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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Kerome said:
I believe its actually “10 to the power of minus 8” which is the same as 1 divided by 10 raised to the 8th power, so in the context of the sentence they mean a really small distance.
Yes, but why the lambda? it denotes wavelengths. What does that indicate?
@federica said:
This totally messed with my brain...
Does this repelling include husbands and wives?
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
The above phenomenon is an aspect of Physics.
Touching husbands and wives begins first in our hearts, and dwells in our consciences.
It also depends on how we are touched...
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Happy thanksgiving to all our American friends...
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited November 2017
1 day late, but heartfelt, I'm sure... (I always thought it was the last Friday of November too. Apparently, it's the last Thursday.... )
Just on the last leg of my walk when a local reporter asked if I would wait while she took a photo of a wedding car coming down the road...So I kindly obliged and took the opportunity to take a photo myself...
Some overseas visitors say ...one goes back in time when visiting Aotearoa (NZ) they may well be right...
Wow ...I had just finished meditation when a Mynah bird flew into my room, it fluttered around for a second or two then flew back out...
Different species of birds were chasing after each other, so I guess the Mynah thought my place was a refuge... Bloody cheek
@Bunks
I take it Aussies saw the "Gay Rainbow Speech" given by Maurice Williamson (a straight conservation politician) in the Bee Hive (NZ Parliament building) back in 2013
For such a serious topic, he got his message across in a humourous way...and just recently his speech has gone viral (again).... in Japan...
This morning i made my way to the beach...only to find the ocean of Samsara was battling with the armies of sand on the shoreline, it was trying to reclaim the territory...Wave upon wave of Samsara's army crashed into the shore, occupying the space where I normally lie...
After a while eye spotted a large sea snake riding the waves to shore...
However as it made its way to land, it morphed into a piece of driftwood
Samsara's army lost this battle and retreated...So I sit awhile (taking up my rightful place on the seashore) then go for a swim, and when heading back up the track I look back to see it was just an illusion ...(be it a somewhat persistence one )
In other words/ (perception) ...This morning I went to the beach, but had to sit a while on high ground due to the unusually high tide and crashing waves...Whilst sitting I spotted something in the water which 'looked' like a large sea snake, however as it got to shore it was clearly a piece of old driftwood...When I eventually had a swim, the water was unusually warm...a few degrees warmer than normal for this time of year ...Scientists say it's down to global warming.....
PS As I reached the top of the track, (all hot and perspiring like a water fountain ) I met a couple on their way down for a swim, and as we passed I told them the water was warm, then the guy stopped to say something... he looked a lot like my friend's ex-partner ******, so I said "*****!!!" (thinking it was him...mind you I didn't have my glasses on, so things were a little blurry) Anyhow the cheeky sod said in a seductive voice "No...but I can be a ******...if you want me to" ...It cracked me up ..we all had a good laugh
I just received a quaint 1933 little gem called "Principle and Practice of Mahayana Buddhism," by Dwight Goddard, in collaboration with Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki.
I have several such books from that age from this tandem.
Was in the £1 shop buying a notebook to turn into a bullet journal
... who should go in before me - St Nick. He had the beard, a bottle of morning champagne (bit early Santa) and was in plain clothes with £5 note and a healthy alcohol fueled swagger. May have been a tramp/street person getting in from the cold ... Pah!
I prefer to believe it was Santa Claws, celebrating the season of Baby Jesus ... and Rudolph ...
The world makes me tired today.
This ranting bit may not belong in this section, but we don't have a "Rant and Vent" section where to post this stuff.
Too much people pettiness and BS lately.
Most times, one ignores.
But sometimes, despite our better-built Buddhist coping mechanisms, the world gets to us.
And it's no use saying that the world is a mirror and we project into the world what we ourselves carry within, nor that people react to something we have projected in the first place.
No, when people are miser and behave miserably, it is not a figment of our imagination or a projection.
It is just miser people behaving miserably.
And sometimes it is simply too much.
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited December 2017
I have to agree with you there.
I genuinely, literally surprised myself, this week: I had a real specimen of a customer this last wednesday, who for absolutely no reason whatsoever, decided I would make a great target for whatever ailed him.
Now, we at M&S pride ourselves on being polite, courteous, efficient, understanding and infinitely patient in the face of whatever the day may decide to place before us, or fling in our faces.
This guy undoubtedly knew this, and I bet was quietly confident that whatever he could hurl at me in the form of bad-manners-bordering-on-abusive, I would in the spirit of my employment, take it.
He wasn't wrong.
He was rude, yelled in my face, wouldn't allow me to finish my sentences, and his manner, demeanour and sheer volume even astonished both the customer at the till next to him, and the lady waiting in line, behind him.
It could have been their expressions which triggered it. I'd like to think it had a lot to do with the Daily Meditation 'regimen' I have imposed on myself.
Whatever; I didn't bat an eyelid or miss a beat.
I maintained a serene exterior, although inwardly, I wish I could have punched him in the face - but it was a momentary desire....
Whereas a short while ago, the experience would have played on my mind all day, furnacing resentment and animosity, this time, I turned it around, silently and fervently wished him sincere Metta & Karuna, and felt deeply sad for him that he must have been wrestling in his own private self-made hell.... And nobody is more surprised than I, that I could do this....
I did nothing to provoke his prolonged outburst. As @DhammaDragon says, It was a miserable person, behaving miserably.
I bet he actually knew it. He simply chose to not behave, and decided it would be ok to let rip.
Had I retaliated, I fear the outcome would have been very serious, and far more negative.
Wherever he is, I wish him well.
I can't even bring myself to call him names here... He's miserable enough as it is, without my compounding his load, albeit in an unseen way...
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
I'm sorry, @DhammaDragon that what you went through left you with a bitter taste in your mouth. I hope it passes for you and that you recover.
You usually do, you have the Latin temperament, but the Swiss Sang-froid...
Thursday evening one of the places I work at, had their Xmas dinner at a local restaurant,...Anyhow after dinner (around (9pm ish) I decided to drive back via the Esplanade and was taken in (hook...line & sinker) by Mother nature's spectacular yet simple beauty ...What caught my eye first was the sun's reflection on the water (the 'hook') ...She was just messing with my mind again...
@DhammaDragon said:
And sometimes it is simply too much.
Whilst @federica is showing off her new metta powers ...
... I have a team of these chicken mutants (this one photographed in the British museum today) on standby ready to eat up any overbearing situations ... How many do you require? Who should they eat?
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
WTF....?!
Seriously, what is it?
It looks like a Turkey wiv da attitood...
"You ain't eatin' me Krissmus day! Bring it on, yule lot!"
I walked around The Esplanade this afternoon, the sea was quite choppy..Which reminded me of an old Maori proverb (with a very Buddhist flavour to it) that a Maori counsellor friend had on his business card...
"He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka" — (A choppy sea can be navigated by a waka/canoe)
I was at the beach this morning saw an English friend (who seems to spend more time on the beach than I do ) Anyhow (as Ex pat Poms often do when siting on a beach in paradise at Christmas time)) the topic of Christmas in the UK came up...and how we would normally be wrapped up nice a warm, or sitting in front of a blazing fire...I can only remember it snowing on Xmas day once, I would have been around 10 years old, my dad woke me up and said look out the window and sure enough it was snowing...It may have snowed more Xmases but that's the only time I can clearly remember...Which reminds me, the last time I had Xmas in the UK was back in 1983-travelled overland from OZ, however shorty after spending Xmas day with my UK family, I took off to North Africa for a bit of sunshine...
Coming from the UK I've spent most of my life in this part of the world 'Southern Hemisphere'..., My friend and I both agreed that even though we have been living here for many years, (my friend has not spent long as me in this part of the world...maybe 15/20 years) it still feels strange to be sitting on a beach in the sunshine on Christmas day...Not that we are complaining (Which is also strange... as Pommies were notorious for their whinging..."Whinging Pom" was the name given to UK people by Aussies & Kiwis because Pommies seemed to be complaining all the time... )
I was donating stuff to WISCA Opportunity shop this morning and spotted these two, looking all lonely and out of place, so I gave them a new home...It's Christmas
Well a MONSTER STORM is brewing and is meant to hit the Auckland area (including the island I live on) later today ...
We haven't had any heavy rain on the island for the last couple of months, so the water tanks are near on empty, and the water delivery trucks are are working overtime trying to keep up with the demand ( We have to wait until March the 6 for water, that's how busy they are)
At the moment there's some fine rain falling (calm before the storm) ...Hopefully this fine rain will dampen the dry earth enough for when the heavier rain starts (lessening the risk of major flash floods) I can see water starting to drip off the leaves...and the temperature has dropped slightly to a pleasant 22 C ...
Most locals are water conscious with bowls and buckets at the ready to save water, reduced shower time...I have a bowl in the shower to collect water, and also reuse dish/hand washing water to flush the loo...Fortunately there are showers at most of the beaches and drink water fountains plus at the local sports park there are shower facilities open everyday...
I live on a tiny island with water water everywhere /nor any drop to drink (well hopefully this will change later today...But I guess I should also be careful what I wish for )
Comments
Yes, but why the lambda? it denotes wavelengths. What does that indicate?
Ah yes @lobster - the old double slit experiment! Still can’t be explained. Fascinating ?
When it comes to Q P ....Buddhist style ...
Does this repelling include husbands and wives?
The above phenomenon is an aspect of Physics.
Touching husbands and wives begins first in our hearts, and dwells in our consciences.
It also depends on how we are touched...
Happy thanksgiving to all our American friends...
1 day late, but heartfelt, I'm sure...
(I always thought it was the last Friday of November too. Apparently, it's the last Thursday.... )
America still exists?
Who would have thought it ... Allah be praised!
....
Just on the last leg of my walk when a local reporter asked if I would wait while she took a photo of a wedding car coming down the road...So I kindly obliged and took the opportunity to take a photo myself...
Some overseas visitors say ...one goes back in time when visiting Aotearoa (NZ) they may well be right...
There was a storm brewing
It didn't eventuate ...(It missed the island)
But we do need the rain...
Wow ...I had just finished meditation when a Mynah bird flew into my room, it fluttered around for a second or two then flew back out...
Different species of birds were chasing after each other, so I guess the Mynah thought my place was a refuge... Bloody cheek
Tee Hee.
Birds may well be attracted to and able to perceive emotional calm. Not quite sure how. Here is one of our common cute locals (long tailed tit)
If you want an indication of interior being ... watch how animals behave ...
This was really beautiful....almost brought a tear to my eye.....almost ?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-04/tim-wilson-proposes-in-house-of-reps-same-sex-marriage-bill/9222834
It brings to mind St Francis of Assisi and the birds...
Yes it was... It was on NZ news yesterday ...Brilliant
@Bunks
I take it Aussies saw the "Gay Rainbow Speech" given by Maurice Williamson (a straight conservation politician) in the Bee Hive (NZ Parliament building) back in 2013
For such a serious topic, he got his message across in a humourous way...and just recently his speech has gone viral (again).... in Japan...
This morning i made my way to the beach...only to find the ocean of Samsara was battling with the armies of sand on the shoreline, it was trying to reclaim the territory...Wave upon wave of Samsara's army crashed into the shore, occupying the space where I normally lie...
After a while eye spotted a large sea snake riding the waves to shore...
However as it made its way to land, it morphed into a piece of driftwood
Samsara's army lost this battle and retreated...So I sit awhile (taking up my rightful place on the seashore) then go for a swim, and when heading back up the track I look back to see it was just an illusion ...(be it a somewhat persistence one
)
In other words/ (perception) ...This morning I went to the beach, but had to sit a while on high ground due to the unusually high tide and crashing waves...Whilst sitting I spotted something in the water which 'looked' like a large sea snake, however as it got to shore it was clearly a piece of old driftwood...When I eventually had a swim, the water was unusually warm...a few degrees warmer than normal for this time of year ...Scientists say it's down to global warming.....
PS As I reached the top of the track, (all hot and perspiring like a water fountain ) I met a couple on their way down for a swim, and as we passed I told them the water was warm, then the guy stopped to say something... he looked a lot like my friend's ex-partner ******, so I said "*****!!!" (thinking it was him...mind you I didn't have my glasses on, so things were a little blurry) Anyhow the cheeky sod said in a seductive voice "No...but I can be a ******...if you want me to" ...It cracked me up ..we all had a good laugh
Fire to the North
Fire to the West
Smoke obscures the Sun
Welcome to California.
I just received a quaint 1933 little gem called "Principle and Practice of Mahayana Buddhism," by Dwight Goddard, in collaboration with Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki.
I have several such books from that age from this tandem.
Was in the £1 shop buying a notebook to turn into a bullet journal
... who should go in before me - St Nick. He had the beard, a bottle of morning champagne (bit early Santa) and was in plain clothes with £5 note and a healthy alcohol fueled swagger. May have been a tramp/street person getting in from the cold ... Pah!
I prefer to believe it was Santa Claws, celebrating the season of Baby Jesus ... and Rudolph ...
Pretty warm in Geelong this evening!
Pretty cold in UK this week. But even in hotter times we've never hit those temperatures!
Yes, hottest day of summer so far.....supposedly a cool change coming over night. Only in the 20’s tomorrow
... yesterday I realised I was coming out of a deep samadhi, in a group seated meditation. Then I realised I was not sitting but lying down.
Then I woke up.
We're in for a dry hot summer here too @Bunks...The island water delivery companies are all booked out until late February - March...Stay cool @Bunks
Thanks @Shoshin - I recall having to be careful with water when staying out on the island too.
The saying was "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down!"
True.... @Bunks
I saw a beautiful flowering Jacaranda tree on my walk this afternoon...
Purple Haze "Whatever it is, that tree put a spell on me"
Epiphanies of the Southern Hemisphere...
Buenos Aires is also a purple explosion of blooming jacarandas this time of the year...
The world makes me tired today.
This ranting bit may not belong in this section, but we don't have a "Rant and Vent" section where to post this stuff.
Too much people pettiness and BS lately.
Most times, one ignores.
But sometimes, despite our better-built Buddhist coping mechanisms, the world gets to us.
And it's no use saying that the world is a mirror and we project into the world what we ourselves carry within, nor that people react to something we have projected in the first place.
No, when people are miser and behave miserably, it is not a figment of our imagination or a projection.
It is just miser people behaving miserably.
And sometimes it is simply too much.
I have to agree with you there.
I genuinely, literally surprised myself, this week: I had a real specimen of a customer this last wednesday, who for absolutely no reason whatsoever, decided I would make a great target for whatever ailed him.
Now, we at M&S pride ourselves on being polite, courteous, efficient, understanding and infinitely patient in the face of whatever the day may decide to place before us, or fling in our faces.
This guy undoubtedly knew this, and I bet was quietly confident that whatever he could hurl at me in the form of bad-manners-bordering-on-abusive, I would in the spirit of my employment, take it.
He wasn't wrong.
He was rude, yelled in my face, wouldn't allow me to finish my sentences, and his manner, demeanour and sheer volume even astonished both the customer at the till next to him, and the lady waiting in line, behind him.
It could have been their expressions which triggered it. I'd like to think it had a lot to do with the Daily Meditation 'regimen' I have imposed on myself.
Whatever; I didn't bat an eyelid or miss a beat.
I maintained a serene exterior, although inwardly, I wish I could have punched him in the face - but it was a momentary desire....
Whereas a short while ago, the experience would have played on my mind all day, furnacing resentment and animosity, this time, I turned it around, silently and fervently wished him sincere Metta & Karuna, and felt deeply sad for him that he must have been wrestling in his own private self-made hell.... And nobody is more surprised than I, that I could do this....
I did nothing to provoke his prolonged outburst. As @DhammaDragon says, It was a miserable person, behaving miserably.
I bet he actually knew it. He simply chose to not behave, and decided it would be ok to let rip.
Had I retaliated, I fear the outcome would have been very serious, and far more negative.
Wherever he is, I wish him well.
I can't even bring myself to call him names here... He's miserable enough as it is, without my compounding his load, albeit in an unseen way...
I'm sorry, @DhammaDragon that what you went through left you with a bitter taste in your mouth. I hope it passes for you and that you recover.
You usually do, you have the Latin temperament, but the Swiss Sang-froid...
They don't call this time of year the 'silly' season for nothing...People stressed up to their eyeballs and going crazy all over the place...
Thursday evening one of the places I work at, had their Xmas dinner at a local restaurant,...Anyhow after dinner (around (9pm ish) I decided to drive back via the Esplanade and was taken in (hook...line & sinker) by Mother nature's spectacular yet simple beauty ...What caught my eye first was the sun's reflection on the water (the 'hook') ...She was just messing with my mind again...
@DhammaDragon
I know that you know that it is just 'feelings' arising and that these too shall pass... Meanwhile, keep doing what you're doing ie, "Embracing them"
Whilst @federica is showing off her new metta powers ...
... I have a team of these chicken mutants (this one photographed in the British museum today) on standby ready to eat up any overbearing situations ... How many do you require? Who should they eat?
WTF....?!
Seriously, what is it?
It looks like a Turkey wiv da attitood...
"You ain't eatin' me Krissmus day! Bring it on, yule lot!"
Tee hee. Garuda. Buddhist Temple guardian. Similar to gargoyle.
This is a turkey that does the stuffing!
Ha! Made me think of this....
I walked around The Esplanade this afternoon, the sea was quite choppy..Which reminded me of an old Maori proverb (with a very Buddhist flavour to it) that a Maori counsellor friend had on his business card...
"He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka" — (A choppy sea can be navigated by a waka/canoe)
Happy Summer / Winter Solstice to my Northern and Southern friends!
Oh yeah! Tomorrow is the Shortest Day - ! 1st day of Winter....
It is! For some silly reason we've adopted this idea over here that Summer begins on Dec 1st but I've always thought it should be today......
I have just deleted 17 spam-bot applicants in one fell swoop. Is this a record?
Are there trophies for that kind of record, @Federica? If so, you deserve one!
I was at the beach this morning saw an English friend (who seems to spend more time on the beach than I do
) Anyhow (as Ex pat Poms often do when siting on a beach in paradise at Christmas time)) the topic of Christmas in the UK came up...and how we would normally be wrapped up nice a warm, or sitting in front of a blazing fire...I can only remember it snowing on Xmas day once, I would have been around 10 years old, my dad woke me up and said look out the window and sure enough it was snowing...It may have snowed more Xmases but that's the only time I can clearly remember...Which reminds me, the last time I had Xmas in the UK was back in 1983-travelled overland from OZ, however shorty after spending Xmas day with my UK family, I took off to North Africa for a bit of sunshine...
Coming from the UK I've spent most of my life in this part of the world 'Southern Hemisphere'..., My friend and I both agreed that even though we have been living here for many years, (my friend has not spent long as me in this part of the world...maybe 15/20 years) it still feels strange to be sitting on a beach in the sunshine on Christmas day...Not that we are complaining
(Which is also strange... as Pommies were notorious for their whinging..."Whinging Pom" was the name given to UK people by Aussies & Kiwis because Pommies seemed to be complaining all the time... ) 
I was donating stuff to WISCA Opportunity shop this morning and spotted these two, looking all lonely and out of place, so I gave them a new home...It's Christmas
Well a MONSTER STORM is brewing and is meant to hit the Auckland area (including the island I live on) later today ...
We haven't had any heavy rain on the island for the last couple of months, so the water tanks are near on empty, and the water delivery trucks are are working overtime trying to keep up with the demand ( We have to wait until March the 6 for water, that's how busy they are)
At the moment there's some fine rain falling (calm before the storm) ...Hopefully this fine rain will dampen the dry earth enough for when the heavier rain starts (lessening the risk of major flash floods) I can see water starting to drip off the leaves...and the temperature has dropped slightly to a pleasant 22 C ...
Most locals are water conscious with bowls and buckets at the ready to save water, reduced shower time...I have a bowl in the shower to collect water, and also reuse dish/hand washing water to flush the loo...Fortunately there are showers at most of the beaches and drink water fountains plus at the local sports park there are shower facilities open everyday...
I live on a tiny island with water water everywhere /nor any drop to drink (well hopefully this will change later today...But I guess I should also be careful what I wish for
)