Hinduism Paper Essay Example for Free

Hinduism Paper Essay Hinduism is a unique religion. Except for Hinduism, the world’s most popular religions share the quality of having a single founder. Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, Islam on those of Mohammed, Judaism on those of Abraham, and Buddhism on those of Gautam Buddha. According to Adherents.com (2007), Hinduism is the fifth-ranked most popular organized religion in the world; however, unlike the top four religions, Hinduism lacks a unifying belief system. One may wonder how the religion sustains itself when it is so different from the other major religions. All forms of Hinduism are based on four central themes, and the cultural and societal influences of these themes have made Hinduism vital to the region where it originated. According to Das (2009), â€Å"Hinduism is a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions†. True Hindus live their lives with devotion to ethics and duties, known as Dharma. Dharma is important because along with Karma (the effects actions have on one’s life), these two forces influence the soul’s reincarnation, or Samsara. Hindus believe that after many lives of good Karma, the soul reaches the end of the Samsara process, called Moksha. Upon achieving Moksha, the soul gains â€Å"liberation from the limitations of space, time, and matter through realization of the immortal Absolute† (Fisher, 2005, p. 75). To ensure this upward movement of the soul, Hindus typically strive to observe tenets of non-violence, celibacy, truth, and cleanliness, among other ethical principles (Das, 2009). Hinduism is practiced largely in the impoverished areas of India. What makes these areas impoverished? According to IndianChild.com, â€Å"The poor spend about 80 percent of their income on food while the rest of the population spends more than 60 percent†. One way in which the practice of Hinduism benefits people of this area is the belief that cows are sacred. Rather than using the cow for its meat, Hindus benefit more by using the cows for dairy and working the farmlands (Prakasa, 2008). Maintaining a nonviolent lifestyle has also kept warring to a minimum, and as a side effect few cows have perished as a result of war. Sociologists using the social-conflict approach to their studies would find the Hinduism regions a gold mine of information. Most Hindu societies are organized into what is known as a caste system. In a caste system, individuals are born into a certain tier of social privilege and typically remain there throughout their lives. The highest tier, known as Brahmins, was the priestly caste. Brahmins served to bridge the gap between men and gods, acting as temple priests and invoking gods on behalf of others. Besides the two castes just below Brahmins, they were the only ones permitted to study the Vedas, the ancient Hindu holy texts (V, 2008). Kshatriyas are those who make up the second highest caste in the Hindu caste system. This caste is known as the warrior class and the caste of kings. A king’s social duties included protecting his kingdom and its people, showering the Brahmins with luxurious gifts, and administering justice in a fair manner. Hindu kings were thought to be imbued with the essence of the gods, and as such were never to be despised. Never was a king’s authority to be questioned unless the king was not fulfilling his responsibilities to the Brahmins. The Vaishyas and the Shudras make up the next two classes. Vaishyas were expected to â€Å"tend cattle, offer sacrifices, study the Vedas, trade, lend money and cultivate the land.† While they were allowed to participate in many religious rituals, they could not marry the women of a higher class. The Shudras relate most equally to the middle class of United States society. As the working caste, their only duties were to serve the higher three classes. They could observe some of the religious rituals, but in most cases were not required to do so. Already not allowed to study the Vedic texts, they were also not allowed to hear the sacred chants or eat food in the company of those from a higher caste. Four castes are typically recognized, but many Hindu cultures observe a fifth, lowest class. The Chandalas were known as the â€Å"impure ones.† Chandalas were not allowed to walk in the same streets as men from higher castes, nor were they even allowed to enter the city during daylight hours. The sight of a Chandala was seen as a bad omen, and even their shadows were considered impure. Forced to live on the outskirts of society, Chandalas typically made their livings as graveyard caretakers, hunters, and professionals adept at cleaning human waste. Being a very different religion from the other major religions, Hinduism has had a unique effect on the regions where it developed. Though one common belief system cannot be found, the tenets on which the religion is based have served to promote a very organized civilization. Whether or not that organization has been more beneficial than what a different organization would have been has been probably been hotly debated, but one undeniable fact remains: if the caste system was not a viable form of social construction, it would not have survived for so long.   Perhaps much of the world can learn about the benefits of religious devotion and ethical lifestyle through study of Hinduism.

Literature Review: Open Visitations in ICU Oksana Bjorlie Walden Univer

Literature Review: Open Visitations in ICU Studies have shown that open ICU visitation is an asset rather than a hindrance with respect to a patient’s wellbeing. Since the 1950s, visiting has changed from a strict nurse-controlled regime to a more flexible patient-centered approach (Taylor, 2008, p. 30). Family inclusion in patient care is evolving into a collaborative model between patient, family and healthcare providers. In response to this collaboration of patient and family-centered care (PFCC), this method has been encouraged in order to achieve the most beneficial outcomes for patients and their families. Open visitation in the ICU should be encouraged, not because of the pressure of growing social awareness, but because it can provide comprehensive responses to the needs of patients and their families. Many studies are being conducted on this subject garnering a great deal of support prompting the implementation of PFCC, which encourages open visitation in ICU. The following is a brief summary of research studies concerning the current state of knowledge related to the promotion and benefits of open visitation in the ICU. Literature Sources The main purpose of conducting a literature review is to obtain the most usable and reliable studies that pertain to the topic of the interest. High reliability and quality of evidence-based studies are provided by filtered sources. For my review I was able to find systematic reviews and individual articles. All of these reviews pertain to the dilemma of open visitation vs. restricted visitation in Intensive Care Units. With multiple views from different perspectives I was able to utilize the comparison and trials approaches. Also, to prepare for this project I was able to utilize unf... ...ithin the context of patient- and family- centered care. International Journal of Evidence Based Healthcare, 9: 362-387. doi:10.1111/j.1744-1609.2011.00229.x Clarke, C., Harrison, D. (2001). The needs of children visiting on adult ICU: a review of the literature and recommendations for practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(1), 61-68. Giannini, A. (2007). Open intensive care units: the case in favor. Minerva Anestesiologica, 73(5), 299-304. Hoye, S., Severinsson, E. (2007). Methodological aspects of rigor in qualitative nursing research on families involved in ICU: A literature review. Nursing and Health Sciences, 9, 61-68 doi:10.1111/j.14422018.2007.00300.x Taylor, A. (2008). Exploring patient, visitor and staff views on open visiting. Nursing Times, 104, 30-33.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Essay

This paper concerns the personal strengths and weakness of my own life. The details I will be presenting are what I consider my best and worst strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this paper is to clearly define each of these and figure out a way to learn how to solve my weaknesses and make my strengths even stronger. Identifying personal strengths and weaknesses are essential part of the overall learning processes. Just as we understand which methods and techniques help us to learn at an optimal level, understanding our strengths and weaknesses help us to become more self conscious and well-rounded individuals. I believe that life is our personal experiences and everyone has certain attributes with their personal strengths and weaknesses. . Being aware of what are my best strengths can help me overcome my worst weaknesses. In the past, I have had a hard time recognizing my weakness but as you get older, you become more aware of your weaknesses. I feel that recognizing your strengths and weaknesses is what makes you a successful person in any aspects of your life. I feel that one of my greatest strengths is that I love to learn. Life to me  is a never-ending learning experience. As we go through our life it is vital that we learn who we are and have the ability to grow from our own strengths and weaknesses. I feel by overcoming my weaknesses and reinforcing my strengths that I will become more successful in both my personal and professional life. My strengths, which include good analytical skills, and good computer skills, are offset by my weaknesses, which is procrastination and dreadful writing and grammar skills. I believe one of my greatest strengths is my analytical skills. I love working with numbers and figuring out complicated problems. This is why I chose Accounting for my profession. I love working with numbers and figuring things out. Very few people love working in accounting. Another of my strengths is my computer skill. I am a very fast learner when it comes to figuring out new computer software or hardware. This stems from my husband who I have learned a lot from over the past eight years. His profession is in the computer software business. Often the people I work with will turn to me for help with configuring their computers or formatting a Word document. I had a difficult time narrowing this list to just one or two faults that I would mention here. My one of my most weaknesses is that I am a major procrastinator. Over the past few years, I have tried to work on this fault by reading books and lectures. I feel the only way to stop procrastinating is through determination, commitment, and a desire to change. I believe I possess the determination and desire, and I commit today to apply myself to making this change in my personality. I feel that this next weakness can either be considered a fault or a strength and that is organization. I am a compulsive organizer and sometimes that tends to slow me down on projects. It also takes time away from my children because I am such a perfectionist and organizer. I do not think anyone is perfect but I do think we all strive to be our best. The first step is to improve our weaknesses by learning from them everyday. I think that by using are strengths to improve our weaknesses would be a very efficient process we all could learn. I think that taking this class will definitely improve my weaknesses and help me learn more about my strengths Both my personal and professional life.

Amino Acids Quiz

Sociological Perspective of Gun Violence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1626 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/20 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gun Violence Essay Did you like this example? The ad that I have chosen for this assignment represents two kids standing in a classroom environment, both kids have one thing in common, theyre both holding an object in their hands. One of the kids is holding a surprise egg, whereas the other kid is holding a gun. I have seen this ad in one of my social media accounts. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sociological Perspective of Gun Violence" essay for you Create order The advertisement is very compelling and regards to one of the main issues that people in United States face these days. I will be analyzing the sociological perspectives of gun violence and how gun control should change, and how guns are more dangerous than a surprise egg. In order to understand the sociological perspective of gun violence it is important to understand what the reason behind gun violence is. As one of the main key points in understanding its perspective is the socialization, which is how ones behavior is. The definition of term socialization refers to socializing agents which are mainly family, school, religious intuitions and the peer groups. (Caffrey, K. P. (2013). As the primary socialization group is the family. There are patterns where people get their beliefs and values from. Therefore, to understand why gun violence or any other violence occur it is important to consider the sociological factors of ones life. The criminal behaviors are learned, and socialization is what causes these behaviors as socialization is a process of learning and adapting. Furthermore, as the main goal of this ad is to portray how guns are more dangerous than the surprise eggs. The main goal is to differentiate what is dangerous and what is safe. One of the main issue in the year of 2018 have been the school shootings. School shooting have increased by a large number as the learning environment have become a dangerous place for students. I have researched the statistical number and correlations for most of the school shooting and the numbers indicate that there have been 23 school shooting starting from January to May of 2018. Which is equivalent to an average of one shooting per week according to CNN news. (Ahmed, S., Walker, C. 2018) So, what is the issue behind these numbers increasing is the question that can be interpreted by correlating the similarities between most of the shooters. Gender, could masculinity be one of the reasons for school shootings. As the statistical data indicates that all the shooters in the school shooting were male. Is there a certain pattern which would help us to understand how gender plays a role in these shootings? All social institutions and practices†education, marriage, law, the economy, fashion, health care, even baby names†are in some way tied up with gender norms and expectations.( Conley, D. (2017).pg. 290) It is a social norm for men to be more dominant and violent. It seems like the violence is one of the identities given to all men as both genders have norms. One of the norms for men is to be more dominant, are the gender roles one of the issues or reasons which cause violence, and specifically school shootings, where guns are used as the weapon. What can we predict about the future of education institutions, would gun violence prevent people from getting the proper education, as education plays an important role in our lives. The amount of education we get these days can contribute to a better future and a better job. By looking at this ad I was thinking about schools and the victims of school shootings, would the people who were victims of a school shooting be traumatized to go back to school be fearing that these events can occur more than once. Would school shooting be one of the concerns of people that dont continue school? Probably not, as its still not to the point where students are afraid to attend school. Yet, if no action is taken and fi gun control and laws regarding guns dont change. The gun violence will be one of main sociological issue people face in the era. Looking at statics and the races for most of the shooters, there are strong patterns which will lead to solid assumptions that most school shooting are c onvicted by white male people or specifically and more often by white male students. Who are going through serious psychological and mainly sociological issues. As a school is a social platform. People who have problems regarding school have sociological issues, because educational institutions are one of the sources for socialization. One of the scholarly articles that I have found on school shooting is by Jorge Celis, as he is looking at the patterns of school shooting and gun violence. He mentions that societal factors impact school shooting, as I mentioned from the from my other source that socialization is one of the societal factor, in addition masculinity according to Celis is the other societal factor which leads to school shooting. He finds schools to be the social entities which are responsible for internalizations of social values (C., J. 2015) Furthermore he shares a geographical distribution of school shooting from 2013 where Unites States hold the first place. Another interesting fact that I have learned from this article is that school shooters are the good students with good grades, as their grades drops as these students are exposed stressors for the most of their life. Historically we have known that men are physically stronger, could the school shooting be a representation of strength. As most o f us know the school shooters are mostly victims of bullying could the act of shooting up a place be a representation of strength? From scholar article one and from the second article we can initiate that there are two factors to the sociological perspective of gun violence and mainly to the school shooting one of which is the socialization which is one of the main resources in our life, as the way we socialize can change who we are and who we become, another sociological perspective is masculinity. Would carrying a gun around make you look more masculine as it is a social norm for men to portray their masculinity in public. My main question is, have any of us seen a woman carrying a gun around with her at her waist? I personally never seen a woman carrying guns around however there have been many times where I see men carrying guns around. As masculinity is something that needs to be shown to be proven, the violence is learned. Scholarly article by sociologist from University of Montana assumes that when a behavior is reinforced many times it will increase in frequency. Therefore, according to Krista Caffrey violence is learned and it starts from the childhood. Studies indicate that early intervention, both in the classroom with disruptive and violent children and in the home with emotionally and physically abusive families, can result in a reduction in adult criminal behavior (Caffrey, K. P. (2013). As I mentioned before the violence is learned but does the increase in number of school shooting indicates a new norm. I dont specifically want to call this a social norm, but it seems like throughout the first five months of 2018 the number of school shooting have increased. Does this mean students learn violence through media? How does social media portray school shootings, and does it encourage others to get into this act of violence is a great sociological question. As I am trying to interpret the sociological message in the ad, I might have gone very deep in to the topic of gun violence. The sociological message in the advertisement is to show how the two objects that are being help by these two innocent kids are both dangerous for these kids however only one of them is banned which is the surprise egg, which contains a toy that is found to be hazardous for kids. Kids seem to get killed by the hazardous toys that the surprise eggs have inside them. But the main problem is that the girl in the ad holding the gun shows that theres something more dangerous that is killing kids these days as the shootings have increased drastically in the past years in the United states mainly. Does that mean something needs to be done as the laws on gun control should be changed and more actions which will prevent these shootings especially school shootings as theyre the most common type of shootings that happen these days. In conclusion, my main goal was to interpret the sociological messages given in the advertisement which has two kids holding two different objects, a gun and a surprise egg. As I concentrated on interpreting the sociological perspectives of violence and school shootings which are the act where guns are the main weapon. I used two perspectives of which one was the socialization and masculinity according to the second scholarly resource that I used for this paper. The school shooting has increased in the year of 2018, as the numbers increase I have a strong assumption that the number will continue increasing as it has been a norm for the school shooting to be very common. The way social media portrays them, and the way people feel about these violence acts should change. People need to be aware that this is a big issue and socialization as the main reason should be improved as kids should be given lessons if needed to attain better sociological atmosphere. Yet it is sometimes difficult to control ones actions as the main socialization factors is the family, as according to my first scholarly sources the violence is learned. Which passes through the group you get socialized with, however looking at this ad there are things that can be done to change the laws which will make guns less accessible.

Analysis Of The Great Migration Of 1843 - 1069 Words

In 1843, farmers from Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, who were not satisfied by the future their homes could offer them, decided to leave on a 2000-mile journey to Oregon in hope of finding better lives . In 1845, a few years after The Great Migration of 1843, fur trapper and guide Stephen Meek, mislead a group of emigrants following the Oregon trail from Missouri to the Willamette Valley, to a shortcut that put many of their lives at stake. Based on this true story, Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff (2010) uses its mise-en-scà ¨ne, cinematography and other formal properties to generate meaning about themes represented in this event such as trust, survival, and women’s role in a patriarchal society. The demonstration of this type of society is shown in the film by the use of the women’s point of view, which will be analysed using a simple chosen excerpt. In the selected scene, the women’s muteness and passiveness can be clearly identified by multiple elements of formal features such as the point of view shot and edit of sound. One of the most obvious elements supporting this view is the manipulation of the loudness of sound. In the 9th shot, William, Thomas and Solomon walk towards Stephen as the camera stays positioned approximately where Emily and Glory are standing, thus creating a mobile long shot of the men as they are walking away from the women. As the camera adopts, the women’s point of view shot, the sound also adopts their point-of audition. The importanceShow MoreRelatedReligion and Education: The Long Struggle of African-Canadians3281 Words   |  13 Pages1828; this was after the blacks realized that their children were not given chances by local officials. 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Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 16 Free Essays

string(115) " picked up in Kabul and they were comfortable to ride, but more important, none of them had ever tried to bite me\." Chapter 16 We were twelve days into our journey, following Balthasar’s meticulously drawn map, when we came to the wall. â€Å"So,† I said, â€Å"what do you think of the wall?† â€Å"It’s great,† said Joshua. â€Å"It’s not that great,† I said. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 16 or any similar topic only for you Order Now There was a long line waiting to get through the giant gate, where scores of bureaucrats collected taxes from caravan masters as they passed through. The gatehouses alone were each as big as one of Herod’s palaces, and soldiers rode horses atop the wall, patrolling far into the distance. We were a good league back from the gate and the line didn’t seem to be moving. â€Å"This is going to take all day,† I said. â€Å"Why would they build such a thing? If you can build a wall like this then you ought to be able to raise an army large enough to defeat any invaders.† â€Å"Lao-tzu built this wall,† Joshua said. â€Å"The old master who wrote the Tao? I don’t think so.† â€Å"What does the Tao value above all else?† â€Å"Compassion? Those other two jewel things?† â€Å"No, inaction. Contemplation. Steadiness. Conservatism. A wall is the defense of a country that values inaction. But a wall imprisons the people of a country as much as it protects them. That’s why Balthasar had us go this way. He wanted me to see the error in the Tao. One can’t be free without action.† â€Å"So he spent all that time teaching us the Tao so we could see that it was wrong.† â€Å"No, not wrong. Not all of it. The compassion, humility, and moderation of the Tao, these are the qualities of a righteous man, but not inaction. These people are slaves to inaction.† â€Å"You worked as a stonecutter, Josh,† I said, nodding toward the massive wall. â€Å"You think this wall was built through inaction?† â€Å"The magus wasn’t teaching us about action as in work, it was action as in change. That’s why we learned Confucius first – everything having to do with the order of our fathers, the law, manners. Confucius is like the Torah, rules to follow. And Lao-tzu is even more conservative, saying that if you do nothing you won’t break any rules. You have to let tradition fall sometime, you have to take action, you have to eat bacon. That’s what Balthasar was trying to teach me.† â€Å"I’ve said it before, Josh – and you know how I love bacon – but I don’t think bacon is enough for the Messiah to bring.† â€Å"Change,† Joshua said. â€Å"A Messiah has to bring change. Change comes through action. Balthasar once said to me, ‘There’s no such thing as a conservative hero.’ He was wise, that old man.† I thought about the old magus as I looked at the wall stretching over the hills, then at the line of travelers ahead of us. A small city had grown up at the entrance to the wall to accommodate the needs of the delayed travelers along the Silk Road and it boiled with merchants hawking food and drink along the line. â€Å"Screw it,† I said. â€Å"This is going to take forever. How long can it be? Let’s go around.† A month later, when we had returned to the same gate and we were standing in line to get through, Joshua asked: â€Å"So what do you think of the wall now? I mean, now that we’ve seen so much more of it?† â€Å"I think it’s ostentatious and unpleasant,† I said. â€Å"If they don’t have a name for it, you should suggest that.† And so it came to pass that through the ages the wall was known as the Ostentatious and Unpleasant Wall of China. At least I hope that’s what happened. It’s not on my Friendly Flyer Miles map, so I can’t be sure. We could see the mountain where Gaspar’s monastery lay long before we reached it. Like the other peaks around it, it cut the sky like a huge tooth. Below the mountain was a village surrounded by high pasture. We stopped there to rest and water our camels. The people of the village all came out to greet us and they marveled at our strange eyes and Joshua’s curly hair as if we were gods that had been lowered out of the heavens (which I guess was true in Josh’s case, but you forget about that when you’re around someone a lot). An old toothless woman who spoke a dialect of Chinese similar to the one we had learned from Joy convinced us to leave the camels in the village. She traced the path up the mountain with a craggy finger and it was obvious that the path was both too narrow and too steep to accommodate the animals. The villagers served us a spicy meat dish with frothy bowls of milk to wash it down. I hesitated and looked at Joshua. The Torah forbade us to eat meat and dairy at the same meal. â€Å"I’m thinking this is a lot like the bacon thing,† Joshua said. â€Å"I really don’t feel that the Lord cares if we wash down our yak with a bowl of milk.† â€Å"Yak?† â€Å"That’s what this is. The old woman told me.† â€Å"Well, sin or not, I’m not eating it. I’ll just drink the milk.† â€Å"It’s yak milk too.† â€Å"I’m not drinking it.† â€Å"Use your own judgment, it served you so well in the past, like, oh, when you decided we should go around the wall.† â€Å"You know,† I said, weary of having the whole wall thing brought up again, â€Å"I never said you could use sarcasm whenever you wanted to. I think you’re using my invention in ways that it was never intended to be used.† â€Å"Like against you?† â€Å"See? See what I mean?† We left the village early the next morning, carrying only some rice balls, our waterskins, and what little money we had left. We left our three camels in the care of the toothless old woman, who promised to take care of them until we returned. I would miss them. They were the spiffy double-humpers we’d picked up in Kabul and they were comfortable to ride, but more important, none of them had ever tried to bite me. You read "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 16" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"They’re going to eat our camels, you know? We won’t be gone an hour before one of them is turning on a spit.† â€Å"They won’t eat the camels.† Joshua, forever believing in the goodness of human beings. â€Å"They don’t know what they are. They think that they’re just tall food. They’re going to eat them. The only meat they ever get is yak.† â€Å"You don’t even know what a yak is.† â€Å"Do too,† I said, but the air was getting thin and I was too tired to prove myself at the time. The sun was going down behind the mountains when we finally reached the monastery. Except for a huge wooden gate with a small hatch in it, it was constructed entirely of the same black basalt as the mountain on which it stood. It looked more like a fortress than a place of worship. â€Å"Makes you wonder if all three of your magi live in fortresses, doesn’t it?† â€Å"Hit the gong,† said Joshua. There was a bronze gong hanging outside the door with a padded drumstick standing next to it and a sign in a language that we couldn’t read. I hit the gong. We waited. I hit the gong again. And we waited. The sun went down and it began to get very cold on the mountainside. I rang the gong three times loud. We ate our rice balls and drank most of our water and waited. I pounded the bejezus out of the gong and the hatch opened. A dim light from inside the gate illuminated the smooth cheeks of a Chinese man about our age. â€Å"What?† he said in Chinese. â€Å"We are here to see Gaspar,† I said. â€Å"Balthasar sent us.† â€Å"Gaspar sees no one. Your aspect is dim and your eyes are too round.† He slammed the little hatch. This time Joshua pounded on the gong until the monk returned. â€Å"Let me see that drumstick,† the monk said, holding his hand out through the little port. Joshua gave him the drumstick and stepped back. â€Å"Go away and come back in the morning,† the monk said. â€Å"But we’ve traveled all day,† Joshua said. â€Å"We’re cold and hungry.† â€Å"Life is suffering,† the monk said. He slammed the little door, leaving us in almost total darkness. â€Å"Maybe that’s what you’re supposed to learn,† I said. â€Å"Let’s go home.† â€Å"No, we wait,† said Joshua. In the morning, after Joshua and I had slept against the great gate, huddled together to conserve warmth, the monk opened the little hatch. â€Å"You still here?† He couldn’t see us, as we were directly below the window. â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Can we see Gaspar now?† He craned his neck out the hatch, then pulled it back in and produced a small wooden bowl, from which he poured water on our heads. â€Å"Go away. Your feet are misshapen and your eyebrows grow together in a threatening way.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He slammed the hatch. And so we spent the day outside the gate, me wanting to go down the mountain, Joshua insisting that we wait. There was frost in our hair when we woke the next morning, and I felt my very bones aching. The monk opened the hatch just after first light. â€Å"You are so stupid that the village idiots’ guild uses you as a standard for testing,† said the monk. â€Å"Actually, I’m a member of the village idiots’ guild,† I retorted. â€Å"In that case,† said the monk, â€Å"go away.† I cursed eloquently in five languages and was beginning to tear at my hair in frustration when I spotted something large moving in the sky overhead. As it got closer, I saw that it was the angel, wearing his aspect of black robe and wings. He carried a flaming bundle of sticks and pitch, which trailed a trail of flames and thick black smoke behind him in the sky. When he had passed over us several times, he flew off over the horizon, leaving a smoky pattern of Chinese characters that spelled out a message across the sky: SURRENDER DOROTHY. I was just fuckin’ with you (as Balthasar used to say). Raziel didn’t really write SURRENDER DOROTHY in the sky. The angel and I watched The Wizard of Oz together on television last night and the scene at the gates of Oz reminded me of when Joshua and I were at the monastery gate. Raziel said he identified with Glinda, Good Witch of the North. (I would have thought flying monkey, but I believe his choice was a blond one.) I have to admit that I felt some sympathy for the scarecrow, although I don’t believe I would have been singing about the lack of a brain. In fact, amid all the musical laments over not having a heart, a brain, or the nerve, did anyone notice that they didn’t have a penis among them? I think it would have shown on the Lion and the Tin Man, and when the Scarecrow has his pants destuffed, you don’t see a flying monkey waving an errant straw Johnson around anywhere, do you? I think I know what song I’d be singing: Oh, I would while away the hours, Wanking in the flowers, my heart all full of song, I’d be gilding all the lilies as I waved about my willie If I only had a schlong. And suddenly it occurred to me, as I composed the above opus, that although Raziel had always seemed to have the aspect of a male, I had no idea if there were even genders among the angels. After all, Raziel was the only one I’d ever seen. I leapt from my chair and confronted him in the midst of an afternoon Looney Tunes festival. â€Å"Raziel, do you have equipment?† â€Å"Equipment?† â€Å"A package, a taliwacker, a unit, a dick – do you have one?† â€Å"No,† said the angel, perplexed that I would be asking. â€Å"Why would I need one?† â€Å"For sex. Don’t angels have sex?† â€Å"Well, yes, but we don’t use those.† â€Å"So there are female angels and male angels?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you have sex with female angels.† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"With what do you have sex?† â€Å"Female angels. I just told you.† â€Å"No, do you have a sex organ?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Show me?† â€Å"I don’t have it with me.† â€Å"Oh.† I realized that there are some things I’d really rather not know about. Anyway, he didn’t write in the sky, and, in fact, we didn’t see Raziel again, but the monks did let us into the monastery after three days. They said that they made everybody wait three days. It weeded out the insincere. The entire two-story structure that was the monastery was fashioned of rough stone, none larger than could have been lifted into place by a single man. The rear of the building was built right into the mountainside. The structure seemed to have been built under an existing overhang in the rock, so there was minimal roofing exposed to the elements. What did show was made of terra-cotta tiles that lay on a steep incline, obviously to shed any buildup of snow. A short and hairless monk wearing a saffron-colored robe led us across an outer courtyard paved with flagstone through an austere doorway into the monastery. The floor inside was stone, and though immaculately clean, it was no more finished than the flagstone of the courtyard. There were only a few windows, more like arrow slits, cut high in the wall, and little light penetrated the interior once the front door was closed. The air was thick with incense and filled with a buzzing chorus of male voices producing a rhythmic chant that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once and made it seem as if my ribs and kneecaps were vibrating from the inside. Whatever language they were chanting in I didn’t understand, but the message was clear: these men were invoking something that transcended this world. The monk led us up a narrow stairway into a long, narrow corridor lined with open doorways no higher than my waist. As we passed I could see that these must be the monks’ cells, and each was just large enough to accommodate a small man lying down. There was a woven mat on the floor and a woolen blanket rolled up at the top of each cell, but there was no evidence of personal possessions nor storage for any. There were no doors to close for privacy. In short, it was very much like what I had grown up with, which didn’t make me feel any better about it. Nearly five years of the relative opulence at Balthasar’s fortress had spoiled me. I yearned for a soft bed and a half-dozen Chinese concubines to hand-feed me and rub my body with fragrant oils. (Well, I said I was spoiled.) At last the monk led us into a large open chamber with a high stone ceiling and I realized that we were no longer in a man-made structure, but a large cave. At the far end of the cave was a stone statue of a man seated cross-legged, his eyes closed, his hands before him with the first fingers and thumbs forming closed circles. Lit by the orange light of candles, a haze of incense smoke hanging about his shaved head, he appeared to be praying. The monk, our guide, disappeared into the darkness at the sides of the cave and Joshua and I approached the statue cautiously, stepping carefully across the rough floor of the cave. (We had long since lost our surprise and outrage at graven images. The world at large and the art we had seen in our travels served to dampen even that grave commandment. â€Å"Bacon,† Joshua said when I asked him about it.) This great room was the source of the chanting we had been hearing since entering the monastery, and after seeing the monks’ cells we determined that there must be at least twenty monks adding their voices to the droning, although the way the cave echoed it might have been one or a thousand. As we approached the statue, trying to ascertain what sort of stone it was made from, it opened its eyes. â€Å"Is that you, Joshua?† it said in perfect Aramaic. â€Å"Yes,† said Joshua. â€Å"And who is this?† â€Å"This is my friend, Biff.† â€Å"Now he will be called Twenty-one, when he needs to be called, and you shall be Twenty-two. While you are here you have no name.† The statue wasn’t a statue, of course, it was Gaspar. The orange light of the candles and his complete lack of motion or expression had only made him appear to be made of stone. I suppose we were also thrown off because we were expecting a Chinese. This man looked as if he was from India. His skin was even darker than ours and he wore the red dot on his head that we had seen on Indian traders in Kabul and Antioch. It was difficult to tell his age, as he had no hair or beard and there wasn’t a line in his face. â€Å"He’s the Messiah,† I said. â€Å"The Son of God. You came to see him at his birth.† Still no expression from Gaspar. He said, â€Å"The Messiah must die if you are to learn. Kill him tomorrow.† â€Å"‘Scuse me?† I said. â€Å"Tomorrow you will learn. Feed them,† said Gaspar. Another monk, who looked almost identical to the first monk, came out of the dark and took Joshua by the shoulder. He led us out of the chapel chamber and back to the cells where he showed Joshua and me our accommodations. He took our satchels away from us and left. He returned in a few minutes with a bowl of rice and a cup of weak tea for each of us. Then he went away, having said nothing since letting us in. â€Å"Chatty little guy,† I said. Joshua scooped some rice into his mouth and grimaced. It was cold and unsalted. â€Å"Should I be worried about what he said about the Messiah dying tomorrow, do you think?† â€Å"You know how you’ve never been completely sure whether you were the Messiah or not?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Tomorrow, if they don’t kill you first thing in the morning, tell them that.† The next morning Number Seven Monk awakened Joshua and me by whacking us in the feet with a bamboo staff. To his credit, Number Seven was smiling when I finally got the sleep cleared from my eyes, but that was really a small consolation. Number Seven was short and thin with high cheekbones and widely set eyes. He wore a long orange robe woven from rough cotton and no shoes. He was clean-shaven and his head was also shaved except for a small tail that grew out at the crown and was tied with a string. He looked as if he could be anywhere from seventeen to thirty-five years old, it was impossible to tell. (Should you wonder about the appearance of Monks Two through Six, and Eight through Twenty, just imagine Number Seven Monk nineteen times. Or at least that’s how they appeared to me for the first few months. Later, I’m sure, except that we were taller and round-eyed, Joshua and I, or Monks Twenty-one and Twenty-two, would have fit the same description. When one is trying to shed the bonds of ego, a unique appearance is a liability. That’s why they call it a â€Å"uniform.† But alas, I’m getting ahead of myself.) Number Seven led us to a window that was obviously used as a latrine, waited while we used it, then took us to a small room where Gaspar sat, his legs crossed in a seemingly impossible position, with a small table before him. The monk bowed and left the room and Gaspar asked us to sit down, again in our native Aramaic. We sat across from him on the floor – no, that’s not right, we didn’t actually sit, we lay on the floor on our sides, propped up on one elbow the way we would have been at the low tables at home. We sat after Gaspar produced a bamboo staff from under the table and, with a motion as fast as a striking cobra’s, whacked us both on the side of the head with it. â€Å"I said sit!† he said. Then we sat. â€Å"Jeez,† I said, rubbing the knot that was swelling over my ear. â€Å"Listen,† Gaspar said, holding the stick up to clarify exactly what he meant. We listened as if they were going to discontinue sound any second and we needed to stock up. I think I even stopped breathing for a while. â€Å"Good,† said Gaspar, laying the stick down and pouring tea into three simple bowls on the table. We looked at the tea sitting there, steaming – just looked at it. Gaspar laughed like a little boy, all the graveness and authority from a second ago gone from his face. He could have been a benevolent older uncle. In fact, except for the obviously Indian features, he reminded me a lot of Joseph, Joshua’s stepfather. â€Å"No Messiah,† Gaspar said, switching to Chinese now. â€Å"Do you understand?† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua and I said in unison. In an instant the bamboo stick was in his hand and the other end was bouncing off of Joshua’s head. I covered my own head with my arms but the blow never came. â€Å"Did I strike the Messiah?† Gaspar asked Joshua. Joshua seemed genuinely perplexed. He paused, rubbing the spot on his head, when another blow caught him over his other ear, the sound of the impact sharp and harsh in the small stone room. â€Å"Did I strike the Messiah?† Gaspar repeated. Joshua’s dark brown eyes showed neither pain nor fear, just confusion as deep as the confusion of a calf who has just had its throat cut by the Temple priest. The stick whistled through the air again, but this time I caught it in mid-swing, wrenched it out of Gaspar’s hand, and tossed it out the narrow window behind him. I quickly folded my hands and looked at the table in front of me. â€Å"Begging your pardon, master,† I said, â€Å"but if you hit him again, I’ll kill you.† Gaspar stood, but I was afraid to look at him (or Joshua, for that matter). â€Å"Ego,† said the monk. He left the room without another word. Joshua and I sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking and rubbing our goose eggs. Well, it had been an interesting trip and all, but Joshua wasn’t very well going to learn much about being the Messiah from someone who hit him with a stick whenever it was mentioned, and that, I supposed, was the reason we were there. So, onward. I drank the bowl of tea in front of me, then the one that Gaspar had left. â€Å"Two wise men down, one to go,† I said. â€Å"We’d better find some breakfast if we’re going to travel.† Joshua looked at me as perplexed as he had at Gaspar a few minutes before. â€Å"Do you think he needs that stick?† Number Seven Monk handed us our satchels, bowed deeply, then went back into the monastery and closed the door, leaving Joshua and me standing there by the gong. It was a clear morning and we could see the smoke of cook fires rising from the village below. â€Å"We should have asked for some breakfast,† I said. â€Å"This is going to be a long climb down.† â€Å"I’m not leaving,† Josh said. â€Å"You’re kidding.† â€Å"I have a lot more to learn here.† â€Å"Like how to take a beating?† â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"I’m not sure Gaspar will let me back in. He didn’t seem too pleased with me.† â€Å"You threatened to kill him.† â€Å"I did not, I warned that I’d kill him. Big difference.† â€Å"So you’re not going to stay?† And there it was, the question. Was I going to stay with my best friend, eat cold rice, sleep on a cold floor, take abuse from a mad monk, and very likely have my skull split open, or was I going to go? Go where? Home? Back to Kabul and Joy? Despite the long journey, it seemed easier to go back the way I had come. At least some level of familiarity would be waiting there. But if I was making easy choices, why was I there in the first place? â€Å"Are you sure you have to stay here, Josh? Can’t we go find Melchior?† â€Å"I know I have things to learn here.† Joshua picked up the drumstick and rang the gong. In a few minutes the little port opened in the door and a monk we had never seen before stuck his face in the opening. â€Å"Go away. Your nature is dense and your breath smells like a yak’s ass.† He slammed the hatch. Joshua rang the gong again. â€Å"I don’t like that whole thing about killing the Messiah. I can’t stay here, Joshua. Not if he’s going to hit you.† â€Å"I have a feeling I’m going to get hit quite a few more times until I learn what he needs me to know.† â€Å"I have to go.† â€Å"Yes, you do.† â€Å"But I could stay.† â€Å"No. Trust me, you have to leave me now, so you won’t later. I’ll see you again.† He turned away from me and faced the door. â€Å"Oh, you don’t know anything else, but you know that all of a sudden?† â€Å"Yes. Go, Biff. Good-bye.† I walked down the narrow path and nearly stumbled over a precipice when I heard the hatch in the door open. â€Å"Where are you going?† shouted the monk. â€Å"Home,† I said. â€Å"Good, go frighten some children with your glorious ignorance.† â€Å"I will.† I tried to keep my shoulders steady as I walked away, but it felt like someone was ripping my soul through the muscles of my back. I would not turn around, I vowed, and slowly, painfully, I made my way down the path, convinced that I would never see Joshua again. 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