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	<title>The Article Library &#187; Humanities</title>
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		<title>The Savant Farabi-Alpharabius: Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/the-savant-farabialpharabius-abu-nasr-muhammad-alfarabi.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>okonsar</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi (Farabi), widely known throughout the western arena as Alpharabius (c.872-951) was born of Persian parents inside the small village of Wasij near Farab (Turkestan). Hardly anything is in fact famous about al-Farabi&#8217;s living. He was basically of Turkic origins, as well as he is thought to have been introduced to Baghdad [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi (Farabi), widely known throughout the western arena as Alpharabius (c.872-951) was born of Persian parents inside the small village of Wasij near Farab (Turkestan).</p>
<p>Hardly anything is in fact famous about al-Farabi&#8217;s living. He was basically of Turkic origins, as well as he is thought to have been introduced to Baghdad by his father, who had been most probably inside the Turkish bodyguard on the Caliph.</p>
<p>Farabi analyzed school of thought and even natural science at Aleppo (Halab) and even Baghdad. His attitude combined Aristotelianism as well as Neoplatonic emanationism.</p>
<p>That is without a doubt, in a nutshell: God (&#8220;what basically is undoubtedly available from itself&#8221;), who begets the planet (&#8220;basically existing for the reason that produced by another&#8221;), achieves this inside eternity via a succession of &#8220;emanations.&#8221;</p>
<p>The very first such emanation includes cosmic &#8220;intellects,&#8221; due to the fact that both versions corresponds to the specific celestial sphere, the final link within this chain of intellects is actually the &#8220;active intellect&#8221; that governs the creative as well as destructive processes from the physical universe. The best reason for the purpose of human knowledge would be then to achieve union along with this unique active intellect.</p>
<p>After finishing his early schooling years in Farab and Bukhara, Farabi showed up inside Baghdad in 901 to pursue greater studies. He analyzed inside Baghdad with regard to more than 40 years in addition to acquired mastery over several languages in addition to fields of understanding.</p>
<p>He earned notable contributions within to the fields of mathematics, medicine, music and also ideological background. Like a philosopher and even Neo-Platonist he authored wealthy commentary on Aristotle&#8217;s work. He&#8217;s besides that credited with regard to categorizing the domain of logic into two distinct groups: the concept and in addition the proof.</p>
<p>Farabi authored books on sociology along together with a notable one on music: &#8220;The Book of Music&#8221; (&#8220;Kitab (book) al (of) &#8211; Musiqa (music)&#8221;). He performed and also invented numerous music instruments and the pure Arabian tone system continues to be utilized within Arabic music.</p>
<p>His illustration showing the presence of void in physics can also be famous.</p>
<p>Farabi worked within the then newly acquired religion of Turks: Islam. He found Islam a religion itself possibly not sufficient for the requirements of a philosopher. He saw human reason as better.</p>
<p>With regard to Farabi, religion is undoubtedly a symbolic playing of truth, just like Plato, it&#8217;s the duty from the philosopher to supply guidance towards the condition. Affected via the work of Aristotle, notably &#8220;The Minds from the Many people from the Virtuous City&#8221; along with other books, he advanced the vista, really heretical for the purpose of any Muslim, that reason is simply better than imagined.</p>
<p>Religion offered truth inside a symbolic form to non-philosophers, who were actually certainly not in a position to to apprehend it in additional pure forms. The bigger a part of Farabi&#8217;s works is simply directed for the correct ordering from the condition organization. He contended that simply as God rules the domain, so if the philosopher, as the perfect type of guy, rule the condition he thus relates the political upheavals of his time for you to the distantness from the philosopher inside the government.</p>
<p>He involved within rational questioning of the Koran&#8217;s authority and also declined &#8220;predestination&#8221;. These are unorthodox, really heretical ideas, also it might be contended they belonged to Islam in the same manner that Voltaire goes to Christianity : he is without a doubt at Muslim culture although definitely not from it, indeed displaying opposition to its specific orthodox core.</p>
<p>Farabi had great relations with science as well as understanding for the purpose of many historical realities. Regrettably the &#8220;Theology of Aristotle&#8221;, he depended over, eventually switched to be the master work of the philosopher: Plotinus. Nonetheless, he appeared to be regarded, for hundreds of years, as the &#8220;Second Teacher&#8221; inside the field. His works, targeted at synthesis an approach o Sufism, paved the way to the work of Ibn Sina.</p>
<p>Farabi traveled to a lot of distant lands as well as settled for a while in Damascus and Egypt. Having said that, he frequently returned to Baghdad, up to the time he visited Saif al-Daula&#8217;s court throughout Aleppo (Halab). He grew to become one of the faithful followers of the Sovereign and it was from here that his fame spread.</p>
<p>Throughout his early years he would be a judge (Qadi), and yet afterwards the took up teaching as his primary activity. Throughout the path of his career, he&#8217;d experienced great struggles as well as previously appeared to be the caretaker associated with the garden. He died a bachelor in Damascus around roughly 950 C.E. at age (circa) eighty years.</p>
<p>Mehmet Okonsar, pianist-composer-conductor and musicologist, besides his international concert carrier is a prolific writer. Founder of the classical music dedicated blog-site: <a href="http://www.inventor-musicae.com">inventor-musicae</a> as well as a classical-music video portal: <a href="http://www.classicalvideos.net">classicalvideos.net</a>, <a href="http://www.okonsar.com">Mehmet Okonsar</a> is laureate of many international contests.</p>
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		<title>Healing the Pain of 9/11: Sensei John and Universal Harmony Day</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/healing-the-pain-of-911-sensei-john-and-universal-harmony-day.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BlueWater Marketing Group</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[As master and founder of &#8220;Harmony By Karate,&#8221; Sensei John Mirrione has blended the fighting style of karate with the spirit of love and harmony, demonstrating that neither is exclusive of the other and that the road to peace is often hard fought. Saddened by the events of September 11, 2001, Sensei John worked to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As master and founder of &#8220;Harmony By Karate,&#8221; Sensei John Mirrione has blended the fighting style of karate with the spirit of love and harmony, demonstrating that neither is exclusive of the other and that the road to peace is often hard fought. Saddened by the events of September 11, 2001, Sensei John worked to help come up with a concept that would eventually make September 11 &#8220;Universal Harmony Day.&#8221;</p>
<p>For Sensei John, the World Trade Center&#8217;s collapse literally fell close to home (his Dojo in Manhattan). The closeness of this tragedy led him to call a meeting, consisting of three members of the dojo and several special guests. The purpose of this meeting was to reflect on the horrible loss and tragedy of 9/11 and find a way to make sense of the chaos.</p>
<p>In 2006, Sensei John made it his mission to make September 11 &#8220;Universal Harmony Day.&#8221; This holiday was intended as a way to change the negative connotation associated with that ominous date, and associate it instead with a movement for peace, change, and enlightenment. ABC produced a commercial in which John was spokesman announcing September 11 as Universal Harmony Day in 2006. It was also anticipated and advertised on several websites, including YouTube and Black Belt Online. </p>
<p>The holiday was well and widely received. Not only did all of New York City turn up to celebrate it, the rest of the country took interest and celebrated Universal Harmony Day. Cities around the US watched live footage from the NYC event, and held their own commemorative ceremonies in honor and celebration of world peace.</p>
<p>Sensei John has not stopped his efforts to help heal the scar left by 9/11. He proposed the concept to the board of directors of WTC to erect a giant &#8220;Harmony Screen&#8221; at the site where the towers once stood.  This screen will project inspiring peace and harmony, and will hopefully shine as a beacon for those affected by what happened there. </p>
<p>The aim of this new holiday is simple: to create peace. Sensei John has followed the ideals of karate, a level-headed style used only for self-defense, and works tirelessly to make sure that the fight for that peace is a non-violent and compassionate battle. &#8220;Universal Harmony Day&#8221; may not be able to take away the loss felt by those who suffered on that day, but it does introduce a new spirit of giving, peace and understanding much needed in this post 9/11 world.</p>
<p>BlueWater Marketing Group specializes in E-Articles for clients like Sensei John Mirrione of Harmony By Karate. By teaming up, BlueWater Marketing Group has been able to extend Sensei Johns reach throughout the country, realizing his goal of uniting the world under harmony.  <a href='http://www.harmonybykarate.com' title=''>http://www.harmonybykarate.com</a> (646)-387-2073 and <a href='http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/' title=''>http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/</a> (732)-744-9119</p>
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		<title>Harmonizing the World: The Life of Sensei John</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/harmonizing-the-world-the-life-of-sensei-john.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/harmonizing-the-world-the-life-of-sensei-john.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BlueWater Marketing Group</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a world filled with violence and chaos, John Mirrione is trying to take a peaceful stand. Sensei John is a martial arts master who has dedicated his life to teaching others Harmony by Karate, a martial arts style that emphasizes meditation and harmony. &#8220;If I want to make a positive impact on society, I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In a world filled with violence and chaos, John Mirrione is trying to take a peaceful stand. Sensei John is a martial arts master who has dedicated his life to teaching others Harmony by Karate, a martial arts style that emphasizes meditation and harmony. </p>
<p>&#8220;If I want to make a positive impact on society, I need to teach them,&#8221; Sensei John said in a Reebok job interview. Sensei John uses his martial arts mastery to achieve this positive impact by teaching leaders of the community. </p>
<p>His teaching style is not to show people how to beat others up. His main focus is to teach others to be in a meditative mind in order to fight fears, not people. &#8216;Thats the harmonious aspect of this art,&#8217; Sensei John said in Alternative Medicine magazine. </p>
<p>His journey to bring harmony and love to the world brought on a project called &#8220;Universal Harmony Day&#8221;. The day was originally brought about in 1997. However, since the destructive acts of September 11, Sensei John decided this day should be &#8220;Universal Harmony Day&#8221;. ABC affiliates produced a PSA commercial acknowledging Sensei John&#8217;s efforts for the day in 2006. Sensei John promotes good acts and harmony by encouraging others to help their neighbors and others in need. </p>
<p>Sensei John grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He was bullied when he was young, and was once badly hurt by a neighborhood bully. When he was 8, he started to learn karate, and the next time he was attacked he was able to protect himself and fight back. He earned his respect and was never bothered again. </p>
<p>When he got older he enlisted in the Air Force, which is where he created a dance based on different karate moves. He would frequently perform the dance in events held for other Air Force personnel. After his service, he perfected the dance and became a choreographer for Club MTV. He made appearances on the show, and began working with students both in New Jersey and New York. After being stationed in Germany during Desert Storm, where he served as a dietician, he came back to the States and really focused on his New York clients, working New York&#8217;s Vertical Club. </p>
<p>Sensei John then continued his journey at the prestigious health club, Reebok Sports Club/NY, after being one of only 200 hundred athletes selected for the program. While he taught karate, his main mission was to teach love and harmony. His philosophy branched out to the radio waves when he began hosting a &#8220;Philosophy of the Week&#8221; segment every Friday on Z-100 radio from 1997 to 2001. </p>
<p>Through his teachings, Sensei John wants to continue to create harmony, not only to his students but to the world.</p>
<p>BlueWater Marketing Group specializes in E-Articles for clients like Sensei John Mirrione of Harmony By Karate. By teaming up, BlueWater Marketing Group has been able to extend Sensei Johns reach throughout the country, realizing his goal of uniting the world under harmony.  <a href='http://www.harmonybykarate.com' title=''>http://www.harmonybykarate.com</a> (646)-387-2073 and <a href='http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/' title=''>http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/</a> (732)-744-9119</p>
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		<title>How Sensei John Mirrione&#8217;s Philosophy of the Week Changed the US</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/how-sensei-john-mirriones-philosophy-of-the-week-changed-the-us.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BlueWater Marketing Group</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sensei John Mirrione created the &#8216;Philosophy of the Week&#8217; as part of his teachings for the Harmony by Karate program. The tradition was based on the Japanese use of oratory and dialogues to discuss philosophy between the teachers and students in the martial arts. This was initially introduced in 1994 by Sensei John, as he [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sensei John Mirrione created the &#8216;Philosophy of the Week&#8217; as part of his teachings for the Harmony by Karate program. The tradition was based on the Japanese use of oratory and dialogues to discuss philosophy between the teachers and students in the martial arts. This was initially introduced in 1994 by Sensei John, as he is known today. This practice became a part of the regular dojo at the New York based-program of Harmony by Karate.</p>
<p>This dojo led to a book by the same name by Sensei John, and from 1997 through 2000 it was transformed into a radio program where a philosophy was offered to all the shows listeners. Sensei Johns &#8216;Philosophy of the Week&#8217; first aired on Friday mornings on the radio station Z-100 in the New York area. He opened up to aid in community services locally and the show became an outreach program to New York listeners. It gave local people a forum on the radio to discuss various topics and subjects of concern to them, but also it allowed people to think about the spiritual concepts Sensei John brought to them on air.</p>
<p>Sensei John brought the original teachings from his early dojo to the radio show and used it as a vehicle for teaching a wider public audience. In this all that changed was the scope of the teachings, not the meaningful messages behind them.</p>
<p>His core philosophy is to help others find their inner spiritual warrior through courage. By enabling every person to find inner strength, they are able to find transformation through the self found courage. Harmony is created by a combination of learned techniques which include meditation, philosophic education, and deep breath work. The discussions for each &#8216;Philosophy of the Week&#8217; focus upon the ideas of tolerance, personal growth, learning respect for others, teaching understanding to others, and the nurturing of our inner selves.</p>
<p>His philosophy evolved from his own experiences on the streets as a young person. He believes that by reversal of negative thinking and unharmonious attitudes you can change behavior in people. This reversal of negativity is also a way to change society as a whole, and it is this idea that he brought to the people of New York through his Friday morning program.</p>
<p>In the end result, Sensei John&#8217;s radio show gained a wider audience than just the New York area. It spread its listening audience through the United States and allowed the Harmony by Karate school to expand, sharing the great teachings it has to offer to anyone who could listen in.</p>
<p>BlueWater Marketing Group specializes in E-Articles for clients like Sensei John Mirrione of Harmony By Karate. By teaming up, BlueWater Marketing Group has been able to extend Sensei Johns reach throughout the country, realizing his goal of uniting the world under harmony.  <a href='http://www.harmonybykarate.com' title=''>http://www.harmonybykarate.com</a> (646)-387-2073 and <a href='http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/' title=''>http://www.bluewatermarketinggroup.com/</a> (732)-744-9119</p>
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		<title>World Harmony Day: Global Peace</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/world-harmony-day-global-peace.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/world-harmony-day-global-peace.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Harmonybykarate</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 2006, martial arts expert Sensei John Mirrione, in cooperation with numerous organizations and media outlets, established September 11 as Universal Harmony Day. The purpose of the annual holiday is to promote global peace, to celebrate humanity and to engage in positive ways of thinking and acting, including the practice of giving to others. The [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In 2006, martial arts expert Sensei John Mirrione, in cooperation with numerous organizations and media outlets, established September 11 as Universal Harmony Day. The purpose of the annual holiday is to promote global peace, to celebrate humanity and to engage in positive ways of thinking and acting, including the practice of giving to others. </p>
<p>The establishment of Universal Harmony Day in 2006 was supported by ABC television, among others, who produced and aired a 30 second public advertisement featuring Mirrione explaining that the holiday was a way to become empowered, rather than remain stricken and powerless in the face of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11. In the ad, Mirrione advocates philanthropy as way to make a difference, both in the local community and globally, suggesting that such acts of love and compassion can, in effect, act as an antidote to the negativity unleashed by the 2001 attacks.</p>
<p>Although Mirrione spearheaded the establishment of Universal Harmony Day, he was joined in the effort by ParentGuide magazine, World Blackbelt, Tiger Claw and members of the martial arts community. His commitment to the promotion of peace through World Harmony Day is longstanding, extending all the way back to 1997, when he and several of his students organized a similar event as a successful fundraiser in support of the fight against child abuse, held in front of ABC network&#8217;s New York City offices on Columbus Avenue. </p>
<p>More recently, for the 2010 celebration of Universal Harmony Day, Mirrione was joined by eleven guests; they all gathered for the day to discuss ways to improve the spiritual health of the community through acts of love, tolerance and compassion, all of which are fundamental principles of the holiday. The roundtable session was followed by meditation and a shakuhachi performance. The shakuhachi, a Japanese instrument similar to the flute, was performed by World Harmony Day guest Aaron Shragge accompanied by a tranquil sound conducive to the calm purposefulness of the gathering.</p>
<p>Born in Brooklyn, New York and currently head instructor of Harmony by Karate, Sensei John Mirrione has been a leader in karate education for more nearly three decades, teaching students of all ages, sizes, and abilities. His commitment to physical and spiritual fitness through martial arts has enabled him to help students through a range of venues including sports clubs, television and radio spots, and social organizations like New York&#8217;s Nippon Club.</p>
<p>Sensei John Mirrione is a black belt karate master and dojo leader of Harmony By Karate. Throughout his life, Sensei John has achieved numerous feats in the world of karate, humanitarian, and peacekeeping activities. His goal is to use his martial arts teachings to improve society through philosophies of harmony and humanitarianism. Visit <a href='http://harmonybykarate.com/' title=''>http://harmonybykarate.com/</a> or call 646-387-2073</p>
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		<title>Lao Tzu, The Founder Of Taoism</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/lao-tzu-the-founder-of-taoism.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/lao-tzu-the-founder-of-taoism.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>heavenson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is said that Taoism is the only true homegrown Chinese religion&#8212;Buddhism was imported from India and Confucianism is mainly a philosophy. According to tradition, the founder of Taoism was a man known as Lao Zi. He is said to have been born around the year 604 BC. It&#8217;s widely believed that Lao Zi was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is said that Taoism is the only true homegrown Chinese religion&#8212;Buddhism was imported from India and Confucianism is mainly a philosophy. According to tradition, the founder of Taoism was a man known as Lao Zi. He is said to have been born around the year 604 BC. It&#8217;s widely believed that Lao Zi was the keeper of the government archives in the west of China, and that Confucius consulted with him.</p>
<p>At the end of his life, Lao Zi is said to have climbed on a water buffalo and ridden west towards what is now Tibet, in search of solitude for his last few years. On the way, he was asked to leave behind a record of his beliefs. The product was a slim volume of only 5000 characters, the Tao Te Ching (Tao De Jing) or The Way and Its Power). He then rode off on his buffalo.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s doubtful that Lao Zi ever intended his philosophy to become a religion. Zhuangzi, who lived between 399 and 295 BC, picked up where Lao Zi left off. Zhuangzi is regarded as the greatest of all Taoist writers and The Book of Zhuangzi is still required reading for anyone trying to make sense of Taoism. However, like Lao Zi, Zhuangzi was a philosopher and was not actually trying to establish a religion.. Credit for turning Taoism into a religion is generally given to Zhang Taoling, who formally established his Celestial Masters movement in 143 BC.</p>
<p>At the center of Taoism is the concept of Tao. Tao cannot be perceived because it exceeds the senses, thoughts and imagination; it can be known only through mystical insight, which cannot be expressed with words. Tao is the way of the universe, the driving power in nature, the order behind all life, and the spirit that cannot be exhausted. Tao is the way people should order their lives to keep in harmony with the natural order of the universe.</p>
<p>Just as there have been different interpretations of the &#8216;way&#8217;, there have also been different interpretations of De&#8212;the power of the universe. This has led to the development of three distinct forms of Taoism in China.</p>
<p>Taoism later split into two divisions, the &#8216;Cult of the Immortals&#8217; and &#8216;The Way of the Heavenly Teacher&#8217;. The Cult of the Immortals offered immortality through meditation, exercise, alchemy and various other techniques. The Way of the Heavenly Teacher had many gods, ceremonies, saints, and special diets to prolong life and offerings to the ghosts. As time passed, Taoism increasingly became wrapped up in the supernatural, self-mutilation, witchcraft, exorcism, fortune-telling, magic and ritualism.</p>
<p>The author maintains the <a href="http://www.wudangquan.com">Wudang</a> resource center and offers training on <a href="http://www.heavenson.com">The Art Of War</a></p>
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		<title>A Brief History Of Taoism</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/a-brief-history-of-taoism.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/a-brief-history-of-taoism.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>heavenson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Taoism, an indigenous traditional Chinese religion, dates back to some 1,800 year&#8217;s ago when Master Zhang Taoling of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD) formerly organized a religious Taoist group. In the long years of its evolution, Taoism had profound influence politically, economically, culturally and ideologically in ancient Chinese society and it is still functioning today. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Taoism, an indigenous traditional Chinese religion, dates back to some 1,800 year&#8217;s ago when Master Zhang Taoling of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD) formerly organized a religious Taoist group. In the long years of its evolution, Taoism had profound influence politically, economically, culturally and ideologically in ancient Chinese society and it is still functioning today.</p>
<p>During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Taoling went and settled on Singing Crane Mountain (Mount Heming). He claimed that he had been imparted the &#8220;Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness (Zhengyi Meng Wei) by Supreme Master Lao Zi and he began producing and circulating books advocating Tao. His teachings centered on the summoning of deities, magic incantation and subduing of ghosts, as well as breathing exercises.</p>
<p>During the Wei Kingdom Period (220-265 DC), Celestial Master Taoism which was created by Zhang Taoling was suppressed and it declined. However, as Zhang Lu and his disciples moved north from Hanzhong, Celestial Master Taoism began to be revived in the regions where Supreme Peace Taoism had once been practiced. It then spread throughout of the country. </p>
<p>During the Western Jin period (265-316 AD) and the Eastern Jin (317-420 AD), some powerful families and scholars started to believe in Taoism. Taoism, which had started from the grass roots level, now penetrated the upper class and eventually became an integral part of the spiritual life of the ruling class.</p>
<p>As more and more scholars turned to Taoism, the Taoist educational level was thus enhanced. As a result, a vast body of Taoist scriptures was created to challenge Buddhism from India. </p>
<p>As the Taoist scriptures spread, three new Taoist sects came into being-namely, the High Purity (Shangqing), the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) and the Three August Ones (Sanhuang ) sects.</p>
<p>In 589 AD, the Sui Dynasty (581&#8211;618) unified China. Different schools of Taoism then began a process of integration. The Maoshan School, which had evolved from the High Purity sect, became the dominant school in the south of the country and began to spread to the north. As both Buddhism and Taoism were practiced during the Sui Dynasty, Taoism developed rapidly, which paved the way for this religion to reach its zenith during the Tang Dynasty (618&#8211;907 AD).</p>
<p>Li Yuan, founder of the Tang Dynasty, made much use of public belief in Taoism in the struggle to overthrow the Sui Dynasty. When he assumed the throne, he announced that Lao Zi, the founder of Taoism was his ancestor (Lao Zi&#8217;s family name being Li and his given name Er). Except for Wu Zetian (the only Empress in Chinese history), all the Tang Emperors venerated Taoism.</p>
<p>The most influential development of Taoism during the Five Dynasty period (907-960AD) on later Taoism was the rise of the so-called inner alchemy created by Zhongli Quan and Lu Dongbin..</p>
<p>More schools of Taoism came into being during the period of the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties (960-1368 AD). Taoism entered a new phase of development.</p>
<p>During the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), the Maoshan school was still in a dominant position, and its lineage was very clear. The main new schools that appeared in this period were the Heavenly Heart (Tianxin) and Divine Heaven (Shenxiao) sects.</p>
<p>During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279AD), Taoism was dominated by the sects collectively known as the Talisman of the Three Mountains (Mount Longhu, Maoshan and Gezao). </p>
<p>Furthermore, new sects, such as Shenxiao, Donghua and Qingwei were also active during this period.</p>
<p>Apart from a variety of old and new Talisman sects, there were also the Pure Brightness sect and the Southern Line Golden Elixir sect during the Southern Song Dynasty.</p>
<p>The Supreme Oneness (Taiyi), Great Tao (DaTao) and Complete Perfection (Quanzhen) doctrines ultimately became the Main forms of Taoism during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). The Supreme Oneness doctrine lasted for about 200 years and eventually, by the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it had been incorporated into the Orthodox Oneness (Zhengyi) tradition. The Great Tao doctrine declined toward the end of the Yuan and was also incorporated into the Orthodox Oneness tradition. In the Yuan Dynasty, the Complete Perfection and Orthodox Oneness traditions became the two major Taoist schools.</p>
<p>After the founding of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming emperor, adopted a policy to both make use of and control religion in order to safeguard his rule as the country&#8217;s sole dominant power. As a result, Taoism began to decline.</p>
<p>Comparatively speaking, the Ming rulers favored the Orthodox Oneness tradition more than the Complete Perfection tradition. The former enjoyed a higher political status than the later. Zhu Yuanzhang believed that the sole purpose of the meditation practiced by the Complete Perfection sect was the meditation itself whereas the Orthodox Oneness tradition upheld human relationship and stressed social customs, which had played an important role in social stability. For this reason, he supported the Orthodox Oneness tradition.</p>
<p>The rulers of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) believed in Tibetan Buddhism. They had little knowledge of Taoism and therefore did not support nor even restrict the development of Taoism. The early Qing emperors followed Ming rulers and adopted a policy of protecting Taoism because of the need to win over the Han Chinese. But from Qianlong&#8217;s reign onwards, Qing rulers began to impose strict control over Taoism, leading to its decreased political influence and stagnant organizational development.</p>
<p>During the century between the first Opium War (1840-1842) and the founding of the People&#8217;s Republic of China in 1949, China underwent a period of political chaos and the Chinese people suffered greatly from war and lived in great poverty. </p>
<p>Taoist structures in renowned mountains fell into disrepair and many Taoists left their temples. As a result, Taoism became more closely tied to ordinary people&#8217;s daily lives. Early during the Republic of China, in order to become established in modern society, Taoists tried to imitate the practice in Western countries by forming a national organization to protect their own interests. In 1912, a nationwide organization known as the Central Taoist Association was established in the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, with the Complete Perfection tradition as its backbone. At the same time, Zhang Yuanxu, the 62nd Celestial Master, set up the Taoist Federation of the Republic of China in Shanghai, with the Orthodox Oneness tradition as its backbone. Both organizations were rather loosely organized and no activities of great significance were recorded.</p>
<p>After China adopted its reform and opening-up policy in 1979, Chinese Taoists resumed the Complete Perfection tradition&#8217;s initiation ceremony and the Orthodox Oneness tradition&#8217;s talisman transmission rules.</p>
<p>Large-scale religious activities were also held, such as the Great Ritual Offering of All-Embracing Heaven. China&#8217;s Taoist community has established the China Taoist College and the Shanghai Taoist College to train large number of young and middle-aged priests; established academic institutions such as the China Taoist Culture Research Institute and convened several forums on Taoist culture; founded journals such as Chinese Taoism, Shanghai Taoism, Shaanxi Taoism and Fujian Taoism and published a number of books on Taoism.</p>
<p>Some 1,500 Taoist monasteries have been approved by governments at the county level and above for Taoists to carry out religious activities.</p>
<p>There are about 20,000 resident Taoists of the Complete Perfection tradition and tens of thousands of Taoist priests of the Orthodox Oneness tradition in addition to countless numbers of Taoist followers throughout the whole country. The ancient religion has now entered the 21st century with a brand-new look.</p>
<p>The author maintains the Wudang<br />
<a href="http://www.wudangquan.com">Qigong</a> site and <a href="http://www.heavenson.com">The Art Of War</a></p>
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		<title>The Epistemology of Christianity</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/the-epistemology-of-christianity.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/the-epistemology-of-christianity.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>billnugent</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Epistemology is the branch of philosophy which deals with knowledge. Epistemology is the analysis of the certainty of what we claim as truth. Many brilliant philosophers have spent lengthy careers defining knowledge and certainty. How can you be sure of what you believe? What is really, actually, literally true? Your beliefs, in a sense, rule [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Epistemology is the branch of philosophy which deals with knowledge. Epistemology is the analysis of the certainty of what we claim as truth. Many brilliant philosophers have spent lengthy careers defining knowledge and certainty.</p>
<p>How can you be sure of what you believe? What is really, actually, literally true? Your beliefs, in a sense, rule you. Why not make truth your belief rather than belief your truth?</p>
<p>All religions make truth claims, yet all religions contradict each other. Which religion is true above all others? The one true religion is the religion with the most rational evidence backing up its truth claims.</p>
<p>Epistemology is how we escape from the feel good but wrong headed claim that all ideologies are equally true. But how can we be certain about anything in an uncertain, postmodern, relativistic culture?</p>
<p>Christianity&#8217;s holy book, the Bible, offers evidence from the supernatural that gives certainty to its claims. The truth claims of Christianity, its epistemology, is backed up by predictive prophecies and miracles. </p>
<p>Some would say that Christianity is a matter of faith and not evidence. Indeed, Christianity is a faith but it&#8217;s not a blind faith. It is not a freestanding truth claim like so many of the world&#8217;s religions and philosophies. God gave us evidence and I think we should look at the evidence.</p>
<p>The New Testament in Acts 1:3 says that Jesus proved that He had risen from the dead by &#8220;many convincing proofs&#8221; (NAS). These proofs gave the disciples a strong epistemological basis for belief in Christ. They would go on to spread the message of the Gospel at great personal sacrifice and many of them were eventually tortured to death for their faith.</p>
<p>Most sacred writings of other faiths have no predictive prophecies at all. There are some  alleged prophecies contained in the Koran. The Koran&#8217;s prophecies are very few in number and vague in content. The Hindu Vedas contain no predictive prophecies at all to my knowledge. </p>
<p>The Bible, by contrast, contains thousands of predictive prophecies that have been fulfilled down through history and some are being fulfilled in our own day. The prophecies and their fulfillments prove that God inspired the writing of the Bible. The prophecies are like God&#8217;s signature on His holy book. This divinely inspired book, the Bible, contains the doctrines of the Christian faith.</p>
<p>Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled over 300 messianic biblical prophecies (including 62 major prophecies) in His first coming. These prophecies that predicted details of the life of Christ were written in the Old Testament hundreds of years before His birth. </p>
<p>No other figure in all of world history can make anything like this claim! No king or priest or president or conqueror or philosopher or any ancient or modern celebrity other than Christ fulfilled 300 plus predictive prophecies!</p>
<p>Some would argue that many of the messianic prophecies are vague or ambivalent. But I would point out that though some may seem vague, many are stunningly specific and taken together they give a compelling portrait of Jesus as Messiah.  (The words &#8220;Messiah&#8221; and &#8220;Christ&#8221; have the same meaning and I use them interchangeably.)</p>
<p>The 53rd chapter of Isaiah goes into repetitive detail of how He would die for the sins of the people. Psalm 118:22-23 predicted that the elders (builders) of Israel would reject Him. Zechariah 12:10 describes how Israel shall look at the one &#8220;whom they have pierced&#8221; and will mourn for Him and there will be a national embrace of the Messiah by Israel at His second coming.</p>
<p>In short, the biblical Christian faith has better fulfilled prophecies than any other of the world&#8217;s religions. The religion with the best supernatural witness is the religion with the strongest truth claim.</p>
<p>Then there are the miracles. The fact that Jesus performed miracles in ancient Israel is recorded in four eyewitness accounts which are the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament. Many miracles continue to be performed in Jesus&#8217;s name even to this day. </p>
<p>I recently met Ralph Anderson who was miraculously healed of cerebral palsy. He was healed through the ministry of what the world would dismissively call a &#8220;faith healer&#8221; but whom I would regard as a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. He was healed under the ministry of Kathryn Kuhlman, a well known healing evangelist of a generation ago. </p>
<p>The epistemological foundation of Christianity which includes both predictive prophecies and miracles, is the most rational and logical of any faith. There is no religion, cult, political ideology or philosophy that has anything that even remotely compares with the evidence that God has given us to prove the truth of Christianity.</p>
<p>Every religion offers evidence to support its truth claims. Why not believe in the religion with the best evidence? Why not call upon the name of Jesus Christ today!</p>
<p><b>Bill Nugent</b>, an award winning author, has written many articles on Christianity, philosophy and science. His books and articles are available at his ministry website <a href="http://www.gracelawandsonship.com">www.gracelawandsonship.com</a>.</p>
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		<title>U-Series: Series Composition By The Reform Of The Year VIII</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/useries-series-composition-by-the-reform-of-the-year-viii.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/useries-series-composition-by-the-reform-of-the-year-viii.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AnnaKerry</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The U-series and series B are two sets of court records of departmental archives in France: the modern series devoted to the administration of justice since 1800 continues the series B, series dedicated to the same old field before 1800 . This series is mainly composed of different funds from institutions created by the reform [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The U-series and series B are two sets of court records of departmental archives in France: the modern series devoted to the administration of justice since 1800 continues the series B, series dedicated to the same old field before 1800 . This series is mainly composed of different funds from institutions created by the reform of the Year VIII. For some departments, this series has quantitatively the most important modern series, for example for the Pyrenees-Orientales.</p>
<p>One department to another, due to the organization of judicial districts (including Court of Appeal), losses and destruction (Corsica Marne , etc..), The number of court funds preserved is very variable and further the total volume of the archive, almost in a ratio of one to ten, many subsets are frequently completely absent for lack original or destruction. Some departments are all at completely satisfied &#8211; even proud &#8211; of &#8220;their&#8221; U series, such as Calvados which have &#8220;the most beautiful series of U France, quantitatively (1794 meters) and quality&#8221; .</p>
<p>In the twentieth century, many services have reported in their guide to the size of the task at hand to complete the treatment of these archives, by their volume and the disorder that was their lot before their payments by the registries. The influx of archives in general is continual or increasing, the situation could only continue in this century despite the efforts.</p>
<p>In practice, if the structure imposed by the classification scheme is useful as a first approach, the weight of history is such that quite often the funds are to offset some odds with that plan: the archives of a commercial court may thus find itself in a &#8220;Sub-Series 25 U&#8221; or other very different 6 U. Some presentations of the series, as guides in the departmental archives are such hybrid funds and where to find them are presented not in their scheduling according to the filing, but in reference to the regulatory framework, for example in Savoy on page 319 Guide Archives 1979  or in the Jura . Introductions top directories are usually a condition of such non-filing plan which should by definition be more closely observed in future.</p>
<p>Without elsewhere that complicates the search and discovery of documents, a sample of the online presentation of the Archives du Bas-Rhin  for the 2344 ratings in this series provides an example of a real situation in which it is difficult to find approximately the same level of classification.</p>
<p>Large range of studies can be carried from court records . The local impact of national and international events;Economic and social history: infringement of the trade regulations or professional filing of company documents and files bankruptcy , violations of labor laws, occupational accidents, strikes, reconciliations reconciliations and not before the magistrate between employers and workers; expert reports provide information on farm and industrial &#8230; &#8220;The court records are finally written source preferred by historians of mentalities of the information they contain all kinds of serious crime but also on more mundane matters of family relations, neighborhood relations, brawls, beatings, exchanges of insults and rarely charivaris, healers and even a soothsayer &#8230; A great live pictures of walls are given by the gendarmerie reports (description of persons, buildings, texts of songs sometimes insults or in Occitan.</p>
<p>Most funds are consistent with the individual digital repositories, sometimes available on the net, but only a few meet all of the series and also lend themselves to editing, for example:</p>
<p>-Departmental Archives of Indre-et-Loire: Directory Digital U Series (Vol. I) and Index (Vol. II), Tours, 2002.<br />
-Library of the Lot: Directory Digital U Series, under the leadership of Ch Constant-Le Stum, p. XV-1000<br />
-Departmental Archives of the Vaucluse: Directory Series Digital U. Justice. An IX-1926, Avignon, 1979, 225 p.</p>
<p>Anna Kerry is the author of fins2u.com . <a href="http://www.fins2u.com/">fins2u</a> is a leader in the business of ecommerce Websites, Ecommerce Templates. <a href="http://www.fins2u.com/">fins2u</a> mission is to help people getting good opportunities. Learn more about Ecommerce Solutions at <a href="http://www.fins2u.com/">fins2u</a> related site.</p>
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		<title>FAQ: Florida Habitat for Humanity</title>
		<link>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/faq-florida-habitat-for-humanity.html</link>
		<comments>http://articlelib.com/culture-and-society/culture-and-society-humanities/faq-florida-habitat-for-humanity.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pdelray</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[If you are considering donating to Florida Habitat for Humanity, you may have a few questions about the organization and the way it works. The organization is well known for helping families have safe and affordable homes when they otherwise could not afford them. There are many different ways in which people can donate their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are considering donating to Florida Habitat for Humanity, you may have a few questions about the organization and the way it works.  The organization is well known for helping families have safe and affordable homes when they otherwise could not afford them.  There are many different ways in which people can donate their time and money, so if you want to know more about this organization, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about it along with the answers to those questions.</p>
<p>How was Florida Habitat for Humanity Started?<br />
The nationwide program Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard and Linda fuller in 1976.  Millard was a Georgia attorney who couldnt understand how working people in the richest country in the world could not afford to buy their own homes.  In the late 1970s, the Fullers gave away most of their material possessions and changed their careers to start giving back to the community.  Habitat was then founded as an ecumenical Christian housing ministry.  </p>
<p>How does Florida Habitat for Humanity work?<br />
People of all faiths, backgrounds, races, religions and those with no religion or faith to build houses together in partnership with the families in need throughout the area.  Hundreds of volunteers come together to complete the projects of all kinds for residents who also contribute to their own projects.</p>
<p>How many houses has Florida Habitat for Humanity built?<br />
As far as the international scope of Habitat for Humanity is concerned, more than 300,000 houses around the world have been built for those families who were in need by millions of volunteers.  This translates to more than 1,000,000 people in over 3,000 communities now have affordable, safe quality shelter.</p>
<p>How are the Florida Habitat for Humanity families who need homes selected?<br />
This organization selects families on the basis of need, willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity and their ability to repay the mortgage loan.  The families who have homes built for them by the organization volunteers have a zero percent interest mortgage, which is paid to the organization.  The money that the families pay as their mortgage is directly recycled by Habitat for more homes to be built.</p>
<p>Florida Habitat for Humanity is a non profit organization, and the group relies on corporate gifts of money, individual donations of materials and land and volunteer labor to build homes.  There are many different chapters of the organization who serve families all over the world in many different countries with many different specific needs.</p>
<p>For more information on <a href="http://www.habitatoflakeland.org">Florida Habitat for Humanity</a>, please visit our website.</p>
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