.... in calming the mind, along with the negative effects outside influences like other people have on the practice. The first place I attempted to meditate was outside my dorm next to a tree. This proved to be a comfortable place, yet full of distractions. I have meditated before in my martial arts classes, yet it was difficult calming my mind. While concentrating on my breathing, I was easily distracted by outside occurrences such as leaves falling and people walking by. The more I attempted to shut out the outside world, the more my mind focused on the little things around me. .....

.... in Spain they were used for sport. They have been used to haul heavy loads, and their most common use has been as a source of food. Cattle have been so valuable for thousands of years in so many cultures that to be caught stealing them was often an offense punished by death (Brahman 1). The cow was not always sacred in India. Long ago in India’s early history, cattle was used basically for food to feed one’s family. It was also used as trade, like money. In about the year 350 A.D., a law was made called the “Code of Manusmriti”. The law did not specifically order the I .....

.... but they also differ in many ways. The word Islam means "surrender" or "submission," submission to the will of Allah, the one God. Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. This God, Allah, is compassionate and just. Because He is compassionate, He calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him. Because He is also just, on the Last Day He will judge every person according to hi .....

.... records of there ever being Hebrew slaves nor the plagues claims preceded the release of the slaves. There also is no historical record of Moses’ existence outside . And there also is no physical trace of the Israelites’ 40-year journey across the Sinai wilderness. There has been little evidence of ’s origin and most of the facts uncovered about are contradictory to what is stated within its pages. Most of ’s defense is mere conjecture and theories of scholars and theologians. However, enough faith is inserted into that several religions have been formed and many cultures .....

.... the culture of Russia during centuries of internal strife and foreign intervention. Orthodox people feel a strong sense of community and brotherhood towards one another through a shared bond of faith. As a result of this emphasis on community, the rights of the group tend to take precedence over the rights of the individual in Russian culture. The Orthodox and Catholic faiths had an adversarial relationship for years. As this rift deepened and grew increasingly antagonistic, the rift between the East and the West also grew. The difference in religion between Russia .....

.... over the lives of the people and the government. As the Dark Ages came to a close the ideas of the Renaissance started to take hold, and the church's power gradually began to dwindle. The monarchies of Europe also began to grow replacing the church's power. Monarchies, at the close of the Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance, did not so much seek the guidance of the church as much as it sought their approval. However, the Church during the Age of Discovery was still a major influence. The discovery of the New World and its previously unknown inhabitants presen .....

.... laugh together, we grieve together as Americans. Terms like democracy, individuality, self-reliance are all words we relate to as Americans. We teach our kids that we should be grateful everyday to be Americans. In this country we can choose our own destination. We can be whatever we want. I think that being a secular country brings us together and makes us stronger.We don't have questions we can't answer. We don't hear stories of people or things we can't prove exist. We know what we have overcome to be where we are today, and we know what we want to plan for our future .....

.... icons crowned with flowers representing the gods and spirits of the family. The two faced god Janus who sat over the doorways watched the entry and exit of every door in the house. Penates, god of the interior, protected accumulations of the family in its storerooms, cupboards, and barns. The father and mother, the child was taught, are the embodimentof Genius and Juno, respectively. Both had to be treated and nourished divinely. Hung on the walls were death masks of the Di Manes, warning him to stick to tradition. Other gods included: Cuba, protector of sheep; Abeona .....