Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Buddhism - Essay Example .† (The Buddhist Encyclopedia, 2008) However, the fault with this explanation is that it is undeniable that there is an entity that does understand what it went through, is going through, and will be going through. The Buddhists then further explain that, â€Å"this lack of a fixed self does not mean lack of continuity,† as stated in the Buddhist Encyclopedia online. It also says that Buddhism uses a lot of metaphors, one of which is that of fire. In the same way that the flame of one candle to another and the fire spreading from field to field is dependent on the original fire, â€Å"there is a conditioned relationship between one life and the next; they are not identical but neither are they completely distinct.† (The Buddhist Encyclopedia, 2008) But, seriously, a fire or flame is something far beyond compare to that of a being that has the capacity to store information, knowledge, and emotions from one life to the next, and retrieve and be able to tell them in such a detailed manner. In fact, in the reading, we were told that â€Å"The Enlightened One†, a real human being, was an ape in his past life, as told in the Great Ape Jataka tale. Supposedly, the real being shou ld tell stories as real as his very existence, but we read the story and we find qualities in the Great Ape that biologists and archaeologists of different generations would have turned the whole world upside down just to find the legendary beast. The ape could not only talk to humans (in what language it was not mentioned), but also foresee events. We all know that apes can’t do these, even with the smartest technology available today or in the next hundred years. So granting without accepting for a moment that reincarnation is behind it, what is it that made the ape like that if there is no entity that has the capacity to analyze the connection between the lives he has lived, the entity that tries to be something better each time for it to reach nirvana? Speaking of

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence Thesis

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil - Thesis Example As such, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that the environmental crisis is not only about environmental problems, but it is about the intertwined concerns regarding politics, economics, society and ideologies (Bodley 2008, p. 43). In this regard, this research will try to address one of the most urgent environmental issues that we are facing: are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence to oil? This is a crucial question because the reality of human dependence to oil is attested by the fact that countries all over the globe have to ensure energy security to sustain their economies and in case they fail, the threat of conflict becomes inevitable (Moran and Russell, 2008). Furthermore, as of 2009, 85 percent of total primary energy consumption involves the use of fossil fuels – oil, natural gas, and coal (Statistical Review of World Energy, 2009) and this is a critical issue because oil is finite. In addition, the peril of global warming coupled with the probability of the increase in consumption in the coming years creates urgency in addressing the question are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence to oil? Everybody, in one way or another, is concern with global warming and in finding the answer on how consumption of fossil fuels may be reduced. Alternative sources such as oil sands, heavy oil, and wood/other biomass, coal hydropower, shale oil, solar energy, gas hydrates, wind energy, nuclear fission, wave energy, geothermal tidal power, fusion, ocean thermal energy and conversion are all considered as alternative sources of energy. However, can they end human dependence in oil? First, as mentioned, oil is finite. There is a need to come up with alternative sources of energy because the reality of diminishing fossil fuel supplies is a fact. The fossil fuel that the world is currently using is built on 500