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The World is Our Body, Gaia is Our Mind
August 24, 2007 at 4:08 pm (Buddhism, Gaia, belief, civilisation, climate change, conservation, earth, earthquake, environment, general, global warming, global warming fears, love, nature, philosophy, religion, science, spirituality, thoughts)
In Buddha teaching, human body are made of mind and matter. The matter are make up of four elements, ie soil, water, fire and air. Our Earth, is also make up of this four elements.
Thus, soil is our Earth’s skin, the water on earth is just like our bloodstream, and air our breath. The fire is our sun, evaporating water and regulating the weather.
Our earth regulates its own temperature, oxygen levels, CO2 level, etc, much like our own human body controls temperature and rebuilds its parts constantly. If our body regulation is inbalance, we will have fever. Similary if the earth temperature was not properly regulated, our earth will have fever. Human body are operate exactly like our earth. When human die, our physical body will return to our mother earth as soil, water, fire and earth. So, we are part of the earth. Human species are the only special with moral intelligence, therefore our mind, human being mind are the mind of Gaia (The Greek earth Godness). So, without love, morality and ethics from the individual person, it is difficult to devise a sustainable environmental.
Accordingly, if we take the notion that “The world is our body”, then Gaia is our mind and conscience. Without our love of our body – planet, How can we maintain our health ?
Do We Need a God’s Megaphone To Rouse a Deaf World ?
August 18, 2007 at 9:51 am (Buddhism, Lord of Miracle, Mahayana, Sri Langka tsunami, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, belief, climate change, earth, earthquake, environment, general, global warming, global warming fears, inspiration, love, love other, nature, philosophy, religion, science, spirituality, thoughts, tsunami, 慈济)
After writing about the Lord of Miracle of Christ that happen in Peru 350 years ago, I recalled those email that I received about the miracles that happen in 2004 Dec 26 Tsunami in Sri Langka. It is true that many Buddha statues was escaped from the destruction by the wave of Tsunami. The point I wish to bring up is not about the Miracle of Buddha. The interesting story begin with this…
When the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, there was a statue of the Buddha in the town of Galle, which didn’t topple when the waves rushed over it near the bus terminal. A Buddhist monk considered it as a sign. He said, ‘The people are not living according to religious virtues. Nature has given them some punishment because they’re not following the path of the Lord Buddha. The people have to learn their lesson.’
And a Roman Catholic priest cast the blame even wider. ‘This is a punishment from God, because everybody’s leading a wretched life’, he said. ‘All of us are to be blamed for the tsunami, there’s no sense of modesty or religiosity any more. People have gone so far away from God, it’s the message to say “.
A fishman from the fishing village said, ‘The mother has butchered her own children’, ’Either there is no God, or God must be cruel to do this.’
Many of the victims are asking, “Why us? Why me? Why my childrens ? Why my parents ? Other interesting features was the Christians and Hindus in India started co-operating with each other when a year ago they were fighting each other. And when Buddhists and Tamils in Sri Lanka started doing the same.
Is it true that altruism only trumps selfishness when we have to face a common adversity and drastic tragedy like this ?
Is it true that ’Pain and suffering are ‘God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’ a quote from C.S.Lewis. Can’t we human work on the same goal on our climate change issues rather than fighting each others concept and argue about data ? Do we need a God’s Megaphone ?
Ref :
1. http://in.news.yahoo.com/050110/137/2ix3h.html
Looking at Peru Quake History
August 17, 2007 at 5:29 pm (Lima, Lord of Miracle, Peru, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, earth, earthquake, environment, nature, religion, science, 慈济)
More than 500 people have been killed and 1,500 injured after a powerful earthquake hit the coast of Peru on16-Aug-2007. The quake - measured 7.9 on the Richter scale struck near the capital, Lima.
Peru has a long history of deadly quakes and tsunamis due to its location near a subduction zone, the area where two tectonic plates meet.
The last earthquake of magnitude 8.1 on the Richter scale strike Peru in 23-June 2001, when 75 people were killed and 68 missing around the southern Andean city of Arequipa.
The most deadiest quake from Peru was in 31 May 1970 when 70,000 people were killed in ensuing mudslides in Huaraz in the central Andes. It registered 7.8 on the Richter scale. Damage was estimated at approximately $1 billion, and about 1 million persons were left homeless.
The second deadliest recorded earthquake in Peru struck Lima too in October 1746, almost destroying the city of Lima and Callo. 18,000 death. Callao, a sea-port town, a giant Tsunami hit the port. Callao was swallowed up by the sea and basically vanished.
In between this history, there is a story about a wall painting of Christ by a slave in 1651. The wall painting was not destructed by 2 majors earthquake prior to this 1746 earthquake. Because of this story, in every Oct month, the Peruvian will celebrated the Lord of Miracle.
Ref :
1. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/peru/history.php
Lunar July is Auspicious Month and Not Ghost Month
August 14, 2007 at 2:33 pm (Buddhism, Mahayana, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, belief, earth, environment, ghost month, global warming, religion, science, spirituality, supertitious, thoughts, 慈济)
In Buddhism, the seventh lunar month is a month of joy, delight and auspicious. This is because the fifteen day of the seventh month is the Buddha’s joyful day and the day of rejoice for monks.
When the Buddha was alive at India 2500 years ago, the seventh month is the rainy season like what is happening in India now too. Buddha ask his disciples not to go out for alms instead stay in the monastery for meditation and Dhamma discussion. Upon completion of the three months retreat, on the fifteen day of the seventh month, the number of monks who attained enlightenment and improved in Dhamma was high, the Buddha was very joyful. Thus this is the month of joy, delight and auspicious.
At the same day, one of the Buddha chief disciple, Mahāmaudgalyāyana. (Chinese. 目連, Mulian, Pāli Mahāmoggallāna) eased his mother’s suffering from the hell through offering of foods to the Sangha. Through the merits created, Mahāmaudgalyāyana’s mother gained a human birth.
Due to Chinese cultural influence, the offering of foods became directed towards ancestors rather than the Sangha but now the ancestor worship has now transform to burning of paper money, paper houses, paper TV, paper DVD, paper handphone, paper camera and etc to their ancestors who they believed still reside in hell.
Those who are educated, please stop this kind of supertitious belief and practise to your next generation. Do explain the origin of the story to your parents about this supertitious belief . Burning paper money openly will only increase damages to our environment and increase global warming and burning your real money. Non of our ancestor will received your money and relief from the hell.
Why Not Go Vegetarian ?
August 11, 2007 at 4:48 pm (Buddhism, civilisation, climate change, conservation, earth, environment, global warming, global warming fears, science, spirituality, thoughts, vegetarian, water scarcity)
Many know that the other most important non-CO2 greenhouse gas is methane, and the number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture.
Methane is responsible for nearly as much global warming as all other non-CO2 greenhouse gases put together. Methane is 21 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2. While atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have risen by about 31% since pre-industrial times, methane concentrations have more than doubled.
The number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture. Animal agriculture produces more than 100 million tons of methane a year.
The root of farming livestock is the demand of human desire. This addiction from the mouth is poisoning and depleting our potable water, land, and clean air. Forests are being bulldozed for factory farms and feed crops to feed farmed animals. Farmed animals consume 70 percent of the corn, wheat, and other grains that we grow.
The conclusion is simple: one of the best way to reduce global warming in our lifetimes is to reduce or eliminate our consumption of animal products. Simply by going vegetarian (or stop eating beef, pork and chicken). Just a simple determination from the heart, and everyone can do it, why not we all start immediately ?
Ref . 1. saveearth.org
Is Global Warming Really Happening ?
August 9, 2007 at 4:45 pm (civilisation, climate change, conservation, earth, environment, general, global warming, global warming fears, love, nature, penguin, philosophy)
Is global warming really happening ? Scientist and ecologist would know the easiest way to find prove is at the poles, namely the Arctic and Antarctica. Scientist found that the population of emperor Penguin is half what was thirty years ago, while the number of Adelie penguins has decline by 70%. Krill is the food for the Penguin has been reduced due to changes in the sea ice cover that was home for the Krill and overfished by the new vacuum technology in fishery which suck out the Krill even in deep sea.
Penguins are literally starving to death as a result of krill depletion. In the absence of some dramatic changes these species may be sacrificed on the altar of human progress.
According to experts we have ten years to reverse the current trend before the build-up for greenhouse gases becomes irreversible. Ten Years !
Ref :
1. Video of “March of The Penguin”, http://wip.warnerbros.com/marchofthepenguins/
2. Above Photo is the courtesy of warnerbros inc.
19 Million displaced due to heavy monsoon floods
August 4, 2007 at 2:09 pm (Tzu Chi, TzuChi, civilisation, climate change, conservation, earth, environment, general, global warming, global warming fears, nature, poverty, science)
So far, 19 million resident have to be displaced, 166 dead after heavy monsoon floods in India, Bangladesh.
“I have not seen such flooding in the last 24 years. It’s a sheet of water everywhere,” said Santosh Mishra, a resident of Gonda district in India’s Uttar Pradesh state.
In New Delhi, India’s Meteorological Department said unusual monsoon patterns this year led to heavier than usual rains. “We’ve been getting constant rainfall in these areas for nearly 20 days,” said B.P. Yadav, a spokesman for the department.
‘Compared to the 280 millimetres of rains we recorded during all of the last monsoon, we received 873 millimetres in July alone. It’s raining non-stop,’ said Mr Sharma.
‘There is just nothing left to eat,’ said drenched farmer Ashish Thakur in submerged Kaanti village in Darbhanga district.
‘People are fighting for food like dogs, I have no strength left,’ the farmer wept, hugging his two hungry children and shivering wife.
Is the heavier rainfall related to global warming ? Environment scientist claim that with each additional degree Celsius added by the global warming, the planet gets an extra 7% of water into its atmosphere. [3]
Ref :
1. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/02/asia/AS-GEN-South-Asia-Monsoon-Floods.php
2. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Asia/STIStory_145110.html
3. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Global-Warming-Means-In-Fact-More-Rains-56209.shtml
4. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/RMS/june99/papers/nachtnebel.pdf
5. http://www.livescience.com/environment/051116_water_shortage.html
Restrain Ourself and Resume Manners & Etiquette
August 2, 2007 at 3:45 pm (Buddhism, Tzu Chi, TzuChi, civilisation, climate change, conservation, earth, environment, general, global warming, inspiration, nature, philosophy, science, thoughts, water scarcity, 慈济)
Restrain and conserve might not good for the economy, but it makes good economic sense. We always heard about “A dollar saved is a dollar earned”, the same concept apply. “A kilowatt-hour saved is a kilowatt-hour earned.”, “A kilo-liter water saved is a kilo-liter water earned.”
Whenever I was tempted to spend, I will think about the above phrase : Restrain ourself, restrain ourself and this definitely help us to reduce spending, reduce usage, reduce pollution hence reduce CO2.
This is what everyone of us can do to reduce CO2 and also prevent being trap into the debt slavery in this debt based monetory system society.
Low Water Pricing Give Public a Wrong Sign
July 30, 2007 at 2:31 pm (conservation, earth, environment, global warming, science, water scarcity)
My July water bill is RM5 (USD1.5). Malaysia water tariff is here. http://www.pba.com.my/. I think this might be one of the lowest rate in the world. Many countries where low water price is giving the public the wrong perception that water is cheap and abundant. I am sad seeing some people do not know know how to appreciate water, like leaving the water tap open when brushing teeth, leaving the water tap open when combing their hair.
In fact, we shall not view water to be a gift of nature that should basically be granted for everyone. We shall be thankful for the goverment for subsidising the water and in return we shall use our water more efficiently and effectively without waste. Not to wait till the goverment to impose penalty by raising water price.
