ralis

I am not condemning anyone, only questioning your assessment in believing everything you read. Stop attempting to mind read and accusing me of resentment or whatever you believe. You know nothing of me. What I resent is people making assumptions about other cultures they know little about. If you believe I lack sensitivity, you are wrong. I am not able to read "Trail of Tears" because it is too painful. My brother barely finished it! Food supply was increased by the production of urea early in the 20th century. Urea is made using natural gas and ammonia.

I might like to add that in some Arab countries, young boys are used as sexual slaves for older men. This has been happening for centuries. I am not overly concerned with material wealth. That is not my motivation.

Your comments are well said. We really do have many choices in this country. More than most.

Do you even know what has contributed to overpopulation? There is only one variable that leads to population growth. Figure it out for yourself. When you know the variable, then what caused the variable to increase exponentially? If you think I am a white guy, then you are very mistaken! I happen to be part Cherokee Indian and I resent the romanticism that you impose on native cultures, wherever they may reside.

I am referring to taking care of basic human needs. Food, shelter, medicine etc. Stop twisting my statements.

I read what your friend Sunya wrote in an earlier post. I agree with what he said. You are incorrigible!

Why don't you just move to Tibet and preach from the top of Everest for all to hear!

I am overly Western and have flawed judgments of the so called high spiritual cultures because of the fact there are material differences with developed countries? Have you traveled to India and seen the reality of misplaced spiritual development? What is sacrificed for that lofty ideal? Poverty and disease permeate India as well as other countries in Southeast Asia. You just can't resist the attacks on others that question your self righteous world view! Exactly, how do you know if Tibet is more spiritually advanced? Are you using a scale of spiritual development? Perhaps 1-10? I believe you are being too emotional and defensive.

I have no doubt about TCM if properly practiced. I have had great results from Chinese medicine. However, I don't think Tibetan medicine will revolutionize medicine here as Vajraji wants to believe.

I am not going to teach you about classification of cultures. Go to the library and find a Sociology 101 or Anthropology 101 text. That is what I am referring to which is not a personal opinion.

The whole right left brain idea is bogus. I use my whole brain. BTW, you know nothing of my upbringing! I have a friend who is Tibetan and he loathes the Tibetan way of life. That is why he lives here! Romanticizing a third world culture is seeing through rose colored glasses.

I would like to add to this thread about the ungrounded religious followers in my town. I know any number of Hindu, Advaita and Buddhist adherents that are unable to cope with life work and family. There seems to be a weak and ungrounded constitution among many of these followers.

In your view, dissolving and deconstructing are the same. The process leading to the rainbow body is both dissolving and deconstructing. Why? The component parts of the body have been transformed to light and only the hair and nails are left. The structure of the body is gone. Therefor, deconstructed. As far as Tibetan medicine is concerned, you give it too much credit. Norbu's life was saved from leukemia by traditional Western medicine. Obviously, he could tell the difference and chose the latter. Further, their medicine has no knowledge of parasitology and microbiology. Some of the basis for their medicine rests in a superstitious belief of demons infecting and causing disease. For example the 8 classes that cause provocation. Why does most everyone that becomes involved in Eastern religions, attempt to transplant the entire culture over here? I have to agree with Ben in that Tibet forgot or was just naive in terms of, taking care of affairs of the state. By not joining and being a signatory with the League of Nations, Tibet had no international backing or protection. To accuse him of reading Chinese propaganda is ludicrous! In terms of the happy blissed out Tibetan citizen living prior to the cultural revolution, I believe that is an illusion. Life was hard living at an average elevation of 12,000 feet, with short growing seasons, short life spans, disease and no knowledge of sanitation. If as you claim, that Buddhism has absolute knowledge of the workings of the cosmos, then knowledge of bacteria and disease would be second hand.

There is a religious and scientific fundamentalism war happening in which both sides claim to have absolute knowledge of the cosmos. Neither have the absolute knowledge they claim to have. I believe the problem lies at the so called beginning. No one knows if the singularity contained any information or not. That is something to ponder. I have yet to see any Buddhist that posts here say:"I don't have any answers."

Obviously I am not a physicist and was trying to find a way to refute the incessant Buddhist rant here. Will comment more later. I was not familiar with his work on open system thermodynamics. Are you a physicist?

In order to get to that kind of civilization, certain realities must be faced and solved. We are most likely seeing the collapse of civilization as we know it and how humans address these issues will greatly determine the future. Several problems are immediate: 1. The world economy is a ponzi scheme based on unlimited credit which will never be paid back. 2. The present world food supply and population growth since the early 20th century are based on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels were used to manufacture fertilizers and thus increased crop yields encouraged larger families. Population growth will continue until fossil fuels are past their peak and are depleting. Then we will see starvation on a massive scale. Standard farming practices without the use of fossil fuels will not support present population levels. 3. The depletion of fresh water, which only about 20% is viable for drinking. 4. Climate change. 5. A new viable energy source must be found.

I have felt to along time that humans are not ready for this type of advanced civilization. The message in "First Contact" is profound. "Too primitive!"

Actually, I find his writing style trite and redundant. Further, his incessant preaching and divisiveness are techniques used by purveyors of propaganda.

I was being facetious.

Actually it is and why not provide an explanation.

If what you say about "endless things" and dependent origination is true, then how do you reconcile open systems as opposed to closed systems? "Endless things" i.e, an infinite universe, is a concept of an open system which would necessarily require energy and information from an outside source. Dependent origination would be a finite closed loop with no dependency from an outside source i.e, isolation. In a closed system, entropy increases and that is defined by the second law of thermodynamics. For a further discussion see: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Entropy Understanding this law voids the idea of "endless things." Why? "Endless things require infinite amounts of energy and this law does not allow for that. If the universe were an open system, the laws of thermodynamics would not apply. Further, all the universal laws that make everyday things work would not exist. What you propose is a contradiction in the laws of nature to fit your neat little world view.

The link works now. Here is a new one and different subject. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x116506

Wikileak update. http://www.alternet.org/story/149393/wikileaks%27_most_terrifying_revelation%3A_just_how_much_our_government_lies_to_us

I guess the gov't can lie cheat and wage illegal wars, while keeping everyone in the dark? He is only doing what journalists should be doing. Most journalist's today are nothing more than purveyors of propaganda.

When I post, I back up my writing with facts. You don't! In what way is Wilbur New Age? Why not state something relevant!