Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on The Similarities of the Ideals of Self-Mastery Found in John Cassian’s First Conference, Buddhism and Hinduism
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This is a 5 page paper noting the similarities between the Christian ideals and self-mastery as found in Cassian’s Conference I and the Eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Monk and Christian writer John Cassian (360-435) wrote two major collections of works dealing with the principles of monastic life: The first collection “The Institutes” deals mainly with “what belongs to the outer man and the customs of coenobia (i.e., Institutes of monastic life in common); and the other, “The Conferences” deals rather with the training of the inner man and the perfection of the heart”. The Conferences contain mainly the conversations between Cassian and Germanus with the Egyptians they met throughout their many journeys with the central subject being “the interior life”. Because of the nature of Cassian’s Conferences, the ascetic ideals within the works involve a great deal of self-mastery and renunciation often found through the act of meditation and his work not only influenced his own contemporaries and many of the later founders of religious orders but also is similar to the self-mastery which is found in some of the Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.
Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_TJConfI1.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
The first collection "The Institutes" deals mainly with "what belongs to the outer man and the customs of coenobia (i.e., Institutes of monastic life in common); and the other, "The
Conferences" deals rather with the training of the inner man and the perfection of the heart"1. The Conferences contain mainly the conversations between Cassian and Germanus with the Egyptians they
met throughout their many journeys with the central subject being "the interior life". Because of the nature of Cassians Conferences, the ascetic ideals within the works involve a great deal
of self-mastery and renunciation often found through the act of meditation and his work not only influenced his own contemporaries and many of the later founders of religious orders but
also is similar to the self-mastery which is found in some of the Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism2. Cassians First Conference of Abbot Moses On the Goal or
Aim of the Monk includes twenty-three chapters dealing with the various questions and actions undertaken in a monastic life. Chapter II, Of the question of Abbot Moses, who asked what
was the goal and what the end of the monk, compares the dangers and sacrifices a monk must undergo to obtain his goal to that of any other professional or
laborer such as a farmer, a tradesman or one in the military3. Like in any other profession, in order to obtain his goal, a monk must be ready for self-sacrifice.
Cassian writes that "And our profession too has its own goal and end, for which we undergo all sorts of toils not merely without weariness but actually with delight; on
account of which the want of food in fasting is no trial to us, the weariness of our vigils becomes a delight; reading and constant meditation on the Scriptures does
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