Dakini

In my opinion, the prison system is pretty heavily invested in its current form money-wise, power-wise and the social climate is one of judgement and punishment rather than reform. I think its a very big hill to climb if not altogether impossible to reform from the top down.

What's alarming is the privatization of the prison industry, turning the warehousing of people into a for-profit business. With that, an incentive arises to incarcerate more and more people to grow the business.

OP, this topic comes up on the forum periodically. I've found it very intriguing, so over the time I've been here, I've researched it to death. Here's what I've come up with:

One of the testimonies re: "Jesus in the East" is said to come from supposed texts in Hemis monastery in Ladakh. The first person to report on these texts was a Russian explorer named Nicholas Notovich. He published a book about his supposed findings, with a translation of these Tibetan texts. HOWEVER, it turns out that after the Notovich book was published, a British scholar visited the same monastery, and asked the head lama about Notovich's claims. The lama repudiated Notovich's report, and said he'd never met Notovich. He got angry and asked how it's possible that someone could publish false stories in a book.

An American was poised (she says) to have the tomb in Kashmir opened, to get some DNA samples from the bones inside. As she was about to do this, 9/11 happened, and local Muslims in the neighborhood of the tomb took control of the tomb. Access to the contents has been denied ever since. The government of India, however, has become interested in the tomb as a potential tourist attraction. It wants to open it and try to determine whose remains are in there. Although that part of Kashmir is technically under India's authority, the neighborhood where the tomb is, is still controlled by radical Muslims, so India doesn't dare try anything for the time being.

It would make sense if Jesus went to Kashmir, especially since there was a Jewish community there, and Thomas established a ministry in India. There's endless debate and analysis as to whether he survived the ordeal on the cross, especially the spear wound inflicted by a Roman soldier. In the end, we won't know for sure until/unless the remains in the Kashmir tomb are DNA tested, and at least show Jewish heritage. If his mother Mary's remains are still accessible (said to be located in the same general region in Kashmir) and a match could be made, that might prove something. But it doesn't look likely that this will pan out, given the problems with the Notovich report, even if the political problems in the region resolved at some point.

OP, the word is that there are 2 Buddhist ctrs in the Tibetan tradition: a Shambhala center, and a Nyingma center. I don't know about other traditions (Zen, Theravada). Flag is a small town; can probably only support 2, if that.

I've learned a tremendous amount from participating here on NB for a couple of years. Things I never would have learned by attending a center. I got a broader perspective on Buddhism as a whole, vs. 1 tradition's party line. I found that very helpful.

Go, team! :thumbsup:

:)

I have this Sutra, though I have yet to read it--I'm quite certain it is not a historical record of "what the Buddha actually said" but that is true of most Mahayana texts I'm sure (though historical accuracy does not de-value the text, IMO -- as if historical authenticity is the only factor in determining the validity of a text).

Regarding "buddha nature": when I first encountered this talk of "buddha nature" I thought it also to be a backdoor to sneak an essential "self" back into Buddhism which made little sense to me. However, from what I have read since that first encounter with it, my understanding is that "buddha nature" refers to a sentient being's capacity to awaken, not a kind of metaphysical "essence." I wonder if part of the problem is the translation into English of this term...?

Yes, that's how buddhanature is usually explained; the inherent capacity we all have to evolve into a Buddha. However, the Sutra goes on to introduce the concept of True Self, which is something that's realized AFTER students have abandoned ego-clinging. It's presented as the Buddha's final teaching on the topic of "self", for those who have already gone beyond mundane self. And there's an implication that this True Self continues to exist after death, as the Buddha's described as permanently abiding (in his True Self) in Nirvana or Buddha heaven.

It's really quite fascinating. I think it's up to each practitioner/student to decide whether these teachings are helpful or not. Take it or leave it. But these components of the Sutra taken as a whole make an interesting study.