58923

Funerals - Japanese Buddhist Customs - Part II

In this second of a two part series we're going to discuss Japanese Buddhist funeral customs continuing with the wake.

The next part of the Buddhist service is the wake. The service is presided over by a Priest. The Priest arrives at the location of the wake and is given green tea. At this time he speaks with the family to go over any last minute details. During this time the guests arrive and take their seats on the floor if at the home or in chairs if at a funeral home.

After everyone has arrived, the Priest turns to the altar, bows, lights incense and begins to read a sutra. During this reading the Priest gives a signal to the family to rise and go to the incense urn. From there they bow, offer up some incense, bow again and then return to their seats. After the family members are finished doing this, the remainder of the guests repeat the ritual until everyone has done so. The Priest then finishes the sutra at which time everyone bows at the altar and the wake service ends. Depending on the Buddhist sect that the members belong to they may then chant a "mantra". This is done in unison.

Even after the wake service is over, guests will continue to arrive in order to pay their respects. It is customary and proper for all guests to either attend the wake service, the wake itself or the funeral, but not all three. The family then gives each guest a present to show them their gratitude for coming.

That night the family stays in the same room with the deceased. In some sects a person who is not a blood relative of the deceased, like a son in law, may be asked to stay with the deceased for the evening. In other sects each next of kin takes turns staying with the deceased.

After the wake, the night before, is the funeral service itself the next day. At that time the body is transported to the temple and placed in front of the altar. A wooden tablet with the deceased name is placed in front of the altar. The name is assigned and inscribed by the Priest. It should be noted that the name given by the Priest could be different from the name the person had in life.

When it comes time to perform the service the Priest reads the sutra and part way through gives a signal to offer up the incense. This part of the service is the same as at the wake service, with each person taking part. The Priest then finishes reading the sutra and the people bow as he leaves the room. A representative of the family thanks the guests for coming after the Priest leaves.

After the people leave the casket is sealed. From there the body is taken to the crematorium where the body is cremated in what some consider a rather gruesome service where the body is partially burned, then taken out so that chop sticks can be placed with the body before cremation continues. After which, the bones, ashes and what's left of the chop sticks are placed in an urn and given to the family.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 11:36 PM 0 comments

Make a Fortune in Business Without Really Trying

You can make a fortune in business without really trying, however, most people do nothing of the kind. Many more people try really hard and make little or nothing. Why does this happen. In many cases its because although they work hard, they fail to work smart. They expend far too much effort for meager returns. Perhaps this is you. Youve tried everything. Online business, offline business, eBay, you name it, youve tried it. Why has nothing worked?

It doesnt matter weather you are just beginning a home based business or have been running a business for years, there are certain things you must do in order to become successful. The first is planning. Its often been said that those that fail to plan, plan to fail. Do a business plan. A good business plan will cover all aspects of your business. It should include your service or product line, your marketing plan and a timeline for the future. You should have a good financial plan as well. Where will your revenue come from? Where will it go?

Do you need capital to begin or expand your business? If you plan on seeking financing, either from conventional sources, such as banks, or other sources such as private investors, they will want to see how you plan to spend their money. This will help them evaluate your chances of success. After all, your ability to repay the loan or increase the value of their shares depends upon how you will be using their money.

A business plan will also enable you to plan for contingencies so you can effectively deal with them. The more you can plan for risk, the better you will be able to mitigate them. You dont want to be waylaid by something unexpected that could cost you dearly. Youll never be able to anticipate all business problems, but you can plan for as many as possible.

The next thing you need to do is execute your plan effectively. Many great plans, in business, sports and war have been undone by poor execution. Youll probably need to make changes to your business plan due to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities. These are similar to the halftime adjustments made by a football coach. Its often the coach or business owner who makes better adjustments that is the most successful.

The third thing you must do is test everything. You should test your marketing and advertising to determine what gives you the best R.O.I. If you are doing pay per click advertising or other online advertising, you have an advantage in that you can very quickly see the results of any changes you make. Youll probably see big differences from small changes. For example, headlines can often give very different results from just one or two word differences. The only way youll know is through rigorous testing. Test different product mixes to see what sells the best to your market. Do lots of research and find a good niche to market to and then test, test, test.

These three things, planning, execution, and thorough testing combined with the resultant changes, can make you a fortune in your business. Failure to do any of these things properly can limit your profit and chances for ultimate success.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 8:31 PM 0 comments

Discover The Pasadena City College Flea Market And Swap Meet

On the first Sunday of every month, Pasadena City College hosts a flea market and swap meet, from 8:00am to 3:00pm. This flea market is located on the Pasadena City College campus, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA. 91106, (626) 585-7906, on parking lots 1-4 along the south side. and the west side (Hill St.).

Over 450 vendors can be found there selling everything from high end antiques and collectibles to toys and tools to new, used and vintage clothing and used furniture. The prices are low, the lines are short and the vendors are friendly and helpful. There are also approximetly seventy (70) record vendors offering to sell and swap records, compact disks and memorabilia ranging from the big bands era to present day performers. Again the prices are quite reasonable and the vendors are friendly, helpfull and knowledgeable. They not only enjoy selling and swaping music items, they also enjoy talking about records and the music world. By the way, this is said to be one of the largest, if not the largest, record selling venues in Southern California.

According to Pasadena City College, admission to the flea market is free (this is one of the few flea markets around that still provides free admission) and parking, while sometimes difficult is also free, at the parking garage on Del Mar Blvd. or on the east side of campus at the Bonnie Avenue parking lot.

If you are looking for a flea market or swap meet that carries a good variety of merchandise, has very reasonable prices and is not overly crowded try the Pasadena City College Flea Market. Free admission and free parking makes this a good place for an outing. Even if you don't buy anything you will have a good time and it won't cost you anything.

After you finish with the flea market and swap meet, take a short drive up Colorado to Old Town Pasadena where you can dine at one of the numerous restaurants, have coffee, a capuchino or a lattee and a pastry at one of the bakeries, many with sidewalk patios, take in a movie, visit an art gallery, go dancing, take in a comedy act, shop at one of the many boutiques and stores or just go people watching.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 4:25 PM 0 comments

Satellite Radio: XM Radio or Sirius?

Satellite radio is the hottest trend in radio entertainment for your car, home, and office. The freedom from commercials and static is an exhilarating experience. No longer do you have listen to obnoxious jingles and hot air. No longer are you condemned to choose between dead air and Country & Western when traveling in rural areas.

Commercial-Free, Digital-Quality Sound

All of these problems are solved with satellite radio. And there is nothing else in the radio world that can compete with its digital quality sound. Satellite can provide uninterrupted listening pleasure anywhere in the world.

The only problem is deciding upon which satellite radio provider to choose. The top 2 contenders are Sirius and XM Radio. If you want satellite radio, you are immediately faced with the issue of how to choose between them.

XM Radio, First In The Sky

XM Radio established its presence first, and has a market share of 2 million listeners. XM has had the time to establish an excellent system of 68 commercial-free music channels with an incredible array of music. It also adds 33 channels of news, sports, talk shows, and entertainment to its programming mix. To top it off, XM has revolutionized the satellite radio world by providing 21 channels of up-to-date weather and traffic for most of the major metropolitan areas in the United States.

Sirius, Radio Innovator On Satellite TV

Sirius may be the comparative upstart, but it offers some advantages of its own. New contacts with DISH Network satellite television have given Sirius access to more than 10 million subscribers. It provides more than 120 channels if you add up all of the music, sports, information and entertainment.

For sports, Sirius is hard to beat. It broadcasts live games for professional football and hockey leagues, as well as many other sporting events. Sirius will also be the home of Howard Stern in 2006.

New Technology, New Listening Experience

So, whether you choose XM Radio for experience and staying power, or cast your vote for the innovations of Sirius, there's no reason to wait. Satellite radio is to broadcast radio as the VCR was to television. You can have it all -- without commercials! So what are you waiting for -- pick one.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 1:20 PM 0 comments