Cat banned from visiting Buddhist inmate
A Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail – even though he says it’s the reincarnation of his mum.
Peter Keonig, 46, is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany, reports the Daily Telegraph.
He went to court to demand the right for [...]
Archive for the ‘In Media’ Category
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 4 November, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Monk Police
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 2 November, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Here is an interesting video about the ‘Monk Police’, a crack FBI style squad of heroic defenders of the faith. At least that is how the documenters present it.
These monks have taken it on themselves to catch ‘fake’ monks who beg for food or money via the robe and bowl. Some of them are drunk, [...]
If everyone was a …..
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 28 October, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Vegetarian week in Thailand has drawn to a close. In recent years even the Thais seem to have come round to the idea that a vegetarian diet is more healthy.
Traditional Diets
Traditionally, rice farmers relied on meat to provide those nutrients that rice (the old variety that was full of nutrition, as opposed to the modern ‘high [...]
Vegetarian week
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 18 October, 2009 | 6 Comments »
from 18th to 25th October 2009 is vegetarian week in Thailand.
Thai cuisine is not known for vegetarian food, though there are some excellent places. Generally the veggie stuff is is Chinese or Indian. But they are coming round to the idea that meat, particularly red meat, is not really very good for you. Even ten years [...]
The Offering Cloth
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 8 October, 2009 | 1 Comment »
A look at the protocol of the monks use of the offering cloth – in response to a recent talk in Bangkok by a well known Indologist and Pali scholar, who was criticising Buddhism and Buddhists on several fronts.
If you have been around Thai monks at all you will have seen the curious tradition of [...]
The Gentle Tackle
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 30 September, 2009 | 5 Comments »
In the early part of this decade a rugby player called Johnny Wilkinson was the name on every sportsman’s lips. His famous boot took the English Rugby team to their only Wrold Cup in Australia.
When taking a kick at goal, he would stop with his hands in almost a prayer posture. He said he focussed [...]
Eclipse July 2009
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 21 July, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Weds. July 22nd plays host to one of our heavens most spectacular features – an eclipse. Here in Thailand it is only partial, with the moon covering about 30% of the Sun. It will occur at about1 pm Universal time.
Apparently people of the North East have the quaint tradition of beating pots and pans loudly [...]
Give a Little Bit..
Posted in All Posts, In Media, tagged Bangkok Dhamma, Bangkok meditation on 13 July, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Telegraph reported a 59 year old man who
“looked like a tramp” and “had a disagreeable smell”
was arrested in Spain for the terrible crime of trying to give away money while laughing. Seems he was drunk at the time.
It is interesting that giving away money is such an anti-social behaviour that you can be arrested [...]
Complacant Karma
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 8 June, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
If you have been following the news recently you must have read about the scandals in Britain with the Members of Parliament being exposed for fraudulent expense claims. In fact, in the world scheme of things, the faults are fairly mild; comparing to other countries, MPs claiming some expenses for home improvements shows the good [...]
Aging Gracefully
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 23 April, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Here’s a story worth spreading.
At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world’s longest-serving physicians and educators. He has been healing patients at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke’s College of Nursing since 1941.
When people live long, they always seem to have some [...]
Spice of Life
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 16 April, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Considering rebirth as we were in the previous post, there is a ‘Quirky’ story recently that serves as a good reminder to foucs on the life we have.
And there are few folks more quirky than the British. Note the third paragraph:
A Nottinghamshire businessman who set up a 30ft dung-firing catapult to deter intruders has been [...]
Life after Death
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 14 April, 2009 | 6 Comments »
Buddhism holds to the idea of rebirth, which seems something of a controversial issue for Western Buddhists. Most Westerners like the psychological aspect of Buddhism – the investigation of ones body and mind. As for meditation, the benefits seem fairly obvious, if sometimes illusive for the individual.
But rebirth requires a whole new leap of faith. Is [...]
When Carma drops a hint
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 16 March, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When we watched The Secret recently, some of the discussion hovered around Karma; discussion hampered by the fact that no one really knows what Karma is or how it works. Sometimes though, Karma can drop you a hint … in this case that perhaps it is time to slow down :
Driver wakes up in coffin
A [...]
Universal Morals
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 10 February, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
To what extent are the 5 precepts universal, and to what extent are they just cultural judgements?
Most Thai teachers will claim that the precepts – not to kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, wrong speech or take drink/drugs are in fact universal laws. If you break precepts you are morally wrong no matter what culture you [...]
‘09 Predictions
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 3 January, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Aside from failing banks, increased government presence in financial markets, re-rising fuel prices, a more peaceful US foreign policy under Obaama – what will change in ‘09?
Here is one bold prediction (you heard it here first). The end of Global Warming. And thankfully too.
The world was indeed warming up, but in the words of Electrical [...]
So Are You Your Brain?
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 1 December, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Nov 2008 we met at the Tai Pan Hotel for lunch and video. The topic was The Nirvana Neuron. About 30 of us went for lunch, and some more came later for the videos.
In case you were there, the Monastics were:
Phra Bhasakorn (author of a popular book on Karma)
Mae Chee Brigitte (German meditation teacher)
Mae Chee [...]
Right to Wrong Speech
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 9 November, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
last year a woman was arrested for swearing and disorderly conduct. Her toilet had overflowed and she was yelling for someone to bring a mop. All this in her own house.
Dawn Herb, 31, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged after an off duty police officer overheard her swear at an overflowing toilet.
Officer Patrick Gilman told the [...]
Making Sense
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 19 October, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Samsara sucks! Yet it is human nature to try and make sense of it all. Psychologist George Kelly, who invented the psychological model of ‘constructs’ pointed out that people don’t mind suffering and hardship so much if they have a way of making sense of it. When you can’t make sense of the world around [...]
Stress Relief
Posted in All Posts, In Media, tagged Meditation Bangkok on 14 September, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Many people come to meditation for stress relief, or a peaceful interlude to a busy life of tensions and problems. Hopefully the interest expands beyond merely trying to relieve stress, and grows into a more rounded meditation and lifestyle practise. For simply relieving stress, it could be Mozart is more effective for those with little [...]
Monk Arrested…
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 24 August, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Monk arrested for giving away cash
A novice monk was arrested in Germany after he tried to give away money as part of his religious training.
Shoppers raised the alarm when 37-year-old Daniel Weiss stood in a shopping centre giving away 50 Euro notes and blessing people in Goettingen.
Police let him off after they had checked to [...]
Above the Doormat
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 30 July, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Although everyone you meet seems to be fed up with Political Correctness gone mad, the news seems to remain full of stories where people are ‘outraged’ or ‘deeply offended’. In psychological terms it seems to be more of a cry for attention than anything else, a way to get your 15 minutes of fame, and [...]
Queen of the More Mean
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 22 June, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Imagine living your life in such a way that in the same sentence as your death is announced, the New York Times includes mention of your ‘arrogance and greed’ :
Leona Helmsley, the self-styled hotel queen whose prison term for income tax evasion and fraud was greeted with uncommon approval by a public who regarded her [...]
Karma’s Indignant Bent
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 31 May, 2008 | 2 Comments »
This week Actress Sharon Stone made some unplanned comments about the disaster in China; apparently suggesting that maybe the events are the Chinese Karma for their bad treatment of the Tibetans. Or so the media would have the world believe. The real story is the underlying tendency to indignation and scapegoating complicit between the public [...]
Black Sheep
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 29 May, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
What makes a religion?
What makes a belief system a religion, and what makes it a sect? Sometimes the distinction is clear, and sometimes it is a grey area – even Buddhism has its groups with sect like tendencies. Most people cannot say what exactly makes a cult, but feel it is just something they know [...]
The Four Snakes
Posted in All Posts, In Media on 27 May, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The disasters in China and Burma cannot have escaped anyone’s attention this month. Life really is so uncertain … No wonder we are told to ‘put forth energy and effort, and strive relentlessly for the Goal’.
While it is right to think of the victims of the disasters, and to try and help in what ways [...]
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