I love his Holiness. I think his ideas on neuroscience are spot on. I was a little perturbed when I began reading about how neuroscientists are concerned about the "slippery slope" of religion and science and didn't want his holiness attending and/or speaking at neuroscience engagments.
His Holiness has been actively interested in neuroscience for over 15 years. I doubt he would take an all religion and no science perspective.
Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about Thom's experience's with the Dalai Lama.
Thanks for the heads up.
Because people with no hopes are easy to control ~ The Neverending Story
Posts: 5455 | Location: East Bay | Registered: 25 July 2001
It is naive to not take into account the Dalai Lama's longstanding ties to the CIA, to Senator Jesse Helms, to Augusto Pinochet, his support of the Sri Lankan government and his whitewashing of their repression of the Tamils, and a whole lot of other issues. He has never been allied with any leftist cause. He has always lined up with a bunch of reactionaries. He was just with Bush! What does that tell you? Wake up, people, and stop being taken in by these Hollywood inspired theatrics.
I have a question. Penn and Teller had a presentation on the net from their TV program Bullshit which claimed that the Dali Lama ran a serfdom, used slaves to satisfy the needs of the Monks and was generally not to good to the people of Tibet. The video has been removed from the net. The Chinese have increased private ownership of land and supported the establishment of farming communities since the take over.
Any of this accurate? If it is, the Dali Lama is just another tyrant with a good line of bullshit.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
I've looked a long time for the special they did on the Dali Lama and Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa built an organization similar to Hospice in India. The problem was that she believed that to go to heaven you had to suffer. Her houses for the dieing in India were houses where they dumped people on beds and didn't allow them to get out of bed. I guess that's better than lying on the street. What she was best at was raising money, most of which went to the church to take care of her fellow nuns. At least according to Pen and Teller.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Morris Hintzman. He runs Metropolitan Ministries near downtown Tampa. For years he's run a homeless shelter, fed the homeless for the holidays and provided presents for under privileged kids. I helped him get his commercial kitchen together in his new building a few years ago.
I admire everyone connected to Hospice. My mother died last year under their care. They are all special people.
The CEO from Outback Steakhouse who is a personal friend has each one of their over thousand restaurants become involved in charitable fund raising every year. His efforts have raised countless millions for Pediatric cancer and Cystic Fibrosis.
I don't know enough personally to like or dislike the Dali Lama or Mother Theresa. There are questions to be answered though.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Magnet and Olasky based their views on the Christian doctrine of original sin. Olasky writes: “Man is sinful and likely to want something for nothing. … Man’s sinful nature leads to indolence … appetite and lust and idleness.” (Olasky, Renewing American Compassion, 64, 41). They assume that poor peoples' sins are the root cause of their poverty and that, as such, traditional religion is ultimately the only cure for poverty.
Sue N.
Posts: 4624 | Location: UK | Registered: 16 November 2004
Compassionate conservatism is another phrase for social liberal who likes the military.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Compassionate conservatism seems to me to be compassion with judgement and strings. It's more religious than political.
I admire people who help others, but not those who do it as a way to evanglise or to show they are "better" than others, like the Pharisee in Luke 18.
I've always tended to avoid Christian-based charities as a result, and give to those whose sole focus is helping others, and helping them to help themselves where possible.
There are indeed some wonderful people out there.
Sue N.
Posts: 4624 | Location: UK | Registered: 16 November 2004
Originally posted by Sawdust: I've looked a long time for the special they did on the Dali Lama and Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa built an organization similar to Hospice in India. The problem was that she believed that to go to heaven you had to suffer. Her houses for the dieing in India were houses where they dumped people on beds and didn't allow them to get out of bed. I guess that's better than lying on the street. What she was best at was raising money, most of which went to the church to take care of her fellow nuns. At least according to Pen and Teller.
Catholic teaching, Sawdust, doesn't include that a person must suffer to go to heaven. Her quote regarding this was, "you can see Christ in His distressing disguise in the suffering of the poor".
If you want to know about the Dhali Llama, his beliefs, teachings, and what he has done in life, there are many books written by him and about him. I just finished reading a biography on the Dhali Llama and returned it to the library today.
He also appeared at the Bhuddhist Center here in Colorado where I went to hear him speak several years ago.
The Dhali Llama receives a stipend from the Indian government for food, clothing, etc...47 cents a day. He is head of the Tibetan Government in exile which functions under a democratically elected council.
Retired Monk "Ideology is a disease"
Posts: 3412 | Location: denver co | Registered: 17 April 2007
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Me too. Then there are those who spend their time trying to drag people down. Why not all work to be as good (however you define it) as we can be ourselves, and to help others do the same if they can?
Sue N.
Posts: 4624 | Location: UK | Registered: 16 November 2004
I admire people who help others, but not those who do it as a way to evanglise or to show they are "better" than others, like the Pharisee in Luke 18.
The above narrative sure sounds like a statement to drag someone down. Hartmann's entire radio career is predicated on draging down neo-conservatism and Bush. Of course, it is always holy writ when your guru uses it, but anathema when held up against your agenda.
Anymore contradictions you care to share with us?
Oh, and speaking about the Pharisee in Luke did you ever take a look at Hartmann's resume offered on this site? Or have you ever heard him proudly offer his background in his discussions on the radio?
There is more than enough hubris going around. Maybe someday you will wake up to that fact.
Posts: 1162 | Location: Boulder Creek Watershed | Registered: 14 February 2004
What is so is what is so. If that brings someone down, I guess it does.
I'm more concerned with how a person's actions in the present are effecting things, not their actions in the past. Thom's actions in the present are more beneficial than harmful.
I used to be the most conservative jerk I know, now I have a total disconnect with that sort of thing.
I was once a millionaire. Now I have a vow of poverty. Does previous wealth mean a vow of poverty in the present is irrelevant? Nope. Just that I went from one extreme to another as a total repulsion of what I was becoming, whom I was associating with, and the immorality of a hidden class warfare.
This was brought home to me at a peace demonstration when I read a sign, "It's only class warfare when you fight back". "Globalization" is a one-sided battle. More are being driven into poverty by it than are being lifed from it. Mexico being the closest example where living standards are dropping, not rising...just like here.
Thom is where Thom is at in his life...and no life is static unless one chooses to make it so.
Retired Monk "Ideology is a disease"
Posts: 3412 | Location: denver co | Registered: 17 April 2007
Joseph Campbell d. 1982, historian of mythology and author, had been a good friend of Jerry(?) Lucas the producer of the Star Wars movies. In fact, the famous interviews with Bill Moyers were conducted at Lucas' ranch in Texas prior to his death.
To Campbell in his writings, the path is well known.
Emmerson was a literary figure. And I believe literary styles will always be changing...what he might have been saying about paths could be an aphorism like, "don't beat your head against a brick wall," or maybe the entire reference is in error.
Posts: 582 | Location: New York City | Registered: 13 February 2007
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