@person said:
I think what gets to me is the narrative of good guys fighting bad guys as subtext. I'm usually the practical one and the Buddhist ideal of peace and love as a long term solution to overcoming hatred is kind of naive in the immediate context. There's the idea that actions and ideas that contract the heart are moving in the wrong direction and looking at the conflict in terms of good vs bad and coercion over persuasion constricts my heart.Trying to encourage and create peace, love and perspective in people over agitation and conflict is also a noble pursuit and seems to be at cross purposes with an activist mindset.
I listened to a recent podcast that was pro Palestine, pro Israel, anti Hamas and anti Netanyahu. The perspective offered caught the right tone and response to my ears.
Ravi is joined by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a U.S. citizen from Gaza and a Middle East political analyst, for a deep dive into the Israel-Palestine conflict. Ravi and Ahmed look at the historical context of the region, including the failures of previous peace attempts and the rise of Hamas, before turning to the present day, where they reflect on the past six months of war, its impact on civilians, and what a path forward could look like.
Thanks @person,
Upon completing the program, Alkhatib attempted to return to Gaza via Egypt but was unable to do so. The abduction of an Israeli soldier had resulted in the closure of the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt. Alkhatib remained in Egypt for months without being able to enter Gaza. He applied for and received political asylum in the U.S., where he finished high school at San Francisco Waldorf and went on to City College and the University of San Francisco, where he studied marketing and became interested in social entrepreneurship. He later earned a master's degree in intelligence studies at American Military University.
It would seem, like other Palestinians living in the US, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is well informed on what's happening in Gaza.
Interesting podcast, I found the part towards the end "Peace can be courageous" insightful, I'm in agreement with much of what he had to say about Hamas however I disagree with his stance when it comes to the pro Palestinian protests...he doesn't really offer any alternative to stopping what's happening in Gaza right now,
Lost debate's hosts are an interesting bunch ...
The question that occurs to me is how sure are you that you're not being swayed by anti Israeli propaganda? Or at the very least missing the aspects of the pro Palestinian that put in a less flattering light?
@person the conflict in Gaza has gained global attention thanks to independent sources, highlighting the dire situation. I'm inclined to trust reports from Gaza itself and international aid groups, especially when mainstream Western media coverage seems biased or lacking. Many humanitarian groups are deeply concerned about the deliberate attacks on civilians, destruction of buildings, and causing catastrophic conditions in the area
What troubles me most is the consistent disregard for human rights and Palestinian lives exhibited by the Israeli government and its military. Much of this evidence is sourced directly from Israeli media, government officials, and military personnel themselves. It's as if the Israeli government inadvertently furnishes the ammunition for anti-government sentiments to thrive, with external sources merely echoing their own documented actions.
The IOF have advanced state of the art weaponry and advanced spyware technology which they are using against the Palestinian population , they have an endless supply of ammunition from their Western allies.
In the face of such imbalance, the only real weapon wielded by the Palestinian civilian population and their supporters is their voice. It's a weapon that Israel and its allies seek to silence at all costs, employing accusations of anti-Semitism to silence disagreement and keep pushing their own plans forward. I and no doubt many people feel in this unequal fight, it's crucial for Palestinian voices to be heard otherwise Israel will continue to do what it has always done...that is be a law unto itself, disregarding international law....
Thanks to ongoing Dharma practice, I maintain a peaceful mindset, even amidst humanitarian crises like the one unfolding in Gaza. However, this inner peace isn't static; it inspires me to take action and support those facing less fortunate circumstances. I just see this as part and parcel of my Dharma practice...which I guess is humanistic Buddhism...
Ah, yes.
A lifetime of memories-the pleasures and joy, sadness and regret.
"But whoever develops mindfulness of death, thinking, 'O, that I might live for the interval that it takes to swallow having chewed up one morsel of food... for the interval that it takes to breathe out after breathing in, or to breathe in after breathing out, that I might attend to the Blessed One's instructions. I would have accomplished a great deal' — they are said to dwell heedfully. They develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the effluents.
"Therefore you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell heedfully. We will develop mindfulness of death acutely for the sake of ending the effluents.' That is how you should train yourselves."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.019.than.html
I have an affinity for coffee… I love the ritual of making it in my Bialetti stove pot, I like trying different kinds, I like going to coffee shops, even Starbucks. It is great that coffee culture has had such a revival, I remember back in the 90’s it was hard to find a decent coffee and now every shop has these great espresso machines.
@Lionduck you iz luxury inclined Buddhist. Tee Hee! I think I may go over budget on something for the sake of Tantric competence.
Maybe time to think of getting a camper van again? Don't think I need to go anywhere. Will have to get a yearly resident street parking licence. Maybe I can just get a white van and paint it in rainbow graffiti? Then I could call it, 'mobile dharma' and go and park outside Aunty Feds latest hideaway (I could literally be her 'dharma stalker'). Too naughty?
I found this a really interesting critique of the processes of Big Tech, where a service starts good and cheap, and becomes large and entrenched, and then becomes noticeably poor value for customers. Enshittification, it is also called.
@Shoshin1 said:
@person said:
Gil Fronsdale gave a good talk on the war last month.
Or the audio version
https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/19955Thanks for post @person, however it would seem that he has been swayed a bit by anti Palestinian propaganda... I found 5 minutes into the talk then around 24 minutes in a bit concerning...
"Professor who was going to give a public talk a professor of Jewish studies who was going to talk about um the little history of the conflict there and and the history of a two-state solution and someone who was opposed to the violence that they're now in Middle East 'but it seems that there was a call out from Hamas to uh that there should be this should be disrupted right here in our neighborhood and so that was that were people were informed about this ahead of time' and they um so the police were called in and to be prepared and they decided to change the venue of where the talk was going to be given and uh in fact there were 100 people who came who to demonstrate and the way it was reported to me by people who were there there was calls for uh killing Jews and uh then it was impossible to give the talk and the people who were the speakers of the of that had to be taken out um under police escort there's a large group of police and City Police at least waiting nearby because of they were expecting that there was going to be some problems so I mean the Middle East Gaza is not just in Gaza what's happening in this International world we live in it's spilling over and the divisiveness of the Middle East is also becoming divisiveness in our communities here"...
Many people are calling for a ceasefire; some people are demanding it, and um, I think, of course, we want the killing to stop. Of course, there's another way. Of course, something else can be done. Of course, all these people should stop being killed. But can we ask for a ceasefire? Can we encourage it, not as a demand, but in such a way that the Israelis become inspired themselves, they realize this is not a good deal; there's a better way of doing it because to come down with the demand it's maybe more of the divisiveness. So, I myself would not like to be in a situation. People have asked me to sign things and stuff that more like demands, and um, that's not what I think I want to do. But of course, they should stop doing it. I have no doubt about it. I want to encourage Israel to stop, but the way that how do we do this in a way that is effective, maybe for the long term, or effective for the short term.Sadly, he may not realise that what he said there comes straight out of the anti-Palestinian propaganda handbook. It came across as labeling anybody who shows support for the plight of the Palestinian people as Hamas sympathisers. This may not have been his intention, but it did come across that way—anybody showing support for Palestine is seen as doing Hamas's bidding, as seen in the phrase 'it seems that there was a call out from Hamas.' And then later, he goes on about how we shouldn't demand a ceasefire; we should encourage one, so Israel becomes inspired themselves. Not sure if he has been paying attention to what has been happening in Gaza and Israel's track record when it comes to disregarding any rulings made by the UN and just doing what they want with the US backing them all the way ....
And the rallies I have personally attended, as well as those I have seen elsewhere around the Western world, have always included a Jewish presence in solidarity with the Palestinian people. There were chants, with people from all different religions and backgrounds (including Jewish people) all chanting together: 'Israel! Israel! You can't hide, you're committing genocide' or 'Netanyahu, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide,' and 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' However, there were definitely no calls for the killing of Jewish people or Israelis...
Apart from that, I felt he did the best he could to try and put a Buddhist spin on it, under difficult circumstances...He has definitely got it right about what's happening now will have a lasting impact...
Certainly I don't have a completely comprehensive view of everything going on. The question that occurs to me is how sure are you that you're not being swayed by anti Israeli propaganda? Or at the very least missing the aspects of the pro Palestinian that put in a less flattering light?
From my perspective he was talking about the mindset we need to develop to come to a long term peace, rather than thinking of it in terms of sinners and saints.
Went shopping for a new car.
Was looking for a late model used low mileage economic car.
Ended up with an SUV - NEW - 24 city, 31 hwy
360 and backup camera, semi leather, blah, blah..
only in hoc for 5 or 6 years at 0%.
Dtr and G'dtr love it. (Mitsubishi Outlander)
have to admit, the Black Brick looks good, rids well
OK, OK! Its a nice car, at only twice my original budget.
Consolation prize: I still have my RE int650.
‘They’ smack you when you are born … and it gets continually worse … until we ‘die before we die’ are ‘born again’ or find Nirvana. Same thing really … 🔆