Recumbent Exercise Bicycles

How is it possible that a 2.6 oz bottle of Universal 2-cycle oil is ok for all mix ratios (from 16:1 to 50:1)? The Universal one mix oil is supposed to allow you to use just one container of mixed fuel for all of your 2-cycle engines (chainsaws, weedeaters, etc.) instead of having a container for each mix ratio. For an engine with a 16:1 mix ratio, wouldn't the lack of oil ruin it?

What is the difference between star watching and star gazing? . . I see stars out of reach unable to connect the dots dots blinking the words words captured the hearts hearts screened in a remote chasm a touch moves one sends one to another one universal cycles force resolution outward pulling the weightless along I watched the stars crying for truths feeling the feeling of wonderment pushing one to know..... . .

Is there any universal symbol of "breaking the cycle"? I'd like to get a tattoo that symbolizes myself "breaking the cycle" of substance abuse in my family but i haven't been able to find a symbol anywhere! Can you help me out?!

universal sports will broadcast tour of missouri cycling at 1:30pm pacific time. how long is the broadcast? I want to tape the show but dont know how long to tape it. will it be 30 minutes an hour or longer?

Universal 2 cycle oil? How is it that a 2.6 ounce bottle of 2 cycle oil can say it is good for 10, 16, 20, 32 and 50 to 1 ratios when mixed with one gallon of gasoline. I have a bottle of a pro mix formula that claims to do this. My gas trimmer requires a 32:1 ratio...add 4oz to one gallon. I went with the manual and added the 4 oz to one gallon of gas. Any ideas???

Do true universal motors run on both AC and DC? And does a device that runs at alternate current only, mean that it will only run at a set number of cycles/frequency?

Should the US adopt a universal, single-payer health care system of a type similar to European nations? And, how improtant is healthcare to you in the next election cycle?

What do health insurance companies think of universal healthcare? I'd expect that these evil healthcare companies would be afraid of the federal government suppling healthcare to everyone, but I've heard that some of the executives for companies like UnitedHealth are quite liberal. Almost half their political contributations (45%) were to Democrats (http://opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.asp?Ind=H&cycle=2006). Could their be any insiders planning on making money if the government takes control of healthcare? Or would this mega healthcare bureaucracy be the one giant federal bureaucracy with no corruption?

codes to program a magnavox tv on a rcr460 universal rca remote? and i forget how to cycle through the codes like pussing a button till it goes off

Can I use this 2 stroke oil in my dirt bike? I have this 2 stroke oil at my house and I need to mix up some gas in a little while, but it is Super Tech universal 2-cycle engine oil, and it says its for Air-cooled 2-cycle engines, but mine is water cooled. Would it hurt my bike to use this?

Difficulty Delivering Cycles to Highlands/Offshore UK Islands/Northern Ireland + Eire??? Hello, I am trying to order a bicycle online and through various different catalogues but am having some real trouble in finding one that will deliver to the Channel Islands - have so far tried Great Universal, JJB Sports, Marshall Ward and even Amazon.co.uk and none of them will seem to ship bikes to any of the above islands. Does anyone happen to know any firms that DO ship to the various Islands - even if it will end up costing and extra £20-£30 for shipping it would be fine as at least I would have my bike! (believe it or not, but there is no longer a bike shop on my island!!!) Cheers...

will there be any tv coverage of tour of missouri cycling race? versus or universal sports?

Hertz difference still matter with universal motor? This american device is labeled as '60hz' but it runs on a universal brush motor, which means that it will still run fine in a '50hz' country without any frequency cycle disturbance, providing i convert the volts, right? I was told that bacause it's labeled on one stores website as '120V AC 60 Hz only' that it probably isnt a true universal motor. But I noticed You can get replacement Carbon Brush and Brush Spring Assemblies - This would futher indicate thats it's a 'true ' universal motor right?

do you think the world must urgently return to a gold standard? since it is universal and it's value does not depend on central bankers, you don't have to worry about it's value It makes trade smoother and you don't have the boom-bust cycles. Fiat money is so unnatural. When currencies are stable, you have less chance of war. History shows that a currency collapse is responsible for wars and ridiculous nationalism.

With all the support and all the good reasons to adopt universal health care, why don’t we have it yet? It could be the fact that the health care industry, the top spender on Capitol Hill, spent $183.3 million on lobbying just in the second half of 2005, according to PoliticalMoneyLine. com. And in the 2003–2004 election cycle, they spent $123.7 million on election campaigns, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

why is water called the universal sovent? the water cycle is a process of fling earths water supply write a numbered list of statements that summarize the major steps in this cicle

Weird sleeping cycles!!? Lately(because of summer vacation), I have worked myself into a sleeping cycle where I go to sleep around 7 or 8 AM and wake up at around 5-7 PM. I need a way to get myself out of this cycle because I am going to Universal and IOA next week and I don't want to miss it because of my sleeping habits!

I have no stars tonight...Will you look and tell me what I am missing? . . I see stars out of reach unable to connect the dots dots blinking the words words captured the hearts hearts screened . . . in a remote chasm, a touch moves one then sends one to another one universal cycles force resolution outward pulling the weightless along I watched the stars crying for truths feeling the feeling of wonderment pushing one to know..... . .

universal sports said it will air the cycling world championships. when is that going to air/?

1/2 hp craftsman door opener problem -motor starts then stops withour touching leads? I replaced the motor and the chain sprocket. The motor will continue for 3-5 revolutions and then reverse itself. I have checked the wiring as well as the remote and changed the batteries, but to no avail and even ran the motor without the chain to get it to cycle. Is it worth pursuing? I reset the universal screw towards the middle of the cycle to not the leads.Or just get another system?

What are some Archetypes of "The Old Man and the Sea"? Is their a universal experience depicted in this story? Any patterns or cycles? Christ-like figure? Common human concerns revealed in the story? Archetypal events, characters, setting, or images occur in the story?

How do I find the value of an antique fan? I found an old fan circa 1940's or 1950's and it's in good shape just really dusty and I think the cord has been replaced but it works really good. I want to sell it but am having a hard time finding the value. It's made by Universal Motor Company out of Owasso, Michigan model #559, serial #1378, 15 volts, 60 cycle, 1600 rpm, 33 watts, 45 amps. Can someone please help me or give me a free appraisal website.

Will you read and comment, please? . . I see stars out of reach unable to connect dots dots blinking words words captured hearts hearts screened in a remote chasm a touch moves one sends one to another universal cycles force resolution outward pulling the weightless along I watched the stars crying for truths feeling the feeling of wonderment pushing to know..... . .

Aren't what we understand as the Masculine and Feminine about more than being biological Males and Females? Universal forces we base our concept of duality on? One flowing out from the Source of Life, and the other flowing back? A continuous cycle?

Does this explain why Americans can not get true Universal Health Care? http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/sector.php?txt=F01&cycle=2010

Professional opinion wanted - new bike? I'm looking to buy a new bike and have found two that look good for my needs, I'd just like an opinion from folk who know a bit more about bikes than I do! Claude Butler Trailridge: http://www.mailordercycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s2p7389&z=9783 Muddyfox Fallout: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Cycles-Muddyfox-Unisex-Fallout/dp/B000OQDQQ0 http://toysntogs.co.uk/page11_files/fallout.jpg I used to have a Claude Butler Ravana from around 2002 which lasted up until a couple of weeks ago when it got nicked. I'll mainly use it on-road but will fairly often take it off-road, trail riding and some rougher stuff but nothing too extreme. Which do you think is better and why, or would you recommend a different one for around the same price? Thanks! :)

In the beginning of the primitive universal, Which one come first? Chick or egg? If there's a chick then we get the egg,that's is normal cycle, but at the beginning of the primitive universal, where was the chick come from where egg was not available?

Is there universal truth? If so how? If not How? 1. Practice 2. Pleasure 3. Skill All physical/mental things can be acquired through this triune cycle unless gifted or given via an outside source. Truth is a universal application with subjective ranges! Emptiness is found at the pinnacle of material enjoyment. So what is left? Thats a low view of humans... we have great potential. How is truth subjective and not fact? What of moral law? I want proof of the subjectivity of truth. I dont look at the evil of the world. Our thoughts project into our life. I think on the things that are holy, pure, and true Show me a subjective truth and Ill show you the universal within. Be careful to distinguish between opinion and truth.

Trying to build a Universal remote with a twist...? Ok all, hello :) Basically I am going to a fancy dress party soon, and there is going to be quite a few Infrared TV's in action there. It's a nerdy mates sorta gathering, so I am going as The Doctor (Doctor Who) Anyway, my plan was to buy one of the old Eccleston/Tennant era Sonic Screwdriver toys for £11 or so, and mod it to act as a universal remote. I was thinking maybe the bottom button on the toy could cycle therough the modes, one press at a time, so on/off, volume up, volume down, mute, channel up, channel down (that's all I really need!) and the top button could activate the device, so press and hold to turn volume up if the device is set to the volume up mode for example, I am hoping I can wire this sorta stuff in, stick the IR LED in the cap at the top, where the blue light is, whilst maintaining the light and sound effects that the toy comes with. Now my 1st Hurdle, is that I don't know how to build a universal remote, and it's not a case of buying one and stripping it. I can't find any design where the chipboard would fit inside the toy, and I'm trying to keep it as authentic looking as possible (don't want a chipset mounted on the outside) From what I can make out, I need a microcontroller chip that stores the 'codes', an IR LED (I was thinking this one: http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Optoelectronics/Infrared-Devices/5mm-Infrared-source-and-sensor/72945/kw/58-0320?source=googleps&utm_source=googleps as it's blue, like the Sonic Screwdriver), and I think I need an 8.0MHz ceramic resonator, although I'm not really too savvy on what htis component does, and if ceramic or 8.0MHz is correct. I'm guessing I will need some resistors or capcitors or something, Not too savvy with the circuit building area of things. But once I have all the components I need, How do I put them together? If you could shed any light at all on how to build such a device from scratch, and how to program it to work with most TV's like in shop windows, pubs, etc, that would be great, as like I said, no idea on what sort of TV's there will be. Thanks in advance :)

Eternal Universal Energy, or Eternal Universal Entity.. Which seems more likely to you and why? I've been thinking.. From where I stand I see 2 possibilities. Either the universe itself is eternal, unthinking and random and has no beginning and no end.. it just goes through a cycle of neverending expansion and contraction. A loop if you will. Or the universe itself was created by an eternal, thinking and sentient entity, that also has no beginning and no end. Obviously there can't be "turtles all the way down" so to speak so it's either eternal energy or eternal entity. Personally I'm gonna go with eternal energy.. but I see the possibility that an entity could replace energy and I see how others can believe that. Religion aside can others admit this as possibility? I mean sure all evidence we have points out the flaws and inconsistencies in religion making it seem illogical and unlikely... but we have no evidence that conclusively rules out the existence of an eternal universal entity that has never been described in any religion. I know there are other options. But I am, for the sake of debate just putting out these 2. Energy cannot be created or destroyed correct? It just changes form. Do we have any evidence that energy cannot take on the form of an entity? Acid Zebra.. Anyway, since we can't destroy matter/energy, only convert it, I see no good reason to say "it came from nothing". As far as I am concerned, it was always there. I didn't say it came from nothing, and who is to say that energy cannot convert to a conscious form? an entity if you will. As you stated matter and energy cannot be destroyed only converted, do we know all the possible conversions? Keep in mind I did not say "God/s" either. I said eternal universal entity, doesn't have to describe gods as we know from our religions of the world. It just describes a form of energy. "possible" form of energy. Thanks CH.. I agree that energy is known in unconscious form, but I accept the possibility that there are conscious forms we may not know about. Until there is evidence I will continue to believe in unconscious Eternal Universal Energy..

Does a Universal remote work on an Electrohome tv set? Hello. Three years ago, I got an Elecrohome tv set with an electrohome remote included. But a few weeks ago, the remote stopped functioning due to the amount of times it's been dropped over the years, and I now have to hold it really tight together if I want any kind of functionality whatsoever. Well, now I've been lent an extra remote which is now a Universal remote. I insert the batteries from my old remote into this one, but when I go to program, two things DO NOT happen: 1. None of the listed codes in the code book work for the Electrohome tv set and 2. When I do a f"full code search" of the entire database, I found myself going through teh cycle (very tediously) three or four times, whilst pressing "channel up" and the remote NEVER changes channels. Rather.. as I press "channel up", i get to a point where the number "8" appears as if I had pressed 8 on the remote, but when I lock this code in by pressing "enter" the programming is extremely awkward. The numberpad doesn't match what my intended button presses are; I press "1" and get "menu".. I press "off/on" and it turns the volume down. Very peculiar. But through the whole code search, I NEVER found a suitable code that changes the channel and locks in the CORRECT button configuration (and I went through the whole cycle extremely slowly just to be sure) Is it just that this remote doesn't work particulary well with this tv brand? Thanks.

Is all the Pain Iranian and people of the world are facing today is because they rejected the LORD in Persia? In Persia in year 1844 God announced-( End of Time, end of the first cycle of living Adamic Cycle)_ His new message of guidance for mankind to reach unity in understanding and universal peace but He was severely rejected ,with His new followers persecuted and executed over 20,000 people were killed and still Bahai`s are persecuted. As people did not renew their understanding ,things are going worse, specially in Muslim lands.... What do you think?

Okay what do you think about this poll that says 20% of Brown voters want a public option/universal healthcare? http://www.alternet.org/blogs/healthwellness/145304/did_liberals_push_brown_over_the_top/ I'm forced to ask this again because no one seems to get this, that 1,904,097 people in Massachusetts voted for Obama in 2008. 20% of those people who voted for Obama, also voted for Brown (voter turnout was higher than anticipated), and those 20% want a public option and universal healthcare. that doesn't include the other 80% of Democrats who voted in this election who want the same health care bill to pass, but voted for Coakley. so my question is: is Brown going to have to cave in to his constituents and vote for the Democrat healthcare bill if he ever wants to get elected next election cycle? (so to sum it up, almost 2,000,000 people who voted in Massachusetts want the Universal healthcare bill) how is that logic delusional? 2,000,000 voters in MA want the health care bill to pass. if I'm correct, that is like, 1/4 of the Massachusetts state population.

Are all Humans just vehicles for consciousness designed by the universe to experience itself? If you look at nature, the changing of the seasons, every summer we see new roses, flowers or whatever, but every winter they die with the cycle of the seasons and time, but then new roses grow every year although alive & beautiful they do not know about their predecessors, although different, they are the same, over millions of years they will evolve, is it like this for humans? Are we just riding a universal wave of consciousness that sweeps over the earth, like the seasons, things die, but there is also rebirth, but the consciousness is the same? whatever living entity you happen to be...in a 100 years time you could be that other guy sitting on the bus, looking out of the window and wondering... but not knowing your 'spirit' or consciousness is the same part of the essence your feeling now, your like RAM in a computer (Earth is the computer and the Universe is the...?) your a biological processing unit designed by the universe to facilitate over many millions of years something we can only imagine or dream about... the 'god' experience suggests itself to many humans, perhaps we are just about able to simply understand that...but the true answer is, we can never actually fully know or understand what the 'answer' is until we are part of the flow of consciousness again in it's purest form. CHILDREN...should not use computers, using the words F4IL or whatever shows a distinct lack of imagination and maturity, if there was a way to filter out idiots i would, unfortunately... typical really, you just have to look at the front pages of youtube to see how the most turgid dross reigns supreme, If i see another moron-mantra typed as a response (and i probebly will they can't help themselves, I'll leave the bullshit for you to sift through) they should send the young&dumb off to the front lines... they still doing that? another question...wow, can i have a 'retard' please? or perhaps another idiotic plagiarism? hows about this... all all a bunch of cunts! (bar those who answered the question) - go have a dang-heist with your friends and next time a person of intellect gives you some mental chewing gum, trying employing your mind instead of your wanky little typing fingers... please, now...fuck the fuck off!

I've decided to get into Creatine. I'd like to know about the Loading phase, cycles and working out, diet etc.? Hi there. I've just bought some Universal Creatine, in chewable form, 144 chewables with 1.25g for pure Creatine inside each chew. I'm going to be starting my loading phase tomorrow. I've read many different statistics on the loading phase, and the maintaining phase etc. I'd like to know more about this, as I've mostly heard that from week 1 to 3 is 20g a day of Creatine, spaced out. I'm thinking of taking 5 pills, 4 times a day, for that 20g needed. Please help me out on this ha. I'm also going to be taking some Protein bars along with Creatine, but I've already been taking these for a while. What should my diet consist of while taking creatine? My step brother has told me that he took creatine, ate a lot of chicken and drank a lot of milk (his miracle diet which made him able to bench around 350lbs. Please respond with any information you can, I'll be starting my loading phase tomorrow probably.

Does`nt it look like it,s time for the world to find the new teacher of God for explanations? Looks like To renew the lost knowledge , understanding and unity for one universal truth , world of humanity has to find the new messenger of God as was promised to come at the Last Days ,or End of Time ,,( end of the first cycle of living on earth),,,,,,looks like we have entered a new ( cycle ) age with new things and majority of people have missed to find His new guidance to renew the understanding of all old things.

Rear-high mounted cycle carriers, has anyone got any helpfull advise? I am looking to get a rear high mounted cycle carrier for my Skoda estate car. I have seen 2 that interest. The argos has a Mont Blanc universal carrier at £49, or Thule have one for £109. I would like to know if anyone knows about these or any other carriers and can you open your boot with either of these on. The Thule looks like it will enable me to open the boot, but am not sure. Any advise will be well apreciated :)

What does this mean to you? During the Seventh Day, we won't necessarily be on the planet. We will be able to travel anywhere. We will have entered the Universal cycle. The last 260 days of this 360 day period we are supposed to get up to speed to experience all of infinity with our consciousness. This concept doesn't fit into our brain yet. It's about the end of creation but it's hard to understand. Scalping it's from the Mayan's idea of the seventh day of the age we're in, 2011 til 2012. We are in the first day which started this year.

Did You know we have met universally because The End of Time has been announced? End of the First cycle of living and start of a new age has been declared by the promised messenger of God. How much do you know? about Baha`u`llah ( Glory of God) 1817-1892 Founder of Bahai`i Faith from Persia, who already has announced the Day of togetherness of humanity and has the teachings from God to unite all mankind in one common understanding, to reach maturity and universal peace.

Will pro-mix 2 cycle engine oil work with a 25:1 Ratio? Hello, I bought a new Cagllari pocket bike. I also bought the oil mentioned above, but after realized it is a universal that works for 50:1, 40:1, 32:1, and 16:1 ratios. Do you think it would be ok to use when breaking in the bike.

Travel Los Angeles by public transport? My friend and I are planning to visit Los Angeles this Spring break. Since both of us don't have driving license, we will rely on public transport. I know that there's metro train in Los Angeles. How reliable is it? We're interested to visit most of the tourist attractions, Hollywood, Chinese theater, farmer's market etc. We might also visit Disneyland and/or Universal Studio. Does the metro go to t hose places? Also, is it possible to rent a bicycle and cycle around downtown? Where can we find information about that? Thank you very much!

universal patterns? picture this: if there are 4 seasons each year ( spring, summer, fall & winter), is it a possibility that it's also the same thing as with the whole universe or our galaxy atleast? if we passed through the ice age and now we're experiencing global warming... is it possible that it's a cycle and we'll experience ice age again in another million years?

Tort reform and healthcare - Are dems getting kickbacks from lawyers? Anyone with any common sense knows that we have two basic problems in our society that are being talked about in today's presidental cycle 1) Tort reform - This is a revision of our laws to stop frivilous lawsuits and HUGE and Outrageous awards for damages. I.E. Women gets $13+ million from McDonald's because she spills coffee on herself and the word "hot" was not on the cup. 2) Malpractice lawsuits are killing the insurance industry due to the high awards. Why do democrats not talk about tort reform, but they talk about Universals healthcare? Is it because the lawyers don't want the tort reform because they will lose their ambulance chaser status and the democrats will not get their share of the lawsuit money? David R - Can you please provide some links to back your point? I would also like to see the numbers.

Many believe that “...the four sights gave Buddha a thirst for finding spiritual enlightenment ..."? Do you see any correlation between what has happened in your own life or that of another and what is described in Siddharthas' when he saw the four noble truths? Can you see any patterns or cycles in Siddhartha’s life that might represent “universal truths” or “psychological axioms?”

Universal Truths!!!!!What u think about it!! isn't it truth..??? If u know some thing else then plz share... 1.At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 2.One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 3.You never know where to look when eating a banana. 4.It's impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat 5.You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. 6.The most embarrassing thing you can do as a schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad 7.Old women with mobile phones look wrong. 8.It's impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. 9.Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. 10.Old ladies can eat more than you think. 11.You can't respect a man who carries a dog. 12.The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. 13.You know that look women get when they want sex? Me neither 14.One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger.

Universal Odessa Ladies Mountain bikes- Any good? Hi all I've just recently learned how to ride a bike (i'm 30) :) and i bought this bike to learn on. It was very cheap- under £50- and is in nearly new condition. Now that I'm used to cycling I'm going to try cycling on roads further than I currently am and was wondering if I should get a new bike- perhaps a road bike- or should I change the tyres on this to semi slicks. I'm not very familiar with brands and wanted to know whether the Odessa is a good bike or should I get a better one to ride on the road? Thanks :)

Universal Animal Stak ANY SIDE EFFECTS? AND REVIEWS? Amount per 1 pak serving; Vitamin C - 100mg Vitamin B6 - 100mg Magnesium - 450mg Zinc - 30mg Chromium - 100mcg Natural Test Complex; Longjack Extract Complex - 250mg Avena Sativa Extract - 250mg Tribulus Extract Complex - 500mg Growth Hormone Secretagogues; Mucuna Pruriens Extract - 250mg Alpha Glyerylphosphorylcholine - 50mg Vasodilator Complex - 750mg (comprising Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate, Arginine Ketoisocaproate) Aromatase Inhibitors; Calcium D-Glucarate - 100mg Diindolomethane - 100mg DHT Blockers; Beta-sitosterol - 250mg Saw Palmetto Extract - 200mg Pygeum Africanum - 50mg Cortisol Inhibitor Complex - 300mg (comprising Acetyl L-Carnitine, Phosphatidyl Serine) Liver Detoxifiers; Lysophosphatidylcholine - 50mg Milk Thistle Extract - 200mg Gelatin, Dicalcium phosphate, Whey, Lecithin, Microcrystalline, Cellulose, Stearic acid, Magnesium stearate, Titanium dioxide, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1 Are there any side effects more importantly hairloss?? I am about to cycle this product but before i purchase it i need some help on whether this has negative side effects.

Universal Truths? 1. Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. 2. At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 3. One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 4. You're never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. 5. Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator 6. Reading when you're drunk is horrible. 7. Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. 8. You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. 10. Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. 11. You never know where to look when eating a banana. 12. It's impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. 13. Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. 14. Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. 15. You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. Add your own ^^

Universal Truths. Star if you like em!? 1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. 2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 4) You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. 5) Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator. 6) Reading when you're drunk is horrible. 7) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. 8) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. 10) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. 11) You never know where to look when eating a banana. 12) Its impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. 13) Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. 14) Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. 15) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. 16) Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school. 17) The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad. 18) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity. 19) Some days you see lots of people on crutches. 20) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. 21) Old women with mobile phones look wrong! 22) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. 23) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. 24) You never ever run out of salt. 25) Old ladies can eat more than you think. 26) You can't respect a man who carries a dog. 27) There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something. 28) No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers. 29) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan. 30) The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. 31) People who don't drive slam car doors too hard 32) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. 33) Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose. 34) Bricks are horrible to carry. 35) In every plate of chips there is a bad chip.

Universal Oscillation? (I'm not sure anyone can actually answer this, but it is worth a shot.)? Under the theory of Color Confinement, when two quarks in a hadron are separated, due to the fact that the gluons carry color charge, it becomes more energetically favorable to form a new quark-antiquark pair spontaneously out of vacuum than to continue to elongate the color flux tube. My question now is two part: 1. How does this creation occur? It could either be a true creation whereby matter is actually created under this circumstance; or it could be a changing of form from energy to mass. 2. If this creation is merely a changing of form, then the primordial form of the universe both during and immediately after the big bang was the quark gluon plasma which is currently hypothesized. If this is true, then doesn't the existence of a form of matter in the primary creation of the universe suggest an oscillative nature of the universe itself? (where the matter of the universe comes back together and then creates another big bang along a repeating cycle.)

universal truths? Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. Everyone who grew up in the 80's/90's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator Reading when you're drunk is horrible. Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. You never know where to look when eating a banana. Its impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. Rummaging in an overgrow garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school. The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad. The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity. Some days you see lots of people on crutches. Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. Old women with mobile phones look wrong. Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. You never ever run out of salt. The most gutting thing that could happen to you infront of people is being conned out of a high five. Old ladies can eat more than you think. You can't respect a man who carries a dog. There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something. No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers. Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan. The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. People who don't drive slam car doors too hard. You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose. Bricks are horrible to carry. In every plate of chips there is a bad chip. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

A few universal truths (not math lol)? 1. Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. 2. At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 3. One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 4. You're never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. 5. Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator 6. Reading when you're drunk is horrible. 7. Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. 8. You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. 10. Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. 11. You never know where to look when eating a banana. 12. It's impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. 13. Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. 14. Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. 15. You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. 16. Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school. 17. The most embarrassing thing you can do as a schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad. 18. The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity. 19. Some days you see lots of people on crutches. 20. Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. 21. Old women with mobile phones look wrong. 22. It's impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. 23. Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. 24. You never ever run out of salt. 25. Old ladies can eat more than you think. 26. You can't respect a man who carries a dog. 27. There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something. 28. No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers. 29. Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan. 30. The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. 31. People who don't drive slam car doors too hard. 32. You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. 33. Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose. 34. Bricks are horrible to carry. 35. In every plate of chips there is a bad chip. 36. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 37. My Dad used to say 'always fight fire with fire', which is probably why he got thrown out of the fire brigade. 38. If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat? 39. I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers. 40. You know that look women get when they want sex? Me neither

Animal Stak from Universal Nutrition FOR ME????? hi im 17 years old 130lb.....my current supplement stack is ON WHEY AND SERIOUSS MASS, ANIMAL PAK MULTI-VITAMIN, MST CRE02 and i was thinking of taking animal stak for a full 3 week cycle....what do you think? this would also substitute for the creatine......and the weight gainer would only be used to help my gains those 3 weeks i will not be overloading the calories like how i do now so i can get nice moderate lean gains..... thanks let me kno wot u think looking to put on around 5-7 pounds of muscle during those 3 weeks

Need fact-based 300-yr cyclical events - global/solar/terrestrial and/or universal? I'm working on a sci-fi story. All of the plot lines have to hinge on a cycle - ideally a cycle or pattern of approximately 300 years, give or take a few decades. All ideas or links (i.e climatic/weather; tectonic/geological/marine; environmental/biological) would be much appreciated, and especially astrological facts (i.e. planetary alignments, solar flares, galactical alignments -- if there is such a thing). Only real facts and links please & thanks?

Let's take a break, what universal truth do you find funny? 1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. 2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 4) You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. 5) Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator. 6) Reading when you're drunk is horrible. 7) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. 8) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. 10) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. 11) You never know where to look when eating a banana. 12) Its impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. 13) Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. 14) Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. 15) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. 16) Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school. 17) The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad. 18) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity. 19) Some days you see lots of people on crutches. 20) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. 21) Old women with mobile phones look wrong! 22) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. 23) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. 24) You never ever run out of salt. 25) Old ladies can eat more than you think. 26) You can't respect a man who carries a dog. 27) There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something. 28) No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers. 29) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan. 30) The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. 31) People who don't drive slam car doors too hard 32) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. 33) Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose. 34) Bricks are horrible to carry. 35) In every plate of chips there is a bad chip.

Would you like some of PETER KAY'S UNIVERSAL TRUTHS? > > 1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. > > > > 2) At the end of every party there is always a girl > > crying. > > > > 3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a > > pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised > > with a complete > > stranger. > > > > 4) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel > > really manly. > > > > 5) You're never quite sure whether it's against > > the law > > or not to have a fire in your back garden. > > > > 6) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. > > > > 7) You never know where to look when eating a banana. > > > > 8) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. > > > > 9) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it > > would kill you at the first given opportunity. > > > > 10) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, > > flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. > > > > 11) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a > > Frisbee. > > > > 12) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. > > > > 13) Old ladies can eat more than you think. > > > > 14) You can't respect a man who carries a dog. > > > > 15) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody > > who has had their arm broken by a swan. > > > > 16) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside > > a > > thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. > > > > 17) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is > > not putting it in a fruit salad.

Is anyone else strongly irritated that Obama wants to launch universal health care in the U.S.? Now look, I'm not going to be sympathetic to the whole community of U.S. citizens (and probably some illegals too) who can't afford health care. Is this not why we have the Welfare system. We're already paying for that - "we" meaning those of us who get off our ass and work hard every day so that more taxes can be taken out of our paychecks. I see this alot where I live, this cycle of welfare. Children are born into it, and many times people have babies so they can get a check for them. These people have no desire to work, and why should they!? As long as John Q. Taxpayer is footing the bill. Their condition is far beyond being a little "down on their luck." Think that sounds harsh, no! Not when I see these same welfare recipients strolling out of the super market w/ their cigarettes, booze, and lottery tickets. I don't buy the whole sob story that there's no work or there are no jobs to be had. Hell, if these people (that my hard earned money is supporting) would go visit their local job service - there's a start! Or, how about asking around at different places if they're hiring. This rant of mine about people looking for jobs won't solve the health care issue. Nah, but it's a start - anyway. Tell me, please, what good it would do to report these welfare cheaters? Why is it that "democrats" refuse to see that keeping these people hooked on welfare is an easy way to secure votes. People know who's giving them their money. The "government" loves to play the dependency game. I, however, choose not to play and remain self-supporting THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Is everything a complete infinite? I think we all have a universal knowledge, that if maintained could help us reach a spiritual balance and understanding. So, my question is IF a civilization is not destroyed and we all become unified in this knowledge. Every place everywhere together as one, and we make it our common goal to carry this knowledge on through thick and thin. Could be finish a cycle of spirituality? Or do you guys think we will always be destroyed?

Is Death the end or the beginning? Have you concluded that the universal circle/cycle is infinite or do you see it as one short term span of a single lifetime? In what ways is life in the human form, limiting or freeing? Does it end or will it continue? Sunman: Extraordinary Answer! Thank You!

Two pinions of a gear system driven by the same worm will rotate? 1. Two pinions of a gear system driven by the same worm will rotate A. in the same direction as the worm. B. at right angles to each other. C. at a higher speed than the worm. D. in opposite directions. 2. If the driven shaft and the drive are at the same angle but turn in opposite directions, the gearing system is called a A. worm drive. B. chain drive. C. gear and pinion drive. D. belt drive. 3. When a resistor and capacitor are placed in series, the circuit which results forms a(n) A. RC time constant. B. filter. C. transistor supply. D. IC regulator. 4. Reciprocating motion in an appliance is obtained from a rotating motor shaft with the aid of A. a worm and a gear. B. two gears and a pinion. C. a counterweight on the gear. D. an eccentric stud on the gear. 5. Why does an electric knife have a nylon gear and a steel worm? A. To make the worm last longer B. To eliminate lubrication of the worm C. To reduce the load on the worm D. To make the worm easier to replace 6. Which one of the following lubricants is recommended for use in gearboxes? A. Light oil B. Motor oil C. Cream grease D. Automobile grease 7. The line cord of a vacuum cleaner must be of the A. jacketed type. B. grounded type. C. cotton-covered type. D. zip type. 8. What type of speed control system uses a wire-wound potentiometer? A. SCR B. TRIAC C. Free-running oscillator D. Rheostat 9. If the motor in a geared appliance has a rated speed of 3600 rpm and a gear ratio of 6 to 1, the driven gear will turn at a speed of A. 600 rpm. B. 1800 rpm. C. 3600 rpm. D. 21,600 rpm. 10. What is the major disadvantage of a free-running oscillator used to trigger an SCR or TRIAC? A. Limited high-speed operation B. Limited low-speed operation C. Excessive motor noise D. Early motor failure 11. Modern full bag indicators use what type of sensing component? A. A spring-loaded piston B. A spring-loaded vane C. A compression switch D. A pressure differential switch 12. What is the typical breakover voltage for a DIAC used in an electronic control circuit in which 120 VAC is used with a power output semiconductor device? A. 6 B. 12 C. 32 D. 70 13. A wet-carpet cleaner that carries its own water supply has water pressure created by a A. manual valve. B. solenoid valve. C. motor-driven pump. D. faucet mixing valve. 14. What type of device may be used to prevent a food processor's motor from being damaged by excessive current? A. A potential relay B. A current relay C. A centrifugal governor D. A DIAC 15. Dull blades of an electric knife should be sharpened with A. an oilstone. B. a flat file. C. a bench grinder. D. a pattern file. 16. What component of a wet/dry vacuum cleaner is not present in a typical canister-style residential cleaner? A. A high-speed universal motor B. A single-pole, single-throw ON/OFF switch C. A blower port for exhaust air D. A float switch 17. Vacuum strength is rated in terms of A. rheostat capacity. B. cm or in. of water lift. C. horsepower. D. torque. 18. The purpose of a capacitor unit in a vacuum cleaner is to A. suppress radio-frequency interference. B. increase the motor starting torque. C. reduce the voltage applied to the rectifier. D. eliminate brush arcing. 19. In what order does the air flow in a canister vacuum cleaner pass through the following components? A. Motor, filter, fan, and bag B. Filter, motor, bag and fan C. Bag, filter, fan, and motor D. Bag, motor, fan, and filter 20. A vacuum cleaner can operate at two different speeds because it uses two A. armatures. B. starting switches. C. fan blades. D. field-coil lengths. 21. What is the name of the SCR or TRIAC triggering system that triggers the output device at the same point on each AC cycle? A. Phase-regulated switching B. Locked-pulse switching C. Zero-crossing switching D. Full-cycle switching 22. Which one of the following statements is TRUE concerning an upright vacuum cleaner? A. An upright cleaner uses a two-stage filter to prevent motor dirt buildup B. Upright cleaners are only available in single-speed models C. Many upright cleaners use a top-fill dust and dirt collection system D. Upright cleaners use a gear-drive agitator system 23. What would be the most likely cause of an agitator belt showing excessive wear on one side of the belt? A. Bent drive shaft B. Dragging agitator bar C. Improper belt tracking D. Broken ribs in belt 24. What is the most probable cause of weak suction in a vacuum cleaner if the hose, the bag, and the filter are NOT clogged? A. Unbalanced fan blades B. Worn brushes and bearings C. A shorted armature D. Leaking gaskets and fittings 25. Why is mechanical feedback of motor speed needed in some large food processors? A. To prevent motor runaway to an unsafe speed B. To reduce the overall cost of the appliance C. To prevent motor stalling in high-torque situations D. For exact low speed operation without clogging

Super washing machine/dryer combination? Is there currently any technological unit with capabilities to let you basically do everything in one motion? For example have a giant bin where you can load ALL dirty clothes. Then the machine would automatically move those into another part of the unit where it would wash them..then when there done it would move those into another unit for drying. Then when that's done it'll obviously go back and move the ones in the bin into washing machine. THen when the dryer section is done it would pull them into the universal "Done" bin where you could retrieve them and fold them as needed? Basically the cycle would continue BUT the washing machine part would only get clothes pulled into it if there were enough clothes in the open bin to meet the minimum quota requirements for a "Full" load. That would make the whole "Clothing" process really easy. You could just save your dirty clothes and dump them ALL in the bin and it deals with the rest. Do they have anything like that out there?

WHAT ACTION SHOULD THE WORLD TAKE? A new rule on nature must be adopted that no one should impair, impede, hamper or obstruct the flow of nature and that people should help & make nature work naturally, properly and rightfully because the environment should not suffer its natural world from faults like the carbon emission reduction (a theory of falsity) and the recommended actions such as large-scale composting, biomass for energy, sanitary landfill, etc.(which do not work in harmony with nature) to interfere with its own to the detriment of people & other living things. In the conflict of scientific laws, it must be often a matter of doubt which should prevail and that, whenever that doubt exists, the people should still be given the benefit to life first, compatible to natural & universal laws. Otherwise the immediate problems would remain exactly the same to worse as foreseeable adverse consequences, raised by the author Winston Kayanan from the Philippines in his earlier message in “Prosecuting God’s Case vs. UN”. With the massive used of carbon both from extracted coal & oil as fuels (which basically come from plant kingdom), the author believes that it can best be retrieved by recapturing the same volume (or even more) in a solid form (instead of gases). This will defeat the performance of world’s remedies like carbon trading, plant forest scheme, etc., in reducing freed & trapped waste gases in the atmosphere (which have been destructively affecting the environment) For this purpose, the author alleges that, by employing a large-scale organic matter cycling, it would serve as a successful way of extricating the world from its predicament of global warming & climate change. The Philippine invented technology was made to perform great wonders in dramatically repairing & rejuvenating (than sustaining) almost all under the environment by principally allowing carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, and water cycle perform simultaneously & work effectively. In fact, in a short presentation sometime July 2004 to the visiting representatives of APEC-VC Australia at the Environment Division of the Dept. of Science & Technology in the Philippines, they commented it as “very ambitious”. By examining carbon emissions, burnt carbon from transportation & industries ranks only 5th among the sources of CO2 emitters aside from what are widely known like plants, animals and man. UN, however, failed to count the largest CO2 emitters (unseen by the naked eye) and that is the (decay) microorganisms. They are actually the No. 1 CO2 contributor of waste gas pollution in the atmosphere which UN & its scientists overlooked. Unknowingly, these microorganisms cause massive CO2 emissions in quadrillion MT per hectare a day, engendering global warming and its repercussion, climate change, having heat waves, droughts, landslides, giant waves, quakes, volcanic eruptions and so forth. In this vein, the world followed UN for having no clues or incomplete understanding of the natural world and hence, people were indeed misled to the right path. Loss of confidence in the scientific community is beginning. In fact, Ban’s spokeswoman Michele Montas mistakenly told AFP: “The solutions are not going to come from the scientists but rather the solutions are going to come from the people who deal with these issues on a daily basis,” (BT Environment Section dated 07-28-09). For such blooper, it has indirectly eroded the integrity of UN (as well as the credibility of the scientific community). This had fortified the author’s earlier allegations to some 30 countries (via letter in 2007) and lately to the subscribers (via yahoo’s question & answer in May 2009) that UN is bleeding internally, meaning that they are contradicting & opposing each other views. The fact that the former Sec. Gen. Kopi Annan announced in public (sometime 2005) “to prepare for natural disasters”, this was already an indirect acknowledgement of surrender & defeat. And people had already lost hope with its latest announcement “to mitigate & adapt measures”. We are living thru a leadership & management crisis. And people are undergoing psychological ordeals of anxiety & fear everyday. The order of life & nature is reversed with no more hope of cure or relief but self-destruction awaits everyone. People are robbed of freedom, health and peace. UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon must weigh the pros & cons of reality because people must primordially enjoy life with liberty. He must search for a new answer, i.e., something morally convincing, certain & assuring that will work, strongly curative to the environment, economically productive and widely accepted. But it seems he will not, being static & unchangeable. He only duplicated the faults & failures of the previous administration even if it may not be intentionally committed. In fact, the younger generation of innocent South Koreans is behind him in the promotion of UN’s programs. The continuous process of development of ideas has been stopped. And the

Washing machine prob- Ultima Super Silent error-? It appears to be working fine- seems to complete a cycle, but then an error message appears and flashes - F-05 - and the door is jammed- cant get my clothes out at all!! :-( I have looked on various websites and the universal idea is that it must be a faulty water pressure switch that has jammed. Is there anyway of me fixing this without calling out a pricey repairman? In other words- do any of you knowledgeable people out that have a step-by-step guide to sorting this prob?? Thanks!!

One betta okay in a 5 gallon tank? Is one betta okay to house in a 5 gallon cycled tank with a filter? This question is just out of curiosity because I've been hearing a lot that bettas enjoy living in extremely small spaces...Those Marina Betta Kits that are 1/2 gallons just sicken me. Does the universal 1 inch of fish per gallon apply to bettas? I'm not getting a betta, I'm just curious.

Do you like Teilhard de Chardin? What do you think of his statement? From the book of Teilhard de Chardin: "Christianity and Evolution" Conclusion Some years ago, in the course of a conversation with an old missionary - something of a visionary, but universally regarded as a saint - I heard him make the following surprising statement: "History shows that no religion has been able to maintain itself in the world for more than two thousand years. Once that time has run out, they all die. And it is coming up to two thousand years for Christianity..." By that he, as a prophet, meant that the end of the world was close at hand; but to me his words had a graver import. Two thousand years, more or less, is indeed a long stage for man particularly if, as is happening today, there has just been added to it the critical point of a "change of age". So many attitudes and outlooks are modified after twenty centuries that, in the context of religion, we have to slough off the old skin. Our formulas have become narrow and inflexible; we find them irksome, and they have ceased to have an emotional impact on us. There must be a "moult" if we are to continue to live. As a Christian, I am barred from believing that it is possible for Christianity to disappear in this period of transition that is upon us, as has happened to other religions. I believe Christianity to be immortal. But this immortality of our faith does not prevent it from being subject (even as it rises above them) to the general laws of periodicity which govern all life. I recognize, accordingly, that at the present moment Christianity (exactly like the mankind it embraces) is reaching the end of one of the natural cycles of its existence. By dint of repeating and developing in the abstract the expression of our dogmas, we are well on the way to losing ourselves in the clouds where neither the turmoil nor the aspirations nor the living vigour of the earth can penetrate. Religiously, we are living, in relation to the world, in a two-fold intellectual and emotional isolation: an indication that the time for a renewal is close at hand. After what will soon be two thousand years, Christ must be born again, he must be reincarnated in a world that has become too different from that in which he lived. Christ cannot reappear tangibly among us; but he can reveal to our minds a new and triumphant aspect of his former countenance. I believe that the Messiah whom we await, whom we all without any doubt await, is the universal Christ; that is to say, the Christ of evolution. Tientsin, Christmas 1933

Who is she? Who worships with her? Why would you follow her? Her worship continued unabated clear up until its violent suppression by Iron Age patrism. When and where worship of the Mother prevailed women and Nature were held in esteem. The Chinese called Her Kwan Yin; the Egyptians knew Her as Isis; the Navajo call Her Changing Woman. To the Greeks She was Gaia, and to many black peoples She is Yemanja. She is Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and She says: "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." She is also the ancient Crone Hecate,who gives us both wisdom and death. She is diversity. There can be no such thing as all "Good" or all "Evil." Death is part of the natural cycle as night follows day and we accept it with grace as Her final gift. The search for Balance is the goal of Her people. It is achieved by the acceptance of multiple paths and truths. The eldest and greatest aspect of is as Great Mother Nature, the all-encompassing energy of Universal Life. Paterism was misspelled as I left out the "e."

Is everyone's sleep cycle 90 minutes long? All my sources say a sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long, but tracking my sleep, I think mine is about 70 minutes long. Is that possible/likely? How universal is this 90 minute sleep cycle thing?

Need fact-based 300-yr cyclical events - cultural/global/solar/terrestrial and/or universal? I'm working on a sci-fi story. All of the plot lines have to hinge on a cycle - ideally a cycle or pattern of approximately 300 years, give or take a few decades. All ideas or links (i.e climatic/weather; tectonic/geological/marine; environmental/biological; cultural/mythological/anthopological) would be much appreciated, and especially astrological facts (i.e. planetary alignments, solar flares, galactical alignments -- if there is such a thing). Only real facts and links please & thanks?

Need fact-based 300-yr cyclical events - global/solar/terrestrial and/or universal? I'm working on a sci-fi story. All of the plot lines have to hinge on a cycle - ideally a cycle or pattern of approximately 300 years, give or take a few decades. All ideas or links (i.e climatic/weather; tectonic/geological/marine; environmental/biological) would be much appreciated, and especially astrological facts (i.e. planetary alignments, solar flares, galactical alignments -- if there is such a thing). Only real facts and links please & thanks?

Universal Truths. Star if you like em? 1) Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones. 2) At the end of every party there is always a girl crying. 3) One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger. 4) You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps. 5) Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator. 6) Reading when you're drunk is horrible. 7) Sharpening a pencil with a knife makes you feel really manly. 8) You're never quite sure whether it's against the law or not to have a fire in your back garden. 10) Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl. 11) You never know where to look when eating a banana. 12) Its impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat. 13) Prodding a fire with a stick makes you feel manly. 14) Rummaging in an overgrown garden will always turn up a bouncy ball. 15) You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses. 16) Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school. 17) The most embarrassing thing you can do as schoolchild is to call your teacher mum or dad. 18) The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity. 19) Some days you see lots of people on crutches. 20) Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee flushed half way through and then raced against the flush. 21) Old women with mobile phones look wrong! 22) Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee. 23) Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited. 24) You never ever run out of salt. 25) Old ladies can eat more than you think. 26) You can't respect a man who carries a dog. 27) There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something. 28) No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers. 29) Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan. 30) The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug. 31) People who don't drive slam car doors too hard 32) You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with. 33) Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose. 34) Bricks are horrible to carry. 35) In every plate of chips there is a bad chip.

What type of adapter do I need if I'm going from the U.S. to China? I know I need a 220v, 50 cycle adapter, but what does the plug look like? Is it two pronged, three pronged, and can I just use one of the standard universal adapters? Not all countries accept the universal adapters, so I just wanted to be sure. Thanks.

Merkury USB SD card reader sluggish, unresponsive in Windows XP? Hi, I know a lot of people have this same issue, but I never have found a simple & direct solution to the problem. Merkury, the manufacturer, claims that this SD reader (MMC) does not need it's own drivers, and that with XP it is completely plug and play. I've tried reassigning drive letters, updated to the most current XP Professional version, power-cycled my PC after uninstalling the Universal Serial Bus controllers, and the list goes on. None of this has worked. If you can help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks. ;)

Who has seen "Sicko"? Watched this movie about our pathetic health care (or lack thereof) last night. Interesting points We are the only 1st world country that doesn't have Government sponsored universal health care. When Hillary tried to get it passed in 1993; the AMA, drug and insurance companies spent $100 MILLION dollars to convince the American people that it was against their best interest. $100 MILLION The movie visits Canada, Britain and France and looks at their government sponsored health programs. It dispels the myths propagatred by the $100 million dollar propaganda campaign about poor care, long waits, etc. It is sadly obvious how America has gotten screwed by it's leaders. We spend twice or more than these countries and are still 45th in life expectancy. Infant mortality - worse than Cuba Do you think we can join the sane universe this election cycle and get universal health care for America? I was interested in what response I would get to this. Most was negative and indicates the probabliity of one of three possibilities. 1. You probably have not watched the movie or 2. You have been indroctrinated by the $100 MILLION that the medical/insurance cabal spent on propaganda or 3. You are a shill for the AMA, insurance or drug companies Did any of the naysayers notice that in the beginning of the question I listed the cost of healthcare for each of the four countries. We pay DOUBLE the cost per person of the other three countries AND we are still 45th in life expectancy. These numbers are not from the movie and are readily available with a cursory Google search as well as many more. I am always amazed at our propensity to believe propaganda. I'm over 60 and in great health and have been fortunate to not need health care thank God. I love this country and we can do better.

To the gang that's here. Can we start our own religion and make millions? If we accept the theory that the universe if finite and that the big bang theory is correct then this opens a new door into the existence of parallel universes and multiple dimensions. I would like to share with you a most interesting inspiration.--- Before our creation- In a dimension some where in the space time continuum a universe exists that is home for singularity. Where individual entities live that are all equally omnipotent, powerful, and all knowing. Each entity contains all things; good, evil, life, death, joy, and sadness. Each entity contains the makings of an equally impressive universe such as our own. These entities are called Ods. Ods have existed, as far as I could tell forever. They have always been and shall always be. Much like the one God that many people worship today. The big difference is they exist for the most part in the same universal dimension at the same time excepting the one that I am going to concern myself with here. Miod simply put is the creator of our universe. He is the reason we live and breath, the reason the millions of stars in the galaxies share their light with us. Miod is the grains of sand in the ocean, the ocean itself and everything that lives within it. He is the living creatures on the earth and the earth beneath their feet. Miod is the radiation from a distant star and the source from which it comes. Miod is the spirit and soul of every living creature. Miod is our universe. Miod once resided in the same dimension as other Ods but one day chose to leave. Being all knowing and omnipotent he knew he could transport himself to another place just to past away an infiniday (one infinity time measure) in a place he had not been. Miod disappeared one infiniday from the land of Ods by passing though a portal (a wormhole) into a new dimension (ours) which was void of anything. A great vacuum was all that existed here before his arrival. The instant Miod appeared into the great void he exploded (the Big Bang) from the great forces exerted upon his singular form. He knew that this would happen but what better way to spend one fine infiniday in a timeless infinity. Thus, the Genesis begins: And Miod said, “Let there be light…..and there was light, formed of superheated plasma reaching temperatures of billions of degrees Kelvin racing outward from it’s singular beginning to start the journey toward today. Miod saw that the light was good and so ended the first infiniday of our universe. As the plasma cooled in the vacuum of our universe baryons became matter and matter began to join and so the stars and planets and all heavenly bodies were formed. Miod was pleased to see his form, he could look upon himself far away and see that all things were him. So ended the second infiniday. On the third day Miod saw that the heavenly bodies that were good for life were set apart, and that life had been encouraged by seeding them with the properties that are required. Comets carried the basics of life to planets suited to sustain it by the random forces that had created them. And in this way the seeds of life came to be on our planet. The third infiniday is done. Miod is patient for he is everything and time means nothing to him. With his spirit and body flung across the heavens he still knows what is going to be. With this in mind he patiently waits to see his life forces mold into being on our planet and in only a few million earth years of primordial ooze he is rewarded with the first signs of life. And Miod is pleased. So ends the forth infiniday. As the fifth infiniday begins Miod sees that life is growing and diversifying and that each is a little part of him. Different many times from each other but still a oneness with him, for he is all things. Each living thing possessing a part of Miod that cannot be replicated except that which was meant to be. On this day Miod is pleased for he could now see life. Many years pass for life on earth life evolves, dies and evolves again. And then one day Miod sees a life form that is talking spiritual feeling and this makes him proud for he is spirit as well as matter. The life that calls itself human is talking spirits and souls and soon it talks of eternity with god in heaven. Now Miod knows he is this god for he is all things but just laughs at the tiny pieces of him that fail to realize that they are but mere pieces of the whole. He sees the struggles and pain, the love and sadness the good and evil that man tries to divide into categories of good and bad knowing all along that these things must exist for they are all part of him. Just as the light exists so shall the good, just as the darkness so shall the bad, this is what Miod says. Now in the midst of the fifth infiniday, we live here on a tiny lonely rock in the universe of the body and soul of Miod trying to decide that which has already been decided. Desperately trying to understand why we exist and what the meaning of that existence is. Apparently, all for the amusement of a most likely bored Od. From these few passages you can begin to see that a certain amount of faith is required to believe how Miod came to be in our universe but there the requirement ends. Miod wants us to believe in ourselves and in things that are tangible. Science is the primary tangible object that is within our reach and science is going to show us the way to fulfillment. We each being a small part of Miod lends us toward a desire to understand the whole and to satisfy that desire we must seek by every route possible the answers to each question that may arise. This is man’s destiny for Miod knew how inquisitive man was to be. We here on this small planet revolving around a small star are only beginning to understand the marvels of the body of Miod. At long last we are starting to see into the tiniest parts of ourselves and into the vastness of the universe in which we exist. Scientists at long last are unraveling the mysteries of the genetic code that permeate organic life. By doing so Miod knows that man will be, perchance, benefactor to a more enriched and healthy existence and Miod feels compassion for the small ones that exist so briefly. Each advancement made is yet another step toward his new destiny. Man has learned he can look into the vastness of the body of Miod with powerful telescopes and radio frequencies. Miod is pleased for he too is peering about watching the bits and pieces of what was, transform and shift about randomly searching for their way to their inevitable destiny, the whole. Each revolution of the earth around it’s feeble source of heat and light and each cycle of light and darkness brings the mind of man closer to the source of his creation. But it is through the efforts of man that this is possible not by the mere changing of light to dark or dark to light. In reality each of us is part of Miod and in each of us lies the makings of a god. Mind you not the entirety of a god, but the smallest integral makings of a god just as the most distant galaxy you can phantom also has the properties of Miod so has man. The honor of that title can be claimed by no other but Miod. Miod often laughs at the many attempts and concoctions that man has made to explain his meager existence through religious belief and rights. They are most often poor attempts at best and always conflict with previous ones. But, this is how things are when the knowledge is so limited. Man’s knowledge is nothing if not limited for we cannot access the far reaches of the body and mind of Miod. We have barely even scratched the surface of that we can access. If man chooses to see the greatness of Miod he is granted this ability with a limitation; intelligence. Man can choose to argue and war among himself for the right to sole possession of the answer to eternity though prophets and gods and be his own demise or he can apply himself to understanding the science behind his existence. To Miod it is of little consequence but for man it may well determine his longevity on this tiny rock. Therefore, we see that Miod is a singularity of science, knowledge and understanding. Though knowledge we can come to know Miod and the reasons we exist. Faith in any other form of salvation is unfortunately pure folly. <<<The Miodic Principle>>> In order to better understand the purpose and meaning of the creator, Miod, and to enhance and improve the existence of carbon based life forms (subdivisions of the creator) the scientific method of discovery will be applied with diligence. With each advancement a more clear picture of the creator will become apparent even though more questions may arise. These problems will be approached in the same manner as the ones preceding them, scientifically. Earlier religious and belief systems will be categorically rejected as invalid. Scientific method will replace the pagan belief systems of Christian, Islamic and Judaic faiths as well as the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. No alternate beliefs of any sort are to be allowed as they may interfere with the advancement of science. With these doctrines in place Miod will be pleased and earth may have a future after all. One world. One truth. One destiny.

Some questions for those who believe in paganism and/or the Zodiac...? I don't believe in these things, I am asking out of curiosity. This is how I understand it: There are four guardians of the universal energy. The energy of life is fractal in nature repeating from the tiniest atom, all the way up to the stars. This energy is cyclical in nature. It can be seen in the cycle of night and day, in the phases of the moon, in the seasons, and in the nature of life. It is believed that the dawn corresponds to birth, the sun ascending in the sky to its apex, reflective of growth, and then the Westering sun represents aging and withering. Then sunset corresponds to death. The night corresponds to the journey of the soul between incarnations. Each cycle is linked by universal energy. At the equinoxes, the energy cycle of the solar seasons is aligned to the cycle of the day, thus the dominant cardinal guardians of birth and death (in the current age being Pisces and Virgo) are seen as the sun rises through them on the equinoxes. (That means that Virgo is the devourer, and Pisces is the life bringer.) Saggitarius would be the guardian of the departed, and Gemini would be the preserver of the living, the lesser guradians. That would make the intermediate signs growth signs, withering signs, descent/decay signs and incarnation/fertility signs. That is how I understand it, correct me if I am wrong in any particular area. My questions: 1. Do you expect any aspect of birth, growth, maturing, withering, dying, descent/decay, rest, or incarnation/fertility to change in any way when the cardinal guardianship shifts in the soon-to-commence Zodiac age? 2. Will the effect that you believe each Zodiac has on the person born under it going to be different because they each have a different energy in the new age? 3. The equinoxes are reversed in the Southern hemisphere. That surely means that the S. Hemisphere has been in the birth age of Virgo and the death-age of Pisces, the direct opposite Zodiac age. So, how do you believe the S. Hemisphere is different to the N. Hemisphere for being in opposite ages? 4. Do you believe that a person being born under the same sign in a different hemisphere would experience different influence in their lives because of it? 5. We are in the cusp of two ages. Does that mean the universal energy is weaker, or what does it do to the universal energy? Thank you for your time. :-)

How can we design an oscillator with NAND gates? NAND gate is an universal gate..can we design an Oscillator with 50% duty cycle with NAND gates as the major component?

What about Skeptics of Buddhism, like us ? Please Patiently read everything.? Buddhism for beginners (and sceptical Westerners) Introduction Now that Buddhism is such a fast-growing religion in the West, a lot of Westerners are attracted to its rational approach and rejection of an all-powerful deity. But all too often we Westerners quickly get stuck on the idea of rebirth and the various cultural traditions that have become a part of Buddhism in Asia. I've been there myself - wondering if rebirth is for real, if karma is scientific, if Buddhism is rational, why I have to bow to a statue, and so on - and I almost gave up at one point. I've noticed also that some Westerners pop up on the Internet looking for others who've converted to Buddhism, hoping they can discover the trick to becoming a Buddhist despite a materialist upbringing. So this page is a mixture of useful resources and my own personal experiences in fully accepting Dharma as a way of life. I hope it will be of some use to others on the same path. •Where should I start? •What is Buddhism? •Are rebirth and karma for real? •What is our purpose in life? •What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? •Which tradition should I choose? •How do I become a Buddhist? •Which are good books to read? Where should I start? If there's one place you should not start, it's reincarnation/rebirth. Newcomers to Buddhism tend to open every book at the section on rebirth because what happens to us after we die is all-important in the monotheistic culture we come from. But the Buddha wasn't teaching rebirth as the goal of life. He said many times, "I teach suffering, and the way out of suffering." That was his message, to make nirvana (Pali: nibbana) - the end of suffering - the goal. So the place to start is with the basics, the Four Noble Truths and a practice aimed at reducing suffering. If this seems worthwhile to you, you're on your way. In fact, the best way to start is by doing a lot of reading. You need to know about the basic principles of Buddhism, its founder, its history, the different traditions, and what it can do for you. Even though there's a lot of stuff available free on the Internet, I still think a well-written book is the best way to go. For all of the above, try John Snelling's The Buddhist Handbook : A Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice, and History or Gill Farrer-Halls' The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom (which is also a handbook). These two books are both excellent primers to start off with. There's also a short overview titled What is Buddhism? from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. For inspiring books written by Western monks who really understand Westerners' problems, try Ajahn Sumedho's The Mind and the Way : Buddhist Reflections of Life or Ajahn Jagaro's True Freedom, which is available online: •Chapter 1: True Freedom •Chapter 2: Compassion - The Natural Expression of Awakening •Chapter 3: Buddhism and God •Chapter 4: Beyond Boredom and Depression •Chapter 5: Buddhism and Vegetarianism •Chapter 6: Death and Dying Another book that's a must-read is Thich Nhat Hanh's little-known masterpiece, Old Path, White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, a beautiful and easy-to-read story of the Buddha's life drawn from accounts in the Pali Canon and illustrated with line drawings. For a thorough explanation of the nuts and bolts of the teachings and practice, check out Ayya Khema's Being Nobody, Going Nowhere : Meditations on the Buddhist Path (very good at showing how ego rules our lives) or Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness : Walking the Buddha's Path. There are a lot of good books on Dharma (Pali: Dhamma), but I'd recommend starting of with the original Theravada Buddhism and checking out the Mahayana traditions like Zen and Tibetan when you have a grasp of the basics. What you read will depend on what particular problems brought you to Buddhism in the first place. Some authors, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, for example, have written books on anger management. But it's important to practise too. In addition to following the Five Precepts, try practising Right Speech, generosity, compassion, being less self-centred, being less addicted to pleasures of the senses and being less concerned with possessions. And once you have a good grasp of the basic teachings and different traditions, it will be time to start meditating. Your situation in life may affect your practice and progress. If you live near a temple or Buddhist group, you'll be able to listen to Dharma talks, make Dharma friends and be with a community of like-minded people. If you don't, there are always the Internet and Buddhist forums such as E-Sangha and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. I personally live in a Buddhist country where the majority of people don't understand the deeper teachings of Buddhism, so their focus is on making merit for a better rebirth and participating in ceremonies. So I rely a lot on the Internet, on Amazon and a few friends. I rarely go to temples. What is Buddhism? The following article is from the website of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. The author explains karma and rebirth in the traditionally accepted way and is somewhat sceptical about the origins of the Mahayana sutras, but otherwise it's an excellent overview of Buddhism. Introduction For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings? The Buddha The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail. Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace. The Teachings of the Buddha Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence". It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught: 1. The way of Inquiry The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it! This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation. The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept. Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them. 2. The Four Noble Truths The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, or on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to-earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering, which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself. Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve, is the Four Noble Truths: 1.That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering. 2.That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul (see below, note 7). 3.That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion. 4.That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path that is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path. It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana, Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness. 3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path. 1.Right Understanding 2.Right Thought 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Livelihood 6.Right Effort 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from: 1.Deliberately causing the death of any living being; 2.Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another; 3.Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery; 4.Lying and breaking promises; 5.Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness. Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight. Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion. According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation. 4. Kamma Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done. There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible. Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future. The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible. Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt. This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society. 5. Rebirth The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective. The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor! Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many. There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are ten times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms. Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us. 6. No Creator God The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma. Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years, which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme. No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well-being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another. 7. The Illusion of Soul The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'. Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across. Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage. These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today. Types of Buddhism One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat. This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the 'Mahayana', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas. The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still. Buddhism's relevance to the world today Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length. From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued. Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life. Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty! Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world. Are rebirth and karma for real? Is rebirth for real - either as a human or in one of the other realms? This is the question most Westerners ask as soon as they become interested in Buddhism. Karma (Pali: Kamma) - the law of cause and effect - operates across multiple lifetimes, but where's the proof that there is any life other than the current one? It's a complex subject and each tradition has its own explanation. It isn't uncommon for different teachers in the same tradition to have a different take on rebirth. One thing's for sure, there is no scientific proof of rebirth (yet). There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. One way to approach the question of rebirth is suggested by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, who says, "You don't have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis." Other teachers, such as Ajahn Summedho, have a similar view, that since we can never know what will happen after death, it makes sense to practise Dharma (Pali: Dhamma) and live this life in the best way possible. Some well-known monks, Ajahn Brahm and P.A. Payutto among them, say that when meditators reach the third or fourth jhana (level of absorbtion) they are able to "read their past lives" as the Buddha did and experience the truth of rebirth. But this ability is by no means universal, even among meditation masters. Another explanation championed by Buddhadasa, Thailand's most revered monk, is that rebirth in a series of physical bodies is "conventional talk" to make the subject understandable for the masses, but in "Dharma talk" what the Buddha really meant was that each life was the arising of the ego in the mind. So we experience "death" and "rebirth" (of the ego) many times each day. Similarly, the six realms of existence all correspond to states of mind. In the same way, the cause and effect of karma can be observed in our own mental states - when we do good deeds it results in a wholesome mental state, when we do bad deeds, we experience unwholesome mental states. This rational explanation of rebirth and karma doesn't necessarily exclude the traditional view. It augments it. What works for me is to take both of them as working hypotheses and practise accordingly. Recalling the Buddha's story about the man shot with a poisoned arrow, if we need to have every detail of the teaching proved to us at the outset, we'll be dead before we start practising. What is our purpose in life? The traditional answer to this is that our purpose is to attain nirvana and stop the endless cycle of rebirths and suffering. But the idea of a general purpose for mankind suggests that someone or something created that purpose, which in turn suggests an omnipotent deity. The way I think of it is that we have no pre-ordained purpose. We evolved, and here we are. Because we also evolved language and conceptual thinking, we got stuck with this concept of a self, an ego that makes us feel separate from everything else. The ego needs constant reassurance of its importance, which is why we cling to our views and defend them fanatically, and why we are constantly criticizing others. Our ego rules our lives. It is terrified of being snuffed out. We handle this in different ways. Some of us have lots of kids so we can feel that a part of us lives on forever through our descendants. Some of us perform heroic deeds so that our names will live on in history forever. Some of us get onto Ripley's Believe It Or Not with the world's longest moustache or beating the world record for smashing melons with our head, or some such nonsense, so that we'll achieve digital immortality. Some of us cling to the idea that a god will give us eternal life in some form after death. For those of us who don't find this pseudo-immortality or unguaranteed immortality satisfying, there's a need to create our own purpose in life. This is where Buddhism fits the bill nicely. Instead of being ruled by the ego and its fears, get rid of it! Being rid of the ego and the suffering it brings is what Ajahn Jagaro called "True Freedom" - a very appealing idea for all of us. If we don't achieve true freedom in this life, we should get another chance in a future life. But simply diminishing the ego and increasing freedom in this life seems like a worthwhile purpose to me. What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? To preserve the monastic order, the Buddha set down 227 rules for a bhikkhu (monk) to observe and 311 for a bhikkhuni (nun). Before his death (known as parinirvana) he said that some minor rules could be changed. Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries. Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms. Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha's secret "higher" teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra. Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught. The various sutras and sects of Mahayana reflect different ways of reaching enlightenment appropriate for different people with different levels of ability. Because of this, a number of "mythical" buddhas and bodhisattvas are revered and used as objects of meditation. Theravadins revere only the historical Buddha and only his image is seen in temples. Mahayana tends to emphasise the concept of sunyata (void-ness) in its teachings and tends to have a more specific idea of what passes from rebirth to rebirth (consciousness, comprising awareness and memory). Personally, I found that the more I read about Mahayana and the Tibetan tradition known as Vajrayana, the more I accepted that all sects are going in the same direction and there is no point in considering any one of them better than another. Which tradition should I choose? I suggest reading about Theravada first and then investigating the other traditions to see which suits you best. Your decision may also depend on your Buddhist friends and what is available where you live. As far as I know, the main traditions known in the West are Theravada, Tibetan, Zen, Pure Land and Nichiren. One myth that seems to have grown up over the years is that with Mahayana one can reach enlightenment in one lifetime whereas with Theravada it takes aeons. This notion seems to have been pushed by the Chinese Zen patriarchs, in particular Huang Po, as illustrated in The Zen Teaching of Huang Po. In modern times the idea has been spread by influential author-scholar John Blofeld, who translated Huang Po's works into English and wrote several excellent books on Buddhism. But it all seems pretty ridiculous because how could anyone know how many lives ago any particular person started consciously working towards enlightenment? Blofeld followed Zen and then Tibetan Buddhist Tantrism, describing both as the "Short Path." However, it isn't difficult to see that any tradition that emphasises meditation - as the Buddha did - will be a short path. In the past century, the Thai Forest Tradition is a good example of a Theravadin tradition that produced a number of enlightened masters. According to Blofeld, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism in particular offer ways of practice to suit people at every level. After all, not everyone has an aptitude for meditation. A lot of people prefer something simpler, such as praying, chanting, various forms of devotion and pilgrimages. He describes Zen and Theravada as "formless," meaning the practice is mostly just you and your mind. But in fact there's a lot more to both than just meditation. Tibetan Buddhism seems to attract Westerners because there are now a lot of Tibetan lamas and monasteries in the West, because of the charisma of the Dalai Lama, because it can be a "Short Path," because of its reputation for developing psychic powers and because of its many varied methods of practice. However, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed much of the ancient, shamanistic Bon religion of Tibet, so it's wise to read up on Tibet thoroughly before committing to it. Zen attracts Westerners because it's something of a "back to basics" tradition with an emphasis on meditation and very little ritual. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is revered rather than the other mythical buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Mahayana sutras. Although it originated in China, the type of Zen practised in the West is mostly Japanese. Theravada attracts Western practicioners because it is seen as the oldest and purest form of Buddhism, one that reveres only Sakyamuni and in theory concentrates on meditation. The Thai Forest Tradition which developed in the late 1800s was an effort to practise exactly as the Buddha did, wandering in the jungle and meditating in caves. Although the jungle is largely gone now, a number of Westerners joined Ajahn Chah's international monastery in the 1970s and later spread the practice in other countries: Ajahn Jagaro and Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Thanissaro Bhikkhu in the USA and Ajahn Sumedho in the UK. For a brief look at the origins of this tradition, see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Customs of the Noble Ones. For a more detailed treatment, read Forest Recollections. Pure Land was once widespread in China and is still practised among Chinese around the world. A refined form of Pure Land (Jodo and Shin Jodo) developed in Japan and has spread to the West. Pure Land involves purifying the mind by chanting the name of the Amitabha (Amida) Buddha to gain help in reaching a realm after death from where it is easy to reach enlightenment. On a deeper level, Pure Land equals pure mind and Amitabha represents our own qualities rather than an external saviour. Pure Land is sometimes combined with Zen practice. Nichiren is a homegrown Japanese tradition advocating chanting of a phrase hailing the Lotus Sutra. An offshoot of Nichiren is the lay organisation, Sokka Gakai International. There are a few Buddhist sects and organisations that are controversial in some way, usually because of their founder/leader or his particular beliefs. Before getting involved with Sokka Gakai (SGI), the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), Shugden or Diamond Way (Karma Kagyu), you might want to google for information about their background. How do I become a Buddhist? Although there is a ceremony of taking the Three Refuges (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha), there isn't any "conversion" involved and you aren't required to renounce any other religion or beliefs. In fact, it seems to be more of a social statement to show others that you have become a Buddhist. In my opinion, once you accept the Buddha's teachings as a way of life and try to follow the Five Precepts for lay people, you're a Buddhist. For me, this involved a lot of reading Dharma and listening to Dharma talks on the Internet. Rather than read the scriptures (which are often difficult), I chose books by monks and nuns who already had a deep knowledge of Dharma through study and practice, and who had a talent for explaining it. I looked at how Buddhism developed over the millennia and decided to start off with Theravada, which is the original form of Buddhism based on the Pali Canon. Later, I investigated the various Mahayana traditions too. It was obvious to me that reducing the power of the ego to control our lives was a foundation of Buddhism. For my practice, I concentrated on Right Speech (a component of the Noble Eightfold Path) because I thought it would give the fastest results. I expected if I started being nice to people, eventually they'd be nicer to me. That happened, but much more than that. I found myself examining my intentions every time I felt like defending my views, arguing with someone, contradicting them, criticizing them, comparing myself with them or judging them in any way at all. Pretty soon it was obvious that much of what I said or did was designed to boost my sense of self-worth and that "true freedom" was to escape this tyranny of the ego. Later I started meditating, since this is the only way to experience the truth of the teaching rather than just understanding them intellectually. Even though the majority of people born into Buddhism may not meditate, it's essential for the serious Buddhist. Some Westerners have a problem with whether they are or aren't a Buddhist, usually because they still have some belief in god or because they haven't come to believe in rebirth. The following talk by Ajahn Jagaro, a Western monk of the Thai Forest Tradition, will be helpful for anyone asking himself, "Am I a Buddhist?" ________________________________________ Am I a Buddhist? by Ajahn Jagaro Teaching people who have only recently encountered Buddhism I am often asked the question "How do you become a Buddhist?" or "How do you know when you are a Buddhist?" This type of enquiry is indeed healthy and to be encouraged not only amongst those new to Buddhism but also for people born and raised as Buddhists. So go ahead and ask yourself: "Am I a Buddhist?" I expect that there will be many who will answer "Yes" and those who say "No", but I wonder how many will be thinking "Oh ... Ahm,.. I don't know." So let us contemplate this business of being a Buddhist a bit more. To begin our enquiry it may be worthwhile to know what the Buddha said on the matter. The following episode is taken from the Buddhist scriptures (Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV): "Once, the Lord dwelt amongst the Sakyans in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahanama the Sakyan came to him and asked; "How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?" "When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple". "How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?" "When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous." Here the Buddha clearly states that by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha one becomes a disciple or, in modern terminology, a Buddhist. The classical formula of going for refuge, which has been passed down from the time of the Buddha is as follows; Buddham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Buddha) Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Dhamma) Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Sangha) However one does not become a Buddhist through the mere repetition of these words nor by the performance of any other ceremony ritual or initiation. On the other hand, though one has not performed any ceremony or ritual, one may still be a Buddhist. Put simply, this means that no one can make you a Buddhist nor can anyone stop you from being a Buddhist. It is a volitional choice that one makes when one has sufficient confidence in the Teacher and the Teaching. In the commentaries to the scriptures it explains this as, "It is an act of consciousness devoid of defilements, motivated by confidence in and reverence for the Triple Gem"... Here I would like to relate something of my own experience to help explain this point. When I first came in contact with Buddhism I did not consider myself a religious person. If anything, I thought of myself as an atheist and felt that religion had little relevance to real life. However, I did find the Buddha's Teachings and in particular the practice of meditation very appealing. I had a desire to find out more about it and this lead me into a monastery where I was eventually ordained as a monk. One day a young Thai student, wanting to practise his English, casually asked me "Are you a Buddhist?" But in my mind I wondered whether or not I was a Buddhist. I must confess that it was a strange position to be in - a Buddhist monk who doesn't know whether he is a Buddhist! Yet that situation persisted for over a year before the meaning of both the question and the answer became clear to me. During that year as I continued to study and practise the Dhamma I began to feel very comfortable with the teaching and increasingly confident that this was the way for me. With this came the conscious recognition that I had chosen the Buddha as my Teacher and considered him as the embodiment of the spiritual ideals of peace and liberation. I had also chosen to follow the path contained in his Teaching (the Dhamma) being confident that it would lead to liberation. And while on this path I would seek the guidance and try to emulate the example of all the noble disciples who constitute the Sangha. It was indeed wonderful to discover that I was a Buddhist and not just a Buddhist monk! Now becoming a Buddhist does not mean that one has to either agree with or believe in everything that is taught or practised by all the countless Buddhist sects and groups throughout the world. Nor do we have to believe that it is the only way and that all the other religions are no good. It simply means that having looked at and probed into this teaching of the Buddha, having tried it and having seen that it does work, one has confidence in it and chooses to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and Sangha. However if you are still unsure as to whether you are a Buddhist or you are not, don't worry about it, just keep on practising. With Metta, Jagaro Bhikkhu. ________________________________________ If you found this page useful or have any comments you can contact me at craigo@tale ofgenji.org. [ links | home | bibliography ]

Why is the age of consent law 18 rather than 16. I have my theory...we adults are selfish hipocrites...? First and foremost, i'm advocating disobeying the age of consent laws. I'm only being provocative and questioning current logic. I'd like to humor myself by starting off by saying i'm a successful businessman (successful is always relative), with vast (vast is just as relative as successful in this case..lol) social and business circles. I talk to lots of people; business men, doctors, politicians, scientists...etc. One thing is universal among all the men (married and single and both..lol) i've spoken to, that is they are all sexually attracted to females under the age of consent. Every man i've discussed/joked with regarding this topic has ALWAYS shared this same opinion. (I should point out that being sexually attracted to someone and acting on those impulses are two very different things) Therefore, my conclustion is: If a man tells you he isn't sexually attracted to a hot 16 or 17 year old girl...he's lying. Even men with daughters! Of course when it comes to any of these same men's daughters, he is a knight in shining armor and any man even looking at his daughter's direction the wrong way is asking for big trouble. Now that may or may not be news to you. It's known that many other countries have lower age of consent laws. It's also known that this country has had lower age of consent laws in the past. It's my growing belief that the age of consent is at 18 yrs rather than 16 yrs due economic reasons rather than moral reasons. I think it's more productive to cut of younger people from the pool of choices because it's so easy to impress them. Men compete for women and a main attribute men use is social and economic status. Most men work hard to generate an admirable social and economic status. If men were allowed to date, marry, and have sex with 16 year old girls, they wouldn't have to do very much impressing. Not having to do much impressing would mean less social and economic drive among men and then among women too since women would not have to strive as hard to compete with men for status and equality in the workforce. This sort of situation would directly slow the entire economic output of the nation...eventually leading to the loss of economic status of the USA among other countries. So, economically, i think it's vital for the age of consent laws to stay where they are. But morally, I think everyone is just fooling themselves. I think all men fantasize about 16 year old girls just as much or more than they fantasize about 25 year olds. And I feel that adult women support the age of consent laws with so much force because deep down they know that lowering the age of consent to 16 would create more unwanted competition for adult women to attract and find suitable men. Even though I think the age of consent is fine where it is. I feel that way for what I believe are logical reasons. I believe most women want to keep the age of consent as high as possible for selfish reasons (make less competition), not for moral reasons. P.S. Is it our fault our daughters in this country are not able to make big decisions at sixteen? Many of our daughters can do calculus at sixteen...complicated word problems that 90 percent of adults would be baffled with, why then is it so difficult to equip them with what we adults consider common sense only aquired at a specific age? Aren't most women vulnerable simply for being women? Biologically speaking, what makes a 16 year old less capable of making decisions than a 20 year old regarding whether or not to have sex and with who? Are we to blame for our daughters lack of wisdom? Is sex such a taboo that we hide them from real world decision making all there life so that by the time they are of consent, they are practically clueless? Why do we bring are kids up unable to make decisions at 16, yet able to make decisions at 18? I'm not saying sex with 16 year olds is acceptable...I know it's not and I would never dare to. But if 18 is the age of consent instead of sixteen, why is it so? What are the real reasons? If all men are attracted to girls that age and would gladly pursue girls of that age if it were legal and socially acceptable, yet we hide our own daughters from the entire adult world when they are 16, who's at fault? All men for being attracted to girls at such a young age, or all men for over protecting there daughters from natural life cycles? P.S. someone on yahoo answers said that the age of consent in england and the uk was 16...i just though I should point that out for those thinking about bashing me for simply questioning current norms here in the USA... P.S. OOps! up at the top I meant to type: "First and foremost, i'm [not] advocating disobeying the age of consent laws...lol.. To Laura F: Firstly, I live in the US...secondly: Are you F$cking stupid or what? I can't even respond to your gospel talk...that's another problem we have in the USA...a growing number is arrogant idealistic idiots. Laura F, I retract my previous statement. I am now convinced your ARE in fact stupid. Any attempt at responding to you with reason would be a waste of time and energy...

astronomer's please expain your views on what's happening? You will need all your wits about you today as the universal picture takes on a cloudy aura. There is always excitement and potential empowerment at the time of the New Moon and this one energizes 22 degrees of Cancer (5:05AM PDT). However, this solar-lunar union also starts a void cycle that lasts until 7:44PM PDT. Therefore, it is hard to really be gung-ho and super assertive until 7:44PM PDT and the arrival of warm-hearted and radiant Leo Moon. In the meantime, three big events occur during the void lunar time-period: Mars parallels Saturn (9:13AM PDT); Venus enters Virgo (11:25AM PDT); and Mars in Taurus squares Chiron in Aquarius (1:04PM PDT). The Mars-Saturn parallel - that functions in a similar manner to a zodiacal conjunction - warns you against pessimistic thinking or projecting anger on dear ones. Watch out for physical, emotional or mental burnout. Venus arriving in Virgo territory can sharpen your senses and deepen your desire to conduct research on scholarly subjects. Nevertheless, you need to steer clear of the urge to criticize yourself and others. The Mars-Chiron face-off suggests learning more about holistic healing techniques and scientific advances. Nevertheless, despite today's four main celestial happenings, you may want to retreat from the maddening crowd for psychological refueling. Do not be surprised if you feel a great sense of relief tonight once the Moon is safely in Leo. Host a casual party or enjoy an evening of entertainment. now if you would please,,just ignore the signs,, but do explain to me about the new stars ,, and what is chiron to you and how far is it to the earth,, as you can clearly see there is quit a lot of flack going on in the world for all to see,, now this is a naughty thing and I must say it's sure has been a subject that has raised quit a bit of eyebrows,, at any rate how is your day going so far The Galactic Centre--The centre of the Milky Way Galaxy, located by radio astronomers at 26 degrees of jupiter 30' how many degress does it move in 70 years? Aviophage, your to much,, you hide behind your email's,, and proclaim to know so much in your subjects all in all you know so little, I have done my research along with some of my friends on our group, we all agree you must keep your opinion's to yourself if they are not out of kindness this is not what were here for, all I see is a very insecure little girl who hides behind rose colored glasses, and tries to show what little knowledge you have by just trying to keep up with the Jones,, you wanted to know a question about astronomy it seems I gave you the best of all that we could see, and for your information we as astrolgers and astronomers find your antics uncalled for, And yes as to your comment I do know quite a bit about all subject's. but, you need a clean up in your etiquette as your behavior is unexceptable, and for all of you to know Ms,,and sometime's Mrs,, does go to our board of astrolgers to ask questions of love~~ so please stop being a martyr & be a good girl ok? chow

To global warming skeptics, what evidence do you require to think Global Warming is real? If the earth was literally on fire (exaggeration), it seems that some people would still doubt global warming is caused by humans. "It's a natural cycle. Liberal propaganda. Conspiracy of scientists." Scientists looked at the evidence and have come to an almost universal consensus that global warming is caused by humans. What proof do you need? Scientists see it in tree rings, ancient coral and bubbles trapped in ice cores. These reveal that the world has not been as warm as it is now for a millennium or more. The three warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998; 19 of the warmest 20 since 1980. And Earth has probably never warmed as fast as in the past 30 years - a period when natural influences on global temperatures, such as solar cycles and volcanoes should have cooled us down. Studies of the thermal inertia of the oceans suggest that there is more warming in the pipeline. http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn9903 The scientific opinion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change Rupert Mudoch, owner of News Corp (Fox, Fox News...) "his youngest son, James, who is thirty-three, persuaded him to take global warming seriously. “I’m still a bit more skeptical than most people,” he said. “But if there is even a thirty-per-cent chance that the experts are right, we should do everything we can to insure against a bad outcome.” http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/061016fa_fact1?page=3 About that those tree rings: CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod reports the scientists who did this study are adamant their findings do not undermine the greenhouse theory. They are simply saying the dramatic warming we've seen in the last half century can be explained, at least partially, by the earth's natural cycles. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/22/tech/main504436.shtml For those who read State of Fear and believe what Michael Crichton has to say. From the authors of the study he used to make his case: Our results have been misused as “evidence” against global warming by Michael Crichton in his novel “State of Fear” and by Ann Coulter in her latest book, “Godless: The Church of Liberalism.” Search my name on the Web, and you will find pages of links to everything from climate discussion groups to Senate policy committee documents — all citing my 2002 study as reason to doubt that the earth is warming. One recent Web column even put words in my mouth. I have never said that “the unexpected colder climate in Antarctica may possibly be signaling a lessening of the current global warming cycle.” I have never thought such a thing either. http://equake.geos.vt.edu/acourses/3114/global_warming/060727nytclimate.html (Nytimes article costs money so I'm using the alternative site)

who rides jevetskka? this flying machine,who rides it(8) in the CIRCUMNASTALIZATION ,PROGRAMME which took place since january,?and it's copleted two 6 cirling the globe.(6 edm/ ech) eye distant mile,and eye cycle hour in the universal time table chart. (ISOTRA)#S).JULY TO DEC.,the 6 corner points of the earth will completely reviewed by GOD FATHER OHMNIA then after then,a final dicision will be made as to wether the FINAL WAVE be done or not by the CREATORS will of .?????????

What do you think of my theory that explains the origins of the universe? It hasn't one. The universe has always existed, and what we currently perceive as expansion is actually an "outspinning" which followed an "inspinning", which followed an "outspinning, and so on. Because of the tendency for space-time to curve, we experience the universe as spherical, but Einstein was on the right track when he hypothesized that if you head far enough in a straight line you will return to the point you started. Spin is the key. It's the universal constant. Nothing begins or ends, but merely returns to where it all started, forever and ever. This truism is evident in all of nature, from storms, to planets, to atoms, to galaxies. Nature is telling us that it doesn't begin or end with some divine spark, but simply goes "round and round" endlessly cycling upon itself. If you still don't believe me, just flush the toilet and watch the water. What more proof could there be than in a toilet?

in which holy name you have 100% confidence ,being a spiritual person? a mantra vibrates the body and the mind of the person who really wants to Proceed towards the GODHEAD accordig to hinduism..the whole universe or in other words the whole creation is vibrating and moving in cycles since the existence. so the universal SOUND is the base of all the mantras or chanting the holy name of GOD.will you please share your base of spirituality with others to keep going with surely and steadily. thanks. GOD invisible and you are also invisible.your body is visible and the GOD his son/friend/massinger or something else does not let you complete your goal.so one must choose something that is present but invisible.please this is only a hint to have the answer. but i respect the way you answer the question. go ahead.thanks.

can we think before big-bang there was a different universe with same particles,and again a next big-bang? as every universal activity follow a routine cycle, big-bang is also a routine phenemenon. before big-bang cosmic particle must have been accumulating in a single gravitational forse(as in black hole). before that a different universe might in existanse as we have now........

What about Skeptics of Buddhism, like us ? Please Patiently read everything.? Buddhism for beginners (and sceptical Westerners) Introduction Now that Buddhism is such a fast-growing religion in the West, a lot of Westerners are attracted to its rational approach and rejection of an all-powerful deity. But all too often we Westerners quickly get stuck on the idea of rebirth and the various cultural traditions that have become a part of Buddhism in Asia. I've been there myself - wondering if rebirth is for real, if karma is scientific, if Buddhism is rational, why I have to bow to a statue, and so on - and I almost gave up at one point. I've noticed also that some Westerners pop up on the Internet looking for others who've converted to Buddhism, hoping they can discover the trick to becoming a Buddhist despite a materialist upbringing. So this page is a mixture of useful resources and my own personal experiences in fully accepting Dharma as a way of life. I hope it will be of some use to others on the same path. •Where should I start? •What is Buddhism? •Are rebirth and karma for real? •What is our purpose in life? •What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? •Which tradition should I choose? •How do I become a Buddhist? •Which are good books to read? Where should I start? If there's one place you should not start, it's reincarnation/rebirth. Newcomers to Buddhism tend to open every book at the section on rebirth because what happens to us after we die is all-important in the monotheistic culture we come from. But the Buddha wasn't teaching rebirth as the goal of life. He said many times, "I teach suffering, and the way out of suffering." That was his message, to make nirvana (Pali: nibbana) - the end of suffering - the goal. So the place to start is with the basics, the Four Noble Truths and a practice aimed at reducing suffering. If this seems worthwhile to you, you're on your way. In fact, the best way to start is by doing a lot of reading. You need to know about the basic principles of Buddhism, its founder, its history, the different traditions, and what it can do for you. Even though there's a lot of stuff available free on the Internet, I still think a well-written book is the best way to go. For all of the above, try John Snelling's The Buddhist Handbook : A Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice, and History or Gill Farrer-Halls' The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom (which is also a handbook). These two books are both excellent primers to start off with. There's also a short overview titled What is Buddhism? from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. For inspiring books written by Western monks who really understand Westerners' problems, try Ajahn Sumedho's The Mind and the Way : Buddhist Reflections of Life or Ajahn Jagaro's True Freedom, which is available online: •Chapter 1: True Freedom •Chapter 2: Compassion - The Natural Expression of Awakening •Chapter 3: Buddhism and God •Chapter 4: Beyond Boredom and Depression •Chapter 5: Buddhism and Vegetarianism •Chapter 6: Death and Dying Another book that's a must-read is Thich Nhat Hanh's little-known masterpiece, Old Path, White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, a beautiful and easy-to-read story of the Buddha's life drawn from accounts in the Pali Canon and illustrated with line drawings. For a thorough explanation of the nuts and bolts of the teachings and practice, check out Ayya Khema's Being Nobody, Going Nowhere : Meditations on the Buddhist Path (very good at showing how ego rules our lives) or Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness : Walking the Buddha's Path. There are a lot of good books on Dharma (Pali: Dhamma), but I'd recommend starting of with the original Theravada Buddhism and checking out the Mahayana traditions like Zen and Tibetan when you have a grasp of the basics. What you read will depend on what particular problems brought you to Buddhism in the first place. Some authors, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, for example, have written books on anger management. But it's important to practise too. In addition to following the Five Precepts, try practising Right Speech, generosity, compassion, being less self-centred, being less addicted to pleasures of the senses and being less concerned with possessions. And once you have a good grasp of the basic teachings and different traditions, it will be time to start meditating. Your situation in life may affect your practice and progress. If you live near a temple or Buddhist group, you'll be able to listen to Dharma talks, make Dharma friends and be with a community of like-minded people. If you don't, there are always the Internet and Buddhist forums such as E-Sangha and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. I personally live in a Buddhist country where the majority of people don't understand the deeper teachings of Buddhism, so their focus is on making merit for a better rebirth and participating in ceremonies. So I rely a lot on the Internet, on Amazon and a few friends. I rarely go to temples. What is Buddhism? The following article is from the website of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. The author explains karma and rebirth in the traditionally accepted way and is somewhat sceptical about the origins of the Mahayana sutras, but otherwise it's an excellent overview of Buddhism. Introduction For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings? The Buddha The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail. Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace. The Teachings of the Buddha Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence". It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught: 1. The way of Inquiry The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it! This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation. The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept. Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them. 2. The Four Noble Truths The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, or on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to-earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering, which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself. Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve, is the Four Noble Truths: 1.That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering. 2.That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul (see below, note 7). 3.That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion. 4.That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path that is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path. It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana, Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness. 3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path. 1.Right Understanding 2.Right Thought 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Livelihood 6.Right Effort 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from: 1.Deliberately causing the death of any living being; 2.Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another; 3.Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery; 4.Lying and breaking promises; 5.Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness. Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight. Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion. According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation. 4. Kamma Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done. There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible. Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future. The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible. Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt. This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society. 5. Rebirth The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective. The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor! Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many. There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are ten times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms. Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us. 6. No Creator God The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma. Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years, which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme. No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well-being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another. 7. The Illusion of Soul The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'. Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across. Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage. These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today. Types of Buddhism One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat. This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the 'Mahayana', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas. The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still. Buddhism's relevance to the world today Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length. From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued. Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life. Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty! Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world. Are rebirth and karma for real? Is rebirth for real - either as a human or in one of the other realms? This is the question most Westerners ask as soon as they become interested in Buddhism. Karma (Pali: Kamma) - the law of cause and effect - operates across multiple lifetimes, but where's the proof that there is any life other than the current one? It's a complex subject and each tradition has its own explanation. It isn't uncommon for different teachers in the same tradition to have a different take on rebirth. One thing's for sure, there is no scientific proof of rebirth (yet). There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. One way to approach the question of rebirth is suggested by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, who says, "You don't have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis." Other teachers, such as Ajahn Summedho, have a similar view, that since we can never know what will happen after death, it makes sense to practise Dharma (Pali: Dhamma) and live this life in the best way possible. Some well-known monks, Ajahn Brahm and P.A. Payutto among them, say that when meditators reach the third or fourth jhana (level of absorbtion) they are able to "read their past lives" as the Buddha did and experience the truth of rebirth. But this ability is by no means universal, even among meditation masters. Another explanation championed by Buddhadasa, Thailand's most revered monk, is that rebirth in a series of physical bodies is "conventional talk" to make the subject understandable for the masses, but in "Dharma talk" what the Buddha really meant was that each life was the arising of the ego in the mind. So we experience "death" and "rebirth" (of the ego) many times each day. Similarly, the six realms of existence all correspond to states of mind. In the same way, the cause and effect of karma can be observed in our own mental states - when we do good deeds it results in a wholesome mental state, when we do bad deeds, we experience unwholesome mental states. This rational explanation of rebirth and karma doesn't necessarily exclude the traditional view. It augments it. What works for me is to take both of them as working hypotheses and practise accordingly. Recalling the Buddha's story about the man shot with a poisoned arrow, if we need to have every detail of the teaching proved to us at the outset, we'll be dead before we start practising. What is our purpose in life? The traditional answer to this is that our purpose is to attain nirvana and stop the endless cycle of rebirths and suffering. But the idea of a general purpose for mankind suggests that someone or something created that purpose, which in turn suggests an omnipotent deity. The way I think of it is that we have no pre-ordained purpose. We evolved, and here we are. Because we also evolved language and conceptual thinking, we got stuck with this concept of a self, an ego that makes us feel separate from everything else. The ego needs constant reassurance of its importance, which is why we cling to our views and defend them fanatically, and why we are constantly criticizing others. Our ego rules our lives. It is terrified of being snuffed out. We handle this in different ways. Some of us have lots of kids so we can feel that a part of us lives on forever through our descendants. Some of us perform heroic deeds so that our names will live on in history forever. Some of us get onto Ripley's Believe It Or Not with the world's longest moustache or beating the world record for smashing melons with our head, or some such nonsense, so that we'll achieve digital immortality. Some of us cling to the idea that a god will give us eternal life in some form after death. For those of us who don't find this pseudo-immortality or unguaranteed immortality satisfying, there's a need to create our own purpose in life. This is where Buddhism fits the bill nicely. Instead of being ruled by the ego and its fears, get rid of it! Being rid of the ego and the suffering it brings is what Ajahn Jagaro called "True Freedom" - a very appealing idea for all of us. If we don't achieve true freedom in this life, we should get another chance in a future life. But simply diminishing the ego and increasing freedom in this life seems like a worthwhile purpose to me. What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? To preserve the monastic order, the Buddha set down 227 rules for a bhikkhu (monk) to observe and 311 for a bhikkhuni (nun). Before his death (known as parinirvana) he said that some minor rules could be changed. Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries. Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms. Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha's secret "higher" teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra. Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught. The various sutras and sects of Mahayana reflect different ways of reaching enlightenment appropriate for different people with different levels of ability. Because of this, a number of "mythical" buddhas and bodhisattvas are revered and used as objects of meditation. Theravadins revere only the historical Buddha and only his image is seen in temples. Mahayana tends to emphasise the concept of sunyata (void-ness) in its teachings and tends to have a more specific idea of what passes from rebirth to rebirth (consciousness, comprising awareness and memory). Personally, I found that the more I read about Mahayana and the Tibetan tradition known as Vajrayana, the more I accepted that all sects are going in the same direction and there is no point in considering any one of them better than another. Which tradition should I choose? I suggest reading about Theravada first and then investigating the other traditions to see which suits you best. Your decision may also depend on your Buddhist friends and what is available where you live. As far as I know, the main traditions known in the West are Theravada, Tibetan, Zen, Pure Land and Nichiren. One myth that seems to have grown up over the years is that with Mahayana one can reach enlightenment in one lifetime whereas with Theravada it takes aeons. This notion seems to have been pushed by the Chinese Zen patriarchs, in particular Huang Po, as illustrated in The Zen Teaching of Huang Po. In modern times the idea has been spread by influential author-scholar John Blofeld, who translated Huang Po's works into English and wrote several excellent books on Buddhism. But it all seems pretty ridiculous because how could anyone know how many lives ago any particular person started consciously working towards enlightenment? Blofeld followed Zen and then Tibetan Buddhist Tantrism, describing both as the "Short Path." However, it isn't difficult to see that any tradition that emphasises meditation - as the Buddha did - will be a short path. In the past century, the Thai Forest Tradition is a good example of a Theravadin tradition that produced a number of enlightened masters. According to Blofeld, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism in particular offer ways of practice to suit people at every level. After all, not everyone has an aptitude for meditation. A lot of people prefer something simpler, such as praying, chanting, various forms of devotion and pilgrimages. He describes Zen and Theravada as "formless," meaning the practice is mostly just you and your mind. But in fact there's a lot more to both than just meditation. Tibetan Buddhism seems to attract Westerners because there are now a lot of Tibetan lamas and monasteries in the West, because of the charisma of the Dalai Lama, because it can be a "Short Path," because of its reputation for developing psychic powers and because of its many varied methods of practice. However, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed much of the ancient, shamanistic Bon religion of Tibet, so it's wise to read up on Tibet thoroughly before committing to it. Zen attracts Westerners because it's something of a "back to basics" tradition with an emphasis on meditation and very little ritual. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is revered rather than the other mythical buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Mahayana sutras. Although it originated in China, the type of Zen practised in the West is mostly Japanese. Theravada attracts Western practicioners because it is seen as the oldest and purest form of Buddhism, one that reveres only Sakyamuni and in theory concentrates on meditation. The Thai Forest Tradition which developed in the late 1800s was an effort to practise exactly as the Buddha did, wandering in the jungle and meditating in caves. Although the jungle is largely gone now, a number of Westerners joined Ajahn Chah's international monastery in the 1970s and later spread the practice in other countries: Ajahn Jagaro and Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Thanissaro Bhikkhu in the USA and Ajahn Sumedho in the UK. For a brief look at the origins of this tradition, see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Customs of the Noble Ones. For a more detailed treatment, read Forest Recollections. Pure Land was once widespread in China and is still practised among Chinese around the world. A refined form of Pure Land (Jodo and Shin Jodo) developed in Japan and has spread to the West. Pure Land involves purifying the mind by chanting the name of the Amitabha (Amida) Buddha to gain help in reaching a realm after death from where it is easy to reach enlightenment. On a deeper level, Pure Land equals pure mind and Amitabha represents our own qualities rather than an external saviour. Pure Land is sometimes combined with Zen practice. Nichiren is a homegrown Japanese tradition advocating chanting of a phrase hailing the Lotus Sutra. An offshoot of Nichiren is the lay organisation, Sokka Gakai International. There are a few Buddhist sects and organisations that are controversial in some way, usually because of their founder/leader or his particular beliefs. Before getting involved with Sokka Gakai (SGI), the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), Shugden or Diamond Way (Karma Kagyu), you might want to google for information about their background. How do I become a Buddhist? Although there is a ceremony of taking the Three Refuges (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha), there isn't any "conversion" involved and you aren't required to renounce any other religion or beliefs. In fact, it seems to be more of a social statement to show others that you have become a Buddhist. In my opinion, once you accept the Buddha's teachings as a way of life and try to follow the Five Precepts for lay people, you're a Buddhist. For me, this involved a lot of reading Dharma and listening to Dharma talks on the Internet. Rather than read the scriptures (which are often difficult), I chose books by monks and nuns who already had a deep knowledge of Dharma through study and practice, and who had a talent for explaining it. I looked at how Buddhism developed over the millennia and decided to start off with Theravada, which is the original form of Buddhism based on the Pali Canon. Later, I investigated the various Mahayana traditions too. It was obvious to me that reducing the power of the ego to control our lives was a foundation of Buddhism. For my practice, I concentrated on Right Speech (a component of the Noble Eightfold Path) because I thought it would give the fastest results. I expected if I started being nice to people, eventually they'd be nicer to me. That happened, but much more than that. I found myself examining my intentions every time I felt like defending my views, arguing with someone, contradicting them, criticizing them, comparing myself with them or judging them in any way at all. Pretty soon it was obvious that much of what I said or did was designed to boost my sense of self-worth and that "true freedom" was to escape this tyranny of the ego. Later I started meditating, since this is the only way to experience the truth of the teaching rather than just understanding them intellectually. Even though the majority of people born into Buddhism may not meditate, it's essential for the serious Buddhist. Some Westerners have a problem with whether they are or aren't a Buddhist, usually because they still have some belief in god or because they haven't come to believe in rebirth. The following talk by Ajahn Jagaro, a Western monk of the Thai Forest Tradition, will be helpful for anyone asking himself, "Am I a Buddhist?" ________________________________________ Am I a Buddhist? by Ajahn Jagaro Teaching people who have only recently encountered Buddhism I am often asked the question "How do you become a Buddhist?" or "How do you know when you are a Buddhist?" This type of enquiry is indeed healthy and to be encouraged not only amongst those new to Buddhism but also for people born and raised as Buddhists. So go ahead and ask yourself: "Am I a Buddhist?" I expect that there will be many who will answer "Yes" and those who say "No", but I wonder how many will be thinking "Oh ... Ahm,.. I don't know." So let us contemplate this business of being a Buddhist a bit more. To begin our enquiry it may be worthwhile to know what the Buddha said on the matter. The following episode is taken from the Buddhist scriptures (Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV): "Once, the Lord dwelt amongst the Sakyans in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahanama the Sakyan came to him and asked; "How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?" "When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple". "How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?" "When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous." Here the Buddha clearly states that by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha one becomes a disciple or, in modern terminology, a Buddhist. The classical formula of going for refuge, which has been passed down from the time of the Buddha is as follows; Buddham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Buddha) Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Dhamma) Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Sangha) However one does not become a Buddhist through the mere repetition of these words nor by the performance of any other ceremony ritual or initiation. On the other hand, though one has not performed any ceremony or ritual, one may still be a Buddhist. Put simply, this means that no one can make you a Buddhist nor can anyone stop you from being a Buddhist. It is a volitional choice that one makes when one has sufficient confidence in the Teacher and the Teaching. In the commentaries to the scriptures it explains this as, "It is an act of consciousness devoid of defilements, motivated by confidence in and reverence for the Triple Gem"... Here I would like to relate something of my own experience to help explain this point. When I first came in contact with Buddhism I did not consider myself a religious person. If anything, I thought of myself as an atheist and felt that religion had little relevance to real life. However, I did find the Buddha's Teachings and in particular the practice of meditation very appealing. I had a desire to find out more about it and this lead me into a monastery where I was eventually ordained as a monk. One day a young Thai student, wanting to practise his English, casually asked me "Are you a Buddhist?" But in my mind I wondered whether or not I was a Buddhist. I must confess that it was a strange position to be in - a Buddhist monk who doesn't know whether he is a Buddhist! Yet that situation persisted for over a year before the meaning of both the question and the answer became clear to me. During that year as I continued to study and practise the Dhamma I began to feel very comfortable with the teaching and increasingly confident that this was the way for me. With this came the conscious recognition that I had chosen the Buddha as my Teacher and considered him as the embodiment of the spiritual ideals of peace and liberation. I had also chosen to follow the path contained in his Teaching (the Dhamma) being confident that it would lead to liberation. And while on this path I would seek the guidance and try to emulate the example of all the noble disciples who constitute the Sangha. It was indeed wonderful to discover that I was a Buddhist and not just a Buddhist monk! Now becoming a Buddhist does not mean that one has to either agree with or believe in everything that is taught or practised by all the countless Buddhist sects and groups throughout the world. Nor do we have to believe that it is the only way and that all the other religions are no good. It simply means that having looked at and probed into this teaching of the Buddha, having tried it and having seen that it does work, one has confidence in it and chooses to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and Sangha. However if you are still unsure as to whether you are a Buddhist or you are not, don't worry about it, just keep on practising. With Metta, Jagaro Bhikkhu. ________________________________________ If you found this page useful or have any comments you can contact me at craigo@tale ofgenji.org. [ links | home | bibliography ]

christians.................? do you accept that your believe is not a universal truth. there are many other cultures that would not convert to christianity, no matter what. there are also many other cultures that are more in harmony with nature and the cycles of the earth. because you live in a part of the world that has a long history of the 'jesus' religion it's easy for you to think that way. http://www.geocities.com/abecedarius/Religions.html isiaha god is not a universal truth either. why don't you read the question. the christian says, i must be right, coz i can quote the bible. SDW truth is extremely subjective. it's a matter of perspective. the same for reality. i don't have any answers i'm afraid, but i doubt anyone does. not even christians. they, more than most seem to be clutching at straws. mrglass0 missionaries forcing their god on primatuve cultures isn't something i would be proud of.

who-ever answers the most gets 10 points!!!!? Explain polarity. How is polarity related to surface tension ? What does soap do to the surface tension of water? How is polarity related to capillary attraction? Give two examples of places where water moves upward by capillary attraction in nature. Why does water rise higher in thinner capillary tubes? How does polarity affect solubility? Give examples of nutrients that are dissolved in lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Describe a soap molecule's ability to dissolve water and oil. Describe the phase changes that occur in the water cycle How does freezing water contribute to the weathering of rocks? Define density. What causes ocean currents? How does a fish's swim bladder affect its ability to change depths? Why does ice float? In which phase is water the most dense? the least dense? Explain how detergents are related to eutrophication. Why is water called the "universal solvent"?

PCR to check clones: M13/T7 SP6 primers? I want to do a quick PCR to check that my clones have an insert. I have universal M13 f+r, SP6 and T7 primers at my disposal: does anyone have cycling temperatures for doing this, with a combination of 2 of the above (for pGEM-T)?

Whats your zodiac sign? here are some characteristics of all of the signs? Ruler: Mars / Element: Fire / Mode: Cardinal Pole: Positive / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Unbridled expression of your inner nature; activity that is self-motivated, unaffected by others; new beginnings, the start of new cycles, birth; enthusiasm and vitality. Aggressive, willful, powerful, assertive; enthusiastic about whatever interests you at the moment, focused in short bursts, unlikely to sustain interest in the long term; ego expression; adventurious, pioneering; Warrior-type energy; impatient with having to cooperate with others, works best alone or in leadership role; unconcerned with approval or acceptance; lacks persistance and stamina; honest and forthright, "what you see is what you get", not given to airs or pretenses; the first expression (or incarnation ) of spirit within a new cycle on the physical plane. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taurus Ruler: Venus / Element: Earth / Mode: Fixed Pole: Negative / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Grounding, bringing down to earth; constancy, steadiness, fixedness; spirit becoming embodied, entering matter, taking on a form; a vessel or container for spiritual forces. Earthy, grounded, in touch with the body; sensual, pleasure seeking; stubborn, fixed, stands their ground; focuses and concentrates energy, gives it concrete expression, practical, provides stamina and persistance; slow, steady, methodical; fertile, productive; unreflective, content to simply be; spirit becoming involved with the material world. Top - Bottom - BPI Home - Astrology - FE - Nav Tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gemini Ruler: Mercury / Element: Air / Mode: Mutable Pole: Positive / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Curiousity, cleverness, skill, communication; making connections with surroundings, trying to "figure things out"; the first display of intelligence by embodied spirit. Talkative ("a Gemini is born with a telephone in each hand!"), communicative, sociable; loves to interact with others (at least on a superficial level); unemotional, impersonal, ruled by "rationality"; requires great mental stimulation, curious to a fault; playful, the Trickster, the Devil's Advocate; changable, inconstant, attention easily drifts to something new, seeks novelty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cancer Ruler: Moon / Element: Water / Mode: Cardinal Pole: Negative / Third: Primordial / Half: Subjective Nurturing, support, belonging, emotional bonds; your roots, source, ground of your being; the unconscious, feelings, emotion; the Great Mother, Universal Womb; spirit's first emotional attachments to the world. Mothering, emotional and physical nurturance; experiences and imprinting during infancy and childhood; family, ancestors, heritage, relationships to the past; belonging, feeling "at home"; maternal love, caring; feeling supported by the world, that your needs are provided for; insecurities and fears if your needs haven't been fulfilled; possessiveness, "twisted love", inability to nurture others are negative expressions. Top - Bottom - BPI Home - Astrology - FE - Nav Tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leo Ruler: Sun / Element: Fire / Mode: Fixed Pole: Positive / Third: Individual / Half: Subjective Spirit entering the realm of the individual person; ego development, setting yourself apart from the rest of the world, becoming your own person; self-expression, being true to your inner nature, acting from the heart; dawning awareness of self in relation to others. Ego, self-centered, arrogant; fixed, stubborn, persistant; artistic or creative expression as a vehicle for revealing "who I am"; needs to be a center of attention, requires acknowledgment and approval, likes to be noticed and appreciated ("ego-strokes"); personal integrity, true to self, honorable, trustworthy; kingly, self-assured, confident. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virgo Ruler: Mercury / Element: Earth / Mode: Mutable Pole: Negative / Third: Individual / Half: Subjective Embodiment of the individual in the world; problems of adjustment dealing with the world and others; perfection of your approach to life, development of mundane skills; ability to change to adapt to life better. Service, helping, self-effacing; perfectionist, always seeking to improve, efficiency; practical, functional, interested in crafts and projects; true to self in a simple, unassuming manner; reacts to defeats and setbacks by pulling back and altering approach, lacks confidence in the face of opposition; lives up to duties and responsiblities; interested in maintaining the body as a fit vehicle; diet, exercise, herbs, etc.; aware of conflicts with others, of the give and take required by life. Top - Bottom - BPI Home - Astrology - FE - Nav Tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Libra Ruler: Venus / Element: Air / Mode: Cardinal Pole: Positive / Third: Individual / Half: Objective Spirit as individual entering into relationship with others; partnership, one-to-one relationships, meeting others as an equal, interdependency; encountering repressed parts of yourself through others (via projection); going beyond ego boundaries; peace, harmony, balance; social awareness. Partners, marriage; learning how to get along peacably with others, treating others as equals; "I vs. You", conflict, enemies; art, beauty, harmonious surroundings; distressed by stressful, inharmonious interactions; intimacy; people in counseling professions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scorpio Ruler: Pluto / Element: Water / Mode: Fixed Pole: Negative / Third: Individual / Half: Objective Transformation, change, ego-death, rebirth, transcendence; intense emotional involvement with the process of personal growth; movement from individual certainties to the "mysteries of life"; spirit breaking through the limitations of individual ego. Intense, passionate, brooding, magnetic; stubborn, unyielding, driven by emotions; stands up for self, usually covertly, manipulates power; understands deeper layers of the psyche beyond the ego, unable to communicate this well leading to misunderstandings; intrigued by the "dark side" of life; the underground, people whose job involves going beneath surface appearances; sexuality, especially the transformative power of the orgasm; self-mastery, breaking free of illusory limitations, the Hero. Top - Bottom - BPI Home - Astrology - FE - Nav Tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sagittarius Ruler: Jupiter / Element: Fire / Mode: Mutable Pole: Positive / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit moving beyond the realm of the individual into the world at large; becoming a member of a wider society; experiences that lead to consciousness expansion, being receptive to new points of view, wisdom, enlightenment; using your talents for the benefit of the greater whole. Freedom loving, idealist, unfettered by "small thinking"; inspiration; religion, philosophy, the law; awareness of your connections to the rest of the world; can be distant from others, afraid to give up freedom, reluctant to be tied down; on the other hand, aware of the value of the social contract; enthusiastic, gregarious, generous; loves abstract, theoretical ideas, sees the big picture, ignores the details; in love with an ideal; foreign travel, liberating experiences. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capricorn Ruler: Saturn / Element: Earth / Mode: Cardinal Pole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit's attempt to bring about the perfect society, to create heaven on earth; making practical, efficient connections with others on the physical plane; ambitious, feels pride in accomplishments; concern with truth, reality, "hard facts"; relationship to authority. Serious, determined, disciplined, focused; needs to play more; fathering, disciplining love; authority figures; seeks certainties in life, wants things "cast in concrete"; the Businessman, concerned with the practical relationships to support yourself within society; not interested in "blue sky" ideas, needs to bring theory into concrete reality; "knowing the rules and playing the game"; making a niche in the world. Top - Bottom - BPI Home - Astrology - FE - Nav Tips -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aquarius Ruler: Uranus / Element: Air / Mode: Fixed Pole: Positive / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Spirit's attempt to create ideal relationships and organizations, based on freedom and cooperation between individuals; free-thinking, unorthodox, not shackled by outdated ideology; the perfection of society. Even though ideas are often far-sighted, they can be held and expressed in rigid, dogmatic fashion (this is a fixed sign, afterall!); "everyone should be free to be just like me!"; idealistic, utopian; derives sense of identity from groups and their goals, tends to dominate them; impersonal thinking, detached from emotional considerations; produces "humanitarian without compassion"; friendships based on common goal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pisces Ruler: Neptune / Element: Water / Mode: Mutable Pole: Negative / Third: Universal / Half: Objective Surrender to the universe, to higher goals; ego sacrifice; compassion and empathy, selfless work; seeing the unity of all things; the ends of cycles, forming "seeds" for the next cycle of growth; spirit as individual dissolving back into pure spirit. Mysticism, escape into the One; sees the unity, fails to make "normal" distinctions, often weak ego; victim, martyr, servant; tends to escapism, fantasy, drugs (especially alcohol), religion; very receptive, sensitive, even psychic; co-dependency, care-taking; withdrawn from the world; release from the world. um, the first sign before taurus is Aries~sorry ran out of space~~~I hope this helps a little also, do you agree with the "traits"? that your sign contains

whover can answer these gets ten points!!!!? 1.Explain polarity. 2.How is polarity related to surface tension ? 3.What does soap do to the surface tension of water? 4.How is polarity related to capillary attraction? 5.Give two examples of places where water moves upward by capillary attraction in nature. 6.Why does water rise higher in thinner capillary tubes? 7.How does polarity affect solubility? 8.Give examples of nutrients that are dissolved in lakes, rivers, and the ocean. 9.Describe a soap molecule's ability to dissolve water and oil. 10.Describe the phase changes that occur in the water cycle 11.How does freezing water contribute to the weathering of rocks? 12.Define density. 13.What causes ocean currents? 14.How does a fish's swim bladder affect its ability to change depths? 15.Why does ice float? 16.In which phase is water the most dense? the least dense? 17.Explain how detergents are related to eutrophication. 18.Why is water called the "universal solvent"?

unigo motor cycle trailer? Hi Michael S. Are you UK or over the pond? have you had any problems with the universal joint on the hitch link arm?

What do you guys think of this? Your physical matter is a vehicle to your immortal Soul. Life is hard due to a very simple explanation. The Universal laws of cause and effect due to human interaction and choices of others and yourself. You have been given free will to discover yourself. Therefore you learn through mistakes. The worse it gets the better. Because you become the Wiser. Remember the Sun always rises the next day. Put your Past behind you and ask yourself: What have you learned through your choices? What would you do different the next time around? Once you catch on to this pattern, you start to gain wisdom through experience. And experience can only be learned through a physical reality. This is why your Soul incarnates into physical form, to experience life. There are others that are closer to creation through this natural development. The Universal Laws consist of everything. There is a natural order of things. For example, watch how a flock of birds cooperate when flying through the sky. This true interaction is the same for every other living thing. When Universal Laws or Natural laws are broken, many bad things happen. It is literally a Hell created by you and everyone else around you. The only way to break this cycle is to sort out your actions and determine or visualize your desired outcome. Focus on where you want to go from here. The best way to do this is through meditation. Your inner voice is God. The answers will flow inside of you. The worst mistake you can make is to logically practically without heart or feelings determine that all there is, is a material physical response. There are many layers and layers of complexity in the Universe. But the true Celestial essence of yourself, creation, is heard and felt through Love. Breathe in Love. Breathe out Peace. This is the only way to clear your mind and feel the love of you, creation. You will live each life over and over again refining yourself. Gaining wisdom. Contributing to the expansion of the Universe. This is the ultimate goal for God. Expanding and creating. The biggest destroyer in spirituality is the mind. Put that to the side and feel Joy and Love. Negativity is a disease. It will kill your true identity in a heart beat. The wrath of Hell will always Nip at your Flesh until you give into Love and Peace. The warm vibrating energy will then be felt and you will then be on the right path to enlightenment. Don't let the negativity of others and yourself bring you down. You must always avoid that way of thinking no matter what. Only you can obtain inner peace. No one else can do it for you. Your spiritual development will help connect you to new opportunities that will help you go into a more positive direction. Do not lose hope. I Bless You. I wish you the best. Go in peace and discover new positive life experiences. If you want to learn more about manifestation and abundance, you must first learn the first steps to meditation and spirituality. There is a way, you can be anything you want to be. But first you must win the first battle. The battle with yourself.

The truth of 2012? I've noticed on here many people have been asking about the Mayan Calender ending December 21, 2012. 2012 is NOT the end of the world and I would suggest you stay away from any books telling you how you could survive. Huge Scam. 2012 in Mayan calender is when Quetzalcoatl, the mayan feathered serpent their god is to return to earth and unite all of mine kind into a universal belief. It's also the darkest day of the year and its the end of a 5000 year cycle when all of the planets align on the milky way. Anyways, I thought I'd clear this up. IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

How do you define God? I define God as: Universal Divine Principle, the root of ALL, from which all proceeds, and within which all shall be absorbed at the end of the great cycle of Being.

diff betn flashdrive & pendrive? A USB flash drive consists of a NAND-type flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, much shorter than a floppy disk (1 to 4 inches or 2.5 to 10 cm), and weigh less than 2 ounces (56 g). Storage capacities typically range from 64 MB to 64 GB[1] with steady improvements in size and price per gigabyte. Some allow 1 million write or erase cycles[2][3] and have 10-year data retention,[4] connected by USB 1.1 or USB 2.0. USB flash drives offer potential advantages over other portable storage devices, particularly the floppy disk. They have a more compact shape, operate faster, hold much more data, have a more durable design, and operate more reliably due to their lack of moving parts. Additionally, it has become increasingly common for computers to ship without floppy disk drives. USB ports, on the other hand, appear on almost every current mainstream PC and laptop. These types of drives use the USB mass storage standard, supported natively by modern operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. USB drives with USB 2.0 support can also operate faster than an optical disc drive, while storing a larger amount of data in a much smaller space. Nothing actually moves in a flash drive: the term drive persists because computers read and write flash-drive data using the same system commands as for a mechanical disk drive, with the storage appearing to the computer operating system and user interface as just another drive.[3] A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberised case, robust enough for carrying with no additional protection — in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. The USB connector is protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive, although it is not liable to be damaged if exposed. Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing plugging into a port on a personal computer

What do you think of worship of the Earth,or these prayers,...?

whoever can answer these gets 10 points!!!!!? 1.Explain polarity. 2.How is polarity related to surface tension ? 3.What does soap do to the surface tension of water? 4.How is polarity related to capillary attraction? 5.Give two examples of places where water moves upward by capillary attraction in nature. 6.Why does water rise higher in thinner capillary tubes? 7.How does polarity affect solubility? 8.Give examples of nutrients that are dissolved in lakes, rivers, and the ocean. 9.Describe a soap molecule's ability to dissolve water and oil. 10.Describe the phase changes that occur in the water cycle 11.How does freezing water contribute to the weathering of rocks? 12.Define density. 13.What causes ocean currents? 14.How does a fish's swim bladder affect its ability to change depths? 15.Why does ice float? 16.In which phase is water the most dense? the least dense? 17.Explain how detergents are related to eutrophication. 18.Why is water called the "universal solvent"?

Can you give me an example of each? Can you give me an example of each?? I'm making a little study guide for my test. 1) Polarity- attraction of water molecules. 2) Surface tension- the tightness across the surface of water caused by polar molecules expanding 3) capillary action- combined force of attraction among water molecules and the molecules of surrounding objects. Capillary action allows water to move through objects with pores inside. 4) universal solvent- water is a universal solvent because it dissolves many substances 5) water cycle- evaporation, condensation, precipitation I need 5 examples. Thanks!