Importance of Prayer Essay Example for Free

Importance of Prayer Essay An uncontrolled mind cannot progress in spiritual path unless it discovers the Self. The discovery of the Self is possible by self-control achieved through the withdrawal of sense organs from their respective objects. Yoga can be attained by striving hard to utilize the conserved energies for the Divine purposes. Yoga is the science of religion. Meditation is said to be the best among all the paths of spirituality. Meditation is a deliberate act by which the seeker strives to keep his thoughts channelized into one pre-determined line of thinking by not allowing the mind to entertain any other thoughts. It is therefore an attempt to fix the mind upon some object of contemplation. The Bhagavad Gita elucidates meditation as the final gateway to Self-realization. Renunciation is not giving up enjoyments, abandoning one’s duties and escaping to a safe sanctuary. It is this misunderstanding that has turned away genuine seekers and prevented them from accessing the benefits of renunciation. The Yogi whose mind is harmonized will see the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self. He never becomes separate from The Lord nor does The Lord become separated from him. The perfected saint acts as an instrument in the hands of God. The mind must be made to rest in God. When the mind is restrained by the practice of meditation, it realizes the Self within. It experiences such Bliss as if there is nothing else in the three worlds worth possessing. When the mind is directed towards God, with a comprehensive understanding, ones perception, attitude and desires for the world change automatically. On realizing the Self even the taste for the sense-objects ceases. Thus by experiencing the God-consciousness through continuous meditation one perceives the Unity in Diversity when all the desires come to an end. Arjuna, like us, is afraid of leaving the safe confines of his present existence to discover the unknown realm of the Infinite. He asks Krishna what would be the fate of those who commit themselves to a spiritual life but die before realization. Krishna gives a fitting reply to reveal one of the most insightful laws of life. He says, â€Å"One who is righteous will never come to grief – either now or in the future. His efforts will not go in vain. He will carry forward the credits to his future life†. Hence Live ND PRACTISE as the Gita Teaches us to Live Meditationneeds to be practiced diligently and devotedly. The essential prerequisite is a calm mind. A mind burdened with desires and attachments is unable to take off into subtler realms of concentration and meditation. Yoga brings about a disciplined mind. This can be brought about by curtailing the outgoing tendencies of the mind. It leads to bliss. Once the state of bliss is reached, all other worldly matters lose their influence over the body and mind. Such a man will feel his oneness with God. He will experience unity in diversity. Any effort towards meditation is not wasted. Raise yourself by yourself. Know what meditation is and practice it regularly. Be moderate in everything you do.

Persaid History :: essays research papers

Perseid History This is the most famous of all meteor showers. It never fails to provide an impressive display and, due to its summertime appearance, it tends to provide the majority of meteors seen by non-astronomy enthusiasts. The earliest record of its activity appears in the Chinese annals, where it is said that in 36 AD "more than 100 meteors flew thither in the morning." Numerous references appear in Chinese, Japanese and Korean records throughout the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, but only sporadic references are found between the 12th and 19th centuries, inclusive. Nevertheless, August has long had a reputation for an abundance of meteors. The Perseids have been referred to as the "tears of St. Lawrence", since meteors seemed to be in abundance during the festival of that saint on August 10th, but credit for the discovery of the shower's annual appearance is given to Quà ©telet (Brussels), who, in 1835, reported that there was a shower occurring in August that emanated from the constellation Perseus. The first observer to provide an hourly count for this shower was Eduard Heis (Mà ¼nster), who found a maximum rate of 160 meteors per hour in 1839. Observations by Heis and other observers around the world continued almost annually thereafter, with maximum rates typically falling between 37 and 88 per hour through 1858. Interestingly, the rates jumped to between 78 and 102 in 1861, according to estimates by four different observers, and, in 1863, three observers reported rates of 109 to 215 per hour. Although rates were still somewhat high in 1864, generally "normal" rates persisted throughout the remainder of the 19th-century. Computations of the orbit of the Perseids between 1864 and 1866 by Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (1835-1910) revealed a very strong resemblance to periodic comet Swift-Tuttle (1862 III). This was the first time a meteor shower had been positively identified with a comet and it seems safe to speculate that the high Perseid rates of 1861-1863 were directly due to the appearance of Swift-Tuttle, which has a period of about 120 years. Multiple returns of the comet would be responsible for the distribution of the meteors throughout the orbit, but meteors should be denser in the region closest to the comet, so that meteor activity should increase when the comet is near perihelion (as has been demonstrated by the June Boà ¶tids, Draconids and Leonids). As the 20th-century began, the maximum annual hourly rates of the Perseids

British Petroleum (BP): SWOT and BP Porter Five Forces Analysis †Essay

SWOT and Porter Five Forces Analysis of British Petroleum (BP)our site Sample Essay – Need Help Writing an Essay Contact us Today. Student Submitted Essays!our site Sample Essay – AbstractBP Porter Five Forces – BP Plc is one of the leading oil and gas companies in the world operating in more than 80 countries and serving close to 13 million customers. The company was ranked third in the FTSE 100 all share index ranking as at the close of 31st August, 2014 with a market capitalization of 82,093.2, million US Dollars. BP’s major strengths include strong brand recognition, massive financial capability, excellent corporate strategy, and the ability to innovate. Global reduction in the production of crude oil and natural gas, poor disaster management and inability to implement long-term regulatory mechanisms are the company’s key weaknesses. The company has the opportunity to invest in alternative energy even though it faces significant competition from key rivals such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron. BP Porters Five Forces Analysis of BP reveal low threat of new entrants and substitutes, medium bargaining power of both buyers and suppliers, and high rivalry among existing competitors. To remain competitive, the company should increase strategic investment in R&D, negotiate with governments and other firms to exploit emerging markets, rebuild its brand value and streamline its production and business operation.our site Sample Essay – IntroductionFounded in 1908, British Petroleum (BP) is one of the leading oil and gas companies in the world. The company operations in more than 80 countries, has over 83,900 employees and serves over 13 million customers globally (BP Plc, 2014). The company provides customers with oil and gas products, fuel for transportation, petrochemical products and energy for light and heat. With a market capitalization of 82,093.2, million US Dollars, BP was ranked third in the FTSE 100 al l share index ranking as at the close of 31st August, 2014 (Stock Challenge, 2012). BP’s interests and activities can be categorised into two core business segments: Refining and Marketing and Exploration and Production. The Exploration and Production segments cover upstream and midstream activities which include exploration, production, pipelining, and processing. Refining and Marketing segments cover downstream activities such as crude oil transportation, manufacturing, marketing and supply of both petrochemical and petroleum products and services (BP Plc. 2014).our site Sample Essay – BP SWOT AnalysisBP’s key strengths are its strong brand recognition and massive financial capability. Being the third largest energy company in the world, it is globally acknowledged for high quality petroleum products. Additionally, with an expected total operating cash flow of 2014 at $30 billion, the company’s strong financial position gives it the opportunity to introduce new products, develop alternative energy, and expand to new markets (Reuters, 20 14). Regarded as one of the best in the world, the company’s corporate strategy is also a notable strength. This, coupled with its strong brand loyalty, enabled it to emerge from the devastating deepwater horizon oil spill of 2010 (Reuters, 2014). The company’s ability to innovate and enter into strategic ventures with other governments and corporations in new markets is another key strength. In 2013, BP entered into a strategic alliance with both China and the US to provide alternative solar energy to a number of government agencies. A global reduction in the production of crude oil and natural gas is a key weakness of the company. Poor public image as a result of the North Alaska and deep-water oil spills also led to serious challenges for the company. Not only did it face criminal charges, it spent an estimated $42.2 billion in cleanup and compensation (Reuters, 2014). Another key weakness is its non-competitiveness in the alternative energy sector. Despite being a major player in the oil industry, majority of consumers are still unaware of the company’s involvement in alternative energy (Bamberg, 2000). The inability to implement long-term regulatory mechanism to cushion it from the highly volatile petroleum prices is also a key weakness of the company. BP’s profits and its current strong financial position present an opportunity for the company to initiate new projects. The company’s biggest opportunity is investing in alternative energy. The BP Solar Home Solutions initially introduced in New York can be expanded into other regions especially within the American and European markets. This will guarantee the company more customers who prefer the less costly solar energy. The company also has an opportunity to expand its export markets to Asia and South America. Discoveries of more oil wells and increasing prices of oil and gas are additional opportunities that the company can take advantage of (Smith, 2011). Major players in the oil and gas industry especially the Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron pose the greatest threat to BP. The implementation of environmentally unsound policy and poor management of natural disasters such as the toxic spills often disrupt the company’s operation (Bruland, 2003). Other threats include, corrosion in BP’s pipeline network, occasional refinery explosions, multiple lawsuits emanating from ecological disasters and the continued sale of BP’s corporate owned stations. Declining operations in several potential locations and the tensions associated with operating in the oil business are also potential threats (Black, 2011).our site Sample Essay – BP Porter Five Forces – AnalysisPorter (1980, p. 80) outlines the five forces model to analyze an organization’s competitiveness. These include threats of entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threats of substitutes and rivalry among e xisting competitors. The oil and gas industry in which BP operates traditionally require massive financial investments in very expensive infrastructure. Huge capital investment is necessary to cover expenses such as building pipelines, drilling wells, building access roads and acquiring land. BP has an asset value of $236.0 billion (Honnungar, 2011). Considering the cost of market entry and economies of scale in the industry, the threat of new entrance is low. There are a number of substitute products such as hydroelectricity, nuclear energy, coal, wind power and solar energy. However, most are still in the developmental phase, besides, the cost of production of substitute products is often extremely high. The importance of oil in fuelling cars, running industries and generating electricity makes it essential and useful to sectors of the economy (Ferrier, 2009). Threats of substitutes are therefore, low since alternative products are less competitive. The oil and gas industry have considerable number of suppliers ranging from private corporations to governments. There are also a number of potential buyers similar to BP. Besides, BP’s vertical integration in its operations is similar to that of its key competitors (Stiel, 2003). The bargaining power of suppliers is consequently rated as medium. The products offered by players in the oil and gas industry are often not much different from those offered by their competitors. As a result, buyers tend to choose products with either lower prices or that have better terms. On the flipside, buyers are many; hence even if a cross section chooses to use the products of their competitors, BP’s operations would not be greatly impacted. The bargaining power of buyers can therefore be regarded as medium. Finally, the oil and gas industry is dominated by huge corporations that produce a number of low differentiated products (Stiel, 2003). Key competitors such as Chevron, Total and Royal Dutch Shell have established well recognized brands with significant client base. This implies that BP and its competitors have all adapted a vertical integration of similar range of products. These factors coupled with low threats of both substitutes and new entrants make competitive rivalry high (Uph, 2010).our site Sample Essay – Conclusi on and RecommendationsBP is as a major corporation with significant financial backing that can be used to venture into alternative energy research to boost its manufacturing capacity and increase its global presence. The SWOT and Porter’s five forces analyses indicates that, the oil and gas industry’s major players are well established conglomerates with massive financial resources hence high level of competitive rivalry. The attractiveness of the industry makes both the powers of buyers and that of suppliers’ medium while the threat of substitute and new entrance low. BP should increase its strategic investment in R&D in order to maximize production and exploit new markets. It should also negotiate with governments and other firms in order to exploit emerging markets such as China. The company should also consider rebuilding its brand value thereby regaining its image adversely affected by the recent oil spill crisis (Honnungar, 2011). Finally, the company should streamline its business operations and production to gain competitive advantage over major rivals.ReferencesBamberg, J. H. (2000). British Petroleum and Global Oil: 1950-1975: The Challenge Of Nationalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bruland, K. (2003). British technology and European industrialization: the Norwegian textile Industry in the mid-nineteenth century. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. BP Plc. (2014). BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2014. BP Plc. (2014). BP at a Glance. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From Black, E. (2011). British petroleum and the redline agreement. Washington, DC: Dialog Press. Ferrier, R. W. (2009). The history of the British Petroleum Company. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Honnungar, V. (2011). British Petroleum Oil Spill Crisis and Aftermath Corporate Governance and Communication at BP during the disaster. Munich: GRIN Verlag Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press. Stiel, P. (2003). British Petroleum: A Global Company in a Global World. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From: http://www.pstiel.de/fileadmin/pstiel.de/Download/english_globalisation.pdf Smith, N. J. (2011).The Sea of Lost Opportunity: North Sea Oil and Gas, British Industry and The Offshore Supplies Office. New York: Elsevier. Stock Challenge, (2012). FTSE All-Share Index Ranking as at Close on Fri, 31 October 2014. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From http://www.stockchallenge.co.uk/ftse.php Uph, C. (2010). PR Analysis of British Petroleum. New York: GRIN Verlag. Also, checkout related Essays: BHP Billiton SWOT Analysis and Porter Five Force Analysis SWOT analysis of Sainsbury’s Plc Strategic Analysis (SWOT, PESTEL, Porter) of Premier Inn (Whitbread Plc) Summary Reviewer John Review Date 2017-09-06 Reviewed Item Essay – BP SWOT and Porter Five Forces Author Rating 5

Pride and Prejudice Summary

Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennet, a spirited and clever young woman, as she and her sisters navigate romantic and social entanglements within 19th-century Englands country gentry. Chapters 1-12 The novel opens with Mrs. Bennet informing her husband that the nearby great house, Netherfield Park, has a new tenant: Mr. Bingley, a wealthy and unmarried young man. Mrs. Bennet is convinced that Mr. Bingley will fall in love with one of her daughters—preferably Jane, the eldest and by all accounts the kindest and most beautiful. Mr. Bennet reveals that he has already paid his respects to Mr. Bingley and that they all shall meet soon. At a neighborhood ball, Mr. Bingley makes his first appearance, along with his two sisters—the married Mrs. Hurst and the unmarried Caroline—and his best friend, Mr. Darcy. While Darcy’s wealth makes him the subject of much gossip at the gathering, his brusque, arrogant manner quickly sours the whole company on him. Mr. Bingley shares a mutual and immediate attraction with Jane. Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, is not so impressed. He dismisses Janes younger sister Elizabeth as not pretty enough for him, which Elizabeth overhears. Although she laughs about it with her friend Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth is wounded by the comment. Mr. Bingleys sisters invite Jane to visit them at Netherfield. Thanks to the machinations of Mrs. Bennet, Jane gets stuck there after journeying through a rainstorm and becomes ill. The Bingleys insist upon her staying until she is well, so Elizabeth goes to Netherfield to tend to Jane. During their stay, Mr. Darcy begins to develop a romantic interest in Elizabeth (much to his own annoyance), but Caroline Bingley is interested in Darcy for herself. Caroline is particularly irritated that the object of Darcys interest is Elizabeth, who doesn’t have equal wealth or social status. Caroline endeavors to eliminate Darcys interest in Elizabeth by speaking negatively about her. By the time the girls return home, Elizabeth’s dislike for both Caroline and Darcy has only grown. Chapters 13-36 Mr. Collins, an obsequious pastor and distant relative, comes to visit the Bennets. Despite not being a close relation, Mr. Collins is the designated heir of the Bennets estate, as the Bennets have no sons. Mr. Collins informs the Bennets that he hopes to â€Å"make amends† by marrying one of the daughters. Nudged by Mrs. Bennet, who is certain that Jane will soon be engaged, he sets his sights on Elizabeth. Elizabeth, however, has other ideas: namely George Wickham, a dashing militiaman who claims that Mr. Darcy cheated him out of a parsonage he had been promised by Darcy’s father. Although Elizabeth dances with Darcy at the Netherfield ball, her loathing is unchanged. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy and Caroline Bingley convince Mr. Bingley that Jane does not return his affections and encourage him to leave for London. Mr. Collins proposes to a horrified Elizabeth, who rejects him. On the rebound, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeths friend Charlotte. Charlotte, who is worried about getting older and becoming a burden on her parents, accepts the proposal. The following spring, Elizabeth goes to visit the Collinses at Charlotte’s request. Mr. Collins brags about the patronage of the nearby great lady, Lady Catherine de Bourgh—who also happens to be Mr. Darcy’s aunt. Lady Catherine invites their group to her estate, Rosings, for dinner, where Elizabeth is shocked to find Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth’s unwillingness to answer Lady Catherine’s prying questions does not make a good impression, but Elizabeth learns two important pieces of imformation: Lady Catherine intends to make a match between her sickly daughter Anne and her nephew Darcy, and Darcy has mentioned saving a friend from an ill-advised match—that is, Bingley and Jane. Much to Elizabeths shock and fury, Darcy proposes to her. During the proposal, he cites all the obstacles—namely, Elizabeths inferior status and family—that his love has overcome. Elizabeth refuses him and accuses him of ruining both Jane’s happiness and Wickham’s livelihood. The following day, Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter containing his side of the story. The letter explains that he genuinely believed Jane to be less in love with Bingley than he was with her (though her family and status did play a role, he admits apologetically). More importantly, Darcy reveals the truth of his family’s history with Wickham. Wickham was a favorite of Darcy’s father, who left him a â€Å"living† (a church posting on an estate) in his will. Instead of accepting the inheritance, Wickham insisted that Darcy pay him the value in money, spent it all, came back for more, and, when Darcy refused, tried to seduce Georgiana, Darcy’s teenage sister. These discoveries shake Elizabeth, and she realizes that her prized powers of observation and judgment did not prove correct. Chapters 37-61 Months later, Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, offer to bring her along on a trip. They end up touring Pemberley, Mr. Darcys home, but are assured that he is away from home by the housekeeper, who has nothing but praise for him. Darcy makes an appearance, and despite the awkwardness of the encounter, he is kind to Elizabeth and the Gardiners. He invites Elizabeth to meet his sister, who is excited to meet her. Their pleasant encounters are short-lived, as Elizabeth receives news that her sister Lydia has eloped with Mr. Wickham. She hurries home, and Mr. Gardiner tries to assist Mr. Bennet in tracking the couple down. News soon arrives that they have been found and are to be married. Everyone assumes that Mr. Gardiner paid Wickham off to marry Lydia instead of abandoning her. When Lydia returns home, however, she lets slip that Mr. Darcy was at the wedding. Mrs. Gardiner later writes to Elizabeth and reveals that it was Mr. Darcy who paid off Wickham and made the match. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy return to Netherfield and pay a call on the Bennets. At first, they are awkward and leave quickly, but then return almost immediately, and Bingley proposes to Jane. The Bennets receive another unexpected visitor in the middle of the night: Lady Catherine, who has heard a rumor that Elizabeth is engaged to Darcy and demands to hear that it is not true and never will be true. Insulted, Elizabeth refuses to acquiesce, and Lady Catherine leaves in a huff. Rather than stopping the match, Lady Catherine’s escapade has the opposite effect. Darcy takes Elizabeths refusal to acquiesce as a sign that she might have changed her mind about his proposal. He proposes again, and this time Elizabeth accepts as they discuss the mistakes that finally got them to this point. Mr. Darcy asks Mr. Bennet’s permission for the marriage, and Mr. Bennet gives it willingly once Elizabeth reveals to him the truth of Darcy’s involvement with Lydia’s marriage and of her own changed feelings for him.