For this assignment, you are going to choose one of the topics that you will be writing about for your final paper and finish and submit that one. (see concepts all the way down below)
This will allow you to space out your writing so that you’re not doing everything at the last minute and to receive feedback before your final paper is due next week.
You will receive a grade out of 50 for this assignment, BUT if you receive feedback and improve this “mini-paper” for your final version due in the last week of class, I will go back and change your grade for this assignment to 1/3 of your final paper if that will add points to this assignment.
So the idea is to do your best on this assignment so that you can receive feedback and make sure that you are turning in the best final paper you can! You can choose any of your three topics to focus on for this week.
The instructions for this mini-paper will be a condensed version of the final paper:
Compose a 300 word “mini-paper” describing in detail what this concept/virtue/practice is (you will need to do additional research on your topic) and then explain why you think that this concept/virtue/practice would benefit American society.
To do this, you could answer the following (but you do NOT need to answer ALL of them) questions about your topic:
What are the origins of this concept/practice?
Is it mentioned in any of the sacred texts of this tradition?
How is this concept/practice lived out?
What is this concept/practice supposed to accomplish?
How do members of this tradition incorporate this practice/concept into their lives?
Are there particular times during one’s life or during the year when this concept/practice is more important than at other times?
Do members of this religion struggle to incorporate this practice? Is it harder to do in modern culture?
Has the practice of this concept changed over the history of this tradition?
Are there any holidays that are particularly associated with this concept/practice?
You should also include a works cited list that has at least 2 sources formatted in proper MLA or APA format (you can consult a formatting website like easybib.com). Your paper should also include at least one in-text citation formatted correctly, with your quote in quotation marks followed by the author name (and page number if possible) in parentheses after the in-text citation, like this:
The Torii is an “entrance to sacred ground” where the Kami are believed to reside (Lopez 49).
Possible Concepts/Practices/Values:
Religious syncretism
Enchanted world (belief in deities, spirits, ghosts, kami, etc)
Confucianism
Ren
Shu
5 Relationships
Ancestor veneration
Filial Piety
Taoism
Wu-wei
Sheng
Yin and Yang
Following the Tao
Zi-Rang
Silent Sitting
Zen Buddhism
Sunyata
Non-dualism
Interdependence
No-Self doctrine
The 4 Noble Truths
Any (or all) of the Bodhisattva Precepts
Zazen
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan focus on death
Obedience to one’s guru
Tantric meditation and visualization
Any (or all) of the 6 Paramitas
5 Bodhisattva paths
Jainism
Ahimsa
Anekantavada
Aparigraha
Any of the 5 Vows of Jainism
Pratikarmana
Jain fasting and/or diet
Sikhism
Sikh understanding of God
Sikh desire to overcome religious divisions
Khalsa
Langar
Simran/naamsimran
Taoism
Belief in Kami
Shinto emphasis on cleanliness and beauty
Harae or misogi
Placement of Toriis/Jinja/Kamidana
Matsuri
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