...Taoism Taoism (or Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia for more than two millennia, and have had a notable influence on the western world particularly since the 19th century.The word 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme), roughly translates as, "path" or "way" (of life), although in Chinese folk religion and philosophy it carries more abstract meanings. Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility, while Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos (天人相应), health and longevity, and wu wei (action through inaction), which is thought to produce harmony with the Universe. Reverence for ancestor spirits and immortals is also common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of the folk religion, which some professional Taoists (Daoshi) view as debased. Chinese alchemy (including Neidan), astrology, cuisine, Zen Buddhism,several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, feng shui, immortality, and many styles of qigong breath training disciplines have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history. Spelling and pronunciation In English, the words Daoism and Taoism are the subject of an ongoing controversy over the preferred romanization. The root Chinese word 道 "way, path" is romanized tao in the older Wade–Giles system and dào in the modern...
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...zen, and followed popular teaching styles by religiously practicing the zazen and koan. He created a new koan system in the eighteenth century which had 5 general categories and three classifications. Because meditation practices are the foundation of Buddhism, Hakuin was able to categorize the use of koans through Zen Buddhism and allowed himself to reach satori. By reaching satori, Hakuin was able to help others reach Satori and focus on logic and understanding monastic language. He was significant in the development of training Zen monks throughout Rinzai Zen Buddhism. D.T. Suzuki (1870-1976): D.T. Suzuki is an American who is accredited with merging Western influence to Rinzai Zen. He is the main founder of Zen Buddhism in the United States and advocates that Zen needs to be understood in the context of Buddhism. He embraced the essence of Zen as mystical experience that uses meditation and spiritual instruction to become...
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...Global Business Cultural Analysis: Hong Kong Ruben R. Castro Dr. Maria Marin Business 604 July 3, 2013 History Hong Kong has been inhabited for millennia, with the early Che people settling the land early on. During the period of the Warring States in Mainland China, Yuet people immigrated from the north and forcibly assimilated the Che people. During the time of the Qin Dynasty Hong Kong was made a part of unified Imperial China. Throughout the Han Dynasty in the 10th century the region grew in economic importance as a result of the local pearl industry. When the Mongols invaded China, Hong Kong saw a large influx of refugees from Mainland China, creating a population boom and further enlarging the already strong economy that had built around Hong Kong as a maritime trading port. In the 19th century, Britain, faced with a growing trade deficit with China due to the British appetite for tea, expanded its sale of opium to China dramatically. The ruling Qing Dynasty disapproved, and banned the sale of opium. Britain pushed the issue by declaring war, and occupied Hong Kong Island by 1831. The British would control Hong Kong until World War II. The Japanese seized the region briefly during World War II. Shortly after the war, the declaration of Communist China led to a new wave of refugees to British Hong Kong. As China continued to pursue an isolationist stance during the Communist era, Hong Kong became an important connection between the West and the mainland, and...
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...RUNNING HEAD: CHINESE MEDICAL CULTURE Chinese Medical Culture April 13, 2012 Carrington College Chinese Medical Culture Culture is defined as the thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious or social groups. There are millions of different cultures in the world, which are socially transmitted knowledge, behavioral patterns, values, beliefs, norms, and lifestyles of a particular group that guides their view of the world and decision-making (Fundamentals of Nursing ch.9). Just about every culture has their own way of assessing pain, giving medications, and treating procedures that may not be the same as the health care system in the United States but still is the same goal; which is to better the patient. The Chinese medical culture has there own specific and unique values, beliefs, and practices. Within the Chinese culture, values are strongly influenced by the Yin/Yang which are general opposing forces. Yin is said to be a female with cold negative energy and Yang is said to be a male with hot positive energy. Imbalance from these two forces is said to result in sickness. It is also said that hot and cold food resemble the Yin/Yang, are a necessity to maintain a proper balance of health. The Chinese also highly value the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Their belief is that the all of the five elements are in relation with each other and if one element is out of balance then...
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...Religious Splits Christianity is the world religion with the greatest number of followers. The name Christian comes from the title given to Jesus of Nazareth – ‘the Christ’ which is a Greek word which means ‘Messiah’. Christianity began in Palestine in the 1st century CE as the claimed fulfillment of God’s promises to the Jews. There are many different types of Christianity practiced; the major division is between Western (itself divided into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) and Orthodox Christianity. Christianity is a belief system that has had immense cultural and political consequences. Christianity comes from the life and teachings of Jesus (5BCE-30CE approximately), a Palestinian Jew. Worship is undertaken in buildings called churches. Entry in to the Christian Church is via Baptism and is usually undertaken when the person is a baby though denominations such as Baptists wait until the person is old enough to confirm personally their own Christian faith. In denominations where Baptism is the norm for babies, Confirmation is undertaken where the person personally affirms the vows undertaken for them when they were baptized as a baby. Christians believe worshipping in a group is important and this is usually called a service which takes place in a church on a Sunday (Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday). Each denomination worships in a different way. Some may be only slight while others are more noticeable. The most important differences...
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...devised a set of guidelines for individual moral development and for creating a harmonious, orderly society. During the early twentieth century, Confucianism lost its dominance in the political and educational systems of China. Throughout the modern era, the moral teachings that form the heart of Confucianism have continued to shape the attitudes and behaviors of millions of people worldwide.(Coogan, 1998) The contemporary issues can be understood by examining the common characteristics of Confucianism and other eastern religions, analyzing the interactions between the modern world and Confucianism, and studying how those interactions influence Confucianism and the modern world. Common Characteristics Among Eastern Religions Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are three religions that make up the essence of traditional, Chinese culture. While all three religions have differences, the religions also share fundamental elements such as purpose, principle, and teachings that have created a strong and long lasting way of life for the Chinese culture. When comparing religions a person can deduce that all religions have a purpose and follow a specific set of rules, guidelines, and traditions. The vessel that leads each individual to their ultimate purpose can be different, as well as where the instructions originate from. The similar purpose of these Eastern religions is for the attainment of inner harmony with self and nature.(Coogan, 1998) This purpose can be achieved by living by a set...
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...general movement from China and Tibet. They were followed by the Malays, who brought with them skills in farming and the use of metals. As the beginning of Ancient Malaysia, the- Negrito aborigines are considered to be one of the first groups of people to inhabit the Malaysian peninsula. When the Proto-Malays, made up of seafarers and farmers, came to the peninsula they sent the Negritos into the jungles and hills. The Proto-Malays came from China and were technologically advanced, especially in comparison to the Negritos. After the Proto-Malays came the Deuteron-Malays, which were made up of many different people - Arabs, Chinese, Indians, Proto-Malays, and Siamese. The Deuteron-Malays were proficient in their use of iron and when they united with Indonesians, they combined to make up the people known today as the Malay. Around the first century BC, strong trading links were established with China and India, and these had a major impact on the culture, language and social customs of the country. During this period, Malaysia's culture changed dramatically with the arrival of Indians. Indians initially went to the Malaysian peninsula in search of a mystical place known as the "Land of Gold." Although the places in Malaysia may not have been what they were looking for, they didn't leave, but continued to arrive in search of gold, spices and aromatic wood. In addition to trade (with goods), the...
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...research about our partner Walt Disney Company. As we know this huge company does have an intention to consider Taiwan as viable location to import their company product for long time ago. Taiwan’s island population concentration of 641.24 km2, which is only second to Bangladesh’s 1,101.2 km2, would cause great desire to have the Disneyland and Resorts, especially in the southern part of Taiwan which is where all the good beaches reside. For the Geographical setting of Taiwan, we found that it have both advantage and drawback for us when operating a theme park business here. Advantage is Taiwan is a small island which means the entire Taiwanese or tourist that came to Taiwan may easily come to visit our theme park, unlike Japan or United States; tourist might not easily or have no time to visit every single place in those big countries. But on the other hands, we also might not able to find an suitable huge place to held theme park in such a small island, especially these place already have plenty of theme park as well. For aware this challenge, we have a good strategy to resolve it, that is take over or work with one of the local theme park, the details strategy will contain in part three of next assignment. Other than location issue, the other problem we aware that is although the average temperature in Taiwan 22C is consider suitable for having leisure entertainment such as our theme park, but Taiwan will have typhoon season in June to October, it definitely will influence...
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...FOUNDATIONS OF TAOIST PRACTICE by Jampa Mackenzie Stewart When you try to define Taoism, you immediately run into trouble. The great Taoist philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, begins his first chapter with the warning words, The Tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. Thus Westerners are not the only ones who have a hard time defining Taoism; the Chinese have had difficulty time agreeing on just what Taoism is for millenia. Taoism is sometimes defined as a ritualistic religion, as a philosophy, as Chinese folk religion, as alchemy, as a system of magical lore, or as a series of health practices similar to yoga. The adherants of each school often look with disdain on the others as being heterodoxy, heresy, or simply incomplete portions of the great Tao. The Chinese word Tao (pronounced "dow") means "the way, the path." In the common sense it refers to the way of doing anything, or the pathway to some destination. In its higher meaning, Tao refers to the way of the universe, the way things are. As a spiritual system, Tao means the way to achieving a true understanding of the nature of mind and reality, to the way of living in harmony with the changes of Nature. Thus the Tao is the goal, the path and the journey all in one. A Taoist then, is "a follower of the Way," the same title by which the early Buddhists and Christians dubbed themselves. The earliest Taoists appeared at least four thousand years...
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...THE KOREAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Cultural, Political, Economic Foundations Chan Sup Chang and Nahn Joo Chang Q Quorum Books Westport, Connecticut London Preface We approached the Korean management system from a cultural context. Although they share a common Oriental culture with other neighboring nations, Koreans maintain a unique culture. This culture, combined with the impact of the geopolitical environment of the Korean peninsula, results in a unique behavioral pattern. Thus, managers and workers in the Korean management system behave differently from their counterparts in other countries. The Koreans have accomplished remarkable economic success since the 1960s, and their management system has played a major role in contributing to this phenomenal economic achievement. Entrepreneurs, top executives, managers, and workers in the management system are all integral parts of the system, and they have performed their assigned jobs effectively. Therefore, to comprehend the unique nature of this Korean management system, we performed an in-depth analysis on its performance. The external environment of the Korean management system is a crucial factor in understanding it. In this kind of environment, the role of government is prominent because without active support from the government, no enterprise can survive and prosper. The government, in return, demands some favors from these enterprises, making this a quid pro quo, a unique feature of the Korean management system. We will...
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... Heritage Assessment The increasing population of immigrants in the United States has contributed to health disparities in the health care system. Cultural competence can remove health disparities by eliminating personal biases, and treating every person with respect. Simply recognizing and accepting different cultures is not enough, one must be able to consistently recognize and understand the differences in order to be culturally competent. Knowledge and culturally competent practices are a must for nurses to deliver quality care in our rapidly changing multicultural world (Edelman, 2014 p. 25). The heritage assessment tool is a set of questions that can be used to determine a patient’s ethnic, cultural, and religious heritage. The tool is helpful in assessing how deeply a person is tied to their traditions, and can help nurses become culturally competent. The greater the number of positive responses reflects how closely one is tied to their particular heritage. Once the history is learned and the degree which one identifies with the tradition is discovered, the focus is placed on discovering the role that the tradition plays in the situation (Culture Guide, 2014). Family Interviews I interviewed three families from different cultures to see how closely they were bound to their heritage. The families originally were from China, Vietnam, and England. The families all moved to the United States when the adults were middle age and the children were young adults. While...
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...Negotiation: the Chinese style Tony Fang School of Business, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden Abstract Purpose – To examine the nature of Chinese business negotiating style in Sino-Western business negotiations in business-to-business markets involving large industrial projects from a social cultural point of view. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual approach developed from personal interviews. Findings – This study reveals that the Chinese negotiator does not possess an absolute negotiating style but rather embraces a mixture of different roles together: “Maoist bureaucrat in learning”, “Confucian gentleman”, and “Sun Tzu-like strategist”. The Chinese negotiating strategy is essentially a combination of cooperation and competition (termed as the “coop-comp” negotiation strategy in this study). Trust is the ultimate indicator of Chinese negotiating propensities and role choices. Research limitations/implications – The focus of this study is on Chinese negotiating style shown in large B2B negotiations with Chinese SOEs. Originality/value – Differing from most other studies on Chinese negotiating style which tend to depict the Chinese negotiator as either sincere or deceptive, this study points out that there exists an intrinsic paradox in Chinese negotiating style which reflects the Yin Yang thinking. The Chinese negotiator has a cultural capacity to negotiate both sincerely and deceptively and he/she changes coping strategies according to situation and context...
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...smaller islands. The large island, which is also called Singapore, covers about 250 square miles (650 square kilometers). The other islands have a combined area of about 20 square miles (50 square kilometers). About half are uninhabited. Singapore was originally settled by Great Britain in 1819 as a port of call. The British used Singapore to extend their territories in Indonesia. It remained under British rule until 1941 when Japan bombed and captured Singapore. After three years of Japanese rule, British forces returned to the island. By this time Singapore was longing for self-government. Singapore realized its need for independence in 1959 holding its first general election. The new, independent Singapore was voted into the United Nations in 1965. On December 22, 1965, Singapore became a republic electing Yusof bin Ishak as its first president. The British used Singapore to extend their territories in Indonesia. It remained under British rule until 1941 when Japan bombed and captured Singapore. After three years of Japanese rule, British forces returned to the island. By this time Singapore was longing for self- government. Singapore realized...
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...but if the audience feels insulted, understand that it is not the objective of this paper. The author disclaims all responsibility for any harm caused by the paper. Please take this essay with an analytical and introspective approach. Atheism is one of the least understood philosophies of all time, but has been around for as long as religion has. There is always been someone to question the validity of gods or goddesses; someone who does not believe the world was created by a supreme being in 7 days. This paper outlines some of the contrasting points between religion and Atheism. It talks about deities and the history of Atheism and its migration to America. Many believe a Supreme Being, king, or lord created the Constitution of the United States, but it is clear that people wrote the constitution for the people. Many Atheists believe that a belief in God is based on irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is derived from a rational, no-nonsense appraisal of the way things really are. "I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." -President George Bush Whether god exists is a question that cannot be answered with complete confidence by people of great faith or by people of great doubt; however, it is a question that has been debated, talked about, and defended with blood, sweat, and tears. There is widespread belief that a god, gods or goddesses exists, but Atheist...
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...economic, political, and cultural factors that influence business practices in China. INTRODUCTION After more than a quarter century of reform and opening to the outside world, by 2005 China’s economy had become the second largest in the world after the United States when measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis (World Bank, 2009). The Chinese government has a goal of quadrupling the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020 and more than doubling the per capita GDP. A widespread market economy mechanisms and some reduction of government role has been evident since 1978. The government fosters a dual economic structure that has evolved from a socialist, centrally planned economy to a socialist market economic system, or a “market economy with socialist characteristics.” The rapid industrial development has been achieved by increasing technological advancements, huge foreign direct investment and productivity increases. People’s communes were eliminated by 1984, after more than 25 years, and the system of township-collective-household production was introduced to the agricultural sector. Private ownership of production assets is now legal, although some non-agricultural and industrial facilities are still state-owned and centrally planned. Restraints on foreign trade were relaxed when China acceded to the World Trade 12...
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