PARIS (AFP) – The tiny an-cient humans dubbed hobbits, whose remains were discovered on an Indonesian island in 2003, were a previously unknown species altogether, according to two new studies.
Debate has raged in the scientific community since the fossils were found on the island of Flores, with some experts insisting they were descended from Homo erectus and others saying evolution could not account for their small brains.
About three feet (a meter) tall and weighing 65 pounds (30 kilos), the tiny, tool-making hunters may have roamed the remote island as recently as 8,000 years ago. Their fossils are about 18,000 years old.
Many scientists have said Homo floresiensis, as the creature is now formally known, was a prehistoric human stunted by natural selection... More>>
PHOTO: U. of Wollongong, Australia, artist's impression of a human species discovered on Indonesian in 2003. Diminutive humans are a new species, not pygmies with shrivelled brains, researchers reported (Daily Mail/Nat'l Geo).
What three-foot tall humans might have looked like (0:29)
"Today (May 4, 2009) we should reflect on the great spiritual contribution that Buddhism has made to the world and congratulate Britain's Buddhists for their vibrant...
What is it that certain people say or do during a job interview that makes them stand out? Why do some people struggle to find work, while others land a job in no time? I wanted to know, and the only way to find out was to experience the interview from the other side of the table.
If I could be the one asking the interview questions, not answering, I could see first hand what made candidates stand out. I could then take that knowledge and cater my behavior in any future interview to give myself the best chance of getting hired.
First, I needed to create a "corporate presence." I found a company that rented office space by the hour. It was in a downtown Seattle high-rise, had a killer view, and came with a secretary, who'd call me once an interviewee arrived. It was perfect.
Next, I posted a job on craigslist for a marketing coordinator at a "soon to launch" web company. Literally minutes after the posting, resumes poured in, 142 on the first day, 356 in the first week.
Finally, giving the interview wasn't enough. I wanted to be able to go back, review the footage, and dissect answers, body language, everything, to really see what makes someone look good or bad. So before scheduling any interviews, I got online, bought a couple of small cameras, picked up a couple lamps and lamp shades, and with a drill, some super glue, a little bit of cardboard, and electric tape, I constructed 2 hidden camera lamps.
Of course to make sure everything was legally kosher, everyone was required to sign and fax back an appearance release waiver before an interview was scheduled. The reason, "some company meetings will be filmed and we needed proof you'd be comfortable appearing on a video blog if hired."
After 6 interviews I decided to step down and have a friend take my place. I wanted to review the rest of the interviews from a completely objective perspective. 28 interviews later, and what did I learn? 22 tips
1. Cover letters are worthless
If you think a well-crafted cover letter (or email) explaining your lack of experience is going to make you stand out, you're wrong and shouldn't even waste your time. With 100's of people applying, there's just no time to read your "pitch". It's all about your resume. That's what sells you. That's what gets you the job interview.
2. 10 seconds to sell or say so long
Unless your resume catches the interviewer's eye in 10 seconds it's over, you're done. So the big question is how do I catch the interviewer's eye? Here comes the best advice on how to get a job interview you'll ever get. Cater your resume to the job description!!! I can't stress this point enough. It's imperative that you cater your resume to each position you apply for. And I mean taking each line on the job description and writing a line on your resume to reflect your experience with regard to that line.
Yes, it takes more time than sending the same resume to 100's of jobs, but you're far better off applying to a fraction of those jobs with a resume specifically written for each job. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. Their job is to hire the most qualified candidate. They've been given a set of qualifications to look for: aka the job description, and that's exactly what they're after, so give it to them!
3. Be on time
There is no excuse for it, none! You don't want a... [19 more tips and videos] More>>
Burmese police have entered the compound of detained opposition leader and Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, known lovingly to the Burmese people simply as "The Lady," the BBC is reporting.
It comes a day after a man carrying a US passport was found by security forces swimming away from the property across Inya Lake -- surrounding the compound in which she has been held under house arrest by the Junta (pictured below) for more than 19 years after being democratically elected as head of the country. She is scheduled to be released in May, unless the Junta finds a pretext to continue her arrest.
The man was reported to have swum over to the house two days before (on Sunday evening), but no motive has been given for the visit.
Ms. Suu Kyi has been kept under house arrest by Burma's military rulers for most of the past 19 years.
Neighbors, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about 20 police had entered Ms. Suu Kyi's house on the shores of Inya Lake early on Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported.
It follows reports in the state newspaper the New Light of Myanmar that an American, identified as John William Yeattaw, had "secretly entered the house and stayed there."
The paper said he was arrested late on Tuesday (May 5, 2009) while swimming back across the lake, apparently using a five liter water bottle as a buoyancy aid.
An American passport, a backpack, a pair of pliers, a camera, and US dollars were confiscated from him, the state newspaper reported.
Pro-democracy demonstrations in Rangoon
House and lake around Ms. Suu Kyi's house
Security concerns Such an incident would be the first time someone has broken into Ms. Suu Kyi's compound. The area is tightly-guarded and swimming in Inya Lake is prohibited. A spokesman for the US embassy in Rangoon said they had not been informed of the arrest and knew nothing about it.
But a spokesman for Ms. Suu Kyi National League for Democracy (NLD) party said the incident showed the security weaknesses at the compound. "We are worried for Daw Suu Kyi's security," Nyan Win told the AFP news agency.
Ms. Suu Kyi has been under almost permanent house arrest since the NLD won a general election in 1990. The junta has refused to allow the party to assume power.
Her latest period of detention is due to expire at the end of May, but the authorities have not yet said if it will be extended.
The face of the dictatorship: SLORC, the Junta, military rulers who seized and maintain rule by force while plundering the nation, enslaving rural workers, causing environmental degradation, jailing dissidents, shutting off Internet access, and being next to last place on many indices of comparative health and education
(Reuters) May 1, 2009 -- Sex workers from one of India's biggest red light districts stage a May Day rally to demand the legalization of the world's oldest profession.
Sex, brains, robots, Buddhism: looking for freewill New Scientist (Vol. 178, Issue 2394, p. 46)
How much free will do you think you have? Does understanding how cause and effect [karma and vipaka] work in the brain undermine the very idea of it? What does it mean to talk about a "sex drive" as if it were out of our control? Are both robots and humans doomed to have only the illusion of free will? And why talk about free will at all if we only exist and act in relation to others?
These were key issues for our panel at the Royal Society for Arts during a seminar held as an introduction to New Scientist's two-part series on human nature...(criticalthinking.net.au)
Geshe Tashi Tsering In Buddhism, free will is not discussed [explicitly]. One of the main points in Buddhism -- known as dependent arising, or Dependent Origination -- is that everything and every event, including human existence, comes into existence dependent on others. My existence and your existence is dependent on others. So free will is not really discussed.
As a human being, my existence is a combination of material matter and consciousness. When this combination is put together, I can say I exist, I function. But if I search within this combination of matter and consciousness, can I find anything that I can describe as a "me" or an "I"?
No, I cannot find it. I am a process, a combination of mind and matter. If we go beyond that, and try to find something within it that we can call a "me" or "I," we cannot find it. Our feelings, such as of happiness or sorrow, also come into existence as a result of causes and conditions.
For me, free will seems very much connected with the concept of the god or the soul. But Buddhism doesn't believe in that. There isn't within ourselves something we can call a soul. Simply, everything comes into existence through causes and conditions. Given the right causes and conditions, things will come into existence, events will happen. But nothing exists independently or inherently. Everything, including our identity, is dependent on others More>>
Buddhist monks memorizing and chanting sutras, Wat Sudat, Thailand (jaywye.com)
Originally this sutra evolved out of a long oral tradition. Therefore, it was chanted and memorized by rote, utilizing repetitive phrasings for ease of memory. This made it easier to hear and follow, much like the Greek poets -- for example, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey -- who recounted epic tales with history and a moral embroidered in. The following includes ellipses (...) minimizing this for readers, but this traditional flavor remains (WQ Editor).
Atthi Raga Sutta (SamyuttaNikaya XII.64)
Thus have I heard. The Buddha was dwelling at Savatthi...
"There are these four nutriments for the establishing of beings who have taken birth or for the support of those in search of a place to be born. What are the four?
physical food, gross or refined is first;
contact is the second,
consciousness the third, and
intellectual intention the fourth.
These are the four nutriments for the establishing of beings or for the support of those in search of a place to be born.
"Where there is passion, delight, and craving for the nutriment of physical food, consciousness lands there and grows. Where consciousness lands and grows, name-and-form alights. Where name-and-form alights, there is the growth of mental-fabrications. Where there is the growth of mental-fabrications, there is the production of renewed becoming in the future.
Where there is the production of renewed becoming in the future, there is future birth, aging, and death, together, I tell you, with sorrow, affliction, and despair.
"Where there is passion, delight, and craving for the nutriment of contact...
"Where there is passion, delight, and craving for the nutriment of consciousness...
"Where there is passion, delight, and craving for the nutriment of intellectual intention, consciousness lands there and grows. Where consciousness lands and grows, name-and-form alights. Where name-and-form alights, there is the growth of mental-fabrications.
"Where there is the growth of mental-fabrications, there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is the production of renewed becoming in the future, there is future birth, aging, and death, together, I tell you, with sorrow, affliction, and despair.
"Just as -- when there is dye, lac, yellow pigment, indigo, or crimson -- a dyer or painter would paint a picture of a woman or a man, complete in all its parts, on a well polished panel or wall, or on a piece of cloth. In the same way, where there is passion, delight, and craving for the nutriment of physical food... contact... consciousness... intellectual intention, consciousness lands there and grows.
"Where consciousness lands and grows, name-and-form alights. Where name-and-form alights, there is the growth of mental-fabrications. Where there is the growth of mental-fabrications, there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is the production of renewed becoming in the future, there is future birth, aging, and death, together, I tell you, with sorrow, affliction, and despair.
"But where there is no passion for the nutriment of physical food, where there is no delight, no craving, then consciousness does not land there or grow.
"Where consciousness does not land or grow, name-and-form does not alight. Where name-and-form does not alight, there is no growth of mental-fabrications. Where there is no growth of mental-fabrications, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging, and death. That, I tell you, has no sorrow, affliction, or despair.
"Where there is no passion for the nutriment of contact...Where there is no passion for the nutriment of consciousness...Where there is no passion for the nutriment of intellectual intention...
"Where there is no growth of mental-fabrications, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging, and death. That, I tell you, has no sorrow, affliction, or despair.
"Just as if there were a roofed house or a roofed hall having windows on the north, the south, or the east. When the sun rises, and a ray has entered by way of the window, where does it land?"
"On the western wall, sir."
"And if there is no western wall, where does it land?"
"On the ground, sir."
"And if there is no ground, where does it land?"
"On the water, sir."
"And if there is no water, where does it land?"
"It does not land, sir."
"In the same way, where there is no passion for the nutriment of physical food... contact... consciousness... intellectual intention, where there is no delight, no craving, then consciousness does not land there or grow. Where consciousness does not land or grow, name-and-form does not alight.
"Where name-and-form does not alight, there is no growth of mental-fabrications. Where there is no growth of mental-fabrications, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future.
"Where there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging, and death. That, I tell you, has no sorrow, affliction, or despair."
After a beautiful one hour hike through the forests near Reting, one arrives at Samtenling Nunnery and its spectacular view. The Anis (Buddhist nuns) are very friendly. They love having their pictures taken -- as long as you show it to them afterwards!
В Тибет !! путешествие докторов)) оператор Саша Панфилов!
Zen lends itself to the comic medium -- with a long tradition of line drawings and characters with caricature proportions. The Zen Comics series provides wonderful reading. Simple, accessible, and animated, it makes the Dharma immediate and almost as good as a long, scholarly read.
Traditional drawings that set the standard for Zen art (Terebess_hu_Hakuin).
"A person riding along on a boat looks around, sees the shore, and mistakenly thinks that the bank is moving. But if looking directly at the boat, one discovers that it is the boat, not the bank, that is moving.
"Likewise, with confused thoughts about body and mind, holding to discrimination of myriad phenomena (dharmas), one mistakenly thinks one's own mind and nature are permanent.
"If intimately engaged in daily activities, one returns to right here, the principle that the myriad phenomena have no self is clear."
From here DogenZenji warns us against the view that the mind is permanent and only phenomenal appearances perish. He points out the fact that myriad phenomena [form, feelings, perceptions, volitions, and consciousness] are without self.
The view of permanence of the mind and the perishing of phenomenal appearances, to state it simply, is the view that the body changes and passes away, but the spirit eternally abides unchanging. It is a view that is generally easy for those of a simple faith to fall into.
The metaphor "a person riding along on a boat" means just what it says and can be understood by anybody.
"With confused thoughts about body and mind, holding to discrimination of the various dharmas, one mistakenly thinks one's own mind and nature are permanent."
An unenlightened person is completely confused about body and mind. As long as one has not clearly seen that the five conditions (materiality, sensation, conception, discrimination, and awareness) are all empty.
No matter how great a scholar one may be, one is confused about body and mind. As a result one falls either into a view of permanence or a view of annihilation. Many people of a simplistic faith fall into a view of permanence. Many second-rate scientists fall into a view of annihilation.
Here DogenZenji warns particularly against a view of permanence. A view of permanence is considering there to be a single, permanent, guiding self. It is considering there to be a fixed, unchanging "soul." It is thinking that the "self" actually exists.
Unenlightened people have the karmic illness of considering whatever they attach themselves to as having a self [an identity, a persisting or unchanging entity riding or guiding the phenomenal process]]. If they make a group, they consider the group to have a self [a persisting reality or identity independent of its parts].
If they attach themselves to a nation, they consider the nation to have a self. One would hardly think that there was a self in the planet, but if the world were to become completely unified and there were such a thing as a world-state, perhaps they would come to believe in a world-self.
"The Buddha Way is no-self." The one who thoroughly realized that all things are without self [are impersonal or devoid of self] was Shakyamuni Buddha.
"The myriad teachings return to the one" is also fine. But if Buddhism compromises with religions that have a false belief in the "self" or "soul" or "atman," it is no longer Buddhism at all.
But then if religions other than Buddhism return to no-self, the bases of those religions will disappear, and those religions will be changed into something completely different.
However, since there can only be one truth, I think that when the wisdom of human beings advances, one way or another they'll become one.
In recent times the ones who, comparatively speaking, are least inclined toward a false belief in the "soul" or "self" are the scientists, particularly physicists and psychologists. But I'm quite afraid that if they make one false step, they will fall into a view of nihilism.
By no means do scientists think that body and mind exist separately. But they are liable to regard the body as important and neglect the mind. Western [allopathic] medicine up until now has been treating people from that standpoint.
In contrast, it seems that the Eastern medical tradition has emphasized the mind since long ago. The expression, "Illness originates in the spirit (kior chi)" is a common one. Even the word for sickness (byoki) means illness (byo) of the spirit (ki)." [Ki can also be taken to mean the energetic body, mood or mentality influencing the body.] But even Western medicine has lately come to regard the mind as quite important.
Of course, it is confused thinking to consider mind and body as existing separately. But attaching greater or lesser importance to the mind or the body is also confused thinking. So if one thinks that a fixed body or mind exists for even one minute, this is also confused thinking. [All is in flux, moving, shifting, processing, not "being" but becoming.]
When one thinks about everything with this kind of confused thinking as the basis, one makes the mistake of thinking that only the body changes, arises, and passes away. One mentally depicts something like a spirit or a self that is eternally abiding and unchanging. This is the way ordinary people think.
From there, the theory of the undying soul emerges. On the one hand, in fact Buddhism stresses that there is no [creator] God [responsible for all things] and no soul. On the other hand, people think that Buddhism is something that believes in an unchanging soul.
Tired of being sick and tired? Lack of energy is the number one complaint doctors hear. But this lethargy can be overcome. The answer is lifestyle (what you take, leave out, and how much water you get).
Discover how an alkaline diet (balanced PH), eating right (unprocessed foods), and hydration (plentiful water) can lead to a healthier lifestyle and a cure for pain and disease.
The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is killing us. That may sound like a strong statement, but facts back it up. Oversized portions of processed foods ("processing" which strips away nutrients and adds chemicals) have created diets loaded with calories. A calorie is "empty" because it is lacking vital nutrients the body needs to thrive and maintain health.
We are living through an epidemic of obesity and increased occurrences of diseases, from atherosclerosis and cancer. Yet, this can all be changed by a few simple changes in lifestyle.
Renowned microbiologist and nutritionist Dr. Robert O. Young and Shelly Redford Young look at three changes. These will give increased health, stamina, and protection from illness.
Starting with supplementation, Robert and Shelly Young explore the benefits of Super Greens -- a proprietary mix of vegetables and grasses. It can easily be added to any diet. It provides more than 125 nutrients.
But good health is not the result of adding a quality supplement. So the Youngs also explore what a good diet. Change it for the better.
Proper hydration is another key aspect of good health.
Alkalize your body by making it more alkaline. Avoid acidity and acidifying foods. The perfect PH balance is 7.365 -- the miracle of effortless health is the result.
"Asesinatos, violencia, avaricia, cólera y tentacíon han hecho del mundo humano un lugar desesperado. Una tormenta terrible ha caido sobre el mundo humano, y esta llevando el Mundo a la destrucción. Solo hay una forma de salvar el mundo y es a traves del "dharma" (de la practica de la espiritualidad).
"Cuando uno no anda por el recto camino de la espiritualidad, este mundo desesperado sera seguramente destruido. Por ello, sigue el camino de la espiritualidad y comunica este mensaje a tus pares. No pongais nunca obstaculos, cólera y desaprobación en el camino de mi misión meditativa. Solo os enseño la dirección, teneis que buscar el camino vosotros mismos. Lo que seré, lo que haré, los días venideros lo revelarán.
The Mexican origins of Buddhism in the Americas
"La salvación del hombre, la salvación de todos los seres vivos, y la paz en el mundo son mi objetivo y mi camino. Contemplo (medito) en el limite de este mundo caotico desde el oceano de las emociones, en mi separación del odio y el deseo, sin desviarme del camino por un solo momento, estoy renunciando a mis ataduras con mi vida y mi hogar para siempre, estoy trabajando para salvar a todo ser vivo.
"Pero en este mundo indisciplinado mi práctica vital se reduce a mero entretenimiento. La practica y devoción de muchos budas se dirige a la mejora y felicidad del mundo. Es esencial aunque muy dificil entender esta practica y devoción. Porque aunque es facil llevar esta vida ignorante, los seres humanos no saben que algun dia debemos dejar este mundo incierto e ir con la muerte. Nuestras largas ataduras con amigos y familia se disolvera en la nada.
"Tenemos que abandonar la riqueza y las propiedades que hemos acumulado. Cual es la utilidad de mi felicidad, cuando aquellos que me han amado desde el principio, mi madre, padre, hermanos y amigos son todos infelices.
"Por ello debo meditar. [...] Hasta que envie un mensaje no vengais aqui, por favor explicar esto a los otros. Comunica el conocimiento espiritual y este mensaje a traves del mundo. Comunica el mensaje de paz mundial a todos. Sigue un camino recto y la sabiduria será tuya."
PARIS — The French are living up to their image as lovers of food and can add a new love to the mix, sleep, according to a survey released Monday. In fact, the French excel at the two leisure activities, spending more time at table and in bed than many other nations.
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development looked at the use of leisure time among 18 of its 30 member countries.
Norwegians spend the most time at leisure, just over a quarter of their day, while at the low end, Mexicans spend just 16 percent of their time having fun.
The French still win in the sleeping and eating categories, spending on average nearly 9 hours a day in bed. For the French, leisure continues in the waking hours, with more than 2 hours a day spent eating and drinking — nearly twice as much time at the table as Americans, Canadians or Mexicans.
Americans also like their sleep, spending some 8.5 hours a day doing just that.
Despite the moderate amount of time Americans spend eating each day — about an hour and a quarter — U.S. obesity rates are the highest in the 30-member OECD with 34 percent of the American population with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, over the critical 30 mark. The lowest obesity rates are found in Korea, followed by Japan, with less than 4 percent of the population with a BMI over 30.
The Koreans followed by the Japanese clock in at the low end of the sleep spectrum, getting 7.8 hours a day with the Japanese not far behind.
The profiles on the use of leisure time were constructed by the OECD using 2006 data from the 18 member countries for which up to date surveys on use of time were available.
Television ranks high among leisure activities in Japan — where it takes up 55 percent of free time, compared to a low of 25 percent for New Zealanders.
The Turks are the most sociable population. They spend more than 35 percent of their time entertaining, compared to an OECD average of 11 percent. Source
Rice on the hot seat Condoleezza Rice comes under fire in unusual places for Bush administration terror policies. Look at her while she's beautiful as her torture policies may have long term effects that even a child will point out. » Her reaction
If karma is responsible for subsequent unattractive markings on the skin, one can only imagine how this puppy came to be so adorable. Karma, after all, works to one's great gain and fortune as well as to one's detriment.
NEPAL -- This is a documentary on Ram Bahadur Bomjon, "Buddha Boy," a teenager who has been meditating for three years without food or water. Also known as Tapaswi Palden Dorje, he is thought by many to be the rebirth of an exalted being. Who? He is a bodhisattva -- someone bent on full-enlightenment and aiming for buddhahood. It is a mistake and a misnomer to consider him the "reincarnation" of the historical "Buddha" (Shakyamuni). A buddha no longer undergoes rebirth, having overcome all defilements. The meaning of buddhahood is uprooting all delusion, aversion, and greed. The practical upshot of accomplishing this is that one no longer undergoes rebirth of any kind. It should also be noted that Buddha Boy does not fit the canonical profile of the future buddha, Maitreya.
NEPAL -- A documentary on Ram Bahadur Bomjon ("Buddha Boy") who has been meditating for three years without food or water. Ram is known by many as a bodhisattva (someone who bent on full enlightenment and aiming for buddhahood). It is a misnomer and a mistake to think Ram is a "reincarnation" of the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni). A buddha is not reborn, but rather has destroyed the delusion, aversion, and greed that lead beings to continued rebirth.
NEPAL -- A documentary on Ram Bahadur Bomjon ("Buddha Boy") who has been meditating for three years without food or water. Ram Bahadur Bamjan is known by many as a reincarnation of a bodhisattva (a being bent on full enlightenment, aiming for buddhahood). It is a misnomer and a mistake to think he is the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni). A buddha no longer undergoes rebirth, but rather has broken through the delusion, greed, and aversion that bind beings to continued rebirth.
NEPAL -- This is a documentary on Ram BahadurBomjon, "Buddha Boy," a teenager who has been meditating for three years without food or water. Also known as TapaswiPaldenDorje, he is thought by many to be the rebirth of an exalted being. Who? He is a bodhisattva -- someone bent on full-enlightenment, a person aiming for buddhahood. It is a misnomer and a mistake to consider him the "reincarnation" of the historical "Buddha" (Shakyamuni). A buddha no longer undergoes rebirth, having overcome all defilements. The meaning of buddhahood is uprooting all delusion, aversion, and greed. The practical upshot is that one will no longer undergo rebirth of any kind. It should also be noted that Buddha Boy does not fit the canonical profile of the future buddha, Maitreya.
NEPAL -- A documentary on Ram BahadurBomjon ("Buddha Boy") who has been meditating for three years without food or water. Ram is known by many as a bodhisattva (someone who bent on full enlightenment and aiming for buddhahood). It is a misnomer and a mistake to think Ram is a "reincarnation" of the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni). A buddha is not reborn, but rather has destroyed the delusion, aversion, and greed that lead beings to continued rebirth.
THOUSANDS of devotees are expected to converge at Buddhist temples throughout the country tomorrow to pay homage to the Buddha on his birthday and to celebrate his enlightenment and parinirvana, all three of which occurred on the same full moon day in the month of Vesakha....
PHOTO: This float is one of the many to be paraded during the Vesak procession called "Purify the Mind." Vesak Day is a holy day on the calendar of Buddhists worldwide. Devotees observe precepts and teachings of the Buddha, their teacher, and reiterate their determination to lead ennobling lives.
Rare footage of the Buddha Boy -- the teenage Bodhisattva, Ram Bahadur Bomjon, also known as Palden Dorje -- who has been meditating for years without taking food or water. He speaks to the world in his native Nepalese. (See WQ English translation below).
He has continued to meditate without food. This feat is similar to an offer made by deities (devas) to the bodhisattva Siddhartha Gautama before he became the Buddha. When deities saw that he was fasting to the extreme of nearly dying, they offered to infuse his pores with ambrosia (their fine-material sustenance). He declined so as to not inadvertently mislead people, who presumed he was indeed fasting.
Buddha Boy is sometimes misunderstood (and misnamed) "the reincarnation of Buddha." Of course, this is a misunderstanding of terms and Buddhist ideas. He is a bodhisattva.
BUDDHA BOY'S MESSAGE (translation)
A message of peace to the world:
"Murder, violence, greed, anger, and temptation have made the human world a desperate place. A terrible storm has descended upon the human world. And this is carrying the world towards destruction. There is only one way to save the world and that is through Dharma (spiritual practice).
"When one does not walk the right path of practice, this desperate world will surely be destroyed. Therefore, follow the spiritual path and spread this message to others. Never put obstacles, anger, or doubt in the way of anyone's meditation mission.
"I am only showing the way; you must seek the path on your own. What I will be, what I will do -- that the coming days will reveal. Human liberation, the liberation of all living beings, and peace in the world are my goal and my path.
"Homage to the Buddha, homage to the Community of the Buddha's followers, homage to the Community (Namo Buddha sangaya, Namo Buddha sangaya, namo sangaya). I am contemplating the release of this chaotic world from the ocean of emotion, our detachment from anger and temptation, without straying from the path for even a moment. I am renouncing my own attachment to life and my home forever. I am working to save all living beings.
"But in this undisciplined world, my life's practice is reduced to mere entertainment.
"The practice and devotion of many buddhas is directed at the world's betterment and happiness. It is essential but very difficult to understand that practice and devotion. It is easy to lead an ignorant existence, because human beings do not understand that one day we must leave this uncertain world and go with the Lord of Death [Yama].
"Our long attachments with friends and family will dissolve into nothingness. We have to leave behind the wealth and property we have accumulated. What is the use of my happiness when those who have loved me from the beginning -- my mother, father, brothers, relatives -- are all unhappy?
"Therefore, to rescue all sentient beings, I have to be Buddha-mind, and emerge from my underground cave to do Vajra meditation. To do this I have to realize the right path and knowledge.
"So please do not disturb my practice.
"My practice detaches me from my physical body, my subtle body, and this existence.
"In this situation there will be 72 Kali deities. Different deities will be present, along with the sound of thunder and lightning, and all the male and female celestial deities (devas and devis) will be performing rituals (pujas).
"So until I have sent a message, do not come here.
"And please explain this to others. Spread spiritual knowledge, the Dharma, throughout the world. Spread the message of world peace to all. Seek the right path and wisdom will be yours."
VAJRA MEDITATION
Vajra वज्र (Tibetan, dorje) is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. As a tangible accoutrement, the vajra (pictured left) is a short metal weapon that has the symbolic nature of a diamond (in that it can cut any substance but not be cut itself) and that of a thunderbolt (an irresistible force).
The vajra is believed to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. It is a ritual tool or spiritual device symbolically used by Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. Because of its symbolic importance, the vajra spread along with Indian religion and culture to other parts of Asia.
The equivalent word in Tibetan is dorje, which is also a common male name in Tibet and Bhutan. Dorje can also refer to a small sceptre held in the right hand by Tibetan lamas during religious ceremonies.
Kentucky's Berea College does not charge any of its students tuition.
For high school seniors, May 1 was D-Day. Decision Day. After weeks of weighing the pros and cons, they had until the last mail pickup on Friday to postmark a deposit to reserve a spot in next year's freshman class.
In this spring of economic certainty, many nationally known schools are sweating over whether they'll enroll, or "yield," enough students to fill the class — an outcome officials won't know for sure until all the deposits are tallied over the coming weeks.
But in a tiny corner of Kentucky, one little college is doing just fine. Berea College is on track to yield 78% of the students it accepted this year — and thereby beat Harvard's 2008 haul. The school's secret? Free tuition. More>>
May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labor Day, which was created by unions to celebrate the achievements of workers.
May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half of a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day, which is also associated with various northern European pagan and neopagan festivals such as Samhain. May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations... More>>
Man waves flags during May Day 2009 rally protest march in downtown Los Angeles. Groups of mostly Hispanic protesters waved flags across the United States on Friday, but many of the demonstrations drew smaller numbers than in recent years due to swine flu, employment, and economic worries (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni).
UCSB sociology professor William Robinson compares Israel to Nazis
William I. Robinson is a Jewish tenured sociology professor at UC Santa Barbara. His e-mail has triggered a campus investigation and drawn accusations of anti-Semitism from two national Jewish groups, even as many students and faculty members have voiced support for him.
There is a [4/30/09] Los Angeles Times report on Professor William I. Robinson, who teaches sociology at UC Santa Barbara. He is in the middle of a controversy after he sent e-mails to students comparing Israel's recent Gaza incursion to the Holocaust:
Controversy has erupted at UC Santa Barbara over a professor's decision to send his students an e-mail in which he compared graphic images of Jews in the Holocaust to pictures of Palestinians caught up in Israel's recent Gaza offensive.
The e-mail by tenured sociology professor William I. Robinson has triggered a campus investigation and drawn accusations of anti-Semitism from two national Jewish groups, even as many students and faculty members have voiced support for him.
The uproar began in January when Robinson sent his message -- titled "parallel images of Nazis and Israelis" -- to the 80 students in his sociology of globalization class.
The e-mail contained more than two dozen photographs of Jewish victims of the Nazis, including those of dead children, juxtaposed with nearly identical images from the Gaza Strip. It also included an article critical of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and a note from Robinson."
Gaza is Israel's Warsaw -- a vast concentration camp that confined and blockaded Palestinians," the professor wrote. "We are witness to a slow-motion process of genocide."Two Jewish students dropped the class, saying they felt intimidated by the professor's message. They contacted the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which advised them to file formal complaints with the university.
In their letters, senior Rebecca Joseph and junior Tova Hausman accused Robinson of violating the campus' faculty code of conduct by disseminating personal, political material unrelated to his course. More>>
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PARIS (AFP) – The tiny an-cient humans dubbed hobbits, whose remains were discovered on an Indonesian island in 2003, were a previously unknown species altogether, according to two new studies.
