An Interpretation of the Money Tree Essay Example

An Interpretation of the Money Tree Paper Visually, the money tree was unique and distinct, compared to other Han Dynasty art pieces clay models of mythical and real animals, lead-glazed earthenware canteens, reamer vessels, tile and brick decorations found in tombs, and various models of houses, stoves, mills, and farmyards. Its elaborate detail and delicacy was unlike not only the Han pieces in Gallery 15, but any art I had seen in Chinese history. However, the money tree was not love at first sight. As I researched and learned more about the tree, I became increasingly drawn to the piece. The money tree represents the synergy of Taoism and Buddhism during the Eastern Han Dynasty- a guide to heaven, and the hope for good fortune In the afterlife. Money trees were placed In tombs found mostly In the Chuan province of China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The money tree Is made of bronze and can be delved Into two sections: the base and the branches of the tree. The ceramic and bronze base is covered with an amber lead glaze and contains three levels, which portray lively scenes rarely found in Chinese art, such as hunting (Rigger 11 . 10. 05). We will write a custom essay sample on An Interpretation of the Money Tree specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on An Interpretation of the Money Tree specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on An Interpretation of the Money Tree specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Whole surviving money trees are rare, since the solid base of the tree endure longer than its delicate branches. The branches of the tree are thin, wintertime bronze pieces that are divided by six levels. Each level has four branches facing opposite directions that are divided by ninety degrees. The branches thrive with magical creatures (such as winged immortals called Asian), disk shapes, birds, and coins that literally hang from the bottom of the branches (museum description). Each coin Is similar to those used during the Han Dynasty (a square cut out off circle) and Is Interconnected, forming what looks Like a chain. At the top of the tree the Queen Mother of the West (Aqualung), an Important Taoist deity, Is dated on her throne supported by a dragon and tiger. Between the topmost branch and the Queen Mother of the West is a small figure of a seated Buddha surrounded by coins. The Han Dynasty lasted from 206 BCC to 220 AD and followed the short-lived Sin Dynasty from 221 to 206 BCC. China flourished domestically during the Han dynasty and expanded geographically, politically, and culturally to neighboring lands. Han art made frequent references to spirits, portents, myths, the strange and powerful, the death-defying and the dazzling (Byre 71). Art pieces like the money tree show the attempt of Han emperors to contact the Immortal world of gods and the Importance of the fate of the dead (Byre 71). This desire for life after death and Immortality during the Han Dynasty Is portrayed through the Taoist deity the Queen Mother of the West. Her paradise Is filled with deathless trees, lucky charms, and auspicious animals such as the dancing toad, the three-foot crow, the nine-tailed fox, the hare Tanat produces ten laxer AT Immortality, Ana magical Dallas, wanly are placate In ten upper edge of the branches (Byre 71, Bagley 54). People of all social classes reshipped her and believed in her power to provide immortality. The History of the Han from 3 BCC explains, People were running about in a state of alarm, holding stalks of hemp that they passed from one to another, saying they were delivering the wand the edict of the Queen Mother of the West They also passed around texts reading The Mother tells the people that those who wear this talisman will not die (Byre 73). Taoism emphasizes themes similar to those of the Queen Mother of the West, such as immortality, longevity, and wealth. Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, otherwise known as the Eastern Han, specialists of immorality, called famishing and their beneficiaries Asian (Rigger 11 . 7. 05). Other Taoist features are also apparent on the decorations on the base of the money tree, figures with elongated heads called the Taoist Immortals (Chipper 6). The Immortals refer to the cult of immortals or transcendent (in Chinese, Asian) in which believers practiced the arts of physical cultivation to make themselves into spiritual beings (Rigger 1 1 . 14. 05). Another important figure present in the money tree is a seated Buddha placed low the Queen Mother of the West. Mahayana Buddhism originated in India where Shamanic, the historical Buddha lived, and spread to China through the Silk Road (Byre 95). The hierarchical position of the Buddha on the money tree, below the Queen Mother of the West, but above the Queens attendants and earth, portrays the emergence of Buddhism, specifically Mahayana Buddhism, at a time when Taoism was considered the dominant religion. In fact, many Chinese first viewed Buddhism as a variation of Taoism, since early translators used Taoist terms to express Buddhist ideas. For example, the Mahayana concept of the fundamental emptiness of phenomena was identified with the Taoist notion of non-being (Byre 96). Therefore the synergy of Buddhism and Taoism is represented by important religious figures, the seated Buddha and Gaming. Not only does the money tree symbolize a religious orgy, but also a guide to heaven from earth for the dead. The base of the tree represents the divine mountainous realm of the Queen Mother of the West, called Mount Kuhn. Geographically, Mount Kuhn is associated with the West, specifically in Chuan Bagley 318). Meanwhile, the peak of the tree represents Coxswains paradise or heaven. Therefore the stem of the money tree represents a world-axis that links heaven and earth. The Buddha, positioned Just below the Queen Mother of the West, symbolizes a guide to the Queens paradise. Money trees were placed in tombs, so that the deceased within would enter the Queens paradise directly and easily in the afterlife. Once the deceased reaches the afterlife by following the path laid out through the money tree, the Chinese hoped that happiness and prosperity, attributes f the Queen Mother of the West, will continue in the afterlife. In addition to the money tree representing the union between earth and heaven, it also represents the hope for the entombed to have good fortune in the afterlife. During the Han Dynasty, the money tree was called a shush or coin pillar, hence the interlaced coins on the lower edge of the branches (Bagley 54). The thin plates of filigree openwork of the branches suggests that the coins on the money tree were cast in flat two-piece molds similar to the technique once used to cast Han coins. During ten Han Dynasty, cools were producer a cozen at a time In a moll winner each coin was Joined to each other by the pouring channels (Bagley 274). The interconnected chain of coins on the branches of the money tree symbolizes eternal and continuous wealth. Furthermore, as the entombed ascended from earth to heaven by following the path laid out on the money tree, the entombed would collect the coins on their way to heaven. Therefore, the path to the paradise of the Queen Mother of the West is filled with riches. Through the study of the money tree we can conclude that it symbolically presents a map that directs the entombed to heaven. The Buddha acts as a guide to lead the deceased to the Queen Mother of the West, while the abundance of coins shows that the path to her paradise is littered with wealth. Furthermore, the appearance of both the Queen Mother of the West and the seated Buddha shows the intermingling of Taoism and Buddhism. As these interpretations of the money tree unfolded in my mind, I became increasingly passionate about the money tree.

quinn essays

quinn essays the claim made by Teiresias examines the difference between right and wrong as if these two concepts are merely two sides of a coin. In reality, good and evil, right and wrong, true and false, are not so clearly delineated. Teiresias does not realize that his observation, if applied as a general rule, would create the disastrous construction of external standards for the individual to follow. Indeed, how does one know if he or she is wrong? The individual cannot objectively verify or falsify empirical claims when the circumstance demands submission to an external standard. Therefore, he or she must maintain respect for a dignified conception of individuality. What individuals know are conceptualized and solidified through teaching and repetition. Prior to the advent of modernistic criticism of society and the post-modern deconstruction of truth, people defined truth and untruth according to a traditional standard of verification and falsification. Sophocles time was one in which virtue was held to be the ultimate goal of the nation-state, and hence his prophetic advice reflects a black-and-white criterion of truth. Yet times have changed, and through reflection on human events, this criterion has been deconstructed. George Orwells dystopia in Nineteen Eighty-Four clearly demonstrates how the perception of truth can be formulated by neurological and psychiatric manipulation. Winston Smith had continually maintained his own standard of truth, that the individual is a dignified decision-maker. It took him much willpower to preserve the notion that two and two is four, when the state continually insists that truth commands that two and two i s five. However, the mental and physical force exerted by Big Brother finally induced him to believe that individualistic thinking is wrong, and that the only course of truth is to follow the collective. Big Brother and the rest ...

Discussion on topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion on topic - Essay Example The importance of the beginning of the novel becomes clear, later on in as the story climaxes. The beginning of the tale is set at Meursault’s mother’s funeral. It is her that the reader begins to see the sociopath tendencies of Meursault who does not shed a tear for his dead mother. This later comes back to haunt him at his trial. When Meursault meets conflict on the beach, he escapes the two men in which Raymond and he encounter. The story takes a strange turn when Meursault returns to the beach to shoot one of the men. It is hinted within the story that the sun may have been partly to blame for the man’s quick death. But, it is what follows which illustrates Meursault’s true persona. Once the man which Meursault shoots, is dead; he continues to shoot him 4 more times. The reader then follows Meursault through his trial, conviction and prison term where he awaits the death penalty. It is during this time period of waiting for his execution, that Meursault experiences an epiphany. He comes to the overall realization that life as we know it or existence as we know it; is rather absurd and thereby pointless to hang on to. This novel was first published in 1995 and has become as famous as the New Testament. The plot of the piece is based on a strange epidemic of â€Å"white† blindness which effects the city which the tale occurs in. The main characters in the novel, include a doctor and his wife as well as other individuals who are stricken with the ailment. The centrifugal antagonist acting upon the characters is not simply the blindness itself but is in fact the social breakdown and anarchy which results from the outbreak. It can be said that this story is essentially an allegory about how close most societies are from a complete decay of order. This story shows that one epidemic leads to social meltdown. The fact that food

Participative Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Participative Leadership - Term Paper Example This paper discusses various aspects and forms of participative leadership. Participative leadership plays an important role in empowering the organization’s members as well as instilling perception that the employees can establish their work roles and achieve consequential work. Participative leadership is arguably one of the modern styles of leadership that emphasizes on follower’s perspective and creates a distinctive leadership style and approach. There are varieties of forms of participative leadership that can be applied by the leadership or management. A number of theorists agreed on distinctive and meaningful decision making procedures namely autocratic, consultation, joint decision and delegation. It is important to note that the decision making procedures vary from non participative autocratic decision making which is almost outdated to very participative decision making procedures. In participative decision making procedures, the members have great influence on the outcome of the decision made. However, there are both positive and n egative influences of participation (Ricketts, 2011). Participative leadership offers an array of potential benefits such as higher decision quality and overwhelming approval by the participants. The participants are normally satisfied with the decision making process as well as having a good opportunity for developing decision making skills. Participative decision making process may lead to contribution and sharing of knowledge. Members of the organizations may have vital knowledge, talent or skills in solving the issue at hand which the leader may not have thus improving the quality of decision made. Participation in decision making can further make the participants perceive the decision as their s by owning it thus boosting the implementation of the decision. This kind of leadership usually emphasize on avoidance of issues that bring conflict amongst members by either improving on the issues

Patient portal adoption challanges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Patient portal adoption challanges - Essay Example On the contrary, motivation based factors are the attitudes that the medical staff has towards the adoption of healthcare portals. In this context, the professionals complain that the portals are difficult to use, require more than enough training. Moreover, some have presumed that the portals are inappropriate for handling healthcare records while others simply state that they do not enjoy using the information systems. To some extent, the medical staffs are justified in their objection to patient portals since they require technical knowledge absent in most of the workers (Ronda, Dijkhorst-Oei, & Rutten, 2014). The use of a patient portal requires suffice skills on Information Technology as opposed to medical and health care knowledge. Security and privacy concerns have been some of the misgivings of information systems and given the nature of the systems, breaches can occur where stealing of personal data can be a huge set back to the adoption of the portals. Nonetheless, the privacy issue concerns sharing of critical information with the employer, a situation that has made many medical staffs be worried about the extent of personal information they leave feed into the system. Medical workers presume that too much personal information is compromising their relationships with their employers. LeRouge, C., Slyke, C., Seale, D & Wright, K. (September, 2014). Baby Boomers’ Adoption of Consumer Health Technologies: Survey on Readiness and Barriers. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 16(9). Retrieved from http://www.jmir.org/2014/9/e200/#table4 Ronda, M. C., Dijkhorst-Oei, L.-T., & Rutten, G. E. (2014). Reasons and Barriers for Using a Patient Portal: Survey Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(11), e263.

Stephen King :: essays research papers

The relief Stephen King's Constant Readers feel at seeing the first full-length novel from the horrormeister since his accident most likely overshadows the weaknesses they might find in an effort that, while not King's best, is neither his worst. Set partially in the Derry, Maine, of It and Insomnia, and with shades of Tommyknockers in its subject matter, Dreamcatcher hearkens back to It and that novel's theme of the lifelong endurance of childhood friendships -- especially when something unspeakable bound those long-ago children to one another. Four men meet for their annual deer hunting party deep in the Maine woods in a cabin full of happy memories. Though they've inevitably grown apart, their childhood ties are still strong. In the cabin's great room hangs a Native American dreamcatcher, strings woven about sticks said to have the power to protect slumbering humans from night terrors. This year, though, that hanging talisman will prove scant protection against an unearthly horror that will require sacrifices of the highest order from the knot of friends. The animals are fleeing the surrounding forest, for they sense the unwelcome visitors whose precursors were the spate of recent strange lights in the New England sky. For Pete, Beaver, Henry and Jonesy, the nightmare begins when a disoriented hunter named McCarthy stumbles into their camp. The situation quickly degenerates. McCarthy unwittingly plays host to a deadly parasitic creature and brings a rapidly multiplying fungal growth into the midst of the group. While the childhood friends battle an inexplicable and implacable enemy, a government covert operations team seals off the area. Their plan: to destroy all evidence of a threatening alien invasion like nothing the pulp sci-fi purveyors has prepared the world for. Led by a man who is quite possibly insane, the black ops unit will stop at nothing to contain the menace -- including the slaughter of the bewildered hunters they've herded from the surrounding forest. Even so, the government's answer is insufficient to the problem. The combined will of the four men, and their reunion with the dying boy-man whose uniqueness bound them all together so wondrously those years ago, is the only hope against the unrelenting usurper from the heavens. The very best part of Dreamcatcher is undoubtedly the magic of the boys' relationship in the flashbacks to an earlier Derry. The easy way their small circle assimilates a specially-gifted Down's Syndrome child breaks your heart with its glimpse of humanity's potential actualized.

Lady Macbeth is the real villain of the play do you agree? Essay

In ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, Shakespeare portrays many negative themes through the acts of Lady Macbeth which show the audience that she is a real villain of this play. She holds a malicious agenda and many evil tendencies which separate her from the average individual, but this was only after interpreting the witched prophase. Thus, not only making her the only guilty villain in the play. Lady Macbeth is no more than an incarnation of evil. All of the acts she committed in the play were nothing else but for her selfish wants to gain power of the country and become queen. Her declaration that she would have ‘dash’d the brains out’ of her own baby if she were to become queen proves of her egotistical nature and heartless conscience. When she finds out the prophecies given to Macbeth to become king, she immediately acts to create a plan to murder the innocent and respected King Duncan of Scotland. ‘Unsex me here’: Lady Macbeth is referring to her Feminine nature and she is trying to say â€Å"Take away my feminine nature and take away my feelings so I feel no regret to helping kill King Duncan!†; There can be no sympathy for Lady Macbeth, she meant all that she did and put herself in front of all people around her. The key elements which make Lady Macbeth a villainous human being is her inhumane conscience and lack of compassion for her victims, her deceptiveness and her manipulation. The question of whether a person’s real state of mind is accurately reflected from there outside appearance (False appearances) is a key theme in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is the primary culprit. She, as well as Macbeth show deceptive traits, pretending to be good whilst planning heinous crimes; ‘Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’: She is telling Macbeth to look innocent, but under his fake appearance he is going to murder King Duncan. This false appearance of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is shown during the dinner feast when Macbeth is shocked to realise that Fleance had escaped and is still alive. Though this false impression exposed by Lady Macbeth had kept her innocence, her effort of burying her guilt is what had driven her mad and ultimately leading to her death; the cost of deception. Macbeth is most responsible for the evil done in the play owing to the fact that his killing of Duncan provokes the other murders and evil in the play. Although Lady Macbeth is a part of the murders that occur in Macbeth, she is not responsible for the evil done in the play. Lady Macbeth is a very cunning, manipulative character. When she hears about the witches’ prophecy of Macbeth becoming the future king of Scotland, she immediately demands Macbeth to murder Duncan so Macbeth could become king. Lady Macbeth successfully persuades him to kill Duncan by questioning his masculinity. Lady Macbeth puts the idea in Macbeth’s mind that he will be a coward if he does not commit the murder. After persuading him, Macbeth finally commits the murder. Thus proving that Macbeth was to weak and fragile to say no. All characters played a convincing and augmenting role which could reline the focus upon them as to who really is to blame. Macbeth was ambition and power greedy driving him to cause dyer tragedies with his wife by his side. The Witches caused nothing but trouble for Macbeth, his belief in them was so high it led to him becoming insecure. These are all the reasons and things that caused the tragic events in the story of Macbeth.