ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Mysticism, wisdom, and magic are woven into Taoism, creating a complex web of symbols and covert edifications. In his The World’s Religions , Huston Smith demystifies Taoist allegories and makes them comprehensible, giving a reader a chance to understand this teaching: Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice. (Smith 210) The passage cited by Smith is taken from Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching ( The Way and Its Power ) , which is the main source of Taoist teachings and one of the most outstanding achievements of Chinese philosophic endeavors. Although water is a natural phenomenon or an element of the environment does not evoke any inexplicable associations in those who are incognizant of Taoism, in this Chinese teaching, water is a much more meaningful concept (Smith 209). Further, Smith clarifies implicit meanings of water-related symbols in Taoism. The first astonishment-provoking interpretation of water provided by the author is its equation with the Tao (Smith 209). Smith states that the Taoists consider water “the closest resemblance to Tao” (Smith 209). Indeed, water does not have its shape; it is flexible, fluid, and easily transformable, but it nourishes all living creatures and fills any space. Water possesses a tremendous power to destroy stones and turn them into pebbles (Smith 210). Indeed, I have noticed many times that the contemplation of water has unexplained magnetism and turns into an extremely absorbing occupation, inspiring to meditate. Thus, a person’s reflection on water helps to comprehend what is beyond things that are sensed, conceivable and eternally successive in their fluidity. Another unexpected significance of water in Taoism is its similarity to wu wei (Smith 209). Smith emphasizes the erroneousness of interpretations of wu wei as “do-nothingness or inaction” (207). Wu wei serves as a mechanism by which the Tao generates the manifestations of Nature in the surrounding world. According to the definition provided by Smith, wu wei is creative quietude or “the supreme action, the precious suppleness, simplicity, and freedom that flows from us, or rather through us” (208). The clarity and purity of still water are also identified by Smith as a similarity to the concept of wu wei (210). Wu wei implies a person’s inner harmony and internal conditions under which actions occur freely and without effort, careful deliberation, or internal strife but in perfect correspondence with current demands. That is in line with the statement postulated in the Tao Te Ching as follows: work without working (Smith 210). Having scrutinized Smith’s explanations of wu wei, I realized that any unexpected factors, either external or self-initiated, that exert influences on our life enforce us to take actions that bring us back to
“ Adventures in Crime ” by Amanda Archer is educational since it evaluates various issues many people experience in the community. Readers can learn different aspects from the assessment since Archer has used the piece “Adventure in Crime” to reveal the challenges many families experience in different areas. The author shows how Mr. Incredible struggles to keep his family safe in a recreational vehicle. Moreover, Mr. Incredible feels that he can lose the family, forcing him to ensure that they are not harmed. Therefore, the audience can learn that the overall evaluation Archer is making implicates the need to value all people in society and to live morally. Her purpose is clearly and effectively stated since she has used different examples from the movie to depict scenes involving ethical acts. For instance, Archer has analyzed the superhero’s issue, who ejects the child from the car seat despite claiming that he aspires to be his sidekick. Therefore, Archer analyzes the acts to help readers understand the overall evaluation she is making. Archer has used characters and plot to evaluate her subject. Readers can also learn that these criteria are well-presented in her evaluation. For instance, the character of Mr. Parr has been used by Archer to show how some people oppress others in the community. However, Mr. Parr has also been analyzed to educate the audience about family importance. The plot has been used in evaluation by Archer, whereby she focuses on the sequence of events in the movie. For example, she analyzes how superheroes engaged in violent situations, but Mr. Parr helps an older woman retrieve her cat from the tree. Co
Promoting freedom of association has always been a crucial part of democracy in American societies. Nowadays, this point of view has become even more critical. More and more people, to realize their opportunities or confront the institutionalized forces around them, find it necessary to unite with other people to achieve common goals. Its freedom to choose to do so is an essential element of a democratic way of life. In the meantime, the apprehension of this freedom has brought new problems. The organizations have increased in both size and strength, and organizational approaches have achieved a new level of efficiency. These associations sometimes meet stubborn resistance from other private groups or are regulated or restricted by public authorities. Certain radical private organizations are given a formal status, and this can be very hazardous for society. Moreover, the individual who does not wish to be coerced into association has also raised problems of defining an area of personal freedom that neither government nor private organizational power can invade. No one doubts that freedom of association, as a fundamental mechanism of the democratic process, should enjoy constitutional protection and that restrictions on such fundamental freedom should be included within the framework of constitutional guarantees (Harris, 2010). The governments have in the past recognized this necessity and have addressed many aspects of associations from the perspective of constitutional law and power. However, in recent times, these issues have taken new and complex forms. One such complex problem is the assignment of tax status to radical groups. On the one hand, the law says that all groups and associations should be given tax status freely – this fol
Hip hop musical genre has penetrated numerous human cultures as music and way of life. The eastern part of the world, similar to other regions, benefited from rich varieties of indigenous music. Asian countries had pride in their music and lifestyles that were envied globally. Ancient oriental music was regarded as rich in meaning and knowledge. However, in the modern eastern world, music varieties have been permeated by international melodies and tunes. Hip hop music genre, for instance, influenced modern Asian American’s music. An assorted melodious type of music was generated from the varied musical styles of hip hop and Asian melodies. Hip hop musical tunes originated from the American music industry. Hip hop genesis in American population was a music genre and a lifestyle. American hip hop style of music stretched to international boarders rapidly. The music carried with it a way of life that transformed cultures in different continents. Increased globalization transferred various cultures to foreign lands. Consequently, hip hop compositions and lifestyles gained access to the Asian continent. Therefore, if American hip hop music genre infiltrated Asian music industry and an Asian hip hop music variety was invented then hurdles in Asian hip hop can be conquered. American hip hop had similar hurdles as the Asian hip hop music industry. Breaking the Asian hip hop music difficulties was demanding. Nonetheless, increased infiltration of Asian hip hop music had an influential effect on Asian societies. One major Asian city penetrated by Asian hip hop was Tokyo. Tokyo had developed passion for hip hop tunes and styles closely linked to American inner-city neighborhoods. Passion for hip hop music compelled Asian towns to adapt an American hip hop lifestyle. Hip hop benefited from a subversi
Background Though once seemingly having died down, the tidal wave of environmental concerns has returned in 2010s. As a result, the need for raw materials retrieved from recyclable products has emerged once again (EPA para. 1). Based on the recent data concerning the demand for recycling organizations that supply the raw materials for the corresponding companies, the global market in general and its American segment in particular needs a strong leader in the plastic recycling field (EPA para. 1). Pricing Strategy It would be wrong to claim that the U.S. Recycler is the one-of-a-kind organization. Therefore, the company complies with the principles of a rather basic pricing strategy presupposing a range of price reduction options for the customers in addition to rather reasonable prices for the product ($0.75 per 1 lb. or the product). Discounts will be provided to regular customers; moreover, seasonal discounts will also be included into the organization’s policy. Opportunities Because of the recent tendencies for supporting the environmentally friendly policies and the concern for the effects that improper waste disposal has on people’s health, the U.S. Recycler is bound to become a part and parcel of the functioning process of the American organizations producing plastic goods. A close proximity to the key target customers (Capital Plastics, Washington Penn Plastics, etc.) and a reasonable pricing policy coupled with the quality of the product will provide a smooth ground for the organization to commence its growth. Moreover, the unique element included in the company’s production process (i.e., the use of ionic liquid as the catalyst for the transformation of nylon-6 to caprolactam (Kamimura et al. 3)) will galvanize the sales and make the organization easily recognizable. Risks Needless to say, the creation of the company may spawn certain risks, the risk of being surpassed by a more superior organization being the key one. I
Introduction Being a country with diverse cultures, religions and languages, it becomes quite a hard task to maintain order, especially as terrorist-related tensions have been on a surge. On the one hand, there are threats from Pakistan on the Northern border, while Maoist rebels create havoc on the eastern front. The terrorist gunfire attack on the city of Mumbai has sent shockwaves throughout the country and has exposed its obviously weak security situation. As always, the government held certain ministers as scapegoats and removed them from power as sign of action before the forthcoming elections. However, the political tension between neighboring countries has risen and cross-border security has not improved significantly. Main Text Although the media has started to paint a picture of India making huge strides of progress, the majority of Indian citizens are literally left in the dark without electricity in small villages. While a minuscule group of millionaires consisting of politicians and industrialists have been invincible, there is another emerging segment of college-educated urban youth that has been ruling the roost in the information technology and IT-enabled services sector. The educational system in India has been almost the same since the British colonial times and most students are not ready to serve in a professional environment; the lack of vocational training has certainly helped its cause. As the IT sector has been contributing to the recent rise in gross domestic product (GDP), the majority of poor rural Indians have nothing to celebrate. Since their lives depend on agriculture, a bad monsoon season could cause them more pain and terrorist threats are the least of their troubles. Farmer suicides owing to bad yields and no loans have taken up have lives than any terrorist attack. The absence of significant social welfare programs and an abundance of bureaucracy as well as corruption have ensured that the rift between the poor and the elite has been constantly expanding. It is staggering to learn almost half the country lives in poverty; the high infant mortality rates and number of malnourished children it bears is a saddening statistic for a rapidly developing country. Since most of the Indians are below 25 years of age, grooming the youth intellectually in a healthy environment is the primary issue the government has to focus on. Conclusion Being a part of the global economy, the recession in America has certainly slowed down economic progress and raised inflation in India. The labor laws have to be restructured to encourage industries to open up large-scale operations. The infrastructure has to improve and comply with global standards to encourage more foreign investm
Noteworthy is the fact that every country of the world has its political values, which go to define what political scientists refer to as political culture, and America is no exception. Political culture has been defined as ‘a set of extensively joint beliefs, standards, and norms concerning the ways that political and economic life should be run’’ (Wood, 2010). Arguably, therefore, this culture charts and sets the association between the government and the governed, the relationship between citizens and the economy as well. America, even though shares basic belief system as well as political norms, it is nevertheless unique in its own right, seen in the light that it operates in a consensual political culture; a culture which experiences little variance (Wood, 2010). The political system in the US encompasses a number of political values. These include Liberty, Equality, Individualism, Democracy, Rule of Law, Self-governance, and Civic duty. Liberty, which is widely seen by many as the greatest motivation of all to Americans, remains one of the key values today. It is captured in the American National Anthem: ‘’that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’’ (wood, 2010). Equality features very prominently at the declaration of the American independence and it is captured in the following phrase: ‘’…. we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’’ (Patterson, 2008). This is perhaps the most controversial of these values because most Americans do not buy the idea that they are equal. Regardless, perhaps the spirit behind this value is the philosophy of equality in availing opportunity and treatment in same manner before the eye of the law (Patterson, 2008). Individualism entails the fact that, in American system of governance, people as individuals are entitled to rights and responsibilities. This means that Americans appreciate common sense and people to chart their own destiny. Democracy, regarded by Americans as the centre of these values, is largely anchored on the belief that governance legitimacy lies in the hands of the governed, the people. It is the belief that majority r
Regionalism Regionalism is an old concept which has attracted heated debate among scholars. There is little consensus regarding the meaning of regionalism and its relevance to international relations. Fawcett (2004) defines regionalism as “a policy whereby states and non-state actors cooperate and coordinate strategy within a given region” (p. 433). Regionalism aspires to encourage the spirit of brotherhood among regional states to pursue common goals (Krasner 1983). The concept of regionalism emerged following the culmination of the First World War. The United Nations (UN) persuaded states and non-state actors to change their perceptions regarding equality, security, development and peace. In a nutshell, the UN advocated for the formation of regional blocs among states in order pursue social, economic and political goals (Fawcett 2004, p. 436). This paper will, therefore, discuss regionalism using functionalist and constructivist theories. Constructivist Approach to Regionalism The constructivist approach provides a basis for understanding the concept of regionalism. The approach emphasizes that a regional bloc is formed when states agree to combine their resources in order to pursue political, cultural and economic goals. Vayrynen (2003) states that regional organizations emerged as a result of shared cultural identities among states. The term social construction of regions implies the process of shaping regions via shared identities and customs. The constructivist approach discards the static notion of regions and perceives them as dynamic cognitive entities fortified by mutual economic and institutional bonds (Adler 1997; Murphy 1991). What is more, the constructivist approach lends credence to the significant role of shared ideas in pursuing economic and political goals. Proponents of this approach emphasize that actors generate social facts by allocating roles to different spatial units. Searle (1995) asserts that these roles “are never intrinsic… they are assigned relative to the interests of users and
Introduction China is one of the countries which have realized high economic achievements. The country boasts of a well developed infrastructure, international relations, good education system and a large population capacity. The economy of China currently is the fourth biggest globally when it is measured using nominal GDP, it is predicted that come 2008 the Chinese economy will surpass that of Germany to become the third largest. China economy output in 2006 was estimated to be roughly $2,000 and it has continued to rise rapidly. Loren, et al (2007) states that, China rapid economic performance is being attributed to the policies that were implemented by the government to liberalize the market. The effect was increased foreign trade and increased local competitiveness that has led to high economic growth that has been termed as monumental. (Loren, et al 2007) This report is going to examine the Chinese rapid economy, and analyse the major contributory factors to the current high industrialization. The impact of this industrialization on the environment will also be analyzed in details especially pollution. Also we shall examine the Chinese stock market performance in relation to the rapid industrialization The table below gives a summary of the economic statistics of China. Table 1. The economic statistics of China. Economic Statistics            GDP (2006, Nominal)             $2.63 trillion (4th)  GDP (2006, PPP)                 $10.0 trillion (2nd)  GDP per capita (2006, Nominal)  $2,034 (105
Starbucks is a leading coffee and coffeehouse company. It has outlets in more than 55 countries; the company success has been attributed to its appropriate marketing strategies (Starbucks Corporate website). This paper takes an analysis of industrial and company factors affecting it. Industrial analysis An industrial analysis undertakes an analysis of external factors affecting the company and likely to affect its operation. To undertake an analysis of Starbucks, the paper will focus on Porters five forces of industrial analysis. Supplier’s power Starbucks is respected as one of the international companies that have developed a good relationship with its suppliers. It ensures that the suppliers are paid in good time and they have good repo. Other than meeting the expectations of suppliers, it has programs targeted to ensure there is constant supply of coffee beans to the company. On its part, it ensures it gets quality form suppliers where a test of quality at delivery is conducted in every 250 bags; three samples are taken for quality test. Barrier to entry The coffee industry has many players who have different approaches to remain competitive. Starbucks success has been attributed to continuous improvements of its products and coming up with new products so that it can effectively enter different markets. Threats of substitutes There are different substitutes for coffee available, they include tea, cocoa, soya, soft-beverages alcohol among others as well other flavours by coffee companies. To ensure that it has remained competitive, Starbucks have embarked on good internal processes that ensure that quality coffee is roasted at the right temperature and desired blending is done accordingly. The company has also invested in coming up with new tastes to create a pleasant experience to its customers. Buyer power Customers are the most important part of a business, the relationship that a company has with its customers determines the success of the company. To ensure that the company enjoys from positive buyer perception, it has embarked on improving its products, prices and promotional process. It is with the same spirit that it has come up with different tastes as it expands to different countries and strategic locations. Rivalry The result of the above factors is the level of rivalry that the company has had; it has been successfully to be the world leading coffee and coffeehouse company respected for its environmental conservation programs (Paley 12). Company Analysis Company analysis focus on internal factors affecting a company; as much as the company has been favoured by internal processes, it is only able to take advantage of the external processes because of its effective internal processes. Organisational culture The company has a positive-to -success organisational culture; all employees for the good of the company support the culture. It believes in giving good services to its customers; this is only possible by having effective human resource management who are well motivated. To do so the company conducts training seminars and provides appropriate working conditions to
The caste system in India is a social structure where individuals are classified into groups according to their genetics within firm organization of social stratification. In the olden days, caste was a phrase used to refer to individuals limited in their choice of work and the extent of socializing with other people. However, in the modern days the social rank is dependent on the caste of one’s birth rather than work (Dumont 2000). The history of the caste system in India is dated about 3000 years ago. This structure was made for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of social order related to hierarchy. The misfortune of caste system is still common in some regions of India. Its unpleasant consequences are observed on social matters of marriage and kinship. The caste structure is classified into different Varnas and Jatis. The class of Varnas comprise of Brahmans, the priestly and elite people; Vaishyas, planters and traders; Kshatriyas, the fighters and leaders; and Shudras, peasants and manual workers; In addition, the Untouchables are also under Varna. People under Varnas are grouped into jatis. The Jatis have typical regulations and traditions. In the beginning, all classes were treated the same and inter-caste marriages were allowed (Hutton 1998). The caste system had influence on various issues. For example, a marriage between castes was not allowed. However, in the present India inter-caste marriage is permitted. The Indian government has legalized castes, mainly to determine the justified reservation through poll. The reservation system in India is wholly founded on quotas. Individuals classified as Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Castes, and OBCs benefit from exceptional favors in learning bodies and places of work (Nesiah 1997). In the present India, the rulers of India were determined to make India a self-ruled, socialist, and worldly nation. Basing on this policy there is a distinction between religion and government. Doing untouchability or isolating individuals because