Buddhist Jihad

"There Cannot Be Outer Disarmament Without Inner Disarmament"

Matthieu Ricard.

Society does not need the kind of forgiving that goes with lack of concern, leniency, or, even worse, that is an endorsement of the evil that has been done to others.  That would leave the door open for the same horrors to happen again.  Society needs forgiveness so that grudges, venom and hatred that will inevitably mature into new sufferings are not perpetuated.  Hate devastates our minds and causes us to devastate others’ lives.  Forgiving means breaking the cycle of hatred.

As an individual can fall prey to hatred, so can a whole society.  Yet hatred can disappear from people’s minds.  A stream can become polluted and poisonous, yet it can be purified again.  Without the possibility of inner change, humankind would be caught in an inescapable whirlpool of evil, a self-defeating despair.

A Buddhist saying goes, “the only good thing about evil is that it can be purified.”  Human beings can change, and if someone has truly changed, forgiveness is not indulgence toward his past deeds, but an acknowledgment of what he has become.  Thus, forgiveness is intimately linked with the possibility of human transformation.

From a Buddhist point of view, the basic goodness of a human being remains deep within, even if he or she deviates into a very malevolent person.  The simile given is that of a piece of gold, which remains unchanged even when buried in filth.  There is always a possibility of cleansing the filth.  This does not amount to ignoring the base quality of the filth, but to knowing that it can be removed and that the gold within it can shine again."

Unmistaken Child

Film about a search for a tulku.

Fake Christians Concede Defeat

Well, it's a beginning.

Jesus Wept -- for Pastor Anderson

Here's some proud loud anti-Jesus'-Golden-Rule-y stuff from the "Faithful Word Baptist Church" listeners.

My favorite (so far) is this "God is Love! [NOT]" comment from Pastor Steven L. Anderson, in which he criticizes the GODHATESFAGS crowd for being insufficiently hard on teh gays:

Reply by Steven L Anderson on March 2, 2009 at 10:20am

What is ironic is that they actually believe that homos can be saved if they repent of their homosexuality.

Therefore, they actually have nothing in common with us.

Jesus wept!

Happy Tibetan New Year

Losar greetings from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.

Why Buddha Taught About Non-Attachment

Person at Hong Kong airport expressing disappointment at arriving too late to catch flight.

Republican Jesus

Compulsory reading at Jesus' General:  Republican Jesus.

Transformational Tourism in Nepal

Well, this sounds like fun.

A Christmas Message from A Self-Styled Christian

Hands up, boys and girls.  Who thinks that friendly neighborhood christian has some issues?  Many related to bad language and sexuality.  And spelling!

How many here know what the Golden Rule is?

How many here think that friendly neighborhood christian practices the Golden Rule?

Hmm?

"Hi buddhist Jihad Im ur friendly neighborhood christian and I just wanted to say "Fuck u" :D

Buddism is satanic and openly contradicts the bible's teachings. Another thing yes the bible contradicts itself cuz of the contradictory situations that present themselves which void something being moral in a imoral situation. So have a nice fucking day u fucking hipocritical slang mouthed slurred morally up the ass acting to be self rightious incorrect son of Buddhist bitch who has yet to reveal any light on the subject....

and fuck all 2 faced christians!! Go rape a farm animal pieces of shit and get off our duaghters preteen pussy i belive in God's rage of the old testament so im guna shoot ur ass if u finger my duaghter faggots!

To all those who love God and rebuke Satan

Don't worry im not normally a Christian DICK...but sometimes in life u have to get on an ASSHOLES LEVEL to be understood by an ASSHOLE

and to the realistsJesus loves u so Keep The Faith

:)

Posted by: Buddhist Ji-wad | December 09, 2008 at 01:33 PM

How do we respond?

Oh, how about verse 16 of "What a Bodhisattva Does"


All that is hurtful is like a jewel-treasure
To the bodhisattva who wants the pleasures of virtue.
Thus, to cultivate patience
Without anger or resentment
Toward anyone at all
Is the practice of a bodhisattva.

Merry Tibetan Buddhist Christmas

Ho ho ho.

Celebrating the Buddhist parts of Christmas: 

Peace on earth, good will to men.  That sort of thing.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness,

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind                                    free from passion, aggression and ignorance.

.

.

(This means you, too, George.  Dick.  Rummy. You know who you are.)

.

Special Christmas hat-tip to Jesus' General, Advice From Abu Shri, and Wealth Bondage.

Celebrating the Buddhist parts of Christmas: 

Peace on earth, good will to men.  That sort of thing.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness,

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind                                    free from passion, aggression and ignorance.

.

.

(This means you, too, George.  Dick.  Rummy. You know who you are.)

.

Special Christmas hat-tip to Jesus' General, Advice From Abu Shri, and Wealth Bondage.

Torture Widespread, Routine in Tibet

What a surprise.  Thanks a lot, Red China!

HuffPo Writer Blogs on "Top Ten Buddhist Teachers in the USA"

Here.

New Christian-Buddhist Dialogue

Here are some recent comments from a self-proclaimed Christian 9possibly connected to liberty.edu) who cannot spell "Buddhist" correctly, and claims to be "deeply interested" in answers to his or her questions. 

"I finnaly find [how long have you been looking?}  a self proclaimed Budhist [Buddhist] . Ok. I am deeply interested in an answer to the following questions;

1. Do any Budhists [Buddhists] , that you know of, believe in a single God?  [No.  Buddhism is a non-theistic religion.]

I mean as in monotheism. Are there any that attempt to at least mix monotheism with their religion?  [No.  Buddhism is a non-theistic religion.]

1. What are the differing views Buudhists [Buddhists] have on abortion? Do they differ on this?  [Yes, they do. In general, most would fall in the "safe, legal, and rare" camp.]

Im am interesting[you must mean 'interested']  in knowing the actual diversity amongst real Buddhists. Kind or mean [There are kind Buddhists and mean Buddhists, I would say.  Hover, mean Buddhists would have bad consciences. ] monotheist or poly ect. [I answered this already:  Buddhism is a non-theistic religion.]

Posted by: hellothere | December 01, 2008 at 09:55 PM

"Self-proclaimed Buddhist"?

Well, that's an interesting start.

What are you "self-proclaimed" as? I bet I can guess . . .

Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. Buddha, starting out as Prince Gautama, was a human being who, through his own efforts, became enlightened, eg., attained Buddhahood.

Buddhists believe that taking life is not a good thing.

No wars have been fought on behalf of Buddhism, as happened for other religions during the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, etc.

Posted by: No Blood for Hubris | December 01, 2008 at 11:26 PM

Oh I was saying that you were a Buddhist, not me lol. [Yes, I understood that.]

If No one has ever started a war in the name of Budhism, [Buddhism] then why do I here [hear] about some of them joining a rebellion against the Dali Lama? [I don't know where you heard this.  I think you need to listen to more accurate rumors.  Also, it is "Dalai Lama.']

Isn't the Dali [Dalai] Lama attacking Buddhists {No.] and isn't the Dali [Dalai] Lama doing this in the name of Buddhism? [Answer:  No.]

I guess Im exploring the Posibility that some Buddists are .. . . sort of like the pharasies [Pharisees.] of the Bible . . . knowing Budhism [Buddhism] but not acting according to it. [Well, there are certainly bad Buddhists, perhaps, but once one gets bad enough, one stops being Buddhist.  You can't be a serial killer or genocidal maniac and be a Buddhist, ipso facto.]

Im actually a Christian [Yes, so I assumed.] , and in Christianity we know about the reality of "fake Christians". These are people who know the ways and truths of Christianity but who don't trully [Truly.] follow it in heart.  [Yes, there seem to be a lot of them these days.  I have a question for you.  Why don't you Christians follow the Golden Rule?]

Are you saying there is no equivalent in the Buddhist community .. . at all? [I haven't said anything of the sort.] You did say some Buddhists can be mean. [Sure.  But being mean contradicts the teachings, since one is trying to cultivate compassion toward all sentient beings, including toward you.]

And I have seen videos [Have you?] about the Dali [Dalai] Lama attacking Buddhists of a different order. [No, he actually doesn't do that at all, quite the opposite.  The Dalai Lama follows the Rime, or non-sectarian, teachings]. Does he not do this in the name of Buddhism? [No, he does not.]  Perhaps I am misunderstanding something. [Yes, you are misunderstanding pretty much everything.]

Posted by: hellothere | December 02, 2008 at 12:05 PM

I am also exploring whether this is true of other religions. [Well, you won't find anything about that on this blog.]

Posted by: hellothere | December 02, 2008 at 12:08 PM

Incest Practitioner Turns His MInd Toward Dharma?

O-kay.

Preserving Tibetan Culture: Digital Library Project

Nice video from the Khyentse Foundation.

Reseachers Discover that Meditation is Good for One's Brain

Eureka!

Nice Rabbi Misunderstands Buddhist View

Wrongly attributes nihilist viewpoint to buddhadharma: "The Buddhist position is rather a rejection of everything’s existence."

The Silliest Post on Meditation I've Read So Far

Meditation is so cool.

And -- you can wear any outfit!

Obama, Lama

As is said:

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness that is free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind free from passion, aggression,and ignorance.

Cross-posted at No Blood for Hubris.

McCain Rally Preacher Erroneously Calls Buddha a "god," Prays to Christian God to Save God's Rep By Causing McCain Victory

Just another day in samsara as usual, home of passion, aggression and -- ignorance.

How offensive is this guy's total ignorance of Buddhism and his dismissal of all other religions to this card-carrying Buddhist?

 Mm -- very.  But in a dharmic context.

Who does he think he is?

Oh, right. He's just being proud and godly, not repulsive and arrogant. Blessed are the meek, dude.

Another fake Christian in need of remedial Sunday School.

Dharmic context:

13.

Even if someone cuts your head off

For having done nothing wrong,

To take on that person's negativities

Through the power of compassion

Is the practice of a bodhisattva.

Hat-tip to Jesus' General

and to TPM

Cross-posted at No Blood for Hubris.

Hey, I told you so

Al Qaeda.  Pakistan.

Carnage.  Destabilization.

Nukes. 

Hey. Does Talibangelical Pitbull Sarah Palin Make Dick Cheney Look Like the 14th Dalai Lama?

Find out at No Blood for Hubris.

The Dalai Lama Is In the Hospital, Condition Stable

More here.

Sixth Dalai Lama: Poem No. 18

18.

Could I just fill my mind with holy dharma

As I have filled my mind with her


I would become a buddha


In this very body

In this very life

.

Sixth Dalai Lama: Poem No. 1

Yes, I know I've been posting very little lately.  Sorry.

Thought I'd go for something completely different.

Which is this, a translation of the first in a series of love poems by the Sixth Dalai Lama.

Some of you may not know that there was a Dalai Lama who wrote love poems and indeed who had lovers.  He wore blue silk, not monk's robes.  He did not shave his head, but wore his hair long.  He refused to ride on horseback but walked around Lhasa, freely, carousing, relaxed and open.  He built the Lukhang, a chapel behind the Potala featuring unusual paintings of meditation practices, which I was lucky enough once to see.

Many many different translators have worked on these.  Thought I'd add my versions, translating not from word to word, but from meaning to meaning. All errors are, of course, mine.

1.

clear  white  moon

rising  over

east  ridge  horizon


arising in  mind 

again

           and again

instant presence:

                                  her face



.

Department of Passion, Aggression & Ignorance

How about this?

Great FireWall of China Tumbles Down Except for Those Pesky Tibetan Splittists & the Dalai Lama Clique

Full story here.

Paintings by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

They're beautiful.

(And he has been studying with, Yahne Le Toumelin, the exceptional French painter, nun, and mother of Matthieu Ricard. )

Nice to see the expressiveness of the younger generation of Tibetan lamas (like the films of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche)  That's a new deveopment.

Peter Rabbit Must Die

So, I found this here NY Times story more than a little disturbing, featuring, as it does, numbers of tree-huggy latte-drinking libruls who in their spare moments personally go out of their way to successfully bash in the heads of oh, woodchucks and wabbits and such, oh my!

Hiatus here

Back in a jiffy.

Stroke of Insight

Good article from NY Times on a neuroscientist's brush with death and transcendence, here.

Best part is clicking through to hear Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's fabulous lecture at TED.

Meditation Becoming Mainstream Psychotherapy

"Mindfulness Meditation, Based on Buddha's Teachings, Gains Ground With Therapists," a  decent article on meditation, courtesy of the NY Times, here.

Online version titles is the wince-worthy "Lotus Therapy."

Some of its basic assumptions about meditation are incorrect, but it is in general on the right track (a miracle in itself, really).

I'm starting to use more formal meditation with patients recently.  Don't know why.  Just seemed time.

NGO A.S.I.A./Chengdu -- Donate to Earthquake Emergency Assistance in China

A.S.I.A is a local NGO already in place to help after the recent devastating earthquake.

They are working out of Chengdu, not far from the epicenter of the earthquake.

They are part of ECHO (European Community Humanitarian Office) for emergency interventions like this one.  With your help, they are ready to intervene.

Here is their page for on-line donations  to assist survivors of the quake.

I  know this organization very well, and can vouch for their competence.

Nepal's Maoist Government Says Go Ahead & Shoot Olympics Protesters

Ah how nice.

The world's first democratically-elected Maoist government authorizes the use of deadly force to prop up the humongous ego of Red China.

So yes, go ahead, why not, let's kill those damn Tibetans.  It's SO important to prevent loss of face.

Via RawStory, full article here.

Website of the Embassy of Nepal here.

Dozens Beaten By Red China in Tibet

Random beatings?

That's the Red Chinese Olympic spirit!

Full story here.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose -- Tibetan Genocide Edition

Full story here.

Dear Kev, Good Onya - Dalai Lama

By Mark Schliebs, The Age, February 15, 2008

 

KEVIN Rudd didn't only win over Australians with his apology to Aboriginal people: he earned the praise of one of the world's most respected spiritual leaders - the Dalai Lama.

Canberra, Australia -- The Dalai Lama was so tickled-pink with the new prime minister’s commitment to reconciliation, Mr Rudd’s office received a letter outlining the Buddhist leader’s approval.

<< High praise ... Kevin Rudd's apology to Aboriginal people has earned the approval of the Dalai Lama / Reuters

“I was very encouraged to hear on the news about the apology you made in parliament to all Aborigines for laws and policies that 'inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss' upon them,” His Holiness wrote.

“Overall, this was a timely, appropriate and civilised thing to do.

“Although, of course, this is not a matter in which I have any direct concern, because you and I know each other, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate this kind gesture.”

This was not the first time the Dalai Lama has spoken to Mr Rudd about Australian issues.

Last year, both Mr Rudd and the then prime minister John Howard juggled their schedules around a visit by His Holiness.

They both eventually met with the Dalai Lama after initially saying they were going to snub his visit.

Yoga Reverses Metabolic Syndrome Changes

Yoga reverses metabolic syndrome changes?

Too bad it's so Satanic!

Full story here.

Merry Tibetan Buddhist Christmas

Celebrating the Buddhist parts of Christmas: 

Peace on earth, good will to men.  That sort of thing.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness,

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

May all beings never be apart from the great happiness free from suffering.

May all beings remain in the great evenness of mind
                                       free from passion, aggression and ignorance.

(This means you, too, George).

Special Christmas hat-tip to Jesus' General, Advice From Abu Shri, and Wealth Bondage.

Massachusetts Monk Teaches Meditation to Inmates

Free your mind.

It's not every teacher whose class attendance depends on whether there's a lockdown under way. But the Venerable Ajahn David Chutiko, a Buddhist monk, has accustomed himself to the vicissitudes of prison life in three years of teaching meditation at the Federal Medical Center Devens. The prison at the former military base 40 miles outside Boston houses inmates with mental or physical illnesses.

Prison meditation classes were pioneered in India and are being offered in several US prisons. Prison officials in Seattle and in India have praised the classes for helping some inmates to leash their anger, according to articles in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and San Francisco Chronicle.

It doesn't work for every prisoner, says Chutiko; while his every-other-week sessions draw a core group of 14, they have been attended by as many as 50, meaning that not everyone comes back for more. Insight from meditation is serendipitous, he says. "Even at Harvard University, they don't have an Insight 101 course."

Raised as a Catholic in Medford, Chutiko, 70, was exposed to Buddhism while stationed in Asia by the Air Force.

Later he met a Thai Buddhist leader who inspired him to make a retreat in Thailand, setting a trajectory that led to his ordination as a monk. Now he's vice abbot of Wat Buddhabhavana, a temple in Westford. Excerpts from a recent interview follow.

Q. Did you approach the prison or did they ask you to offer this?

A. [The Massachusetts Buddhist Association] asked me if I would be interested in doing work in the prison. It's the best part of my ministry. They're my best students. Meditation requires a bit of trauma in one's life, in order to bring people to it.

Q. Because people who have not experienced trauma are not in search of peace?

A. Exactly. And they get into the mind-set, "Tomorrow will be better." But they never do anything to make it better. The only way we can make tomorrow better is to make today better.

Full story here.

Christian Creation-Theory Believer Murders Scientist Over His Support for Evolution

That's a great reason to stab someone to death, is it not?

More here.

Don't Name Your Teddy Bear "Buddha" -- Or We'll Rip Your Head Off and Stuff it Down Your Throat! Oh no wait. We won't do that, will we.

Yes, just like the world-renowned Taliban continues unknowingly to spread the sacred dharma by bringing us continuing demonstrations of the truth of impermanence, the Sudaneses kindly show us their compassionate buddhactivity by profoundly demonstrating passion, aggression, and ignorance.

Thus, the Sudanese -- so famed for their bodhisattva stuff in Darfur -- get all bent out of shape over naming a Teddy Bear "Muhammad."

I do so enjoy it when someone who does not practice a particular religion gets charged with blasphemy by those who do.  'Cause, you know, I'd figured otherwise.  Like that you had to be Muslim to blaspheme Islam.  But what do I know?  They did it to Salman Rushdie, why not do it to everyone else?  Oh.  Would that count as demonstrating the wisdom of equanimity?

More here.

Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood. Right Blogging?

Brave, funny, insightful piece by RJ Eskow on the perils of being a Buddhist practitioner whilst blogging --  about politics.

I asked Dharmavidya about irony and satire.  “The Buddha was attracted to irony,” he said. “He was a prophet with a sense of humor.  Once when he was debating the idea that bathing in the holy river is purifying, he said, ‘There must be a lot of holy fish.’  And when he talked about Jain asceticism, he pointed out that it was designed to end suffering by inflicting even more suffering—on its followers.”

So irony, or even its evil twin, sarcasm, isn’t necessarily un-Buddhist?  “Not necessarily,” said Dharmavidya. “The Buddha judged these things based on the likely outcome and how wholesome the speaker’s intent is.”

Ah yes.

Full article, originally published in Tricyle, here.

University Research on Tibetan Meditation and PTSD Begins

A Miami University professor has recently been awarded a grant to study the impacts of Tibetan meditation practices on sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Deborah Akers, a professor in the department of anthropology, was awarded $98,366 on March 13 by the Ohio Department of Mental Health to fund the research project, titled "Treatment of Trauma Survivors: Effects of Meditation Practice on Clients' Mental Health Outcomes." The project will take place now through June 2009.

Akers' project is part of a Miami summer field program conducted by the department of anthropology, in which Miami students study . . . in Dharamsala, a city in northern India.

Full link here.

Medievalist Muslims Unknowingly Teach Buddhadharma

More Taliban teachings on impermanence, as yet another Buddha bites the dust.

This time, it's in Pakistan.

Hmm.  Isn't that the place that Osama Bin Laden, the guy who attacked us on 9/11, fled to?  Leading to our attack on Iraq, attacking a guy who didn't attack us on 9/11?  Leading to the de-stabilizing of that whole region, and strengthening medievalist Iran by taking out their worst enemy?  Whilst leaving both Afghanistan and Pakistan weak and ripe for Taliban re-takeover?  With Pakistan also possessing actual, not potential, nukes?

"Samsara is an ocean of suffering, unendurable, unbearably intense."

THE 'TALIBANIZATION' OF PAKISTAN

Islamists Destroy Buddhist Statue

By Yassin Musharbash

When the Taliban destroyed two Buddhist statues in Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, there was an international outcry. B ut similar incidents are now occurring in northwest Pakistan, where radical Islamists recently blew up a sculpture of Buddha in broad daylight.

   The phenomenon is new and disconcerting.  Even the Pakistani government describes it as "Talibanization:" Parts of the country are now in almost exactly the same situation as neighboring Afghanistan was when the Taliban were still in power there.

This is especially the case in the formerly peaceful Swat region, where a militant Islamist leader has even proclaimed an "emirate."  And just as in Afghanistan, the Islamists' hatred is directed, in part, against the traces left by the ancient Buddhist civilization in the region.

Islamists inspired by the Taliban recently destroyed an important Buddhist sculpture 40 meters (131 feet) tall and about 1,300 years old in the north-western part of the Swat Valley, reports Vishaka N. Desai, the director of the US-based Asia Society.

Drills and Explosives

In her article, which appeared in the Lebanese Daily Star newspaper on Tuesday, Buddhism expert Desai reports that the Islamists were able to act without any interference from the local administration -- in broad daylight.  Their first destruction attempt left the sculpture undamaged; the second damaged the Buddha's face, shoulders and feet. The culprits had used large machines to drill shafts into the historic monument.  They then filled the shafts with explosives and detonated them.

Desai, who is Indian, also reports that while Pakistani newspapers criticized the desecration extensively, the international press hardly took notice of the incident.  And yet it was not the first of its kind. As recently as September of this year, gunshots were fired at a rock effigy of Buddha in the same region.

 

In March of 2001, when the Afghan Taliban laboriously blew up two enormous Buddha statues in Bamiyan, a district in central Afghanistan, there was an international outcry.  The Taliban justified the destruction by saying the sculptures were idols and "un-Islamic." Taliban leader Mullah Omar said at the time that "Muslims should be proud to destroy idols.  Our destroying them was an act of praise for God."

Only the Beginning?

Now Desai is warning that other Buddhist cultural legacies in Pakistan could also be destroyed: " There are vast numbers of important Buddhist sites in Swat and other areas of northwest Pakistan," she writes. "At this point, all of them are under threat of destruction, thanks to the influential voice of the Islamist leader Mullah Fazlullah."

Full story, here.

Christian Panties All-a-Twist: How Dare You Not Display the 10 Commandments! What are you, Buddhist, or something?

It looks like these "Christians" are all het up about a town putting up information about Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture, but leaving out the part of Tibetan culture that's all about the Ten Commandments.  Oh, you say the Ten Commandments have nothing to do with Tibetan culture?  Really?

No, the fuss is not about Tibetan culture, or the Dalai Lama, or, as world net daily says, the "Dalai Lama."

It's all about cramming the Ten Commandments down everyone's throat.

What would gentle Jesus think?

Four Thoughts That Turn One's Mind Toward the Dharma

The Four Reminders

Joyful to have
Such a human birth,
Difficult to find,
Free and well-favored.

But death is real,
Comes without warning.
This body
Will be a corpse.

Unalterable,
The laws of karma;
Cause and effect
Cannot be escaped.

Samsara
Is an ocean of suffering,
Unendurable,
Unbearably intense.

Recalling this, may my mind turn to the dharma.

Translated teaching on the four reminders by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Photo of the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

GORE WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE; Bush to honor Dalai Lama

Finally, a victory for the forces of good over evil.

.

Full link here.

Not to mention:  George Bush will honor HH the Dalai Lama, well and truly pissing off the communist Chinese, who so well and truly deserve to be pissed off, not just because of their lead-painted toys, pet-killing exports, and their intentional destruction of their own cultural heritage at Three Gorges (I think that's the name).  Anyhow, yee haw, George.  Good for you.  Come away from the dark side, Mr. President.  Support S-CHIP.  Awaken to understanding the truth of pollution-based global climate change.  Bring the troops home (except from Afghanistan -- I agree with the Marines.)

Spend our hard-earned tax dollars on rebuilding America.

Full link here.

Former Officer: Slaughter of Laypeople, Monks in Burma

Burma: Thousands dead in massacre; monks' corpses dumped in the jungle

Last updated at 11:37am on 1st October 2007

Thousands of protesters are dead and the bodies of hundreds of executed monks have been dumped in the jungle, a former intelligence officer for Burma's ruling junta has revealed.

The most senior official to defect so far, Hla Win, said: "Many more people have been killed in recent days than you've heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousand."

Mr Win, who spoke out as a Swedish diplomat predicted that the revolt has failed, said he fled when he was ordered to take part in a massacre of holy men. He has now reached the border with Thailand.

Meanwhile, the United Nations special envoy was in Burma's new capital today seeking meetings with the ruling military junta.

Need we continue to do business with this regime?

Full link here.

PM Brown on Burma Death Toll: "Loss of Life . . . Far Greater"

UK fears Burma toll 'far higher'

                                                                                    

       

                                 

Brown on Burma

        British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he believes the loss of life in Burma has been "far greater" than that reported by the authorities.

He was speaking after holding talks by phone with US President George W Bush and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Burmese officials said nine people were killed on Thursday as troops fired tear gas and bullets to disperse crowds of anti-government protesters in Rangoon.

Most internet links have been severed and mobile phone networks disrupted.

''I want to condemn absolutely the appalling level of violence against the people of Burma.

       

                                 

People seem to be determined to continue, despite the bullets, beatings and killings. I hear right now that shooting is still going on near our office                                                           Rangoon resident

       

"I am afraid that we believe the loss of life in Burma is far greater than is being reported so far," Mr Brown said.

Full link here.