The Buddha's blue eyes (study)

Alex Kasprak (Snopes, 12/2/22); Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Pat Mac (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha had blue eyes as he was Aryan/Gandharan/Iranian from Central Asia (Dr. RP).

• CLAIM: All blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor. blue eyes.

Do all blue-eyed humans share a single, common ancestor?

Physical characteristics of the Buddha, Item #29, deep blue eyes (Wiki)

• RATING: TRUE
• CONTEXT: All blue-eyed individuals living today are necessarily descended from one individual. Such a framing must be weighed against the fact that every single human alive today is likely descended from that same individual, as well.

I'm related to the Buddha? He was an Aryan?

(Snopes) In January 2008, a team of researchers from University of Copenhagen made waves by identifying the specific genetic mutations responsible for blue eyes.

Professor Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, an author on the study, explained the nature of the team's discovery:

"Originally, we all had brown eyes," he said in a news release, "but a genetic mutation…resulted in the creation of a 'switch' which literally 'turned off' the ability to produce brown eyes."

Media coverage focused on a specific aspect of this blue-eye-causing mutation — that it necessarily originated in a single individual, alive 6,000-10,000 years ago, who is responsible for all cases of blue eyes.

In 2017, Business Insider reported that "new research shows that all blue-eyed people share a common ancestor."

Blue eyes on a ginger European (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images © Provided by Snopes)

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In 2020, Unilad reported that "scientists revealed that the genetic mutation [for blue eyes] came from a singular human being all those years ago."

In October 2022, The UK Metro ran a story reporting that "every blue-eyed person on Earth can trace their ancestry back to a single individual who lived between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago."

Each of these articles is based on the same 2008 news release.

Explanation

And while these reports are "factual," their framing plays into misconceptions about genealogical lineages.

That misconception, as Scott Hershberger wrote in Scientific American, is that "humans are all more closely related than we commonly think." In an October 2020 story, Hershberger wrote:

• "Imagine counting all your ancestors as you trace your family tree back in time. In the nth generation before the present, your family tree has 2n slots: two for parents, four for grandparents, eight for great-grandparents, and so on. The number of slots grows exponentially. By the 33rd generation — about 800 to 1,000 years ago — you have more than eight billion of them. That is more than the number of people alive today, and it is certainly a much larger figure than the world population a millennium ago."

This, geneticist Adam Rutherford explained, is because "branches of your family tree don't consistently diverge [but instead] begin to loop back into each other." As a result, "your great-great-great-great-great-grandmother might have also been your great-great-great-great-aunt." More

"The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror" (book)

Melanie Strouse; Google.com review

A new book as a guide to practicing Buddhism in modern life (3blondmice/Flickr.com)

 

Years ago, journalist and practicing Buddhist Woody Hochswender co-authored a book on Buddhism.
  
That book focused on the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th-century Japanese monk who has become the spiritual teacher for more than 20 million [devotional] Buddhists worldwide.

  

The mirror reflects wisdom and compassion.

That book, which is in its tenth printing and has sold more than 80,000 copies, was such a resounding success that Hochswender has written an insightful new work -- at once a follow-up to the previous volume and a freestanding work of its own.

  

A new breath of inspiration, The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror speaks to the spiritual yearnings so many of us have amid the hustle and flux of contemporary life. The book is a sophisticated but accessible introduction to Buddhism as well as an in-depth study of Buddhism in the Samurai period [in Japan].

  

Hochswender again focuses on the philosophy of Nichiren and applies its principles to everyday issues ranging from health to careers to family problems. The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror is both cogent and compelling -- informative history and inspiring self-help.
  
Ideal for the novice or veteran Buddhist, the book will resonate with anyone interested in concrete methods for tapping into their own highest potential or [Buddha nature]. Source

Lama Ole Nydahl on book tour at Barnes & Noble, Los Angeles, May 2012

Is America the new Tibet?

Tibet to Revitalize Its Economy
(Xinhua) Tibet will map out a plan to invigorate its industries in 2010, according to a recent conference on the work of the regional development and reform. "We will redouble our efforts to build and improve infrastructure in the tourism industry and expand family-run hotels in rural areas," said Jin Shixun, director of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Development and Reform Commission Preferential policies will be pursued to support special industries. Meanwhile, more enterprise groups will be set up in the industries including traditional Tibetan medicines and tourism...Tibet's highland beer broke into the U.S. market shipping 2.78 million bottles, whereas a local mineral water manufacturer seized business opportunities in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. More>>

Is America the New Tibet?
(Bernie Quigley, TheHill.com) Those who look for meaning in swirling things in the sky will find them, especially on Winter Solstice. But the older rabbis tell us to look beneath the surface to find essentials. And what happened beneath the surface at Copenhagen is worth reporting. It was a modest nightmare, like one of those unsettling dreams like you are walking on the edge of a cliff...That’s what happened to America in Copenhagen. The new world order came together and they forgot...Obama. More>>

This is no "just war" theory
(Daniel Maguire, Marquette Univ.) Whether President Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize is not the point. He didn't. The fact is he got it, and was gifted with the chance of a lifetime to make a classic speech on the politics of peacemaking, a speech that in the glare of Nobel could have attained instant biblical standing. He failed miserably, producing a hodge-podge resembling the work of a bright but undisciplined sophomore. Obama used and misused the classical "just war'' theory. More>>

• He has become [an imperial] leader
  After Obama's Nobel Peace Prize speech, anyone still questioning whether he is really a Christian, rather than a Muslim aligned with fanaticism, needs therapy. Anyone still unconvinced that Obama is really an American committed to his nation's...
• Idealism, with a hard edge
  When President Obama rose to the podium to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, he took a decisive step away from pacifism and traveled a considerable distance to convince skeptics that he is not a naive idealist. Obama's speech, which is known as the Nobel Lecture...
• Obama acknowledges controversy
  Obama cautiously accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, acknowledging "the considerable controversy" over his award because he's accomplished little on the world stage in less than a year on the job and has just called for sending 30,000 to 35,000 more U.S. troops to war in Afghanistan.

Former Minister in Tibetan Gov't Passes Away
(NewsBlaze/ICT Report) Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, a former minister in the Tibetan government, passed away in Beijing on Dec. 23, 2009. He was 99. Born in 1910, Ngapoi began serving the Tibetan government in 1936. His role in Tibetan politics became prominent after he was appointed the Dhochi (roughly translated as "Governor General of Eastern Tibet") based in Chamdo in 1950 from where he led a military campaign against the invading Chinese forces. Story>>

• More officially sanitized Chinese propaganda news

Hundreds detained at mass climate rally

(AP, Dec. 12, 2009) Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Copenhagen, Denmark and at least 600 were detained Saturday as climate talks hit a snag over rich nations' demands on China and other emerging economies.

• Video: Hundreds detained at mass climate rally
• Slideshow: Climate Change Issues
• Video: Scientist doubts Copenhagen accord

Sarah Palin to Obama: "Boycott Copenhagen"

Palin On ClimateGate, Copenhagen: Beware Politicized Science

Declan McCullagh

If you had any doubt that a global warming scandal once confined to an obscure British university has hit the U.S. political system squarely in the nose, read former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's op-ed piece in the Washington Post. The former Republican vice presidential candidate writes, about the leaked document scandal known as ClimateGate, that: "The e-mails reveal that leading climate 'experts'...manipulated data" (CBS News' prior coverage).

Palin's article appears as the climate change summit in Copenhagen is beginning. While it's uncertain what the outcome will be, a recent report from a U.N. working group outlines what many delegates would like to see in a final agreement.

(RussiaToday, Dec. 07, 2009) Delegates from 192 countries have converged on Copenhagen to combat global warming. But this conference is also expected to battle a storm of criticism for recent "ClimateGate."

Palin points out that President Obama declared his intention to "restore science to its rightful place"... Democrats were, often correctly, warning about politicized science during the Bush administration. Palin writes: "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen." Full story

Buddhist Climate Project

(Environment and Nature) In the run-up to the crucial U.N. Climate Treaty Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, the Buddhist Declaration on climate change will present to the world's media a unique spiritual view of climate change and our urgent responsibility to address the solutions.

It emerged from the contributions of over 20 Buddhist teachers of all traditions to the book A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency. "The Time to Act is Now" is a pan-Buddhist statement by Zen teacher Dr. David Tetsuun Loy and Theravada teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi with scientific input from Dr. John Stanley. The Dalai Lama was the first to sign this declaration. All concerned members of the international Buddhist community are invited to study the document and add their voice by co-signing it HERE.

Save the Environment: Say It's Possible

(TerraNaomi)

SRINAGAR, India -- When world leaders meet in Copenhagen to find ways to save the planet, a crooner from the West will sing in Kashmir to Say It’s Possible. YouTube sensation Terra Naomi will sing for the Valley’s battered environment in what would probably be the first musical show by a westerner in Kashmir -- where even Led Zeppelin (Wisdom Quarterly) didn't get to play though it so famously sang about the region. More>>

• Terra Naomi performs in Kashmir on “Climate Change”
• American singer to croon for climate change in Delhi
• VIDEO: World descends on Denmark for climate talks
• UN climate conference opens with pressure on US

Climate Conference, Buddhist Action

Buddhist climate concerns: Copenhagen Editorial - PHOTOS: "One Chance, One Planet" - Climate in Crisis - Tibet's Climate Breakdown - Global Choices, Consequences - From Denial to Collapse - Climate Energy Emergency - Action: Mobilizing to Save Civilization

Buddhist Climate Project: "Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change" (Read and Sign) En Francais - Slideshow - The Book - Report: Climate Declaration - Climate Change Denial - Sustainable Business - Dalai Lama's Letter - Action: Plant a Tree in the Sheltering Grove

• Feature Films "Proof of Extreme Ice Loss" - "Home"
• Food, famine, and climate change in India
• Climate Crisis in Tibet and China

Obama and Indian leader to attend Copenhagen climate talks

• Video: Energy Secretary on Climate Change, Economy
• Video: "World's hope" lies with climate summit
• Video: China blows towards wind power

NEW DELHI – Indian PM Singh will attend the international climate summit in Copenhagen, a spokesman said, ending days of speculation about the country's level of representation at the landmark conference. President Obama also pledged to be there. Singh will address the U.N. summit beginning Dec. 17.

• The last best chance: UN climate conference opens
• Effects of warmest decade ever
• Scientists offer dim outlook for climate summit
• Nepal holds highest meeting on Mt. Everest
• VIDEO: Tesla: It's as fast as a Ferrari, but has zero emissions
• Pentagon orders 16,000 troops to start Afghan escalation
• Virgin Galactic unveils six-person commercial spaceship
• 10000Birds.com: Buddhist Climate Project
• 350.org climate change worldwide protest
• Ancient volcano pushed humans to brink of extinction

PHOTOS: 1. Pre-Copenhagen protests have been preparing for today's climate change talks (Joseph Woodward; 2. Eco Buddhists are concerned with climate change (AC84 on Flickr); 3. Melting arctic ice is now Russian concern as well (life.ru); 4. Polluted Yamuna river in New Delhi, India (AP).

Himalayan nations to hold 1st climate talks

Mt. Everest, glaciers receding and environmental degradation; Himalayan range

Text: Claire Cozens

KATHMANDU (AFP) — South Asian ministers will gather in Nepal next week for talks on the threat that climate change poses to the Himalayas and to the 1.3 billion people dependent on water flowing from the mountains.

Experts say the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and with months to go before a key summit in Copenhagen, mountain nations are hoping to highlight the myriad of problems facing the region. Climate change campaigners refer to the Himalayas as the "third pole" and say the melting glaciers are the biggest potential contributors to rising sea levels after the north and south poles.

But until now Himalayan governments have not come together to lobby for ambitious emission reduction targets at December's Copenhagen summit, which aims to seal a new international climate change accord. "Nepal's message needs to be heard, and the message of the mountains needs to be heard," said World Bank water and climate expert Claudia Sadoff, who is helping Nepal's government organise the August 31-September 1 conference.

"The Himalayas have their own very real set of challenges, but there are also a lot of adaptation and mitigation opportunities in the mountains." Glaciers in the Himalayas, a 1,500-mile (2,400-kilometer) range that sweeps through Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan, provide headwaters for Asia's nine largest rivers, a lifeline for the 1.3 billion people who live downstream.

But temperatures in the region have increased by between 0.15 and 0.6 degrees Celsius (0.27 and 1.08 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade for the last 30 years, and the effects are already being felt.

In Nepal and Bhutan, the melting glaciers have formed vast lakes that threaten to burst, devastating communities downstream. Low-lying Bangladesh has always been prone to flooding, but leading environment scientist Atiq Rahman said the speed at which the Himalayan glaciers were melting meant floods were now "more frequent and more vigorous." Last year Nepal suffered its driest winter in 40 years, bringing the first widespread forest fires the country has experienced and destroying crops that depend on the winter rains.

Campaigners say that while the effects of climate change on low-lying South Asian countries such as Bangladesh and the Maldives are now well known, there is little international awareness of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region. "The general impression is that the Himalayas are huge, impregnable, pristine spaces no one can hurt. But the fact is that they are melting," said Tariq Aziz, leader of the WWF's Living Himalayas initiative.

"The Himalayas are not just mountains. They are a source of sustenance for millions and their most valuable commodity is water." Nepal's government, which has invited environment ministers from across South Asia to attend the talks, said it hoped to "take a regional voice on climate change to Copenhagen." "The glaciers are melting and the temperatures are rising in the Himalayas," said environment secretary Uday Raj Sharma. "This will ultimately affect people's livelihoods not only in Nepal but also downstream."

Some observers have expressed concern that India, which opposes binding carbon emission cuts, will drown out the voices of smaller countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh at the Copenhagen talks. More>>

Dalai Lama begins European tour

COPENHAGEN (AFP) — The Dalai Lama kicked off a European tour in Denmark today meeting Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen for what he called a "mainly spiritual and educational" visit.

On leaving the Danish premier's official residence north of Copenhagen, the Tibetan spiritual leader, who travelled from exile in India, said the 45-minute encounter was not political.

The meeting came despite China warning European nations against welcoming the Dalai Lama. China accuses him of wanting to establish an independent Tibet, despite years of public statements by the Buddhist leader denying the charge. France and Poland will also welcome the Dalai Lama over the next few weeks. Source