Indians invented Chess

Not these "Indians," the other victims of conquest and colonialism.

Can’t beat your pre-teen daughter at the game? You might at least impress her with a history lesson.

Not the oldest board game on record (the East Asian game Go, at over 4000 years, is the likely winner), chess still outdates any Parker Brother’s pastime you could name. Early forms of chess originated in India around the 6th century AD. One ancestor was Chaturanga, a popular four-player war game that prefigured several key aspects of modern chess. A form of chaturanga traveled to Persia, where the name of the "king" piece changed from the Sanskrit rajah to the Persian shah. From shah all European names for the game are derived. We receive the English words "chess" and "check" from the French descendant echec. (And "rook" descends from the Persian rukh, meaning either "chariot" or "boat").

The Persians also introduced the notions of "check" and "checkmate," so thank them whenever little Lisa topples your king.

Simpsons chess set

LiveScience.com

Ancient Buddhist Blessings

Everything's spinning out of control

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (R) and former Vice President Al Gore shake hands during a campaign stop at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan June 16, 2008.(Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

By Alan Fram and Eileen Putman (AP) June 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - Is everything spinning out of control? Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism. Horatio Alger, twist in your grave.

The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance. The sense of helplessness is even reflected in this year's presidential election. Each contender offers a sense of order — and hope. Republican John McCain promises an experienced hand in a frightening time. Democrat Barack Obama promises bright and shiny change, and his large crowds believe his exhortation, "Yes, we can." Even so, a battered public seems discouraged by the onslaught of dispiriting things. An Associated Press-Ipsos poll says a barrel-scraping 17 percent of people surveyed believe the country is moving in the right direction. That is the lowest reading since the survey began in 2003. An ABC News-Washington Post survey put that figure at 14 percent, tying the low in more than three decades of taking soundings on the national mood. "It is pretty scary," said Charles Truxal, 64, a retired corporate manager in Rochester, Minn.

"People are thinking things are going to get better, and they haven't been. And then you go hide in your basement because tornadoes are coming through. If you think about things, you have very little power to make it change." Recent natural disasters around the world dwarf anything afflicting the U.S. Consider that more than 69,000 people died in the China earthquake, and that 78,000 were killed and 56,000 missing from the Myanmar cyclone. Americans need do no more than check the weather, look in their wallets or turn on the news for their daily reality check on a world gone haywire. Floods engulf Midwestern river towns. Is it global warming, the gradual degradation of a planet's weather that man seems powerless to stop or just a freakish late-spring deluge?

It hardly matters to those in the path. Just ask the people of New Orleans who survived Hurricane Katrina. They are living in a city where, 1,000 days after the storm, entire neighborhoods remain abandoned, a national embarrassment that evokes disbelief from visitors. Food is becoming scarcer and more expensive on a worldwide scale, due to increased consumption in growing countries such as China and India and rising fuel costs. That can-do solution to energy needs — turning corn into fuel — is sapping fields of plenty once devoted to crops that people need to eat. Shortages have sparked riots. In the U.S., rice prices tripled and some stores rationed the staple. Residents of the nation's capital and its suburbs repeatedly lose power for extended periods as mere thunderstorms rumble through. In California, leaders warn people to use less water in the unrelenting drought.

Want to get away from it all? The weak U.S. dollar makes travel abroad forbiddingly expensive. To add insult to injury, some airlines now charge to check luggage. Want to escape on the couch? A writers' strike halted favorite TV shows for half a season. The newspaper on the table may soon be a relic of the Internet age. Just as video stores are falling by the wayside as people get their movies online or in the mail. But there's always sports, right? The moorings seem to be coming loose here, too. Baseball stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens stand accused of enhancing their heroics with drugs. Basketball referees are suspected of cheating. Stay tuned for less than pristine tales from the drug-addled Tour de France and who knows what from the Summer Olympics.

It's not the first time Americans have felt a loss of control. Alger, the dime-novel author whose heroes overcame adversity to gain riches and fame, played to similar anxieties when the U.S. was becoming an industrial society in the late 1800s. American University historian Allan J. Lichtman notes that the U.S. has endured comparable periods and worse, including the economic stagflation (stagnant growth combined with inflation) and Iran hostage crisis of 1980; the dawn of the Cold War, the Korean War and the hysterical hunts for domestic Communists in the late 1940s and early 1950s; and the Depression of the 1930s. "All those periods were followed by much more optimistic periods in which the American people had their confidence restored," he said. "Of course, that doesn't mean it will happen again." Each period also was followed by a change in the party controlling the White House. This period has seen intense interest in the presidential primaries, especially the Democrats' five-month duel between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Records were shattered by voters showing up at polling places, yearning for a voice in who will next guide the country as it confronts the uncontrollable.

Never mind that their views of their current leaders are near rock bottom, reflecting a frustration with Washington's inability to solve anything. President Bush barely gets the approval of three in 10 people, and it's even worse for the Democratic-led Congress. Why the vulnerability? After all, this is the 21st century, not a more primitive past when little in life was assured. Surely people know how to fix problems now. Maybe. And maybe this is what the 21st century will be about — a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.

Nirvana is unique and exclusive to Buddhism

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Nepal, in close cooperation with the Nepal-Sri Lanka Cultural, Social, and Economic Forum (May 25, 2008), organized a highly academic program in Kathmandu on the topic “Pluralism in the Buddha’s Teachings: From Exclusive Nibanna to inclusive Vimutti.”

G.A. Somaratne, professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, was the special guest to talk on the topic. Somratne obtained his doctoral degree from Northwestern University, Illinois, USA under the guidance of Prof. George D. Bond.

His doctoral research thesis was “Freedom of Mind: A study of Buddhist Concept of Vimutti in the Pali Nikayas.”

Welcoming the academic gathering, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Nepali Court, H.E. Sumith Nakandala said that in the entire South Asian region, including Nepal, an intense debate was currently on regarding the exploration of the inner meaning of what the words Pluralism and Inclusiveness denote. “Roots of pluralism and inclusiveness were not at all a new phenomenon for our region,” Ambassador Nakandala stated. He said that “South Asia has been one of the bedrocks for the existence of pluralism and the need thus today is to rediscover it in its all shades.” He further said, “The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Kathmandu has embarked on a unique experience of looking at inventing alternative avenues to rediscover the common heritage of pluralism in South Asia.”

According to Ambassador Nakandala, “the central underpinning of the teachings of the Gautam Buddha revolved around pluralism.” Talking on the salient features of the talk program, Ambassador Sumith said that the idea was to ignite the brains of the South Asian intellectuals and then lead them all to the journey of truth.
Interestingly, one Nepali political scientist of international standing, Dev Raj Dahal too subscribes to the views of Ambassador Nakandala and says, “ the crux of Buddhism is that a durable peace can only be achieved by peaceful means, accepting the diversity in the society, removing unequal power-relations and ensuring civilised co-existence which in essence is the legitimisation of democracy, the lynchpin of pluralism which was in vogue in the South Asian region much ahead of the birth of modern civilisation.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Somratne -- a gifted Sri Lankan intellectual -- during the course of his speech on the topic said that “South Asia is still one of the best examples of pluralism and democracy in practice and that varying cultural, religious, social, economic and political communities in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka have co-existed interdependently since ancient times.” “In Nepal, the land of Buddha by birth, Hinduism, Buddhism and various forms of folk religions co-exist in peace and harmony,” Prof. Somratne said.

According to the eminent Sri Lankan scholar, Buddha in the sixth century B.C.E. itself had theorized and applied pluralism in his dispensation. In an oblique manner the Sri Lankan intellectual indicated that both the concept and the practice of pluralism were in vogue in South Asia centuries ago. In saying so he implied that the West began to practice pluralism pretty later that South Asia. Talking on the state of the attainment of Nibbana (Nirvana), Prof. Somratne says, “the state of Nibbana is unique and exclusive to Buddhism and that Nibbana is the total destruction of lust, hatred and delusion.” “It is the total freedom of mind from defilements, impurities, views, ideas, conceits, concepts, attachments, likings, and beliefs,” the Sri Lankan scholar continued. With its attainment, goes on Prof. Somratne, one does not engage in such comparisons as “I am better, I am equal, and I am worse.”

“There is no fire like lust, no monster like anger, no net like ignorance and no stream like craving,” Prof. continues defining Nibbana. The degree of pluralism and democracy, as Buddhism envisages -- adds the professor -- depends entirely on to the extent we humans think, speak and act to reduce our greed, hatred, and delusion.

“Pluralism could genuinely either by those who practice generosity, compassion, and wisdom or by those who have destroyed greed, hatred and delusion from their person and mind as well,” Prof. Somratne continued. Making his concluding remarks, Prof Somratne quotes Emperor Ashoka who says, among others, “One should not only honour one’s own religion and condemn the religion of others, but one should honour others’ religion for this or that reason and that in so doing, one helps own religion to grow and renders service to the religions of others too.”

Prof. Abhi Subedi was the moderator of the oration program. Prof. Subedi said that Buddhist philosophy is one that has the capacity to absorb all varying ideas and views. “Buddhism teaches harmony which in essence is pluralism”, Prof. Subedi concluded:

Buddham Sharanam Gachhami
Dhammam Sharanam Gachhami
Sangham Sharanam Gachhami

Zen = Jhana (full-absorption)

Three Stages of Development

The development of meditation has three stages according to the progress of concentration:

I. Preparatory development
Whatever object is chosen is called the preparatory image. By observing it steadfastly one develops stronger concentration. It paves the way for the arising of full concentration but falls short of it. There may be a feeling of easeat this stage that is in fact associated with alpha-waves in the brain. It is very tempting to stop short here. But in order to develop, one must apply more mental energy. Learning to recognize one's personal rhythms and how to apply oneself so asto move further on is the key to opening up successive levels of development.

II. Access meditation
The word access (upacara) here means “neighborhood” and refers to concentration that touches the fringes of full-absorption (jhana). A sign known as the counter-image appears at this stage. It resembles a luminous dot and is visible whether the eyes are open or closed.

III. Absorption
Here the mind remains fixed on its object without hindrance or discursiveness. Passing beyond the counter-image stage, it reaches towards the path leading towards nirvana and its fruition.

Objects of Meditation

All forty meditation subjects are suitable for the preparatory stage. Eight of the recollections, the perception of loathsomeness of food, and the analysis of the Four Elements take one no further than access. Full-absorption may be obtained by means of the remaining thirty subjects -- the ten discs (kasinas), ten kinds of foulness, four illimitables, four immaterial states, perception, and analysis.

There are twenty-five meditation subjects by which one can attain the first jhanic state -- ten discs, ten kinds of foulness, awareness of the breath and of the parts of the body, development of loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity. Fourteen meditation subjects lead to the second, third, and fourth jhanic states -- ten discs, awareness of the breath, and the three aforementioned illimitables. Twelve meditation subjects lead on to the first fine-material jhanic state -- ten discs, awareness of the breath, and the development of equanimity. The remaining fine-material states are achievable only through their respective objects.

Zen/Absorption (jhana)
Absorption takes a very prominent place in meditation practice. The aim of tranquility meditation is to achieve the jhanas. In fact, meditations leading to these are found in the Yoga systems of Hindu meditation as well. The Buddha himself practiced that kind of meditation before he discovered the insight (vipassana) technique. Jhana’s Sanskrit form is dhyana and its literal meaning is “to fix the mind on something” or “to contemplate" [collect, gather, focus, concentrate]. However, as defined in Buddhism, it means “applying the mind closely” and “burning negative states.” Jhana’s extended meaning is therefore to dissipate the hindrances and observe the object of meditation attentively. The resulting state of consciousness combined with the factors of absorption (jhana-anga) is jhana. The factors of absorption are five in number:

Vitakka - “initial application” that directs the mind towards the object.
Vicara - “sustained application” that examines the object again and again.
Piti - “joy” or “pleasurable interest” in the object.
Sukha or upekkha - two kinds of feeling, mentally “pleasant” and “peaceful.”
Ekaggata - “one-pointedness” of mind, concentration.

Five Hindrances

The jhanic factors help the mind stay fixed on the object, since they enable it to eliminate the corresponding five mental hindrances one by one. Just as initial application directs the mind towards the object, suppressing sloth and torpor, sustained application, by examining the mind again and again, suppresses skeptical doubt for some time. Joy takes pleasurable interest m the object and so dispels ill-will, while pleasure or calm engage with the object and temporarily quell restlessness and worry. One-pointedness of mind is the factor that dispels sensual desire among the five mental hindrances: sensuous desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and skeptical doubt.

"Bad" Buddhists!

Aren't all religions just as "bad" as one another?

(Original inflammatory art from Nana magazine, Israel)

Usually you don't hear a whiff of bad stuff about Buddhists, who number roughly 360 million worldwide. In fact, the Karmapa Lama, one of the most important spiritual leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, is in the United States now. Read about his visit. All of 22 years old, he may be the face of world Buddhism once the Dalai Lama passes from the scene.

And to page through the glossy pages of Tricycle magazine, one would think the religion is all kurta shirts, wrap pants, dharma-matchmaking services, and cool essays on the Heart Sutra and everyday nirvana.

I was then paging through a recent issue of Free Inquiry (I get lots and lots of religious publications) and came across an essay "pro-war" Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. Buddhism is treated as a state religion in Sri Lanka, where Buddhist extremists [allegedly] attack Christian churches -- according to the State Department's annual religious freedom report. Not that Free Inquiry, which is a secular humanist publication, is all that concerned about Sri Lankan Christians.

Crisis, a Catholic magazine, ran a piece in 2005, "Buddha's Fist," about militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka who are [supposedly] trying to pass a law banning all conversions from Buddhism to another religion. Christians -- Protestant and Catholic alike -- are [said to be] routinely slandered and their churches closed.

Free Inquiry also made the point that pre-China-takeover Tibet was hardly a paradise; in fact it was a feudal, theocratic state based on the work of thousands and thousands of serfs who, informed by Buddhist teachings on karma, were [allegedly] told they had to accept their imprisoned station in life as punishment for something they did in their past lives.

How would Chinese Buddhists, then, explain, the horrible circumstances of the May 12 [2008] earthquake in Sichuan? Did those who die simply have bad karma? Is karma, a basic Buddhist principle, innately cruel? If so, what does that make Buddhism?

— Julia Duin, assistant national editor/religion, The Washington Times

Comments

By: Biblio
It's possible that Ms. Duin's posting was consciously prevocative, meant to provoke discussion. If so, it was successful to the degree that I would like to focus on the comments made at the end of her not, as to karma and cruelty. This may be an oblique reference to the small controversy on the offhand comments by Sharon Stone as to the cause of earthquakes in China.

Karma as popularly understood consists of a kind of moral retribution system, one that ignores that many events -- including many natural catastrophes -- are not seen as karmic in origin. A deeper presentation of karma can be found in the BBC News Magazine postings on the topic, "What Is Karma?" [Posted below]

Buddhism-themed films

Good response: People leaving the hall after watching films showcased during the Wesak International Film Festival.

By Lim Chia Ying (June 13, 2008)

Few media can convey the message of hope and love in a story to the masses as effectively as the big screen. Hence, in an effort to promote greater public understanding of Buddhism values, the second edition of the Wesak International Film Festival (WIFF) 2008 will be held this weekend and on June 22nd and 23rd at the Malaysia Tourism Centre in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Featuring 12 films, the festival will be presenting Buddhist-themed movies and documentaries to animation and children's films.

“Building on our success in 2006, 18 Buddhist organisations have come together this year to organise this second edition of the festival which showcases the best in films on Buddhism,” said Wong. “It is also our aim to promote peace and harmony among people.”

Of the 12 films to be screened, three will be full-length movies, namely Angulimala from Thailand, Qi Xia Temple 1937 from China and Milarepa from Tibet. Angulimala, which was produced in 2003, tells the story of the murderer of the same name who became a disciple of Buddha, according to Buddhist scriptures.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia Temple 1937 is about the 1,500-year-old monastery that became a hiding place for thousands of terrified civilians when the Japanese army invaded the Chinese capital of Nanking in December 1937. The film documents the temple's abbot Ji Ran's extraordinary contribution in protecting his countrymen during the war, and the fearless spirit he displayed in saving those who were suffering. The third movie, Milarepa, which tells the story of Tibet's most famous saint, was directed by Bhutanese Neten Chopling Rinpoche. Other featured films are 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, Peace is Every Step, Buddha's Lost Children, Lion's Roar, Amongst White Clouds, Refuge in the Three Jewels (Discovering Buddhism Series), Fearless Mountain, Oseam (animation), and Eyes of the Little Monk (animation).

Wong said on the festival's opening night tomorrow, there would be a special performance by famed Buddhist songwriter Ravenna Michalsen from the United States who would be singing hymns. Admission to the festival is free.

For details, visit: http://www.wiff.org.my/

Kansas Man Discovers Buddhism In Prison

The word penitentiary originally comes from penance and the religious idea of redemption through punishment. Many inmates find religion to be one of the few sources of comfort and, for some, if can be life-changing.

In US prisons, the Christian chaplain has been a common figure, but today, inmates might be offered the services of a Rabbi, an Imam or a Buddhist Lama. The Prison Dharma Network, which is one of several organizations that brings Buddhism to prisons, has over 1,200 members worldwide.

Alex Smith has this story of a former Kansas prisoner who says Buddhism saved his life. Alex also spoke with a who teaches Buddhism in prison, Lama Chuck Stanford of the Rime Center in Kansas City, MO.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN: MP3

This story was produced for KC Currents. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents Podcast . © Copyright 2008, kcur

"Buddhism is a medicine without expiry date"

The teaching of the Buddha is like a medicine without an expiry date and one can use them to become happy anytime anywhere, said a young monk here.

Speaking on the relevance of Buddha's teachings on the concluding day of a month-long Buddha Jayanti celebration here today, the monk of Mahabodhi Society of Theraveda Centre of Tawang Panya Rakkhita said that whenever and wherever one felt depressed one could try the Buddha's teachings as medicine. "Even after 2,500 years they still work."

The monk said people and the way of living had changed a lot. "Science and technology have provided many items for our comfort. But have we become happier than before?"

Buddha identified the reasons of all our unhappiness and advised us to cleanse our mind and get rid of greed and jelousy in this very life.

"Our problems lie in our mind and there exist the solutions too. But most of us blame the outside world and other people. So me take to drinking alcohol for temporary relief but it aggravates the problem," he said.

Altogether 3,000 fish were released in rivers, fruits distributed among patients in hospitals, lamps of wisdom lit, hymns recited by the monks during the month-long celebration at the local Gompa.

BusinessStandard.com / Press Trust of India / Itanagar, June 18, 2008

Scientists probe meditation secrets

By Naomi Law

There is evidence that meditation changes brain structures. Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain. Sceptics argue that it is not a practical way to try to deal with the stresses of modern life.

But the long years when adherents were unable to point to hard science to support their belief in the technique may finally be coming to an end. When Carol Cattley's husband died it triggered a relapse of the depression which had not plagued her since she was a teenager. "I instantly felt as if I wanted to die," she said. "I couldn't think of what else to do." Carol sought medical help and managed to control her depression with a combination of medication and a psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. However, she believes that a new, increasingly popular course called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) -- which primarily consists of meditation -- brought about her full recovery. It is currently available in every county across the UK, and can be prescribed on the NHS.
One of the pioneers of MBCT is Professor Mark Williams, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. He helps to lead group courses which take place over a period of eight weeks. He describes the approach as 80% meditation, 20% cognitive therapy.

New perspective
He said: "It teaches a way of looking at problems, observing them clearly but not necessarily trying to fix them or solve them. "It suggests to people that they begin to see all their thoughts as just thoughts, whether they are positive, negative or neutral." MBCT is recommended for people who are not currently depressed, but who have had three or more bouts of depression in their lives. Trials suggest that the course reduces the likelihood of another attack of depression by over 50%. Professor Williams believes that more research is still needed.
He said: "It is becoming enormously popular quite quickly and in many ways we now need to collect the evidence to check that it really is being effective."

However, in the meantime, meditation is being taken seriously as a means of tackling difficult and very modern challenges. Scientists are beginning to investigate how else meditation could be used, particularly for those at risk of suicide and people struggling with the effects of substance abuse.

What is meditation?
Meditation is difficult to define because it has so many different forms.

"By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that" -- Dr. Richard Davidson

Broadly, it can be described as a mental practice in which you focus your attention on a particular subject or object. It has historically been associated with religion, but it can also be secular, and exactly what you focus your attention on is largely a matter of personal choice. It may be a mantra (repeated word or phrase), breathing patterns, or simply an awareness of being alive. Some of the more common forms of meditative practices include Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and Zen Meditation. The claims made for meditation range from increasing immunity, improving asthma and increasing fertility through to reducing the effects of aging.

Limited research
Research into the health claims made for meditation has limitations and few conclusions can be reached, partly because meditation is rarely isolated - it is often practised alongside other lifestyle changes such as diet, or exercise, or as part of group therapy. So should we dismiss it as quackery? Studies from the field of neuroscience suggest not. It is a new area of research, but indications are intriguing and suggest that meditation may have a measurable impact on the brain.

In Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Sara Lazar has used a technique called MRI scanning to analyse the brains of people who have been meditating for several years. She compared the brains of these experienced practitioners with people who had never meditated and found that there were differences in the thickness of certain areas of the brain's cortex, including areas involved in the processing of emotion. She is continuing research, but she believes that meditation had caused the brain to change physical shape.

Buddhist monks
In Madison, Wisconsin, Dr Richard Davidson has been carrying out studies on Buddhist monks for several years. His personal belief is that "by meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that." In one study he observed the brains of a group of office workers before and after they undertook a course of meditation combined with stress reduction techniques. At the end of the course the participants' brains seemed to have altered in the way they functioned. They showed greater activity in the left-hand side -- a characteristic which Davidson has previously linked to happiness and enthusiasm. This idea that meditation could improve the wellbeing of everyone, even those not struggling with mental illness, is something that is exciting researchers. Professor Williams believes it has huge potential.

"It involves dealing with expectations, with constantly judging ourselves - feeling we're not good enough," he said. "And, that is something which is so widespread in our communities. "All of these things are just thoughts. And, they will come up in meditation and learning to recognize what they are as thoughts, and let them go, can be enormously empowering for anybody." There is, of course, a distinct possibility that this research will come to nothing and that interest in meditation will turn out to be a passing fad, but for now this ancient discipline is being taken seriously by scientists as a tool with potential to make each one of us happier and more content.

Alternative Therapies: Meditation will be broadcast on March 31, 2008 on BBC Two.

What is Karma?

Sharon Stone with the Dalai Lama

WHO, WHAT, WHY?

Sharon Stone claims the earthquake in China is the result of bad karma for its treatment of Tibetans. Is her definition -- "when you are not nice, bad things happen to you" -- correct?

Radiohead sings of the "karma police," called in to arrest those who upset Thom Yorke: "This is what you get when you mess with us." And Boy George warbles about a "karma chameleon," in a toxic relationship because he's not "so sweet" anymore. Cause and effect, see. Actions have consequences.

THE ANSWER:
Law of karma holds that actions have consequences. Ethical intention behind an action affects outcome. Other factors also come into play.

And Sharon Stone, a convert to Buddhism, has claimed -- to much criticism -- that the earthquake that killed at least 68,000 people in China was bad karma for Beijing policy in Tibet. "I thought, is that karma -- when you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?" she mused at the Cannes Film Festival.

Karma is an important concept for Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. Translated from the Sanskrit, it means simply "action." Because karma is used in a number of ways and contexts -- even among different branches of Buddhism -- this can be confusing. Dhammadassin, a teacher at the London Buddhist Centre, says that Stone's take on karma is common -- glossed over as an outcome that is the result of something done in the past -- or even a past life.

Chinese mourn the dead and missing
"This reduces the enormously complex matter of causes and their effects to a question of retribution meted out for unspecified previous actions," she says. But the law of karma states that it's the motive behind one's actions that affects the outcome of that particular act. "So an intentionally ethical action -- for example to promote kindness, generosity, contentment -- is more likely to have positive, beneficial consequences. An intentionally unethical one -- to promote self-aggrandisement or greed -- will be more likely to have unhelpful, even harmful consequences. Unhelpful, that is, for the positive well-being of either the doer or the recipient or both." In a complex world, it's too simplistic to expect that a positive intention will always have a positive outcome as many factors are involved, she says.

Poetic justice The idea of moral causation has long been held in India, but the doctrine of karma was formulated and explained by the Buddha, a spiritual teacher thought to have lived about 2,500 years ago. Some believe that he was a human who became enlightened; others that he was a god.

WHO, WHAT, WHY?
His teachings hold that whatever comes into existence does so in response to the conditions at the time, and in turn affects what comes after it. Sangharakshita, the Briton who founded the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in 1967, explains this with the following example in his book Who Is The Buddha? "Rainfall, sunshine, and the nourishing earth are the conditions from which arises the oak tree, whose fallen leaves rot and form the rich humus from which the bluebell grows."

Dhammadassin says that despite its simplicity, this example reflects the inter-connectedness of our world, "in which our views, attitudes, opinions and intentions all have a part to play in creating our actions and their consequences." And what many call karma is actually closer to the idea of poetic justice, she says. Nor do Buddhists believe karma is the only cause -- others are: inorganic or environmental factors, such as the weather; organic or biological factors, like bacteria or viruses; psychological factors such as stress; and transcendental or spiritual factors (such as the sometimes powerful galvanizing effect of spiritual practice).

"The earthquake in China or the cyclone in Burma have much to do with environmental factors," says Dhammadassin. "To invoke karma is more to do with our desire to nail things down and find someone to blame. But that's not ours to do."

Sri Lankan journalists cite intimidation

By Bharatha Mallawarachi (AP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — With civil war raging in Sri Lanka, the journalists trying to cover the conflict find themselves increasingly under siege. They have been hounded by the government, attacked by unknown assailants and accused of aiding the rebels. Many reporters have been arrested or fled the country, while others have resorted to self-censorship, journalists said. Rights groups blame much of the intimidation on the government, saying that since fighting with the Tamil Tigers flared more than two years ago, pressure has grown on journalists to report the official line. When media don't comply — reporting higher troop casualties or alleging corruption in arms purchases — "they are branded as traitors," said Sunanda Deshapriya of the Free Media Movement. "The government does not accept that media can play a watchdog's role," he said.

Media Minister Anura Yapa denied the government was intimidating the media or orchestrating the assaults. "We have no intention of suppressing media freedom. Why should we attack journalists and get our image tarnished?" he said. For their part, the rebels allow no independent media at all in their de facto state in the north, which they run as a dictatorship. The rebels also have been accused of killing journalists critical of them in the violence-plagued Jaffna peninsula.

Pressure on the media has grown along with the fighting. Both sides have been accused of exaggerating victories and downplaying defeats, while the government has restricted access to the war zone, making independent reporting difficult. President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently summoned top media officials and warned them that the rebels, known formally as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, could be using their reports on the war to predict future military operations. "I said that such information is a blow to the country at a time when we are trying to weaken the LTTE militarily," Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times. Last year, two private newspapers critical of the government were closed down after the government accused them of links to the rebels; the printing press of the Sunday Leader, a pro-opposition newspaper, was torched by unknown attackers; and a radio station was forced off the air after a report on a rebel assault. At least 100 reporters have been attacked, 25 journalists have fled the country and several others have gone underground, said Deshapriya of the Free Media Movement.

Many have been arrested, including J.S. Tissainayagam, a Sunday Times columnist who has been jailed without charge since March by the government's anti-terror squad. Keith Noyahr, defense reporter for The Nation newspaper, was abducted by a group of men outside his home on May 22. Six hours later he was released, beaten and bloody. No one has been charged with the attack, which came several weeks after Noyahr wrote a column about controversial military promotions. Noyahr's colleagues said he and his editor have fled the country. The colleagues, who declined to give their names out of fear of repercussions, refused to provide contact details for either man, and calls to their mobile phones went unanswered. In a letter to Rajapaksa last week, Joel Simon, executive director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, accused the government of stifling war reporting and doing nothing to protect reporters. "Those who wish to harass, harm, or even kill journalists can operate with relative impunity in Sri Lanka," he wrote. Days later, Rajapaksa established a committee of government ministers to look into the complaints. In the face of the violence and intimidation, many journalists said they have stopped reporting information that might embarrass the government. "We don't want to be pet-poodles of the government, (but) neither to antagonize the military," said Ranga Jayasuriya, defense columnist at the Lakbima News newspaper.

Iqbal Athas, a high-profile defense columnist for the Sunday Times who is routinely threatened, said this was the "worst period" in his 42-year career. The government withdrew his security detail after nine years last year when he reported on irregularities in the purchase of fighter jets. The Ministry of Defense Web site accused Athas of working for "the pro-terrorist propaganda machine" and trying to sow "disloyalty, suspicions, disobedience, rumors, etc." among troops. "It's clear that what they want to do is silence me to not write anything they dislike," Athas said. This week, he suspended his column.

Tibet: Olympic torch parade

Chinese Armed Police officers try to block a photographer from taking pictures on them on a street in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Saturday, June 21, 2008, as the Olympic torch is to make its way through Tibet's sealed-off capital. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, Takanori Sekine)

By Ken Teh

ASA, China -- The Olympic torch was paraded through the streets of Tibet's capital Saturday, the site of bloody riots in March that triggered demonstrations along the flame's international relay stops. Tight security accompanied the flame over its three-hour journey through the historic city, da day after officials announced more jail sentences related to the deadly riots. he torch next travels to neighboring Qinghai province before gradually winding its way across northern China toward Beijing. A special Aug. 3-5 stop in Sichuan was added to honor victims of last month's earthquake ahead of the Aug. 8 opening ceremony in Beijing. The roughly 6-mile run began at Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace from where Tibet's traditional Buddhist leader fled into exile in 1959. It ended at a vast square at the base of the hilltop Potala Palace, the traditional seat of Tibetan rulers. Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops lined the route. Onlookers, who had been carefully screened beforehand, waved flags and chanted "go China." About half of the 156 torch runners were ethnic Tibetan, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Lhasa leg saw the reunion of the main torch with a separate one carried earlier to the top of Mount Everest — one of the highlights of the grandiose global relay that drew ugly confrontations at some of its international stops between Chinese supporters and groups protesting Beijing's human rights record and policies toward Tibet and Sudan. On Friday, Palma Trily, the vice-governor of Tibet's Chinese-appointed administration, told foreign reporters Tibetan exile groups were seeking to sabotage the torch run. The reporters were required to travel in a closely guarded convoy and only allowed to cover the opening and closing legs, isolating them from contact with ordinary residents. Lhasa, which has been under a security lockdown since the riots, all but shutdown for the relay, with streets deserted and most shops closed. A security cordon was thrown up around Potala Square, with costumed performers taking the place of Buddhist pilgrims who visit to turn prayer wheels and prostrate themselves in front of the palace, which is now a museum. Palma Trily also announced that 12 more people had been sentenced for taking part in the March 14 riot in the city that spawned further protests throughout Tibetan-inhabited regions of western China. He gave no details about their offenses or the punishments meted out. Palma Trily said another 1,157 people had been released from detention over minor offenses related to the violent anti-government protests, in which Beijing says 22 people died. Chinese officials say the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, was behind the March unrest. They also accuse the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate of trying to sabotage the Beijing Olympics and preparing "suicide squads" to carry out attacks. The Dalai Lama has denied the charges. Tibet is still closed to foreign tourists. Foreign journalists have been allowed to visit only as part of closely monitored government tours. Activist groups say the torch relay leg in Tibet and the separate relay to the peak of Mount Everest are an attempt by Chinese leaders to symbolize their control over the Himalayan region. China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time. New York-based Human Rights in China called the Lhasa relay a "provocative decision" that harmed efforts to "find a peaceful long-term solution for Tibet and the region."

PHOTO GALLERY

Buddhist Video (BBC)

Title: " Buddhist Community"

Film maker: Tim Burnell

Length: 10.33 mins

Date: 28th September 2006

Subject: religion, festivals, buddhism, recycling

Play this video

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Tim lives in a house of Buddhist men, but it's not all meditation and lentils! He explains why he's chosen to live this way and shows us the house's links with the Ipswich Buddhist Centre, the Evolution shop, Buddhist open-air festivals and the wider community. This film is part of Video Nation's 30 Days:30 Communities project which looks at new communities across the UK. It'll run on the BBC's Your Stories channel on Sky Digital (page 5670) throughout October 2006.

Links: Ipswich Buddhist Centre, HOW DO I TAKE PART

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Thailand's prime minister refuses to resign amid protests

By Sutin Wannabovorn (AP)
BANGKOK, Thailand - Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Saturday refused to bow to the demands of anti-government protesters who vowed to besiege his office until he resigned. More than 20,000 demonstrators broke through a police cordon to occupy the area around Thailand's seat of government Friday and remained there through the night. But deputy government spokesman Natawut Saikau told The Associated Press that Samak would not resign. "The demand is unreasonable," he said.

The protesters, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, claim Samak's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. "Our stance is clear, we will continue to protest and camp out here until this puppet government of Thaksin's is out of office," said alliance spokesman Suriyasai Katasila. Samak would explain the ongoing political tensions in Thailand to the public later Sunday, Natawut said. The prime minister met with the armed forces chief Friday but did not disclose what was discussed, the spokesman said. "He only said that the police are continuing to be in charge of handling the protest, and that it is not yet time for the soldiers to come out." Rumors have swept Bangkok since the protests began three weeks ago that the country's powerful military would stage another coup, something which the top brass has repeatedly denied. Claiming victory, the demonstrators set up a stage and other facilities on surrounding streets after managing to push through police lines Friday afternoon to surge forward to a fence on two sides of the Government House compound. After some initial scuffling, police gave little resistance. "No one got hurt," police spokesman Maj. Gen. Surapol Tuanthong told Thai television station TPBS. "There was no image of the police hurting Thai people and that's the most important thing and should satisfy our superiors on every level. The politicians will have to find their own political solution." He was responding to a question about why police let the demonstrators occupy the streets outside Government House despite earlier vowing to block them. Alliance leaders say they don't want to occupy the compound itself but plan to peacefully maintain a siege around it. During the afternoon, police estimated about 22,000 people were taking part in the protest, but the number continued to grow in the evening. Alliance leaders gave far higher figures that appeared to be greatly inflated.

The alliance led mass demonstrations before the 2006 coup demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power. They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against the former prime minister and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest. Samak's People's Power Party won general elections last December. His Cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies and critics say rehabilitating the former leader is among the government's top priorities.

What is a Bigfoot (Yeti): Gigantopithecus blackii?

Ms. Pickering drew the picture after speaking to local "eyewitnesses" (BBC).

Ms. Pickering drew the picture after speaking to local "eyewitnesses": A Derbyshire artist has unveiled a sketch of a yeti, based on what are claimed to be eyewitness accounts from indigenous Himalayan people. Pollyanna Pickering, 65, from Oaker, drew the sketch after speaking to the Brokpas Tribe from the Sakten area of Bhutan. Ms. Pickering said she was also shown a "genuine" 100-year-old yeti scalp when she visited a remote monastery. The picture will form part of a touring exhibition from 14 June. "I was amazed when they told me of regular sightings, close encounters and even tales of people being carried off by the migoi [Brokpas name for the yeti]," said Ms Pickering. "Their descriptions were so detailed, I ended up doing this 'photofit' with them all sitting round telling me to alter this or how that should look. This could be the single most important zoological find since the late 1930s.

Jonathan Downes, yeti expert: "What struck me most was, it wasn't like they were trying to convince me it existed -- they were surprised some people think it doesn't. It's no big deal to them, it's another indigenous wild animal." The Brokpas tribe described a very shy, ape-like creature, about eight feet (2.4m) tall with black, sometimes reddish fur. Yeti expert Jonathan Downes from the Centre of Fortean Zoology, said if the animal's scalp that Ms. Pickering was shown did belong to a yeti, the findings could be "explosive." "If this scalp is authentic and has bone still attached, it will be probably the single most important zoological find since the discovery of the coelacanth in the late 1930s." The centre plans to send a five-man expedition to the Russian republic of Karbadino Balkaria in mid-June in search of yetis.

"If it does exist, we now think it a likely descendent from a giant ape called Gigantopithecus blackii, which lived in India and China about half a million years ago."

Balpakaran is famed for its canyon filled with dense and inaccessible jungle and surrounded by steep cliffs. If an Indian yeti does exist, this must surely be where it lives.

More photos: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7412636.stm

On the trail of the Indian Bigfoot

By Alastair Lawson (BBC), Meghalaya

In the US it's known as bigfoot, in Canada as sasquatch, in Brazil as mapinguary, in Australia as a yowie, in Indonesia as sajarang gigi and, most famously of all, in Nepal as a yeti. The little known Indian version of this legendary ape-like creature is called mande barung - or forest man -- and is reputed to live in the remote West Garo hills of the north-eastern state of Meghalaya. I was invited by passionate yeti believer Dipu Marak to travel throughout the area to hear for myself what he says is compelling evidence of the existence of a black and grey ape-like animal which stands about 3m (nearly 10ft) tall. There have been repeated reports of sightings over many years by different witnesses in the West, South and East Garo hills. Mr. Marak estimates the creature weighs about 300kg (660lb) and is herbivorous, surviving on fruit, roots, and tree bark.

Intense heat
The Garo hills comprise more than 8,000 sq.km of some of the thickest jungle in India. And as I soon discovered, there is no shortage of people who say they have seen the creature at first hand.

Take woodcutter Nelbison Sangma, for example, who works on the fringes of the Nokrek national park in the Garo hills. In November 2003, he says that he saw a yeti three days in a row. He took me from his village to the spot where he says he made the sighting, a five-hour walk in intense tropical heat from his house. "I saw the creature quite clearly on the other side of the river. It was breaking branches off trees and eating the sap. Its strength was amazing. "Obviously I wanted to photograph it, but I knew that if I left the area, it would take at least 10 hours or more to get a camera as I do not own one. By that time the creature would have disappeared." Mr. Sangma says that he told the state forestry department of his sighting, but they did not believe him. He took me to the spot where he says the yeti destroyed a tree - an exhausting uphill walk through thick jungle infested with blood-sucking leeches. Mr. Sangma showed me where the creature broke the tree's branches and clearly visible scratch marks on its bark.

VIDEO: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7453778.stm

Are these hairs from Mande Barung?
A 10-hour drive away from Nokrek is the other national park of the Garo hills, Balpakram, which lies amid thick jungle on the border with Bangladesh. It is an extremely remote area, where the hum of insects clicking in the undergrowth sounds like a series of disconnected power cables. Balpakram is famous for its vast jungle-filled canyon which spans several miles and is surrounded by spectacular cliffs. Any descent is a treacherous exercise. If ever there was terrain where a peace-loving yeti could live its life undisturbed by human interference, then this has surely got to be it. Perhaps the most famous reported sighting was in April 2002, when forestry officer James Marak was among a team of 14 officials carrying out a census of tigers in Balpakram when they saw what they thought was a yeti.

According to the author and environmentalist Llewellyn Marak, such stories cannot be dismissed out of hand. "I saw the footprints for myself last year," he said, and they cannot easily be explained away. "The prints were different from other animals -- and were almost human in appearance - apart from the fact that they were about 18 inches [46cm] long. "Both my father and grandfather also saw the creature at different times. Each said that it resembled a large gorilla." Mr. Marak argues that the Meghalayan forestry department has not seriously investigated the sightings because they are "uninterested and too lazy." The western side of the state of the Meghalaya is predominantly made up of Garo tribespeople. They are traditionally a matrilineal community, where property is inherited through the female line. They are also a community where stories and fables are deeply ingrained culturally, which is why senior politicians and officials are reluctant to discount openly tales of a yeti roaming about.

Meghalaya's Divisional Forestry Officer Shri PR Marak denies suggestions that his officers have not properly investigated alleged yeti sightings -- which he argues is an expensive exercise in thick jungle only accessible by foot. He uses diplomatic language when discussing whether yetis exist in the state. "I have gone to see the evidence for myself and have even taken a plaster cast of one of the footprints," he says. "As you know the presence of such a creature is an important part of our culture - passed down to us by our parents and grandparents. "But we have no concrete evidence it exists, and there may even be a possibility that some of the evidence has been manipulated to create a stir.

"Because the area where it is believed to live is thick jungle, it will be very difficult to know the truth." But Dipu Marak has voluminous correspondence from various eyewitnesses to support his contention that there is something out there. To critics who say he has no photographs of this mysterious creature, he insists that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." "We have so many reports of sightings that I sincerely believe there is some sort of huge creature in the Garo hills," he said.

"This is not just a fairy tale, nor is it an effort to woo tourists. It's deeply embedded in our folklore and scientifically it is possible too. "While I cannot prove conclusively that this creature definitely exists, nobody can say conclusively that it does not exist either." Such is the impenetrability and extent of jungle in the Garo hills that the legend of mande barung looks likely to live on in the foreseeable future. "The truth is out there somewhere," says Dipu Marak sincerely. "But like the Loch Ness monster this creature is obviously not fond of giving too many photo opportunities."

FULL STORY (BBC) WITH MORE VIDEOS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7457894.stm

Buddhist BIGFOOT Back

The scientific field is called cryptozoology. Bigfoot, Yeti (the abominable snowman), Sasquatch, Pendek (jungle yeti)... There has been a recent wave of sightings in Buddhist (and formerly Buddhist) lands: Nepal, Siberia, India, Indonesia, and Tibet. The BBC reports.

"Yeti prints" found near Everest
By Charles Haviland (BBC News), Kathmandu

There have been stories of Yetis in the Himalayas for many years. A US TV presenter says he and his team have found a series of footprints in the Everest region of Nepal resembling descriptions of the mysterious Yeti. The presenter and his colleagues say they are "very excited," although they are not saying they definitely believe it is the mark of the Yeti. Josh Gates and his crew work on a series called Destination Truth, which follows reports of fantastic creatures. The footprints found on Wednesday have renewed Yeti excitement in Nepal. Mr. Gates said they had been searching by torchlight at night-time because, he said, alleged sightings of the yeti had usually taken place at night. They did not see the so-called abominable snowman himself.

Three prints But a Nepalese member of the team spotted three footprints and alerted Mr. Gates, who told the BBC the first print was a "pristine" right paw mark, 33 cm (13 inches) long, with five toes in a wide spread of 25 cm. There was also a heel print and another fainter one. An excited Mr. Gates described the main footprint as anthropomorphic, meaning it had human characteristics. He said he did not believe the prints were man-made or that they came from a known animal such as a bear. But he also said he was not sure he believed in the Yeti, and did not know what to make of it. The team took castings of the three prints which will be examined by scientists in the US.

Scalp claim Asked why there were only three prints, Mr. Gates said the terrain, in a side valley about 2,800 metres (9,000 feet), was mainly rocky. Reports of the mythical Yeti go back hundreds of years, and the creature is sometimes attributed with dangerous powers, sometimes protective ones. One Buddhist monastery near Everest houses what some say is a Yeti skull or scalp; scientists who examined it declared that it was made from antelope skin, but other experts disagreed. In the 1950s the British explorer Eric Shipton took photos of prints in the snow that some are convinced belong to the Yeti.

- - -

Evidence of "jungle yeti" found
By David Green (BBC News Online), Manchester

Adam Davies plans to write a scientific paper on the discovery. Fresh evidence has been found in the jungles of Sumatra supporting claims that a mythical 'jungle yeti' may exist, claim two UK explorers. Adam Davies and Andrew Sanderson found footprints which seem to match examples they found three years ago, which were shown to be from a new species of ape. The orang pendek, as it is known, is said by islanders to walk like a man. The pair, from Stockport and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, now plan to write a scientific paper on their discoveries. The new evidence was found in the Bukkantingi area of the island.

The pair found new footprints similar to the one they found in 2001

Mr. Davies and Mr. Sanderson also claim they tracked the creature to within 500 metres but were unable to follow it into dense jungle. Three years earlier, they found hairs and prints which were analysed independently by scientists and shown to be from an unknown species. They have now discovered evidence of the creature's existence in separate parts of the island. Mr. Davies told BBC News Online: "When we arrived in Bukkantingi, we were told by the villagers that they had seen the orang pendek only two days earlier. "They said they had seen it eating soft fruit in farmland on the edge of their village.

The orang pendek is said to have red-brown hair and walk like a man

"We made base camp there and, two days later, one of our Indonesian guides heard it calling. "We set after it and found new prints which we made casts of and which matched the prints which we discovered on our last trip. "The prints had been made that day, our guides told us, and we also heard it calling, but were unable to capture it on film as it was in dense jungle. "But I think we were at least within 500 metres of it." Mr. Davies said the pair now planned to write down their discoveries and send them to a primatologist at Cambridge University who analysed the original prints found in 2001. But he said the habitat of the creature, if it exists, was under threat from illegal logging which had destroyed large areas of jungle since their previous visit.

Thai protesters fight police

An anti government demonstrator shouts insults at Bangkok police during a demonstration Friday, June 20, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

By Sutin Wannabovorn (AP)

BANGKOK, Thailand - Several thousand protesters besieged Thailand's seat of government Friday, delivering fiery anti-government speeches and singing nationalistic songs as they vowed to stay until the prime minister resigns. After initially scuffling with the demonstrators, the police offered little resistance as crowds surged toward and pressed up against a fence on two sides of the Government House, a compound of ornate buildings from the 1920s. The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. The group led mass protests before the coup, demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest. An almost festive atmosphere prevailed as protesters — many of them from Bangkok's middle class — waved, cheered and chatted with security officials. Others, dressed in the alliance's trademark yellow, shouted "Thaksin out, Samak out." By Friday evening, the crowd swelled further with people who had finished work for the day. "I just want the government run correctly. This government is a puppet of Thaksin," said Winit Loh, a high school teacher from the northern city of Chiang Mai who came with two of his students. Alliance leaders say they don't want to occupy the compound itself but plan to peacefully maintain a siege around it.

Chamlong Srimuang, an alliance leader, said the protesters would camp around the compound overnight and then stay on until Samak's four-month-old coalition government resigns. Samak himself was not at Government House on Friday. He and all his ministers, as well as other government officials who normally work in the compound, were on leave or at other locations. Samak, after meeting with the army commander and other senior security officials, declared the situation was under control and could be handled by police without help from the military, said deputy government spokesman Nattawut Sai-gua.

There were no immediate plans to declare a state of emergency or martial law, he said. When a police spokesman was asked why police let the demonstrators occupy the streets outside Government House despite earlier vowing to block them, he said, "No one got hurt. "There was no image of the police hurting Thai people and that's the most important thing and should satisfy our superiors on every level," the spokesman, Maj. Gen. Surapol Tuanthong, told Thai television station TPBS. "The politicians will have to find their own political solution," he said. In the afternoon, police radioed estimates that about 22,000 people were taking part in the protest. Alliance leaders gave far higher figures that appeared to be greatly inflated. Reporters saw about a dozen protesters injured in the initial scuffles, but the police, although equipped with tear gas and water cannons, used minimal force. The Bangkok Post's Web site said seven police were injured. Government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said schools and government offices near Government House had been ordered to close Friday for safety reasons and "to allow police to work smoothly." Protesters also brought up other issues, including a disputed border region with Cambodia and high fuel and food prices, accusing the government of mismanaging the country.

Samak's People's Power Party won general elections in December. His Cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies, and critics say rehabilitating the former leader is among the government's top priorities. This time around, the military has repeatedly said it will stay out of the political fray.