thelerner

For those of you who said Shaolin's cut and paste comments on the Talmud sound like propaganda and something written by Hitler, you're right. Its a lie. Shaolin, I don't know you, but before you regurgitate hateful lies, you should check them out. No Jew I know of believes or was taught the things you mention. In the name of what is right, find out facts before spreading hatred. Take a look at these sites, do fact checking beyond rascist oness. Education ends prejudice. I like the Mideastweb.org because there are good people there on both sides who work for peace. There are many people working for peace and justice, unfortunately its those who spread hate that get all the press. One of the problems is that in some ways the Talmud was the internet of its day, with conversations and commentaries running through generations. Some of it religious, other pieces are legalistic (often in excruciating detail, which causes problems), it also contains stories, legends and hundreds of subjects from astrology to zoology. Its huge, written over centuries with the opinions and thoughts of 100's. The garbage on antisemitic sites has quotes taken out of context or purposely mistranslated. They quote books that don't exist etc. In many cases its one bigot quoting another mindlessly. Taken in total the Talmud is actually a pretty tolerant book (!) considering the time it was written. There is some solid wisdom in it. If you have a chance to study it with an experienced Rabbi, you'd be impressed. You'll find racism in there, but you'll find more calls for tolerance and justice. For every writer who look down on gentiles you'll find many more who preach the oneness of mankind, even using non Jews as examples of what good people should be. http://www.angelfire.com/mt/talmud/ http://www.sinaicentral.com/jewhaters/defending_the_talmud.htm http://www.mideastweb.org/jewreligion.htm If you have the patience to read a short 14 page pdf http://www.chabadtalk.com/forum/attachment.php3?attachmentid=1424&d=1265588916 Every religion faces the kind of smear Shaolin cut and pasted. I was disgusted by the writings Goldisheavy posted about Islam and Moslems, but it inspired me to learn more, look deeper. I studied and gained new respect for Islam. Shaolin wrote "keep an open mind and check both sides to a story and verify everything. Its not about blame, its about finding the truth." Good advice, I hope he takes it himself. Michael Let me add, its best to get beyond sound bites on both sides of an argument. If you want to get a feeling for the Ethics in the Talmud, read the ethics section (duh!!). Google Ethics of Our Fathers (or Perkei Avot) go beyond sound bite clippings. I'd also suggest reading up on the giants of the Talmud: Hillel(30bc to 10ad)- who when asked if he could explain Judiasm while standing on one foot said: "What you yourself hate, don't do to your neighbor. This is the whole law; the rest is commentary. Go and study." as well as: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?" Rabbi Akiva (50-132ad) was a similar man of genius of piety. Seminal in the Judaic learning of the time. To study him is to get a feeling for the ideals of Jewish thinking of the time. If you're Christian, the ethics of Jesus were grounded in the Judiasm of his time. He didn't preach against Jews having sex w/ 3 year olds (or the other charges) because they didn't. He may have been moving away from a strict codifications of Judiasm, but not its ethical system which informed his teachings.

Respectfully, I understand where you're coming from but I think one should remain centered, but not neutral. One should have some level of emotional control, but not be a robot. Lastly I hate the Karma of the dog argument. IMO many horrors done in Buddhists countries have been swept under the rug because of the 'its just their karma' reasoning.. Impermanace..just because we're all dead in the long run doesn't mean we should turn a deaf ear about those killing others. It feels like there's nothing we can do. Matter of fact its human nature to get angry, unleash pent up anger, hatred, prejudice. Or it can remind us to Do something.. pet a dog, smile at a child, every kindness we do is a bit of positive energy that moves on..maybe..

Marbleheads advice is good, but if you've been going that route and still feel frustrated then I'd recommend taking a break. Accept your situation, accept that it might go on for a long time and have strategies to master it, not over come it. Become excellent at being frugality. Maximize each dollar, become an expert in finding inexpensive ways of enjoying yourself. With acceptance comes peace, and when its time to hit the next level you'll have fresh perspectives, energy and hope. my 2 cents Michael

there's always faking it.

I don't like the use of biblical 'proofs'. That said, I like to see the parable of Adam & Eve as the movement from happy go lucky animals to the drudgery and anxiety of civilized people. I've always thought that on the continuum from ordinary people to the Enlightened, the Enlightened see no evil because they don't judge and live in the Now. Being miles away from that state, ordinary people see evil everywhere, from the asshole who cuts them off at rush hour, to the rapists murderers. Michael

I will also throw Songs of Distant Earth's cat into the garbage bin if that guy has a 92% cure rate!!! No 5 year or 10 year survival rates or percentages? Simply totally cured. And 35,000 people, wow. If he's been practicing for 10 years thats curing about 10 people a day, every day of cancer. With so many people is it possible to have later checkups? (& thats not including the 2,450 dead) Mark me down as skeptical. I suspect he's on the right track nutritionally, but by inflating his numbers he's throwing himself in with a large group of charlatans. On the other hand I'm regularly doing avocado, banana spinach milk shakes. Maybe I'll start adding some avocado pit to it. Others have echoed good things about it. Michael

I like your comment. Because the sort of active evil of 'I hate cats' but I'll bend down grab one and toss it cheerfully into the garbage is the kind I can see spreading to all aspects of the woman's life. Feeling that way, its human to blame larger groups, such as humanity sucks or smaller such as people like that woman suck. Or relish revenge fantasies, shoot her in the butt, stuff her in the can. When we indulge in that we're moving away from our peace. Often revenge taints us. Worse because its on the internet and we only know 2 pieces of the story we might be being manipulated. The truth is way more involved then 20 seconds of video. The right solution is more involved then hurting the cat hater. Still, its an imperfect world and do what we can.

I've definitely been there. In college I got what I call 'top heavy' way too into philosophy. Martial arts helped me. Physical activity helps keep you grounded. Not getting obsessed with any single view point. I particularly enjoyed Aikido. Not that its the most realistic martial art, but it was physical and hands on. Michael

For what its worth, here is the latest newsletter from amazing green tea. They make the case that location, altitude and part harvest trump the organic label. Here it is: AMAZING-GREEN-TEA NEWSLETTER: Solving Problems Every Tea Drinker Faces 24 August 2010 Issue #36: IN THIS ISSUE: >> Organic Green Tea versus Location - Which Is More Important? =============================================== In the July newsletter, we discussed five important things to know when buying authentic green tea. You can access the newsletter here: Buy Green Tea - Five Important Things to Know A newsletter reader asked: What about the so-called organic certified green tea? This newsletter will explain organic certification mean, and why they often fall short of quality. ==================== What does ORGANIC mean? ==================== In the United States, any organic certified food must meet the National Organic Program (NOP) standards set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here is what they define as organic: - The farm emphasizes the use of renewable resources. - It does not use most conventional pesticides. - It does not use fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. =============== A guarantee of quality? =============== Organic green tea does not always provide greater experience and health benefits. They can comply to the USDA rules and be low grade. In the July newsletter, I noted that the quality of tea leaves depend on three factors: - Location: (Higher mountain better) - Timing of harvests (Early spring the best) - Plant parts (tea buds rather than leaves) The USDA rules do not cover any of the above. To quote from USDA themselves: "A NOP certified tea is not necessarily higher quality or more nutritious. It simply differs from the conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled and processed." ============================== Location is more important than certification? ============================== Although organic certified farms do not use pesticides, they can contain contaminants. This is because the USDA doesn't include chemical testing of environmental pollutants. This is an important issue to consider. Personally, I regard the risk of heavy metals contaminations to be far more significant than pesticides. I wouldn't want to drink from tea plants growing in the roadside. They may be polluted by leads spewed out by cars and trucks. As you see later, if I have to choose between an organic certified tea leaves and another uncertified tea buds grown in the high altitude, I will happily go for the latter. ================================ Three ways tea buds offer automatic protections. ================================ When you buy green tea buds harvested early spring, plucked from prime locations in high mountain, you are protected in three ways: 1. The highest grade tea buds (especially AAA grades) are harvested the first 5 days of the season. Mother nature is still waking up to spring. Pesticides are not needed because few pests exist in the first crack of spring. 2. These tea buds are so fresh and young. Only a few days old, they have little time to absorb contaminants from the environments. (Also, it is well established that these young tea buds contain the greatest concentrations of goodness. The rich cocktails of compounds (such as theanine, antioxidants and caffeine) translate to maximum health benefits and taste.) 3. In the foggy high mountain, tea plants grow slowly. In China, they are only harvested once a year. The combination of rich soil and low yield means that fertilizers are often not needed. ============= Pre-industrial magic ============= When you buy an organic green tea, you are buying a peace of mind, and a minimum standard of farming. This is fine, and I will probably do the same in the absence of anything better. However, what many people miss is that the highest grade tea from China is the culmination of 1,200 years of imperial luxury. Tea is a special beverage. You can't really cut corners without ruining the taste and experience. In the best tea gardens. tea plants are harvested for only 6 weeks a year. Hands are still preferable to machines for harvesting and roasting. We thought the organic label gives us a superior product, but forget that the traditional ways are still alive and breathing. Natural, and better than organic. ============= Taste and nutrition ============= The only way to understand this is to taste a cup of real tea - one that looks good, tastes good and feels good. Take time to learn to appreciate it. Tea nutrition such as theanine, antioxidants and caffeine not only contain health benefits, they also contribute to the tastes and flavors. Theanine is sweet and fresh. Antioxidants are astringent. Caffeine is bitter. This is why rich-tasting teas contain the most health benefits. In the last newsletter, I recommend beginners starting out "at the bottom of the ladder" with the Maofeng green tea (at $6) or Silver Needle white tea (at $14). Coincidently, these two teas have been certified organic. I hope this helps? Any thoughts on this matter? Reply to this email! Until next time. --- Julian Tai

Its a tonic in my book. Tastes damn good too. I'll throw some vanilla ice cream on top of it to add a little protein!! Here's an article on health benefits- Vitamins, Minerals and More Contribute to the Health Benefits A friend of mine from Ireland told me that when he donated blood in Dublin, they actually gave him a glass of Guiness stout afterwards. It turns out that Guiness has a high level of iron. Nice excuse to go have a pint o'Guiness, right? "Beer has similar health benefits to wine. It helps to promote blood vessel dilation, sleep, and urination (no kidding). It contains a similar amount of 'polyphenols' (antioxidants) to red wine and four to five times as many polyphenols as white wine."1 "For men, up to two beers a day will lower chances of stroke, heart and vascular disease. For women, although older studies show that one glass of alcohol per day is beneficial, a more liver-friendly choice is one drink every other day. Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disabilities and the third leading cause of death in the U.S."2 "Many nutrients and vitamins in beer survive the fermentation and filtering process. Beer contains fair amounts of Vitamin B, B2 and B6. B6 prevents the build-up of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to heart disease. It also contains good amounts of silicon, magnesium, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements."3 Unfiltered beer (like Magic Hat Circus) has been to shown to have even higher amounts of nutrients. Beer contains hops. "Clinical use of the alcoholic hop extracts in different dosage forms has also been used by doctors in the People's Republic of China in treating different forms of diseases such as leprosy, as well as problems like pulmonary tuberculosis and acute bacterial dysentery with varying results. The presence of a couple of anti-bacterial bitter acids, called lupulon and humulon in the herb are known to kill certain strains of Gram positive and acid-fast bacteria, like the staphylococcus strain. The infections from staphylococcus is evident in cases of suppurating wounds, runny sores, abscesses, and some types of boils as well as osteomyelitis - which is the presence of inflammation in the bone marrow of people."

I've had wasp's nest problems. Both times the nests was small and I didn't see many wasps so I was able to wait til winter to remove them. I protected myself w/ goggles and gloves, but none came out. Put'em in a plastic bag and then the garbage. Hmnn, maybe a Perfecter Being would capture it in winter and put in a secluded forest spot for the spring; I am not that man. Seriously- If its a large nest and they're active it can get serious. Step or swat one and they may release an attack pheromone, very bad news. You may want to call in a professional. Or..(*note- taking advice from internet personages may cause irrevocable damage and pain) I've heard you can buy sprays for taking them out. Shoot it at the nest during the night, preferably a cool one when they're relatively inactive. Have protection on and run inside immediately, without delay. Observe and repeat 15 minutes later, again spray & run. Goggles, gloves thick clothing are good to wear. Be aware falling wasps will sting on the way down so stay clear. What am I writing?? Buy the spray follow the directions. BE CAREFUL GOOD LUCK

U the man, Sean.

This site has lots of information on getting in shape quickly and safely. Look through the blogs, forum and articles. A gold mine of good stuff. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ Michael

The St. Louis Ki Society does a Winter Misogi training session each year (or it used to). After 2 days of training, we'd hit an icy flowing river, dunk down a few times, do some kiai's in the water. The point wasn't to be martial or tough, you were supposed to enter the water with a calm spirit, focus your mind and walk in smoothly. It was a great experience. The perfect compliment to a weekend of martial arts and meditation. Michael

Marblehead is right, BUT..I think we all need a bit cave every now and then. I'm thinking of 3 day weekend alone each year, preferably out in nature. Heck even in a room, but no electronics, food simple and dull, just water.. A chance to for heavy duty, long term meditation. Some time in our life, I assume its later on, we could all do with some cave time. Even if its short, just being in nature, away from it all, no people, no electronics, no noise, no news. I think it helps strip away some of artifices. Michael Another thing, enlightenment is a loaded word, I like to think of the end goal as being a complete human being, warts and all.

Sounds like M.D. has the right diagnosis. Or maybe you combine peoples advice. Such as- Do martial arts while in the full lotus. If you can kick butt while sitting on your own you are a man indeed. Michael

I'm not sure if it qualifies as Qigong, but there is a deep level of communicating with kids silently. No talking; facial and hand signals are allowed. You start by simply putting a finger to your lips, then communicate nonverbally, 'how was your day?' and make clear to them they have to answer without talking. It forces you to pay a level of attention that is often missing in conversation. You begin creating a new language. What else?? My kids have liked doing Animal Frolics qigong from Michael Winn collection. They like 'competitive' yoga like competing in Standing in Tree pose contests, we'll also do it in elevators. Michael

I like all of Daniel Reids books. They're good, they cover a lot of areas as well as philosophy and practical matters. But thats also one of the problems with them, they cover so much that they don't necessarily lay out a particular course of study. Thats why other books or courses that lay out a specific regime might be useful adjuncts to his books. Spring Forest is good, many have found value in Falun Gong. IMO a 'live' teacher is better then a book. As long as Kap has come up, I've done it. Its a live teacher (over the net), the lessons are done over skype so you get feed back and Q&A sessions in real time classes. Good stuff, but not every thing clicks with every one. Schools and philosophies run from traditional, devotional, religious to modern. Some stress energy arts, others emptiness. Look around, ask around, find out which feels best to you. Nothing wrong with shopping around while you're a beginners (which is the first couple years), but sooner or later its time to be marry (& flirt w/ other arts on the sly). Michael

Here is a site that goes deep into the 'paleo lithic' life style and its benefits. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/ Good stuff, amazing recipes, hearts, livers and as well as nice curry dishes. Michael

IMO Bindo's quote was appropriate to the topic. But SFJane hit the target in the center. Michael

Chi packed tends to be simple. Like half a melon, maybe with flavored cottage cheese inside. Steel cut oatmeal simmered w/ dried fruit w/ half cooked egg on top. Freshly squeezed juices. Michael

For me sincerity is expressed through action. Words and thoughts alone don't cut it. One writer I forget the name said to 'Make your word the law', be willing to take massive action to keep your commitments. Which echoes what Marblehead said. Michael

In my early days I'd cover my 'fixings' with liquid. I've learned its not necessary and makes things taste blander. These days I use little or no liquid. I like using beer can chicken recipes (got the book) and cook chicken standing up on low, w/ herbs or fruit in the middle and a nice rub under the skin. Yumm. Michael