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22 Oct 2005 @ 18:24
Dominicans with the Dalai Lama
"Throughout human history, dictators and totalitarian governments have learned that there is nothing more powerful than a people's yearning for freedom and dignity. While bodies may be enslaved or imprisoned, the human spirit can never be subjugated or defeated."
These words, spoken by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, portray a man and a beacon of hope in our world today. Almost 1.5 million Tibetans have died as a direct result of China's violent occupation and genocidal policies following the 1949 invasion of the tiny, peaceful nation north of the Himalayas. More than 6,000 monasteries, temples and cultural centers have been destroyed since the Tibet uprising in 1959 which forced the Dalai Lama and 80,000 Tibetans to flee their homeland.
Today Tibetan jails are filled with Buddhist monks, nuns and lay people who have protested nonviolently against the occupation. More than 130,000 Tibetans have made the perilous trek across the Himalayas to flee the Chinese state-orchestrated violence, and China has shipped approximately 150,000 Chinese civilians and security forces into the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in order to further accomplish the program of cultural destruction. As a group of North American Benedictines remarked following their visit to Tibet in 1995, "In Lhasa there are three Chinese soldiers to every one Tibetan. Soldiers are everywhere . . . "
In early February 1996 Dominicans Don Goergen, O.P., (former provincial of St. Albert Province, USA) and Brian Pierce, O.P. (St. Martin de Porres Province, working in Central America) had the chance to visit the headquarters of the Tibetan community in exile in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India. In Dharamsala, under the spiritual leadership of H. H. the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people and their government in exile continue to be a light of nonviolent resistance and hope. Don and Brian spent several days sharing in the life of the Tibetan monastics, as the Tibetan Parliament in exile met to outline the year's political strategies. The two Dominicans were able to speak with the secretary of the Tibetan Cabinet one evening following a wonderful show of Tibetan music and dance.
Brian and Don were invited to join the monks of Namgyal Monastery one morning for their "puja" devotional chanting and prayers. Two other monasteries, including the Dolma Ling Nunnery, were also visited. The two Dominicans had the chance to talk with several young monks studying at the Institute of Buddhist dialectics where they study Buddhist philosophy and debate for approximately 8-10 years. The Institute's Assistant Director, Ven. Kalsang Damdul, as well as the Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Culture and Religion, Ven. Tenzin Topgyal, were both very helpful in showing the two Dominicans the many facets of life in exile for the people of Tibet. Worthy of note were the Norbuilingka Cultural Institute, the Tibetan Library and the Tibetan Medical Institute (which uses all natural medicines developed over centuries by Tibetan doctors).
The highlight of the week was, of course, the private audience with H. H. the Dalai Lama. He met the two Dominicans with warm embraces and with the words, "My Christian brothers." In the spirit of the Benedictine and Trappist members of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (M.I.D.) who have visited over the years, Brian and Don shared their interest in strengthening the ties in the Buddhist-Christian dialogue and thanked His Holiness for being such a sign of courage and hope in the face of so much adversity. The Dalai Lama said that hope is the result of making continual positive efforts, even when those efforts, like the shoot of a small flower, are knocked down and trampled upon. He compared the Dominican charism of contemplation and action to the Buddhist path of inner practice leading to a life of compassion. His contagious laughter and his attitude of respect and openness to dialogue with the Chinese clearly come from a heart of flesh and deep compassion.
The Dominicans were encouraged by all to pray for a Free Tibet and to ask their government of pressure the Chinese government on the following points:
* establish diplomatic relations with H. H. the Dalai Lama;
* free all Tibetan political prisoners;
* cease the destruction of Tibetan culture and the importing of native Chinese into Tibet;
* stop the exploitation of Tibet's mines and forests.
Please encourage local communities and provincial promoters of social justice to write respectful letters to their own governments and to : Li Peng Zongli, Guowuyuan, 9 Xihuang-chenggenbeijie, Beijingshi 100032, People's Republic of China. Feel free to contact Brian or Don for further information. Or, for further information, write to Don J. Goergen, O.P. or Brian J. Pierce, O.P., International Campaign for Tibet Office, 1735 "I" Street N.W., Suite 615, Washington DC, 2006 (phone 202-785-1515; fax 202-785-4343). You could also consider sending copies of any letters to Ven. Tenzin Topgyal, Deputy Secretary, Dept. of Religious and Culture, Central Tibetan Administration, Gangchen-Kyishong Dharamsala, 176215, Distt. Kanqra, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Fact Sheet on Tibetan Persecution
* In 1949, one-hundred thousand Chinese troops invaded Tibet and quickly defeated Tibet's small, poorly-trained army.
* In 1959 Tibetans rose up against the Chinese, but the uprising was brutally crushed. 80,000 Tibetans fled to India along with the Dalai Lama -- their spiritual and political leader. They are still waiting to return after more than 35 years.
* China has destroyed most of Tibet's ancient culture and heritage during the last twenty years, and is still crushing Tibetan culture through limits on language, monastic membership, jobs and education for Tibetan natives.
* Over 1.2 million Tibetans -- one-fifth of the country's population (6 million) -- died as a direct result of China's policies; many more languished in prisons and labor camps; and more than 6, 000 monasteries, temples and other cultural and historical buildings were demolished and their contents pillaged.
* In 1995 the situation in Tibet is tense. The influx of Chinese increases: peaceful demonstrations in Lhasa and elsewhere take place despite the strong and often violent reaction of Chinese security forces. Hundreds of Tibetans are imprisoned for their political or religious activities.
* In 1994 Asia Watch reported that the proportion of 'counter revolutionaries' to common criminals in Tibetan jails today is 21 times higher than in China proper. Torture is carried out regularly on detainees. Tibetans are rarely permitted to leave the country, and access to Tibet by exiled Tibetans is limited.
* In Lhasa, the Capitol of Tibet, there are an estimated 60,000 Tibetans and approximately 150,000 Chinese civilians and security forces. The Chinese import native Chinese into Tibet in order to dwarf the native population and hasten its extermination.
* China has aggressively mined the mineral ores, stripped the forests and dumped nuclear waste in the delicate soil of the 'roof of the world'.
* In 1995 the exiled population is more than a total of 131,000 -- 100,000 in India (including 10,000 monks and nuns) -- 25,000 in Nepal -- 2,000 in Bhutan -- 2,000 in Switzerland -- 600 in Canada -- 1,500 in USA.
A letter was just received from Amnesty International asking that people write petitions on behalf of a Buddhist nun from Tibet who has been imprisoned since October 14, 1989. They refer to allegations that she has been tortured while in prison. She was imprisoned for her nonviolent expression of support for Tibetan independence and her sentence was extended while in prison. they ask that people write to: Li Peng Zongli, Guowuyuan, 9 Xihuang-chenggenbeijie, Beijingshi 10032, People's Republic of China.
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21 Oct 2005 @ 10:03
Oh my gosh..... God
A Channel from Pakistan.....
We the brain injured are just like the lost and dying children in Pakistan
right now.....Children displaced and shattered by the judgement or condemation
or just plain indiscriminate natural upheaval of the earth.....
"WE ARE LOST, LONELY AND DYING"
and we don't know what to do because our homes and house have been
ravaged and are mostly gone and where are our parents cause we're to
young and innocent and inept and confused to help ourselves and make
any sense of what has just happened and is happening
SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS
PLEASE HELP HELP US PLEASE
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO...........
Help help the children in pakistan ..... how I don't know.....
but some one must know how to help them...... More >
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20 Oct 2005 @ 20:42
I may be being a bit sneaky here
*eyes twitchin*
*brows twitchin*
*brain boilin*
breathe luke
breathe luke
use the banana bread
and mixmaster
but this song....
well
lets have a look then....
what is it about this....????
These guys I mean....
"""""""""""""" The Logical Song - Supertramp
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world's asleep,
The questions run too deep for such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world's asleep,
The questions run so deep for such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am
"""""""""""""""""""""
Okay who is he posing his question to for example
who is he asking
Please tell me who I am.....????
It is a very odd question to ask.....
odd yet obvious yet not.....
I suppose I've asked my self that question
but it is a bit of a "tarpit" that you can
sink into and have a heck of a time extracting
yourself from
"Who am I?"
Who is he and who am I????
see what I mean.....
well I suppose it doesn't really matter that much
anymore at this point in the game
I mean does who we are really matter?
and if so why?
Why does it matter who we are
Is that hmmmmmmmmm?????
Opps "stumped myself"
alfie More >
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17 Oct 2005 @ 21:11
To internet land
October 17, 2005 3:00 PM MDT
Hey ho hi..... all or some....
Well I'm in a bit of a quandry....
I thought hmmm if birds or "pet" birds could
or should have rights.... what/who/where/why/when/how
should they be, probably not exactly the same
as humans or adults teens or children but????
Are pet birds more like adults, teens, children or pets?
Do pets have rights?
Should pets have rights?
I know they have "animal rights" but are pet
rights different than animal rights and how?
They say the way we treat one and other influences
the way and how we become and act. If we treat someone like dirt generally well I suspect you sense or understand what I mean...
Its sort of a self and society fufilling prophecy or prophecies or something anyway I suppose there may be a lot or a little opinions and even still which ones would be "right"? how is or should that be decided simple majority as in majority rules or true majority with the greatest good for the informed or greatest most or many.
Any way hmmmmm ???????
Might be a stupid issue and then again?
well hey we've got to get along together in some kind of fashion
Who decides that or these things though?
Pets don't talk so we can't really solicite there input or opinion but hmmmm if they could talk what would they say or maybe they are talking not in words mind you but in "bird talk" and we simply assume its gibberish or something.
Gosh I didn't know this would be so difficult.
alfie More >
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14 Oct 2005 @ 01:59
Hmmm did I spell it right?
Here a view I drew just lately from my present spot
looking south west... at 7:30 PM MDT
in Alberta Canada on October 13, 2005
I left out the moons orbit cause
its a bit confusing
any way Lost and found?
hee hee
I'm not quite sure if I got the orbits right
but they're close I suppose....
alfie
venus image link = [link]
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An introduction to the science and art of perception management.
The phrase "perception management" is filtering into common use as a synonym for "persuasion." Public relations firms now offer "perception management" as one of their services. Similarly, public officials who are being accused of shading the truth are now frequently charged with engaging in "perception management" when disseminating information to media or to the general public.
Although perception management operations are typically carried out within the international arena between governments, and between governments and citizens, use of perception management techniques have become part of mainstream information management systems in many ways that do not concern military campaigns or government relations with citizenry. Businesses may even contract with other businesses to conduct perception management for them, or they may conduct it in-house with their public relations staff.
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Perception management is a term originated by the U. S. military. The U. S. Department of Defense (DOD) gives this definition:
Actions to convey and/or deny selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence systems and leaders at all levels to influence official estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviors and official actions favorable to the originator's objectives. In various ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover and deception, and psychological operations.
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