buddhism and computers

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Topic: How the author uses the analogy of love between two people to explain the idea of love and to equate that with the love of an individual should have for their god.

The author of The Conference of the Birds uses a parable type story to explain the idea of love. I found this story to be of great significance for two reasons: the parable structure of the story is a structure that is used in many religions to explain ideas, such as the parables used in the New Testament. Second, the structure of the story is very effective in its goal to discuss the idea of love. The author uses an incidence of passionate love that occurs between two people to illustrate the notion that one should be "passionately in love with their god." The paper discusses the elements of love within the story, and why the principle is so effective.

To understand the issue of love in the story, it is important to discuss the elements of love. When one experiences love, that is "true love", the following occurs:

1. The individual renounces the Self

2. The individual exceeds mere piety

3. The individual does not have time for blasphemy of faith; they do not make distinctions based on religion.

Being so consumed by his love for the Christian girl the sheik learns to "exceed piety". Sheik Sam' an becomes so vigilant to love, he "never sleeps...but watches and weeps"(p.60). He becomes as dedicated to loving the girl as he was to serving his god. No longer does he spend time with "theory, practice, and mysteries of great age", but he "laments and wails" for the fact that the Christian girl never returns his love. Constantly, he kneels in prayer for the love of the girl. He sleeps in the dirt where Christians walk, the girl asks him, "How can a Moslem sleep where Christians tread?"(p.63). He is unconcerned with the irony of the situation because he would rather die in the street to attain her heart rather than worry where he sleeps. He becomes so devoted that he begins waste away. He exceeds piety to the point he is so devoted that he almost no longer exists.

The largest element existing in the story is the idea of "no time for blasphemy of faith." The sheik's life surrounded the activities of his faith and he lived to follow and teach his faith. The story illustrates many instances in which he puts the element into action. The first instance in which the sheik is blasphemous to his faith is when he bows to the idol. He tells the disciples that he will not bow in the dust to God, but he will bow to the girl, he is now her slave. Sheik Sam' an feels that the whole time that he has been dedicated to his faith he has been a fraud. He thinks that he has been going through all of these actions to prove himself as a good Moslem, yet he had been denied love. He questions the disciples, "Why is it that I was not in love before?" To him it is of great importance to experience this thing that he has not felt before, and that is the love that he is experiencing for the girl. The love he feels is so powerful that he no longer worries about his faith, and he turns to the Christian Theology to make it his own. The Christian tells him to prove his love. She tells him that in order to prove his love, "There are four thing that you must perform to... deserve her trust: Burn the Koran, drink wine, seel up faith's eye, Bow down to images." The gir

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Approximate Word count = 1464
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Religion