Sufi Dervish Whirling Analysis Essay Example for Free

Sufi Dervish Whirling Analysis Essay Sufi whirling is a form of Sama which originated among Sufis. It is a worship ceremony in which performers spin their bodies while listening to music, in an aim to focus on God. This essay will state the inner meaning, which is focusing on God, of the Sufi whirling through analyzing the ritual’s movement, symbols and mood. Sufi whirling is a ritual performed by dervishes, as it is originated among Sufis. They are usually performed inside or outside temples. Performers wear semazen’s camels hair hat(sikke), a white shirt and skirt. The skirt is made of billowing material that flows out and around the dancer as they spin. Movement refers to the performers’ body movements, as well as their body gestures. Performers’ movement enables audiences to know about an inner emotive state or feeling of the performers. In the Sufi whirling ritual, the woman spins outside a temple while listening to music during daytime. Her spinning is stable and smooth, as her arms reach out to balance herself. It shows that she only concentrates on the spinning, as well as the God. As planets and stars circle the sun, and they are created by God, she turns counterclockwise around herself, to show her beliefs in God. The performers movement shows the inner meaning of the performance, which is focusing on and believing in God. (Mevlevi Order of America, 2009) Mood refers to atmosphere created by the performers, and also the feeling of both performers and audiences. Getting the mood of the performance is helpful to get to know the meaning of the performance. In the Sufi whirling ritual, the woman is spinning outside a temple during daytime, trying to focus on God. She is calm and relaxed, which shows the meditation and connection to God. The audiences do not applaud during the show, but watching the performance in silence with faith. The atmosphere, as well as the mood of the performers and audiences, shows that the Sufi whirling ritual is a spiritual act in which its only aim is abandon the ones nafs, egos or personal desires, and focus on God. The connection between God and the performers which is shown in the ritual shows that the performers perform the ritual to show their appreciation and beliefs in God. (Sufism and Dervishes) Symbolism refers to anything that has significant meaning in the performance. Understanding what a symbol represents helps us get to know the whole meaning of the performance. In the Sufi whirling ritual performance, a woman spins outside a temple, with her left hand down and right hand up, during the daytime. Her right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive the God’s beneficence, while her left hand upon which her eyes are fastened , is turned toward the Earth. This gestures show the respect and beliefs of the dervishes to God and their appreciation to the planet, which is also created by God. The symbolism shown in the Sufi whirling ritual shows the performers are focusing on God and abandon their egos, nafs and personal desires through spinning their bodies. In conclusion, the movement shows that the dervishes are focusing on and believing in God through performing the ritual. Moreover, through analyzing the mood and atmosphere of the performance, we can see that both the performers and audiences are faithful in God, and the ritual is a spiritual act in which the performers and audiences are trying to connect to God. On the other hand, through studying the symbolism in the Sufi whirling ritual, we get to know that performers are performing the ritual to foucus on God and abandon their egos and personal desires. All in all, the aim of performing the ritual is to abandon ones nafs, egos or personal desires and focus on God, by listening to the music and spinning one’s body. References Mevlevi Order of America (2009) The Sema of the Mevlevi. http://www.hayatidede.org/popups/about_sema.htm Sufism and Dervishes http://www.whirlingdervishes.org/whirlingdervishes.htm

England :: essays research papers

England England is a country, and I'm glad I came from it. There are lots of fun things you can do, and a lot of famous sites you can visit. Even though it is far away it really isn't that different from the US. In England the style of clothing is not much different from here. In the summer they wear shorts and short sleeve shirts. In the winter they wear pants and long sleeve shirts. Their climate isn't much different than ours so that's why the style of close is so closely related. A typical Sunday dinner in England is roast beef "which there is called a joint," vegetables, and pie with hot custard sauce. A common snack is fish or french fries. Most people drink tea at most of their meals, but a strong deal of people drink coffee. There are lots of interesting facts about England. The capital of England is London, and the official language spoken in England is English. England has a national song which is "God Save the Queen." In 1986 an estimate of the population in England was 46,821,000. The highest point in England is Scafell Pike, 3,210 ft, and the lowest point in England is The Fens, sea level. In England there is a lot of sites to see, and one of the greatest would be the Tower of London. It is a great fortress, with not to pleasurable memories. In there Queen Elizabeth 1 and Sir Walter Raleigh were imprisoned. Anne Buleyn was killed there. You could take a tour deep below the castle to see the beautiful crown jewels. England is also famous for the Buckingham Palace. There is where the Queen of England lives. At the Buckingham Palace you can see a wonderful ceremony called the Changing of the Guard. In this ceremony men with red tunics

Four Year Colleges vs. Community Colleges Essay

Why does Breakthrough emphasize four year colleges and universities? Should Breakthrough programs steer students to use community colleges as â€Å"stepping stones† toward bachelor’s degrees? Would community colleges be cheaper for students? Does it matter where students start their post†secondary educations, as long as they end up with bachelor’s degrees? It is true that once students have their bachelor’s degrees, it makes little difference, in terms of earnings potential and job prospects, what path they took to get there. However, the likelihood of earning a bachelor’s degree is significantly reduced if a student starts her post†secondary education at a community college, and the amount of time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree (and potentially, the amount of loans a student accrues) is greatly increased. Additionally, research shows that the kinds of students Breakthrough serves—low†income, minority, first generation—are less likely to transfer from community colleges to four†year colleges and earn bachelor’s degrees. Therefore, the research supports the fact that students are more likely to complete bachelor’s degrees if they start their post† secondary educations at four†year colleges or universities. Is community college more cost-effective? Without factoring in financial aid, the average tuition and fees at community college is less than half of the average tuition and fees at a public four†year institution and 1/10th of the tuition and fees at a private four year institution. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average annual tuition and fees in 2006†07 was: †¢ $2,017 †in†state student attending a community college †¢ $5,685 † full†time, in†state student at a public four year college or university †¢ $20,492 † full time student at a private four year college and university However, while the tuition and fees at community colleges are significantly less, without knowing a student’s financial aid package at a four year institution, it is difficult to determine the relative cost† effectiveness. Additionally, considering the amount of time it takes students who begin in community college to complete their bachelor’s degrees, it is unclear how much cost savings there is in the end. Does it take longer for students to complete bachelor’s degrees if they start at community colleges? On average, it takes students 1 ½Ã¢â‚¬ 2 years longer to complete bachelor’s degrees if they begin at community colleges than if they begin at four†year colleges. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree is: †¢ 71 months for students who begin at 2†year colleges †¢ 55 months for students who begin at four year public colleges †¢ 50 months for students who begin at four year private colleges Is there a difference in the earnings of community college graduates and graduates of four†year institutions? If community college students do manage to transfer quickly and graduate from four†year colleges, there is little evidence to show that there are significant earning differentials between students who start at community colleges and students who start at four†year colleges (Kane and Rouse, 1995; Hilmer, 2000). The problem is that many community college students do not quickly transfer into four† year colleges nor do they ultimately complete their bachelor’s degrees. For those individuals who start at community colleges and don’t transfer to four†year institutions, there are repercussions in terms of their earnings potential. The average annual median income for adults who have associate’s degrees is approximately $13,000 less per year than adults who have bachelor’s degrees ($32,900 vs. $45,700), or $500,000 less in estimated lifetime earnings (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002). If the intention is to change the economic trajectory of Breakthrough students (i.e., end the cycle of poverty), then having Breakthrough students begin their post†secondary educations at four†year colleges is the best way to ensure they complete their bachelor’s degrees. Is there a difference in the attrition rates of students at community colleges vs. students at four†year colleges? The attrition rate for students at community colleges, even those students who have an explicit intent to pursue bachelor’s degrees, is far greater than the attrition rate of students at four year colleges. In 2006: †¢ 39% of students at community colleges who intended to pursue bachelor’s degrees left school without completing a degree or certificate program †¢ 17% of students at four year public colleges left school without completing a degree †¢ 16% of students at four year private colleges left school without completing a degree (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008 Special Analysis of Community College data)

What Is Compression Ignition

The concept behind compression ignition involves using the latent heat built up by highly compressing air inside a combustion chamber as the means for igniting the fuel. The process involves compressing a charge of air inside the combustion chamber to a ratio of approximately 21:1 (compared to about 9:1 for a spark ignition system). This high level of compression builds tremendous heat and pressure inside the combustion chamber just as fuel is primed for delivery. An injection nozzle plumbed into the combustion chamber sprays a mist of precisely metered fuel into the hot compressed air whereupon it bursts into a controlled explosion that turns the rotating mass inside the engine.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Compression ignition is also commonly referred to as diesel engine, largely because it is a staple of a diesel ignition. Gasoline requires the spark ignition in order to start, but diesel can be started through this alternative means of ignition. Benefits Along with the added start-up power of the much stronger compression ignition, the general wear-and-tear on an engine is significantly less than that of a gasoline engine, meaning less maintenance and upkeep on your diesel vehicle. Because there is no spark ignition, the absence of spark plugs or spark wires means less cost in that department as well. Theyre also more efficient than gas engines in converting fuel to power, resulting in better fuel economy. Since diesel also burns cooler than gasoline, units running on compression ignition tend to have a longer lifespan than those running on spark ignition and gasoline. Overall, this makes the engine also more durable and reliable than gas models.  If something goes wrong with a diesel engine, its not going to be the compression ignition — at least not for a long time. Thats not the case with spark plugs and wires which often need to be replaced in gasoline engines, rendering the vehicle unable to start. Common Uses Compression ignition is commonly used in power generators as well as mobile drives and mechanical engines. Most often seen in diesel trucks, trains, and construction equipment, this type of engine is found in almost every market industry. From hospitals to mines, the use of compression ignition acts as a backup and primary power source for much of the modern world.   Chances are, if youve ever been in a snowstorm that knocked out the power and heat, youve probably used a compression ignition engine to start your backup generator. Even the food you eat is often brought here by compression ignition cargo or freight ships. The mail you get delivered by FedEx and UPS is also run on diesel engines!   Public transit services like buses and some city trains use diesel to power their engines as well, resulting in long-term fuel economy and less waste. However, many cities and automobile manufacturers have begun switching to electric engines to further reduce energy waste and fuel consumption. Still, when the powers out, you can always rely on the efficiency of compression ignition to restart the generator back up and get the lights back on.