Buddhism In America Essays - Spirituality, Mindbody Interventions

Buddhism In America The stresses and intensity of modern American society have influenced many people to adopt and adapt the principles of Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Some recent statistics from the US department of Health and Human Services show that 75% of the General Population experiences at least "some stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey). Half of those experience moderate or high levels of stress during the same two-week period. It is common knowledge that stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses in many individuals. Stress also contributes to the development of alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigarette addiction, and other harmful behaviors. It was reported that tranquilizers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of all prescriptions written in the US each year. With so many mental health problems, it is almost reassuring that Eastern religions are steadily growing. Buddhism On The Move Eastern religions have been practiced in Asia and the Subcontinent for thousands of years longer than Christianity. Buddhism, a main religion of Asia has been practiced in Tibet for Millennia. Buddhism, Zen and Hindu were first introduced to the western world in 1893 at the World Religions Conference in Chicago. The Dalai Lama represented Buddhism and D.T. Suzuki represented Zen. However, Eastern religions went relatively ignored until 1959, when the Chinese invasion of Tibet left 1.3 million Tibetans dead and 6,000 Buddhist monasteries destroyed. Tibetan refugees escaped to bordering countries and some fled farther to the US and Europe. Those who fled remembered how the Buddha taught his enlightened disciples to continue to spread his teachings. "With the Chinese Invasion of Tibet, it was as if a dam had burst; suddenly Tibetan wisdom began to flow freely down from the roof of the world and to the West...and there to fulfill the prophecy come Westerners looking for guidance and eager to develop their own spiritual lives and transplant the flowering tree of enlightenment to their own lives."(Das, 29) The first westerners to begin to adopt Eastern principles were often people on the fringes of society or in the avant-garde of the arts, literature, and philosophy. The beatniks in the 50's, the Hippies in the 60's and 70's. Evidence of eastern thought in the writings of Jack Kerouac, Hippies ? George Harrison and the Beatles studying with the Maharishi Mahesh Yoga. Richard Albert turned his name to Baba Ram Das. In our society today, it seems like everyone knows someone into Eastern religion. From businessmen to politicians to celebrities individuals are joining meditating groups while still maintaining ties to their traditional faiths to "wet their feet" in more satisfying and less materialistic lives. "At retreats you're likely to find yourself sitting next to a stockbroker or a therapist or a retired social worker who may or may not claim to be Buddhist."(Wood, 3) "Unlike the rush of mostly younger Americans to Buddhism that occurred in the 1950's and 1960's, the new ranks include a larger percentage of seekers over 50"(Wood, 2). Now in the West we see many variations of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Zen, such as Mahayana, Pali, and Vajpareena. Our new, multi-religious land that combines Eastern and Western religion can be described as "the scientific West arriving at something like the fusion of the Confucian cultivation of virtue through the bonds of family and community, Taoist laissez-faire and yearning for nature, and Buddhist compassion for man's need for Nirvana."(Layman, 80) We have adapted religions in many ways to fit our lives. "Buddhism in America is characterized by great diversity, with both conservative and liberal trends within the same sect and denomination of course, differences in furnishings and hairstyles are superficial, and are either tangential or irrelevant to the Buddhist system of beliefs and basic way of life. But fundamental and widespread changes in American Buddhism are occurring. Its priests and adherents are recognizing that Buddhism must be shown to have relevant approaches to the problems which plague American Society. Accordingly, sermons and lectures delivered by the clergy are making less use of illustrations recounted by ancient Buddhist saints and are becoming more applicable to everyday living in modern American society."(Layman, 32) As a result, "The ancient religion of Buddhism grows even stronger roots in a new world, with the help of the movies, pop culture, and the politics of repressed Tibet." (Van Biema, 1) Because of the inroads that eastern religions have made in our country there is an increase in personal reform via retreats, "sanghas" ? a circle of friends who regularly meditate together, and self-help groups. We are

Learning from a world class designer, Erik Spiekermann

Learning from a world class designer, Erik Spiekermann Learning from a world-class designer and typographer, Erik Spiekermann Today, our CEO Emmanuel has the amazing  opportunity to interview Erik Spiekermann. Erik is a world-famous art historian, typographer, designer and author who says  he is â€Å"suffering from typomania: a sickness that is incurable but not lethal.†Erik is the designer behind many global brands and publications such as Audi, Bosch and The Economist. Erik also designed exclusive typefaces for Nokia and  Mozilla, as well as designing the reading app  Blloon  from his own design agency Edenspiekermann.Followed by over 300,000 people on Twitter, he is frequently asked to contribute to books and magazines on a range of topics from visual language to bicycles (he owns 13 of them).When I first reached out to you to present you Reedsy and our cover designers, you said to me:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There are plenty of great cover designers out there and while I love designing covers, I find that way too easy and superficial. I have seen too many books with great covers but horribly designe d content. It’s like great packaging, but when you open it, the food inside looks brown and boring. It may still be nourishing, but my appetite is gone. I am interested in designing the actual words, adding an aesthetic dimension to the text while making it easily readable and appropriate to the medium.†I thought it was fantastic to see that you wouldn’t stop at the cover and pay attention to the design and craftsmanship of the entire book, similar to what Apple does with their iMarvels. But do people generally understand the importance of design for books the same way they now care about the craftsmanship behind their iPhones?Design works not because people understand or even appreciate it but because it works subliminally. Just like background music in a store. Nobody would admit to being influenced by it, but it generates a mood, whether we listen consciously or not.Are you a maverick or a trendsetter?You cannot deliberately be a trendsetter, just like you can not design a classic. Only time will tell if something becomes a trend. My track record isn’t bad - probably because I look around, read a lot, travel and generally have my ear to the ground. I’m probably a maverick because I’ve never written or read a business plan but have raised a few successful businesses.I have seen your complaints about the printed version of The Circle: not enough leading, wrong typeface, etc. What do you look for when you first open a book? Could you give us an example of a beautiful novel and tell us a little bit why you like its design?I don’t have one in front of me, but if we were near my bookshelves in Berlin, I’d pull out some of the books from Andere Bibliothek, like this one, Der Nazi und der Psychiater we happened to have designed. They have every book designed by a different designer and I do my own typesetting. It doesn’t take any longer to pick the right typeface and try it out than it does to pick the wr ong one. You do have to read the book (if only diagonally) and you have to know your typefaces and how to use them. But that is the craft I expect every graphic designer to know.Are some publishers better than others at publishing nicely designed books? What about indie authors?Yes, some take more care. I have no idea about indie authors, but most authors are their own worst enemies when it comes to designing their books. They are way too close to them. If you establish a good template and perhaps even pick just one typeface that works for whatever type of books you publish, you can just flow your manuscript into it and get 80% quality.I read on a Kindle and I’ve never changed the typeface, the margins or the spacing. It doesn’t look very refined, but I find it pleasant to read. Am I missing something? Which e-reader has the best typefaces? Are there e-reader settings you believe enhance the reader experience?I know nothing about e-readers. What little I’ve seen made me despair. Things may be better by now but I have not been interested. But the same goes for a screen that goes for paper: consider your text, your substrate, your audience and know the rules of typography. Most editors don’t and seem to consider designers a nuisance and a superfluous expense.Do typographers and book interior designers have a new role with the progressive switch to ebooks?Yes, but the same one as always. It may be more difficult because the engineers always pretend that nobody can get past their technical constraints.As a more general question, what are the innovations in the publishing industry you find most interesting?The fact that I don’t really need a publisher anymore, except perhaps for distribution. I am going to publish the German version of my â€Å"Stop Stealing Sheep and find out how type works†. I am the author and the designer and deliver a complete ready-to-print pdf anyway. The printing costs aren’t that much of a d eal and I can generate enough demand through my own channels. The printer will warehouse the books for me, so all I have to do is pay someone to do the shipping.By the time most first-time indie authors reach the phase of book development generally reserved for design, they are chomping at the bit to see their book finished. What are the top three features of a good book design that authors should value above all others?I have never been involved with indie authors, so I’ve never had to make up any rules for them. What I do as a designer is what I mentioned above: I bring content, media and audience together.You share your time between San Francisco, Berlin and London. Which city cares the most about typography?London. They have more tradition and variety although Berlin has higher technical standards. If it hadn’t been for WWII with its interruption and subsequent definition of German culture and intellectual life, it would be ahead. But the continuum broke when Germa n intellectuals left the country. That cut was too deep to ever heal.Many thanks for answering my questions, Erik!Best from SF. Erik SpiekermannFollow Erik Spiekermann and Reedsy on Twitter:  @espiekermann  and @ReedsyHQWhat do you think the future holds for book design and typography? Do you agree with Erik that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"design works not because people understand or even appreciate it but because it works subliminally†?

CIS212 U1 Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS212 U1 Review - Essay Example This is an example of (Select all that apply.) 3) Katie’s handprint is against a record in the system that indicates that she has been assigned clearance to view the contents of secret documents. Later, at her desk, she tries to connect her folder that is Top Secret, and access is denied. This an example of 4) At the end of the day, the security personnel can view electronic log files that record the identities of everyone who entered and exited the building along with the time of day. This is an example of: 5) An administrator of a large multinational company can assign access rights and track user’s resource access from a central administrative console. Users throughout the organization can gain access to any system after providing a single username and password. This is an example of: The distinction is that the encryption algorithm is the general instruction that is applicable to data when changing it to ciphertext. On the other hand, the key refers to the real value that the algorithm uses. Whereas different ciphertext can result from the use of a different key the process of encryption is always similar. Because hashing is applicable in verification of data in a number of circumstances that involve authentication using the password. The situation involves the exchange of hashes instead of the real passwords. Both parties can then verify the file or information after the transfer is complete. According to this policy, there is a minimum character length of eight alphanumeric characters for a password. The policy states what makes up a strong password. First it incorporates both small and capital letters. Further, it is made of symbols, characters, marks for punctuation and digits 0-9 (Farrell, 2008). They should not be words in other languages, dialect, slang or jargon. Caution should be taken not to include names relating to family members or personal information. The person creating it should be in a position of