The definition of science is wide and entails much, but generally, science is a body that seeks to organize knowledge systematically and in a way that is testable and that allows the process of prediction. The key and most important factors to consider when talking about science are logic, rational reasoning, and the ability to measure results. This calls for the use of empirical methods of collecting and analyzing data (Gauch, 2003, p. 10). The meaning of the word science has evolved in history, with each historic period bringing different meanings. From the pre-modern era, science would mean a type of knowledge as opposed to the pursuit of particular knowledge. Science has since then evolved from the study to the practice of science to achieve measurable and useful results. The branches of science include natural sciences and social sciences. Natural sciences focus on explaining natural phenomena, including biological life, while social sciences focus on human behavior.
Teaching science
The process of scientific inquiry is formal, systematic, and rooted in common sense. This means that science, as a way of knowing, is a skill, which people learn. Teaching science is crucial as it prepares the individuals to learn science at higher levels, pursue careers in the workforce, and finally, helps them become scientifically literate (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). As part of the learning process, the students must embrace the value of empirical methods in scientific study and logic reasoning, which are chief in science.
When teaching science, it is important for the teacher to acknowledge that this is a purposeful means to an end but not the end. By this recognition, the teacher should accept more responsibility when the student struggles or fails to learn particular concepts given the level of effort by the student. This requires a transformation of the teacher’s attitude from that of “the work of the teacher is to teach, and that of the student to learn” to that “all students can learn only with more time and effort.”
Another important acknowledgment when teaching science is that the learning process is practical and for a particular purpose. Science is practical and aims at solving problems (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). The knowledge acquired should reflect the student’s ability to solve problems. This calls for the teacher to be practical in passing this knowledge and not passive. Again the student should also be active in gaining this knowledge and not passive.
Current issues in science education
Access and equity
In many countries, access to science education faces many restrictions. In some of them, especially the third world, the only education available to all is primary education, while in others, there are restrictions to access based on some other factors, for instance, gender. Regardless of the reason, access to science education is an arising issue in science education. Countries are supposed to tailor their policies in a way that makes science education available to all.
Technology
Another emerging trend in science education is the bridging of science teaching and learning with the current technology. Teachers should find ways of incorporating the teaching of science with the current technology. This is an important force in capturing student’s interest in studying science as a body of knowledge. Besides the role of technology in learning the learning process, science also relates to technology in a practicable sense. The incorporation of technology in scientific methods of problem-solving is critical.
References
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Gauch, H.G. (2003). Scientific method in practice. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
In the current study, the sample of teachers focusing on sports education and working in the university setting. The sample of teachers is expected to have experience working with students for whom sports education is an imperative aspect of learning. These educators are expected to address the educational challenges of health education and develop appropriate strategies for making sure that all people can be effective in learning. It is expected that the sample of teachers will be predominantly female (although male teachers will also be included), aged between 25 and 65, with several years of experience working in the educational field. In order to facilitate representativeness, a sample of 200 teachers will be selected from various educational facilities in Saudi Arabia that provide sports education
Obtaining the Sample
The sample of teachers will be chosen with the help of simple random sampling. This method of sampling implies that each member of the teacher population has equal chances of participating in research. The benefit of this sampling method is associated with the ease of forming representative groups from an overall population. To recruit the teachers, name lists of educators working in sports education at different facilities will be collected, including the University of Jeddah. Each teacher will be assigned a number that will be inserted in a randomization software that will provide random numbers corresponding to teachers.
In this way, any bias is eliminated because the choice of teachers will depend on software. The social context of the sample will play an essential role in the study because interactions between students and teachers imply a degree of socialization, as mentioned by Frank (1998).
The issue of gatekeeping plays an important role in the study because it is expected that leaders of educational facilities will facilitate interactions between the researcher and teachers to be participating in research. University managers can also have the power to grant the permission to access teachers when it comes to data collection. Therefore, in instances when facility managers prevent the researcher from contacting teachers, other educational facilities will be chosen for the study. This represents the key limitation in research since the involvement of professionals overseeing the work of teachers can be limiting in terms of data collection.
However, having a gatekeeper in the current study is important because the researcher does not have legitimate access to teachers’ data and thus will experience issues with gathering the necessary information for the study. The permission to access the sample and data will be collected from university managers as well as potential participants themselves. Therefore, another limitation is the absence of teachers’ support for the study and the lack of desire to participate in sampling.
Overview of Literature
The study is supported by previous research in the field of sports education. For example, Usher, Edwards, & de Meyrick (2015) provided a framework for effective educational approaches targeted at improving students’ capabilities in becoming healthier through sports activities. Al-Hashem (2016) had interesting findings in showing that health education was gaining increased importance in the Saudi Arabian context because students were showing an increased rate of disease occurrence. Araújo, Mesquita, Hastie, & Pereira (2016) were effective in illustrating the integration of sports education into the curriculum Therefore, the current study aims to research the attitudes of teachers toward sports education to discover methods that will benefit students’ learning and overall health.
Disease
The concept of disease is important to apply to the current study as the intervention is intended to reduce the occurrence of illnesses among the target population through physical education. Disease refers to a specific abnormal condition that adversely influences the structure or function of a part of organism, and that is not associated with external injury. Therefore, the improvement of environments that affect the shaping of health and well-being is important for reducing the occurrence of diseases among students.
References
Al-Hashem A. (2016). Health education in Saudi Arabia: Historical overview. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(3), 286-292.
Araújo R., Mesquita I., Hastie P.A., Pereira C. (2016). Students’ game performance improvements during a hybrid sport education – step-game-approach volleyball unit. European Physical Education Review 22, 185-200.
Frank, K. (1998). Quantitative methods for studying social context in multilevel and through interpersonal relations. Review of Research in Education, 23(1), 171-216.
Usher, W., Edwards, A., & de Meyrick, B. (2015). Utilizing educational theoretical models to support effective physical education pedagogy. Cogent Education, 2(1), 1-10.
The purpose of the study consists in the attitude of mainstream teachers towards the inclusion of children with disabilities. The attitude helps to develop strong positive relationships with students because it provides them with hope for the future. Students are taught how to go about bad situations that may crop up in their lives and to concentrate on achieving their goals regardless of disability. The study deals with the inclusion of students with diverse abilities in a normal classroom
Design & Procedure
Correlational statistical design is chosen by the authors as an appropriate one for this kind of study. The questionnaires are carefully planned to yield pertinent data as far as the motives for the desired ends are concerned. SPSS is the most common statistical software employed for the analysis of various kinds of data with assured accuracy due to being dependent on computers more than on manual calculations nowadays. The statistical instruments include response scales of 1-7 ranging from ‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree’, which suggests that a lot of data were to be generated for the statistical analysis. The author describes all the instruments in detail as far as their historical origin and validity for this particular study are concerned. In identical studies done in the past, correlations were within permissible limits of consistency as well as accuracy required to form valid inferences.
The quality of outcomes
The authors use real-world measures such as sample size, population, and predictor variables. The study should involve a predictive design. Measures of the same construct should be measured sometimes in the future, and similar sets of data are compared with ascertaining validity.
Participant’s outcome reported
The results include all the teachers who participated. No teacher left before the completion of the project. According to the authors, participants’ information was very important to provide reliable results.
Long-term outcomes
The long-term outcomes are shown in the report. The authors insist that inclusion is an entity in itself. Regular practice enables one to achieve better work outcomes.
Limitations of the study
As is stated by the authors, the limitation of this research is the inability of correlation. It is based on studies to provide evidence for the inclusion of students with disabilities. This example is a ‘convenience sample’ because the participants were aware of the aims of the study.
Practical and Clinical Significance
Extremely important interdependence was established between variable data. All instruments studied by the author show statistically significant positive relationships with each other leading the writers to conclude that attitude, career satisfaction, and life satisfaction are positively correlated with each other.
Sample size adequacy
The study deals with 72 teachers from 12 city schools. It seems to be an appropriate sample scale at this stage as it eliminates variation due to institutional differences and also makes the teachers to be adequately prepared for the type of questionnaires they are going to be subjected to. Though a larger sample scale could have been more indicative of the results, this study was the first attempt of its kind. The novelty of the idea compensates for the small sample size. The authors find an accepted descriptive, correlational statistical design to correspond to this kind of study. The questionnaires are created to show necessary data as far as the motives for the desired ends are concerned.
Results reported in meaningful terms
The reliability of coefficients was 0.78 for core perspective, 0.73 for classroom practices, and 0.76 for expected outcomes. It means that the obtained results were reliable although cultural differences play an important role in showing the differences. The results have also been depicted in easily comprehensible tabulated forms which describe the demographic details of the participants, mean values obtained for three instruments under study, and the correlational attributes within them. Errors due to cultural variations seem to be minimal as most respondents were female.
Subgroup analysis and authors discussion
The authors were cautious in the inclusion of subgroup analysis as the discussion in the study focused on the attitude of teachers towards inclusion to mainstream children with disabilities and the ways and means they adopt to overcome the obstacles encountered in teaching. It helps to avoid contractions. Sharing and assisting others were considered vital in promoting awareness about inclusion. The limitations in this study include the small number of participants as well as the environment and methodology which might have elicited subdued responses due to privacy concerns.
Outcomes reported
The authors do not identify parameters with no results or with negative results in this case.
Evidence in the study
The authors have used real-world data making the evidence of the study very strong. The authors describe all the instruments in detail as far as their historical origin and validity for this particular study are concerned.
Additional information
The additional information that is identified is the use of Pearson to identify translate the effect size of the sample. The regression coefficient is also a part of the study as it is used to standardize and measure the effect size. It represents the dependent variable changes that are results of a standard deviation change in specific independent variables.
Reference
Kalyva, E., Gojkovic, D and Tsakiris V. (2007). Serbian Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion. International Journal Of Special Education.
The Catholic Social Teaching program provides insight into the requirements of people in society. The social teachings reveal that all members of society are equal regardless of their social, economic, and financial backgrounds. The teachings also reveal that the enabled people must provide help to the less fortunate members of society. It is essential for Christians to attend to their responsibility of looking out for their brothers. The teachings also highlight the value of human rights and how Christians should become advocates for solidarity in the society by embracing the entire society through community development programs that make the ‘outcasts’ in the society feel appreciated. Through the information gathered from the course, it is evident that society needs to be lured into upholding equality, and interdependence between the people should be encouraged. Respecting human dignity is part of the major lessons that the teachings have emphasized, and it is a motivational topic because it reveals the value of the individuals in society.
Human dignity is upheld by the development of appropriate structures and organizations in society. The organizations should promote participation by the members of the society in enhancing the quality of life for everyone in the community. The Catholic Social Teaching program is based on Christian values, and it compels the learners to assume an attitude that influences the generation of ideas that promote the common good of society. The need to observe the governing ethics decision-making in different situation is also highlighted in the program. One of the themes of the program is measuring social performance by evaluating how its most vulnerable members live.
One of the themes in the Catholic Social Teaching program is community and participation. While congregations in the church are treated as a sacred community of worshipers, the people are not entirely sacred outside the holy worship place. Society needs to develop organizations that seek to achieve the common good to promote the state of wellness for everyone. The poor and vulnerable need to be lured into joining the church congregation to worship along with the members of the church and the easiest way to compel them to join the church is to visit their dwelling places (Bruyneel & Padgett, 2014).
In the past, apostolic work was conducted in a traditional approach that involved spreading the teachings of the Holy Scripture verbally. In the modern world, this method has become obsolete, and the members of the church congregation have to practically portray the teachings of the Holy Scripture to lure more people into the church. It is the obligation of the members of the church to participate in community programs that help in the alleviation of poverty. The community programs may incorporate an evangelistic approach to acquaint the people with Christ’s teachings (Bruyneel & Padgett, 2014). The programs should focus on providing things that promote wellness for the poor and vulnerable. These things may include food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare services. Such programs help in ensuring that the poor and vulnerable members of society enjoy their right to life. It is only ethical for society to take part in community programs through donations and volunteering to give services to the needy.
Following the lessons learned from the themes of the Catholic Social Teaching program, the voluntary work in Episcopal Community Services is quite fulfilling. The program covered entails the development of wellness programs for the poor and homeless people living in the streets. While their plight has been ignored by the authorities, it is the duty of the community to help them with their basic needs. The community service program is scheduled for every Thursday from 4pm-6pm. During the two hours, the volunteers get to interact with the homeless members of the society, whereby they share their problems and receive the necessary assistance where possible.
The community program was set to help the poor with food; hence, there is a lot of work covered over the two hours. Ready-made food is served to the people, and they are counseled on the best ways to solve the underlying issues to their situations. Being part of the community program is a fulfilling achievement because one can apply the knowledge learned from the CST. Human dignity in the current society is eroded because the rich fail to participate in empowering programs for the poor and vulnerable. This part of the society is in dire need for the authorities and the members of the society to help alleviate their poor living conditions. Solidarity is required in society because the issue is too big to be handled by a small group of people. Feeding the poor and homeless is a good move toward giving them a better life, but it is barely enough to help them improve their living conditions. There is a mutual sentiment among the members of the community group that the entire society needs to be involved in providing the basic needs of the poor.
References
Bruyneel, S., & Padgett, A. G. (2014). Introducing Christianity. New York: Orbis Books.
The Biblical account of Balaam is controversial since the prophet is depicted as immoral. According to Revelation 2:12-16, Balaam advised King Balak on how to indulge the Israelites into sinning by sexual immorality and food sacrifices to idols. While many Christians believe that Balaam is sinful, Steven Notley in his article “The Teaching of Balaam” contradicts the belief. According to Steven Notley, the author of Revelation solely relied on their understanding of the Moabite prophet’s instruction to Balaak (para. 4). Therefore, Steven Notley suggests that the author of Revelation was informed by the association of Balaam with Moabites.
While the Balaam is presented as a sinful and bad influence on the Israelites, the literal content of the scriptures communicates otherwise. According to Steven Notley, the scripture contents do not record that Balaam encouraged the Israelites to participate with the Moabites in idolatry and sexual immorality (para. 4). However, the teaching of Balaam is not just presented in the New Testament, the Old Testament in the book of Numbers. According to the Old Testament, Numbers 31:6, Moses referred to Balaam as a person who led the Israelites astray and against the teaching of God (para. 5). Although the books present Balaam as sinful, Numbers 22-24 state that Balaam refused the commands of King Balak, and, instead, blessed the Israelites.
In addition to Numbers and Revelation, the second letter of Peter (2 Peter) is another book that describes Balaam. The Second letter of Peter 2:15 describes Balaam as a good example of a prophet who apostatized for the sake of material gain. The Bible verse states, “They have left the right way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). While the Biblical content of the Bible presents Balaam as greedy, idolatrous, and evil, Steven Notley argues that there is no literal scripture that proves the teachings.
Works Cited
Notley, R. Steven. “The Teaching of Balaam.” Jerusalem University College.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “2 Peter 2:5”.
Harvard University for a long time now has been considered, a university for modern studies that include complicated scientific research. It is regarded up to now as a legendarily secular university. On the other hand, “Jesus who lived over two thousand years ago is associated in most people’s minds with simplicity, humility, and spiritual life. He is also the central figure in the world’s largest religion” (Cox, 1). One would notably question why Jesus is being associated with Harvard here. In the ’80s, Cox was instructed to edify students on a course that had Jesus, as a central focus in Moral Reasoning classes. This was an undergraduate program aimed at teaching moral choices. The university had brought up a concern showing that most professionals are currently interested in self gains, it was said that they are doing awful things which are unethical. Owing to this, the university decided to incorporate this course in their curriculum, because, they believed this was what was missing in educational combinations they were giving out to students. They believed it was of no use to give students high-quality edification in complicated scientific subjects or humanities when in the end, it does not serve any purpose because of the lack of moral values. The course was what was dubbed “Making Moral Choices Today”, attracting huge numbers of students which made Cox write the book “When Jesus Come to Harvard”, and it focuses on teaching moral issues. This paper will therefore focus on this topic.
This book is centred on a course that Cox taught to undergraduates at Harvard for approximately 15 years. The cause addressed mainly matters on moral choices and how an individual can go about making the choices. It was decided that Cox teaches a course that included the making of moral choices because currently people of diverse professions are either looking for answers to these choices or are carrying out their professions without the choices. This was incorporated in the curriculum at Harvard although it was not an institution where theology or such social courses were offered.
Cox shows us that these choices are very simple as they include the use of simple phrases like, yes and no although they look so intricate to use. He further states that this question, or the use of these words in peoples’ minds, is believed to be so simple, but the devil is found in answering or using them. He says people do have bad answers to such questions.
The author tells us that ethical choices are currently complex. In the book, Cox tries to portray to us that currently, people are trying to use Biblical teachings in trying to answer ethical choice questions and other intricate questions. What they lack (for those who try) is the direction. Cox tries to explain where the imaginations of people go when they try to explore difficult questions and/or make responsible choices.
For more than 15 years the Christian theologian (Harvey Cox) was responsible for teaching a course dubbed “Jesus and the Moral Life”. This he did at Harvard University to undergraduates, a college that was previously a secular university. Many people waited for a long time for him to talk about his knowledge, sharing his notions and the life and times of Jesus whose expressions and actions are shown in the 4 Gospels.
In the stimulating and soul-stirring book, “he relates the stories of Jesus and stories about him to some of the most nettlesome ethical and moral conundrums of our times including genetics, money, intergenerational conflict, medical procedures, race, ecology, torture, violence and nonviolence, leadership styles, and death” (Brussat, 4). Cox is up to now a theology teacher who can talk about all kinds of religious beliefs with no lost touch of his own beliefs. Cox sheds light on all aspects of religious beliefs. “He brings to this multileveled consideration of Jesus and the multilingual contemporary scene an informed sensitivity, sharpened discrimination, and an ethically awakened conscience” (Brussat, 4).
When lecturing at Harvard University, Cox realized that the son of God was not the sole-possessor of the entire Christian community. A lot of Jew students took him as one of their own whose observations were frequently in sync with those of prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah. People of the Buddhist religion viewed him as a Buddhist, a person who dedicated his life to helping other people. Muslims on the other hand viewed him as a prophet shown in the Qur’an. He normally interpreted religious books more than any other person had ever done to his students. He shows us that people are normally engraved in shallow ideas concerning religious views. He tells us that a lot of people only say what the Bible says, or Jesus said when in a real sense they don’t know what the Bible or Jesus meant. This he says is not even religious. In his part, he asserts that he does not say God says or what the bible says, but rather this is how it is done.
Even if Cox lectured on the different occurrences found in the Bible, for example, Jesus’ temptations by Satan together with the starting of his ministering as a rabbi/teacher in Jerusalem, a lot of his students notably put in great efforts in relating Jesus’ ministering during his time, with the intricate and thorny matters of current lifestyles. For example, the students thought the instruction saying that they should not be anxious concerning “tomorrow”, hard to comprehend. As shown by Cox, “in a culture where concern about the future is constant and date books or Palm Pilots are a necessity, the ideal of living gratefully in the present moment struck them as a moral choice they could not make” (Cox, 128).
“He also discussed a lot of the parables Jesus taught while emphasizing their capacities to shocking or dashing our expectations. These stories allude to the in breaking kingdom of God and the changes that are part and parcel of it” (Cox, 128). Cox further challenged students to see Bible teachings with a new dimension. The secret behind the comprehension of the importance of Jesus to current matters, Cox says, is in the use of imaginations to look up into the state of affairs he is teaching and then have compassion with what he tries to tell us. “Comparable to the way the Jews have used the Midrash and Catholics have used the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. These approaches yield a lively and salutary alternative understanding to the just-the-facts obsession of our society” (Cox, 332).
Cox’s comprehensive interpretation of God’s Summoning Moses on Mount Sinai is one among the many book’s high points. This is because he puts a challenge on us, he challenges us to make moral decisions just as Jesus’ special conduct towards the poor in the society, and his perception of peaceful co-existence, and the love he had for enemies. Again the author has several sharp notions on the study about a historical Jesus, an extremely well-liked Left Behind series, “impersonality as “one of our gravest moral dilemmas,” and why Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison stands as “one of the most buoyant and life-affirming documents in all Christian literature” (Cox, 332). This book was written in a succinct manner relating the times and life of Jesus as compared to the intriguing current lifestyles. The author tells us that this is why Jesus was used as a moral exemplary to instil moral values in the students.
In a synopsis, Harvard University initiated this program to help people try to build moral or ethical choices, to know exactly what they are supposed to do in any unethical situations they find themselves in. A Harvard faculty decided that Cox was supposed to incorporate the religious icon (Jesus) since most of the graduates coming out of this university were only handicapped to the respective professions that they were taught. It was noticed that the university had ideas that were secular and therefore, there was the need to incorporate such religious courses. What was missing as shown in this book is that the graduates were not making use of their professions more responsibly. As a result, the university made it compulsory to take at least one course in moral reasoning. Therefore this was a project aimed at preparing the students on ways of applying their education or professions morally and accountably.
Works cited
Cox, Harvey. When Jesus Came to Harvard. Boston: Mariner Books. 2004. Print.
Brussat, Frederic. Spirituality Practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2009. Print.
Many are the times a teacher is tempted to always conform to the norm of teaching through the methods that have always been in existence. Teachers ought to be creative and stimulate their class in order to achieve their desired learning objectives. In his book, Lefever acknowledges that there is joy in a teacher being creative and making the students participate in the classroom.
Lefever gives the example of Jesus by saying that he did not just come into to the world, (Lefever 1996, pp. 1)1congregate his disciples and broadcast to them that he was the messiah other than he used stimulation whereby he taught, performed miracles and left no doubt in the disciple’s mind that he was actually the son of God.
For if he did not stimulate his followers, few people were to believe that he was the son of God, therefore demonstrations formed the basis of Jesus teaching.
Levefer also acknowledges that Christian teachers can be creative and there is no excuse that a teacher cannot be creative. Creativity therefore is a real concept and not an abstract concept as many people tend to think. It is a process and a journey throughout the life of the Christian teacher.
A teacher has to have the will power to unlock the creativity locked inside him or her and therefore Lefever’s book is a reality to those teachers who think that a Christian teacher becomes creative because he/she possesses the inherent qualities of being creative (Lefever 1996, pp. 20)2.
In most cases we tend to think that we are not creative because we have locked the potential in us and set limits to what we can achieve thereby hindering our being creative (Lefever 1996, pp. 20)3. However, he does not discredit that breaking away from the norm or the method that one is used to when teaching is not an easy thing to do but with numerous efforts one can be able to introduce new methods of teaching.
However, a teacher should be prepared to be creative through adopting a different teaching method and not just adopt that particular method just because it is simpler to adopt it.
There has to be careful analysis of what the method is going to help the teacher achieve in the classroom and how the learner’s spiritual growth is to be nurtured by that particular method which would be adopted. Lefever also cautions that being creative does not equate to unlimited freedom but a Christian becomes creative when they have divine discipline (Lefever 1996, pp. 17)4.
Lefever has summarized the process of being creative in five major steps starting with a teacher preparing to be creative.
This is the step where the teacher adequately prepares for the lesson throughout and he argues by saying that adequate preparation does not equate to preparation for teaching other than the teacher exposing him or herself to methods that are going to make her/him effective in the classroom for instance, through drama, simulation, telling stories in the class all of which cannot fit into a specific time frame of preparation.
In short, for creativity to occur, the teacher ought to be continually preparing for a lesson (Lefever 1996, pp. 24)5. The next step is incubation where for instance while preparing for a lesson for Sunday school on Sunday throughout the week, the teacher would take a break for example on Thursday and let the ideas sink in the head before resuming his/her preparations on Saturday night.
However, Lefever cautions that this time should not be misguided with a time for resting for during this time, new ideas that the teacher had not thought of might come to his/her head and this helps in the ultimate preparation of the final lesson. Incubation time will vary from one individual to the other. Illumination is another important step to Christians in their teaching.
Through this process, Christian teachers give their selves time to come up with solutions that can be used to solve different problems. Lefever notes that, it is a time we as Christian teachers allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and reveal to us the different ways in which we can teach God’s flock on Sunday (Lefever 1996, pp. 27)6. We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us on how He would want us to lead his people.
During elaboration, Lefever cautions teachers not to be too certain of what they have planned in their lesson by arguing that many are the times that teachers will find themselves deviating from what they have planned and therefore they ought to give room for this. Evaluation is the last process where the teacher self assesses what she wants to achieve in the classroom.
It is the stage where the teacher will stop and reflect whether her plan will achieve the desired outcomes but this stage is crucial, for teachers should not be too quick to judge the outcomes of their lessons lest they risk being disappointed (Lefever 1996, pp. 28). 7
In teaching, teachers should not have unrealistic goals which are to be achieved for teachers should try as much as possible not to be self centered and the only way this can be achieved is through giving God a chance to guide the teacher’s plan in teaching his word such that the teacher’s goals should work towards glorifying God (Lefever 1996, pp. 29)8.
For learners to exhibit creativity in the classroom, they got to have exposure to teachers, books and peers who are creative so that they can have a glimpse of what creativity is. However, Christians should take caution of what they term as creative so that they do not indulge in worldly things in search of creativity.
The church also has to participate in nurturing programs that encourages creativity together with offering each individual the benefit of the doubt that they are creative, for instance the church should not prejudge that so and so is more creative than the other.
For individuals to be creative, they have to look beyond a people’s culture and strive to overcome the cultural differences. Coupled with having a role model or people to look at in terms of creativity, one also needs to develop a level of tolerance in the creative journey (Lefever 1996, pp. 38)9.
Lefever does stop there for he further helps us to identify creative students through some characteristics that they possess among them being independent and always curious of their surrounding. Lefever urges teachers to always help nurture such students as it is the only way through which the joy of becoming a teacher is fully realized (Lefever 1996, pp. 50)10.
Through chapter four to nine, Lefever takes the reader through actual practices that would make any teacher teaching the Word of God enjoy teaching. These are the chapters that give a practical aspect of learning through engaging students for instance in acting up – drama in the classroom, role playing by the teacher and also the students in addition to using motion to pass on message (mime).
This technique (mime) intrigues students to think outside the box and be more imaginative. Simulation games also allow learners to have the excitement of learning something new.
Lefever also advocates for teaching without boundaries for instance Christian teachers can get all the materials that they need for teaching on the internet. Lefever acknowledges that the internet can be a good source of getting materials. That a Christian teacher does not have to solely rely on the bible alone, for there are plenty of testimonies available online which can aid in the teaching of Christian concepts.
In conclusion, the book advocates for interactive learning when teaching the word of God. Drawing examples with how Jesus taught His followers, Lefever, urges Christian teachers to incorporate the same concepts when it comes to teaching children on Sunday.
Jesus used parables, simulation to communicate his messages and therefore Christian teachers ought to emulate Jesus and enhance their creativity when it comes to teaching the word of God. The book therefore is not only relevant to Christian teachers but also all teachers who are mandated with nurturing talents of innocent children and helping them achieve in life.
One would wonder why Lefever would go into so many details in explaining all the techniques that are available for teachers to become creative and nurture creativity in their learners.
One of the underlying concepts is for the teacher to have a student centered approach of teaching in which the students are not only passive learners but active participants in the learning process and this helps the student in feeling that he or she is a part of the learning process.
Another aspect as to why teachers should actively involve their learners is to help eliminate the notion that only the teacher can help facilitate the learning process. Learners too need to feel that they are an integral part of the process of learning.
There is no compromise to what the author of creative teaching methods is advocating. In the normal classroom teaching, a teacher ought to fully engage the students in order to acquire the set objectives and what better way to do that than to effectively engage the learners?
Teacher centered method of learning is an outdated concept and in most cases and where the teacher centered method of teaching is the dominant method; learners have no sense of belonging or fail to connect with the teacher.
In the book, Lives on the Boundary by Mike Rose, the author had difficulties in learning and therefore was labeled an underprepared student though there was a mix up of grades between him and another student whom they shared the name Rose with (Rose 1990, pp. 12)11. However, it took the careful observation of one of his teachers who was later to become his mentor in urging him to read and practice more and more.
Through his mentor, Mike Rose was successfully enrolled in college despite him being labeled as an underachiever in his grade school.
Mike Rose therefore points out that the teacher and her methods of teaching can create a boundary in the classroom and therefore hinder effective delivery of the content to the learner (Rose 1990, pp. 20)12. Therefore, Lefever book on effective teaching methods cannot be a substitute when it comes to his ideologies about teaching through active participation of the learners.
The mixed approach method of teaching is also an effective one. Lefever urges those teachers who are used to teaching using the lecture method only to try and incorporate other methods into their teaching. Who would discredit such important contributions to the field of education? Not only is the book relevant in teaching Christian education, I personally believe that it is a book that has application in the classroom setting.
When a teacher tends to rely on one method, the students cease to find learning interesting and in most cases, they get so used to the teacher’s ways of teaching in such a way that they can foretell what the teacher would do when he or she reaches a certain point.
Learning is supposed to be fun, integrative, consent to room for discussions, room for asking questions among others and therefore Lefever’s concepts are more applicable to all teachers, teachers of the word of God and teachers in the classroom. Learner centered approach to learning helps the student not to fear asking questions in the class and they are therefore able to assimilate the content in their own pace.
However, I cannot fail to note that while interacting with the learner, a great deal of time is required for the teacher’s creativity through the methods he/she is using to flow in the classroom and for the teacher to nurture the creativity in the learners. These are some of the reasons as to why some teachers prefer passive learning as opposed to interactive learning between the teacher and the learner.
For instance, comparing game simulation method to lecture method, in the former, the teacher has to group the students, set objectives for each group and assess whether each group is achieving the desired objectives or whether learning is taking place.
With the latter, the teacher has an overall or blanket objective for all the learners and he or she can only assess them through a standardized test to know whether the objectives were achieved. I think that interactive/creative learning requires plenty of time than a teacher is willing to spend.
I second Lefever ideas that a teacher who possesses creativity qualities possesses abilities that allow him or her to face challenges in the classroom because such a teacher would have undergone all the steps of being creative and therefore no question will get the teacher off guard.
Teachers ought to adequately prepare to help students and their preparations should not only be the one hour lecture preparation. A teacher has to get into details of what to tell the learner and for teaching Christian education; the teacher has to be guided by the creator who Christians should emulate.
Lefever advocating for the use of internet is also useful to all teachers. Learning should not be a dogmatic static process that does not allow people to discover new ideas. New ideas emerge every now and then and the learner should not be limited to only the ideas that are in the textbook. The internet therefore should be an important learning resource.
Lefever believes that if teachers are creative they will even start to enjoy while teaching the word of God. I second his opinion through the analysis of the book, Flow and Psychology of Discover and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Mihaly is concerned with individual creativity throughout his book and he ascertains that people grow and can only be happy if there are creative in what they do (Csikszentmihalyi 1996, pp. 47)13. To Lefever, it is evident that he holds teaching dear to his heart and believes that teaching should not be a profession but a calling.
This is evident through the way Lefever has taken us through the process of teacher preparation so that she/he can become productive in the classroom and further says that evaluation when one switch from one method to another should not be done too soon.
On the other hand, Mihaly in his book says that creativity lies in the experiences that people find most enjoyable taking part in and thus creativity is a process and not something that happens all of a sudden.
According to Mihaly (Csikszentmihalyi 1996, pp. 54)14, one first of all has to have creative ideas which will go through the bottlenecks of a culture that an individual has been predisposed to and therefore shaping his or her experiences and frustrations and in turn intriguing creativity in the individual.
Lefever (1996, pp. 23)15, on the other hand talks about exposing children to different cultures so that they can learn form the cultures and teachers who are creative so that they can get first hand information of the frustrations and experiences as one becomes creative through the role models.
Mihaly also talks about the individual who is ready to take challenges characteristically of what Lefever talks about, for teachers to always allow ambiguity if there are to become creative while teaching.
In chapter five of Flow and Psychology of Discover and Invention, Mihaly illustrates that creativity is very natural and happens unconsciously thus echoing Lefever words that there is no excuse for teachers not to be creative for when they decide to be creative they just have to stick to their guts and try new methods of teaching.
It is outstanding to note that Mihaly just like Lefever does not provide a general recipe to creativity but both writers provides the reader with actual facts regarding creativity.
Just like Lefever, William Yount also believes in teaching that brings happiness and satisfaction which is achieved when a teacher teaches with zeal (Yount 1999, pp. 56)16.
He believes that for teachers to be effective while teaching, they have first of all be examples to the learners like Jesus was to his followers while he was on earth. William also has the same ideologies like Lefever about the teacher being passionate when teaching.
He paints the pictures of a teacher who is not into teaching as a profession but of a teacher who enjoys what he or she is doing (Yount 1999, pp. 70)17. William Yount believes that we cannot separate ourselves from God while we are teaching. Therefore, when we want to become good teachers, the process of becoming a good teacher starts when teachers become meek before God.
It is worthwhile to note that while Lefever clearly targets Christian teachers, Yount book suits anyone aspiring to be the teacher with practical examples that are juxtaposed in real life situations.
However, Yount emphasis is not on the teacher becoming creative rather than on what he terms or views as fundamental aspects in learning. William emphasis is for teachers to use hands in gestures, to teach by heart for instance to engage wholly in the teaching process and the head which is also an important component in teaching according to Yount (Yount 1999, pp. 34). 18
Every teacher should be passionate when teaching especially teachers of Christian education. Christian education teachers should analyze the way Jesus taught and therefore apply these concepts to their students.
Lefever and Yount have illustrated how Christian teachers should handle teachers in their classrooms and it is without a doubt that these methods are not only applicable to Christian’s teachers but even ordinary teachers in the classroom. Their content therefore is very relevant.
Bibliography
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, New York, HarperCollins, 1st Ed. 1996.
Lefever, Marlene. Creative Teaching Methods. Canada. David C. Cook. 1996.
Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary. New York. Penguin Publishers.1990
Yount, William. Called to Teach. Nashville. B & H Academic Publishers.1999
Footnotes
1 Lefever, M.1996, Creative Teaching Methods. David C. Cook.
2 Lefever 1996, pp. 20.
3 Lefever, pp. 20
4 Lefever, pp. 17
5 Lefever, pp. 24
6 Lefever, pp. 27
7 Lefever, pp. 28
8 Lefever, pp. 29
9 Lefever, pp. 38
10 Lefever, pp. 50
11 Rose, M. 1990, Lives on the Boundary. New York. Penguin Publishers.
12 Rose 1990, pp. 20
13 Csikszentmihalyi, M, 1996, Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, New York, HarperCollins
14 Csikszentmihalyi 1996, pp. 54
15 Lefever 1996, pp. 23
16 Yount, W. 1999, Called to Teach. B & H Academic Publishers.
The Buddhist theory has developed a specific approach to the comprehension of the process of an individual’s experience of life and oneself. The Buddhist teaching of “no-self” has to be analyzed in conjunction with the notion of “self” to avoid misinterpretations of the idea meant by Buddha. The “no-self” teaching does not convey that there is no such thing as “self” but underlines that there are different ways of perceiving it to be able to understand the unchanging patterns of experience.
The dual understanding of experience from the “self” and “no-self” perspectives is complicated and is not clearly explained by Buddha. He never denied the existence of “self” but also never claimed that it is some unchanging concept. If a person starts to introspect his or her experiences and feelings, it might be found that there is nothing constant. Every time one analyzes his or her inner world, he or she finds a particular feeling or emotion, or even knowledge that is relevant to the moment and will change immediately. According to Gethin’s (1998) explanation of Buddha’s ideas, the “I” is “something entirely elusive” (p. 138). Thus, Buddha did not deny the existence of the self in his “no-self” teaching but underlined its changing and elusive nature.
Such a way of comprehension of “self” made it possible to validate the teachings of the four noble truths. Concentrating on the “self” is viewed by Buddhists as a manifestation of attachment and greed, thus contradicting the ideas of noble truths (Gethin, 1998). Any attachment is suffering, and the exaggerated importance of the “self,” when regarded as an attachment, leads to suffering. Buddha taught his monks that “all body … feelings …and conscious awareness … should be seen as ‘this is not mine … this is not my self’” (Gethin, 1998, p. 137). Such an attitude to experience perception eliminates greed and attachment and ensures noble truths as the milestones of Buddhism.
To summarize, when Buddha taught about “no-self,” he did not deny the very existence of such a concept as “self” but emphasized that self is always changing and cannot be referred to as something constant. From the perspective of the four noble truths, concentrating on the self is regarded as an attachment and will ultimately lead to suffering. To avoid suffering and to judge about any experience objectively, one should think from the point of view of “no-self.”
Reference
Gethin, R. (1998). The foundations of Buddhism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
The life and dignity of the human race are one of the catholic social values. The church believes and acknowledges that God created man in his image. The church emphasizes that individuals can do nothing to attain or end their human dignity, for it is given by God and not earned. The religion believes that every life, be born or unborn is sacred and is not disposable. All catholic social teachings dictate that every individual has inherent dignity and must be respected (“Life and dignity of the human person”, 2017). This paper focuses on examining the impact of catholic social teachings on life, the human race’s dignity, workers’ well-being, patients’ rights, and nurses’ responsibilities, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The catholic church has established a service branch known as Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The organization is an international humanitarian agency committed to the suffering and the poor in more than a hundred countries without discriminating nationalities, religions, or even races. The organization was instituted in 1943 and has reached more than eighty-five million needy families every year by providing innovative solutions to hunger, poverty, diseases, drought, and emergencies (“Life and dignity of the human person”, 2017). CRS works closely with Catholic churches worldwide and with organizations that share their commitment and dreams in attending to the needs of the poor and empowering communities.
In many countries, particularly developing countries, workers are subjected to poor working conditions. This poor environment places workers at risk of contracting diseases or even getting injured, and in most cases, they do not get compensated. Employees are also paid little salaries that make it difficult for them to entirely fend for their families leave alone take care of their medical expenses. The Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), which the catholic church is part of, ensures that workers’ rights are explicitly upheld during the pandemic. The CBIS is engaging in swift actions on various fronts to stem the adverse effects of the pandemic (“The dignity of work at risk | Catholic responsible investments progress report”, 2020). The organization is installing a sequence of interrelated strategies that are aimed at conserving the dignity of work. The CBIS focus on their active ownership initiative has shifted to addressing the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Harassment and violence at workplaces are evident around the globe, from politicians such as heads of states facing death threats to volunteers and apprentices being subjected to verbal abuse and humiliating handling. Firm workers are subjected to sexual harassment to keep their jobs, and street vendors face aggravation from the police (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Journalists are intimidated for publishing their reports, and civil society activists are attacked. Employees across all sectors can be subjected to psychological, sexual, economic, and physical harm. This type of harassment tends to compromise the safety and dignity of work.
Patients in hospitals placed in isolation due to medical reasons such as Covid-19 are prone to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and anger. These conditions arise because health workers do not tend to spend quality time with these patients. According to Chochinov, Bolton, and Sareen (2020), loneliness is a significant risk of mental disorders such as chronic distress, adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Symptom distress, the feeling of not being valued, and lack of social support undermine a patients’ dignity at the verge of dying. Patients who are avoided or isolated are vulnerable to inclining to the feeling that they are contagious. Families barred from visiting their relatives that have contracted the covid virus are denied the opportunity to advocate for ideal health care services and are often required to forgo final goodbyes to their loved ones (Chochinov et al., 2020). Not having access to a dying relative puts families at the risk of suffering from complicated grief.
The pandemic has resulted in the rights of covid patients being suppressed. The patients are forced to stay in a concentrated place where they risk contracting other diseases. Human rights are vital in the process of shaping a response to the pandemic for both public health concerns and the pandemic impact on individuals’ livelihoods and lives (United Nations, 2020). Responses influenced by human rights result in better outcomes in handling the pandemic, safeguarding healthcare for everybody, and thus preserving human dignity.
The pandemic has forced health care workers to engage in impoverished care. The situation requires caring for patients to be weighed against responsibility for self-protection and protecting one’s family. Nurses and physicians recruited with no prior experience in handling infectious diseases to take care of covid patients. These medical officials have been reported to suffer from exhaustion from excessive work, fear of contracting the virus and infecting others, and thus feeling powerless when handling covid victims (Chochinov et al., 2020). The contagion has seen health care officials confronting multiple simultaneous deaths, helplessness, burnout, and moral distress. The pandemic has also increased healthcare workers’ responsibility of taking care of more patients than they can handle.
The Catholic social teachings have been at the forefront in upholding the life and dignity of people. In conjunction with other organizations, the church has advocated for human dignity by condemning injustices that patients and workers face. The church places empathize with the creation of the human race based on the image and likeness of God. It indicates that every life is sacred and should be protected at all costs, which is the main reason for its advocacy for human rights.
References
Chochinov, H., Bolton, J., & Sareen, J. (2020). Death, dying, and dignity in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 23(10), 1294-1295. Web.
Widely known as one of the greatest representations of Buddhist thought, this book is frequently perceived as the best source of inspiration in the world where suffering coexists with love and peace. Even though the initial version of the book was published in 1999, it still has considerable relevance in modern society. Thich Nhat Hanh, the author and creator of this book, takes appropriate measures to introduce his target audience to the core teachings of Buddhism to demonstrate that they can be easily applied to life daily. In addition to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the author also pays attention to other important teachings, such as Three Doors of Liberation, Five Powers, and Seven factors of Awakening. Moreover, readers of this book have the opportunity to learn more about meditation and the practice of dharma.
At the same time, the book is based on the idea to determine the level of connection between the nature of suffering and various qualities of enlightenment. Nowadays, it is one of the main reasons why numerous people, regardless of their age, religion, or personal beliefs, tend to refer to this book. Thus, the subtitle of this book, which is Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation, perfectly highlights the main theme introduced by the author.
Contribution of the Author to the Book
As a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist, the author of the book has made a considerable contribution to Buddhism as a whole and the discussed book itself. Born in 1925, Zen Master spent the majority of his life in Vietnam learning fundamental concepts of the local religion and applying its teachings to day-to-day life. As a result, Thich Nhat Hanh has managed to become the author of over 120 books, including the one that is analyzed in this paper. The majority of his books are written in English and sold throughout the entire world, which makes this activist an important figure in the area of Buddhism. Furthermore, Hanh is extremely interested in the promotion of nonviolent solutions to conflict, which is most likely a result of his long-term relationships with mindfulness, global ethics, and peace.
Suffering as Interrelated Part of Life (The First Noble Truth)
To give readers a brief understanding of the idea of Buddhism, the author begins writing the book with an explanation of why suffering is an integral part of our life and how it can help us to achieve the highest level of freedom, peace, and love. The author states that Buddha called suffering a Holy Truth, because «our suffering has the capacity of showing us the path to liberation» (Nanh, 1999, p. 33). However, numerous people misunderstood this expression, which is why the author provides a deep explanation of this phrase.
This idea is not based on the negative meaning, rather Buddha was trying to say that humanity can use suffering as a tool of evolving. Despite many debates, it is a well-known fact that all individuals suffer in some way. For instance, poor people suffer due to the lack of financial resources, whereas rich people suffer due to the fear of losing money and control over their lives. In the case of Thich Nhat Hanh, he has known the real meaning of suffering since early childhood as the future activist and author was raised during the Vietnam War. Extreme violence, aggression, destruction, starvation, and mortality were integral parts of life in Vietnam in the first half of the 20th century, which is why the local population was requiring some sort of faith that could be found in the teachings of Buddha.
At the beginning of the book, Hanh states that Buddha had faced a vast amount of suffering while being a human as well. Consequently, his teachings can be applied to the day-to-day life of individuals who are looking for support and, most importantly, hope. In turn, Buddha gives this hope by demonstrating that suffering is the only way to understand the true meaning of love, peace, and freedom.
Starting Point of the Suffering (The Second Noble Truth)
To achieve the highest level of freedom, people should first determine the causes of their suffering. Therefore, Hanh encourages his readers to analyze the cause of their hardship based on four sources that include food, sense impressions, intentions, and consciousness. When it comes to food, the author means the entire physical health of the person. Hence, sleeping 7-8 hours per day, eating healthy food, and doing the physical activity are the main conditions for living in peace. From the perspective of sense impressions, it is important to take into consideration social media, movies, news, and in-person conversations, as these elements significantly affect our emotional well-being.
Simultaneously, the author of the book pays a huge amount of attention to intentions and consciousness. For example, Thich Nhat Hanh describes consciousness in this way: «Human beings tend to chew the cud of their suffering, their despair, like the cows chew the regurgitated grass» (Nanh, 1999, p. 52). This expression is used by the author to demonstrate that we should control our consciousness as it has a considerable influence on our lives. Additionally, our intentions can frequently become the main barrier to unconditional happiness. For instance, the author admits that high status is usually perceived as one of the main goals in personal and professional life. In contrast, Hanh states that the uncontrolled intention to succeed usually leads individuals towards more unhappiness. It can be explained by the fact that people frequently make sacrifices to achieve a goal that is not worth it.
Accordingly, the author provides an easy-to-understand and simply written analysis of The Second Noble Truth. This style of writing can be noticed throughout the entire book, as one of the main ideas of the author was to publish a book that could be understood by both Buddhists and people of other religions. Simultaneously, the book lacks not one bit in depth.
Ending Suffering (The Third Noble Truth)
The author also takes into account the fact that suffering can be ended if it is faced directly by the person. This idea has been discussed by supporters of Buddhism since the development of this religion. Thich Nhat Hanh modifies this Buddha teaching into a 4-step model that is recommended to be used by human beings who are intended to transform suffering into qualities of enlightenment.
The first step of this model is based on the idea of accepting the fact that difficulties can be the result of personal irresponsible behavior. Second, the author encourages readers of the book to understand the fact that both positive and negative experience is an integral part of everyone’s life. Third, mindfulness should be the priority on the path of transforming suffering into peace and love. For instance, the author recommends taking into consideration mindful walking and breathing. Lastly, it is essential to accompany mindfulness with gratitude for health and life in general. Thus, Hanh interprets the meaning of The Third Noble Truth so that the modern population understands the significance that this teaching has.
Eight Right Practices of Buddhism (The Fourth Noble Truth)
The final phase of transforming suffering into positive energy is based on the process of following eight right practices of Buddhism, which are defined as The Noble Eightfold Path. Hanh does not miss the chance to analyze one of the legends related to The Fourth Noble Truth to increase the level of awareness of its importance among the target audience of the author. This legend highlights that eight right practices became known to humanity when Buddha was dying. A young monk visited Buddha in the period when he was dying to ask if there are other spiritual teachers he can refer to. In turn, Buddha said that the only thing young monk needs to do to achieve the highest level of liberation, peace, and joy is to follow the so-called Noble Eightfold Path.
Nowadays, these practices are widely used in the whole world as they are expected to help people accept their individuality. One of the main advantages of this book is the fact that the author avoids difficult terminology to describe the role that Buddhism has always played in our society. At the same time, Thich Nhat Hanh prefers increasing the number of supporters of this religion by providing a simple explanation of difficult theories.
The Central Theme of Karma in the Book
In addition to providing a comprehensive description of the main teachings, the author also dedicates time to discuss interdependent co-arising, which is also known in the world as karma. Hanh (1999, p. 81) clearly states that «everything is a result of multiple causes and conditions». For instance, the author states that the egg is in the chicken, whereas the chicken is in the egg. This example is used to provide a brief overview of the idea that the author wants to share.
If we combine the concept of karma and the concept of mindfulness discussed above, we can conclude that human beings are in control of interdependent co-arising. Taking into account that people become aware of the nature of their actions through mindfulness, they can change the concept of cause and effect. Accordingly, karma is the result of human actions, which is why Buddha highlights that it is important to provide regular analysis to understand the cause of a certain failure.
Simultaneously, the author admits that there are exceptions to this concept. For example, changing seasons and gravity should not be perceived as the result of a particular violation in the past. In other words, if some population group faces a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, it should not be considered a collective karmic punishment. In turn, this action should be regarded as a sign to join forces and become stronger in the future.
The Use of Metaphor
The entire book is filled with various metaphors that make the process of reading more exciting. However, there is a case when the use of metaphor appears to be extremely fascinating. For instance, when the author states that «the wave lives the life of water, while also living the life of a wave» (Hanh, 1999, p. 64), he introduces a huge meaning behind it. Hanh compares waves to human life by saying that it is important to remember impermanence and rebirth. If the wave did not know it was also water, the wave would think that it can die once it reaches the shores. The same can be said about human life, as people should not consider physical death as the beginning of nonexistence. If death is perceived as the beginning of non-being, the true colors of life will be ruined. Hence, the author encourages readers to analyze personal actions, while also taking advantage of the benefits that life can bring.
Conclusion
Nowadays, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching can be considered an essential source of information related to Buddhism and its representation in day-to-day life. It is based on a variety of different themes, although the most important ones include right mindfulness, the cultivation of joy, and the practice of compassionate listening. In addition to the analysis of the most popular teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh pays attention to the practice the dharma and meditation. Considering that the presented information in the book is written in an easy-to-understand way, everyone, from the absolute beginner to the advanced practitioner, will be able to learn something new. It is the reason why the book is popular among readers of the whole world.
Reference
Hanh, T. (1999). The heart of the Buddha’s teaching: Transforming suffering into peace, joy, and liberation (1st ed.). Harmony.