The Zen Of Oz Essay Example For Students

The Zen Of Oz Essay Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, a Zen master? The Tin Man an enlightenment seeker? Follow the Yellow Brick Road a mantra? Joey Greens, The Zen of Oz, is a witty, whimsical, and surprisingly insightful introduction to Eastern Philosophy via one of the worlds most beloved movies. It delivers universal truths in a charming, non-preachy, fashion allowing you to explore Dorothys yellow brick road, as well as your own. Along the way, you will discover original song lyrics, your favorite dialogue, all of the charming characters, and the amazing scenes from the motion picture, The Wizard of Oz, illustrated in a Japanese style. We will write a custom essay on The Zen Of Oz specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Green investigates deeper interpretations, and portrayals of many aspects of the tale of Oz, and tries to establish a truth. He lays out ten spiritual lessons in an attempt to bring the story of The Wizard of Oz, as well as yourself, closer to uncovering the purpose to life, as well as to establish a relationship between the characters experiences and your own. He offers the reader guidance, and uses the characters from the motion picture, not just to entertain, but to enlighten. Each section is filled with wonderful ideas and stories which seek to inspire audiences into finding their own spiritual enlightenment. Does The Wizard of Oz touch a spiritual chord in all of us? Glinda, the Good Witch, is clearly a Zen master who sets Dorothy out on the Yellow Brick Road to self-awareness. When she is joined by the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, they must all let go of their conscious leaning and free their minds to achieve a brain, a heart and courage, effortlessly. However , Dorothys achievement is far greater than that of the rest. She encounters her true Self, her Oneness with the cosmos, (pg. 43), attains satori, the Zen experience of awakening and ultimately, her home. Your happiness is determined by your karma. (pg.21) Right away, Green opens with some spiritual advice from over the rainbow. He embarks on a mission to explore the Law of Karma, what goes around comes around, and how Isaac Newton put it, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Simply, every choice you make has a consequence, whether or not you make that choice consciously. Whenever you face a choice, consider the consequences of that choice. Will the consequences nourish happiness? Green believes that the innermost essence, your true self, will alone know the answer, and that, that choice will bring you good karma. Like Dorothy, if you go through life making unconscious choices and running away from your problems, you will have to deal with the karmic consequences. Green dives deeper into the story line to examine different characters and their buried meanings. He explores Glinda, the Good witch of the North, and aspires to breakdown her reasoning. He begins at th e point where Dorothy is introduced to this character for the first time. Immediately Dorothy is asked, Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Appalled by her question, Dorothy replies, Well Im not a witch at all. Witches are old and ugly. As the munchkins giggle, Glinda explains, Theyre laughing because I am witch. You are? Oh, I beg your pardon! Replies Dorothy, but Ive never heard of a beautiful witch before. Only bad witches are ugly, explains Glinda. So, if only bad witches are ugly, as Glinda asserts, why then does she ask Dorothy if she is a good witch or a bad witch? Does Glinda consider Dorothy to be ugly? Or is Glinda talking about inner beauty and inner ugliness? What determines the inner beauty/ugliness that separates a good witch from a bad witch? Could Glinda be planting that question in Dorothys head to give her something to ponder while travelling down the Yellow brick road? Are you good or evil? Green distinguishes between good and evil by declaring that good is when you drop your leadership skills to help others get in touch with their true power. (Pg. 109) On the other hand, the Wicked Witch of the West, is the perfect representation of evil. She refuses to give up control, is convinced that she can dominate everything and soon self-destructs. He claims that good always prevails over evil, because evil ultimately dissolves itself. (Pg. 110)Greens fifth chapter is titled, Hearts will Never be Broken until they can be made Practical, and it discusses the Tin Mans problems in regards to his heart. The Tin Man is lacking a heart and travels down the yellow brick road, along side of Dorothy, the scarecrow and the cowardly lion, in search of the Wizard who will supply him with one. When he finally reaches the Wizard and is given a heart-shaped watch and chain, he is then urged to remember that a heart is judged not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.What exactly does the advice, from the Wizard, mean? Is he saying that a p erson who does good deeds, and who is not loved by others, does not really have a heart? What about philanthropists who donate a huge amount of money to charities, and never receive recognition? Do they have a smaller heart than the egotist who gives money to charity only to have a building named after himself? Is public opinion really an accurate measure by which to judge a persons heart? The citizens of Emerald City love the Wizard of Oz, but does that mean he has a bigger heart than the Tin Man who is only loved by Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion?Unknowingly, the Wizards advice is actually a koan. A koan, in Zen, is a riddle with no apparent meaning. The koan is: Is a heart judged by how deeply you are loved by others? Or is the depth of your love the true measure of a heart? (Pg. 69) Green explains that how deeply you are loved by others does reveal the depth of your love for them. Yet he manages to forge a conflict in his reasoning. On his path to explain the koan, he comes face to face with a contradiction in his words. For instance, the Witch of the West doesnt have any love for anyone, and doesnt even mourn the death of her sister. Instead, she raves about her ruby slippers. She becomes obsessed with killing Dorothy, not to avenge her sisters death, but to eliminate any possible threats to her plans to take over Oz. Her motives are selfish, and she has no heart. She loves no one, and no one loves her in return. He then goes onto discuss the Wizard of Oz, and illustrates that he is loved by the citizens of Emerald City, as long as he protects them from the wicked Witch of the West. But the Wizards love for the citizens is not genuine; in fact, he only protects the city so he can maintain his power. His love is conditional and insincere. In this case, he is loved deeply by the citizens yet returns no love in exchange. Greens explanation of the koan exposes a contradiction in itself. The Zen of Oz is truly inspiring! It is easy to read and pr ofoundly interesting. It is a definite must-read! It includes fascinating tales accompanied by perfect construction, flowing from chapter to chapter never letting you take your eyes off it. It encourages you to free your mind to learn of the thoughtful lessons hidden in the magical film, The Wizard of Oz. By appealing to this famous film, all audiences Philosophy

Definition of Geography

Definition of Geography Since the beginning of humankind, the study of geography has captured the imagination of the people. In ancient times, geography books extolled tales of distant lands and dreamed of treasures. The ancient Greeks created the word geography from the roots ge for earth and grapho for to write. These people experienced many adventures and needed a way to explain and communicate the differences between various lands. Today, researchers in the field of geography still focus on people and cultures (cultural geography), and the planet earth (physical geography).   Physical Geography The features of the earth are the domain of physical geographers and their work includes research about climates, the formation of landforms, and plant and animal distribution. Working in closely related areas, the research of physical geographers and geologists often overlaps. Cultural Geography Religion, languages, and cities are a few of the specialties of cultural (also known as human) geographers. Their research into the intricacies of human existence is fundamental to our understanding of cultures. Cultural geographers want to know why various groups practice certain rituals, speak in different dialects, or organize their cities in a particular way. New Frontiers in Geography Geographers plan new communities, decide where new highways should be placed, and establish evacuation plans. Computerized mapping and data analysis are known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a new frontier in geography. Spatial data is gathered on a variety of subjects and input onto a computer. GIS users can create an infinite number of maps by requesting portions of the data to plot. Theres always something new to research in geography: new nation-states are created, natural disasters strike populated areas, the worlds climate changes, and the Internet brings millions of people closer together. Knowing where countries and oceans are on a map is important but geography is much more than the answers to trivia questions. Having the ability to geographically analyze allows us to understand the world in which we live.

The Common Periwinkle Profile

The Common Periwinkle Profile The common periwinkle (Littorina littorea), also known as the edible periwinkle, is a frequent sight along the shoreline in some areas. Have you ever seen these little snails on the rocks or in a tide pool? Despite the large numbers of periwinkles on the U.S. shoreline today, they are not a native species in North America but were introduced from western Europe. These snails are edible - would you eat a periwinkle? Description Common periwinkles are a type of marine snail. They have a shell that is smooth and brown to brownish-gray in coloration and up to about 1 inch long. The base of the shell is white. Periwinkles may live out of the water for several days and can survive in challenging conditions. Out of the water, they can stay moist by closing up their shell with a trapdoor-like structure called an operculum. Periwinkles are mollusks. Like other mollusks, they move around on their muscular foot, which is coated with mucus. These snails may leave a trail in the sand or mud as they move around. The shells of periwinkles may be inhabited by a variety of species and may be encrusted with coralline algae. Periwinkles have two tentacles that can be seen if you look closely at their front end. Juveniles have black bars on their tentacles. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: GastropodaSubclass: CaenogastropodaOrder: LittorinimorphaSuperorder: LittorinoideaFamily: LittorinidaeSubfamily: LittorininaeGenus: LittorinaSpecies: littorea    Habitat and Distribution Common periwinkles are native to western Europe. They were introduced to North American waters in the 1800s. They were brought over possibly as food or were transported across the Atlantic in the ballast water of ships. Ballast water is water taken in by a ship to make sure operating conditions are safe, such as when a ship discharges cargo and needs a certain amount of weight to keep the hull at the right water level. Now common periwinkles range along the eastern coast of the U.S. and Canada from Labrador to Maryland and are still found in western Europe. Common periwinkles live on rocky coastlines and in the intertidal zone, and on muddy or sandy bottoms. Feeding and Diet Common periwinkles are omnivores  that feed primarily on algae, including diatoms, but can feed on other small organic matter, such as barnacle larvae. They use their radula, which has tiny teeth, to scrape the algae off of rocks, a process which can eventually erode the rock. According to a University of Rhode Island article, the rocks on the coastline of Rhode Island used to be covered with green algae, but have been bare gray since periwinkles were introduced to the area. Reproduction Periwinkles have separate sexes (individuals are either male or female). Reproduction is sexual, and females lay eggs in capsules of about 2-9 eggs. These capsules are about 1mm in size. After floating in the ocean, the veliger hatches after a few days. The larvae settle on the shore after about six weeks. The lifespan of periwinkles is thought to be about 5 years. Conservation and Status In its non-native habitat (i.e., the U.S. and Canada), the common periwinkle is thought to have altered the ecosystem by competing with other species, and grazing on green algae, which has caused other algae species to become overabundant. These periwinkles can also host a disease (marine black spot disease) which can be transferred to fish and birds. References and Further Information Buckland-Nicks, J., et. al. 2013. The living community inside the common periwinkle, Littorina . Canadian Journal of Zoology. Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaEncyclopedia of Life. Littorina . Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaGlobal Invasive Species Database. Littorina littorea. Accessed June 30, 2013.Jackson, A. 2008. Littorina . Common periwinkle. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 01/07/2013]. Accessed June 30, 2013.littoreaReid, David G., Gofas, S. 2013. Littorina . Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at marinespecies.org/aphia.php?ptaxdetailsid140262. Accessed June 30, 2013.littorea (Linnaeus, 1758)University of Rhode Island. Common Periwinkle. Accessed June 30, 2013.

Comparing between harvey norman and wesfarmers ( financially) Essay

Comparing between harvey norman and wesfarmers ( financially) - Essay Example On the other hand, stock price appreciates almost exclusively through good financial results. Through the use of financial analysis, this paper compares the performance of two companies Harvey Norman and Westfarmers in different financial aspects namely liquidity, profitability, asset efficiency and capital structures. The company’s ability to generate wealth for its stockholders is the ultimate measure of the financial performance of a business organization and should become the basis of where to invest. It should be noted that as opposed to creditors, companies have little liability to its stockholders. Before dividends are paid, current liabilities are first settled together with long term obligations. In fact, payments to stockholders are not required. Thus, stockholders have the last claim in the company’s earnings and if it is able to keep much for them after other liabilities are settled, the business organization’s stock is considered as a better investment. In this consideration, this paper recommends the use of return of equity as the sole ratio for the investment decision. Thus, investment in Harvey Norman appears to be more profitable than Westfarmers. It should be noted that during the fiscal year 2007, Harvey Norman’s return on equity is 26.74% which represents an increase of 8.7% from the 18.04% recorded in 2006. This is much higher than the 0.125% recorded by Westfarmers in 2007. Thus, we recommend that funds should be better invested in Harvey Norman as it has a better ability of maximizing shareholder wealth through higher

Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Assignments - Assignment Example It relates an argument that exist between the beer producing company (Miller Coors) and the Boricuas For a positive image. It cites communications between the various parties and assumes a business tone. The writer wants us to understand and feel the tension between the two parties; he quotes specific persons, however, the reader fails to give an opinion on the matter. The two documents offer insightful current information in an understandable format. The first article presents the argument that the installation of the bike corrals will give a solution to the increased demand for bike parking. The writer supports the claim by presenting evidence from sources such as the DOT website and individuals, Aussie Saavedra a 22 year old musician who shares the agony of searching for a bike parking. The writer’s opinion supports the claim that the installation of the bike corrals will ease the parking troubles especially for those that park illegally, by locking their bikes on trees or street signs. The second article is based on the argument that the Coors Light Company produced Beer Cans that offended the Puerto Ricans. The writer goes ahead to clarify his claim by presenting the argument between the Coors and the Boricuas For a positive image. He quotes various statements that each party presented in their defense but supports no party. The first document has clear cut sections that are ideally independent since the writer presents a different idea in each section. The second document, however, has section that overlaps and are dependent on each other making it hard to understand one without reading the other since the dialogue between the two parties seems to flow. The paragraphs in these documents are medium in size and are mutually exclusive but convey the flow of thought. The organization of the documents made it possible to skim through the document and get the gist. The documents are arranged in such a way that the most

Abraham Lincolns Abuse of Power :: American America History

Abraham Lincoln's Abuse of Power Lincoln's use of executive authority during the civil war is many times illegal and unjust; although his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation may seem justified, Lincoln blatantly abused his power regarding civil rights. He did things like institute an unfair draft, suspend Constitutional rights, allocate military spending without Congress, and institute emancipation. Although some may justify these actions, they stomped on the Constitution. Lincoln found powers in the constitutional clause making him "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states." He said that because of this clause, he had the right to use any means necessary to defeat the enemy. With this justification, he issued many executive orders before Congress even convened. Lincoln summoned the militia, ordered a blockade of the Confederacy ports, expanded the regular army beyond its legal limit, and directed government funds before congressional allocation. of these powers were granted to him in the Constitution. Lincoln also abused his power with the draft. Prior to the draft, the Union depended on the states to fill assigned quotas with volunteers. But then Lincoln instituted a new draft. By its terms, all men between the ages of 20 and 45 were liable to military service. However, any man who was called for the draft could avoid it by hiring a substitute or paying $300 dollars to the government. Many groups rightfully denounced these acts, called the conscription acts, as a rich man's law. Indeed, many wealthy men were able to bribe poorer men into taking their place in The most blatant abuse of Lincoln's power was his suspension of habeas corpus. The suspension of this constitutional guarantee, by which a person could not be imprisoned indefinitely without being charges with some specific crime, around much opposition throughout the country. Although Lincoln himself made no concentrated efforts to suppress political oppositions, the repeal of habeas corpus enabled overzealous civil and military authorities to imprison thousands of people who were vocal in their opposition to the war against the South. During the war, in the case Ex parte Merryman, Chief Justice Taney ordered Lincoln to grant a writ of habeas corpus to a Southern agitator who had been arbitrarily jailed by military authorities in Maryland. Lincoln ignored the order. After the war, in the case Ex parte Milligan, the Supreme Court ruled that president could not suspend habeas corpus without the consent of Congress.

Literacy narrative Essay

Audience: Professor and fellow students of the English 102 course Purpose: To explain how I became literate in my lifetime and what contributed to my literacy level today 1,357 Words Benefits of Being a Bookworm Have you ever been asked, â€Å"What is your first language? † Living in such a melting pot of a country, the United States, minorities often get asked this question. Usually when people ask others this question, it is not because they want to know which language you learned to speak first. People ask this question to see which language the one being questioned is more fluent in. Is it possible that your second language might be the one you are more fluent and literate in? The answer to this question is yes. I am a first-generation immigrant to the United States and proud. My first language (to be politically correct) would be Cape Verdean Portuguese Creole. What I want to ask is why is it important to know what my first-language is when I am more literate and fluent in English? If I can compare my languages to my siblings, I would, due to the fact that I was raised with both of them equally during the course of my life. I learned Creole at home with my parents ad family, but I owe my literacy I English to school, and the love I had for reading. Practice makes perfect. A person’s literacy level is completely based on practice. Schools aim to train students to be literate and educated, but those students who practice at home (outside of the regulations of school) are the true scholars. Let’s look at Malcolm X, for example; a man who had formal schooling up until the eighth grade and nothing after that. Yet, even though Malcolm X had less schooling than all of us college students here at UMASS Dartmouth, he is probably, in my opinion, more literate and more educated than most of us. Interesting isn’t it? The reason why Malcolm X was so educated is because he read every day, non-stop, in his jail cell, with no distractions. He kept a dictionary by his side to teach himself any new words he would come across that he was unfamiliar with. What better way is there to familiarize yourself with a language and expand your vocabulary other than reading written works by other people that most likely know things you don’t know and have a different vocabulary than you? By reading you learn new diction, new facts, and cause your brain to grow in knowledge. I can say that aside from school, reading, like Malcolm X, expanded my literacy skills. As I had said before, I am a first generation immigrant; my parents also are first generation immigrants. I never had the luxury of being taught English by my parents, being read to by my parents, or getting help with my homework or anything academic at all except for math, of course, which doesn’t vary between countries that speak different languages. But even with this being said, I had always been at the top of my class in elementary school, done very well in middle school, and done well enough in high school to have the pleasure of being offered the opportunity to be in an Advanced Placement English class. I was a nerd in my early years. I used to enjoy reading very much. I would always ask my father to take me to the library, where I would check out many books and go through them like a bullet. During class time, when the teacher would be finished or took a break and there was nothing else to be done, I loved reading; I looked forward to silent reading time in class. When I had a 100-page book, I would tend to finish it within a day. Longer books such as the Harry Potter series would be finished within a few days. I never had a problem with reading assignments because I would finish them so quickly and understand everything I read. I had an eighth-grade reading level in elementary school while I would watch other students struggle while reading aloud as they stumbled on their words and wouldn’t know how to properly pronounce them. I never understood why it was so easy for me while other students would find it difficult. As a child I read all the Harry Potter books; they were my favorite. I also enjoyed other series such as Curious George, The Babysitter’s Club, and Judy Blume. I also read plenty of other books that I cannot remember because the list was so long. I believe that there is a strong relationship between reading and writing. Someone who is an excellent reader and comprehends what he/she reads should have a big vocabulary and a sense of how real, professional writers perform. Every book, magazine, and newspaper we read or look at is composed of articles and passages written by professional writers. If you have a lot of experience with all this, then you should know what a professional piece of work looks like and sounds like. Therefore, I feel like someone who reads a lot will be a good writer as well. The two things are connected, and it helps to write when you are a skilled reader and vice versa. Books are the perfect model for those who want to become more skilled as writers. After all, that is exactly what Malcolm X did, and he became very skilled. It takes a very skilled writer to produce the best books out there. If one does not know how to read and cannot understand words on a page, then how is it that they can know how to write the words down on their own pages. Similarly, if you are deaf, how can you learn to speak properly? Hearing words and their pronunciation is the model for the deaf to learn how to speak; and if they are missing their model or example, it can be almost impossible to learn naturally, on their own. I feel that reading and writing are the most important elements of school and learning. Books, articles, research papers, whether they are non-fiction or fiction, all serve a very important purpose. Whether you are reading for pleasure to expand your imagination and reduce your stress, reading to attain information on a specific topic or just to expand your knowledge, or reading to practice and become more literate and a better writer, you are never at a loss. Therefore, writing becomes very important because, if it wasn’t for writing, there would be nothing out there for us to read in the first place. Reading is not for the lazy. I used to love reading as a kid and found it so interesting, but as I grew into my teenage years and became more interested in action, reality and drama, I distanced myself from all the reading and became more of an extrovert. The occasional newspaper article or magazine article is still entertaining to me though. Even now, as a college student, you will never find me reading anything unless it is required for me to achieve the grades I desire; never do I read for pleasure. I feel that I achieved a high reading level way back in my middle school days, and that has influenced me to think that the only thing now that can improve my writing is to keep writing. I feel that I have acquired a great deal of knowledge throughout my lifetime and I did a lot of this myself through all my readings. Nobody pushed me to read during my spare time. My parents weren’t very literate in the English language to be role models for me or to help me read or even read to me. All the instructions I have read, all the words I learned how to pronounce, I did it on my own through reading. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember seeing my father ever read a book, and my mom didn’t start reading until after she went back to school to get her college degree. Literacy is all about exploring the world of words, and pages, reading, and writing. In order for one to achieve great literacy, one will need to push and challenge himself/herself to read more and understand the readings.