The Compatibility of Three Differing Ontological Views an Example by

The Compatibility of Three Differing Ontological Views of the Ultimate Feature of Reality The three texts, The Way to Rainy Mountain, The Bhagavad-Gita, and Confessions, represent three ontologies into the nature of reality, or into the nature of human consciousness. In this sense, one can derive and ultimate feature of reality from each of the three texts. After such a conclusion is reached, we can then begin to look at those features as being philosophically or spiritually compatible with one another or incompatible. After a careful survey of each of the three pieces, I will argue that the texts are actually compatible with one another, given the right open-minded and socio-anthropological understanding. This argument is based on not only the studies of these texts, but my understanding that each human is searching for a relief of suffering, and are each working within not only their geographical and cultural backgrounds, but also within the historical paradigm to which they are limited to. Need essay sample on "The Compatibility of Three Differing Ontological Views of the Ultimate Feature of Reality" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The first text, On Confessions, by Saint Augustine, is classic piece of early Christian theological expression, steeped in one human individuals absolute desire to eradicate suffering and anxiety, through a deep communion, or surrender to God. The story is one of surrendering and conversion, an evolution from one state to another through the presence of a divine source. The evolution involving the transcendence of Augustine from stages of this ascent (from ignorance to illumination) are precisely identified: the two 'tentatives d'extases plotiniennes' (Bk. 7) and the vision of Ostia (Bk. 9). Augustine goes on to imply that all human suffering (failure to ascend) is a result of ignorance as to the nature of God and ignorance as well towards the nature of created things. Undergraduates Often Tell Us: I'm not in the mood to write my paper. Because I want to spend time with my family Essay writer professionals propose: Find Brilliant Papers For Sale Here Buy Essay I Write Essays Review Write My Paper For Me Cheap Essay Writing Service Reviews This viewpoint is based on an evolution of spirit, beginning with the early sinful youth of Augustine, and ending in a final analysis of time and God in the last books. Having demonstrated that he was a tempted youth, and what he has become as a transformed man, he shows the benefit of confession or surrender to God. This is the heart of the argument on the ultimate feature of reality: the need for absolute surrender to the Divine. Then, he examines his own actions and mind as being tempted. This temptation can only be remedied by a relationship with God, and self-knowledge. Similarly, the pinnacle of the human experience can only be had through knowing God. This is an arduous journey, as demonstrated by the trials and tribulations of Augustine. He searches and searches for God and ultimately finds his own mind. And so here we see a man, plagued by suffering, who bases reality on the ephemeral momentary awareness of God, ultimately overshadowed by the pull of his own mind. Truly the greatest mystery of the thesis and of the ontology, is the realization that God is above and beyond the constraints of time and space, a God that is perfect in spirit and without limitations, and in every inhuman. And yet, at the same time, Augustine realizes that humans have been created in the likeness of this God, and have inside them a deepness that is Gods likeness, stating Don't you believe that there is in man a deep so profound as to be hidden even to him in whom it is? The second work, The Bhagavad-Gita, is a differing ontological stance if one is to consider the external manifestations of the philosophy. In this depiction of mans ascent from ignorance to bliss (the Godhead), Lord Krishna is the name of the Supreme Lord offering spiritual guidance to Arjuna (a representation of the universal every-man). And yet, if we are to deconstruct the deeper meanings, we see a similar paradigm of mans struggle with his own nature, or mind. "I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him." And so, the essential message, or worldview of the The Gita is surprisingly compatible to that of the early Christian Saint Augustine. The purpose of the message of the The Gita is to deliver humans from the suffering of this material existence, just as Lord Krishna delivers Arjuna from suffering on the battlefield of Kurushetra. It is in the surrender or Arjuna to the Lord, not in battle, that he was delivered from the anxiety that we all feel. This anxiety is essentially a fear of non-existence, and through total surrender to the Lord, we realize that we are eternal. This is similar to Augustines made in the likeness of God. This first step towards removal of suffering, and the essential message of human existence begins, in both the The Gita in the Brahma-sutra and in Confessions, with an ardent inquiry. The Gita calls this inquiry, brahma jijnasa, or Athato brahma jijnasa. Based on this intense inquiry, the jiva then learns the message of surrender, that man and nature are not independent, but are acting within the sphere of the Lord. Krishna says, mayadhyaksena prakritih suyate sa-caracaram, or This material nature is working under My direction. The mind can be considered to be a product of past karmic residue, which we must work at purifying. We are either suffering or enjoying as a result of our past behaviors. This can include actions or thoughts. The purification of thought and action leads to a state where a deeper connection to that which is unchanging, or eternal, can be perceived. The story of The Way to Rainy Mountain is a symbologic expression of the Kiowa oral tradition, based on the voices of N. Scott Momaday, his father and the ancestors, the historical commentary and the personal experiences of the author. More than a religious experience, the Kiowa worldview is based on inherent interconnection of all things, both material and psycho-social. In this sense, there is no separation between the material world, the animal world, the natural world and the psychological cultural world of men. So linked is man to his natural environment, that the Kiowa creation myth begins by stating, You know, everything had to begin, and this is how it was: the Kiowas came one by one into the world through a hollow log. (Introduction) An important aspect off this creation myth is that some of the tribe actually remains stuck in the log. Here we can see a direct connection of the tangible material existence to the other side or ephemeral world, through the connection to ancestry. Understanding the world-view of the Kiowa tradition is more complex, as it is not explicitly stated as in the other works. The author gives an introduction to the reality of the Kiowa experience by explaining the desolation of the landscape. He paints a picture of Rainy Mountain in the introduction, stating that: The hardest weather in the world is there. Winter brings blizzards, hot tornado winds arise in the spring, and in summer the prairie is an anvil's edge. The grass turns brittle and brown, and it cracks beneath your feet. There are green belts along the rivers and creeks, linear groves of hickory and pecan, willow and witch hazel. At a distance in July or August the steaming foliage seems almost to writhe in fire. Great green and yellow grasshoppers are everywhere in the tall grass, popping up like corn to sting the flesh, and tortoises crawl about on the red earth, going nowhere in the plenty of time. Loneliness is an aspect of the land. The Kiowa people deal with this isolation in similar fashion, by searching for God through a manifestation of the sacred Sun Dance doll, the symbol of their worship. We are presented with a similar paradigm of the difficulty of the human interpretation of experience as so eloquently expressed through the landscape of Rainy Mountain. And within this landscape, we find Creation. Similarly as to the Gita and Confessions, from within suffering, of isolation, of even a battlefield, the greatness of the Creator is at work. Each of the three works are from such differing geographic locations, as well as historical time periods, that it is easy to see how the nature of the human experience, the nature of God, and the expression of the remedy for human suffering and the ultimate feature of reality are expressed in highly differing manners. Each human individual will deconstruct reality in accordance to his or her personal collage of experience, culture and genetic makeup, not to mention spiritual tendencies. Despite these superficial differences, ultimately each paradigm attempts to align itself with the Divine, whether through an identification with an external judgmental God, an internal and external, ever-changing Lord, or a simple identification with all that exists within the visual horizon of nature and ones own mental relationship with ancestry. Within these differences, each human can go beyond the isolation, the suffering, and the anxiety of non-existence through an alignment with something beyon d ones self: an alignment with the Divine. It is essentially up to each one of us to give shape, definition or expression to that divinity. Sources Miller, Barbara Stoler. Translation of The Bhagavad-Gita, Krishnas Counsel in Time of War. Bantam Books, 1986. N. Scott Momaday. The Way to Rainy Mountain. University of New Mexico Press, 1969. 16. Warner, Rex (1963). The Confessions of St. Augustine. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-451-62474-2.

The Best Way To Practice SAT Reading

The Best Way To Practice SAT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Let’s get down to business, to defeat...the SAT Reading. How can you practice for the SAT Reading? Where can you find SAT Reading practice questions? Is it even possible to practice for the Reading section? Read on for the answers to these questions. feature image credit: Mulan by mickey, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. A Brief Breakdown of SAT Reading To start off, I’ll do a quick runthrough of the structure of SAT Reading. Feel free to skip over it to the Important Tips (â„ ¢) (not actually trademarked, unless I can trademark things just by typing the symbol, in which case I just trademarked that). The SAT Reading section consists of one 65 minute section with 52 passage-based (read the passage or paired passages, answer questions about it/them) multiple choice questions (each with four answer choices). In total, there are four long reading passages and one set of shorter paired passages. Read more about how the SAT is structured here, or find out more about the format of SAT Reading with our article about what’s actually on SAT Reading. Now that you have a better idea of what exactly is on SAT Reading, it's time to jump into tips for how to practice the SAT Reading section in the best way. SAT Reading Practice Tip 1: Use Official SAT Tests When you are practicing for the SAT, you must use actual SAT questions. Why? Because only official SAT questions will test you the same way the test does. Part of what is so tricky about the SAT is that it takes concepts everyone knows (since it's standardized, it has to stick to standard knowledge) and then asks about them in weird ways. Therefore, the best way to ensure you get used to the weird ways of questioning is to do actual SAT questions. As PrepScholar co-founder Allen Cheng has said, â€Å"If you train yourself on questions that don't reflect what's on the SAT, you're going to learn the wrong patterns.† So where do you find official tests? Well, for starters, we've compiled a complete list of all available free complete SAT tests. You can also buy our very own PrepScholar test prep platform, which integrates offical SAT practice tests as part of your personal study program. SAT Reading Practice Tip 2: Practice Under Realistic Conditions When you take the SAT, you’re going to have limited time, materials, and space to spread out (do not underestimate the effect of having to take a test on a tiny desk). You'll be taking the Reading section first, which means that you'll need to be smart about knowing how much effort you can put into the Reading section and conserve enough energy for the rest of the test. Bottom line: I recommend not only drilling reading questions and going through entire reading sections in isolation, but also taking least one full-length timed practice test so you can get used to making it through the whole test . Additionally, make sure to take at least one practice test at the same time of day you would be taking the actual SAT, so that you'll have a good idea of how tired you might be. If you're not a morning person, an 8 am test might mean you don't pay as much attention when reading a passage, especially as compared to studying and practicing Reading questions and passages in the afternoon after school/after work. SAT Reading Practice Tip 3: Review Your Mistakes Effectively The most important part of studying that many students skip over is effectively reviewing mistakes. Learning from your mistakes isn’t just a saying- it’s the single most useful tool for improving your test score. Yes, it’s tempting to just look at a question and go â€Å"oh, I made a stupid mistake† and just move on (I mean, what person wants to dwell on what she got wrong?). KLAXON! KLAXON! Failing to review your mistakes is the biggest mistake of all. To see real improvement in your score, you really need to get down into the nitty gritty of WHY you made the mistake. For instance, what kinds of questions do you struggle with? Do you tend to have problems with data graphic questions? Maybe you struggle when answering inference questions on passages (Line 42 primarily suggests that†¦), or finding the main point of a paragraph. Identifying the types of questions you struggle with most is necessary for creating the most helpful study plan- there's no point in wasting precious prep time practicing questions you already know how to answer. If your problems are with analyzing data graphics questions, you're in luck - we have an article on how best to tackle these questions on this very blog! Have problems with getting through the passage with enough time left to answer all the questions? Brush up your passage reading skills with our article on how best to read the passage on SAT Reading and learn how to stop running out of time. What about the kinds of mistakes you tend to make? Why did you make them? Don't just stop at surface explanations. Surface reason: Oh, I just ran out of time for this question because it was at the end of the section. I totally could have gotten it since it was asking about a detail that was really easy to find. This response is not helpful, because it doesn't make you learn from what you did wrong (and if you don't learn from your error, there's nothing to stop you from continuing to mess up). Nitty gritty: I ran out of time because I spent a solid minute reading and re-reading this one sentence that really confused me on my first skimming of the passage. How can I avoid this in the future? Make sure that I really only skim on my first read-through or read the questions first and do all the detail ones that don’t rely on having to read the whole passage. Here's another example of possible reactions to getting a question wrong: Surface reason: There were two answers that seemed like they were sort of right, and I went with the wrong one. Oh well. A good start, but WHY did you go with the wrong one? Go deeeeeeper. Nitty gritty: I didn’t read the question carefully enough to get what it was really asking. Because of this, when I went back to the passage I wasn’t able to eliminate three wrong answers. Next time, I will really focus on exactly what the question is asking and make sure I only answer the question based on the information in the passage, not based on my outside knowledge. For even more detailed advice and suggestions on how to make sure you review mistakes in a way that improves your score, read my article on that very topic. Action Plan #1: Get official tests to practice from. Learn the way the SAT asks you about concepts to avoid tripping up on questions you can answer. #2: Practice under realistic conditions. Don't neglect to do timed Reading sections as well as full-length practice tests, so you can get used to conserving your energy while still performing at a high level on Reading questions. #3: Mark questions you are unsure of when you are taking the test. This way, you’re not just reviewing questions you got wrong- you’re also reviewing questions you were shaky on. #4: Review your mistakes so you can pinpoint your higher level weaknesses and drill them. If there's a particular type of question you tend to mess up on, focus your studying on that skill type. #5: Do it all over again: never give up [your test prep], never surrender. 'Persistence" in the dictionary by uberof202 ff, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. As you study, your weak areas may shift, so don’t hesitate to adapt your studying plan to fit your current skill level. For instance, if you had planned to spend a week studying each type of question, but find that after a couple of days you’ve already got the hang of answering questions that ask you to search for details in the passage, don’t waste your time spending five extra days on it- reallocate that time to an area that needs your attention more. For more guidance and suggestions that might work for you, try reading our article on how to improve your SAT Reading score and how to get a perfect on SAT Reading. What’s Next Want more tips on how to study for the SAT? Read our guide to improving your SAT score by 160+ points! Looking to target specific SAT Reading skills? Our ultimate guide to SAT Reading has a comprehensive list of articles targeting each specific Reading skill. What's actually tested on SAT Reading? Find out here! Interested in adding some tutoring to your test prep? PrepScholar Tutors might be right for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: