Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old sailor on a round-the-world journey was adrift in the frigid southern Indian Ocean as rescue boats headed toward her yacht, damaged by 30-foot waves. VIDEO
Friday, June 11, 2010
Karma: the Akashic Record or Book of Life
EdgarCayceTV — The Akashic Records or Book of Life can be equated to the universe's super computer system. It is this system that acts as the central storehouse of all information for every individual who has ever lived on Earth. Learn how you are in charge of shaping your own destiny and how you can tap into the records — past lives, present experiences, and your unfolding future — to create the life you desire (edgarcayce.org)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
"Oh My God" (movie)
(ClevverMovies) — This theatrical debut is Peter Rodger's grand attempt to answer the question: "Did God create Man, or did Man create God?" Rodger asks a laundry list of atheists, believers, agnostics, and everybody in between one very simple question, What is God? From there Hugh Jackman, Ringo Starr, prophecy wonk Tim LaHaye, and a host of others share their thoughts and attempt to come closer to an answer. This is the trailer.
"Oh My God" Cast: Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Starr, Sir Bob Geldof, Princess Michael of Kent, David Copperfield, Jack Thompson. Movie trailer courtesy Rodger Pictures. Opens in US in 2009. Directed by Peter Rodger.
"Confession of a Buddhist Atheist" (Batchelor)
Confession Shakes the Buddha Free of Glitter and Incense
John L. Murphy (popmatters.com, June 10, 2010)
At 18, this drop-out joined the Dalai Lama. In Dharamsala in the early ‘70s, he entered “an intact pocket of modern Tibet,” where it “was as though a group of Italian hippies had wandered off into the Apennines and discovered in a remote valley a fully functioning papal court of the fourteenth century.” Alas, this Shangri-La failed to enchant this British-born skeptic.
John L. Murphy (popmatters.com, June 10, 2010)
At 18, this drop-out joined the Dalai Lama. In Dharamsala in the early ‘70s, he entered “an intact pocket of modern Tibet,” where it “was as though a group of Italian hippies had wandered off into the Apennines and discovered in a remote valley a fully functioning papal court of the fourteenth century.” Alas, this Shangri-La failed to enchant this British-born skeptic.Despite a decade in the monastery, Stephen Batchelor declared himself a deep agnostic and a literal atheist.
“No matter how hard I tried, I was incapable of giving more importance to a hypothetical, post-mortem existence than to this very life here and now.” He left the Zen retreat. He married a nun with whom he had fallen in love, after they “disrobed” to promote what emerged into a secular, non-theistic Dharma.
He claims the same “grounded” attitude animated the historical Buddha. A dozen years after his admission of doubt as Dharma, Batchelor expands his Buddhism Without Beliefs (1997) into a “collage” that combines spiritual autobiography, travel to the Indian heartlands where the Buddha taught, and an examination of early Pali-language texts....
By scraping off the accretions of Brahmin [Hindu] thought, Batchelor shakes the Buddha free of glitter and incense. This scholar substitutes a radical humanist. He presents an existentialist founder of a civilization. The Buddha did not invent a religion. He did not direct us towards an afterlife. He did not further the Indian quest for an Oversoul.... Siddhartha Gotama “was not a theist but nor was he an anti-theist.” More>>
Rescue effort for teen round-the-world sailor
Rescue effort launched for teen sailor
LOS ANGELES (AP/GrindTV) – A [white] 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble today thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and communication was lost. An emergency search is under way for Abby Sunderland, who was trying to navigate the world alone. Another record voyage - Diver takes eerie leap
What to call the newest generation
After baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials, the latest group is looking for its moniker. Internet's impact - Working better with Gen Y - Novel for Facebook crowd - Traits of baby boomers
Most atheists are hiding
Lauri Lebo (religiondispatches.org)
The results of an online survey published in the latest issue of Skeptic Magazine show that atheists in America fear paying a high social price in coming out as a non-believer. “The Stigma of Being an Atheist: An Empirical Study on the New Atheist Movement and its Consequences,” written by Tom Arcaro, was based on the results of 8,200 people who identify as atheists or non-believers in God.
The survey, “Coming Out as an Atheist,” was posted live on the Atheist Nexus Web site for four months from September to December 2008. Respondents were asked various questions such as “In general, how stigmatized do you feel atheists are in your culture?” and “Do you feel that there would be any social repercussions if people in your [workplace/family/local community] found out the you were an atheist?”
By a wide margin, atheists in the U.S. were more likely to feel a sense of stigma, highest among those living in the south. For instance, 57 percent of U.S. respondents said they felt they would suffer at least minor social repercussions in the workplace if they came out as an atheist, compared to only 35 percent of respondents in Canada, 24 percent of Australians, 15 percent of residents of United Kingdom, and 12 percent of Western Europeans.
More than two-thirds of Americans said they would suffer stigma in their community and 61 percent said they would suffer stigma from their family. More>>
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Solar storms: non-communication
The sun is entering an active period that may threaten communication on Earth. Risk to power grids, air travel, more - Solar flare prediction - NASA's new technology
Expressing or Repressing Emotions?
EckhartTeachings — Eckhart Tolle talks about northerners expressing emotions.
How to be present in relationships
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Is he "The One"?
EckhartTeachings — Eckhart Tolle explains the ego's role in relationships. Why do we believe someone we've just met is "The One"? Why do we call it falling in love?
Getting Married? Choose a Good "Best Man"
The tradition of a best man has its origin with the Germanic Goths, when it was customary and preferable for a man to marry a woman from within his own community. When women came into short supply "locally," eligible bachelors would have to seek out and capture a bride from a neighboring community.
As you might guess, this was not a one-person operation, and so the future bridegroom would be accompanied by a male companion who would help. Our custom of the best man is a throwback to that two-man, strong-armed tactic, because of course the future groom would select only the best man he knew to come along for such an important task.
The role of the best man evolved. By 200 A.D. his task was still more than just safeguarding the ring. There remained a real threat that the bride's family would attempt to forcibly obtain her return. So the best man remained at the groom's side throughout the marriage ceremony, alert and well-armed. He continued his duties after the ceremony by standing guard as sentry outside the newlywed's home.
Much of this is German folklore, but there are written documentation and physical artifacts. We have records that indicate that beneath the altars of many churches of early peoples (the Huns, Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals) there lay an arsenal of clubs, knives, and spears. The indication is that these were there to protect the groom from possible attack by the bride's family in an attempt to recapture her. Source
Reduce Risk: Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
Cell Phones and Brain Tumors: Reduce Exposure
In a gutsy move, the Maine legi-slature is currently considering requiring warning labels on cellphones -- much like cigarette packets -- about the increased risk of brain cancer from electromagnetic radiation emitted as part of the radio signaling technology of all cellphones. The mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, also wants to mandate new cellphone labelling. And a similar bill was introduced this year to the California legislature. While these initiatives raise disturbing health issues that many people would prefer not to think about, and although the media has met these developments with tepid interest, this may prove to be a watershed moment for public health advocates and the cellphone industry. - Psychology Today
In a gutsy move, the Maine legi-slature is currently considering requiring warning labels on cellphones -- much like cigarette packets -- about the increased risk of brain cancer from electromagnetic radiation emitted as part of the radio signaling technology of all cellphones. The mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, also wants to mandate new cellphone labelling. And a similar bill was introduced this year to the California legislature. While these initiatives raise disturbing health issues that many people would prefer not to think about, and although the media has met these developments with tepid interest, this may prove to be a watershed moment for public health advocates and the cellphone industry. - Psychology Today
Americans get too much radiation
(AP) We fret about airport scanners, power lines, cell phones, and even microwaves. It's true that we get too much radiation. But there's a worse source: too many medical tests. More>>
Oprah wants you to have your own show!
NEW YORK (AP) – Oprah Winfrey wants to give an undiscovered talent a chance to follow in her footsteps on her new cable network. The talk show host is teaming up with reality TV producer Mark Burnett on a show searching for the next big TV personality.
"Your Own Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star" will air on the Oprah Winfrey Network beginning in January, the same month of OWN's launch. Winfrey is ending "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in September 2011 after 25 seasons.
In a phone interview from Los Angeles, Burnett — the man behind such shows as "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" — said the premise fits perfectly into what people like to watch: Regular people achieving extraordinary things.
"The landscape and acceptance of ordinary people on television is widely accepted... Much in the way 'American Idol' finds unknown people (to be recording stars) there's no reason we can't find someone who deserves their own show," he said.
Aspiring hosts can upload videos to Oprah.com under categories like traditional talk show, cooking, health and wellness, and interior design. It's possible to also watch and vote on submitted videos. In-person casting calls are happening this month in Atlanta, Dallas, and Orange County, California. More>>
OUR SHOW IDEA
"The Big Buddha show." Have a large woman, preferably someone domineering and ruled by ego, listen to public relations consultants and entertainment executives about telling people how to get rich, lose weight, gain weight, and anything else that sells ad time. She'll drop weight and pack it back on according to the rating charts. If worse comes to worse, she might even mention the Dharma. Yes, and you guessed it, we aren't crazy about Oprah. But we are crazy about you getting your own show instead of watching her. So submit a video.
"The Big Buddha show." Have a large woman, preferably someone domineering and ruled by ego, listen to public relations consultants and entertainment executives about telling people how to get rich, lose weight, gain weight, and anything else that sells ad time. She'll drop weight and pack it back on according to the rating charts. If worse comes to worse, she might even mention the Dharma. Yes, and you guessed it, we aren't crazy about Oprah. But we are crazy about you getting your own show instead of watching her. So submit a video.Where to retire, paradise?
Cheap retirement spots off the beaten path
Americans are looking to retire outside the U.S. for a more relaxed pace and low-cost living. A calm life in Thailand - U.S. retirement bargains - Catch up on savings - How to retire early - How to Retire in Your 30s (Get rich the Jack Canfield way)
Discovery leads to speculation of alien life
Discovery leads to speculation of alien life
Scientists find tantalizing hints of what could be very basic life on one of Saturn's moons. Asteroid probe returning - Chances of E.T. life - Saturn moon mission
Monday, June 7, 2010
Buddha at Work - "Why Are You Unhappy?"
Beliefnet.com
Oh, David Whyte, I am hooked. I've been listening to his latest CD collection, What to Remember When Waking, mesmerized by his mellifluous accent. For me, the best part of listening to Whyte is the anticipation I feel while waiting for him to drop the next poetic bomb. I've never studied poetry, so my poetic vocabulary is quite limited. Whyte is responsible for introducing me to Mary Oliver, to Marina Tsvetaeva, to Yeats, to Wordsworth, to Rilke and Machado, and even to Dickinson and Eliot. But I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for constantly kicking my bum through poetry. Yesterday I got to hear him talk about the English poet Wei Wu Wei (born Terence Gray) and his poem, Why Are You Unhappy?
Oh, David Whyte, I am hooked. I've been listening to his latest CD collection, What to Remember When Waking, mesmerized by his mellifluous accent. For me, the best part of listening to Whyte is the anticipation I feel while waiting for him to drop the next poetic bomb. I've never studied poetry, so my poetic vocabulary is quite limited. Whyte is responsible for introducing me to Mary Oliver, to Marina Tsvetaeva, to Yeats, to Wordsworth, to Rilke and Machado, and even to Dickinson and Eliot. But I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for constantly kicking my bum through poetry. Yesterday I got to hear him talk about the English poet Wei Wu Wei (born Terence Gray) and his poem, Why Are You Unhappy? Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself --
And there isn't one.
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself --
And there isn't one.
Well, that sounds pretty clear. There isn't one. If you're reading this blog, you've probably heard of non-self. Wei Wu Wei says in the same book:
We do not possess an "ego."
We are possessed by the idea of one.
Here's Whyte's explanation: More>>
Relationships: Happy over Sad News
Master this Habit to Keep Relationships Healthy
Conventional relationship wisdom says that being supportive during times of loss and sadness is a good way to strengthen a relationship bond, right? It turns out, however, that celebrating good news with each other may mean even more.
Researchers who studied couples’ interactions say that the happiest pairs are those who respond positively to their partners' successes. “This was the strongest predictor of current and future relationship satisfaction,” says Shelly Gable, PhD, psychology professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, who led the study.
Why It’s So Powerful
Favorable feedback does more than just flatter. “It validates accomplishments, but it also validates your relationship by showing that you get what’s important to each other,” says Michele Marsh, PhD, a clinical director for the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia.
Plus, talking to your guy about what occurred lets him relive it a bit, only this time he’ll associate the positive rush with you. The reverse response is also telling. If you’re not stoked by what your guy considers a win, it conveys that you may be jealous, threatened, or just not interested.
That may be why couples in the study who weren’t thrilled by each other’s good fortune were more likely to break up down the line. More>>
Stephen Hawking on Religion
"Science will win." Celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking knows more about the universe than almost any other person ever to walk the planet, but some answers still escape even him. He discusses the risks he says alien life [in UFOs] poses to humans. When asked by ABC News' Diane Sawyer about the biggest mystery he'd like solved, he said, "I want to know why the universe exists, why there is something greater than nothing."
Hawking, who was honored last week at the World Science Festival in New York, is famous for probing the deepest questions of the cosmos. Until he stepped down last fall, he held the post of Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge University, a position once held by Sir Isaac Newton, the "father of physics" himself. More: See VIDEO
Sunday, June 6, 2010
“Jungle Girl” goes back to the Wild
CAMBODIA (ChattahBox) – A woman who spent most of her life in the jungle before being reintegrated into society has fled once again into her beloved wild wilderness.
Rochom P’ngieng was 8 years old when she disappeared during a trek where she herded water buffalo with her older sister. For 20 years she was missing, until she was discovered in the forest, living off of the land, crawling instead of walking, and unable to speak.
She was brought back to the village she disappeared from and reunited with her family, the Lu’s. But there has always been some question as to whether or not she was truly their little girl. Experts mostly agree that an 8 year old would not have been capable of surviving in the jungle for so long on her own and that there is a good chance that Rochom is actually someone else.
But how she survived when it is so obvious she has spent a life in the jungle is equally mysterious. Other experts believe that it is Rochom, and that it was trauma and years of isolation that led to her losing the ability to speak in anything more than animal-like sounds.
In addition to this, she has difficulty walking upright, is nervous around people, and hates wearing clothes.
Her father, Sal Lu, believes that it is the work of forest spirits that have called his daughter since she was a child and protected her as she lived among them. She has tried to escape back into the jungle numerous times, and earlier this week she managed to do so. According to her father, she stripped off her clothes and left running into the wilds, disappearing once again.
He has gone to a mystic in the village to assist in the search. And she has allegedly told him that a [sacrificial] offering of an ox, a pig, a chicken, and four jugs of wine (a hefty fee) will bring her back. [In misguided desperation,] he is saving up to pay the price. Source
- More of the story: onwardoverland.com
Friday, June 4, 2010
Celebrate Vesak in Orange County (June 5)
Vesak -- a triple celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and final nirvana -- is the most joyous occasion on the Buddhist calendar. If you missed the celebration in India under the original Bodhi tree on the full moon day in May, here is your chance to see an authentic celebration near Disneyland in Orange County! Wear white. Enjoy free food, cultural exhibitions, and meditation. Saturday June 5, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
- Sri Ratana International Buddhist Center
- 2780 West Lincoln Avenue
- Anaheim, CA 92801
- (714) 821-8576 (Web)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Light Beings (Coast to Coast)
Theduderinok — Investigative mythologist William Henry discusses his latest work on Light Beings. They are described as ancient "enlightened ones" who came to Earth and left a spark of themselves inside us. He explains that the Light Body is the name given to our hidden spiritual body and is referenced in many sacred traditions. The Mayans prophesized that enlightened beings would emerge from a serpent rope (possibly a stargate or wormhole) from the center of our galaxy in 2012 and, he notes, Egyptian traditions also speak of beings of light. Henry's investigation in Abydos, Egypt uncovered depictions of the "Osiris Device," which he described as a kind of a energy tower that could also serve as a teleporter for light beings. Upcoming experiments at CERN with the Large Hadron Collider seek to recreate the conditions just after the Big Bang. Is humankind on the verge of discovering the primordial secrets of God, Henry ponders, seeing the light of first creation? Ultimately, humans have the ability to transform themselves through consciousness into light beings, he asserts. Light Beings, Part II
Lessons from a "Buddhist" Wedding
It was a cold day, bone chilling and overcast like most days in San Francisco. WQ was invited to cover a "Buddhist" wedding near Golden Gate Park. The couple had met on a whirlwind trip. Caught up in the thrill of foreign travel, and bored with their frustrating lives, they thought: "Our love-at-first-sight means we should try to get pregnant right away and maybe marry later." The stars had other plans, of course, in spite of Jupiter's return. But after lots of trying -- it was a whirlwind week -- a subtle trap was set.
("Smother Love," see lyrics below)
Mara has a way; he's no Devil, but a Cupid who rules the Realm of Desire. See that week of foreign travel had meant cheating on her shiftless boyfriend, with whom she shared an incredible bond: They had dated, lived, and traveled together for years.
She said his advice on life, spiritual friendship, companionship, and all he had done for her still stunned her to think about. So she tried not to think about it, focusing instead on everything she didn't like. When you hurt someone you share so much with, rather than working it out, it's bound to have unwished for effects, as Mahapaduma learned.
Now that he was gone, what chance was there for setting off on this new relationship in an enlightened way? The new man, the groom, John, had already been "cheated" on -- but for the last time. That was the bride's very last time with anyone else ever. She said.
"All I am I give to you / You honor me, I'll honor you
Rich or poor or come what may / We'll forsake all other love
Just we two, one flesh, one blood / In the eyes of god
I am yours to have and hold / I'm giving you my love
Never look at anyone, anyone but me
Never look at anyone, I must be all you see
Listen to those wedding bells / Say goodbye to other girls
I'll never be untrue my love / Don't be untrue to me..."
So John, the groom, became her everything. They even planned to work together. This was not a good position to be in. Every one of his defilements annoyed her. And there wasn't anyone to confide in, get advice from, or really talk to in a deep way, but him. One should never betray a friendship, because one needs a friend. They are the most precious thing -- not half the good life, but the whole thing. John's friends were at the wedding.
His female friends were noticeably mean, as if jealous, and the men stood around drinking beer and eating cheese, talking about nothing worth talking about and eyeing the bride. This lifted her sagging self-esteem and made her notice them...especially the one who seemed disinterested. "What's this guy got?" she found herself asking.
There was much the groom didn't get, like the bride's request to begin the ceremony with a Buddhist meditation. Nervous and filling with worries -- because in the beginning John seemed to agree with and encourage all her ideas and dreams -- the bride telegraphed a message to me. ("Is it better to 'work it out' with someone you're tired of but are sure you love and sure loves you?" the bride asked. "Follow your lust, I mean bliss," I answered. A Freudian slip, was I coming on to the bride? Was everyone on the groom's side?) John thought meditation was stupid and in his anger had said so.
She pursed her lips and ground her teeth: "If that's going to be your attitude, why are we even doing this?" But judging by all the glowing cell phones in everyone's hands as we were supposed to be meditating, he seemed right. Another doubt and dispiriting spat was brewing. Now how was she supposed to explain her unwavering faith in Buddhism's Three Jewels?
The noise was grating on the bride -- you could tell -- as were the stress, the guests, and her aching stomach (or womb?) "There are no Buddhist lessons to learn here," we joked with her. She looked bittersweet in her imported Berketex bridal gown.
("Berketex Bribe," see lyrics below)
I had lived in the Bay Area. There as a student I listened to Crass, swore I'd never marry, studied and meditated every chance I got. There's not nearly as much meditation going on in the East Bay as one imagines. On first leaving LA, it seemed a welcome change -- such a Green place, progressive, and so dirty. It's like Honolulu City minus the plants. This was hardly "utopia." Haight-Ashbury and Telegraph Rd. were no freedom zones but pricey panhandling meccas.The wedding was held at Neil's apartment, a friend of the groom. Although they couldn't get any monks to attend or officiate, they did manage to secure a lesbian minister familiar with the bride's favorite Buddhist protective chant: the Discourse on Blessings (Mangala Sutra). She left out the first blessing, not wanting to risk possibly offending anyone: "Not consorting with fools [unwise], consorting with the wise. This is life's highest blessing."
The groom, unfortunately, had been drinking in the kitchen and eating meat. Yet another frustrating fight had soured the occasion. Her thyroid ached, so she didn't want to speak up. (Herself a vegetarian, she'd made him a healing potion. That way he wouldn't have to drink. Most beer is not vegetarian. But to spite her, or assert himself, he used the potion as a chaser).
We sat on the bride's side with her brother Chance and his husband. Her parents wanted to come, that is, they said they did. Instead, oddly, they told her childhood friends. This meant keeping an eye out for one in particular, who might start rumors and disrupt the ceremony. "Fear and desire, the two movements of the unconscious state" (Eckhart Tolle), present at the beginning, were still at play even on this festive wedding day.
With the buried memory that someone had been wronged, and no way to work it out, it's a fairytale ending (as Grimm as many of Buddhism's Jataka Tales). That is, we think they'll live happily ever after. If only for the kids' sake, because there's no breaking up with them. This is a cautionary tale. Past karma does not force us into present action; there's a proper way of undertaking things.
- Reaction? Tell us what you think or about a Buddhist wedding you attended: AmberDorrian@yahoo.com.
LYRICS (by Crass)
"Smother Love"
The true romance is the ideal repression, that you seek
That you dream of, that you look for in the sheets
That you find in the magazines, the cinema, the glossy shops
And the music spins you round and round looking for the props.
The silken robe, the perfect little ring
Will give you the illusion when it doesn't mean a thing.
Step outside into the street and staring from the wall
It's perfection of the happiness that makes you feel so small.
Romance, can you dance? Do you fit the right description?
Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you want me for your own?
Do you love me? Say you need me, say you know that I'm "The One"!
Tell me I'm your everything, let us build a home.
We can build a house for us, with little ones to follow
The proof of our normality that justifies tomorrow.
Romance, romance. Do you love me? Say you do,
We can leave the world behind and make it just for two!
Love don't make the world go round, it holds it right in place
Keeps us thinking love's too pure to see another's face.
Love's another skin-trap, another social weapon,
Another way to make men slaves and women at their beckon.
Love's another sterile gift, another sh*t condition,
That keeps us seeing just The One and others not existing.
Woman is a holy myth, a gift of man's expression,
She's sweet, defenseless, golden-eyed, a gift of god's repression.
If we didn't have these codes for love, of tokens and positions,
We'd find ourselves as lovers still, not tokens or possessions.
It's a natural, it's a romance, without the power and greed,
We can fight to lift the cover if you want to sow and seed.
Do you love me? Do you? Do you? Don't you see they aim to smother
The actual possibilities of seeing all the others?
Do you love me? Do you? Do you? Don't you see they aim to smother
The actual possibilities of seeing all the others?
That you dream of, that you look for in the sheets
That you find in the magazines, the cinema, the glossy shops
And the music spins you round and round looking for the props.
The silken robe, the perfect little ring
Will give you the illusion when it doesn't mean a thing.
Step outside into the street and staring from the wall
It's perfection of the happiness that makes you feel so small.
Romance, can you dance? Do you fit the right description?
Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you want me for your own?
Do you love me? Say you need me, say you know that I'm "The One"!
Tell me I'm your everything, let us build a home.
We can build a house for us, with little ones to follow
The proof of our normality that justifies tomorrow.
Romance, romance. Do you love me? Say you do,
We can leave the world behind and make it just for two!
Love don't make the world go round, it holds it right in place
Keeps us thinking love's too pure to see another's face.
Love's another skin-trap, another social weapon,
Another way to make men slaves and women at their beckon.
Love's another sterile gift, another sh*t condition,
That keeps us seeing just The One and others not existing.
Woman is a holy myth, a gift of man's expression,
She's sweet, defenseless, golden-eyed, a gift of god's repression.
If we didn't have these codes for love, of tokens and positions,
We'd find ourselves as lovers still, not tokens or possessions.
It's a natural, it's a romance, without the power and greed,
We can fight to lift the cover if you want to sow and seed.
Do you love me? Do you? Do you? Don't you see they aim to smother
The actual possibilities of seeing all the others?
Do you love me? Do you? Do you? Don't you see they aim to smother
The actual possibilities of seeing all the others?
"Berketex Bribe"
Berketex Bribe. Berkertex bride. Oh! Berkertex bribe. Berkertex bride. Oh! The object unsoiled is packed ready and waiting, for the moment of truth in this spiritual mating. The object unsoiled is packed ready and waiting, to be owned, to be cherished, to be f****d for the naming. The public are shocked by the state of society. But as for you, you're a breath of purity. Well don't give me your morals. They're filth in my eyes. You can pack them away with the rest of your lies. Your painted mask of ugly perfection, the ring on your finger, the sign of protection, is the rape on Page 3 [British papers frequently feature a topless model on their third page], it's the soldiers obsession. How well you've been taught to support your oppression. One god. One church. One husband. One wife. Sordid sequences in brilliant life, supports and props and punctuation to our flowing realities and realizations. We're talking with words that have been used before to describe us as goddesses, mother, and whores, to describe us as women, describe us as men, to set out the rules of this ludicrous game. And it's played very carefully, a delicate balance, a masculine/feminine perfect alliance. Does the winner take all? What love in your grasping? What vision is left, and is anyone asking? What vision is left, and is anyone asking? She's a Berkertex bribe, a Berketex bride... Bribe, bride, bribe, bride...
"Family Guy" meditaton master (Ken Wilber)
Green, postmodernism, Oprah (Eckhart Tolle) A New Earth, The Secret, manifesting?
Who is Ken Wilber? He is a meditator, author, and apparent self-promoter rooted in Western science. Ken has no "heart," now we find he has no brain either! Ken can stop his brainwaves at will. That is, while hooked up to a personal EEG machine, Ken enters various meditative states, one of which is a type of "thoughtless," "sign-less," "image-less," or "formless" state.
It is not the famous Buddhist meditative state known as cessation (nirodha samapatti) but what he calls (in more traditional Hindu terms) nirvikalpa samadhi. Its correlate is that his brainwaves come almost to complete rest, as clearly recorded on his portable electroencephalograph (EEG) machine.
(This video is discussed in One Taste, April 10 entry.) We asked Ken to do a short 10-minute commentary on these various meditative states and the corresponding brainwave patterns that are shown on the EEG machine in the video. Ken enters four meditative states (nirvikalpa closed eyes, nirvikalpa open eyes, sahaj, and mantra-savikalpa), each of which has a very distinctive brainwave pattern.
In his commentary, Ken emphasizes that the patterns shown on this machine may or may not be typical, but they do emphasize that profound states of consciousness can be evoked at will. And these show an immediate correlation to brainwave patterns.
If nothing else, seeing someone's brainwaves flat line in about four seconds is something not easily forgotten! It also explains why we once heard Ken's girlfriend say, upon delivering news that she thought might not be well received: "Now, um, honey, make your brainwaves go to zero...."
More seriously, as Ken often says, "If you want to know God, you've got to get your brain out of the way first. It's just one big stupid filter." — IntegralNaked
Vesak celebrated at Bodh Gaya, India
Text by IANS/Hindustan Times (Full moon day May, 2010)
Vesak (what Indians call Buddha Purnima) was recently celebrated at Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Bihar, India. The final Vesak celebration in Southern California: Sri Lankan temple, Anaheim, June 5-6.
Vesak (what Indians call Buddha Purnima) was recently celebrated at Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Bihar, India. The final Vesak celebration in Southern California: Sri Lankan temple, Anaheim, June 5-6.
Hundreds of Buddhists from across the world on Thursday (5/27/10) celebrated Buddha Purnima, the day Lord Buddha was born, at Bodh Gaya in Bihar where he attained enlightenment.
The Bodh Gaya temple management committee organized a function to celebrate the 2,554th Buddha Jayanti at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Buddhism's most sacred shrine. "Special [devotional activities] were organized under the Bodhi tree for world peace," a committee official said.
The celebration began with a procession from the 80-ft tall Buddha statue up to the Bodhi tree behind the temple.
"Hundreds of Buddhists, including members of the International Buddhist Council, took part in the procession," Bhikkhu Priyapal, a monk, told IANS. The temple premises and adjoining locality were bedecked with colorful flags and other decorative items.
Buddha Purnima (Vesak), which falls on a full moon day, is the most sacred day for Buddhists as they make pilgrimage trips to the places associated with the founder of Buddhism. Source
Being "Spiritual" versus "Religious"
Marlise Karlin (founder of The Simplicity of Stillness) Huffington Post
I recently read an article by James Martin, a nationally known Jesuit priest, who spoke to the popular phrase "I'm spiritual, just not religious" and explained that this kind of thinking could mean that being religious is about "...abiding by arcane rules and hidebound dogmas." He suggested that people who say they're spiritual, not religious, might not want to be accountable to a community because "...there's no one to suggest when you might be off track." Does he have a point? More>>
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Non-violence: Suu Kyi speaks (video)
The Lady, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is a Nobel Peace Laureate currently under house arrest in Burma. This excerpt is from an interview shot in Rangoon in 1999. Here the leader of Burma's non-violent protest movement for human rights and democracy speaks on non-violence (with others as well as with oneself) as the best approach to peace.
- Myanmar's [dictators] expect their giant neighbor to endorse their political plans during the Chinese premier's visit, but Beijing is under pressure from the West to push for change.
Symptoms of Struggle while Sitting
For a peaceful meditation, we need not go to the mountains and streams. When thoughts are quieted down, fire itself is cool and refreshing. Poignant but misguided Vietnam War protest (newbuddhist.com)
Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner-turmoil. Lately my meditation -- and the world at large, judging from the news headlines -- has been alternating between anguish and amazing peace. There are miserable realms inhabited, no doubt, by people who think too much. All that thinking means holding, and acting from, wrong-views.
Eckhart Tolle says, "If there were nothing but thought in you, you wouldn’t even know you are thinking. You would be like a dreamer who doesn’t know [s/he] is dreaming. When you know you are dreaming, you are awake within the dream."
Our hearts are exposed to turmoil, suffering, and harm. As the individual goes, so goes the world at large. And to that Eckhart adds: "To end the misery that has afflicted the human condition for thousands of years, you have to start with yourself and take responsibility for you inner state at any given moment. That means NOW." Pain isn't in the future. It's only now. It will only ever be now. There is, after all, no other time.
So inner-peace is possible, too, but only now. And it is possible for everyone right now. This could ruin the news and sales sectors. Fear drives us, attracts our attention, motivates our poor choice in actions. Who would we be without fighting?
Signs and Symptoms
- Tendency to over-think based on fears, past experiences
- Inability to enjoy the present moment
- Heightened interest in judging other people
- Heightened interest in judging self
- Heightened interest in interpreting the actions of others
- Heightened interest in conflict and confrontation
- Inability to stop worrying
- Frequent, overwhelming episodes of anguish
- Disturbed feelings of separation from others and nature
- Frequent grieving or feelings of being aggrieved
- Increasing tendency to control and make things happen
- Increased susceptibility to fear others and the uncontrollable urge to attack or escape the perceived danger
GOOD NEWS: If you experience one or all of these symptoms, your condition is curable. The cause is thinking; the external conditions just help you think and confirm it. Exposing yourself to more sitting (with less thinking) will help right away.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Debt-dogged Americans stressing out
Debt-dogged Americans stressing out
Despite signs of economic recovery, many don't feel any better about their financial situation. New poll - Debt management tips - Consumer spending slows
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