What is spirituality?

Spirituality is everyday life. it’s kindness is accepted. It’s practical and it’s enlightenment, as well as the opposite of all this.

Spirituality is a redundant word because, like love, it has been overused. If we are going to use it with any specificity, as I think we should, we need to pull together all of what I just said, along with the disparate definitions offered by others who care about the so-called higher worlds, and undertake a clear-house, so that we know what What are we talking about. If not, let’s think of a completely new word! –because the function of language is to communicate.

Today we have a Tower of Babel situation; just look around you at the wide variety of spiritual teachers, religious traditions, new and old spiritual philosophies that are sometimes confusing, vague or obtuse, but always confusing. If we want to truly communicate, I don’t think spirituality should be any different than cooking, medicine, or politics. Within these spheres of endeavor, if you are as confused as people seem to be in the spiritual realm, we would be spouting nonsense with devastating consequences.

So what is the definition we should use to inform ourselves?

Spirituality is the term that describes the higher functioning of human beings. Without a spiritual dimension, human beings devote themselves solely to animal concerns, such as group membership, mating and procreation, acquisition, and physical safety. In the middle stages of human development we are concerned with identity, socialization, compassion for others, and individual responsibility. Spiritual philosophies and methodologies are the ones that surround all this and come to assume a higher aspiration to human fulfillment, an intrinsic need, felt by many, that we are more than we seem and that the world of appearances is not all there . it is.

Like Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Yes, like self-actualization and peak experiences in Maslow’s model. But also like the insights of the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, the Course in Miracles, Zen Buddhism, mystical Christianity, Sufism, and so on through transpersonal systems and spiritual maps too numerous to mention. But what they have in common is that human beings strive for ultimate understanding in the belief that something elusive beyond the world of appearances gives meaning and meaning to life.

Why is spirituality a concern of relatively few people?

Spirituality is universal. It is everyone’s concern to discover who they really are, through the physical, psychological, mental, soulful and spiritual levels of the human situation. We can’t judge how individual people engage with this, but arguably anything a person does (think, work, form relationships, vacation) is an attempt to balance, engage, and understand themselves and the world. It is an answer to the quiet and unspoken question of existence.

And that question is?

Who I am? No one is free from the consequences of this question. The only difference is in how we choose to answer it; in self-reference, self-definition or self-transcendence.

What about the etymological origin of the word? Spirit means breath, doesn’t it?

Spiritmeans breath and spirit it means the breath of God, which is the word from which we derive our term inspiration. So the spirit is about the breath, the divine breath prajna, the exchange with the universe that we experience when we inhale and exhale. When I inhale, the universe exhales or inspires me; when I exhale the universe inhales or I breathe it in. Which? From the spiritual point of view there is no difference, because the universe and I are the same.

So is spirituality about a relationship between soul, spirit and body?

Spirituality is also associated with searching in the form of a journey. It seems that we have to go on a spiritual journey, a quest or some kind of trial in which we are transformed in some way through suffering. The progressive narrative of that trial, the active pursuit of that undertaking has been key to notions of spirituality for centuries. Depending on where and when we were educated, it took the form of the Pilgrim’s Progress, the Ramayana, the legend of Siddhartha, Dante’s journey through the underworld, the Native American vision quest, etc. What each of these narratives have in common is the main theme of striving toward a spiritual goal through strenuous persistence, strong will, and determination.

Curiously, very few of these spiritual maps see beyond the effort. It is as if we are rewarded only when we try very hard. However, spiritual fulfillment itself is summed up in acceptance, receptivity, kindness and giving, all very soft attributes. Reading these stories, you would think that the only way to heaven is through hell.

And it is not like that?

Heaven and hell are points of view. You enter any of them at any time through your predisposition, which depends on your attachment to the ego, or separation from the rest of existence. As several examples, both Jacques Lusseyrian during his imprisonment in World War II and Saint John of the Cross in a Toledo jail in the 16th century experienced profound spiritual and divine epiphanies, despite enduring the most horrendous physical and mental abuse. . Another example is Laurens van de Post, who taught thousands of prisoners of war in Java to resist bitterness and forgive their captors so that they would survive the ordeal psychologically and emotionally intact by adopting a spiritual strategy.

Does spirituality imply the disidentification of the body?

Rather you relate spiritually to your body, as well as to everything else. What this means is that you focus on the essence that is common to all that arises in consciousness and feel the source of all that arises.

Does everything that arises at some point also end?

But what has no end is the essence of spirituality. The spiritual quest is to discover and become one with the source of consciousness, the root of attention. Spirituality is found between what we call mysticism and transcendence; it is not an end in itself, our intention should not be merely to practice spirituality, but to deepen as far as it leads. So our understanding of mysticism, or the self-directed mystical path (as opposed to a religious path), takes us on a spiritual journey towards self-transcendence and encounter with the Divine.

For some this is God, for others the Buddha Nature, the infinite, the Absolute or Brahman. But all these terms are intellectual constructions; they are mere ideas. There is only one appropriate response to an encounter with the Divine: an inspiring, mystical, breathing silence, because in that great stillness one finally meets his true self, which is beyond the mind’s ideas, interpretation and description. .

Does spirituality lead to an encounter with the Divine?

Or an encounter with yourself; is the same. To know yourself, to find out who you really are, you must employ spiritual methods, remain constant in a spiritual practice, but then you must drop that practice, leave it completely to get to the place it has been taking you. This is one of the difficulties of the Modern Age, as well as of Antiquity. People hate to destroy; They prefer to build. Today we call it materialism. Chögyam Trungpaeven coined the term ‘spiritual materialism’ to describe how spiritual practitioners become attached to their achievements and their practice.

Spirituality deals mainly with the internal aspects of the human being. It is true that a spiritual being displays certain traits, such as love, gentleness, compassion, and forgiveness. But none of these are worth anything unless they are genuine, truly experienced from the heart center of the person displaying them. To engage with the heart center, one of the insights we must experience is that we are not lacking… anything! Nothing at all is missing from the human experience when fully felt, seen, touched and experienced. When this understanding has been fully understood, one has this experience of inner emptiness; it is deeply receptive and resonant and allows you to authentically engage with the rest of the world. It is the state of beingness within you, without activity, restlessness of any kind, without disturbance, internal or external, it is solid, unshakeable; you wouldn’t even call it spiritual, it would be more accurate to actually call it one’s natural state.

Is this ‘natural state’ available to everyone?

OUI well south. But you have to want it, and you have to want it very much. You must also possess inner integrity, a deep honesty about it, and you must accept no substitutes! Because the spiritual path is riddled with such distractions, difficulties, seductions and pretensions, ego drives to drop everything and settle for some quasi-spiritual state that would be exalted from the point of view of the novice, the person who aspires. to the spiritual rewards of the path.

What can you do in this quasi-spiritual state?

Configure yourself as a spiritual master! Play superior, tell people what to do, goad others into acting like followers or disciples, write a book about your ‘spiritual’ experiences, your enlightenment, while all the while you are simply grooming your ego. It’s not unusual in this dark time; the period that the Hindus predicted we would be in now – the Kali Yuga.

But the interest in spirituality, meditation and yoga is surely growing.

Well, interest is not necessarily enough. The spiritual world is full of dilettantes and seekers of pleasure and self-aggrandizement. This is not to disparage the sincere practitioners, the conscientious ones, but even there you will find that you can find yourself in an ego trap, because some people’s ego is kept alive by lures like ‘I will never succeed’, ‘I am no good’ . enough’, is simply the antithesis of ‘Look how great I am’, ‘I’ve been successful because I’m better than the rest’. Spiritually there is no difference between these two points of view; both serve the grooming of the ego state.

So what should we do? I begin to see what you mean about the spiritual path being riddled with seductions.

Do not be seduced, apply yourself diligently, do not stop until you reach the end of your spiritual journey, choose a teaching and a teacher that makes sense and do not take anything at face value, rather question everything and do not do it. don’t think for a minute that you can do it on your own.

Does everyone need a guru?

Everyone needs the guidance of someone who functions as a teacher in their life and on their spiritual path, to preside over their spiritual endeavor and to correct and encourage and question and cajole and provide a model of an authentic human being in the world. In this way we keep faith, we know that it is possible to succeed and we cultivate the commitment and courage to move forward.

Accounting firms exist for the purpose of providing accounting services to businesses. This can mean payroll, financial statements, taxes, or financial planning. Financial statements highlight information about the company’s operations: profit and loss, net profit, and revenue. Bankruptcy is never the ultimate goal of a business. Finances are complicated. There are many loopholes, windows of opportunity, and ways to make mistakes. As a business owner, it’s important to manage finances efficiently and accurately to avoid accusations of fraud, financial mismanagement, and jail time.

History of the Regulations

The accounting firm profession was pressured to establish uniform accounting standards after the stock market crash of 1929. Some groups feel that insufficient and misleading information was a crucial factor leading to inflated stock prices and eventually the stock market crash and subsequent depression. The Securities Act of 1933 and the Stock Exchange Act of 1934 were designed to restore investor confidence. The 1934 Act also created the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has primary responsibility for enforcing federal securities laws, proposing securities rules, and regulating the securities industry, stock and options exchanges and other activities and organizations, including the U.S. electronic securities markets. The SEC has delegated responsibility for setting U.S. accounting and financial reporting standards for public companies and accounting firms, among others, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

scandals

There have been quite a few financial scandals, which serve to illustrate the importance of accounting firms, financial investors, and a strong system of checks and balances. A well-known incident is the Bernie Madoff scandal of 2008. Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, a Wall Street investment firm founded by Madoff, cheated investors out of $64.8 billion through the largest Ponzi scheme in the world. history. Instead of profits, investors received returns on their own money or another investor’s cash. Fortunately, in this case, Madoff bragged to his sons, who reported him to the SEC. He was arrested the next day, sentenced to 150 years in prison and ordered to pay $170 billion in restitution. This fraud came to light just a few months after the US financial collapse in 2008.

day to day

Businesses don’t run themselves. A business is not passive. It does not respond to market activities and records its own financial activities. A company is dynamic and creative. Owners must make plans, set goals, and adapt when situations change. If running a business and managing its financials seems daunting, it may be worth hiring an accounting firm to establish core business functions.

Taxes are a reality that all business owners must face: City, state, and federal agencies will expect their share of the cash, including income, income, and payroll taxes. Additional penalties and interest will apply if these areas are neglected. Accounting firms help keep track of information on your tax return and will make sure your tax is submitted on time and accurately. The details seem daunting, but doing everything right will pay dividends in the long run.

The characterization is one of the central pieces of Ernest Gaines’s novel A Lesson Before Dying. It is clear that Mr. Gaines spent a lot of time developing the central characters in this novel. He also gave considerable development to some of the supporting characters in the story. I think one of the reasons the story is so compelling is that the authors’ character development is thorough. The characters are people you like and respect like Vivian Baptiste, characters you empathize with like Jefferson’s godmother Miss Emma, ​​and characters you sometimes love and sometimes hate like Grant Wiggins.

The main characters, such as Grant Wiggins and Vivian Baptiste, are well-developed round characters, as are some of the supporting characters, such as Louis Washington, Jr. Although Louis Washington, Jr. is a static character in the story primarily as a foil for the Mr. Wiggins. and the other students, Mr. Gaines still provides background information about him that helps round out his character. Louis Washington, Jr. could have just been left as a flat, one-dimensional character and it would still have served his purpose well (thwart). However, the author demonstrates that he decided that the entire characters were going to be the centerpiece of his novel when he shares with the reader this information found on page fifty-five of the novel: “He was hands down the worst kid in the school”. . He came from a large family – thirteen, fourteen, fifteen: I don’t know how many – and he had to fight for every scrap of food he had.” Mr. Gaines in sharing that information is giving the reader insight into the psyche of Louis Washington , Jr., which helps the reader understand some of the character’s behavioral issues that occur later in the story.

Grant Wiggins is the protagonist of the stories. As the narrator of the story, we see the story through his eyes and through his frame of reference. Grant Wiggins is a very complex character. He is a man torn between his desire to escape the racism and oppression of the Deep South, but we get the sense that internally he believes he can make a difference in the lives of the children he teaches. Throughout the story, he tries to convince Vivian, and thus himself, that she is the reason he stays on the plantation. She instinctively knows this and tries to get him to admit that there are other reasons why he stays on the plantation besides her. Conflict surrounds Grant Wiggins: at home, at work, and even in his love life. He is in conflict with his aunt whom he obviously loves and respects and what he sees as her attempts to control and interfere in his life. At the beginning of the story, he is torn between giving two elderly women his wishes to visit and help Jefferson and the fact that doing so puts him squarely in the path of the racism and bigotry he has worked hard to avoid. He feels compelled to help others and on numerous occasions shows great concern for others. Twice at Mr. Pichots’s house even though he felt humiliated and embarrassed by the treatment he received, he tried to make the situation bearable for Inez’s sake. He suffered the humiliation of being frisked and rudely spoken to in jail for the sake of honoring the request of his and Miss Emma’s aunts and for Jefferson.

The antagonist of the story is clearly the setting and setting of the story: the Deep South. It is very clear that Grant is in conflict with the discriminatory institutions, policies and culture of Louisiana and life on the plantations. Grant is constantly evaluating his reason for being on the plantation and his reason for being a teacher there. He has flashbacks to his days as a boy on the plantation and his time as a student at the same church he now teaches. As an adult, he sees that life on the plantation doesn’t seem to change from generation to generation. He recalls a conversation he had with his former teacher that he went to visit. During the conversation recalled on page sixty-four, his former childhood teacher tells him: “You will see that it will take him more than five and a half months to clean, peel, scrape the cloak of ignorance that has been stuck on.” and plastered over those brains for the last three hundred years.” Grant obviously knows there is some truth to that statement and is torn between running away from the plantation or living somewhere else where there is a chance he can have a better life for himself. himself. However, he cannot leave the people who need his help. He stays on the plantation with his aunt because he feels an obligation to do so. He continues to teach, and although he is certain that many of the students will end up dead or in prison as did many of his classmates. Also, when his aunt and Miss Emma approach him with their plans for him to help Jefferson, he actually puts up very little.

The story is a powerful story of hope and inspiration because of the characters that make it up. The amount of background information we get about the characters brings them to life, and whether we like it or not, we feel like they’re living, breathing people. I’m sure many readers of this story will feel the pain of Miss Emma, ​​the conflicting emotions running through Grant Wiggins, and the strain of life in the Quarter.

(c) 2006, Marcus Barber

If you’re behind on your bills and on the receiving end of collection phone calls, you’ll probably hear collectors make some very threatening statements. While most debt collection professionals try to stay within the limits defined by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), many others regularly cross the line. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) received more than 58,000 complaints about debt collectors, representing 17% of all complaints received by the FTC. Consumers complain about the collections industry more than most other industries combined.

Collection professionals would likely respond that the sheer size of the industry and the sheer volume of collection activity explain the large number of complaints. However, consumers only report a small percentage of violations, so the data collected by the FTC represents only a small fraction of the true scope of the problem. Still, the FTC has well-documented a pattern of abusive and illegal billing activity, and it’s getting worse instead of better.

Here are some common threats made by debt collectors:

“We’re going to take your house unless you pay this bill right away.” This is a false threat. Unless the debt being collected is secured by the home in question (ie, a mortgage or home equity loan), the creditor does not have the power to take your home.

“If you don’t pay this bill today, we’re going to issue a warrant for your arrest.” Nonsense. Failure to pay a debt is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. Threatening a debtor with jail time or charging them with a crime is totally against the rules.

“We don’t care that you sent out a cease communication notice. We’ll call you anyway.” The FDCPA gives you the right to terminate contact efforts by a debt collector. Failure to comply with a cease communication notice is a clear violation of federal law.

“We are going to garnish his wages to recover this debt.” A collector can only threaten to take action for which they have the legal authority, and the vast majority of collection agencies do not have legal authority. Your wages can only be garnished by a creditor after he has won a judgment against you in a lawsuit.

“We know where you live, so you’d better pay up.” Yes, threats of violence still happen in this industry. Nearly 300 complaints against debt collectors received by the FTC last year cited the threat of violence as the cause of the complaint. This is absolutely illegal.

Aside from the usual false threats, collectors also use other tactics that are illegal. For example, discussing your debt with a third party is a clear violation of the FDCPA. However, collectors often call neighbors, family members, and employers to get information about debtors. As long as the debt collector does not discuss the actual issue of the debt, he still has his toes on the right side of the line. But as soon as they mention or even hint that they’re calling about a debt, they’ve crossed the line.

Since many debtors have taken to screening their phone calls at home to reduce the incessant barrage, debt collectors frequently call work when they can get an office number. In theory, a consumer can get the collector to stop calling the office simply by stating that he cannot receive personal phone calls at work. This alerts the collector that such activity constitutes an interference with the consumer’s employment, which is not permitted. In practice, however, collectors routinely ignore this rule and continue to call work.

There are many other harassment and intimidation techniques that cross the line from permitted to prohibited collection activity. The use of obscene or profane language, yelling, constant and unrelenting phone calls, failure to respond to written disputes, and posting debtor information are illegal activities as defined by the FDCPA.

So if you find yourself on the receiving end of illegal collection actions, what can you do to protect yourself? First of all, it is important to know and understand your rights as a consumer. You can obtain a description of your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act directly from the FTC ([http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm]).

If you believe a debt collector has violated your rights in trying to collect from you, you should not hesitate to file formal complaints with your state Attorney General (www.naag.org) as well as with the Federal Trade Commission. If enough complaints are received about a particular collector, these authorities are empowered to initiate enforcement action against them, which can result in costly fines that will make the agency or collector think twice before using such tactics. in the future. You also have the right to sue a debt collector who harasses or abuses you, or who violates your rights under the law.

One final point. Technically, the FDCPA only applies to third-party debt collectors, which includes collection agencies and collection attorneys. It does not apply to the original creditor collecting their own debt. For example, if you borrow money from a bank, the bank is not regulated by the FDCPA. However, many other public laws protect consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices even by original creditors, and many states also have laws that parallel the FDCPA but go further and include original creditors in the definition of debt collector So if an original creditor is harassing you or has crossed the line, you should still file a complaint with your state Attorney General and the FTC. If a clear pattern of abuse emerges, the original creditor may be charged with unfair or deceptive acts or practices, either under state law or under the FTC Act that governs business conduct in our country.

In short, if you’re on the receiving end of collection harassment, don’t take it. Learn about your rights as a consumer, vigorously discuss debts you don’t think you owe, and take action yourself by filing complaints with your Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. By standing up for your rights, you can stop false threats and collection tactics.

You just got a “ten day” letter from the NJ Bar Ethics Committee. Someone has filed a complaint against you and you are now a defendant in an ethics matter. You have been given ten days to respond in writing and provide certain records and documents by a person who identifies himself as an Investigator for the Lawyers Ethics Committee. Perhaps the victim was a client or a former client. Perhaps he was an adversary. Hopefully, he wasn’t a judge. He is instructed to cooperate with the investigation.

At this point, you should review your E&O coverage, specifically the notification requirements and terms of coverage. As necessary, notify your E&O carrier of the pending investigation. Not only can they provide you with an attorney in an appropriate case, but their failure to advise may result in loss of coverage in a possible future malpractice lawsuit. With or without insurance, you don’t have much time to answer Ethics.

Intuition says that you should exercise your right to remain silent; practice tells you to try to anticipate the investigation. Should you cooperate with your prosecutors? Suppose you believe your documents may result in criminal charges being filed against you. What if the investigator asks you questions whose truthful answers would be an admission of crime? Can they make you testify? What can they do if you don’t? What about the Fifth Amendment?

There are some facts you should know. The Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE), a branch of the state Supreme Court, is responsible for the discipline of attorneys in New Jersey. Investigate all complaints against all attorneys. If the OAE decides that your case requires immediate attention, or if you are also a criminal defendant, the ethics case may be handled directly by the OAE in Trenton. In such a case, the Investigator who contacted you is likely a paid professional. Sometimes the case is “automatically” originated when a check bounces from an attorney trust account. Those cases are also generally handled outside of Trenton. It is not usually clear from the first letter or phone call.

However, most complaints are investigated by District Ethics Committees (DECs), whose investigators are volunteer attorneys in districts across the state. After its investigation, the DEC will determine if discipline may be required. If so, a formal Grievance will be filed. Other times, the complaint is dismissed. Sometimes, in minor cases, you may be offered a diversion, a non-disciplinary conditional resolution of the case. In all cases, you are ultimately entitled to a full evidentiary hearing on the charges.

It is important that you know that the OAE has the power to summarily suspend your license simply for your refusal to respond to the ten-day letter. You will generally be given a few extra days to comply, if you need them, but your further or continued failure to cooperate with the investigation (or even the mere appearance of such failure) may lead to further action against you, including, in appropriate cases, summary disqualification. While the Ethics Committee can’t put you in jail, it can do something the criminal courts can’t: it can sanction you for “putting yourself fifth.” Unlike the trier of fact in a criminal case, an Ethics Committee Hearing Panel and the rest of the OAE, and even the Supreme Court, can draw a negative inference from your lack of cooperation or your failure to appear or produce evidence. evidence or its refusal. to declare

This is because there is no constitutional, or even legal, right to practice law; There is only one license, similar to a driver’s license. When a trade or profession must be regulated by the state, and practitioners must be licensed, the state may place conditions and restrictions on that license. Accused violators don’t get a jury, and the standard of proof is “clear and convincing,” not the Constitution’s “without reasonable doubt” standard.

Of course, if your ethics case also involves (or may involve) criminal charges against you or your client or someone in your company, consult an attorney with the appropriate experience immediately. The issues are complex, the stakes are high, and there is no standard approach.

The ethics decisions of New Jersey attorneys invariably give credit to attorneys who cooperate fully with investigations against them. They generally discipline attorneys who don’t. While you should always have an experienced attorney with you whenever you are the focus of an ethics complaint, if you wish to continue practicing law, cooperation with Ethics is a no-brainer.