America's Medicated Army (Illustration by Lon Tweeten and D.W. Pine for TIME)
(TIME.com) "Seven months after Sergeant Christopher LeJeune started scouting Baghdad's dangerous roads — acting as bait to lure insurgents into the open so his Army unit could kill them — he found himself growing increasingly despondent. 'We'd been doing some heavy missions, and things were starting to bother me,' LeJeune says..." More>>
(WQ) A natural reaction but a military doctor prescribed heavy psychotropic drugs. (And if you can't trust military psychiatrists, who can you trust?) LeJeune was shamed and "psychologized." The pharmaceutical industry, after all, is more profitable than the oil industry. So far as the military is concerned, there's nothing better than a soldier who is light on his feet and happy in mind when he's killing "the enemy," whoever that happens to be at the time.
You will follow orders -- without question -- and you will kill, even if you have to be medicated into doing so. Soldiers may (or may not) have an excuse for their atrocities and crippling silence. But one has to wonder what everyone else's excuse is. The karmic result, while by the fact that it is often coerced, is still very heavy for any killers and those who support, praise, and approve of their killing.
Jay Leno's "street walking" has nothing on this comedic expose, originally under a slightly different title (full video below). For a country whose government controls the world, we citizens should know a little more than we do. There is a lot more to know than popular and common sense tidbits. There are hidden truths even fewer Americans are aware of at this time of foment.
"Parallel Sayings of Jesus and Buddha" Revered as two of the greatest spiritual figures in the history of man, Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha forged and articulated the precepts that would form the ideological foundations of the Christian and Buddhist religions. From what were austere beginnings, these visionary doctrines evolved over time into universal forces in their own right. Only a handful of other belief systems have influenced the lives of so vast a number of people throughout the world to the extent that these two great religions have.
NoHoax.com Explains it All George Green explains it all from the inside -- vaccines, the planned global economic downfall, war, UFOs, and the real history of the military-industrial complex and world government.
Carrie Prejean sex tape, literally no takers whatsoever Former Miss California (a hypocritical voice for right wing Christian conservatives) who overcame one sex scandal gets caught up in another: a masturbation video she is trying to sell has no takers. It is nevertheless costing her appear-ance dates. Her invitation to appear at a conservative function has been rescinded in light of the newest scandal. Donald Trump previously saved her and she lost her crown anyway. Now she may lose all credibility...but she has a book on the way proving the maxim, "No press is bad press" or "the only bad press is no press at all."
Do Buddhists go to Heaven? I've had the good fortune of speaking about Buddhist afterlife to a number of Christians. One of the things that prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife was giving a talk at Central Juvenile Hall. A Catholic girl said I was going to hell, because I didn't believe in God and Jesus Christ. After some reflection I had to agree with her... If I were a Christian, and thought like a Buddhist, I probably would go to Christian hell. But do Buddhists even go to Christian heaven or hell in the first place? Or do Buddhists have their own afterlife, complete with heaven and hell?
Hindus, yoga teachers question US sales tax (AP) ST. LOUIS — Yoga practitioners are criticizing a Missouri sales tax that applies to yoga classes, claiming they should be exempt because the lessons include spiritual elements. A Missouri Department of Revenue official sent letters to 140 yoga and Pilates centers on Oct. 13, telling them they must collect sales tax on the fees for their classes and services...
The Nun’s Tale (The Hindu, Literary Review) Dalrymple’s austere and exciting book on nine astonishing religious lives opens with a moving story that should kindle interest in Jainism. It is the first mainstream account of contemporary Jainism to emerge from a widely read and admired literary journalist such as the author of The Last Mughal. Accounts of the sacred: Now Dalrymple joins other literary journalists curious about the transcendent.
Reform: 5 Credit Card Company Evils The credit card reform bill tries to help cash-strapped customers, but companies are coming up with new ways to boost profits. Indeed, credit card companies are socking it to consumers left and right. They're hiking interest rates to as much as 36% and doubling minimum monthly payments, frustrating customers. In an effort to curb these abusive practices, President Obama signed into law a credit card reform act...
Two Orthodox monks publish a punk-style zine in the USA MOSCOW -- Two monks for the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood monastery in Platina, California, publish a punk zine Death to the World. "These kids (punks - IF) are sick of themselves. They feel out of place in this world. We try to open up to them the beauty of God's creation and invite them to put to death 'the passions,' which is what we mean by 'the world,' Father Damascene...
UFO Conference Begins (KXNT) UFO enthusiasts are making Las Vegas their home base this weekend. The 7th annual UFO Crash Retrieval Conference will run today through Sunday with a variety of speakers and topics, including presentations on some of the most famous UFO cases through history....The gathering will be held at the Tuscany Suites and Casino on Flamingo Road.
Jailed Buddhist requests visits from his cat-mother Claims cat is reincarnation of his mother Germany -- A court has denied a request by 46-year-old Peter Keonig, currently serving a five year sentence for a number of armed robberies, to have his cat visit him in prison. Keonig claims the cat is a reincarnation of his mother. He argued that other prisoners got to see their families so he should get to see his cat. The court ruled that he may write to the animal but it may not visit him. "While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected," said the court.
The psychology of climate change (ABC News Australia) Organizers of a youth rally told me earlier this year that climate change was the activist issue for their generation and that young people would turn out to protest in record numbers. When hundreds of young people showed up on the anointed day I thought - where are the rest? If this is the issue, where is the mass demonstration of dissent?
To Charge Your Laptop Save money, save the environment. Here are four essential tips for extending the battery life of your computer, cell phone, and every other gadget. Whether they're in our computers, cell phones, or cars, the only time we think about batteries is when they're almost dead, and we need to find some place to charge them — and then we're not thinking nice things. Batteries are an old-school technology.
Mindfulness and the Brain I like being able to point to non-religious sources for why meditation works when people ask me why I chose Buddhism or why I meditate.... (Beliefnet.com)
Buddhism, Soul, and Individuation In its emphasis on the doctrine of no self, Asian Buddhism has traditionally avoided any recognition of Western concerns with soul or individual development... (SF Chronicle) Lankan PM: India, Sri Lanka relations aeons old I thank the Chief Minister for chalking out a plan to provide land for opening a university related to Buddhism. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister... (Central Chronicle)
Thai diet a good step toward balanced health Harrison, like 95 percent of native Thais, is a Buddhist of the Theravada school. Thai Buddhism is based on the religious movement founded in the sixth... (Flesh and Stone) The Dalai is god in Tawang, his writ is law The original monastery, built in 1681 by Merak Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist disciple, has been replaced by a new building. The prayer hall is dominated by a... (Times of India)
Kate Hudson's Buddhist influence on A-Rod As their relationship continues to blossom, it seems Kate Hudson has been turning Alex Rodriguez on to her Buddhist beliefs. The “How to Lose a Guy in 10... (The Gossip Girls blog)
On-line Diploma Courses on Buddhist Studies and English... It is a call, naturally for those who wish to learn Buddhism systematically and in depth, to Buddhist Social Workers and to Buddhist monks and nuns.... (Sunday Times.lk) Religious freedom across the world Laos, while ostensibly without a state religion, financially supports the practice of Buddhism over all other forms of worship with legal exemptions for... (Examiner.com) Novinite.com
A must read book When people ask me how they should begin studying Buddhism, I reply that one must begin by learning about oneself. In Pali, the ancient language which the... (Daily Press)
A look at Christianity, through a Buddhist lens The book is the outcome of decades of encounters with Buddhism — and of strug-gles with his own faith. Born in 1939, Mr. Knitter began his path to the... (NY Times)
"Science & Buddhism Collide": a talk... Buddhism has had a long a long histiory of intense probing intoBuddhism has had a long history of intense probing into the true nature of reality both at... (Citizen Matters)
HC dismisses petition challenging Tibetan origin of 17 Karmapa PTI New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the Tibetan origin of the 17th Karmapa, head of Kagyu sect of Buddhism and alleging... (Daily News & Analysis) Keats-Shelley prize goes to Buddhist poet The Keats-Shelley prize, an annual award for the best poem on a Romantic theme, has for the first time this year gone to an explicitly Buddhist poet... (guardian.co.uk)
From the world to Victoria In particular they focused on the Buddhist arts of Japan. Buddhism was a vital source for the Theosophists, seen as an antidote to the Christian materialism... (Times Colonist)
US condemns Vietnam's treatment of activists Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese born, France-based Buddhist who has popularized Buddhism in the west and sold millions of books worldwide.... (AP) Of nomads and settlers -- the song of the silk road Established in 366 AD by a monk called Lie Zun, these clusters of caves are the earliest, and arguably the most impressive repository of Buddhist art in the... (SF Chronicle)
Buddhists gather with the goal of being in the moment Everybody is welcome to the sessions, which begin at 7 pm, from practicing Buddhists to those who want to learn about Buddhism, which members prefer to call ... (Bethany Beach Wave)
Centring the body through violence But he was still a Westerner who could not yet entirely embrace Buddhism's dispassionate acceptance of misfortune. Frustration set in, for instance... (The Gazette, Montreal)
Leaders see threat to Buddhism LEADING Buddhist intellectuals and civil society groups have called on the government to address a recent outbreak of offences ranging from drunkenness to... (Phnom Penh Post)
Tibetan Buddhist monks visit MU, create mandala COLUMBIA — On Monday afternoon, three Tibetan Buddhist monks in saffron robes were hunched over a table on the second floor of MU's Ellis Library.... (Columbia Missourian)
Dancing Skeletons Anyone? One only need to look at past forum questions to find answers from clergy representing Islam, Buddhism, Judaism as well as other religions.... (Lawrence Journal World)
Man charged with murder in Mayberry model town MOUNT AIRY, N.C. – Police arrested a convicted kidnapper early Monday in the fatal shooting of four men in the town that inspired the idyllic community of Mayberry on the 1960s TV series "The Andy Griffith Show." More>>
What is the world coming to when crime strikes the symbolic heart of America? In fact, the Andy Griffith Show had a great deal of crime, partly obscured by the innocence of the comedy. But the idyllic dream is now completely shattered by a mass murder even Matlock would have trouble defending. The Buddha addressed the decline of society -- and explained the reasons for it -- in a fascinating Jataka tale: A king came to the Buddha to have his dreams interpreted. What the Buddha answered had little to do with the king but a great deal to do with the future of the world.
Jataka Tales of the Buddha, Part IV Retold by Ken and Visakha Kawasaki (BPS)
"Just before daybreak, venerable sir, I dreamed sixteen terrifying dreams. My brahmin priests have warned me that my dreams foretell calamity. To avert [calamity], they are preparing to sacrifice many animals wherever four roads meet. Queen Mallika suggested that I ask you to tell me what these dreams really mean and what will come of them."
"It is true, sire, that I alone can explain the significance of your dreams and tell you what will come of them. Tell me your dreams as they appeared to you."
"I will, Blessed One," answered the king, and he began relating his dreams. "In the first dream, I saw four jet-black bulls. They came together from the four cardinal directions to the royal courtyard with every intention to fight. A great crowd of people gathered to see the bullfight. The bulls, however, only made a show of fighting, pawing, and bellowing. Finally, they went off without fighting at all. This was my first dream. What will come of it?"
"Sire, that dream will have no result in your lifetime or mine. But in the distant future, when kings are stingy, when citizens are unrighteous, when the world is perverted, and when good is waning and [bad] waxing, in those days of the world's decline, no rain will fall from the [sky], the monsoons will forget their season, the crops will wither, and famine will stalk the land. At that time immense clouds will gather from the four quarters of the heavens as if for rain. Farmers will rush to bring in the rice they had spread to dry in the sun. Men will take their spades and hurry to repair the dikes. The thunder will roar, and the lightning will flash from the clouds. However, just as the bulls in your dream didn't fight, these clouds will retreat without giving any rain. This is what shall come of this dream. But no harm shall come to you from this dream because it applies only to the remote future. The brahmin priests only said what they said to get some profit for themselves. Now tell me your second dream, sire."
"My second dream was about tiny trees and shrubs which burst through the soil. When they were scarcely more than a few inches high, they flowered and bore fruit. This was my second dream. What will come of it?"
"Sire," explained the Buddha, "this dream will be realized in future days when the world has fallen into decay and when human lives are short. Passions then will be so strong that even very young girls will cohabitate with men. Despite their immaturity, they will get pregnant and have children. The flowers and fruit symbolize their babies. However, you have nothing to fear from this. Tell me your third dream."
"I saw cows sucking milk from their very own newborn calves. This was my third dream. What can it possibly mean?"
"This dream will come about only when age is no longer respected. In that future time young people will have no regard for their parents or parents-in-law. Children will handle the family estate themselves. If it pleases them, they will give food and clothing to the old folks, but, if it doesn't suit them, they will withhold their gifts. Thus the old people, destitute and dependent, will survive only by the favor and whim of their own children, like big cows suckled by day-old calves. However, you have nothing to fear from this. Tell me your fourth dream."
"Men unyoked a team of strong, sturdy oxen, and replaced them with young steers, too weak to draw the load. Those young steers refused to pull. They stood stock-still, so that the wagons didn't move at all. This was my fourth dream. What will come of it?"
"Here again the dream will not come to pass until the future, in the days of wicked kings. In days to come, unjust and parsimonious kings will show no honor to wise leaders, skilled in diplomacy. They will not appoint experienced, learned judges to the courts. On the contrary, they will honor the very young and foolish, and will appoint the most inexperienced and unprincipled to the courts. Naturally, these appointees, because of their ignorance of statecraft and the law, will not be able to bear the burden of their responsibilities. Because of their incompetence they will have to throw off the yoke of public office. When that happens, the aged and wise lords will remember being passed over, and, even though they are able to cope with all difficulties, they will refuse to help, saying: 'It is no business of ours since we have become outsiders.' They will remain aloof, and the government will fall to ruins. It is just like when the young steers, not strong enough for the burden, were yoked instead of the team of sturdy oxen. However, you have nothing to fear from this. Tell me your fifth dream." More>>
The Buddha mentioned 32 kinds of low or unprofitable talk -- which are distracting in the quest towards enlightenment. Were they of benefit, the Buddha would not have made them impermissible for monastics or spoken of their harm for ordinary people.
These topics of idle conversation are not without function, but they are evidently of little benefit. The function they serve is social. They will therefore endure as fixture of society, not likely to be eliminated anytime soon. Wise people will limit their involvement in such discussions if peace of mind and success in meditation is their goal. While it may indeed be interesting even useful to know what the "talk around the water cooler" is, it is distracting in the quest towards concentration (samma-samadhi, "right concentration," defined as the first four jhanas) and enlightenment.
Famously, the Buddha once made an analogy between how much a buddhaknows and how much a buddha makes known. He did so by picking up a small handful of leaves and contrasting it with the number of leaves remaining in the large forest he was standing in at the time.
How oceans are formed is an interesting thng to ponder. It does not, however, lend itself to liberation, knowledge and vision of nirvana, or even mundane (temporary) respite from Samsara in terms of rebirth in exalted worlds. It amounts to "animal talk" (tiracchāna-kathā, low or beastly talk, idle or empty chatter, babble, gossip) meditators and monastics are wise to avoid:
"Talk about kings and robbers, ministers and armies, danger and war, eating and drinking, clothes and dwellings, garlands and scents, relations, [vehicles], villages and markets, towns and districts, women and heroes, street [gossip], [gossip] by the well, about those departed in days gone by, tittle-tattle, about the world and sea, about gain and loss (A.X.6). The commentaries add four bringing the total to 32 subjects: talk about sensuous enjoyment, self-mortification, eternity, and self-annihilation" (Buddhist Dictionary, Ven. Nyanatiloka).
The new version of Jhanas Advice brings to light a woefully neglected subject in Buddhist meditation -- how to achieve the meditative absorptions (jhanas). Frequently discussed by Wisdom Quarterly, they are otherwise a secretive topic reserved for forest monasteries. Descriptions and references are unavoidable in the sutras. But the vipassana ("dry insight") meditation movement, which has been underway for many decades now, looks on the jhanas as a pitfall on the path to enlightenment. One may characterize it as a fear of jhana, a fear of of the potential of attachment to bliss, a fear of distraction by the supernormal powers (abhiñña) possible through concentration.
Meditator holding the jhana mudra
But the jhanas are fundamental to attaining, at will, the levels of concentration necessary for insight practices (as outlined in the famous Satipatthana Sutra, the "Four Foundations of Mindfulness") to work and serve their function of breaking through to "knowing and seeing" nirvana. The teachings correspond to the Buddha's instructions on the path to enlightenment as handed down by oral tradition, the sutras, the commentaries (such as Ven. Buddhaghosa's Path of Purification), and of greatest value, personal verification.
Pa Auk Sayadaw is the foremost living scholar-practitioner on the twin subjects of vipassana (insight) and jhana (absorption). Rasmussen and Snyder studied with him in America, and their profound experience led to this book and a nascent teaching career. Through their experience as meditators, retreatants, and a married couple living in the world, they are able to show Americans how it is indeed possible to follow the original meditation path laid out by the Buddha.
RECOMMENDATIONS
“Stephen Snyder and Tina Rasmussen know what they write about in this book through their own direct experience as dedicated yogis. This book serves as a bridge for Westerners, as a conduit to the traditional teachings of the Buddha.” — Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw
“This is a unique road map to the extraordinary and transforming states of mind known as the jhanas. As a psychologist and as a practicing Buddhist, I recommend this book wholeheartedly.” — Rick Hansen, Ph.D., co-author of Buddha’s Brain: The New Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
“Practicing the Jhānas is a wonderful addition to our understanding of concentration practice. Tina Rasmussen and Stephen Snyder draw on a wealth of personal experience to clearly elucidate and fine-tune this profound meditative path. Highly recommended.” — Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace and One Dharma
“A fascinating look at the inner experience of jhāna meditation as taught by the Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw. Tina and Stephen are among a very few Western students of Sayadaw who can speak authoritatively about these profound levels of concentration. Their work is a most valuable addition to the contemporary literature of Theravadin Buddhism.” — Guy Armstrong, teacher, Spirit Rock Meditation Center
“This book will be of interest to any dedicated meditator, regardless of their style of practice. It provides a valuable contribution to the growing understanding of jhāna and its important place in Buddhist meditation.” — Richard Shankman, author of The Experience of Samadhi
DESCRIPTION
This is a clear and in-depth presentation of the traditional concentration meditation known as jhāna ("meditative absorption") practice, from two authors who have practiced the jhānas in retreat under the guidance of one of the great living meditation masters, Pa Auk Sayadaw. The authors describe the techniques and their results based on their own experience.
Shambhala Publications has released a new and revised version of the breakthrough book Jhanas Advice! It is available now from Shambhala and will soon be available on other sites and in bookstores by December 1, 2009. Under a new title with a new cover there is also new content in the chapter on "First Sit to First Jhana." Practicing the Jhanas
The book was presented to Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw a few weeks ago by the authors, Stephen Snyder and Tina Rasmussen, as he sojourns in California in restricted retreat. The authors have a December meditation retreat scheduled, which is about two thirds full at this time. It is taking place at Cloud Mountain retreat center.
The question today is whether or not to follow in our Teacher's footsteps or our teachers' footsteps. The Buddha went to college, inasmuch as there was full education for princes in India at that time. (Nalanda, the first university as we understand the term, was soon to follow and became a great place of Buddhist learning. Other ancient centers of learning no doubt existed in prehistory, Egypt, Sumeria, "Atlantis," and perhaps even Timbuktu). But most professors have yet to go the way of the Buddha.
The Greek and British systems for higher education are models American universities are founded. All three are direct descendents of the Indian model at Nalanda. However, it was originally monastic in its orientation and may have been open to women since the Sangha was. Sadly, nowadays, few scholar-monks meditate, preferring to be erudite teachers rather than accomplished practitioners.
Therefore the question becomes, is it better to follow the path of meditaton as directly as possible...or risk becoming a funky liberal professor with elbow patches and no penchant for sitting and doing the hard inner-work of establishing and perfecting virtue, concentration, and insight?
College Professor
The current generation of qualified educators is facing retirement. The U.S. Labor Department predicts a 23 percent increase in jobs for postsecondary teachers between 2006 and 2016. That means ample openings at trade schools, vocational schools, community colleges, and universities. Requirements vary by institution and subject matter.
At the university level, you'll often need to complete a Ph.D. in your field. At community colleges, professors, and instructors may only need a Master's degree to land a faculty position. In technical institutes, an undergraduate degree and on-the-job experience in your subject matter may suffice. Wages vary greatly, between $58,662 and $98,974. Even in today's uncertain economic climate, there are careers with resilience and a promising upside. While others may emerge out of the tumult, these six professions deserve consideration. More>>
While India is a majority Hindu nation (which regards the Buddha and Buddhism as a part of that tradition) and the "largest democracy in the world," it also has a sizable Muslim population of more than 100 million. And it was the Muslims who built the iconic Taj Mahal as a dedication of love from an emperor to his deceased beloved. The amazing architecture mimics an Islamic vision of [a] heaven. This effect is hard to appreciate unless one visits and does so in the morning before it opens. The area frequently experiences a morning fog, giving the glimmering appearance of the minarets and dome at first light the illusion of floating on a cloud. This special effect would not seem to be an accident and may explain why it was built in out of the way Agra. It is a world heritage site and is equally impressive seen from above and due to its interior.
The stupa of the Great Enlightenment (Maha-bodhi) in Buddhagaya (Bodhgaya), budh and bodh both referring to the great "awakening" that took place here.
(Paranormal photograph of the Buddha at Bodhgaya) The site is a reconstruction of many disparate artifacts found by British archaeologists and may not be the exact site at all, having been consume by the forest in the ensuing centuries and obscured by Muslim invasions (which killed the original Bodhi tree, except that its descendant survives in Sri Lanka, having been taken there as a sapling and recognized by science as the oldest authenticated tree in existence. Of course there are trees thought to be older, such as the bristle cone pines of California, but they are not historically documented. The original tree's descendant was then replanted at this site, then speculated to be the original site of the enlightenment. So while the site may have been lost, the original tree was in a sense preserved.
India's greatest contribution to the world is the Buddha's message (Dharma), which could not have arisen elsewhere. Like many of the seers (rishis), meditating ascetics (yogis), and inspired teachers -- mystics and scholars alike -- the Buddha arose at a time that made his message possible. He was born in greater-India (called Bharat), an expanding empire of allied kingdoms and republics that included parts of the Near East. The established consensus-history is convoluted enough, but Dr. Ranajit Pal alleges a great of historical fraud by Europeans and reveals a more sensible history that has yet to gain acceptance (ranajitpal.com).
Although it is not on the "Buddhist circuit" as a main site, Rajgir (Rajagriha/Rājagṛha, "royal city" or fortress) is a magic place ringed by seven hills on the Gangetic plain. It is the setting for many sutras. Particularly notable is Vulture's Peak (Griddhkuta), misleadingly named since there were never any vultures there but merely rocks that in certain light look like the gangly scavengers. It is a wonderful peak atop which to meditate, as these monks are seen doing.
Rajgir, which Vulture's Peak looks down on, is where "Buddhism" officially began. Whereas the Buddha's message (Dharma) was set forth in Sarnath with the Turning of the Wheel Sutra, near the famous holy city of Varanasi (ancient Benares), the established conventions of a religion were established with the First Council. And that took place on a nearby hill seen in the distance, near where the great elder Maha Kassapa had a cave (Pipphali). This hill, just to the right of the entrance to the ring of seven hills of Rajgir proper, has a cave called Saptparni where a great number of enlightened elders gathered to codify the tradition. Outside of the entrance to the city is the famous Bamboo Grove (Veluvana) monastery.
Jainism: an extreme Buddhist school?
This was King Bimbisara's capital, and it is equally important to the Jains, whose tradition parallels Buddhism to such a degree that some scholars suggest it is an offshoot or early school of Buddhism, distinct in adhering to severe austerities and nonharming (ahimsa). Indeed, the story of its founder has so many similarities to the Buddha's that one is hard pressed to imagine it all coincidental. (For instance, the Buddha hasn't always been popularly called "the Buddha." It's a title, and there have been many others applied to him, including "Great Hero," or Mahavira, which just happens to be the name of Jainism's founder). Rather, it's as if some early Buddhists were trying to reinvent the Dharma in more Brahminical/Hindu-friendly terms -- idolizing the yogic ideals of asceticism, complete renunciation, ahimsa, vegetarianism, equality (Jainism allegedly had nuns before Buddhism did) and utter detachment (non-possessiveness). It is telling that ancient Jain texts do not mention the Buddhists, whereas Buddhist texts do mention the Jains, referred to as Niganthas or "non-possessors."
Jainism is an examples of one of the extremes the Middle Path avoids -- self-mortification and completely abandoning the world. Refusal to be in the world while not of it means an uneasy coexistence, not coming to terms with the world. This is most evident in that orthodox (Digambara) Jain monks famously go about in the nude, refusing to possess even robes. And it is this uncompromising allegiance to extremes that has meant that unless one takes a religious studies class in college, one has probably never heard of Jainism outside of India.
Every Buddhist pilgrim to India should see Rajgir with its ancient hot springs and modern gondola that climbs up to a Japanese temple high on a neighboring hill. (And what trip to India would be complete without seeing the jewel of Islam that is the Taj Mahal and the site of the Buddha's enlightenment?) After all throughout Asia, India, not Israel, is the "holy land." The historical Buddha spent a great deal of time in Rajgir meditating, preaching, and establishing the Dharma far from his ancestral kingdom of the Shakya Clan, just as other buddhas (and, interestingly, other mahaviras) had done in the distant past. MORE PHOTOS
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(WQ) A natural reaction but a military doctor prescribed heavy psychotropic drugs. (And if you can't trust military psychiatrists, who can you trust?) LeJeune was shamed and "psychologized." The pharmaceutical industry, after all, is more profitable than the oil industry. So far as the military is concerned, there's nothing better than a soldier who is light on his feet and happy in mind when he's killing "the enemy," whoever that happens to be at the time. 
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