Disciples
Essays

Huineng's Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch is an attempt to describe how enlightenment can be achieved. According to Huineng, the natural illumination that exists within each person is shrouded by the defilement of the world. When a person exercises "straightforward mind" they can realize their inner illumination and become enlightened. Mazu, a disciple of Huineng, also agreed with much of the Master's teachings but explained them in further detail.

Saint Francis of Assisi was born at Assisi in Umbria in either 1181 or 1182, the exact year of his birth is uncertain, and died there October 3, 1226 (Saint pp). One of several children, he was born into a wealthy…

In his book, "Western Ways of Being Religious," (Kessler, 1999) the author Gary E. Kessler identifies the theological, philosophical and societal ramifications of the evolution of religion in the West.

Jeanne S. Chall was born in Poland on January 1, 1921. She moved to New York at a tender age of seven with her family. Jeanne S. Chall was one of the chief educators and researchers in the field of literacy during the…

Neoplatonism has its roots in the writings and beliefs for Plato from ancient

Religion and Discrimination against Homosexuals

Dennis McDonald's The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark (2000) is a book that was always guaranteed to upset orthodox Christian theologians and biblical literalists and fundamentalists everywhere, since its main thesis held that the author of the first gospel used the Iliad and the Odyssey as literary models. He compares Mark to the apocryphal Acts of Andrew, a Gnostic book, and describes it as a "hypotext" that "relies somehow on a written antecedent" (McDonald, p. 2). Specifically, Mark used Books 22 and 24 of the Iliad as models for the death and burial of Jesus, in which Achilles brutally kills Hector and then releases the body to his father, King Priam of Troy. Hector's soul went to Hades and never returned, but of course Jesus was resurrected on the third day, even if his rather dim disciples in Mark failed to recognize him initially.

Servant Leadership Defining Servant Leadership The principles of Servant Leadership were laid out by founder Robert Greenleaf in his important 1970 book, The Servant as Leader. Greenleaf, to his great credit, wanted to stress the point that leaders should first serve, and later lead through service. The leaders who have power but have not led, and use the power to push his or her own viewpoints and agenda, are not the kind of leaders Greenleaf was referring to. In fact in the Center for Servant Leadership website, the theory and philosophy of Servant Leadership is clearly spelled out: "A servant-leader focuses primarily in the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong…the servant leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible" (www.greenleaf.org). In this paper the goal will be to define and explain servant leadership in a context involving both religion and philosophy.

The world is filled with chaos, war and strife. In Africa, innumerable numbers of individuals suffer and die from AIDS, poverty and hunger. Genocide and mass murder of groups with varying cultures continues.

Warren Buffett, a leading investor, is admired for many things. While some admire his investment capabilities, some are awed by the frugal lifestyle he lives despite being one of the richest men in the world.