The Roles of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Assignment

The Roles of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King - Assignment Example His readiness to suffer and be imprisoned for the sake of his people demonstrated to many Africans the need for standing firm in the struggle for self-rule. Even after being released from prison and elected as the first black president of the country, he only ruled for one term after which he retired to allow for other black leaders to lead the country (Crompton, 2007). This has been used as a role model of sacrificial leadership by politicians across the world. It has also been used as a reference to conflict resolution in countries where the political leaders are unwilling to exit power. The icon is also remembered for the significant role he played leading to the end of apartheid and the rise of African democracy. He led demonstrations across the country that made him imprisoned as he fought for the rights of his people. Martin Luther King, on the other hand, struggled to ensure that people of all races are treated equally and with decorum. He participated in numerous campaigns in the United States whose goal were to bring an end to racial discrimination. His fight for equality in the American social environment saw the minorities in the country being respected and elected to leadership positions (Darby, 2005). Luther’s vision was to ensure that the minorities have a voice in the social and political outlook of the United States. This, he facilitated through a chain of Civil Rights Movements starting from the early 1950s to the late 1960s.

Buddhist philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhist philosophy - Essay Example Another Buddhist element related to achieving the highest good is the belief that since suffering is a result of material longing and desire by eliminating material longing and desire, one can eliminate suffering and move towards achieving this highest good. While this is a simple formulation, the actual challenge of eliminating desire is extremely difficult. Craving can also be extended to include the gratification of the passions or the longing we have for an abstract sense of accomplishment of success in our earthly lives. The Second Noble Truth states that if we persist in allowing our lives to be dominated by desire and ignorance we will always be haunted by an unachievable longing and pervasive suffering. Therefore, the Buddha states that to achieve the highest good one must be guided by what is, not what is desired. One must fight against their preconditioned ways of longing and desire and accept the world and their place as it currently exists, as this is the only path to the highest good. In following these Noble Truths the individual is able to achieve the highest good or Nirvana. This is a spiritual state that transcends all traditional concerns with material existence. I recognize that I generally disagree with this ideal. To begin with, I disagree with the idea that all of life is suffering, as one might argue that such a characterization of the human condition is overly pessimistic. When Buddha developed the Four Noble Truths the Indian people faced considerable difficulties in life. Their subsistence was harder earned than we experience today, and I believe that this element of Buddhist philosophy can be seen to be a response to this challenge of existence, rather than an accurate reflection of the human condition. While all humans experience suffering, to claim that this is one