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Smiling Buddha?
Xrayman
Veteran
hi there,
most of you know that I 'm heavily into wikipedia-I have been editing/rewriting about nuclear weapons (long story-I know!) however, I just found this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiling_Buddha
WTF? is anyone outraged as I am? Smiling Buddha??? I realise I am about 30 years too late, however-wtf ?
:hrm:
comments please:
regards,
xray (maybe gamma-ray?) man.
most of you know that I 'm heavily into wikipedia-I have been editing/rewriting about nuclear weapons (long story-I know!) however, I just found this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiling_Buddha
WTF? is anyone outraged as I am? Smiling Buddha??? I realise I am about 30 years too late, however-wtf ?
:hrm:
comments please:
regards,
xray (maybe gamma-ray?) man.
0
Comments
It's so painfully ironic that I can't believe they actually did that.
Sincerely,
Jason
with respect Zopa,
The name of a bomb designed to
1. Annailate human beings, with burns and radiation sickness
and
2. call it a "peace weapon"
and
3. refer to it as a "Smiling buddha"
-is friggin outrageous!
it has little to do with words on a computer screen.
I would love to see what would have happened if it was called "Smiling Jesus: The peaceful atom bomb"
holy mackerel!:pirate:
cheers.
Why no outrage over the Shakti Operation?? Not worried about offending Hindus???
No sweat not worth the waste of one brain cell. Panic, fluff, bluster, pose and posture all you want. Just increase your own suffering and not the suffering of others, ok?
I get what you're saying but I think this subject is worth pointing out and talking about. You really haven't been here long enough to understand Xray's style of communication. I doubt very much that he's hyperventilating or panicking. It's just the way he communicates. I like his style better than yours, though.
Hi, Xray!
You may be outraged, that is your choice. Just tell me this, what will your outrage accomplish? I will admit, if this was proposed for some FUTURE contemplated activity that should be contested. :mean:
But, it happened. It happened in the country credited with much of the historical foundation of Buddhism. I don't see that India at that time was choosing that to be offensive, to anyone.
===================================
Brigid,
The subject is of interest, I give you that. especially since I've dozens of years involvement in a like endeavors. I just don't think it is worth getting your panties in a wad over. That's all. I'll try to behave until I've been here longer. Didn't know there was a probationary period .......... I'm glad you like Xray's style, sorry you don't like mine.
Peace and enjoyment! :wavey:
BTW: The US named their first nuclear test device "Trinity"; a fielded nuclear weapon, not a test, was named after Davey Crockett, and we had that MIRV ICBM named the "Peacekeeper".
India isn't alone in poor taste for names........ and remember, the US Peaceful Nuclear Weapon program was named "Plowshare" after a Biblical quote, And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares...
Damn clever of us Americans, heh???? :tonguec:
kind regards
I LIVE in Nevada, I am from )born and raised( Florida and Colorado.
And now what "it" makes sense to you, if you don't mind my asking?
How does this effect my Buddhist practice?
It doesn't.
These reported events are like an arrow shot at my heart but it lands at my feet.
I choose not to bend over, pick it up, and stab myself with it.
-- unknown author
Peace and contentment to all!
To all others, if I came across as being “preachy” or presented myself as a “know-it-all”; or was perceived as trying to tell anyone else that they were wrong, I totally, completely, and sincerely apologize from the depths of my heart. None of those were intended actions or perceptions or thoughts I was having or trying to present here.
What I was trying to show in response to Xrayman’s opening post was based on the Buddhist concept of the 5 Mental Aggregates, specifically, the Feeling aspect.
What do I mean? In that HH 14th DL said, “Delusions are states of mind which, when they arise within our mental continuum, leave us disturbed, confused and unhappy. Therefore, those states of mind which delude or afflict us are called 'delusions' or 'afflictive emotions'."
The Buddha said, "Monks, there are beings who suffer not from disease of body for 1 year, for 2 years... even for 100 years. But it is hard to find in the world beings who can admit freedom from mental disease even for 1 moment, save only those who have destroyed delusions." -- [Anguttara Nikaya; Samyutta Nikaya]
Our Feeling component of the Mental Aggregate is a factor of our minds which labels experiences as either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. When we apply the pleasant label to an object, we develop attachment. When we use the unpleasant label for and object we develop aversion which could become anger or hatred. When we label an object with the neutral aspect we don’t care or even ignore the object. This labeling occurs in a blink of an eye or even less!
After applying our chosen label we create our initial opinion and mind’s view of the object. Already we could have planted the seed for prejudice. Once established as pleasant or unpleasant, we need significant convincing before changing our mind - if we are change our mind at all. "Good" and "bad" are merely subjective views from our mind, and it is oft based on no more than a glance or a quick initial view/read.
Labeling is a quick way to make sense of our world; categorizing things as "good" or "bad." The problem is that we then respond to our world using this mere labels.
Labeling can result in generations of the 3 poisons or most important of the negative mental attitudes, delusions, or afflictive emotions. The 3 are anger, ignorance and attachment. These 3 are said to be root to all our negative emotions.
Xrayman used “outraged” as an adjective in his (her?) opening post. In that context outrage is defined as “the anger and resentment aroused by injury or insult.” Anger??
Anger is 1 of the 3 poisons. All schools of Buddhism teach anger is bad, but it does occur. We must control anger and recognize what it really is that makes us angry. Each time we do that we grow more in wisdom and take a itty-bitty- step forward on the Path.
My point was, don’t get angry over something that was a label applied 33 years ago. Don’t poison your own mind over something you can’t control. A method or antidote for anger I was taught was that of an accept or change approach.
We can find one of two unpleasant scenarios: Some we can change and some we can’t. If I can change the situation, I should, instead of allowing or causing myself to get emotional and/or angry. No action will most likely cause me considerable frustration in the long run. If I can’t change the circumstances, I've got to accept it. Not doing so can lead to my frustration and a more negative and unpleasant mental state which just makes the whole thing worse than better.
We (me too!) humans have trouble accepting unpleasant situations which we can’t do anything about. In that vein, I was just trying to help. For causing discomfort and possibly contributing to your own negative mental state and/or emotions, please accept my apology.
:bowdown:
The term that I use "outrage" was (as Bridgid put it) just my way of writing-it is a little tongue-in-cheek, us Aussies, Canadians and some North Americans (particularly those from Ohio) share a peculiar sense of irony and humour.
Zopa,
I mentioned that I felt you had missed my point about why would anyone in their right mind refer to a weapon of mass destrucction as a Buddha or any other deity?
The point I was making about you from nevada was pointed toward the fact that that is where most US Nukes were tested. It was kind of nasty (I hereby retract that statement-sorry, I got too heated).
At least the US tests on their own soil, In Australia, we've had the french screw up islands nearby and weve had the English irradiate our soil with their experiments with cobalt 60 (dirty, and highly radioactive for ages!-bomb tests at Maralinga) so this is my resoning for my rage.
You were right in that calling it the Shakti project was equally 'outrageous'-THAT WAS MY POINT-we agreed-I was understanding your post about anger etc. and its anti-buddhist concept!
Yes I know it was 30+ years ago! (I am quite knowledgable in the particular subject-but thats irrelevant to this argument).
I was (if you like) maintaining the rage-If we don't do something, eg. voice opinion and say that "this is not good enough" then what then? more weapons (ie neutron bombs-enhanced fallout?! wtf!-dirty bombs) that cause absolute and complete devastation-to human flesh and bodies, weapons that we can nicely refer to as (I don't know) "Pretty Show Pony" or, 'Erotic Jelly bean" or 'wonderful peace lily'.
I grew up in the eighties where goood old Ronny Raygun nearly ruined this world -he had his finger on the button. (and we would not be arguing this point-here today we'd be vapourised).
anyway,
there is no need for apologies-we all understand what you are saying about the anger etc. but we cannot be complacent with these matters either-someone needs to keep our world as nuke free as we can!
cheers alll, and sorry for the whinge (Whine) as you Americans refer to it as.
have a happy Smiling Buddha day....BOOM! where's everybody??
Weapons kill people, nuclear weapons kill lots of people when used. Killing people is bad. Wouldn't surprise me that some laboratory somewhere is coming up with a weapon of tremendous lethality and destruction based on soybeans.
Funny, if all that money and time and effort went towards PEACE and HEALTHCARE and cleaning up the messes from past world leaders this would be a damn fine place to live. At least for a few more lives.........
Metta for all!
...Boom! Where's everybody?? NICE double entendre, fella!
Where's everybody, you ask?
Waiting upon you
to know what to do next, good Xrayman.
Hey, X-man Ray, I really liked your thought on "maintaining the rage." Period.
Very true and telling words.
You Aussies Rule!
Best of Regards to you, dear Xrayman!
Fondly,
Nirvy
anyway, hey Zopa, I'd really love to know more about the missile walks of your childhood. Also good point about the new gas-enhanced soybean weapon! can't wait for that one although i'm lost as to what would be an appropirate name for such a weapon....how about the Delightful Flatulence project, subheaded, Choking Jesus nerve-gas weapon (to be used ONLY for peace-of course) !
cheers!
Palzang
As I read your words, Palzang-la, I had a picture of Gotama and Jesus squaring up: "I stopped them!" "No! It was me!" and Oppenheimer quoting the Gita at them LOL
_/\_
Very true, not1. An excellent reason to feel only the deepest compassion for them.
Palzang
I think it's a good point. I mean, there was actually an experiment called "Smiling Buddha" - it's fact. Why did someone name this experiment "Smiling Buddha"? I have no clue.
But the "Smiling Buddha" moniker could mean all sorts of things. As the article states, the "Smiling Buddha" is also:
The Smiling Buddha Deity
Smiling Buddha refers to Maitreya or Hotei. A Buddhist Deity popular like a Good Luck Giver.
Expand on the concept of the deity so that readers are completely informed.
-bf