1.

Classification of Values

I will discuss what kinds of values exist, before talking about their hierarchy. Walter
Goodnow Everett classified values into the following eight categories; (1) economic values,
(2) bodily values, (3) value of recreation, (4) value of association, (5) character values, (6)
aesthetic values, (7) intellectual values, (8) religious values.

Everett's classification does not cover all the values in our life. To this we can add political
values, social values, legal values, cultural values moral values, educational values, scholastic
values, industrial values, athletic values, values of life, medical values, values of language,
technical values and emotional values. In addition to values in our life, things have natural
values, whether they are directly related to us humans or not.

The nature system such as the universe, the solar system, the earth is composed of time, space
and material, and is the most basic world of existence which provides living organisms with
the base for their existence. If there is no land, water, air or light, the universe will become an
empty space, in which no life can exist.

The nature system generates living organisms, letting them grow or become extinct, by
physically sustaining its constant state or changing itself, or chemically combining or
dissolving its various elements. The stars are moving, exploding or transforming themselves
in the apparently boundless universe by unmeasurable mysterious power. The stars have
limitless power and values over the humans as well as all the other living organisms on the
earth. These stars have values of sustenance and change, values of combination and
dissolution, values of conservation and generation, and values of standstill and movement.
Weight, energy, objects and light realize various values.

Thus the nature system has many values which constitute the base for the existence of the
humans. Values can be classified as follows by their qualities; (1) individual values and
social values, (2) natural values and artificial values, (3) physical values and mental values,
(4) instrumental values and intrinsic values, (5) temporary values and permanent values, (6)
exclusive values and universal values, (7) lower values and higher values, (8) unproductive
values and productive values, (9) active values and inactive values, (10) personal values and
impersonal values, (11) theoretical values and practical values, (12) relative values and
absolute values, and so on.

Values are indeed manifold and countless, and values in our life are interconnected. For
example, artistic values and social values depend on physical values, because we cannot do
artistic or social activities without our lives or bodies. Science, education and political
activities depend, more or less, on economic values, because we need some degree of
economic support for our social life. Conversely, we know that intellectual values and
political values influence our economy as some remarkable talent or excellent policy can
make a home or a nation prosperous.

2. Hierarchy of Values

In this chapter, I will think about the hierarchy of various values in this world, that is, the
question of what is the highest value and what is the lowest value.
First of all, M. Scheler(1874-1928) presented the following five principles in deciding the
rank of values;

First, the longer the value lasts, the higher it is. For example, while the value of pleasure lasts
for the duration of the feeling of pleasure, the mental value remains after the disappearance of
the circumstances. (timelessness);

Second, the harder it is to reduce the quality of the value as its carrier (Werttrager) divides or
the harder it is to increase the quality of the value as its carrier enlarges, the higher the value
is. For example, while the value of material goods reduces as the goods divide, the value of
mental goods is indivisible and not related to the number of people concerned. (indivisiblity);

Third, the higher value becomes the base for the lower value. The fewer other values the
value has as its base, the higher it is.(independence);

Fourth, there is an intrinsic relationship between the rank of the value and the depth of
satisfaction from its realization. In other words, the deeper the satisfaction connected to the
value is, the higher the value is. For example, the physical satisfaction is strong but shallow.
On the contrary, the satisfaction from artistic meditation is a deep experience. The depth of
satisfaction is not related to its strength. (depth of satisfaction);

Fifth, the less the sense of the value is related to the existence of its carrier, the higher the
value is. For example, the value of pleasure has significance in relation to the sense of
sensuality. The value of life exists for those with the sense of life, but the moral value exists
absolutely and independently from those who feel it. (absoluteness).

In accordance with the above principles, Scheler classified the values into the following four
categories(from the bottom to the top); (1) the value of pleasure and displeasure(the
emotional value), (2) the value of the sense of life(and welfare as a subsidiary value to it), (3)
the mental value(perception, beauty, justice), (4) the value of holiness

He said that there were (1)the layer of mental existence, (2)the layer of conscious existence,
(3)the layer of live existence and (4)the layer of physical existence. In the layer of mental
existence are the humans, in the layer of conscious existence are the higher animals, in the
layer of live existence are the plants, and in the layer of physical existence are the lifeless
things.

(1) The humans include all the four layers of existence in themselves and are understood as
concrete objects assembling these in a peculiar way.

(2) The higher animals are the aggregates of the layers of physical, live and conscious
existence.

(3) The plants are the aggregates of the layers of physical and live existence.

(4) The lifeless things include only the layer of physical existence.

The layer of physical existence is the lowest but most basic layer of existence on which all
the living organisms in the world live. If this layer of physical existence is destroyed, all the
living organisms as well as all the precious mental and cultural heritage of the mankind will
disappear at the same time. Therefore, the conservation of the layer of physical existence is
very important.

The above anti-values can be classified into the following six categories by the ranks from
the lowest one:

(1) The act of destroying the earth, the act of annihilating the mankind and all the other living
organisms

(2) The act of mass killing of people by initiating a war or committing treason

(3) The act of murdering or causing to death a human

(4) The act of damaging the body of a human

(5) The act of greatly harming the society

(6) All the other crimes not covered by the above

When we are preoccupied by the evil, ugly, dirty anti-values which are committed by
humans, it is easy to have prejudices or misperceptions that everybody in this world seems to
be wrong and evil. Those who usually handle offenders in the court are prone to suspect
others as offenders.

Personal beliefs, values

The diagram below illustrates the influences on us that result in our behaviour and whether
that resulting behaviour is ethical. The diagram first outlines the sources of our beliefs. It then
shows the relationship between the beliefs and values to our attitudes and our resulting
behaviour.
Beliefs
Beliefs are assumptions we hold to be true. When we use our beliefs to make decisions, we
are assuming the causal relationships of the past, which led to the belief, will also apply in the
future. In a rapidly changing world where complexity is increasing day by day, using
information from the past to make decisions about the future may not be the best way to
support us in meeting our needs.

Beliefs are contextual: They arise from learned experiences, resulting from the cultural and
environmental situations we have faced.

What is a belief?
A belief is an idea that a person holds as being true.

A person can base a belief upon certainties (e.g. mathematical principles), probabilities or
matters of faith.

A belief can come from different sources, including:

  a person’s own experiences or experiments
 the acceptance of cultural and societal norms (e.g. religion)
 what other people say (e.g.education or mentoring).

A potential belief sits with the person until they accept it as truth, and adopt it as part of their
individual belief system.

Each person evaluates and seeks sound reasons or evidence for these potential beliefs in their
own way.

Once a person accepts a belief as a truth they are willing to defend, it can be said to form part
of their belief system.

Development of Belief Systems

.

Belief relates to a person's internal model of his external world. It involves those aspects of
the model where factual evidence is uncertain or subject to disagreement, but where decisions
and actions are required. In these circumstances, the person must trust in his model's existing
knowledge to assess the situation correctly and do the right thing.
..

Belief
implies
Trust
in one's
Knowledge
about a
Situation
and appropriate
Actions

In certain situations, the person may substitute the stronger views and beliefs of a leader or
other authority for his own. This is most evident in autocratic organizations such as the
military or fundamentalist religions. Adherence to such beliefs is usually supported by values
that are often expressed in reinforcing vocal expressions, such as: Semper Fi; For God and
Country; God is Great; You're Either For Us Or Against Us.

When a person talks about his values, he often refers to them as his "beliefs," as in "Based on
my values, I believe that this is the right decision." These values in which he believes (or
accepts) contribute greatly to the way he comprehends his external world. When making a
quick but important decision where time does not permit a detailed analysis, a person must
trust, or have faith in, and believe in his values. At that moment, his belief system embodies
what he understands about the kind of event situation he is facing, the action he is taking, and
the outcome he can expect from his action.
.
Belief Systems Include Unknowables
.

In constructing an internal model for dealing with his external world, the human organism
has an innate drive toward completeness, where his internal model covers all possible
conditions he may face. Striving for completeness is propelled by his requirement for
homeostasis, and becomes manifested as a feeling about how well he is able to cope with the
world, while sustaining his internal equilibrium in all situations. His homeostatic ability
depends upon how well his internal model is working in a complex physical and social
environment, where planning and follow-up are essential for remaining healthy and staying
alive.
.

As a human organism matures, he becomes able to test many of his values and beliefs
through personal experiences. In this process, he becomes aware that there are some life
situations where knowledge derived from direct experience is unknowable, either to himself
or others. Some questions such as What happens to me when I die? or Will God answer my
prayers? are often unanswerable in a factual manner.
.

Values are Also Used to Judge Situations Where Factual Information is Unknown.

With no personal knowledge about unknowables available either from their own experiences,
or from others in their community, people have historically looked to their leaders for
guidance. Given this responsibility, leaders have felt compelled to come up with answers.
Since early tribal days, leaders have invented stories to explain the unknowns in some
plausible way that will bring comfort to, order, and allegiance from, members of their tribe.
This has enabled the members to put trust in their leader to complete their internal models
with concepts, values, and associated beliefs that can be applied to unknowable situations.
.

The availability of prescribed concepts and values relieves individuals from having to spend
time attempting to figure out these aspects of their world for themselves. From the viewpoint
of a nation-state superorganism, efforts by its citizens will be better spent performing the
work that carries out its higher-level life functions.
.

Today, humans are facing an onslaught of more information input and faster decisions than
human brains have been designed to process. This acceleration of technology-driven
interactions is fostering an increasing need for the quick-decision capability that values and
belief systems provide

Values
Values are not based on information from the past and they are not contextual. Values are
universal. Values transcend contexts because they are based on what is important to us: They
arise from the experience of being human.

Values are intimately related to our needs: Whatever we need—whatever is important to us or

what is missing from our lives—is what we value. As our life conditions change, and as we
mature and grow in our psychological development, our value priorities change. When we
use our values to make decisions we focus on what is important to us—what we need to feel a
sense of well-being.

What is a personal value?

Values are stable long-lasting beliefs about what is important to a person. They become
standards by which people order their lives and make their choices.

A belief will develop into a value when the person’s commitment to it grows and they see it
as being important.
It is possible to categorise beliefs into different types of values – examples include values that
relate to happiness, wealth, career success or family.

A person must be able to articulate their values in order to make clear, rational, responsible
and consistent decisions

Values Enable Fast Decisions

.

As a human organism learns and becomes educated by his family, schools, and social
networks, he develops an understanding of which situations and actions are good or bad for
himself, his family, community, and nation-state. In this learning process, his social
interactions provide commonly-held, socially-prescribed sets of values, which he augments
and modifies according to his personal experiences.
.

During early development, a newborn infant immediately begins to learn about the world in
terms of what situations and actions produce physical pleasure (good) and pain (bad). As his
awareness develops and he begins to undergo childhood training, he is taught that certain
kinds of world situations and actions are "good" or "bad." Further education and development
produces a more sophisticated set of evaluations that are assigned to specific kinds of events,
such as degree of goodness/badness, short-term versus long term effects, and scope of impact
(self, family, friends, community, nation-state).
..

Values Provide Quick Good/Bad Judgements for Certain Situations.

As a developing human organism is indoctrinated with these values, they become applied
both to his ongoing detailed experiences and also to his higher-level abstraction hierarchies.
This value-based abstraction allows him to quickly apply a more generalized evaluation to a
current type of situation, rather than undergo the more time consuming process of finding a
detailed comparison with past experiences. In cases where circumstances require a quick
decision, this may be the best he can do. In less urgent cases values may provide an initial
assessment that can be further analyzed as time allows. A person's values are closely tied to
his beliefs about the world in general.

Competence in professional ethics

What Is A Value Judgment?
"All human suffering is an experience based on value judgements of what is good and bad."

A judgment is labeling some thing, person, or event as good or bad, based on your belief system. Lets
take a look at the concepts of good and bad.

Does anything carry with it a value of good or bad, independent of human evaluation? Are good and
bad inherent qualities or human assessments? Is any event, person, thing, circumstance inherently
(exists as a permanent condition) good or bad? Or are they labels we use to define what we want and
don't want?

Unit2

Need for value education

Values education is teaching and learning about the ideals that a society thinks is important. The aim is
for students not only to understand the values, but also to reflect them in their attitudes and
behaviour, and contribute to society through good citizenship and ethics.

Need For the Inculcation of Value-Education:

Again and again, like a boomerang, the question that bursts out is “where have the values gone?’
While making an attempt for answering this question, one notices a conscious and conspicuous
shifts in the latter-day educational philosophy from a cognitive to kinetic development of the pupil.

A wide range of values of moral, aesthetic and social nature that have evolved during the marathon
march of the human civilisation is posing before us a crisis of priorities: which of these values is to be
cultivated and what is the appropriate stage of doing so?
Hence, the issue becomes all the more jumbled when it comes to fixing up of the responsibilities:
who is to inculcate values? — parents, leaders, the affluent, the business tycoons, thinkers, artists,
teachers? The easy and obvious answer is — “the teacher is the prime inculcator of values because
the young are under his or her formal care”.

Whatever may be the answer! Really speaking, it is not enough just to know about values, because
values have to be practiced. Our country is undergoing radical, social changes. So, the students who
are the future citizens of tomorrow have to be oriented to respond to and adjust with these social
changes satisfactorily by equipping them with desirable skills and values.

The Modern India has committed to the guiding principles of socialism, secularism, democracy,
national integration and so on. These guiding principles should be emphasised in the educational
system and suitable value; are to be included in the students for promoting equality, social justice,
national cohesion and democratic citizenship.

With these aims in view, radical reforms in the present lop-sided education are to be introduced and
all attempts need to be made for developing well-integrated personalities for our individuals. Hence,
the need for inculcating desirable values.

India is known for its rich cultural and spiritual heritage, and the need for a value-system through
education has been felt and recognised through centuries. Value system play an important role in
any decision making process. In fact, every human action is the reflection of personal and social
values.

sense of duty –

a motivating awareness of ethical responsibility. Sense of shame. Conscience, moral sense, scruples,
sense of right and wrong - motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a
person's thoughts and actions.

The Value of Devotion

AMONG the many forces which inspire men to activity, none, perhaps, plays a greater part than the
feeling we call devotion — together with some feelings that often mask themselves under its name,
though fundamentally differing from it in essence. The most heroic self-sacrifices have been inspired
by it, while the most terrible sacrifices of others have been brought about by its pseudo-sister,
fanaticism. It is as powerful a lever for raising a man as is the other for his degradation. The two
sway mankind with overmastering power, and in some of their manifestations show an illusory
resemblance; but the one has its roots in knowledge, the other in ignorance; the one bears the fruits
of love, the other the poison-apples of hate. A clear understanding of the nature of devotion is
necessary, ere we are in a position to weigh its value and to distinguish it from the

[Page 2] false Duessa. We must trace it to its origin in human nature, and seeing what part of that
nature it takes its rise. We must know in order that we may practice; for as knowledge without
practice is barren, so practice without knowledge is wasted. Emotion unregulated by knowledge, like
a river overflowing its banks, spreads in every direction as a devastating flood, while emotion guided
by knowledge is like the same river running in appointed channels and fertilizing the land through
which it flows .If we study the inner nature of man, we find that it readily reveals three marked
aspects that are distinguished from each other as the spiritual, the intellectual, and the emotional.
On studying these further, we learn that the spiritual nature is that in which all the separate
individualities inhere, that it is the common root, the unifying influence, that principle which, when
developed, enables a man to realise in consciousness the oneness of all that lives. The intellectual
nature may be said to be its antithesis; it is the individualising force in man, that which makes the
many from the One. Its self-realisation is I and from this it sharply divides the not-I. It knows itself
apart, separate, and works best in isolation, drawn inwards, self-concentrated, indifferent to all
without. Not herein can be found the root of devotion, of a feeling

[Page 3] which rushes outward; intellect can grasp, it cannot move. Remains the emotional nature,
the energising force that causes action, that which feels. That it is which attracts us to an object, or
repels us from it, and herein we shall find that devotion has its source. For as we study the
emotional nature we see that it has two emotions — attraction and repulsion. It is ever moving us
towards or away from objects surrounding us, according as those objects afford us pleasure or pain.
All the feelings which draws towards another fall under the head of attraction, and are forms of
Love. All those which repel us from another fall under the head of repulsion, and are forms of Hate

“Self-Reliance” summary key points:

 Emerson urges his readers to follow their individual will instead of conforming to social
expectations.
 Emerson emphasizes following one’s own voice rather than an intermediary's, such as the
church.
 Emerson encourages his readers to be honest in their relationships with others.
 Emerson posits the effects of self-reliance: altering religious practices, encouraging Americans
to stay at home and develop their own culture, and focusing on individual rather than societal
progress.

How to Develop Self-Reliance

 Accepting yourself, and being your own best friend. ...

 Inner confidence. ...
 Making our own decisions. ...
 Recognize and manage dependence. ...
 Accept yourself for who you are. ...
 Having your own values. ...
 Not relying on 'things' to feel happiness. ...
 Decide who you want to be, and how you want to get there

The Importance of Having Self-Reliance

Having self-reliance is important for several reasons. The most obvious being that depending on
others for help, means there will be times when it’s not available.

But let’s dig a little deeper to understand how and why you can use this concept to flourish, grow,
find, and nurture happiness. Self-reliance is also important because it:

 Means you can solve problems and make decisions by yourself. This is critical as we grow older
and learn to live independently;
 Allows you to feel happy by yourself, in yourself, and about yourself—without needing to rely
on others;
 Involves developing self-acceptance, a very powerful thing to have;
  Involves acquiring self-knowledge and practicing self-compassion;
 Gives you perspective, which in turn…
 Gives you direction.

How to Develop Self-Reliance

Whether you want to develop self-reliance yourself, or you’d like to help your child on their own
journey of development, here are some tips.

In an article on developing self-reliance, mental health counsellor Mandy Kloppers offers several
practical steps.

Her main tips include (Kloppers, 2019):

1. Accepting yourself, and being your own best friend.

Learning and appreciating your own character strengths is very important in being able to support
yourself as you go through life. What are your character strengths? Are you kind? Curious? Brave?
Don’t forget to reflect on your achievements and the things you accomplish that make you feel
proud. It’s important not to put yourself down or sabotage your own efforts.

2. Inner confidence.

In society, we’re conditioned to feel happy when we receive compliments, praise, and reassurance
from others. If that’s not forthcoming, we can feel insecure or vulnerable, sometimes even helpless.
Being self-reliant involves the ability to feel confident in yourself when these aren’t around—
because they may not always be. Not sure what to be confident about? Try one of these activities to
increase your sense of self-worth.

3. Making our own decisions.

Kloppers advises against looking consistently outside for security and relying on others to accept us
for who we are. When we can accept ourselves as unique and practice non-judgment, we can find
security from inner sources.

This rational, independent thinking is something we’ve already touched on. As children, we learn to
look to others for guidance when solving problems or making decisions. The tendency becomes
ingrained within us, and as adults, we aren’t always capable of handling adversity in a way that we
feel sure about. Have confidence in your own capabilities and it becomes a lot easier to find security
within.

4. Recognize and manage dependence.

Becoming aware of when you tend to turn to others is a part of self-knowledge. We may know that
we turn to others for certain things, but sometimes this means we’re missing out on a chance to
build up our own confidence. Setting goals and achieving them your own way not only gives you a
sense of accomplishment and reward but greater belief in your own judgment.

5. Accept yourself for who you are.

Self-acceptance is a huge thing. Instead of looking to others for approval, it’s alright to give that
approval yourself. Seeking others’ acceptance is yet another way that we practice dependence on
others, and it can be a pervasive, hard-to-shake habit. To develop self-reliance, we need to notice
these tendencies before we can change them. But it’s worth it.

You can read Kloppers’ article in its original post.

We can also draw some very clear inferences directly from Emerson’s essay itself. From this, some
more ways to develop self-reliance include:

1. Having your own values.

Society’s values may not be aligned with our own deep-rooted beliefs. This can be at such a
subconscious level that we don’t always pick up on it. If society values one thing, and it’s not
congruent with our own, we can feel as though it’s hard to gain acceptance.

For example, you may value diversity and inclusiveness but maybe work somewhere that doesn’t
also value such a culture. This creates cognitive dissonance that can be unpleasant to deal with
(Fostinger, 1957).

2. Not relying on ‘things’ to feel happiness.

Emerson also argued strongly about the negative potential influences of material possessions; he
was of the belief that we live in materialistic times. Life is constantly changing if we tie our happiness
to external objects, what happens when they’re gone?

3. Decide who you want to be, and how you want to get there.

Pretty much, this is almost the same as having your own values. Except that once we know our own
values, we can understand what makes us happy and how we would like to live our lives. Then, we
exercise our own judgment about how we want to get there.

Arguably, these aren’t the only ways we can develop self-reliance. It’s also true that children will
often need much simpler approaches to learning that can often start at a more practical level.
Learning to tie one’s own shoelaces, take on little jobs, and so forth.

14 Self-Reliance Skills for Pre-schoolers

Self-reliance begins at an early age; at least, some basic elements of it definitely do.

Others aspects of self-concept take a little more time to really develop—such as learning to view
ourselves as independent and challenging others’ perspectives.

Examples of self-reliance skills for pre-schoolers are far more simple. According to preschool director
and author Carolyn Tomlin, self-reliance includes:

1. Solving Problems Themselves – Of course, these will be problems that can reasonably be
considered within the cognitive and physical capabilities of K1 and K2 kids. Teachers and parents can
offer pre-schoolers support and help during the process while allowing them the freedom to trial-
and-error and exercise discretion (Vygotsky, 1978).

2. Making Their Own Rules For Play – As kids play, there are times when teachers can step back and
let them establish their own rules for games and make-believe. Through this, they can develop their
own boundaries (NIDirect.gov.uk, 2019).

3. Scheduling Routine Tasks – Tomlin suggests parents and educators start small and work their way
up gradually. That is, an adult can make the child a timetable for chores that they are expected to
complete. Kids can check these off as they complete them or put a star beside the task. Over time,
these chores will adapt to suit a kids level of development, but they can start simple, like feeding a
pet or cleaning their play area.

4. managing Their Time – This builds on the previous skill. As they grow, kids can learn to start doing
the timetabling for themselves. A nice exercise for this is included in the next section on Self-
Reliance Activities for Youth.

5. Developing Independent Thought – Giving kids options allows them to think and choose for
themselves. This is the first step toward independent thought at a much higher level later on.

6. Making Friends – Emerson described the joy of friendship as (1967): “the spiritual inspiration that
comes…when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a
friendship”. As kids make friends, they learn to build up positive images of themselves while
expressing care and empathy for their peers.

7. Completing What They Begin – When the initial fun wears off, the temptation to just walk away
from an activity is pretty familiar to most of us. This is despite the fact that perseverance can often
lead to incredibly rewarding and intrinsically motivating results. Teaching kids to complete small
tasks that they get started on is a good way to help them develop self-knowledge, self-discipline, and
pursue larger goals (Locke & Latham, 1990).

8. Tidying Up After Themselves – Such a basic self-reliance skill that most of us probably can’t recall
when or where we learned it the first time around. For pre-schoolers, it provides a sense of stability
and predictability—but more importantly, a means for achieving it. This can be valuable for dealing
with turmoil or adversity in more serious scenarios.

Long and Short Essay on Honesty in English

Honesty Essay 1 (100 words)
Honesty means to be truthful for a person in all the aspects of life. It involves to not to tell lie to
anybody, never hurt anyone through bad habits, activities or behaviour. Honest person never gets
involved in the activities that are morally wrong. Honesty is to not break any rule and regulation, be
in discipline, behave well, speak truth, be punctual, and help others honestly. Being honest helps a
person to get trust of all in the surrounding, lot of happiness, blessings from supreme power, and
many more things. Being honest is really very beneficial in the real life. It is not a thing which one
can buy or sell; it is a good habit which can be obtained through practice only.
Why Honesty is Important
Honesty is considered as the best policy of life however it is not so easy to have or develop. One can
develop it through practice but need more patience and time. Following are the points proving why
honesty is important:
Without honesty one cannot make a trustworthy relationship with family, friends, teachers, etc in
any situation. Honesty builds trust in the relationship.
One cannot read anyone’s mind however he/she can feel that how much a person is honest.
Honesty is a good habit which gives everyone a happy and peaceful mind. Dishonest never let any
relationship to grow and create lots of problems.
Telling lie hurt the loved ones which creates the condition of betrayal in the relationship. Being
honest gives a happy face and fearless mind.
 Telling truth only because of some fear does not make a person really honest. It is a good quality
which assimilates in the people’s behavior forever. Truth always become painful however gives nice
and happy results.
Honesty is a power having capability to remove corruption and solve many social issues from the
society. Practicing honesty can be complicated and confusing in the starting however makes one feel
better and relaxed later. It makes a person feel comfortable and free of any loads.

humanity
the quality of being humane; benevolence. “he praised them for their standards of humanity and
care" synonyms: compassion, brotherly love, fellow feeling, humaneness, kindness, kind-
heartedness, consideration, understanding, sympathy, tolerance, goodness, good-heartedness,
gentleness, leniency, mercy, mercifulness, pity, tenderness, benevolence, charity, generosity,
magnanimity “he praised them for their standards of humanity, care, and dignity"

Here are 9 reasons why humanities matter

1. The humanities help us understand others through their languages, histories and cultures.
2. They foster social justice and equality.
3. And they reveal how people have tried to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of the world.
4. The humanities teach empathy.
5. They teach us to deal critically and logically with subjective, complex, imperfect information.
6. And they teach us to weigh evidence sceptically and consider more than one side of every question.
7. Humanities students build skills in writing and critical reading.
8. The humanities encourage us to think creatively. They teach us to reason about being human and
to ask questions about our world.
9. The humanities develop informed and critical citizens. Without the humanities, democracy could
not flourish

TRUST
What does it mean to be a trust?

A trust is a fiduciary relationship in which one party, known as a trust or, gives another party, the
trustee, the right to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of a third party, the beneficiary. ...
In finance, a trust can also be a type of closed-end fund built as a public limited company

What is the purpose of a trust?

They are a legal entity that can achieve a variety of goals. The trust may own assets that are held for
the beneficiaries of the trust, and the trust is managed by the trustee. Family trusts can be used for
in-come tax purposes to facilitate income-splitting among family members of the revenue generated
by an asset.
What is the full meaning of trust?

1 : firm belief in the character, strength, or truth of someone or something He placed his trust in me.
2 : a person or thing in which confidence is placed. 3 : confident hope I waited in trust of their
return. 4 : a property interest held by one person or organization (as a bank) for the benefit of
another

What does God say about trust?

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." "Whoever
trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." "And my God shall
supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

A trust is a fiduciary relationship in which one party, known as a trustor, gives another party, the
trustee, the right to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of a third party, the beneficiary.

What Is a Trust?
A trust is an arrangement that allows a third party, known as a trustee, to hold assets on behalf of
beneficiaries. A trustee is the individual that is given control over the assets left in the trust; this
person's primary role is to act in the best interest of the beneficiary. A grantor is the individual who
sets up the trust and provides the assets to be used in the trust. A beneficiary is the person who
legally receives the assets left in the trust as the grantor specified when creating the trust.

Although the trustee has control over the trust, the beneficiaries are the ones who actually get to
receive the trust's assets. A trust can specify exactly how the assets are to be used and when the
assets can be passed to the beneficiary. Due to the unique nature of trusts, they can avoid probate
altogether and can reduce your court expenses or taxes. Probate is the legal process of verifying a
will is reviewed to ensure it is authentic. There are primarily two types of trusts: living trusts and
testamentary trusts

Patriotic Education and National Unity

Brendan Randall

Framing Question: What is “patriotic education”?

A common rationale for patriotic education is to foster national unity, especially in times of crisis
(Westheimer, 2007). In the United States, many politicians and educators believe that promoting
national pride and respect for authority is critical to achieving the goal of national unity. They favour
patriotic education that emphasizes social and political unity and discourages criticism and dissent.
Contrary to this conventional wisdom, patriotic education that promotes dialogue across difference
is not inherently divisive and actually can be used to promote national unity in a pluralistic society.
Furthermore, such an approach to patriotic education fosters a more cosmopolitan perspective,
facilitating connections across national boundaries and fostering a sense of global citizenship.
Patriots are commonly defined “as those who love their country” (Kahne & Middaugh, 2007). This
definition leaves many questions unanswered, however, as people wage substantial debate over the
appropriate means by which citizens can and should express such love. Although they use different
terms, the readings outline two contrasting forms of patriotism, one that emphasizes unquestioning
support for the national entity or ruling authority and one that stresses critical support for national
ideals and principles. Kahne and Middaugh (2007), for example, counter pose the concepts of “blind
patriotism” and “constructive patriotism” (118-119). “Blind patriots adopt a stance of unquestioning
endorsement of their country” (118), whereas “constructive patriots applaud some actions by the
state and criticize others in an effort to promote positive change and consistency with the nation’s
ideals” (119). Similarly, Westheimer (2007) draws a distinction between “authoritarian patriotism”
and “democratic patriotism” (173). “Authoritarian patriotism asks for unquestioning loyalty to a
cause determined by a centralized leader or leadings groups” (174), whereas democratic patriotism
“‘means being true and loyal—not to the government, but to the principles which underlie
democracy’” (176, quoting Zinn).
These contrasting visions of patriotism have significant implications for patriotic education. As
noted above, a common justification for patriotic education is to promote national unity, especially
in times of crisis (Westheimer, 2007). In this respect, the “blind” or “authoritarian” edition of
patriotism seems to have an advantage. “Within a few months” of September 11, 2001, Westheimer
(2007) notes, “more than two dozen state legislatures introduced new bills or resurrected old ones
aimed at either encouraging or mandating patriotic exercises for all students in schools” (171). Such
exercises were combined with multiple initiatives to promote “traditional American History” and
reinforce “national identity and pride” (172). This form of patriotic education served to promote
national pride rather than critical examination of national policies (Westheimer, 2007). By contrast,
both critics and advocates of “constructive” or “democratic” patriotism are worried about the
potentially divisive effects of a critical approach to patriotic education, especially with respect to the
maintenance of national unity. Such slogans as “Protest is patriotic” (Westheimer, 2007:177)
essentially promote tolerance for dissent and disagreement. Kahne and Middaugh likewise explain
that “[t]rue to the demands of democracy, this curriculum will engage controversial issues and will
require debate, discussion, and analysis” (125). Similarly, Westheimer argues that democratic
patriotism inherently requires politics and that “being political means embracing the kind of
controversy and ideological sparring that is the engine of progress in a democracy and that gives
education social meaning” (183).
The assumption that critical patriotic education threatens national unity, however, is flawed. The
example of Canada demonstrates how patriotic education that emphasizes discussion and debate
can be an effective means to promote national unity, especially in a culturally diverse society. As
Cook (2007) explains, Canada has developed a “quiet nationalism” that is “incompatible with
strident patriotic fervor” (146). Canada is a highly diverse society. Historically, Canada is an
amalgam of three primary cultures, French, English, and First Nations. Although English Canadians
established political dominance by the mid-nineteenth century, the other ethnic groups resisted
cultural assimilation (Cook, 2007). Furthermore, in the last century, Canada has accommodated
more immigrants relative to its population than even the United States. According to Cook, Canada
maintains national unity by a “tradition of compromise” and citizenship education that emphasizes
“understanding through debate” (146), rather than blind or authoritarian patriotism, which “is
actively feared as having the potential to undo this frail consensus” (146).
The Canadian experience provides a critical lesson for the United States, especially as it becomes an
increasingly diverse society. Blind or authoritarian patriotism places an undue emphasis on the
superficial appearance of national unity. Quashing debate and disagreement may silence
opposition, but it does not create unanimity of opinion. It merely drives dissent underground and
serves to alienate those excluded from the public discourse. As Cook (2007) noted, the efforts of the
Canadian government “to whip the nation into unified support for the First World War” (146) led the
imposition of a draft by English Canadians over the deep objections of French Canadians. The result
was “‘bitterness [that] lasted for years to come’” (146, quoting Canadian textbook). In contrast,
critical patriotism emphasizes a deeper and more meaningful concept of national unity. Unlike blind
or authoritarian patriotism, which excludes dissenting voices, constructive or democratic patriotism
has the potential to include a multitude of dissenting voices. Participants may not be united in their
opinions, but they are united in the process of discussion and dialogue. As the Canadian example
demonstrates, it is this form of unity that is needed in a highly diverse society. Attempts to impose
uniformity merely promote division in such a society.
Admittedly, the cultural history of the United States differs from Canada’s. Although the United
States has had numerous non-Anglo communities through out its history, for example, it has no
direct parallel to Quebec, which still maintains a highly distinct cultural and political identity (Cook,
2007). The closest comparison probably is Louisiana, which certainly retains elements of a distinct
cultural heritage, but has been incorporated far more thoroughly into the broader national culture
than Quebec. Nonetheless, like Canada, the United States is a highly diverse society. The dramatic
influx of non-European immigrants in the last forty years has only further contributed to this
diversity. Such diversity makes it difficult to maintain national unity through blind or authoritarian
patriotism and instead, favors constructive or democratic patriotism as a means of promoting unity.
The discourse involving the war against terror illustrates this point. Consistent with the fundamental
nature of blind or authoritarian patriotism, then-President George W. Bush drew a sharp dichotomy
regarding the war against terror just days after 9/11, stating that “you are either with us or you are
with the terrorists” (quoted in Westheimer, 2007:186). The Bush administration subsequently used
this rhetoric to counter criticisms of its policies, including ethnic profiling at home and torture
abroad. A wide variety of Americans spoke out against such policies, but Muslim Americans in
particular were outraged. Many felt as though they had been branded as terrorists simply because
of their faith. I attended a meeting of Muslim-American voters shortly before the 2008 presidential
election, for example, and multiple speakers expressed feelings of betrayal and alienation. They
looked forward, however, to voting in the election. The opportunity to participate in the democratic
process served to reaffirm their identity as Americans.
Constructive or democratic patriotism not only has the ability to unite diverse people within a
nation, but also people from different nations. Blind or authoritarian patriotism, with its emphasis
on allegiance to the nation and its leaders, inherently conflicts with an international perspective. As
Nussbaum (1996) explains, nationalism inhibits the recognition of universal norms that transcend
national boundaries and easily devolves into “jingoism” (14). Constructive or democratic patriotism,
however, does not present the same problem. Democratic ideals and principles are not the
exclusive province of any one nation. Placing universal principles before national allegiance allows
people to conceive of themselves not merely as national citizens, but as global citizens “whose
allegiance is to the worldwide community of human beings” (4). Canadian enthusiasm for the
United Nations illustrates the universality of democratic patriotism. As Cook (2007) notes, Canadian
schools traditionally have encouraged support for the United Nations, highlighting the role of Lester
Pearson, a Canadian who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work organizing the United Nations
peacekeeping forces during the Suez Crisis in 1956.
As an increasingly diverse society, the United States needs to promote constructive and democratic
rather than blind and authoritarian patriotism. At best, patriotic education that emphasizes national
pride and uncritical respect for authority only yields a superficial appearance of unity—a facade that
actually can lead to divisions. In contrast, patriotic education that promotes critical dialogue and the
democratic process has the potential to unite people across difference in a pluralistic society. Such
an approach also serves to foster a sense of global citizenship that transcends national boundaries.

NATIONAL UNITY: Patriotism is more

positive than nationalism
IT is the obligation of every patriotic citizen to strive for national unity but those involved in
heated exchanges only succeed in driving people apart.

Allowing emotions to rule or taking a simplistic approach would fail just as miserably as
equating unity with uniformity or conformity.

Many feel that getting all of us to speak a common language would achieve national unity,
without taking into account that it is often lacking even among families, organisations and
ethnic groups that communicate in the same language.

For decades, the Arab-speaking world had been embroiled in turmoil and, although they
share a common religion, these Arab nations were never united enough to stave off its lone
arch-enemy, Israel, since 1948.

Since 1950, the two Koreas remain in a tense state of armed truce, with both sides possessing
enough firepower to wipe out each other in a full-scale conflict.

On the other hand, people in the United States may be divided between Democrats and
Republicans, but the American Foreign Service will extend the fullest aid to all its citizens
overseas, including those recently naturalised.

Malaysians can be more united when we learn to differentiate between nationalism and
patriotism. Raising our national flag and singing the Negaraku naturally make us swell with
pride, especially during medal presentation ceremonies.

Nationalism, in its ugly form, is exemplified by ultra-nationalists who feel good by putting
others down.

Patriotism goes beyond nationalistic feeling and is demonstrated through positive actions.

Those who study or work hard; are productive and contribute to society; courteous and
respectful to both Malaysians and foreigners; not corrupt or wasteful, protect the environment
and the weak; are patriots.

In a real crisis, they are more likely to come to the defence of the country than those engaged
in rhetoric or express supremacist views.

Switzerland has four official languages and 26 autonomous cantons. Its multicultural heritage
and strong sense of national identity empowered the Swiss to stay neutral in both World
Wars.

Over a million Malaysians work overseas as their skills are welcomed by many host nations,
and also due to their proficiency in languages, especially English, Mandarin or both.

My parents were Chinese school teachers when they sent me to study in an English school,
casting aside their pride for the oldest surviving written language

Co-existing in harmony
 UNIT3
Understanding the meaning and realizing the effect of the following:
Aware of self- destructive habits
Self-Destructive Behaviour As A Coping Mechanism. Emotional pain or trauma are some of the most
common reasons for people to engage in self-destructive behaviour. ... The individual may also use
self-destructive behaviours as a form of punishment for a lack of control over themselves, their
world, or their actions
Self destructive behaviours are any behaviours that negatively impact our mind or body by the life
choices we make. Most people are unaware of their self-destructive habits. Usually there is some
problem with handling or expressing feelings. Self-harm/mutilation is a pattern of intentional self-
injury not death.
What are examples of self-destructive behaviours?
Rather than deal with this fear, socially self-destructive individuals engage in annoying or alienating
behaviour, so that others will reject them first. More obvious forms of self-destruction are eating
disorders, alcohol abuse, drug addictions, sex addiction, self-injury, and suicide attempts
How do you fix self-destructive behaviour?
Here's the lowdown: a quick guide to changing these behaviours when you're having trouble.
Feel the pain. ...
Turn toward the problem. ...
Pick one small, distinct change. ...
Commit big time. ...
Learn to believe that you can. ...
Use failure to learn. ...
Don't believe the negative self-talk. ...
Find support.
What causes self-destructive tendencies?

Self-Destructive Behaviour As A Coping Mechanism. Emotional pain or trauma are some of the
most common reasons for people to engage in self-destructive behaviour. ... The individual may
also use self-destructive behaviours as a form of punishment for a lack of control over themselves,
their world, or their actions
Self-Destructive Behaviour: Signs, Causes & Effects
Self-Destructive Behaviour
Imagine the following scenario. Mark notices that Janet, his new employee, seems to be spending a
lot of time in the restroom and that she always appears to be a little 'out of it' when she returns to
her desk. One day, while looking for a stapler, he instead finds a bottle of pills.
Self-destructive behaviour is any deliberate action that has a negative impact on your mind or body.
It can come in many forms, and sufferers are often unaware of how much damage their self-
destructive behaviour is causing themselves or others.
Signs
Identifying self-destructive behaviour in yourself and others is a matter of keeping an objective point
of view when it comes to what's really going on in a person's mind.
Let's go over some of the more common signs of self-destructive behaviour, beginning with
depression or pessimism.
Depression or Pessimism
The belief that life is bad, and will continue to go badly, is a sign of a self-destructive mentality. It is
based on a deep belief that the person is not worthy of good things. At school, a student may only
see the 'down' side of situations. At work, an employee, like Janet, may not believe anything positive
will come of her efforts or try to push others away when they try to help.
Avoiding Responsibility
Another sign of destructive behaviour is avoiding responsibility. Self-destructive people tend to
avoid opportunities and responsibilities. They have little faith in their abilities and try to take the
easiest route when approaching a situation or task. Because self-destructive behaviour involves
excessive attention on the self, they tend to forget or be emotionally unable to do things, eventually
becoming unreliable.
Hypersensitivity or Emotional Numbness
Hypersensitivity or emotional numbness is also a sign of self-destructive behaviour. When people
are prone to blow ups or seem indifferent, they are in a self-destructive mode. They may be trying to
push others away, or they may be so involved in their own pain that they have no interest in what is
happening around them. In either case, the behaviour leads to negative results. This intensifies their
feelings of unworthiness.
Compulsion or Addictive Behaviour
Self-destructive people exhibit compulsive or addictive behaviours. When people feel a compulsion
to act in a certain way, such as driving past the cemetery every day at exactly five o'clock, the cause
is usually an internal sense of failure or loss. Addictions, such as alcohol, nicotine, and substance
abuse, gambling, sexual activity, and self-mutilation are typically signs of inward pain and insecurity,
which must somehow be alleviated.
Neediness, Constant Desire for Recognition or Approval
Some other signs include neediness, and a constant desire for recognition or approval. Self-
destructive individuals may try to fill the emptiness within by seeking the approval or recognition of
others, often through damaging behaviours, like overt sexual advances or loud and inappropriate
laughter at a weak joke.
Physical Damage
Finally, signs of physical damage may include:
scars and bruises from self-inflicted injuries
changes in skin colon due to chemical abuse
smells related to chemicals abuse, lack of hygiene, and/or poor nutrition
slashes or needle marks
Generally speaking, anything that seems 'wrong' or out of the ordinary in a person's appearance may
be the result of self-destructive behaviour.

7 Keys to Increasing Your Self-Esteem Today!

1. Avoid Generalization

In private coaching, I often hear clients say: “I have low self-esteem.” There are several problems
with this statement. First, it presumes a general, “all or none” perspective, as if either one has high
self-esteem, or one has low self-esteem. If you take an honest assessment of yourself, chances are
that you can come up with a list of qualities that make you feel good. For instance, if you’re reading
this article, it most likely means that you possess self-awareness, the willingness to learn and grow,
and a desire to realize more of your potential, all of which bode well for your future success.

Most of us are somewhere in the middle on the spectrum between high self-esteem and low self-
esteem. If you ever find yourself saying or thinking: “I have low self-esteem,” please stop. It is a
general, all encompassing, personalizing, and self-defeating comment that simply isn’t true. Saying
you have low self-esteem can also make the problem seem so big and daunting that you may feel
relatively powerless to do anything. Instead…

2. Divide and Conquer Your Low Self-Esteem

It’s more accurate and empowering to be specific about particular aspects of your life where you
lack confidence, be it your weight, your competence to speak publically, your capacity to attract the
“right” romantic partner, or your ability to deal with a difficult individual. Saying “I have low self-
esteem” is very different than saying “I have self-esteem issues about my weight.” The first is
general and personal - it makes low self-esteem into an all-encompassing character flaw. The second
is about an issue that you have. It does not invalidate other aspects of who you are as a person. As
an issue, the problem can be diagnosed and solved.

“Soft on the person, firm on the issue.”

― One of the four key characteristics of effective communication, from the author’s book (click on
title): “How to Communicate Effectively and Handle Difficult People.”

3. Notice Your Negative Thought Patterns – from a Distance

To change low self-esteem, it’s important to observe when we’re engaged in thought patterns that
sabotage self–worth. When low self-esteem issues have been conditioned for many years, the
resulting negative thought patterns are likely automatic and unconscious, until you pause them with
your Observer Self.

The Observer Self is a useful psychological resource that helps increase awareness in many
situations. It is the part of your consciousness that exercises mindfulness, and helps you make
intelligent, thoughtful choices.

For example, if you have the tendency to look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and think “I’m
unattractive;” instead, simply notice and make a mental note to yourself that “I just had a negative
thought.” This objective observation is your Observer Self in action. Notice your negative thoughts
without judgment. Avoid beating yourself up about the low self-esteem issue(s). Simply notice, with
curiosity as if you’re watching yourself in an experiment, and even with compassion and humor. Say,
for example, from your Observer Self to your lower-esteem self : “There goes my lower self again.
Hello! That’s alright. You can feel this way if you like. I’m here for you. I know what to do to take
good care of you.” When you utilize your Observer Self in this way on a regular basis, you
progressively distance yourself from the negative thoughts, psychologically and emotionally. This
gives you the opening to introduce heathy self-esteem habits outlined in points #4-7 below.

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4. Talk Back to Your Negative Thoughts with Assertive Responses

Once you distance yourself from your negative thoughts, you can more easily talk back to them, and
replace the negative thoughts with positive, empowering thoughts. This action is positive habit
forming with repetition, persistence, and determination. Here are just two examples:

A. Reducing negative personalization. When you feel adversely about someone’s behaviour, avoid
jumping to a negative conclusion right away. Instead, come up with multiple ways of viewing the
situation before reacting. For example, I may be tempted to think my friend didn’t return my call
because she’s ignoring me, or I can consider the possibility that she’s been very busy. When we
avoid personalizing other people's behaviours, we can perceive their expressions more objectively.
People do what they do because of them more than because of us. Widening our perspective can
reduce the possibility of misunderstanding.

B. Reducing the fear of rejection. One effective way to manage your fear of rejection is to provide
yourself with multiple options in important situations, so that no matter what happens, you have
strong alternatives going forward. Avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket (emotionally) by
identifying a viable Plan B, and also a Plan C, should Plan A not work out. For example:

Increased fear of rejection: “I’m applying for my dream job. I’ll be devastated if they don’t hire me.”

Decreased fear of rejection: “I’m applying for three exciting positions. If one doesn’t pan out, there
are two more I’m well qualified for.”

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For more in-depth information on reducing or eliminating over fifteen types of negative attitudes
and feelings, see my book (click on title): "How to Let Go of Negative Thoughts and Emotions.”

5. Recognize Where You May Be Running Your Old Tape

When we contemplate where we might have picked up certain low self-esteem issues, we may recall
past experiences when we internalized negative or “double-edged” influences. For example:

Watching “beautiful,” skinny models in the media as a child may have caused insecurity about one’s
own body.

Being teased in front of class while giving a report may have induced a fear of public speaking.

Witnessing the parents’ divorce as a young person may have affected one’s confidence in having a
successful committed relationship.

Being taught socially or culturally to respect authority may have inhibited one’s assertiveness in
dealing with difficult managers.

Being aware of the possible origins of one’s low self-esteem, and recognizing that low self-esteem is
largely learned is an inherently empowering exercise. As a learned anomaly, low self-esteem can
also be unlearned, just like replace a poor habit with a healthy habit. In "How to Let Go of Negative
Thoughts and Emotions,” I present a step-by-step exercise on how to recognize and eradicate one’s
negatively conditioned “old tape”.

6. Change Negative Social Comparisons to Humanization

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One of the easiest and most common ways to feel bad about oneself is to compare yourself
unfavourably to others. We may be tempted to compare ourselves with those who have more
accomplishments, seem more attractive, make more money, or boast more Facebook friends.

When you find yourself wishing to have what someone else has, and feel jealous, inferior or
inadequate as the result, you’re having a negative social comparison moment.

Habitual negative social comparisons can cause a person to experience greater stress, anxiety,
depression, and make self-defeating choices.

Two interesting notes about negative social comparison:

A. Negative social comparison has elements of narcissism.

When we wish to look, be, or have like others, we’re not really wishing for everything about that
person, but only the idealized aspects of the individual. This idealized and grandiose perception of
another is narcissistic in nature. Chances are, not even those whom your compare yourself with can
live up to your idealized images of them. This is why so often when people spend some length of
time with their “heroes,” “heroines,” “role models,” or “idols,” they discover that those whom they
look up to also have weaknesses, flaws, difficulties and problems just like everyone else.

B. It’s relatively easy to change from idealizing to humanizing.

For example, you may wish that you have the perfect career and a lot of money like your manager
Joe, or the good looks of your friend Kelly, or a wonderful romantic relationship like Samantha.
Comparing yourself with them might cause you to feel somehow “lesser.” But when you look at their
lives more objectively, you know that Joe has health problems and family issues, Kelly is actually
insecure about her looks, and it took Samantha a painful divorce and many hard lessons before she
found a compatible mate. Looking at them from a more balanced perspective, you realize there’s
more than meets the eye, and that they’re human beings with their own share of challenges like
you.

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7. Create Positive Sanctuaries In Your Life

The final tip to change from low self-esteem to healthy self-esteem is to create positive sanctuaries
in your life, where on a regular basis you can receive supportive, realistic, and affirming messages.
This can occur in the company of positive family members, friends, counsellor, therapist, support
groups, teachers, colleagues, or community organizations. Identify and embrace your basis of
support based on acceptance of who you are as a person, empathy for your weaknesses and
vulnerabilities, and encouragement for you to move forward in your life in a healthy and
constructive way.

1. Be mindful.
We can’t change something if we don’t recognize that there is something to change. By simply
becoming aware of our negative self-talk, we begin to distance ourselves from the feelings it
brings up. This enables us to identify with them less. Without this awareness, we can easily fall into
the trap of believing our self-limiting talk, and as meditation teacher Allan Looks says, “Don’t believe
everything you think. Thoughts are just that — thoughts.”

As soon as you find yourself going down the path of self-criticism, gently note what is happening, be
curious about it, and remind yourself, “These are thoughts, not facts.”

2. Change the story.

We all have a narrative or a story we’ve created about ourselves that shapes our self-perceptions,
upon which our core self-image is based. If we want to change that story, we have to understand
where it came from and where we received the messages we tell ourselves. Whose voices are we
internalizing?

“Sometimes automatic negative thoughts like ‘you’re fat’ or ‘you’re lazy’ can be repeated in your
mind so often that you start to believe they are true,” says Jessica Koblenz, Psy.D. “These thoughts
are learned, which means they can be unlearned. You can start with affirmations. What do you wish
you believed about yourself? Repeat these phrases to yourself every day."

Thomas Boyce, Ph.D., supports the use of affirmations. Research conducted by Boyce and his
colleagues has demonstrated that “fluency training” in positive affirmations (for example, writing
down as many different positive things you can about yourself in a minute) can lessen symptoms of
depression as measured by self-report using the Beck Depression Inventory. Larger numbers of
written positive statements are correlated with greater improvement. “While they have a bad
reputation because of late-night TV,” Boyce says, “positive affirmations can help.”

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3. Avoid falling into the compare-and-despair rabbit hole.

“Two key things I emphasize are to practice acceptance and stop comparing yourself to others,” says
psychotherapist Kimberly Hershenson, LMSW. “I emphasis that just because someone else appears
happy on social media or even in person doesn’t mean they are happy. Comparisons only lead to
negative self-talk, which leads to anxiety and stress.” Feelings of low self-worth can negatively affect
your mental health as well as other areas in your life, such as work, relationships, and physical
health.

4. Channel your inner rock star.

Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will
live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Someone
may be a brilliant musician, but a dreadful cook. Neither quality defines their core worth. Recognize
what your strengths are and the feelings of confidence they engender, especially in times of doubt.
It’s easy to make generalizations when you “mess up” or “fail” at something, but reminding yourself
of the ways you rock offers a more realistic perspective of yourself.

Psychotherapist and certified sex therapist Kristie Overstreet, LPCC, CST, CAP, suggests asking
yourself, “Was there a time in your life where you had better self-esteem? What were you doing at
that stage of your life?” If it’s difficult for you to identify your unique gifts, ask a friend to point them
out to you. Sometimes it’s easier for others to see the best in us than it is for us to see it in
ourselves.
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5. Exercise.

Many studies have shown a correlation between exercise and higher self-esteem, as well as
improved mental health. “Exercising creates empowerment both physical and mental,” says Debbie
Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress, “especially weight lifting where you can calibrate the
accomplishments. Exercise organizes your day around self-care.” She suggests dropping a task daily
from your endless to-do list for the sole purpose of relaxation or doing something fun, and seeing
how that feels. Other forms of self-care, such as proper nutrition and sufficient sleep, have also been
shown to have positive effects on one’s self-perception.

6. Do unto others.

Hershenson suggests volunteering to help those who may be less fortunate. “Being of service to
others helps take you out of your head. When you are able to help someone else, it makes you less
focused on your own issues.”

David Simonsen, Ph.D., LMFT, agrees:

“What I find is that the more someone does something in their life that they can be proud of, the
easier it is for them to recognize their worth. Doing things that one can respect about themselves is
the one key that I have found that works to raise one’s worth. It is something tangible. Helping at a
homeless shelter, animal shelter, giving of time at a big brother or sister organization. These are
things that mean something and give value to not only oneself, but to someone else as well.”

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There is much truth to the fact that what we put out there into the world tends to boomerang back
to us. To test this out, spend a day intentionally putting out positive thoughts and behaviors toward
those with whom you come into contact. As you go about your day, be mindful of what comes back
to you, and also notice if your mood improves.

7. Forgiveness.

Is there is someone in your life you haven’t forgiven? An ex-partner? A family member? Yourself? By
holding on to feelings of bitterness or resentment, we keep ourselves stuck in a cycle of negativity. If
we haven’t forgiven ourselves, shame will keep us in this same loop.

“Forgiving self and others has been found to improve self-esteem,” says Schiraldi, “perhaps because
it connects us with our innately loving nature and promotes an acceptance of people, despite our
flaws.” He refers to the Buddhist meditation on forgiveness, which can be practiced at any time: "If I
have hurt or harmed anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask forgiveness. If anyone has hurt or
harmed me, knowingly or unknowingly, I forgive them. For the ways I have hurt myself, knowingly or
unknowingly, I offer forgiveness."

8. Remember that you are not your circumstances.

Finally, learning to differentiate between your circumstances and who you are is key to self-worth.
“Recognizing inner worth, and loving one’s imperfect self, provide the secure foundation for
growth,” says Schiraldi. “With that security, one is free to grow with enjoyment, not fear of failure —
because failure doesn’t change core worth.”
25 Killer Actions to Boost Your Self-Confidence
1. Groom yourself. This seems like such an obvious one, but it’s amazing how much of a difference a
shower and a shave can make in your feelings of self-confidence and for your self-image. There have
been days when I turned my mood around completely with this one little thing.

2. Dress nicely. A corollary of the first item above … if you dress nicely, you’ll feel good about
yourself. You’ll feel successful and presentable and ready to tackle the world. Now, dressing nicely
means something different for everyone … it doesn’t necessarily mean wearing a $500 outfit, but
could mean casual clothes that are nice looking and presentable.

3. Photoshop your self-image. Our self-image means so much to us, more than we often realize. We
have a mental picture of ourselves, and it determines how confident we are in ourselves. But this
picture isn’t fixed and immutable. You can change it. Use your mental Photo shopping skills, and
work on your self-image. If it’s not a very good one, change it. Figure out why you see yourself that
way, and find a way to fix it.

4. Think positive. One of the things I learned when I started running, about two years ago, what how
to replace negative thoughts (see next item) with positive ones. How I can actually change my
thoughts, and by doing so make great things happened. With this tiny little skill, I was able to train
for and run a marathon within a year. It sounds so trite, so Norman Vincent Peale, but my goodness
this works. Seriously. Try it if you haven’t.

5. Kill negative thoughts. Goes hand-in-hand with the above item, but it’s so important that I made it
a separate item. You have to learn to be aware of your self-talk, the thoughts you have about
yourself and what you’re doing. When I was running, sometimes my mind would start to say, “This is
too hard. I want to stop and go watch TV.” Well, I soon learned to recognize this negative self-talk,
and soon I learned a trick that changed everything in my life: I would imagine that a negative
thought was a bug, and I would vigilantly be on the lookout for these bugs. When I caught one, I
would stomp on it (mentally of course) and squash it. Kill it dead. Then replace it with a positive one.
(“C’mon, I can do this! Only one mile left!”)

Know yourself and you will win all battles. – Sun Tzu

6. Get to know yourself. When going into battle, the wisest general learns to know his enemy very,
very well. You can’t defeat the enemy without knowing him. And when you’re trying to overcome a
negative self-image and replace it with self-confidence, your enemy is yourself. Get to know yourself
well. Start listening to your thoughts. Start writing a journal about yourself, and about the thoughts
you have about yourself, and analysing why you have such negative thoughts. And then think about
the good things about yourself, the things you can do well, the things you like. Start thinking about
your limitations, and whether they’re real limitations or just ones you’ve allowed to be placed there,
artificially. Dig deep within yourself, and you’ll come out (eventually) with even greater self-
confidence.

7. Act positive. More than just thinking positive, you have to put it into action. Action, actually, is the
key to developing self-confidence. It’s one thing to learn to think positive, but when you start acting
on it, you change yourself, one action at a time. You are what you do, and so if you change what you
do, you change what you are. Act in a positive way, take action instead of telling yourself you can’t,
be positive. Talk to people in a positive way, put energy into your actions. You’ll soon start to notice
a difference.
8. Be kind and generous. Oh, so corny. If this is too corny for you, move on. But for the rest of you,
know that being kind to others, and generous with yourself and your time and what you have, is a
tremendous way to improve your self-image. You act in accordance with the Golden Rule, and you
start to feel good about yourself, and to think that you are a good person. It does wonders for your
self-confidence, believe me.

16. Focus on solutions. If you are a complainer, or focus on problems, change your focus now.
Focusing on solutions instead of problems is one of the best things you can do for your confidence
and your career. “I’m fat and lazy!” So how can you solve that? “But I can’t motivate myself!” So
how can you solve that? “But I have no energy!” So what’s the solution?

17. Smile. Another trite one. But it works. I feel instantly better when I smile, and it helps me to be
kinder to others as well. A little tiny thing that can have a chain reaction. Not a bad investment of
your time and energy.

18. Volunteer. Related to the “be kind and generous” item above, but more specific. It’s the holiday
season right now … can you find the time to volunteer for a good cause, to spread some holiday
cheer, to make the lives of others better? It’ll be some of the best time you’ve ever spent, and an
amazing side benefit is that you’ll feel better about yourself, instantly.

19. Be grateful. I’m a firm believer in gratitude, as anyone who’s been reading this blog for very long
knows well. But I put it here because while being grateful for what you have in life, for what others
have given you, is a very humbling activity … it can also be a very positive and rewarding activity that
will improve your self-image. Read more.

20. Exercise. Gosh, I seem to put this one on almost every list. But if I left it off this list I would be
doing you a disservice. Exercise has been one of my most empowering activities in the last couple
years, and it has made me feel so much better about myself.
All you have to do is take a walk a few times a week, and you’ll see benefits. Start the habit.

Unit4
Some basic Hindu concepts include: Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. ... Hindus believe in
the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the
universal law of cause and effect). One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in
soul

HINDUISM
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs
dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the
third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s
Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its
origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of
many traditions and philosophies.

Hinduism Beliefs

Some basic Hindu concepts include:

  Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a
“way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single, organized religion.
 Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known
as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are
multiple paths to reaching their god.
 Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and
reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect).
 One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds
that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to
achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the
absolute soul.
 One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions and thoughts
directly determine their current life and future lives.
 Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and
morality.
 The Om and Swastika are symbols of Hinduism. The Swastika, which represents good luck,
later became associated with evil when Germany’s Nazi Party made it their symbol in 1920.
 Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
 Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork, and many are
vegetarians.
 Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including Buddhism, Sikhism and
Jainism.

Hindu Texts

Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book.

The primary texts, known as the Vedas, were composed around 1500 B.C. This collection of
sacred verses and hymns was written in Sanskrit and contains revelations received by ancient
saints and sages.

The Vedas are made up of:

 The Rig Veda

 The Samaveda
 Yajurveda
 Atharvaveda

Hindus believe that the Vedas transcend all time and don’t have a beginning or an end.

The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, 18 Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata are also
considered important texts in Hinduism.

Origins of Hinduism

Most scholars believe Hinduism formally started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500
B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. But many Hindus argue that their faith is
timeless and has always existed.

Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is instead a fusion of various beliefs.
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Around 1500 B.C., the Indo-Aryan people migrated to the Indus Valley, and their language
and culture blended with that of the indigenous people living in the region. There’s some
debate over who influenced who more during this time.

The period when the Vedas were composed became known as the “Vedic Period” and lasted
from about 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rituals, such as sacrifices and chanting, were common in
the Vedic Period.

The Epic, Puranic and Classic Periods took place between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. Hindus
began to emphasize the worship of deities, especially Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.

The concept of dharma was introduced in new texts, and other faiths, such as Buddhism and
Jainism, spread rapidly.

Medieval and Modern Hindu History

The Medieval Period of Hinduism lasted from about 500 to 1500 A.D. New texts emerged,
and poet saints recorded their spiritual sentiments during this time.

In the 7th century, Muslim Arabs began invading areas in India. During parts of the Muslim
Period, which lasted from about 1200 to 1757, Hindus were restricted from worshipping their
deities, and some temples were destroyed. Saints expressed their devotion through poetry and
songs.

Mahatma Gandhi

Between 1757 and 1848, the British controlled India. At first, the new rulers allowed Hindus
to practice their religion without interference. But later, Christian missionaries sought to
convert and westernize the people.

Many reformers emerged during the British Period. The well-known politician and peace
activist, Mahatma Gandhi, led a movement that pushed for India’s independence.

The partition of India occurred in 1947, and Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. British India
was split into what is now India and Pakistan, and Hinduism became the major religion of
India.

Starting in the 1960s, many Hindus migrated to North America and Britain, spreading their
faith and philosophies to the western world.

Hindu Deities

Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman, who is believed to be the
supreme God force present in all things.

Some of the most prominent deities include:

  Brahma: the god responsible for the creation of the world and all living things
 Vishnu: the god that preserves and protects the universe
 Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it
 Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma
 Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness and love
 Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
 Saraswati: the goddess of learning

Hindu Worship

Hindu worship, which is known as “puja,” typically takes place in the Mandir (temple).
Followers of Hinduism can visit the Mandir any time they please.

Hindus can also worship at home, and many have a special shrine dedicated to certain gods
and goddesses.
The giving of offerings is an important part of Hindu worship. It’s a common practice to
present gifts, such as flowers or oils, to a god or goddess.

Additionally, many Hindus take pilgrimages to temples and other sacred sites in India.

Hindu Sects

Hinduism has many sects, and is sometimes divided into the following:

 Shaiva (followers of Shiva)

 Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
 Shakta (followers of Devi)
 Smarta (followers of Brahman and all major deities)

Some Hindus elevate the Hindu trinity, which consists of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Others
believe that all the deities are a manifestation of one.

Caste System

The caste system is a social hierarchy in India that divides Hindus based on their karma and
dharma. Many scholars believe the system dates back more than 3,000 years.

The four main castes (in order of prominence) include:

1. 1. Brahmin: the intellectual and spiritual leaders

2. 2. Kshatriyas: the protectors and public servants of society
3. 3. Vaisyas: the skillful producers
4. 4. Shudras: the unskilled laborers

Many subcategories also exist within each caste. The “untouchables” are a class of citizens
that are outside the caste system and considered to be in the lowest level of the societal
hierarchy.

For centuries, the caste system determined every aspect of a person’s social, professional and
religious status in India.
When India became an independent nation, its constitution banned discrimination based on
caste.

Today, the caste system still exists in India but is loosely followed. Many of the old customs
are overlooked, but some traditions, such as only marrying within a specific caste, are still
embraced.

Hindu Festivals

Hindus observe numerous sacred days, holidays and festivals.

Some of the most well-known include:

 Diwali: the festival of lights

 Navaratri: a celebration of fertility and harvest
 Holi: a spring festival
 Janmashtami: a tribute to Krishna’s birthday
 Raksha Bandhan: a celebration of the bond between brother and sister
 Mahashivaratri: the great festival of Shiva

Five things Most Hindus Would Agree With

1. There is authority in the Vedas

The Vedas are a set of ancient scriptures that focus on the proper way to perform certain rites. The
oldest of them was written around 1000 BC. The Vedas are more concerned with behaviors and
practices than outlining a belief system. So while there are similarities with the Quran, Torah, and
Bible, they are not the same thing.

They hold an authoritative position in Hinduism because they are so ancient. Modern Hindus still
ascribe a lot of value to something being “Vedic”. An extremely rough comparison is to the phrase
“constitutional” for US Americans. Very few people have read or understood either the Vedas or the
US Constitution, and many of the ideas are carried much farther than perhaps were originally
intended. But both of them remain the standard for claiming authority and legitimacy in their
respective cultures.

2. There is one God

This one might surprise you. You thought Hinduism was polytheistic, right?

It is true there are thousands (if not millions) of gods within Hinduism. But nearly every Hindu will
claim that in the end, God is one. Hindus disagree on the name for that one God and what form
he/she takes, but they will agree that God is the spiritual, all-powerful creator of the universe.

If you are speaking in an Indian language, you will hear a wide diversity of terms used for “God”.
However, nearly all of them translate into English as “God”. Therefore, when you are discussing
“God” with your Hindu friends in English, you may feel they sound very similar to how Christians use
the same term or how Muslims talk about Allah, yet the differences might be profound.
One unique point within Hindu beliefs is the strong connection between atman and God. Atman is
sometimes translated as “soul” or “true self”. Most Hindus believe there is a part of the universal
“God” living in each soul.

3. The universe has some control over our lives

Across economic, educational, social, and regional sections of India, most Hindus believe in the
power of the universe to control the events of our lives. This is most often expressed in a deep
interest and respect for astrology.

Swami Dayanand Bharati says, “From birth to death nothing is more dominant among Hindus than
astrology”. All major life events, business dealings, and even political campaigns are subject to
astrological assessment. If a certain planet is in an “inauspicious” place, a contract will be delayed, a
potential spouse will be rejected, or a caesarean section delivery will be preponed.

This belief in the power of the universe’s ability to interfere with life is one of the most practical
beliefs of Hindus and affects someone’s daily life as much as any other belief.

4. The four aims of life are pleasure, prosperity, dharma, and liberation

The Sanskrit terminology is kama, artha, dharma, and moksha. I mention these here not because
Hindus grow up repeating these four things, but because of how you see them reflected in their
practical lives.

In theory, these four things make up a hierarchy. Pleasure is an aim of life and not condemned, but
most would say there is something better. Prosperity is celebrated and desired at all levels of
society. While renunciation is also a theme in Hinduism, seeking and obtaining material comforts has
always been accepted as a valid aim in life.

Dharma and moksha are supposed to be more elevated aims and guide the first two. We’ve
discussed the importance and centrality of dharma elsewhere, but it determines to what extent
pleasure and prosperity are pursued. Moksha refers to being released from the cycles of rebirth.
While most Hindus would agree with its importance, it is usually too abstract of a concept to affect
day-to-day lives.

5. Bhakti is the way to God

Hinduism has presented several paths to reach God, but none has been so popular in the last few
centuries as bhakti, best translated as “devotion”. Bhakti offers a path to liberation through showing
complete devotion to one particular god. All worship and praise should be offered to that one god,
and other gods are seen only as manifestations of the true god.

Usually there is a family god (kula devata) that people will worship, but individuals are also
permitted to take on a personal god (ishta devata) as well.

Bhakti often involves special songs, functions, and meditative chants directed at that god

History of Jainism
History of Jainism is the history of a religion founded in Ancient India. Jains trace their history
through twenty-four tirthankara and revere Rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara (in the present
time-cycle). Some artifacts found in the Indus Valley civilization have been suggested as a link to
ancient Jain culture, but this is highly speculative and a subjective interpretation. This theory has not
been accepted by most scholars because very little is known about the Indus Valley iconography and
script.[2][3][4][5] The last two tirthankara, the 23rd tirthankara Parshvanatha (c. 8th–7th century
BCE)[6][7][8] and the 24th tirthankara Mahavira (c. 599 – c. 527 BCE)[9] are considered historical
figures.[10][11] Mahavira was the elder contemporary of the Buddha.[6] According to Jain texts, the
22nd Tirthankara Arshth-nemi[12] lived about 85,000 years ago and was the cousin of Hindu god
Krishna.[13][14] Jains consider their religion eternal.[15]

The two main sects of Jainism, the Digambara and the Śvētāmbara sect, likely started forming about
the 3rd century BCE and the schism was complete by about 5th century CE.[16][17] These sects later
subdivided into several sub-sects such as Sthānakavāsī and Terapanthis.[18] Jainism co-existed with
Buddhism and Hinduism in ancient and medieval India. Many of its historic temples were built near
the Buddhist and Hindu temples in 1st millennium CE.[19][20] After the 12th-century, the temples,
pilgrimage and naked ascetic tradition of Jainism suffered persecution during the Muslim rule, with
the exception of Akbar whose religious tolerance and support for Jainism led to a temporary ban on
animal killing during the Jain religious festival of Paryusan

Jainism Jainism fast facts and introduction

Adherents 4 million
The universe is eternal; many gods exist. Gods, humans and all living things are classified
Beliefs
in a complex hierarchy.
Monasticism under the Five Great Vows (Non-Violence, Truth, Celibacy, Non-Stealing,
Practices
Non-Possessiveness); worship at temples and at home. Meditation and mantras.
Texts The teachings of Mahavira in various collections.
Symbols Jain Prateek Chihna

Jainism is an Indian religion that emphasizes complete non-violence and asceticism. Followers of
Jainism are called Jains, and there are about 4 million worldwide.

Jainism emerged in 6th-century BCE India, the same time Buddhism was developing. The faith is
named for the jinas, spiritual conquerors who have achieved liberation and perfection. Included
among these are the 24 spiritual leaders called "ford-makers" or tirthankaras. The last of the
tirthankaras was Mahavira (599-527 BCE), a contemporary of the Buddha who is generally considered
the founder of Jainism.

Jinas are believed to reside in the top level of heaven, above the realm of the gods. Accordingly,
liberated souls are revered more than the gods. Jainism incorporates the traditional Hindu concepts
of karma and reincarnation, but rejects the Veda scriptures, castes and the idea of a creator god.

The goal of life in Jainism is to reach liberation by a life of purification, discipline, and nonviolence as
taught by the tirthankaras. Jain rituals center around sacred images and mantras
Jainism was born in India about the same period as Buddhism. It was established by Mahavira (c.
599 - 527 BC) in about 500 B. C. He was born near Patna in what is now Bihar state. Mahavira like
Buddha belonged to the warrior caste. Mahavira was called ‘Jina’ meaning the big winner and from
this name was derived the name of the religion.

In many senses Jainism is similar to Buddhism. Both developed as a dissension to the Brahmanic
philosophy that was dominant during that period in north-east India. Both share a belief in
reincarnation which eventually leads to liberation. Jainism is different to Buddhism in its ascetic
beliefs. Both these religions emphasize non-violence, but non-violence is the main core in Jainism.
Mahavira just like Buddha isn’t the first prophet of his religion. In Jainism like Buddhism there is a
belief in reincarnation which eventually leads to liberation. Neither of these religions their religious
philosophy around worship. But Jainism is different than Buddhism in its ascetic beliefs. Both these
religions emphasis on non-violence, but in Jainism non-violence is its main core.

Jains believe that every thing has life and this also includes stones, sand, trees and every other thing.
The fact that trees breath came to be known to the science world only from the 20th century.
Mahavira who believed that every thing has life and also believed in non-violence practically didn’t
eat anything causing his self- starvation to death. Mahavira was also extremely ascetic and walked
around completely naked because of his renouncement of life. After years of hardship and
meditation he attained enlightenment; thereafter he preached Jainism for about 30 years and died
at Pava (also in Bihar) in 527 BC.

The cardinal principles of Jainism are:

1. Ahimsa (non-violence)

2. Anekantvada (multiplicity of views)

3. Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)

4. Non-stealing

5. Brahmacharya

The first and the third are quite simple to understand but the second one needs some
explanation. It is dealt under 'Multiplicity of Viewpoints and Relativism (Syadavada)', in the
Jain literature. Difference of view points, quite often, add to the knowledge and one should
infer, only after hearing diverse views on any subject. If it is not done, then the conclusions

BUDHA
Buddhism is a religion that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“The Buddha”) more than 2,500
years ago in India. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major
world religions. The religion has historically been most prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its
influence is growing in the West. Many Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other
faiths.
What Is Buddhism?

Some key facts about Buddhism include:

 Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They instead focus on
achieving enlightenment—a state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this
spiritual echelon, they’re said to have experienced nirvana.
 The religion’s founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary man, but not a god. The word
Buddha means “enlightened.”
 The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality, meditation and wisdom. Buddhists
often meditate because they believe it helps awaken truth.
 There are many philosophies and interpretations within Buddhism, making it a tolerant and
evolving religion.
 Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an organized religion, but rather, a “way of life”
or a “spiritual tradition.”
 Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence but also self-denial.
 Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four Noble Truths, are essential to
understanding the religion.
 Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause and effect) and reincarnation
(the continuous cycle of rebirth).
 Followers of Buddhism can worship in temples or in their own homes.
 Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of conduct, which includes celibacy.

The Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as “The Buddha,” lived during the 5th century B.C.
Gautama was born into a wealthy family as a prince in present-day Nepal.

Although he had an easy life, Gautama was moved by suffering in the world. He decided to give up his
lavish lifestyle and endure poverty.

When this didn’t fulfill him, he promoted the idea of the “Middle Way,” which means existing
between two extremes. Thus, he sought a life without social indulgences but also without deprivation.

After six years of searching, Buddhists believe Gautama found enlightenment while meditating under
a Bodhi tree. He spent the rest of his life teaching others about how to achieve this spiritual state.

The Beginnings of Buddhism

When Gautama passed away around 483 B.C., his followers began to organize a religious movement.
Buddha’s teachings became the foundation for what would develop into Buddhism.

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In the 3rd century B.C., Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan Indian emperor, made Buddhism the state
religion of India. Buddhist monasteries were built, and missionary work was encouraged.

Over the next few centuries, Buddhism began to spread beyond India. The thoughts and philosophies
of Buddhists became diverse, with some followers interpreting ideas differently than others.
In the sixth century, the Huns invaded India and destroyed hundreds of Buddhist monasteries, but the
intruders were eventually driven out of the country.

Islam began to spread quickly in the region during the Middle Ages, forcing Buddhism into the
background.

Types of Buddhism

Today, many forms of Buddhism exist around the world. The three main types that represent specific
geographical areas include:

 Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Burma
 Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam
 Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of Russia and
northern India

Each of these types reveres certain texts and has slightly different interpretations of Buddha’s
teachings. There are also several subsects of Buddhism, including Zen Buddhism and Nirvana
Buddhism.

Some forms of Buddhism incorporate ideas of other religions and philosophies, such as Taoism and
Bon.

Buddha Quotes and Teachings

Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity
and compassion were important virtues.

Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which prohibit:

 Killing living things

 Taking what is not given
 Sexual misconduct
 Lying
 Using drugs or alcohol

Gautama traveled extensively, giving sermons on how to live and achieve enlightenment. Some
popular quotes commonly attributed to Buddha include:

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance.”

“If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.”

“A jug fills drop by drop.”

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

“Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable
law.”
“If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without
sharing it in some way.”

“The root of suffering is attachment.”

“People with opinions just go around bothering each other.”

Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught, are:

 The truth of suffering (dukkha)

 The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
 The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
 The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)

Collectively, these principles explain why humans hurt and how to overcome suffering.

Buddhist Holy Book

Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures. Some of the most important are:

 Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are thought to be the earliest collection
of Buddhist writings.
 Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred teachings embraced mainly by
Mahayana Buddhists.
 The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text describes the stages of death in detail.

Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is the leading monk in Tibetan Buddhism. Followers of the religion believe the Dalai
Lama is a reincarnation of a past lama that has agreed to be born again to help humanity. There have
been 14 Dalai Lamas throughout history.

The Dalai Lama also governed Tibet until the Chinese took control in 1959. The current Dalai Lama,
Lhamo Thondup, was born in 1935.

Buddhist Holidays

Every year, Buddhists celebrate Vesak, a festival that commemorates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment
and death.

During each quarter of the moon, followers of Buddhism participate in a ceremony called Uposatha.
This observance allows Buddhists to renew their commitment to their teachings.

They also celebrate the Buddhist New Year and participate in several other yearly festivals.
 Christianity

Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than 2 billion followers. The
Christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While
it started with a small group of adherents, many historians regard the spread and adoption of
Christianity throughout the world as one of the most successful spiritual missions in human history.

Christian Beliefs

Some basic Christian concepts include:

 Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one God, and he created the
heavens and the earth. This divine Godhead consists of three parts: the father (God himself),
the son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
 The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and Christian beliefs on the
resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the
world. They believe Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness of sins and was
resurrected three days after his death before ascending to heaven.
 Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in what’s known as the Second
Coming.
 The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus’s teachings, the lives and
teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should
live.
 Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, but Christians also embrace
the New Testament.
 The cross is a symbol of Christianity.
 The most important Christian holidays are Christmas (which celebrates the birth of Jesus) and
Easter (which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus).

Who was Jesus?

Most historians believe that Jesus was a real person who was born between 2 B.C. and 7 B.C. Much of
what scholars know about Jesus comes from the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

According to the text, Jesus was born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the town of Bethlehem,
south of Jerusalem in modern-day Palestine. Christians believe the conception was a supernatural
event, with God impregnating Mary via the Holy Spirit.

Very little is known about Jesus’s childhood. Scriptures reveal that he grew up in Nazareth, he and his
family fled persecution from King Herod and moved to Egypt, and his “earthly” father, Joseph, was a
carpenter.

Jesus was raised Jewish, and according to most scholars, he aimed to reform Judaism—not create a
new religion.

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READ MORE: What Did Jesus Look Like?

When he was around 30 years old, Jesus started his public ministry after being baptized in the Jordan
River by the prophet known as John the Baptist.
For about three years, Jesus traveled with 12 appointed disciples (also known as the 12 apostles),
teaching large groups of people and performing what witnesses described as miracles. Some of the
most well-known miraculous events included raising a dead man named Lazarus from the grave,
walking on water and curing the blind.

Jesus’s Teachings

Jesus used parables—short stories with hidden messages—in his teachings.

Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced, include:

 Love God.
 Love your neighbor as yourself.
 Forgive others who have wronged you.
 Love your enemies.
 Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
 Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.
 Repentance of sins is essential.
 Don’t be hypocritical.
 Don’t judge others.
 The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful—but the weak and poor—who will
inherit this kingdom.

In one of Jesus’s most famous speeches, which became known as the Sermon on the Mount, he
summarized many of his moral instructions for his followers.

Jesus’s Death and Resurrection

Many scholars believe Jesus died between 30 A.D. and 33 A.D., although the exact date is debated
among theologians.

According to the Bible, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to death. Roman governor Pontius
Pilate issued the order to kill Jesus after being pressured by Jewish leaders who alleged that Jesus was
guilty of a variety of crimes, including blasphemy.

Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, and his body was laid in a tomb. According to
scripture, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus’s body was missing.

In the days after Jesus’s death, some people reported sightings and encounters with him. Authors in
the Bible say the resurrected Jesus ascended into Heaven.

The Christian Bible

The Christian Bible is a collection of 66 books written by various authors. It’s divided into two parts:
The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament, which is also recognized by followers of Judaism, describes the history of the
Jewish people, outlines specific laws to follow, details the lives of many prophets, and predicts the
coming of the Messiah.
The New Testament was written after Jesus’s death. The first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John—are known as the “Gospels,” which means “good news.” These texts, composed sometime
between 70 A.D. and 100 A.D., provide accounts of the life and death of Jesus.

Letters written by early Christian leaders, which are known as “epistles,” make up a large part of the
New Testament. These letters offer instructions for how the church should operate.

The Acts of the Apostles is a book in the New Testament that gives an account of the apostles’
ministry after Jesus’s death. The author of Acts is the same author as one of the Gospels—it is
effectively “part two” to the Gospels, what happened after Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The final book in the New Testament, Revelation, describes a vision and prophecies that will occur at
the end of the world, as well as metaphors to describe the state of the world.

The Early Church and Paul

According to the Bible, the first church organized itself 50 days after Jesus’s death on the Day of
Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit was said to descend onto Jesus’s followers.

Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the church was centered in Jerusalem. Shortly
after the creation of the church, many Gentiles (non-Jews) embraced Christianity.

READ MORE: Inside the Conversion Tactics of the Early Christian Church

Early Christians considered it their calling to spread and teach the gospel. One of the most important
missionaries was the apostle Paul, a former persecutor of Christians.

Paul’s conversion to Christianity after he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus is described in Acts
of the Apostles. Paul preached the gospel and established churches throughout the Roman Empire,
Europe and Africa.

Many historians believe Christianity wouldn’t be as widespread without the work of Paul. In addition
to preaching, Paul is thought to have written 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament.

Persecution of Christians

Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders.

In 64 A.D., Emperor Nero blamed Christians for a fire that broke out in Rome. Many were brutally
tortured and killed during this time.

Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a Christian, he or she
was executed.

Starting in 303 A.D., Christians faced the most severe persecutions to date under the co-emperors
Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution.

Constantine Embraces Christianity

When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, religious tolerance shifted in the Roman
Empire.
During this time, there were several groups of Christians with different ideas about how to interpret
scripture and the role of the church.

In 313 A.D., Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He later tried to unify
Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing the Nicene Creed.

Many scholars believe Constantine’s conversion was a turning point in Christian history.

The Catholic Church

In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I declared Catholicism the state religion of the Roman Empire.

The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, operated as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Catholics expressed a deep devotion for the Virgin Mary, recognized the seven sacraments, and
honored relics and sacred sites.

When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 A.D., differences emerged among Eastern and Western
Christians.

In 1054 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church split into two groups.

The Crusades

Between about 1095 A.D. and 1230 A.D., the Crusades, a series of holy wars, took place. In these
battles, Christians fought against Muslims to reclaim holy land in the city of Jerusalem.

The Christians were successful in occupying Jerusalem during some of the Crusades, but they were
ultimately defeated.

After the Crusades, the Catholic Church’s power and wealth increased.

The Reformation

In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther published 95 Theses—a text that criticized certain acts
of the Pope and protested some of the practices and priorities of the Catholic church.

Later, Luther publicly said that the Bible didn’t give the Pope the sole right to read and interpret
scripture.

Luther’s ideas triggered the Reformation—a movement that aimed to reform the Catholic church. As
a result, Protestantism was created, and different denominations of Christianity eventually began to
form.

Christian Denominations

Christianity is broadly split into three branches: Catholic, Protestant, and (Eastern) Orthodox.

The Catholic branch is governed by the Pope and Catholic Bishops around the world. The Orthodox
(or Eastern Orthodox) is split into independent units each governed by a Holy Synod; there is no
central governing structure akin to the Pope.
There are numerous denominations within Protestant Christianity, many of which differ in their
interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church.

Some of the many denominations that fall under the category of Protestant Christianity include:

 Baptist
 Episcopalian
 Non-Denominational
 Evangelist
 Methodist
 Presbyterian
 Pentecostal/Charismatic
 Lutheran
 Anglican
 Evangelical
 Assemblies of God
 Christian Reform/Dutch Reform
 Church of the Nazarene
 Disciples of Christ
 United Church of Christ
 Mennonite
 Christian Science
 Quaker
 Seventh-Day Adventist

Although the many sects of Christianity have differing views, uphold separate traditions, and worship
in distinct ways, the core of their faith is centered around the life and teachings of Jesus.

Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims
worldwide. Although its roots go back further, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th
century, making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day
Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad’s life. Today, the faith is spreading rapidly
throughout the world.

Islam Facts

 The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.”

 Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
 Muslims worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah.
 Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. They believe that nothing
can happen without Allah’s permission, but humans have free will.
 Islam teaches that Allah’s word was revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the angel
Gabriel.
 Muslims believe several prophets were sent to teach Allah’s law. They respect some of the
same prophets as Jews and Christians, including Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus. Muslims
contend that Muhammad was the final prophet.
 Mosques are places where Muslims worship.
 Some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, the Al-Aqsa mosque in
Jerusalem, and the Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.
  The Quran is the major holy text of Islam. The Hadith is another important book. Muslims also
revere some material found in the Judeo-Christian Bible.
 Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran. They believe there will be a day of
judgment, and life after death.
 A central idea in Islam is “jihad,” which means “struggle.” While the term has been used
negatively in mainstream culture, Muslims believe it refers to internal and external efforts to
defend their faith. Although rare, this can include military jihad if a “just war” is needed.

Muhammad

Muhammad, sometimes spelled “Mohammed” or “Mohammad,” was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in
570 A.D. Muslims believe he was the final prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to mankind.

According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel visited Muhammad in 610 A.D. while
he was meditating in a cave. The angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah.

Muslims believe that Muhammad continued to receive revelations from Allah throughout the rest of
his life.

Starting in about 613, Muhammad began preaching throughout Mecca the messages he received. He
taught that there was no other God but Allah and that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.

Hijra

In 622, Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Medina with his supporters. This journey became known
as the Hijra (also spelled Hegira or Hijrah), and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

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Some seven years later, Muhammad and his many followers returned to Mecca and conquered the
region.

He continued to preach until his death in 632.

Abu Bakr

After Muhammad’s passing, Islam began to spread rapidly. A series of leaders, known as caliphs,
became successors to Muhammad. This system of leadership, which was run by a Muslim ruler,
became known as a caliphate.

The first caliph was Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law and close friend.

Abu Bakr died about two years after he was elected and was succeeded in 634 by Caliph Umar,
another father-in-law of Muhammad.

Caliphate System

When Umar was assassinated six years after being named caliph, Uthman, Muhammad’s son-in-law,
took the role.

Uthman was also killed, and Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, was selected as the next caliph.
During the reign of the first four caliphs, Arab Muslims conquered large regions in the Middle East,
including Syria, Palestine, Iran and Iraq. Islam also spread throughout areas in Europe, Africa, and
Asia.

The caliphate system lasted for centuries and eventually evolved into the Ottoman Empire, which
controlled large regions in the Middle East from about 1517 until 1917, when World War I ended the
Ottoman reign.

Sunnis and Shiites

When Muhammad died, there was debate over who should replace him as leader. This led to a schism
in Islam, and two major sects emerged: the Sunnis and the Shiites.

Sunnis make up nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. They accept that the first four caliphs were
the true successors to Muhammad.

Shiite Muslims believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are the real successors to
Muhammad. They deny the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Today, Shiite Muslims have a
considerable presence in Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Other Types of Islam

Other, smaller Muslim denominations within the Sunni and Shiite groups exist. Some of these include:

 Wahhabi: This Sunni sect, made up of members of the Tameem tribe in Saudi Arabia, was
founded in the 18th century. Followers observe an extremely strict interpretation of Islam
that was taught by Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab.
 Alawite: This Shiite form of Islam is prevalent in Syria. Followers hold similar beliefs about the
caliph Ali but also observe some Christian and Zoroastrian holidays.
 Nation of Islam: This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit,
Michigan.
 Kharijites: This sect broke from the Shiites after disagreeing over how to select a new leader.
They are known for radical fundamentalism, and today are called Ibadis.

The Quran

The Quran (sometimes spelled Qur’an or Koran) is considered the most important holy book among
Muslims.

It contains some basic information that is found in the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations that were
given to Muhammad. The text is considered the sacred word of God and supercedes any previous
writings.

Most Muslims believe that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his words, which became the Quran.
(Muhammad himself was never taught to read or write.)

The book is written with Allah as the first person, speaking through Gabriel to Muhammad. It contains
114 chapters, which are called surahs.

Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s death, under the guidance of
Caliph Abu Bakr.
Five Pillars of Islam

Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith. These include:

 Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Muhammad

 Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening)
 Zakat: to give to those in need
 Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
 Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s lifetime if the person is
able

Sharia Law

Islam’s legal system is known as Sharia Law. This faith-based code of conduct directs Muslims on how
they should live in nearly every aspect of their lives.

Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. It also outlines marriage guidelines and other
moral principles for Muslims.

If crimes are committed, Sharia law is known for its harsh punishments. For example, the punishment
for theft is amputating a person’s hand. Adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning. However,
many Muslims do not support such extreme measures.

Muslim Holidays

The two major Muslim holidays are:

Eid al Adha: celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah.

Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan—the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Muslims also celebrate other holidays, such as the Islamic New Year and the birth of Muhammad.

Islam Today

In recent years, Islam’s supposed association with terrorism and mass murder has sparked a political
debate in many countries. The controversial term “radical Islam” has become a well-known label to
describe the religion’s connection to acts of violence.

While some Muslims use their faith to justify terrorism, the vast majority do not. In fact, Muslims are
frequently victims of violence themselves.

Recent surveys have found that in countries with high Muslim populations, the majority of Muslims
have overwhelmingly negative views of terrorist groups like ISIS.

While Muslims aim to clear up misconceptions about their faith, the religion continues to spread
rapidly. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion. Experts predict Islam will surpass
Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century.

, Sikhism.
SIKHISM

Pritam Singh

Ik Onkaar - There Is Only One God

Introduction

Sikhism is one of the younger faiths of the world, as compared with religions like Hinduism,
Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam. It is a monotheistic faith, preaching the existence of only
one God, and teaching ideals that may be universally accepted today and in the future: honesty,
compassion, humility, piety, social commitment, and most of all tolerance for other religions.

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The succeeding
nine Gurus nurtured and developed his ideas and teachings. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru,
brought to an end to the line of human Gurus and in 1708, installed Guru Granth Sahib, as the
permanent Guru of the Sikhs.

The Sikh Gurus provided guidance for about 240 years. They taught the basic values of freedom,
brotherhood, charity, obedience, understanding, sympathy, patience, humility, simplici-ty, and piety,
and outlined the path to spirituality in life. The Gurus themselves said that they were human and
were not to be worshipped as God . They considered themselves to be mere servants of God. Guru
Gobind Singh said:
"See me only as the slave of God.
Let this be known beyond the shadow of doubt."

The Basic Belief of the Sikhs

The Mool Mantar (literally, the root verse; the first hymn composed by Guru Nanak) sums up the
basic belief of the Sikhs. Guru Granth Sahib begins with the Mool Mantar. Every Sikh is expected to
recite it daily. The English translation is given below:

Ik Onkaar There is only one God

Sat Naam His Name is Truth
Karta Purkh He is the Creator
Nir Bhau He is without fear
Nir Vair He is without hate
Akaal Moorat He is beyond time (Immortal)
Ajooni He is beyond birth and death
Saibhang He is self-existent
Gur Parsaad He is realised by the Guru's grace.

The Ten Gurus of the Sikhs

The first of the Gurus and the founder of the Sikh religion was Guru Nanak. He was born in Talwandi,
now known as Nankana Sahib (near Lahore in Pakistan) in 1469 AD. Guru Nanak married and had
two sons. This was the darkest period of India's history when the people were absolutely divided and
demoralised. Guru Nanak himself describes the scene in the following words:

"The age is a knife. Kings are butchers. They dispense justice when their palms are filled. Decency
and laws have vanished, falsehood stalks abroad.
. Seeing all this, Guru Nanak started building a nation of self-respecting men and women, devoted to
God and their leaders, filled with a sense of equality and brotherhood. He pronounced, for the
benefit of all:< /p>

"To worship an image, to make pilgrimage to a shrine, to remain in a desert, and yet have an impure
mind, is all in vain; to be saved worship only the TRUTH."
"Keeping no feeling of enmity for anyone. God is contained in every bosom."
"FORGIVENESS is love at its highest power."
"Where there is forgiveness there is God Himself."
"Do not wish evil for anyone."
"Do not speak harsh of anyone."
"Do not obstruct anyone's work."
"If a man speaks ill of you, forgive him."
"Practice physical, mental and spiritual endurance."
"Help the suffering even at the cost of your own life."

Against social inequality Guru Nanak preached:

"There is only One Father of us all, And we are all His children.Recognise all human race as one."

Giving women their proper place in society, He said,

The second Guru, Siri Guru Angad Dev Ji, was born in 1504 and first met Guru Nanak in 1532. Guru
Angad invented and introduced the Gurmukhi (written form of Punjabi) script and made it known to
all Sikhs. The scripture of Guru Granth Sahib Ji is written in Gurmukhi. This scripture is also the basis
of Punjabi language. Guru Angad was a model of self-less service to his Sikhs and showed them the
way to devotional prayers.

The third Guru, Siri Guru Amardas Ji, was born in 1479. He met Guru Angad in 1541 who transmitted
the same Light to Guru Amardas in 1552. Guru Amardas took up cudgels of spirituality to fight
against caste restrict-ions, caste prejudices and the curse of untouchability. He strengthened the
tradition of the free kitchen, Guru Ka Langar (started by Guru Nanak), and made his disc-iples,
whether rich or poor, whether high born or low born (according to the Hindu caste system), have
their meals together sitting in one place. He thus established social equality amongst the people.
Guru Amardas introduced the Anand Karaj marriage ceremony for the Sikhs, replacing the Hindu
form. He also completely abolished amongst the Sikhs, the custom of Sati, in which a married
women was forced to burn herself and die with the funeral of her husband. The custom of Paradah,
in which a woman covered her face with a veil was also done away with.

The fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ramdas Ji, was born in 1534. He became the Guru in 1574. He started the
construction of the famous Golden Temple at Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikhs. The temple
remains open on all sides and at all times to every one. This indicates that the Sikhs believe in One
God who has no partiality for any particular place, direction or time.

The fifth Guru, Siri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, was bestowed upon with the "Divine Light" by Guru Ramdas Ji
in 1581. He was born in 1563. Guru Arjan was a saint and scholar of the highest quality and repute.
He compiled the hymns and compositions of Guru Nanak and his other predec-essors, selected the
sacred scriptures of some Hindu and Muslim saints, composed his own hymns and thus compiled the
Adi Granth4. He proved that holy beings of whatever caste or creed are equally worthy of respect
and reverence. The achievements and the works of Guru Arjan upset the reigning Emperor, Jahangir
who implicated him and tortured him in most inhumane way. The Guru suffered quietly and bravely
and set to the whole world an unequaled example of self-sacrifice and peaceful sufferings. Despite
being made to sit in boiling water, and on a red hot iron plate while burning sand was poured over
his body, he chanted cheerfully and softly "Sweet is Thy Will, My Lord; Thy grace alone I Beseech".
He breathed his last in 1606.

The sixth Guru, Siri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, was born in 1595. He became Guru in 1606. He built
many religious shrines and felt the necessity of imparting the spirit of soldiership to the Sikhs and
urged them to be well versed in the art of using sword and other arms for self-defence and self-
preservation. He himself wore two swords, Miri, representing political sovereignty and Piri, signifying
spiritual sovereignty; a balance of material and spiritual life in the world.

The seventh Guru, Siri Har Rai Ji, born in 1630, spent most of his life in devotional meditation and
preaching the Gospel of Guru Nanak. He also continued the grand task of nation-building initiated by
Guru Hargobind.

The eighth Guru, Siri Har Krishan Ji, was born in 1656. The "Divine Light" was bestowed upon him in
1661. To the Sikhs he proved to be the symbols of service, purity and truth. The Guru gave his life
while serving and healing the epidemic-stricken people in Delhi. Anyone who invokes Him with a
pure heart has no difficulties whatsoever in their life.

The ninth Guru, Siri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, was born in 1621 in Amritsar. He became Guru in 1664.
He established the town of Anandpur. The Guru laid down his life for the protection of Hindus, their
Tilak (devotional mark painted on the forehead) and their sacred thread. He was a firm believer in
the right of people to the freedom of worship. It was for this cause that he faced martyrdom for the
defence of the down-trodden Hindus. So pathetic was the torture of Guru Tegh Bahadur that his
body had to be cremated clandestinely at Delhi while his head was taken four hundred kilometers
away to Anandpur Sahib for cremation.

The tenth Guru, Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, was born in 1666 and became Guru after the martyrdom
of his father Guru Tegh Bahadur. He created the Khalsa (The Pure Ones) in 1699, changing the Sikhs
into a saint-soldier order with special symbols and sacraments for protecting themselves. He fought
many wars against oppression. His four sons also gave their lives in defence of their faith. He died in
1708.

Thus the tree whose seed was planted by Guru Nanak, came to fruition when Guru Gobind Singh
created the Khalsa, and on 3 October 1708, appointed Guru Granth Sahib as the Guru. He
commanded: "Let all bow before my successor, Guru Granth. The Word is the Guru now."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI

Guru Granth Sahib5 is the scriptures of the Sikhs. No Sikh ceremony is regarded as complete unless it
is performed in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. The Granth was written in Gurmukhi script and it
contains the actual words and verses as uttered by the Sikh Gurus. Initially known as the Adi Granth,
it was compiled by the fifth Guru Arjan and installed in 1604, in the Harimander Sahib (known as
Golden Temple), Amritsar. The tenth Guru Gobind Singh added to the Adi Granth the composition of
his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. It is believed that four copies of the Granth Sahib were prepared; the
first one was sent to the Harimander Sahib at Amritsar, the second to Anandpur, the third to Patna
and the fourth was kept by him at Nander. Guru Gobind Singh did not include his own verses in the
Granth due to his modesty and humility.
When Guru Gobind Singh ended the line of living Sikh Gurus by raising the Adi Granth to the status
of a permanent Guru and renamed it Guru Granth Sahib. He then commanded the Sikhs that it was
to be revered as the body and spirit of the Ten Gurus.

Every copy of Guru Granth Sahib consists of 1430 pages. It contains the Banis (the sacred
compositions) of the first five Gurus and the ninth Guru as well as a number of passages of verses
written by several saints from Muslims, Hindus and even so called "untouchable". This was done to
demonstrate the Sikh respect for other saints and tolerance for all faiths. Altogether, Guru Granth
Sahib includes 5894 Shabads (hymns or holy verses) which are arranged in 31 Ragas (musical
measures

Guru Granth Sahib is an anthology of prayers and hymns. Most of the hymns are addressed to God
and often describe the devotee-'s condition: his aspirations and yearning, his agony in separa-tion
and his longing to be with Lord. The subject of Guru Granth Sahib is truth: how to live a truthful
living, that is, an ultimate for an ideal person. As Guru Nanak states in the Mool Mantra, God is the
Ultimate Truth and one has to cultivate those qualities which are associated with him, in order to
like Him. In Guru Granth Sahib, revelation and Raga go hand in hand. The Granth also explains what
Guru Nanak meant by a "perfect individual" or a Gurmukh. It is a remarkable storehouse of spiritual
knowledge and teachings. It does not preach any rites or rituals but stresses meditation on the
Name of God. Through its teachings, it can enable men and women to lead a purposeful and
rewarding life while being productive members of a society. It seeks universal peace and the good of
all mankind. Guru Granth Sahib also stresses the democratic way of life and the equality of all
people. It teaches that we are Karm Yogis, that is, we reap what we sow

The Birth of the Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh invited his followers from all over India to a special congregation at Anandpur on
Baisakhi Day, 30 March 1699. He asked, with a naked sword in his hand, "Is there any one among
you who is prepared to die for the Sikh Faith?" When people heard his call, they were taken aback.
Some of the wavering followers left the congregation, while other began to look at one another in
amazement. After a few minutes, a Sikh from Lahore named Daya Ram stood up and offered his
head to the Guru. The Guru took him to a tent pitched close by, and after some time, came out with
a blood dripping sword. The Sikhs thought Daya Ram had been slain. The Guru repeated his demand
calling for another Sikh who was prepared to die at his command. The second Sikh who offered
himself was Dharam Das. Thereafter, three more, Mohkam Chand, Sahib Chand and Himmat Rai,
offered their lives to the Guru.

Later, these five Sikhs were given new robes and presented to the congregation. They constituted
the Panj Pyare: the Five Beloved Ones, who were baptised as the Khalsa or the Pure Ones with the
administration of Amrit. The Guru declared:

Since Guru Nanak, it is the Charanamrit (water used for washing the Guru's feet) which has been
administered to the devotees. But from now on, I shall baptise them with water stirred with a
double-edged sword - Khanda.

Upon administering amrit to the Five Beloved Ones, the Guru asked them to baptise him in the same
manner, thus emphasising equality between the Guru and his disciples.

Guru Gobind Singh named the new ceremony, Khanday-da-Amrit, namely the baptism of the double-
edged sword. He stirred water in an iron bowl with the sword, reciting five major compositions,
Japji, Jaap, Anand Sahib, Ten Sawaiyas and Chaupi, while the five Sikhs stood facing him. The Guru's
wife put some sugar-puffs into the water. The nectar thus obtained was called Khanday-da-Amrit.
This implied that the new Khalsa brother-hood would not only be full of courage and herois-m, but
also filled with humility.

Briefly, the Khalsa concept has been captured by G.C. Narang in Transformation of Sikhism:

Abolition of prejudice, equality of privilege amongst one another and with the Guru, common
worship, common place of pilgrimage, common baptism for all classes and lastly, common external
appearance - these were the means besides common leadership and the community of aspiration
which Gobind Singh employed to bring unity among his followers and by which he bound them
together into a compact mass6.

The creation of Khalsa marked the culmination of about 240 years of training given by the ten Gurus
to their Sikhs. The Guru wanted to create ideal people who should be perfect in all respects, that is a
combination of devotion (Bhakti) and strength (Shakti).

The Khalsa was to be a saint, a soldier and a scholar, with high moral and excellent character. He or
she would be strong, courageous, learned and wise. In order to mould his personality the Guru
inculcated in him the five virtues - sacrifice, cleanliness, honesty, charity and courage, and prescribed
a Rehat - the Sikh code of discip-lineThe combination of virtue and courage is the strength of the
Khalsa. This is an assurance against the ruthless exploitation of masses by their masters, and a device
for overcoming hurdles that lied in the practice of holiness and spiritualism in daily life. Guru Gobind
Singh commanded the Khalsa to use the sword only in times of emergency, that is, when peaceful
methods failed and only for self-defence and the protection of the oppressed. His spirit will continue
to inspire them for the preservation of peace, order and dignity of mankind for all time to come.

The five K's

The five sacred Sikh symbols prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh are commonly known as Panj Kakars
or the 'Five Ks' because they start with letter K representing Kakka in the Punjabi language. They are:

1. Kes or unshorn hair, regarded as a symbol of saintliness. Guru Nanak started the practice of
keeping the hair unshorn. The keeping of hair in its natural state is regarded as living in harmony
with the will of God, and is a symbol of the Khalsa brotherhood and the Sikh faith. Hair is an integral
part of the human body created by God and Sikhism call for its preservation. The shaving or cutting
of hair is one of the four taboos or Kurehats.

2. Kangha or the comb is necessary to keep the hair clean and tidy. A Sikh must comb his hair twice a
day and tie his turban neatly. The Gurus wore turbans and commanded the Sikhs to wear turbans for
the protection of the hair, and promotion of social identity and cohesion. It has thus become an
essential part of the Sikh dress.

3. Kara or the steel bracelet symbolises restrain from evil deeds. It is worn on the right wrist and
reminds the Sikh of the vows taken by him, that is, he is a servant of the Guru and should not do
anything which may bring shame or disgrace. When he looks at the Kara, he is made to think twice
before doing anything evil with his hands.

4. Kachh or the soldiers shorts must be worn at all times. It reminds the Sikh of the need for self-
restrain over passions and desires. Apart from its moral significance, it ensures briskness during
action and freedom of movement at all times. It is a smart dress as compared to the loose dhoti
which most Indian wore at that time.
5. Kirpan or the sword is the emblem of courage and self-defence. It symbolises dignity and self-
reliance, the capacity and readiness to always defend the weak and the oppressed. It helps sustain
one's martial spirit and the determination to sacrifice oneself in order to defend truth, oppression
and Sikh moral values.

The Five K's, along with the turban, constitute the Khalsa uniform, which distinguishes a Sikh from
any other person in the world, and is essential for preserving the life of the community and fostering
the Khalsa brotherhood.

The Five K's are not supposed to foster exclusiveness or superiority. They are meant to keep the
Sikhs united in the pursuit of the aims and ideals of the Gurus. They enable them to keep their vows
made at the time of baptism. The Sikhs have been known to face torture and death rather than cut
their hair or remove any of the sacred symbols.

The Khalsa cannot be anonymous. His religion is known to all. He stands out among people, and any
unseemly behaviour or action on his part would be noted as unbecoming of a follower of the Gurus.
People would easily blame him if he deviated from the disciplinary code of Guru Gobind Singh.

The Sikh Code of Discipline

Along with the maintenance of the Five K's, the Khalsa is required to refrain from committing the
four taboos or Kurehats. These are:

1. Trimming, shaving or removing hair from the body.

2. Using tobacco or intoxicants in any form.
3. Eating of kosher or halal meat.
4. Committing adultery.

A Sikh guilty of committing any of these serious breaches is regarded as the fallen one (Patit or
Tankhahiya). Guru Gobind Singh declared that as long as the Khalsa followed the Five K's and Sikh
code of discipline, he would win glory, but if he showed indif-ference, his progress would be
hampered

The Sikh Insignia - Khanda

The Khanda constitutes three symbols in one. However, the name is derived from the central
symbol, Khanda, a special type of double-edged sword which confirms the Sikhs' belief in One God.

* The double-edged sword is the creative power of God which controls the destiny of the whole
creation. It is sovereign power over life and death.
* The right edge of the double-edged sword symbolises freedom and authority governed by moral
and spiritual values.
* The left edge of the double-edged sword symbolises divine justice which chastises and punishes
the wicked oppressors.
* On the left side is the sword of spiritual sovereignty, Piri; on the right side is the sword of political
sovereignty, Miri.

There must always be a balance between the two and this balance is emphasised by a inside circle.
The circle is what is called the Chakra. This is a symbol of all-embracing divine mani-festation
including everything and wanting nothing, without beginning or end, neither first or last, timeless,
and absolute. It is the symbol of oneness, unity, justice, humanity and morality. The Chakra was also
used by the Sikhs as one of the war weapons against injustice and oppression. Almost all Sikh
warriors used to wear it in the eighteenth century.
The Sikh Flag - Nishan Sahib

The Sikh flag is a saffron-coloured triangular-shaped cloth, usually reinforced in the middle with Sikh
insignia in blue. It is usually mounted on a long steel pole (which is also covered with saffron-
coloured cloth) headed with a Khanda. The Sikh flag is often seen near the entrance to the
Gurdwara, standing firmly on the platform, overlooking the whole building. Sikhs show great respect
to their flag as it is, indeed, the symbol of the freedom of the Khalsa.

The Sikh Ceremonies

All the Sikh ceremonies like birth, baptism, marriage and death, are simple, inexpensive and have a
religious tone. They are held in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib and include Kirtan, the singing of
appropriate hymns for the occasion, saying of Ardas - formal prayer, and the distribution of Karah
Parshad7, sacred food, to the congregation. The baptism ceremony called Amrit described earlier, is
the most important of all Sikh ceremonies.

The Naming Ceremony

The Sikh naming or christening ceremony is well established and it takes place in a Gurdwara8 in the
presence of relatives and friends. The family offers donations, Karah Parshad and a Rumala which is
a covering for Guru Granth Sahib, made of high quality silk, cotton or embroidered cloth. Prayers are
offered asking for a special blessing of good health, long life and the Sikh way of life, Gursikhi for the
child.

After reciting Ardas, Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random. The first letter of the first word of the
hymn on the page is selected as the first letter of the child's name. The given name is common for
either sex. The word Kaur meaning 'princess' is added after a girl's name, and the name Singh
meaning 'lion' after a boy's. For example, if the first letter is "P", the male child may be given a name
like Partap Singh, Pritam Singh or Puran Singh or any other such name beginning with the letter "P".
If the newly-born is a girl the name would like wise be, Partap Kaur, Pritam Kaur or Puran Kaur.

When the name is selected by the family, the congregation gives approval by a holy cheer or Jaikara:
'Bolay So Nihal! Sat Siri Akal!' The ceremony ends with the distribution of Karah Prasad, and the
placing of the Rumala over Guru Granth Sahib. Sometimes, sweets or Langar, free food from the
Guru's kitchen, is served but this is not a part of the ceremony.

The Sikh Marriage

Sikh marriages are usually arranged. However, the word 'arranged' is not always properly
interpreted by people in Western societies. An arranged marriage does not mean forcing a boy or a
girl into a wedlock of parents' choice only. It is agreeing to marriage proposed by mutual discussion
between the boy or the girl on one side and his or her parents and relatives on the other. This is in
fact selecting the right partner from a number of choices or proposals.

Several criteria are usually adopted before making a marriage proposal. Most important are the boy
and girl themselves who show their willingness only after taking into account, personality, family
background, educational standing and physical appearance of the proposed partner. Generally,
relatives or close family friends suggest a suitable match to the family. The boy and girl then get to
know each other to convey their consent to their parents.

The Sikh marriage is monogamous. In the case of broken marriage, divorce is not possible according
to the Sikh religious tradition. The couple can, however, obtain a divorce under the Civil law of the
land. Marriage, in Sikhism, is regarded as a sacred bond in attaining worldly and spiritual joy. About
the ideal marriage, the Guru says: "They are not husband and wife who only have physical contact;
rather they are wife and husband who have one spirit in two bodies."

The Sikh marriage ceremony is called Anand Karaj meaning 'ceremony of bliss'. The fourth Guru,
Guru Ramdas, originally composed Lavan, the wedding song, to celebrate a holy union between the
human soul (Atma) and God (Parmatma). The Guru wishes that our married life should also be
moulded on the ideal laid down for our union with the Parmatma. The 4 verses of Lavan explain the
four stages of love and married life. The first verse emphasises the performance of duty to the family
and the community. The second verse refers to the stage of yearning and love for each other. The
third verse refers to the stage of detachment or Virag. The fourth verse refers to the final stage of
harmony and union in married life during which human love blends into the love for God. Lavan is a
Sanskrit word literally meaning 'break away', i.e. the bride breaking away from her parents' home.
Based on a concept depicted in Lavan, the Sikh marriage is not merely a physical and legal contract
but is a sacrament, a holy union between two souls, where physically they appear as two individual
bodies but in fact are united as one. The bride's past and present becomes the bridegroom's past
and present. Her present becomes his and his hers. They feel and think alike and both are
completely identified with each other, i.e., they become 'Ek Jot Doe Murti' meaning one spirit in two
bodies.

Sometimes before the wedding day another important ceremony called Kurmayaee or Shagan takes
place usually at the bridegroom's house or the Gurdwara. It is a formal engagement ceremony
involving a promise to marry and an exchange of rings and other presents. But the word Kurmayaee
literally means the coming or the meeting of the parents of both the boy and the girl, and this shows
the importance attached to the union of the two families. As soon as the bridegroom, and the two
families are assembled the Milnee is performed, a meeting of parents and close relatives of the bride
and groom and exchange of presents. The bride herself does not normally participate.

The marriage ceremony is conducted in a Gurdwara or at the bride's home or any other suitable
place where Guru Granth Sahib is duly installed. A priest or any Sikh (man or woman) may conduct
the ceremony, and usually, a respected and learned person is chosen.

First Asa di Var (morning hymns) and then hymns appropriate for the occasion are sung while,
family, friends, guests and groom arrives. The groom is first seated before Guru Granth Sahib and
when the bride comes she take her place on his left. The couple and their parents are asked to stand
while the rest of congregation remains seated. A prayer is then said, invoking His blessings for the
proposed marriage and asking His Grace on the union of the couple. This connotes the consent of
the bride and the bridegroom and their parents. The parties then resume their seats and a short
hymn is sung.

This is followed by a brief speech addressed particularly to the couple, explaining the significance
and obligation of the marriage. The couple are then asked to honour their vows by bowing together
before Guru Granth Sahib. Then the bride's father places one end of pink or saffron-coloured scarf in
the grooms hand, passing it over the shoulder and placing the other end in the bride's hand. Thus
joined, the two will take the vows.

This is followed by a short hymn. Guru Granth Sahib is now opened and the first verse of Lavan is
read from it. The same verse is then sung by the musicians while the couple slowly encircle Guru
Granth Sahib. The groom leads in a clock-wise direction and the bride, holding the scarf, follows as
nearly as possible in step. When the couple reaches the front of Guru Granth Sahib, they both bow
together and take their respective seats. The same protocol is repeated for the remainder three
verses. The ceremony is concluded with the customary singing of the six stanzas of the Anand Sahib,
Song of Bliss, followed by Ardas, prayer, and Vak, a random reading of a verse from Guru Granth
Sahib. The ceremony, which takes about an hour, ends with the serving of Karah Parshad to the
congregation. Relatives and friends then exchange greetings and congratulations. A few hour after
the marriage the bridal party or Doli leaves and the bride departs from her parental home with her
husband.

The Death Ceremony

To a Sikh, birth and death are closely associated, because they are both part of the cycle of human
life, Ava Guvan, which is seen as transient stage towards Nirvana, complete unity with God. Sikhs
thus believe in reincarnation. Mourning is therefore discouraged, especially in the case of those who
have lived a long and full life. The death ceremony may be split into two parts; Saskar, the cremation
and the Antim Ardas, the final prayer at the end of the Bhog ceremony.

At a Sikh's death-bed, relatives and friends read Sukhmani Sahib, the Psalm of Peace, composed by
the fifth Guru Arjan Dev Ji, to console themselves and the dying person. When a death occurs, they
exclaim 'Waheguru', the Wonderful Lord. Wailing or lamentation is dis-couraged. For cremation, the
body is first washed and dressed with clean clothes complete with the Five K's (in case of baptised
Sikhs). If the death occurs in a hospital, the body is taken home for viewing before the funeral. In
Punjab, body will be burnt on the funeral pyre, but in Western countries crematorium is used. A
prayer is said before the start of the funeral to seek salvation for the departed soul. On arrival at the
crematorium, a brief speech about the deceased is generally given, the Sohila, bed-time prayer is
recited and the Ardas, formal prayer is offered. The cremation is generally done by the eldest son or
a close relative. Where cremation is not possible, disposal of the dead body by placing it in the sea or
river is permitted. At the end of the cremation the member of the funeral party return to their
homes.

The ashes are collected after the cremation and later disposed of by immersion in the nearest river
or sea. Some families, living outside India, prefer to take the ashes to Punjab. Sikhs do not erect
monuments over the remains of the dead.

The second part is called Antim Ardas, the final prayer during the Bhog ceremony which includes a
complete reading of Guru Granth Sahib either at home or in a Gurdwara. This is called a Sahaj Path,
and is usually completed within ten days. If the family can read, they must take part in the reading; if
they cannot, they must sit and listen to it. The reading is meant to provide spiritual support and
consolation to the bereaved family and friends. During Ardas, the blessing of God for the departed
soul is sought. The Gurus emphasised the remembrance of God's Name as the best means of
consolation for the bereaved family. Sikhs are always exhorted to submit to and have complete faith
in the will of God, called Bhana Mun-na.

Generally, all the relatives and friends of the family gather together for the Bhog ceremony on the
completion of the reading of Guru Granth Sahib. Musicians sing appropriate hymns, Salokas of the
ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur are read, and Ramkali Saad, the Call of God, is recited. After the final
prayer, a random reading or Hukam is taken, and Karah Parshad is distributed to the congregation.

If the deceased person is elderly, food from Guru's kitchen, Langar, is served. Presents are
distributed to grandchildren. Donations are often announced for charities and religious organ-
izations. Sometimes, at the end of the Bhog, eldest member is presented with a turban and declared
the new head of the family.
Sikh Festivals

A Sikh festival or holy day is called a Gurpurb, meaning Guru's remembrance day. The celebration is
generally similar for all Gurpurabs; only the hymns and history of a particular occasion is different.
The ceremony for Guru Nanak's birthday is described in detail.

The birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion, usually comes in the month of November,
but the date varies from year to year, based on the traditional dates of the Indian Calendar. The
birthday celebration usually lasts three days. Generally two days before the birthday, Akhand Path
(forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of Guru Granth Sahib) is held in the Gurdwara. One day before
the birthday, a procession is organised which is led by the Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones) and the
Palki (Palanquin) of Siri Guru Granth Sahib and followed by teams of singers singing hymns, brass
bands playing different tunes, 'Gatka' teams (Martial art) show their swordmanship, and devotees
singing the chorus. The procession passes through the main roads and streets of the town which are
covered with buntings and decorated gates and the leaders inform the people of the message of
Guru Nanak. On the birth anniversary day, the programme begins early in the morning at about 4 or
5 am with the singing of Asa-di-Var (morning hymns) and hymns from the Sikh scriptures followed by
Katha (exposition of the scripture) and lectures and recitation of poems in the praise of the Guru.
The celebration goes on until about 1 to 2 pm.

After Ardas and distribution of Karah Parshad, the Langar is served. Some Gurdwara also hold night
session. This begins around sun set when Rehras (evening prayer) is recited. This is followed by
Kirtan till late in the night. Sometimes a Kavi-darbar (poetic symposium) is also held to enable the
poets to pay their tributes to the Guru in their own verses. At about 1:20 am, the actual time of the
birth, the congregation sings praises of the Guru and recites the Holy Word. The function ends about
2 am.

The Sikhs who cannot join the celebrations for some reasons, or in places where there are no Sikh
temple, hold the ceremony in their own homes by performing Kirtan, Path, Ardas, Karah Parshad and
Langar.

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru's birthday generally falls in December or in January. The
celebrations are similar to those of Guru Nanak's birthday, namely Akhand Path, procession and
Kirtan, Katha, and Langar.

The martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, falls in May or June, the hottest months in
India. He was tortured to death under the orders of Moghul Emperor, Jahangir, at Lahore on 25 May
1606. Celebra-tions consist of Kirtan, Katha, lectures, Karah Parshad and Langar in the Gurdwara.
Because of summer, chilled sweetened drink made from milk, sugar, essence and water is freely
distributed in Gurdwaras and in neighbourhoods to everybody irrespective of their religious belief.

Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, was arrested under orders of Moghul Emperor, Aurangzeb. As
he refused to change his religion and accept Islam, he was beheaded on 11 November 1675 at
Chandi Chowk, Delhi. Usually one-day celebrations of his martyrdom are held in the Gurdwaras.

Three days before his passing away, Guru Gobind Singh conferred on 3 October 1708, the perpetual
Gurudom on Siri Guru Granth Sahib. On this day, a special one-day celebration is held with Kirtan,
Katha, lectures, Ardas, Karah Parshad and Langar. Sikhs rededicate themselves to follow the
teachings of the Gurus contained in the scriptures.

Baisakhi, also called Vaisakhi, is the birthday of the Khalsa (the Pure Ones). Guru Gobind Singh
founded the Khalsa brotherhood with the 'baptism of steel' on 30 March 1699. On this day, a one-
day celebration is held in Gurd-waras with Kirtan, Katha, lectures, Karah Parshad and Langar. In
addition, the Amrit ceremony is held and is given to those who offer themselves for Sikh initiation.
The Sikhs after taking Amrit are called Khalsa. The Amrit ceremony can be held at any other time as
well. Baisakhi is generally celebrated on the 13 April every year.

The Sikhs celebrate Diwali to express the joy at the return of the sixth Guru to Amritsar in 1620, after
his release from Gwalior Jail. (Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned him because he was afraid of the
Guru's growing power and popularity with masses. The Sikhs on this day, which generally falls in
November, hold a one-day celebration in the Gurdwara. Diwali means festival of lights. So in the
evening, illuminations are done with Diwas (oil lamps made of clay) or candles and fire works held
both in the Gurdwaras and in homes and businesses of the Sikhs.

Role and Status of Sikh Women

In Indian society, women were usually subject to various caste-rules and severe restrictions. They
remained illiterate and were ill-treated. Female infanticide was often practiced.

Guru Nanak challenged the idea of inferiority and evil associated with women and freed her from
slavery and taboos of the society. In one of his hymns, he said:

"We are conceived in woman,

We are born to woman.
It is to woman we get engaged,
And then get married.
Woman is our lifelong companion,
And supporter of our survival.
It is through woman
That we establish social relationships.
Why should we denounce her
When even kings and great men are born from her?"

Guru Nanak and his successors gave woman a status equal to that of man. They regarded woman as
man's companion in every walk of life. The Gurus thought this equality worked to their mutual
benefits. For example, woman is the first teacher of man as his mother. Her function is to mould
children and discipline them. She has to be educated so that her children may develop their
potential to the fullest. She was allowed to join holy congregations, participate and conduct them.
They were appointed missionaries. They were called 'the conscience of man'. The practice of Sati,
(the custom of burning a woman with the dead husband on the funeral pyre), was prohibi-ted and
widow-remarriage was encouraged. Women soldiers fought side by side with male soldiers in one of
the battles which the tenth Guru fought.

In the Sikh way of life, women have equal rights with men. There is absolutely no discrimination
against women. Women are entitled to the Khalsa baptism. They have equal rights to participate in
social, political and religious activities. Women are allowed to lead religious congregations, to take
part in recitation of the holy scriptures, to fight as soldiers in the war, to elect representatives to the
Gurdwara committees and Indian Parliament and Provincial Assembly.

Sikh women have played a glorious part in the history, and examples of their moral dignity, service
and upholding of Sikh values are a great source of inspiration. Sikh women never flinched from their
duty, never allowed their faith and ardour to be dampened, and have always upheld the honour and
glory of the Khalsa. (One famous example is that of Mai Bhago who bravely fought war for Guru
Gobind Singh, when some Sikh soldiers deserted him and returned home.)
GURDWARA - the Sikh Temple
Gurdwara (the door or the gateway to the Guru) is the name given to the Sikh's place of worship,
commonly addressed as Sikh temple in the western world. The Sikh scriptures are recited or sung
and sermons are delivered. Guru Granth Sahib is placed on high palanquin under a canopy in the
middle of one end of the hall. As well as sermons and the singing of the scriptures, the con-gregation
is expected to participate in the ceremonies of birth, baptism, marriage, death and celebration of
festivals.
The Gurdwara is a place for acquiring a spiritual knowledge and wisdom. It is open to every one
regardless of age, sex, caste, or creed. Here all men, women and children are treated as equal. It
offers shelter and food to any one in need. It provides care for the sick, elderly and handicapped. It is
also a centre for promoting culture and health. Moral education as well as knowledge of the religion
and history is often taught to children in the Sikh temple. The Gurdwara is also a place for discussing
problems facing the Sikh community. Infringement of the Sikh code of discipline may also be
considered and suitable punishment decided. The Gurdwara plays a socio-economic role in the Sikh
community. It is expected to be free from any sectional interests or party politics.
The pattern of congregational worship can be divided into two categories: Katha, the reading of the
holy hymns followed by their explanation, and Kirtan, the singing of the hymns. Attached to every
Gurdwara is a free kitchen where the food, Langar, is prepared and served.
The community attempts to establish better relations and under-standing between the Sikhs and
other communities through occasional visits by them to a Gurdwara. Such visits are necessary not
only to satisfy the curiosity of others but also to help them understand better the Sikh religion,
customs and culture.
A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by observing the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag. The four
doors of a Sikh temple represent the Door of Peace, the Door of Livelihood, the Door of Learning and
the Door of Grace. These doors must always remain open to all. The Sikh temple is a place for
training the devotees in the company of pious people. The Gurus wanted to build a model human
society through an ideal and benevolent world organization.
Gurdwara Protocol
If one wishes to visit a Gurdwara some protocol must be observed. Consumption of tobacco, liquor
or narcotics is strictly forbidden to Sikhs and definitely not allowed on the Gurdwara premises.
Before entering the hall, people take off their shoes, wash their hands, covers their head and think
of the Guru. Non-Sikhs too must cover their head with a handkerchief or scarf. Upon entering the
hall, where Guru Granth Sahib is kept, they walk slowly, bow humbly and touch their forehead to the
ground, out of respect and love for the Guru. As people bow, and place their offering respectfully
before the Guru, it may be money, flowers, or words of thanks. Any sincere expression of gratitude
is equally acceptable to the Guru. After bowing and offering, one should sit down in the Sangat
(congregation) quietly without disturbing others. Usually men sit on one side and women on the
other, in a cross-legged position. Talking or whispering is not allowed.
The usual service in the Gurdwara consists of Kirtan, the singing of the holy hymns; Katha, the
reading of the hymns followed by their explanation; singing of 6 verses of Anand Sahib, Ardas,
prayer, and Vak or Hukam, random reading of one hymn from Guru Granth Sahib. This is the Guru's
message or 'Order' of the day to the Sangat. Upon completion of the Hukam, Karah Parshad is
distributed. Then Langar, food from the Guru's kitchen, is served.
The New Zealand Connection
There are about seventeen million Sikhs, of whom approximately one million live outside India. They
migrated in the beginning of this century to almost every part of the world but the majority are
settled in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Kenya.
The Sikh migration in New Zealand is over 100 years old. The first Sikhs to arrive in New Zealand
were two brothers, Bir Singh Gill and Phuman Singh Gill. They landed here in about 1890 coming
from Australia, to where Bir Singh, the elder brother, had travelled from Hong Kong in search of
work. When he failed to communicate with his family back in Punjab, the younger brother, Phuman
Singh, was sent to search for him and take him back home. Instead, the two brothers crossed the
Tasman Sea and made New Zealand their home. Both the brothers died in Palmerston North, Bir
Singh in 1921 and Phuman Singh in 1934. Their life in New Zealand makes a fascinating story for
early Sikh settlers.
Bir Singh, formerly a policeman in Hong Kong, worked as a herbalist in the King Country and later
during World War I, cooked for troops stationed at Trentham camp. Phuman Singh's career proved
to be a notable success. He first worked as a hawker in the North Island and finally acquired sole
ownership of a confectionery business in Wanganui and later moved to Palmerston North. He
married an English nurse, Margaret, in 1897 and had four children.
A majority of early Sikh settlers lived in Taumarunui and Wanganui and worked as hawkers, drain
diggers, flax workers and scrub cutters. Later, they moved to Waikato and Pukekohe where they
bought dairy farms and market gardens. G.H. Roche, the curator of the Waikato Historical Society
compiled a report on early Sikh settlers. His description of Indra Singh (correct Punjabi spelling,
Inder), an ex-soldier in the British army, as published in the Waikato Times on 5 February 1960, is a
fascinating reading. The 1971 census reported 382 Sikhs. In 1976, there were just 543 Sikhs, 597 by
1981 and 768 by 1986. It is estimated that at present there are about 3000 Sikhs in New Zealand.
The Sikh history of migration in New Zealand can be divided into four distinct phases. The first phase,
1890-1912, consisted mainly of men who had been employed in the army or police force in either
Hong Kong or Malaysia, who found their way here via Australia. In the early 1900's, many Sikhs also
came en route to Fiji or via Fiji and stayed here. The second phase, 1912-1921, was direct migration
from the Punjab. Before substantial numbers could arrive, the influx was stopped by the Govern-
ment in 1920 by passing the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act to halt Asian entry into the
country. During the third phase, 1921-1940, not much migration took place until after World War II,
when immediate families and relatives arrived. From 1941-1970 some small addition to the
migration by marriage from the Punjab occurred. The fourth phase includes the arrival in the last
two decades of many unskilled workers and some professionals including accountants, doctors,
lawyers, computer experts, engineers, and scientists.
The Sikh community in New Zealand represents 100 years of rich history of immigration, settlement
and growth. It is not uncom-mon to meet a third generation of New Zealand-born Sikhs.
The New Zealand Sikh Society
The New Zealand Sikh Society was founded on October 3, 1964. The main objective of the society is
to preach and render instruction in the teaching of Sikhism, to conduct religious ceremonies and to
provide religious services, to promote and foster a better understanding amongst the people of New
Zealand about the Sikh religion, to promote harmony amongst the followers of the various religious
creeds in New Zealand, to give assistance to the poor and needy, and to promote the Punjabi
language. The Society has no political affiliation in New Zealand or in India. The greatest
achievement of the Society is the building of the two Gurdwaras in Hamilton and Auckland.
Summary and Conclusion
Sikhism is a practical religion - a faith of hope and optimism. It's ideals form a large part of the more
progressive elements in humanity today. It shows mankind how to lead a worthy and useful life in
the world, which elevates it into the status of Universal World Faith.
Sikhs practice Simran (meditation), Seva (service) and Sangat (congregation) and lead a happy,
healthy, holy, honest and humble life, leading ultimately to the spiritual union of their Atma (soul)
and Parmatma (God).
Sikhism teaches respect for individuals and love for one's neighbours. It tells how to be useful in
society, to care for the interests and concerns of others and cherish the values taught by the Gurus.
Social commitment and goodwill among Sikhs have inspired them to finance and undertake projects
of social benefit because of their belief that human beings all over the world form just one family,
the family of the human race, namely Manas-ki-jaat. This concept is reflected in Ardas, the daily
prayer, which ends:
'Nanak Nam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Ka Bhalla'O Almighty God, kindly shower your blessings
on the entire humanity

Self-management and Good health

Self-management means being able to manage the daily tasks to live well with one or more
chronic conditions. ... The “Living a Healthy Life” workshop develops self-management
skills among people in a small group setting. You will learn a process for setting goals each
week and solving some of the problems you experience. Self-management means being able
to manage the daily tasks to live well with one or more chronic conditions. It means having
the skills and confidence to take charge of your medical needs, your everyday roles and
responsibilities, and your emotions. You are able to live a healthy live with your chronic
health condition.

The “Living a Healthy Life” workshop develops self-management skills among people in a
small group setting. You will learn a process for setting goals each week and solving some of
the problems you experience. The workshop allows you to “tailor” the program to your own
needs. Participants take an active role in learning self-management. They try new ideas, listen
to others and share their progress with the group.

You will also learn new tools and strategies to break the “cycle of symptoms” such as fatigue,
pain, depression, stress and anxiety that can result from a having chronic conditions. Some of
these tools include:

 physical activity
 healthy eating
 managing pain and fatigue
 managing stress
 understanding emotions
 communication skills
 working effectively with health care professionals

People who have participated in the “Living a Healthy Life” workshop became more active
and reported better health, less fatigue, and better communication with their doctors. They
even spent less time in hospital compared to those who did not take the workshop! “Living a
Healthy Life,” was developed by Stanford University and is widely considered a best
practice in chronic disease prevention & management and has been adopted in many parts of
Canada and around the world.

Good health

Health is not just absence of disease but a state of overall wellbeing. In 1948, the World Health
Organization (WHO) defined health with a phrase that is still used today. "Health is a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

What Is Good Health?

Good health is about balance, not performance.

Not too long ago I had a narrow view of what good health is. Particularly as it relates to men’s
health.

I thought that the more muscular, leaner and stronger the body is the more healthy it is.

This is in part due to the type of advertising in the fitness industry. In reality the fitness industry is
more about selling a lifestyle and a look than good health.

If a survey was carried out among gym goers it would find that the main reason people went to the
gym was to improve the way they look. Improving their health would be further down the list.

While being muscular, lean and strong is better than the alternative, it’s a narrow view of looking at
maintaining good health.

When your focus is to be ‘jacked’ and ‘shredded’ people often take it too far until it becomes an
unhealthy and obsession ultimately taking over their life.

A male body with less than ten percent body fat is usually not considered healthy. While you may
look good it can mess with your hormones, skin and organs.

The human body is composed of a series of complex systems which require a deeper knowledge and
more thorough application to maintain.

When you think of good health men often think of the wrong things. Or, like me, equate an
aesthetically pleasing body as a healthy body.

Speak to a group of doctors and each one will give you a different definition of what good health is.
The reason why is because there is no clear definition.

How can there be a clear definition of what good health is when the human body is so complex?

Besides, the medical community is far from having this whole health thing all figured out.

There are markers to good health. Weight, body fat percentage, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood
sugar, blood cell count, sleep quality, appearance and so on.

Markers don’t give much away. They don’t tell us how vibrant we are and how long we have to live.

Then there’s mental health to take into account. The science is much further behind the current
understanding of physical health.

The “Living a Healthy Life” workshop develops self-management skills among people in a
small group setting.
...
Some of these tools include:

 physical activity.
 healthy eating.
 managing pain and fatigue.
 managing stress.
 understanding emotions.
 communication skills.
 working effectively with health care professionals.
Types

Mental and physical health are the two most commonly discussed types of health. We also talk about
"spiritual health," "emotional health," and "financial health," among others. These have also been
linked to lower stress levels and mental and physical wellbeing.

Physical health

In a person who experiences physical health, bodily functions are working at peak performance, due
not only to a lack of disease, but also to regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest. We
receive treatment, when necessary, to maintain the balance.

Physical wellbeing involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease. Maintaining
physical fitness, for example, can protect and develop the endurance of a person's breathing and heart
function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.

Physical health and well-being also help reduce the risk of an injury or health issue. Examples include
minimizing hazards in the workplace, practicing safe sex, practicing good hygiene, or avoiding the use
of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.

Mental health

Mental health refers to a person's emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing. Mental health is as
important as physical health to a full, active lifestyle.

It is harder to define mental health than physical health, because, in many cases, diagnosis depends on
the individual's perception of their experience. With improvements in testing, however, some signs of
some types of mental illness are now becoming "visible" in CT scans and genetic testing.

Mental health is not only the absence of depression, anxiety, or another disorder.

It also depends on the ability to:

 enjoy life
 bounce back after difficult experiences
 achieve balance
 adapt to adversity
 feel safe and secure
 achieve your potential

Physical and mental health are linked. If chronic illness affects a person's ability to complete their
regular tasks, this may lead to depression and stress, for example, due to money problems.

A mental illness such as depression or anorexia nervosa can affect body weight and function.

It is important to approach "health" as a whole, rather than its different types.

Factors for good health

Health depends on a wide range of factors.

A person is born with a range of genes, and in some people, an unusual genetic pattern can lead to a
less-than-optimum level of health.

Environmental factors play a role. Sometimes the environment alone is enough to impact health.
Other times, an environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who is genetically susceptible.

Access to healthcare plays a role, but the WHO suggests that the following factors may have a bigger
impact on health than this:

 where a person lives

 the state of the surrounding environment
 genetics
 income
 education level
 relationships with friends and family

These can be summarized as:

 The social and economic environment: Including how wealthy a family or community is
 The physical environment: Including parasites that exist in an area, or pollution levels
 The person's characteristics and behaviors: Including the genes that a person is born with and
their lifestyle choices

Seven Qualities of the True Self

These seven gifts guide us from within and define our unique nature. We may nurture these
qualities or we may or take them for granted; if we choose the former course, our life will be opened
and filled by meaningful opportunities--if we choose the latter, we will remain wanting and helpless,
functioning at a level far lower than our potential. Nevertheless, even if we fail to utilize them, these
qualities lie dormant, for we never lose them. They exist within us, waiting for us to awaken them:
Spontaneity
Children are born true scientists. They spontaneously experiment and experience and reexperience
again. They select, combine, and test, seeking to find order in their experiences--“which is the
mostest? Which is the leastest?” They smell, taste, bite, and touch-test for hardness, softness,
springiness, roughness, smoothness, coldness, warmness: they heft, shake, punch, squeeze, push,
crush, rub, and try to pull things apart
Those who are spontaneous beyond their childhood years retain honest access to the full range of
their emotions. People may attribute spontaneity to those with a youthful character; but while
spontaneity involves innocence, child-likeness, and having fun, it also entails resilience and the
ability and readiness to heal, mature, and develop, to expand our competence. Our spontaneity
spurs us to growth because we are destined for expressing our aliveness
2. Reasoning
The first reason for man’s inner slavery is his ignorance, and above all, his ignorance of
himself. Without self-knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine,
man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave, and the plaything of
the forces acting upon him. This is why in all ancient teaching the first demand at the beginning of
the way to liberation was: Know Thyself.
Through reasoning, we can discover more about the world and about ourselves and participate in
life in endless ways. With the potential depth of our ability to understand, we are designed to
explore, engage the world, and find solutions to our problems
3. Creativity
Creativity is...seeing something that doesn’t exist already. You need to find out how you can bring it
into being and that way be a playmate with God.
reativity is a unique expression of our ability to make something out of our “originality of
thought.” Although we cannot, like God, create ex nihilo (“out of nothing”), we have the power to
generate and transform things: to convert our ideas into new forms, to make our dreams realities,
to shape our self and our world--to inspire, excite, incite, calm, and originate. When we create in
connection with God
4. Free Will
The most tremendous thing granted to humanity is choice, freedom.
ree will is our ability to choose. Moreover, it is our ability to think outside ourselves--to gain an
observational sense of our situation. Exercising free-will, we recognize that we can draw upon our
own voice, rather than echo what we have been told. By examining the choices we hav
5. Spirituality
A return to reverence is the first prerequisite for a revival of wisdom…Wisdom comes from awe
rather than shrewdness. It is evoked not in moments of calculation but in moments of being in
rapport with the mystery of reality.
Our ability to grow spiritually is made possible through a recognition of, and commitment to,
developing our relationship with God. By penetrating beyond the temporal and engaging the
Mystery we can find the guide for our journey of fulfillment. To engage our spirituality we must
engage our personal relationship with God and make this relationship central in our lives. We find
the Spirit when we discover and actively engage our True Self --connect to our Self, Others, and God
and hear the voices of our thoughts (our mind), our feelings (our heart), and our spirit (our soul), we
both explain and understand our nature and how these connections bring us fulfillment.
6. Discernment
The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things--the power to tell the good from the
bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and
counterfeit
It is not being judgmental, as in disdainful and imperious moralizing; it is judgment driven by
Truth. Discernment emerges from knowing, choosing, and acting on the Good.
7. Love
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love
ove is the culminating point--where we put the True Self to its greatest use. Love is a profoundly
caring and intensely passionate and personal connection that generates respect, honesty, and
reciprocity. Love also involves a physical, emotional, and spiritual attraction to another. We are
driven by the powerful urge to love and to be loved, for love is intrinsic to our social nature. By
trusting another to know one’s own self through their eyes, we free our self to union--to love and be
loved. Loving connections convey the ultimate expression of the authentic self through an active
engagement of Self, Others, and God. But while love is frequently identified as life’s most fulfilling
experience, it can also be our most difficult pursuit

10 characteristics of really interesting people, a boiled-down equation, followed by what she

means for each:

Adventurous. The world outside is always HD, 3D, color, and smellavision.

2. Generous. Share what you discover.

3. Active. Even the slowest progress is progress forward.
4. Strange. Shine a spotlight on your weirdness. Get it insured.
5. Caring. If you don't give a damn about anything, nobody's going to give a damn about you.
6. Humble. Minimize the swagger. Egos get in the way of ideas.
7. Daring. Try and fail, and try a few more times.
8. Original. Hop off the bandwagon. Host a shindig of your own.
9. Brave. Grow a pair. You need to be ballsy to get it done. Ladies, yours need to be massive.
10. Self-Assured. Ignore the scolds. Boo to those who say, "Sit down. Behave yourself. Keep your
head down. Get in line." It's their problem, not yours

The 7 Original Virtues (qualities) of the

Soul
1. Purity
Purity is the first virtue and the mother of Peace and Happiness.
Meaning of purity is not alone celibacy, for celibacy is just of the physical body. In fact, true meaning
is to have purity in our mind, words and actions. We generally consider the holiness as that of body. A
person is said saint only if his thoughts are also pure.
2. Peace
'Peace is a garland of your neck' - God father Shiv baba (Source: Murli)
Every human being urges for peace in life. But from where do we get peace? In actuality, peace is the
natural stage of soul. Think this, what if you have no burden, no question and no wasteful thought
going in your mind. There is this stillness and in that everything is clear. This is peace.
3. Love
'God is love' it is said and love is very powerful.
Love is natural feeling of a soul. Love with the supreme soul and with all souls (brothers). We love
something that appeal us or is similar to us. When we forget this body and religions, casts and colours
of this body and consider the self and everyone as a point of light (soul), then you will see that all are
both equal and unique
4. Joy
Joy is a momentous feeing of freedom and attainment.
Happiness depends on attainment (what we received or earn). So are you happy? If one has peace
and love in his life, it will be said that he is happy as well. Of course, as happiness is nothing but a
natural feeling when there is peace and loving relationships in our life.
5. Bliss
Bliss is the superior stage of happiness (joy).
It is beyond happiness or sorrow. Such stage was of ours, when we were in the Golden age. Soul
experiences bliss, in the company of its spiritual father, the supreme soul.
6. Powers
Spiritual Powers, not physical. Soul has eight innate power within whether in merge or in emerged
form. When the powers are in emerged form, they are being used. And when in merged form, they
are not used. Yog is the source of these powers and a way to emerge them.
7. Knowledge
Knowledge is the source of all virtues. It means knowing the creation and its almighty creator.
The source of knowledge is only one - the ocean of, the supreme soul.
Knowing the truth about the basic existence - the creator and its creation, i.e., the God and the World
cycle. Who will speak the truth about the creation? Surely the creator himself will, as no one else
then him knows the story. Now we know. Murli: The more the soul is fulled with the knowledge, more
viceless and powerful it becomes.
Properties of Soul and Supreme Soul
Out of numerable properties of God, given below are few of them which is beyond the apprehension
of humans :

1. Shanti ka sagar hai (Ocean of peace)

2. Gyanamrit ke sagar hai (Ocean of knowledge)

3. Anand ke sagar hai (Ocean of bliss)

4. Prem ke sagar hai (Ocean of love)

5. Nirakaar hai (Point of light - has no shape or size)

6. Akaal Murat hain (Immortal)

7. Sadgati data hain (Bestower of bliss to all)

8. Divya Budhi ke data hain (Bestower of divine intellect)

9. Shaanti ke data hain (Bestower of peace)

10. Patit Pavan hain (Convert sinner soul into pure soul)

11. Sabko Sukh ke data hain (Bestower of happiness to all)

12. Gunon ke bhandar hain (Full of values)

13. Sukh Dukh se nyare hain (Remains detached from happiness/sorrow unlike humans)

14. Sat Chit anand swarup hain (Calm and quite and blissful)

15. Janam Maran se nyare hain (Does not come into the cycle of birth and death)

16. Divya drishti ke data hain (Bestower of civil eye)

17. Nar se Narayan banane wale hain (Converst man into Narayan)

18. Param Pita, Param Shikshak Va Sadguru hain (Universal Godfather, Universal Teacher

and Universal Sadguru)

19. Karmon ki Gati ko janane wale hain (Has knowledge of all karma)

20. Brahma, Vishnu aur Shankar ke rachaita Trimurti hain. (Creator of Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar

hence is known as Trimurti.)

21. Bindu roop jyoti swarup hain (Point of light)

22. Dukh Harta Sukh Karta Hain (Giver of happiness and Absorber of Pain)

23. Shrishti ke Aadi Madhya Anth ke gyata hain (Knows the beginning, interval and end of

human evolution)

24. Vishnu dwara Daivi Shrishti ka palan karate hain (Upbringing of deities is got done through Vishnu)

25. Mukti aur Jeevan mukti ke data hain (Bestower of freedom and peace)

26. Pathar budhi valon ko Paras karte hain (Converts a dumb head into intellectual)

27. Brahma dwara Satyugi shrishti ki sthanpna karaten hain (Through Brahma establishes new world)

28. Manushya shrishti roopi vraksh ke beej roop hain (Is the seed of human tree)

29. Brahm lok ke vaasi hain (Resident of incorporeal world)

30. Kaal ke panjon se churane wale hain (Liberator from the clutches of death)

31. Jeevan Naiya ko paar le jaane wale hain (Takes the life boat to the other shore)

32. Shankar dwara aasuri shrishti ka vinaash karaten hain (Destroys the evil nature through Shankar
deity)

5 Weirdly Satisfying Scientific Explanations for Superpowers

Unit3
Knowledge. ... Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or
something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through
experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning. Knowledge can refer to a
theoretical or practical understanding of a subject

Several characteristics of knowledge have been described:

 Knowledge is contextual and it can be re-used

 Benefits of knowledge obtained only if it is applied
 The values of knowledge may change over time
 Knowledge has to be renewed or maintained
 It can be difficult to transfer, capture and distribute knowledge
 It is developed through learning processes
 Depends on memory, past experience, expertise, knowledge transfer mechanisms,
opportunities
 Facilitates effectiveness and ‘sense-making’
 Knowledge enables higher learning
 Knowledge creation and utilization is enhanced with technology.

What are the types of knowledge?

Read this article further and learn about the different types of knowledge existing out
there.

 1) Posteriori knowledge :
 2) Priori knowledge :
 3) Dispersed knowledge :
 4) Domain knowledge :
 5) Empirical knowledge :
 6) Encoded knowledge :
 7) Explicit knowledge :
 8) Known unknowns

acceptance
the act of taking or receiving something offered.

favorable reception; approval; favor.

the act of assenting or believing:

There are three types of acceptance including express acceptance, implied acceptance, and
conditional acceptance. In the world of merchant agreements, formal contracts are sometimes too
tedious for a busy schedule. Instead, merchants, contractors, and buyers have developed these
types of acceptance of a contract.
Elements of Acceptance in Contract Law. ... In this context, acceptance means an absolute and
unconditional agreement to all terms. It is the willingness of one party to enter into a contract with
another party according to the terms set out by the offering party.

5 Love Languages

The areas are as follows:

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Physical Touch

3. Acts of Service

4. Gifts

5. Quality Time

Situation is the way something is positioned as compared to its surroundings, or the status of the
circumstances, or the combination of circumstances at a specific point in time. An example of
situation is a house down the street from a big tree. An example of situation is having to decide
between two jobs.
Scientific advances could bring
superpowers to life
1. The ability to fly

Flying is usually the most popular superpower that people want and, with the development of
wing-suits and jetpacks, some of us have already achieved this goal.

Scientists have been working hard on incredible materials called high-temperature

superconductors, which not only conduct electricity with no resistance, but also repel
surrounding magnetic fields.

Superconductors are an exciting material for renewable-energy transfer as they have the
potential to transfer electricity over large distances without losing energy along the way.

However, with their magnetic repulsion properties, wearing a pair of superconductor boots
could allow you to silently levitate without friction or traffic slowing you down.

But a couple of challenges remain. You will need to keep your warmest socks on, as even
high-temperature superconductors require conditions below -100°C, and a magnetic track
would need to be continually laid out underneath you in the direction you want to go.

The technology is being used commercially with Japan's magnetic levitating SCMaglev train,
which at 581km/h is the world's fastest — but not as fast as Superman, who apparently flies
faster than a speeding bullet, topping 4,000km/h.

2. Hanging from the ceiling

If your preferred mode of transport requires a little less speed and a little more friction, then
synthetic setae might be your sticky superpower selection.

Setae are the microscopic hairs found on the feet of a gecko, and the hairs branch out into
tiny nanoscale flat-ended spatulas which interact with surfaces through van der Waals forces.

All these tiny hairs working together enable a gecko to support its whole body on just one
toe.

Scientists have created several different dry adhesives designed to mimic the gecko structures
by making high-aspect-ratio polymers with flat ends or long, thin carbon nanotubes nestled
together as mini brushes.

3. X-ray vision

Ever wanted to see who is in the next room or even if there's any food left in the fridge
without opening a door?
Since 2003, graphene research has led to some of the most exciting discoveries in materials
research so far this century. With graphene's unique ability of being extremely stiff yet highly
elastic, having electrical conductivity that far surpasses those of silicon and being able to
form an almost invisible single atomic layer of carbon, it is being hailed as the material that
will change the way we build electronics, batteries and water purification devices.

When it comes to light, graphene is capable of detecting a wide spectrum of wavelengths and
researchers have found that sandwiching it with an insulator creates a quantum tunnelling
effect which can be integrated in a transparent contact lens for a new field of vision.

This superpowered lens would enable you to see clearly at night, watch blood flow beneath
skin and view the temperature of different surfaces through a thermal heat image.

4. Being invisible

If peace and quiet in your own sanctuary is more your cup of tea, then hiding from people
wearing graphene vision lenses using an invisibility cloak should be next on your wish list.

Metamaterials are materials with specific and unnatural atomic arrangements which have to
be artificially created in a lab.

Scientists have been able to position these atoms in a specific way that tunes the refractive
index to a near-zero or even negative value which is the opposite of how natural materials
behave with light.

This gives metamaterials the unique capability to bend light and sound waves in the opposite
direction to what is expected, guiding the waves around an object to make it appear invisible.

Currently, metamaterials are being used to improve the bandwidth of static antennae.

However, research into electrically active metamaterials is being carried out with the hope of
creating battery-powered invisibility cloak devices that guide different frequencies of light
over objects, preventing them from being seen visibly and by radar and sound detection.

5. Protective body armour

Finally, if you want a full protective bodysuit, then you could build a whole-body advanced
composite exoskeleton.

But they tend to be a little bulky. Something a little less obvious and more comfortable would
be to choose flexible liquid armour as your superpowered protection system.

Encased in a vest or bodysuit, liquid armour flows around effortlessly until something hits
you hard and fast, then the armour instantly transforms from a liquid to a solid, absorbing the
energy of the impact and preventing the object from penetrating through to your skin.

There are two types of liquid armour being developed, one based on a shear thickening fluid
containing silica particles, the other being iron nanoparticle magnetorheological oil.
Shear thickening fluids are easily demonstrated at home by mixing equal parts of cornflour
with water and then punching the fluid mix.

The mix will instantly solidify if you hit it fast enough, but will remain a runny fluid if you
move your fist through it slowly.

The concept is exactly the same in silica particle fluids and these have been integrated with
Kevlar fabrics to create modern bulletproof vests. Magnetorheological fluids, also known as
ferrofluids, require an electrical current to be activated, so instead of suits, foldable blankets
are being designed which can be thrown over potentially dangerous objects and then
activated into their solid form to protect bystanders from a possible explosion or flying
shrapne

how close are we to creating real

superpowers?
Altered Humans

Significant physical alterations have seemed largely impossible until very recently. Even
breakthroughs in genetics hint at nothing like the weapon-x program that gave Wolverine his
admantium bones and Deadpool his accelerated healing. But quantum biology, championed
by physicist and broadcaster Jim Al Khalili, suggests an enjoyably speculative direction for
extreme human alterations. If quantum tunnelling can explain the high speed transformation
of tadpole to frog, surely it’s conceivable quantum effects might also allow a human body to
regenerate from a gunshot or samurai sword attack.

Martial arts have been altering humans to pseudo-superheroic levels of power for centuries, with
changes more psychological than physical. It seems the US military are at least interested in
discovering if the Shaolin monks are skilled in more than just theatre, with a number of research
studies underway to militarise ancient Buddhist techniques of mindfulness. Are we producing Jason
Bournes and American Ultras in a CIA training facility somewhere? If we aren’t I imagine it’s only
because numerous attempts have so far failed.

High Tech Wonders

The speed of technological advancement creates an obvious downside to “high tech”

superpowers. Had Lee Majors’s Million Dollar Man been upgraded to the height of early
1970s technology, he would today be the Betamax of superheroes when placed beside, say, a
Mark VIII Iron Man suit.

Given our huge industrial base, general robotics might seem a relatively easy challenge to
tackle, but has proven much harder than expected. And human/robot interactions of the kind
made to look easy in Iron Man are in fact fiendishly hard, at least without the risk of
dismembering your pilot. But the news of robotic exoskeletons being used to overcome
disabilities shows both that science is already delivering great boons, ad that a full red and
gold flying suit of armour might one day be mine … MUAHAHA!
Robots

Skipping the weak human elements of any high-tech design helps simplify things immensely.
But it does raise the minor question, how will a robot think for itself? Artificial Intelligence
has been a dream of computer scientists from Alan Turing onwards, and after many decades
of negligible to slow progress, 2015 became a watershed year for AI. Google’s “DeepMind”
literally taught itself to play Atari Breakout (and 50 other classic video games) in just 120
minutes...I never managed to clear a whole level after year! More recently a DeepMind
computing system called AlphaGo beat a champion player of the ancient Chinese game go by
five games to nil.

Humanoid robots – in pictures

Seeing Through Walls

"You make a better wall than a window." Remember that old saying? It was something you'd
spout off to someone while he or she was obstructing your view of whatever it was that you
were trying to see. Several optics companies are rendering the expression obsolete.

For example, Camero's Xaver 800 product uses microwave radar to penetrate walls and
project 3-D imaging of whatever's hiding behind those walls. According to the company,
regular old drywall, clay brick, cinder block and even rebar-reinforced concrete structures,
among others, are no match for the Xaver 800; although just like Superman had his
kryptonite, the device can't see through solid, continuous metal.

Defying Gravity

Although most of us are boringly bound by the force of gravity, evolution has helped some
critters, like the gecko (and Spider-Man), circumvent that force. In order to ensure their
survival, these animals garnered the ability to stick effortlessly to most walls and ceilings
without leaving behind a sticky residue [source: NanoRobotics].
Scientists have been working to develop a synthetic adhesive that mimics the gecko's special
dry stickiness for years, and such an invention is very close to becoming a reality, thanks to a
new method of using plastic to create similar microscopic structures [source: Voshart].

Not that you should say goodbye to your beloved tape anytime soon. The design hasn't been
perfected yet, and one of the problems currently hampering development is that in some cases, the
adhesive is too sticky, making it difficult to remove once applied. So this superpower is still in the
works

Superhuman Strength

The human body can be conditioned to endure extreme environments, but some situations
call for strength above and beyond our natural abilities. On the battlefield, soldiers need to
carry heavy loads over extended periods and through harsh terrains. So to push the limits of
physical exertion, scientists have developed a way to let technology bear some of that burden.

Berkley Bionics and Lockheed Martin's Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC)
exoskeletons are an example of such innovation. HULC, through its titanium legs, does for
human skeletons on the outside what adamantium did for Wolverine's skeleton on the inside,
turning its wearer into one tough customer

To minimize the strain borne by the user, its design uses hydraulics, which make the deep squats and
heavy upper-body lifting seem as easy as the blink of an eye [source: Lockheed Martin]. Right now,
its applications are specifically military-minded, but the defense giant is exploring options for its use
in industrial and medical capacities

Stopping Bullets

It's unlikely that you'll ever be faster than a speeding bullet on your own. But if there were an
invention that could actually sense when an incoming round was on its way to meet you,
well, that would be something. And if such a device could also compel you to dive out of
harm's way, it would surely be ranked among the most awesome science-borne superpowers.

IBM filed a patent for Bionic Body Armor, which would accomplish such tasks, in early
2009 [source: Anderson]. The device would have induced a shock to the wearer that would in
turn cause reflexive movements in the opposite direction of a threatening projectile.
Unfortunately, IBM pulled the patent in February of the same year

As these forms of armor become more refined, they will certainly change the landscape of war. And
while they haven't been perfected yet, their value in terms of lives saved and casualties prevented
will be immeasurable. That's why smart armor will grant users with one of the most awesome
superpowers of all.

Manipulating the Weather

Part of what separates human beings from other animals is our propensity to change our
environment to accommodate our needs. But some things elude our direct control, and
weather is one of them, unless you're Storm from the X-Men. And who doesn't want to be?
After all, how cool would it be to summon a sunny day at a moment's notice? Or generate a
blizzard on a whim?
If only we had the Storm's superpower of weather manipulation, we might even be able to
work out global warming. Think of it. Not only could we cool down the planet, we could also
end droughts, and sports fans would never be forced to endure another frustrating rain delay
again.

Cloud seeding can trace its roots back to the United States in the 1940s. Today, it's used to
increase precipitation, disperse clouds and fog, and suppress hail [source: NAWC].
Depending on the environment and objectives, chemicals can be shot up from the ground or
released mid-air, and there are a variety of cloud-seeding agents including silver iodide, salt,
and ammonium nitrate [source: NAWC].

The Weather Modification Association issued a statement in July 2009 saying that cloud
seeding with silver iodide doesn't harm the environment and furthermore, studies have proven
the process to increase precipitation up to 30 percent in some cases [source: WMA]. With the
ability to sometimes manipulate the weather, scientists are gaining on superheroes, but they
still have a long way to fly.