Leadership and the Heroic
Setting the Scene:-
Heroic as the word is defined in a dictionary means “showing character of a hero or a person showing great determination”.
Bodhidharma:-
The 28th patriarch of Indian Buddhism went to China on the order of his master to preach the message of Indian Buddhism. People earlier acknowledged him as a calamity and rejected him but he being so powerful, master of even supernatural forces humbly accepted the dejection and went away. During the spread of small pox Bodhidharma just like a great leader led the path and helped out the villagers in overcoming this killing disease. The right opportunity was used by Bodhidharma in the best possible way without a second thought of whether he should be involved
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A heroic leader is not afraid of new situations and hurdles. He is always willing to move forward and faces all problems bravely. He not only confronts tough times but also tough people and further takes a firm standpoint on important issues. He is ready to protect the weak and safeguard their rights and freedom. Here the example of Zen master who was challenged by an archer is best suited. The Zen master climbs onto a cliff and shoots the arrow sending a signal of his expertise. With single minded focus he was able to demonstrate his skills.
Honesty and Integrity:-
These people are honest to others as well to themselves. They have a moral code of conduct which they always abide by. They never ever take undue advantage of others and set examples for the followers. They praise others in times of achievements but do not believe in public humiliation of underachievers. Zen takes one from coping to transformation- it takes one out of the overwhelming drive to copy, curtailing the creativity which is an innate ability of “Shoshin”.
Principled yet
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Mindfulness is the Zen teaching whereby one is supposed to be aware of what he is supposed to do in the present. Heroic leaders have to live in present and work to the fullest.
Hard Working:-
They work beyond the limits and without feeling exhausted or tired. Work is not seen as a limitation but an art. They feel proud in doing their work and always deliver quality. As they are hard workers so others follow suit. Zen focuses on being engaged in work thoroughly and doing it with a single thought about your work.
Task Sharing and Authority Delegation:-
Task delegation is similar to task sharing for the heroic leaders. They do not believe in work offloading but being a team. Here the Zen principle of “Connecting not Controlling” is emphasized. Connecting with here means empathizing with others. Feeling the problems and pains of others and taking initiatives curb them. Task sharing is a means of developing the skill set and knowledge base of others so that teammates are self-reliant. Learning from mistakes is what happens during this
A hero is considered to be any man noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose;
Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.
Good things will happen if you accept and follow Buddhism. With that having said, many of the Chinese people tried Buddhism as a new religion when their government was weakening. Buddhism was the answer to their problems and the escape to inner freedom. According to Buddhist tradition, “The Four Noble Truths” are steps of achieving enlightenment. “The Four Noble Truths are the Noble Truth of Sorrow, Arising of Sorrow, Stopping of Sorrow, and the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. ”(Doc 1: Buddha). “Whosoever in China… serves the Buddha and correctly… makes a vow to be reborn without ever abandoning his sincere intention… behold Buddha… enlightened in his spirit… he will enter Nirvana.”( Doc 2: Zhi Dun), a Chinese scholar on trying to convince Chinese aristocrats that Buddhism is a good religion and that Buddhism would make a bad life better.
Heroism entails several things; a selfless act, courage, or the accomplishments of bold and daring expeditions. A hero can also mean courage in the face of death. Others may view this type of hero as stupid, or a martyr. Every hero has faults and these faults along with heroic deeds make the man or woman; a hero, heroine.
Beowulf is the exact image of a perfect hero. He is unimaginably strong, selfless, determined and courageous. Victor Frankenstein may be much less of a hero, but a hero nonetheless. Heroism is often seen as someone who is strong, brave, selfless and determined. It is someone who would risk their own life for the benefit of others. It is someone who is physically strong and mentally capable of enduring extreme pain and hardship. Heroism can ultimately be defined as someone who puts others ahead of themselves.
A hero is somebody who commits an act of remarkably bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character. (Encarta, 2009) Joseph Campbell has come up with eight of his own characteristics of a hero. Joseph Campbell is known as a scholar of mythology. There are several people in our times that are considered a hero. Whether, these heroes are fictional or nonfiction, they all portray some kind of heroic abilities.
Dictionaries’ definitions of the word hero are exceedingly vague. A standard dictionary limits the definition of a hero to, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities” (Dictionary.com). Heroes are people, not just men, who are generous, courageous, and take every event as part of the whole stream of life rather than as a critical moment. Humanity, endurance, and perseverance are other critical characteristics of a deserving candidate for such a title. John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, does an excellent job of defining a hero through the character, Ma Joad. As the Joad clan disintegrated under the pressure of dispossession and migration, Ma emerged as a central, cohesive force. Maintaining her composure, she heroically led the family on their journey towards the dream of a better life.
The dictionary defines hero in mythology and legend as, "a man who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and born of divine or royal blood. He is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life." In addition, I believe a hero is one to be looked up to and emulated. What is interesting about epic heroes is that their great deeds and exploits all have to do with defeating themselves, so with help from the gods they can truly become heroic. They can only defeat themselves with the help of the gods.
All in all, heroism is a vague word that could be defined as many of things. Such as bravery, courage, honesty, morality, trusts...etc. If Beowulf was defined as a hero then the knight should be defined as one also seeing as he gave the old women the choice to be old and good or pretty and bad. Or if the Author of The Art of Courtly love cannot be heroic and then write in a way of being heroic how can one decide what heroism is. All three of these studies show different forms and fashions of heroic people, feelings, and attitudes. Overall heroism is and always will be based on personal opinion, what one person defines as a hero can be completely different from what another person sees it as.
Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.
Hero. It’s a word that is used in multiple different contexts. A noble, selfless, and passionate person that holds nothing back. They risk their lives to save others and to be the best that they can be. They make a difference in our enormous world. Harriet Tubman. She is a hero that will be remembered forever. Step by step. Trail by trail. Navigating under the moonlight glow and putting her faith within the North Star. She dangerously led hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, overriding the constant fear of being caught, she never gave up, and she did everything in her power that she could possibly do to end the horrific reality of slavery.
A hero is defined as a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. A hero is strong in mind and body, courageous in spirit, and selfless where others are involved. Superman and Beowulf both exhibit these characteristics. The differences between Beowulf and Superman are as obvious as their similarities.
Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as any man admired for his courage, qualities or exploits, especially in war. Some people attribute the term hero mostly to war. My personal definition of a hero is someone who takes a stand against evil or an unjust cause. The term hero can be applied to anyone, it isn’t necessary to save the world from explosion to be a hero. The act of standing up for a friend can also be called a heroic act.
To begin with, mindfulness is when someone can pay attention to the present moment “without being devoted to different points of view” (Martin, 1997). Along with staying focused on the present moment, mindfulness is when the particular person does not judge the current experience as the person tries to comprehend the present situation. Mindfulness makes a person reflect on one’s self by not only figuring out one’s thoughts, but also the feelings that go along with it. The complex nature of mindfulness demonstrates that it has multiple purposes that cultivates a person into realizing the potential of the brain (Davis & Hayes,
... bold and courageous. Finally, it is not always braving physical danger that makes you a hero it is impacting the world and society in a huge way that makes you one the most.