional symbol was a natural one.
• The Throne is both a reference to Siddharta Gautama's royal ancestry and to the idea of spiritual kingship - enlightenment as ruler of the spiritual world. The ancient stone carvings above show the Dharmachakra and the Bodhitree on top of the throne. Sometimes the base of the throne is decorated with other symbols such as lions and deer, both associated with the Buddha's teachings.
• The Throne is both a reference to Siddharta Gautama's royal ancestry and to the idea of spiritual kingship - enlightenment as ruler of the spiritual world. The ancient stone carvings above show the Dharmachakra and the Bodhitree on top of the throne. Sometimes the base of the throne is decorated with other symbols such as lions and deer, both associated with the Buddha's teachings.
• "Footprints of the Buddha traditionally symbolize the physical presence of the Enlightened One. This image was reproduced from a rubbing of an ancient stone imprint at Bodh Gaya, India, site of the Buddha's enlightenment."
• The Begging-bowl refers to the the story that shortly before the Buddha reached enlightenment, a young woman named Sujata offered him a bowl of milk-rice. At that moment, he was practicing austerity by eating extremely little. But he realised at that moment that he would need to have more strength for the final steps to enlightenment, and further fasting would only reduce his energy. After he reached enlightenment, he is said to have thrown away what little was left in the bowl to signify his renunciation of all material possessions. Finding the middle way between extreme austerity and complete attachment to life is an important principle of Buddhism. The bowl also points to the monk's way of life; going from the monastery into the village each morning and living off what is put into it by lay people.
• The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
Obviously, the Triple Gem is usually represented as three jewels...
History
• The word Buddha means the enlightened one.
• He lived form c. 560 to c. 480 BC
• Was born in Lumbini near Kapilavastu
• Was the son of the ruler of the Sakya clan
• At 29 he left his family and entered the public
• After several years of striving the practice and rejection of ascetic austerities he arrived at Bodh Gaya in India where at last he attained complete enlightenment under a bodhi tree into the nature of reality.
• He then went to Sarnath and preached the 4 noble truths.
• Died at 80 in Kushinagara
• Some people followed Buddha and became monks.
• The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
Obviously, the Triple Gem is usually represented as three jewels...
• He lived form c. 560 to c. 480 BC
• Was born in Lumbini near Kapilavastu
• Was the son of the ruler of the Sakya clan
• At 29 he left his family and entered the public
• After several years of striving the practice and rejection of ascetic austerities he arrived at Bodh Gaya in India where at last he attained complete enlightenment under a bodhi tree into the nature of reality.
• He then went to Sarnath and preached the 4 noble truths.
• Died at 80 in Kushinagara
• Some people followed Buddha and became monks.
• The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
Obviously, the Triple Gem is usually represented as three jewels...
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Stereosypes and Generalizations
Stereotypes about Librarians-
- Librarians dress in old clothing.
- Librarians are mean and strict.
- Librarians do not like books with pictures.
- Librarians are old.
- Librarians are ugly.
- All Librarians are women.
Stereotype- Dancers have eating disorders.
Fact- Some dancers develop eating disorders as their careers go on, but many dancers are very healthy. For example, none of the girls in my dance class have an eating disorder, and yet some professionals have had to stop dancing because it was endangering their heath.
- Librarians dress in old clothing.
- Librarians are mean and strict.
- Librarians do not like books with pictures.
- Librarians are old.
- Librarians are ugly.
- All Librarians are women.
Stereotype- Dancers have eating disorders.
Fact- Some dancers develop eating disorders as their careers go on, but many dancers are very healthy. For example, none of the girls in my dance class have an eating disorder, and yet some professionals have had to stop dancing because it was endangering their heath.
Facts and Beliefs
Facts-
1. Caelin plays lacrosse on Mondays.
2. There are 24 people in the 7/8 blue social studies class.
3. Williston central school has a play ground.
4. There are birch trees in my back yard.
5. Sarah’s shirt says California.
Beliefs-
1. People should be passionate about there opinions and beliefs.
2. People should practice the talents they have.
3. Everyone should care about global warming, and everyone should be trying to help stop it.
4. If you are going to work on something you should give it your all.
5. You should always make time for friends and family.
1. Caelin plays lacrosse on Mondays.
2. There are 24 people in the 7/8 blue social studies class.
3. Williston central school has a play ground.
4. There are birch trees in my back yard.
5. Sarah’s shirt says California.
Beliefs-
1. People should be passionate about there opinions and beliefs.
2. People should practice the talents they have.
3. Everyone should care about global warming, and everyone should be trying to help stop it.
4. If you are going to work on something you should give it your all.
5. You should always make time for friends and family.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Bibliography
Page, Candace. "Wind Power vs. View ." Burlington Free Press. March 6, 2005. Burlington Free Press. 31 Mar 2008 .
Not Given , Not Given. "Environmental Benefits of Wind Power." MGE. Not Given. MGE. 31 Mar 2008.
Not Given , Not Given. "Wind Benefits." Our environment. 2008. MGE. 31 Mar 2008.
Buckley, Lila. "Carbon Emissions Reach High Record ." Earth Policy Institute. 2004. Earth Policy Institute. March 14, 2008.
I also talked to Dale Williams who works at NRG. A lot of his information was very helpful.
Not Given , Not Given. "Environmental Benefits of Wind Power." MGE. Not Given. MGE. 31 Mar 2008
Not Given , Not Given. "Wind Benefits." Our environment. 2008. MGE. 31 Mar 2008
Buckley, Lila. "Carbon Emissions Reach High Record ." Earth Policy Institute. 2004. Earth Policy Institute. March 14, 2008
I also talked to Dale Williams who works at NRG. A lot of his information was very helpful.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wind Power
Did you know that running one single 1-MW wind turbine can prevent us from emitting 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide? This is equivalent to planting one square mile of trees. The fossil fuel emissions in Vermont are some of the lowest in the United States, but almost a third of our energy comes from nuclear power, which can be just as detrimental as fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is very dangerous and produces a radioactive waist unlike wind power. I am a strong supporter of wind power. Wind power would be a good way for our state of Vermont to get energy. There has been so much controversy about overusing fossil fuels, and causing global warming that changing the way we get power would be a good way to change this. Wind power would be good for the state of Vermont because it does not impact the environment greatly and it is inexpensive if used wisely.
Wind power would be the best way for the state of Vermont to find energy because it has very little impact on the environment. Except for bird migration, not many animals or plants are affected by wind turbines. Putting up a wind turbine and using it does not pollute the air, and does not produce carbon dioxide. Wind power would not contribute to global warming because of this. This also means less smog, acid rain, and fewer green house gasses. Not only does wind power not pollute the air, but wind turbines will not affect ecosystems unlike energy sources like hydro power. Wind turbines are only required to use about 2% of the farm land they are put on. The rest of the land will be available for other uses. Unlike hydro power plants that can cause major devastation to the plants and animals that live in the areas that the energy is produced. Each megawatt-hour of electricity that is generated by wind energy helps to reduce .8 to .9 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by coal or diesel each year. The annual emissions of carbon dioxide from using coal in 1999 were 1,799,762 thousand metric tons in the US. This number is only getting larger. By using wind power we can reduce this number. The average wind power customer, compared to someone using fossil fuels, cuts there carbon emissions by 249 pounds each month. Wind power can also reduce, sulfur dioxide. One wind farm cuts sulfur dioxide emissions 119 tons each year. The environmental benefits of wind power are obvious. Purchasing one block of wind energy for a year can be equivalent to recycling 4,500 glass jars, recycling 6,900 aluminum cans, or recycling 1,150 pounds of steel.
Wind power is not nearly as expensive as you would think it would be. Determining the cost of a wind farm involves the initial cost of the wind turbine installation, the interest rate on the money invested, and the amount of energy produced. Modern wind turbines cost between $1500 to $2000 per kilowatt for wind farms that use multiple- unit arrays of large machines. Smaller individual units can cost up to $3000 per kilowatt. Today’s wind farms can generate electricity for less than 5 cents per kilowatt hour in many parts of the U.S, and the price is expected to decline as modern technology improves. This compared to nuclear power, which costs 14 to 15 cents per kilowatt hour, is not expensive. Unlike nuclear energy wind turbines take very little time to put up and run; there for, they will cost less to set up and will be cheaper to run. Gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, No. 2 fuel oil, natural gas and many other energy sources are more expensive per kilowatt hour than wind power. If you use one of these different energy sources you could benefit from using wind power. The cost of electricity generated by modern wind farms has declined 80% since 1980, this is about 38 cents per kilowatt hours to about 4 cents. Wind farms may have a relatively high cost when you are buying the turbines and installing them, but as time goes on the price will get lower and lower, because wind is a renewable resource. After the wind turbines are running you will not have to do much more. Energy sources like oil are nonrenewable and will always run out and get more and more expensive to come by.
It is understandable that there may be reasons that people may not want Vermont to use wind power. For example, many people do not like the look of a wind turbine. It may be true that wind turbines are not very attractive to some, but in order to change what our society is doing to our world we must be willing to make sacrifices. Vermont is already a very beautiful state. We have laws and regulations to keep it that way. We are also fortunate enough to live in a state that we have the chance to use alternative energy like wind. It is much better for the environment compared to what we are now using and it will also cost less, so people should be willing to except that we may be seeing some wind turbines that they don’t want to see. Also, in the long run, if we continue using fossil fuels Vermont will not be as beautiful as it is now. Another problem is that you need a huge amount of wind power to replace our current energy sources. In fact we could not replace our current energy sources we could only replace certain amounts. This may also be part of not liking how the wind turbines look because we will need a lot of them to get the energy we need, but finding energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide into the air is so important that we should all be willing to look at a large amount of wind turbines. Also, because the cost of wind power is low compared to most sources of energy Vermonters should be okay with needing as many wind turbines as we will need. There are places in Vermont that are perfect for wind power to be used and produced. We should take advantage of that.
In conclusion, wind power would be the best way for the state of Vermont to get energy. Wind power does not effect the environment to a great extent and it is not expensive. We are all concerned about global warming, using wind power is one was to help stop it. It is understandable that there are other renewable sources of energy that could also be good for Vermont, and I would be happy to use any energy source that will help the environment, but wind would be our best choice.
Wind power would be the best way for the state of Vermont to find energy because it has very little impact on the environment. Except for bird migration, not many animals or plants are affected by wind turbines. Putting up a wind turbine and using it does not pollute the air, and does not produce carbon dioxide. Wind power would not contribute to global warming because of this. This also means less smog, acid rain, and fewer green house gasses. Not only does wind power not pollute the air, but wind turbines will not affect ecosystems unlike energy sources like hydro power. Wind turbines are only required to use about 2% of the farm land they are put on. The rest of the land will be available for other uses. Unlike hydro power plants that can cause major devastation to the plants and animals that live in the areas that the energy is produced. Each megawatt-hour of electricity that is generated by wind energy helps to reduce .8 to .9 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by coal or diesel each year. The annual emissions of carbon dioxide from using coal in 1999 were 1,799,762 thousand metric tons in the US. This number is only getting larger. By using wind power we can reduce this number. The average wind power customer, compared to someone using fossil fuels, cuts there carbon emissions by 249 pounds each month. Wind power can also reduce, sulfur dioxide. One wind farm cuts sulfur dioxide emissions 119 tons each year. The environmental benefits of wind power are obvious. Purchasing one block of wind energy for a year can be equivalent to recycling 4,500 glass jars, recycling 6,900 aluminum cans, or recycling 1,150 pounds of steel.
Wind power is not nearly as expensive as you would think it would be. Determining the cost of a wind farm involves the initial cost of the wind turbine installation, the interest rate on the money invested, and the amount of energy produced. Modern wind turbines cost between $1500 to $2000 per kilowatt for wind farms that use multiple- unit arrays of large machines. Smaller individual units can cost up to $3000 per kilowatt. Today’s wind farms can generate electricity for less than 5 cents per kilowatt hour in many parts of the U.S, and the price is expected to decline as modern technology improves. This compared to nuclear power, which costs 14 to 15 cents per kilowatt hour, is not expensive. Unlike nuclear energy wind turbines take very little time to put up and run; there for, they will cost less to set up and will be cheaper to run. Gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, No. 2 fuel oil, natural gas and many other energy sources are more expensive per kilowatt hour than wind power. If you use one of these different energy sources you could benefit from using wind power. The cost of electricity generated by modern wind farms has declined 80% since 1980, this is about 38 cents per kilowatt hours to about 4 cents. Wind farms may have a relatively high cost when you are buying the turbines and installing them, but as time goes on the price will get lower and lower, because wind is a renewable resource. After the wind turbines are running you will not have to do much more. Energy sources like oil are nonrenewable and will always run out and get more and more expensive to come by.
It is understandable that there may be reasons that people may not want Vermont to use wind power. For example, many people do not like the look of a wind turbine. It may be true that wind turbines are not very attractive to some, but in order to change what our society is doing to our world we must be willing to make sacrifices. Vermont is already a very beautiful state. We have laws and regulations to keep it that way. We are also fortunate enough to live in a state that we have the chance to use alternative energy like wind. It is much better for the environment compared to what we are now using and it will also cost less, so people should be willing to except that we may be seeing some wind turbines that they don’t want to see. Also, in the long run, if we continue using fossil fuels Vermont will not be as beautiful as it is now. Another problem is that you need a huge amount of wind power to replace our current energy sources. In fact we could not replace our current energy sources we could only replace certain amounts. This may also be part of not liking how the wind turbines look because we will need a lot of them to get the energy we need, but finding energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide into the air is so important that we should all be willing to look at a large amount of wind turbines. Also, because the cost of wind power is low compared to most sources of energy Vermonters should be okay with needing as many wind turbines as we will need. There are places in Vermont that are perfect for wind power to be used and produced. We should take advantage of that.
In conclusion, wind power would be the best way for the state of Vermont to get energy. Wind power does not effect the environment to a great extent and it is not expensive. We are all concerned about global warming, using wind power is one was to help stop it. It is understandable that there are other renewable sources of energy that could also be good for Vermont, and I would be happy to use any energy source that will help the environment, but wind would be our best choice.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Introduction
Did you know that runing one single 1-MW wind turbine can dislodge 2,000 tons of carbon dioxside? This is ecwivilent to planting one square mile of trees. I am a strong suporter of wind power. I think that wind power would be a good way for our town of Williston to get power. There has been so much conterversy about overusing oil and fosel fuils causing global warming, changeing teh way we get power would be a good way to change this. Wind power would be good for the town of Williston because it does not inpact the environment and it is inexpenve if used wisely.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Super Tuesday
On February 5, 24 states had their primary elections. This day is called super Tuesday. The Democrats have 1,681 delegates at stake, and the Republicans have 1,020. McCain is now in the lead for the Republican party by a lot. The Democratic party has a much closer competition. Clinton is now in the lead, but Obama is very close.
In California Hillary Clinton was the candidate that won the Democrat primary election. She received 2,107,758 votes,52% of the votes, and 42 delegates. Obma received 1,717,681 votes, 42% of the votes, and 23 delegates. Also in California, McCain won the primary election. He received 975,363 votes, 42% of the votes, 116 delegates. Romney received 790,515 votes, 34% of the votes, and 3 delegates.
In New York Clinton won the Democratic primary again. She received 1,003,632 votes, 57% of the votes, and 127 delegates. Obama received 697,914 votes, 49% of the votes, and 87 delegates. In New York McCain won the primary election. He received 310,814 votes, 51% of the votes, and 101 delegates.
In Illinois Obama won the primary election for the Democratic party. He received 1,301,954 votes, 65% of the votes, and 72 delegates. Clinton received 662,845 votes, 33% of the votes, and 37 delegates. In Illinois McCain won the Republican primary. He received 124,071 votes, 47% of the votes, and 54 delicates. Romney received 256,805 votes, 29% of the votes, and 2 delegates.
In the primary elections in Minnesota Obama was the winner of the Democratic party. He received 137,586 votes, 67% of the votes, and 48 delegates. Clinton received 66,043 votes, 32% of the votes, and 24 delegates. The winner of the Republican party was Romney he received 25,894 votes, 41% of the votes, and 36 delegates. McCain received 204,027 votes, 41% of the votes, and 18 delegates.
I think that McCain will stay in the lead for the Republican party. I think this because none of the other candidates are even close to getting as many delegates that he has gotten. I'm not really sure what i think will happen with the Democratic candidates because they are so close. I think that Clinton will not stay in the lead for long because Obama and her are so close.
In California Hillary Clinton was the candidate that won the Democrat primary election. She received 2,107,758 votes,52% of the votes, and 42 delegates. Obma received 1,717,681 votes, 42% of the votes, and 23 delegates. Also in California, McCain won the primary election. He received 975,363 votes, 42% of the votes, 116 delegates. Romney received 790,515 votes, 34% of the votes, and 3 delegates.
In New York Clinton won the Democratic primary again. She received 1,003,632 votes, 57% of the votes, and 127 delegates. Obama received 697,914 votes, 49% of the votes, and 87 delegates. In New York McCain won the primary election. He received 310,814 votes, 51% of the votes, and 101 delegates.
In Illinois Obama won the primary election for the Democratic party. He received 1,301,954 votes, 65% of the votes, and 72 delegates. Clinton received 662,845 votes, 33% of the votes, and 37 delegates. In Illinois McCain won the Republican primary. He received 124,071 votes, 47% of the votes, and 54 delicates. Romney received 256,805 votes, 29% of the votes, and 2 delegates.
In the primary elections in Minnesota Obama was the winner of the Democratic party. He received 137,586 votes, 67% of the votes, and 48 delegates. Clinton received 66,043 votes, 32% of the votes, and 24 delegates. The winner of the Republican party was Romney he received 25,894 votes, 41% of the votes, and 36 delegates. McCain received 204,027 votes, 41% of the votes, and 18 delegates.
I think that McCain will stay in the lead for the Republican party. I think this because none of the other candidates are even close to getting as many delegates that he has gotten. I'm not really sure what i think will happen with the Democratic candidates because they are so close. I think that Clinton will not stay in the lead for long because Obama and her are so close.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
This graph shows different sources of energy used in the world. I chose to use this to represent types of alternative energy to show that we use oil more than any other type of energy. I also wanted to show that most of the energy we use is not renewable energy such as Wind. I couldn't even find the percentage of wind power used because it is so small. I was surprised to find that coal was still one of the larger sources of energy, but I was even more surprised that the percentage of solar and wind energy was less than 1%. I hope that eventually our society will be able to use less oil and more alternative energy.
Source:http://home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Environmentally frendly cars
Honda's Hybred Cars
The Japanise are not the only cars that are going to be recignized now for being environmentally friendly. Honda has hired Wieden and Kennedy's advertizing company to poblisise marque's their low impacting cars on the environment products since 1950. They are using the modo "When problems are a joy". I am interested in these new cars becouse I feel that people in the US are finally takeing action to stop global warming. There are down sides to the hybred cars though. They are not affordable for everyone, but at least Honda is taking some steps to help the causes of global warming.
EU want Formula One racing to be Environmentally Friendly
Formula one racing cars ran with 4-,6-,8-,10- and 12-cylinder engines. The engines that were used were not good for the environment, but now the FIA have been using new restrictions on the engines. These restrictions include, standardized fuels, V-8 engines of 2.4L displacement and new the engines must be standard ECUs. Le Mans Style sports car has come even further. They have encouraged alternatives like diesels, biofuels and differdnt engine types like Wankel rotaries. I think that it is great that even racing cars are beging to be conserned about the environment. With time maybe we can make all cars environmentally frinedly.
The Japanise are not the only cars that are going to be recignized now for being environmentally friendly. Honda has hired Wieden and Kennedy's advertizing company to poblisise marque's their low impacting cars on the environment products since 1950. They are using the modo "When problems are a joy". I am interested in these new cars becouse I feel that people in the US are finally takeing action to stop global warming. There are down sides to the hybred cars though. They are not affordable for everyone, but at least Honda is taking some steps to help the causes of global warming.
EU want Formula One racing to be Environmentally Friendly
Formula one racing cars ran with 4-,6-,8-,10- and 12-cylinder engines. The engines that were used were not good for the environment, but now the FIA have been using new restrictions on the engines. These restrictions include, standardized fuels, V-8 engines of 2.4L displacement and new the engines must be standard ECUs. Le Mans Style sports car has come even further. They have encouraged alternatives like diesels, biofuels and differdnt engine types like Wankel rotaries. I think that it is great that even racing cars are beging to be conserned about the environment. With time maybe we can make all cars environmentally frinedly.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Global warming and school issues
My name is Kelsey for school I am doing this blog on global warming and school issues. We all know that global warming is a big issue, but not many of us are really doing anything about it. We know that we can't stop the issue of global warming completly, we have done to much damage already. In ordor to even start to slow global warming down we need to do more than drive cars less. Many of us are not ready for the chalenge.
In my school most of the students are ready for some major changes. There are rules in are school like no walkmans. Our rules need some serous revissions. This should be student counsil's job, but student counsil has not done much but organize a theme week in the past few years. It seems like sudent counsil is finaly starting to do something about the many issues in our school, but this is just the 1st step. I would like to see some changes in the gum chewing rules, dress code, i-pods, and being able to see student in other houses. I know that a lot of work would go into changing this, but us students are more than willing to help.
In my school most of the students are ready for some major changes. There are rules in are school like no walkmans. Our rules need some serous revissions. This should be student counsil's job, but student counsil has not done much but organize a theme week in the past few years. It seems like sudent counsil is finaly starting to do something about the many issues in our school, but this is just the 1st step. I would like to see some changes in the gum chewing rules, dress code, i-pods, and being able to see student in other houses. I know that a lot of work would go into changing this, but us students are more than willing to help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)