Monthly Archives: May 2008

Buddhism, democracy and dictators

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It seems that both Thailand and Burma are struggling with intense and immense pressures, most of them internally created, but also many from abroad. The latter pressures are generally dismissed by the two as outside interferences, as unwarranted intervention or more plainly as Western imperialism. With the generals of both nations proudly geared up in the latest scrambled-egg-covered uniforms and ruled by an elite that sweeps aside freedom movements as easily as dust under the carpet, the future for the general populace in both countries is bleak at best, at least in the next 20-50 years.
Buddhism, democracy and dictators – upiasiaonline.com

California Court Affirms Right to Gay Marriage

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The California Supreme Court, striking down two state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman, ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.
California Court Affirms Right to Gay Marriage – New York Times

Yeeeeeeeee Haw!

Avalokiteshvara Is the Bodhisattva of Compassion

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The bodhisattva goes by many other names. In Indochina and Thailand he is Lokesvara, “The Lord of the World.” In Tibet he is Chenrezig, also spelled Spyan-ras gzigs, “With a Pitying Look.” In China the bodhisattva takes a female form and is called Guanyin (also spelled Quanyin, Kwan Yin, Kuanyin or Kwun Yum), “Hearing the Sounds of the World.” In Japan, Guanyin is Kannon or Kanzeon; in Korea, Gwan-eum; in Vietnam, Quan Am. One can find many more variations of those names.

Avalokiteshvara — Avalokiteshvara Is the Bodhisattva of Compassion

Belief in God a ‘product of human weaknesses’: Einstein letter

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Renowned scientist Albert Einstein dismissed the Bible as a collection of “pretty childish” legends and belief in God as a “product of human weaknesses,” according to a letter to be auctioned this week.

Einstein, who was Jewish, also rejects the notion that Jews were God’s chosen people.

The letter was written in German in 1954 to philosopher Eric Gutkind.

It is to be auctioned in London, England, on Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions, and is expected to fetch between $12,000 and $16,000 US.

Einstein letter

It is my guess that you will not be seeing this in the mainstream media.

Myanmar “approves” new constitution

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Myanmar approves new constitution while it reels – Yahoo! News

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar’s junta announced Thursday that a pro-military constitution has won overwhelming support in a referendum, which was held despite widespread criticism and in the midst of a national tragedy — a devastating cyclone that the Red Cross says may have killed more than 125,000 people.

State radio said the draft constitution, which critics dismissed as a sham document designed to entrench the military’s rule, was approved by 92.4 percent of the 22 million eligible voters. It put voter turnout at more than 99 percent.

And if you believe that, they have some waterfront property you might be interested in, as well.

Those people are still dragging their feet on cooperating with relief efforts, and are diverting relief supplies to their own purposes. They are EVIL — that’s the only word that fits.

Burmese Government’s Failure to Act May Destabilize Country

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While the Burmese government’s actions in the wake of the cyclone are rooted in its ties to the Buddhist religion, they threaten to destabilize the unique triangular relationship between the government, the people and the monks.

Buddhism is central to Burma, and perhaps 80 percent of the country’s 48 million people are practicing Buddhists in the Theravada tradition. The sangha, or monastic community, comprises 400,000 monks and nuns, equal in size to the armed forces. In Burmese history, the monks served as intermediaries between the kings and the peasantry.

Burmese junta stonewalling on cyclone aid

The Neural Buddhists

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In their arguments with Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, the faithful have been defending the existence of God. That was the easy debate. The real challenge is going to come from people who feel the existence of the sacred, but who think that particular religions are just cultural artifacts built on top of universal human traits. It’s going to come from scientists whose beliefs overlap a bit with Buddhism.

The Neural Buddhists – New York Times

UN Vesak celebrations begin in Hanoi

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by Manpreet Singh in Hanoi



The much awaited United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in Vietnam which began today were an amazing spectacle of religious and ritual festivity at Hanoi, with thousands of Buddhists from the world over gathering at the Capital’s National Convention Center to spread Buddha’s message of peace, love and harmony.

Over 600 Buddhist delegations consisting of about 5,000 representatives from 90 countries will meet during the three-day Conference, the biggest ever Buddhist international event in Buddhism’s over 2000 year’s long history in Vietnam. Continue reading →

Natural Disasters

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Natural disasters are tragic events that change peoples’ lives in so many ways and they are also reminders of the fragile nature of this life. They remind us that we are not immune to sickness and death. They humble us and that is a good thing because being humble helps us not waste the present moment. It also allows us chances to reconnect with humanity and remember that we are apart of a bigger picture than just our immediate sphere of influence.

The Buddhist Blog: Natural Disasters.

Maximize Your Car’s Efficiency With ‘Hypermiling’

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By now you have probably heard of hypermiling and the 50-90 mpg exploits of Wayne Gerdes. If you haven’t, hypermiling is a set of techniques and practices that seek to maximize a vehicle’s fuel efficiency through careful and calculated driving.

What this means to the average motorist is that you must alternate between driving like my grandmother and bracing against the g-forces as you take turns and exit ramps at 50 miles per hour. Of course, this is the extreme example of what hypermiling is and can achieve. The truth of the matter is that a few simple practices can dramatically improve your car’s efficiency.

Here are a few things we all could learn from hypermiling: …

Maximize Your Car’s Efficiency With ‘Hypermiling’ | Wise Bread

Not the Easiest Mother’s Day

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It is hard to know what to write, this Mother’s Day.

My mother was born in 1908. When she was buried last Saturday, there was no one in the church who had lived a single day in a world without her in it. That she is no longer here is incomprehensible — unthinkable. Our minds — mine at least — simply cannot wrap themselves around the concept. The matriarch has fallen? Not possible. And yet… Continue reading →