Say a prayer for His Holiness

I pray he is not in much discomfort...

(CNN) -- The Dalai Lama was hospitalized Wednesday in western India.

Arriving accompanied by a police escort at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, the 73-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader emerged from his car wearing his trademark red garb, waved to onlookers, and walked without assistance into the entrance.

On Wednesday, a posting on his Web site said the Dalai Lama had been "experiencing some discomfort in the past couple of days" that his physicians attributed to exhaustion and, as a result, would cancel his engagements for the next three weeks.

It said he would instead complete medical tests that were begun earlier this month.

The spokesman for Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital suggested that the visit was an unscheduled one.

"He comes every six months for a routine checkup. Around a month ago, a checkup was conducted, and he was in perfect health," Mohan Rajan told the Associated Press.

"There is no cause for concern," he added.

The Dalai Lama last week inaugurated a Buddhist temple in the south of France and met with French first lady Carla Sarkozy.

"The Dalai Lama is fine, he's just exhausted. He has had a hectic schedule for the last year, with events scheduled almost every day. He just returned from France two days ago," Tempa Tshering, a representative of the Dalai Lama in Delhi, India, told CNN on Wednesday.

He added that the Dalai Lama was "just postponing" the trips he had scheduled for the next three weeks, and will take some time off in Dharamsala, India.

The Dalai Lama's press secretary, Tenzing Takla, told CNN the spiritual leader "has a little bit of discomfort in his stomach. He is going for a checkup now."

Edited:
From His Holiness' website
Published: Friday, 29 August, 2008

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Join Prayers on 30 August 2008


Since arriving in Mumbai yesterday afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama underwent some medical tests. The doctors attending on him have given assurances that there is absolutely no cause for concern. All that he needs is a good rest.


His Holiness will therefore join from Mumbai in the 12-hour fasting and prayers for peace and freedom that are being organized in Dharamsala and elsewhere on Saturday, 30 August 2008 by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee.

More animal goodness: Mother duck's 'bird brain' saves ducklings

She grabs police officer by pant leg to lead him to her brood trapped under grate
Nicholas Read Vancouver Sun



Don't mention "bird brains" to Ray Petersen, because after what happened this week, he won't hear a word of it.

Petersen, a community police officer for Granville Downtown South, was walking in the 1500-block Granville Street (directly under the Granville Bridge) Wednesday morning when a duck came up and grabbed him by the pant leg. Then it started waddling around him and quacking.

"I thought it was a bit goofy, so I shoved it away," Petersen said in an interview.

But the duck, a female (he thinks it was a mallard), wasn't about to give up that easily. Making sure she still had Petersen's eye, she waddled up the road about 20 metres and lay on a storm sewer grate.

Petersen watched and thought nothing of it.

"But when I started walking again, she did the same thing. She ran around and grabbed me again."

It became obvious to him then that something was up.

So when she waddled off to the sewer grate a second time, Petersen decided to follow.

"I went up to where the duck was lying and saw eight little babies in the water below. They had fallen down between the grates."

So Petersen took action. He phoned police Sergeant Randy Kellens, who arrived at the scene and, in turn, got in touch with two more constables.

"When they came down, the duck ran around them as well, quacking. Then she lay down on the grate," Petersen said.

While Kellens looked over into the grate, the duck sat on the curb and watched.

Then the two constables, John Schilling and Allison Hill, marshalled a tow truck that lifted the grate out of position, allowing the eight ducklings to be rescued one by one with a vegetable strainer.

"While we were doing this, the mother duck just lay there and watched," Petersen says.

Once the ducklings were safe, however, she set about marching them down to False Creek, where they jumped into the water.

Kellens followed them to make sure they were all right, but elected to remain on shore.

The experience has changed Petersen's mind about ducks. He thinks they're a lot smarter than he used to.

And while he never ate duck before, he says he wouldn't dream of it now.

(The duckies pictured above are not the family discussed in the article, just cute birds.)

Last weekend...

A friend and myself headed out for a wooded sanctuary by Mt. Adams for some relaxation and time in the trees. This particular place is know for interesting sky phenomenon. This cloud was hanging out next to the mountain for two hours without moving, when it finally did begin to dissipate it started to separate into rings. Pretty swell...

Byron Katie

I have found her work to be very useful in the transformation of impressions and investigation of the mind. Hopefully her simple, clear instructions will benefit your work as well...



Here is a worksheet to go with the video.

Here is a brief explanation of the work.

An excerpt from Loving What Is (Her book.)

One belief at a time worksheet, a written contemplation.

Chelas by H.P. Blavatsky

NOTWITHSTANDING the many articles which have appeared in this magazine upon the above subject, much misunderstanding and many false views seem still to prevail. What are Chelas, and what are their powers? Have they faults, and in what particular are they different from people who are not Chelas? Is every word uttered by a Chela to be taken as gospel truth?

These questions arise because many persons have entertained very absurd views for a time about Chelas, and when it was found that those views should be changed, the reaction has been in several cases quite violent.

The word "Chela" simply means a disciple; but it has become crystallized in the literature of Theosophy, and has, in different minds, as many different definitions as the word "God" itself. Some persons have gone so far as to say that when a man is a Chela he is at once put on a plane when each word that he may unfortunately utter is taken down as ex cathedra, and he is not allowed the poor privilege of talking like an ordinary person. If it be found out that any such utterance was on his own account and responsibility, he is charged with having misled his hearers.

Now this wrong idea must be corrected once for all. There are Chelas and Chelas, just as there are MAHATMAs and MAHATMAS. There are MAHATMAS in fact who are themselves the Chelas of those who are higher yet. But no one, for an instant, would confound a Chela who has just begun his troublous journey with that greater Chela who is a MAHATMA.

In fact the Chela is an unfortunate man who has entered upon "a path not manifest," and Krishna says that "that is the most difficult path."

Instead of being the constant mouthpiece of his Guru, he finds himself left more alone in the world than those who are not Chelas, and his path is surrounded by dangers which would appall many an aspirant, were they depicted in natural colors, so that instead of accepting his Guru and passing an entrance examination with a view to becoming Bachelor of the Art of Occultism under his master's constant and friendly guidance, he really forces his way into a guarded enclosure, and has from that moment to fight and conquer--or die. Instead of accepting he has to be worthy of acceptance. Nor must he offer himself. One of the Mahatmas has, within the year, written--"Never thrust yourself upon us for Chelaship; wait until it descends upon you."

And having been accepted as a Chela, it is not true that he is merely the instrument of his Guru. He speaks as ordinary men then as before, and it is only when the master sends by means of the Chela's Magnetism an actual written letter, that the lookers-on can say that through him a communication came.

It may happen with them, as it does with any author occasionally, that they evolve either true or beautiful utterances, but it must not be therefore concluded that during that utterance the Guru was speaking through the Chela. If there was the germ of a good thought in the mind, the Guru's influence, like the gentle rain upon the seed, may have caused it to spring into sudden life and abnormally blossom, but that is not the master's voice. The cases in fact are rare in which the masters speak through a Chela.

The powers of Chelas vary with their progress; and every one should know that if a Chela has any "powers," he is not permitted to use them save in rare and exceptional cases, and never may he boast of their possession. So it must follow that those who are only beginners have no more or greater power than an ordinary man. Indeed the goal set before the Chela is not the acquisition of psychological power; his chief task is to divest himself of that overmastering sense of personality which is the thick veil that hides from sight our immortal part--the real man. So long as he allows this feeling to remain, just so long will he be fixed at the very door of Occultism, unable to proceed further.

Sentimentality then, is not the equipment for a Chela. His work is hard, his road stony, the end far away. With sentimentality merely he will not advance at all. Is he waiting for the master to bid him show his courage by precipitating himself from a precipice, or by braving the cold Himalayan steeps? False hope; they will not call him thus. And so, as be is not to clothe himself in sentiment, the public must not, when they wish to consider him, throw a false veil of sentimentality over all his actions and words.

Let us therefore, henceforth, see a little more discrimination used in looking at Chelas.

Tolerance by Samael Aun Weor

The phrase, “Do unto your neighbor as you would have him do unto you,” could be translated thus: “Become conscious of others and yourself.” So accordingly, if one does not put himself in his neighbors’ place he fails totally and will therefore neither Love nor understand anybody. But in order to put ourselves in another’s place and understand their point of view, we must reject our self-esteem.

This “I” must be eliminated if we truly want to understand another’s point of view. Normally, nobody sees another’s point of view, because we all live so dominated by the “I” of self-esteem and are incapable of putting ourselves in their place.

We are incapable of truly comprehending until we kill the “I” of self-esteem. This would be a big essential step forward. All these psychic elements personifying arrogance, intolerance and superiority must be destroyed in order for us to make progress towards awakening.

For example, arrogance makes us feel superior to other people. In reality, however, it only makes us behave like despots. An arrogant person can never feel Love for another. Therefore he cannot awaken. How can he, if he is arrogant?

What can we say about the “I” of superiority? Why do we feel so superior, high and mighty, so important in front of others. Why, when we are in fact only miserable worms in the mud of the earth.

Superiority is another obstacle to awakening. Superiority breeds intolerance, and intolerance breeds criticism. The critic sees many defects in others and fails to see any in himself. He is therefore blind to his own faults. So it is obvious that only when one puts oneself in another’s place, and sees with their point of view, can the individual develop and learn tolerance towards others. The result of tolerance is then the disappearance and eradication of criticism.

Therefore, it is essential to learn how to place ourselves in other points of view. We criticize a person who has robbed, but can we be sure we have never stolen from another? Can we honestly say we have never committed a theft?

Somebody commits adultery, and we criticize again. How can we be sure that never in our life we have not done the same thing? Then again, we see someone guilty of a particular defect, and criticize once more. How can we be certain that we also are not guilty of the same defect?

However, when one develops tolerance, the destructive criticism within us disappears and the Psychological and destructive “I” is destroyed. So this is what we need to do. Develop tolerance within, allowing the natural annihilation of intolerance to eventuate.

As tolerance develops, intolerance is destroyed. This is very clear in the most complete sense of the word. If for just an instant we could exchange our personality with our neighbor, we would be amazed to discover just how much we criticize him. Then with the experience of changed personalities we would learn not to criticize.

(Snagged from a post by a moderator at GnosticTeachings.com who also uses the name Chela. No relation! Thanks Chela for this wonderful morsel.)

Argentine dog saves abandoned baby

Some good news from the wire... What a sweet, gentle little doggie.



By Daniel Schweimler
BBC News, Buenos Aires

An eight-year-old dog has touched the hearts of Argentines by saving the life of an abandoned baby, placing him safely alongside her own new puppies.

The country's media are calling him "the miracle baby".

He was born prematurely to a 14-year-old girl in a shanty town outside the capital, Buenos Aires.

She is said to have panicked and abandoned the boy in a field, surrounded by wooden boxes and rubbish.

Then along came La China, the dog which somehow picked up the baby and carried him 50m to place him alongside her own puppies.

The dog's owner heard the child crying and found him covered with a rag.

The baby, weighing 4kg (8lb 13oz), had some slight injuries, but no bite marks. The owner called the police and the child is now being looked after by the authorities, while a decision is taken about his future.

The frightened mother appeared shortly after her baby was found.

The Argentine media has descended on the shanty town, talking of "the Argentine Romulus and Remus", the founders of Rome, abandoned as babies and rescued by a wolf, nearly 3,000 years ago.

La China, worried about her own puppies, is reported to be petrified by her new found fame, and her owner says he is worried that she is not eating.

Slow motion video of Lightning

This is breathtaking. Enjoy!

Karma

Karma 1: Cause and Effect
Written by Gnostic Instructor

This course is a basic introduction to fundamental principles of Gnosis. Gnosis is from Greek and means "knowledge," but this is not the knowledge of the intellect: it is the direct knowledge of the consciousness. When one studies true Gnosis, one studies experiential knowledge, as opposed to conceptual knowledge. The Gnosis of the tradition of Samael Aun Weor is directed entirely toward the realization of direct, experiential knowledge, without which there can be no real awakening. Therefore, to understand this course and the others available on this website, one must work to live and practice the principles expressed in the lectures, in order to verify through one's own experience the knowledge (Gnosis) that is being communicated. Without this daily effort in one's own life, this knowledge will remain as nothing more than ephemeral phantoms in the intellect, which can render no service for the betterment of your soul.

In order to be able to know, we first have to do. - Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of the Dialectic


The Law of Cause and Effect

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. - Galatians 6:7

The true and practical meaning of this word Karma is completely unacknowledged in our modern society, much to our detriment. Karma, in fact, may be the least understood aspect of spirituality in the west. What is most surprising about this is the undeniable importance of Karma in the Christian religion, a teaching most of us are familiar with. But, in fact, the principles that the Law of Karma requires us to live by are completely ignored, in spite of the clarity with which Jesus taught them.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. - Matthew 5

Karma is the universal law in all of creation: the law of cause and effect.

There are three eternal things:

1. Space
2. Karma
3. Nirvana

The universe arises and falls in cycles of birth and death. These are cosmic days and nights; great periods of manifestation and rest. Through out the birth and death of worlds and suns and cosmic systems, KARMA is the Law which equilibirates everything.

Naturally, the Law of Karma is well understood in the East, in Hinduism and Buddhism. In those teachings, the Sanskrit term ‘karma' is defined as "the law of cause and effect," or "the law of consequence." Karma is derived from the root work Karman.

Karman: (Sanskrit) an act.

Obviously, for every action, there is a result. This is well understood in materialistic physics through Newton's Laws of Motion:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. - Newton's Third Law

In Gnosis we understand that the physical world is inferior to many other dimensions or levels of reality. Scientifically, we understand that light has many levels of vibration. With our physical senses we only perceive an extremely narrow band of vibration.

Through the knowledge of Kabbalah we come to understand that the range of light we perceive physically corresponds to the world of Malkuth: the physical world. But above the range of visible light is a huge expanse of light: thise range corresponds to the superior worlds of the Kabbalah, or in other words, the Heavens. Likewise, the range of inferior vibrations, which is also extremely wide, corresponds to the inferior worlds of the Kabbalah, called the Klipoth or the Hell Realms.

To some degree, we can all perceive the results of action in the narrow band of physical action.
We do not perceive the results of action in the expanse of the ultra- and infra- regions.
All the vibrations of light interpentrate without confusion.

At this moment, we are surrounded by light corresponding to every range of vibration.

When you move your hand, you see the physical action and its results. But you do not see your hand moving in the ultraviolet. You do not see your hand moving in the infrared. It is possible to perceive these realms if we have the means. However, we do not refer to physical technologies, which are merely an extension of the physical senses: we refer to psychological technologies, which traditionally are called meditation, clairvoyance, and dream yoga.

All action has results throughout the range of worlds. The movement of your hand produces results that you cannot perceive with the physical senses.

Karma, cause and effect, is universal and all-penetrating.

The true meaning of the Law of Karma is devasting to the mind. The true activity of this law, the reality of this law, is something that the mind cannot contain. Because the law of karma is real, it is the very fabric of this entire existence around you and within you. In a way, you yourself ARE karma, and everything you think, feel and do is karma.

You may think you can grasp this. You may think, "Yes, I understand that karma is the law of cause and effect and that if I do something bad then something bad will happen to me."

Yes, that is true. If you hurt someone, then you will be hurt. It is the function of the law to balance all action. The law of karma is the law of the scale.

This law is present in everything. For everything we do there is a reaction, a response. And perhaps some of us DO get this, and we try to behave well.

But the true depth of this law, the profound reach of this law, is something that none of us truly understand. Because if we did, we would not live the way we do.

What would happen if we really understood that everything we think creates karma?

Every thought!

Every single, solitary thought that enters your mind, that processes in your mind...

This is to say nothing of our feelings, our intentions, our fantasies, and our actions! Thought alone can create karma. That means that our thinking is creating something. Our out-of-control mind, that runs and thinks and considers and imagines without control and without awareness is generating a constant stream of energy, an energy that will inevitably have some effect.

In us, by far the majority of our thinking is self-concerned. Most if not all thoughts are about us and what we want. Most if not all thoughts are coming from selfish desire, from concern about MYSELF, ME, WHAT I WANT. And we cannot control it. We cannot stop thinking. Those of us who try to meditate face this tremendous reality everytime we sit. Thoughts are happening on many levels of the mind, both subtle and gross, and they are manifesting without a conscious choice on our part.

This is a wellspring of suffering for us. Because we are ignorant of the effect of this way of living, we persist in deepening our suffering.

This is not a matter of opinion. This is not a matter of what one doctrine says or what another teacher says. This is a matter of life and death, of pain and suffering. The full understanding of this law is vital no matter what tradition you believe in, no matter what you want to do with your life, because whatever you do you are subject to the law of karma and if you remain ignorant of this law, you will create nothing but problems for yourself and others.

Many of us may think that this Law only applies to things like stealing or murder. But really, it applies to everything in life. Remember the words of the Master Jesus, when he said:

You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgement.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, "You fool!" shall be liable to the hell of fire. - Matthew 5:21

Jesus is giving us a tremendous clue in this wisdom, that we should understand the law with our conscience, and know that we can kill with a word, with a glance, with our will. We can kill without a knife or a gun. And he tells us that even these actions, that seem so normal, so acceptable, are cause for judgement and punishment. He is saying what he said over and over: that we will reap only what we sow in life. As we do, so shall we receive.

And if we continue day after day nursing resentments against our spouse, our co-workers, and continue feeding our anger toward our father and mother, and continue generating anger toward people on the street, in the grocery store, on the freeway, what do you think you are sowing in the field of your life? What seeds are you planting there? And what do you expect that those seeds will grow?

It's obvious, isn't it? If we plant the seeds of anger, then happiness will not grow there. It's impossible. Yet we expect this. If we plant the seeds of greed, then contentment will not grow there. It cannot happen that way! If you want to grow green beans you cannot plant a thorn bush, and yet this is exactly what we do, everyday.

Once we deeply comprehend this fact, we can see that we are responsible for the state of our life, we are responsible for the well being of others, we are responsible for everything that we experience in life. But for us, who do not comprehend, we blame others, we blame everyone else, and we never recognize that the primary person who is at fault for our problems is OURSELVES.

Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned.
- Qur'an 42.30

We all say, "If I had a better job" or a better husband or a better car or, "if I get this new computer or this new book or if I can make a little more money or move to a different city, then and only then will I finally be contented and happy and then I will start to do good for others. I'll do some charity once I have everything I need."

We all say, "my boss is making me miserable, my sister is making me angry, my wife is making me anxious, my friend is making me jealous,... and if they change, then things will be better for me. If my husband changes, then I can be a cheerful person. But as long as he keeps being the way he is, then I can't do it."

Whatever harm a foe may do to a foe, or a hater to a hater, an ill-directed mind can do one far greater harm. - The Buddha Shakyamuni, from the Dhammapada, 42

We are hurting ourselves. It is not my bosses fault that I am miserable at work. It is my reaction to it that creates my suffering. And really, it is karma: if someone is making me suffer, it is my responsibility to see how I have made others suffer in the same way.

Confucius said:

In vain have I looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

We must begin to examine our lives, and our minds, in order to see why we are in the situation we are in. And what are we doing in response to it all?

Our habits of thinking, habits of feeling, and habits of action are all self-centered. None of us have selfless habits. And really, this is a tremendous clue to us, a way for us to determine when and where we are acting in an out of balance way: we must begin to recognize when we are acting out of self-will. That is, seeking to satisfy our selves, our sense of "me," our attachments, our desires, our wishes, our rules, our requirements, our demands, our dreams, our passions. When we are concerned only with feeding ourselves, or our own interests, WHO ARE WE STEALING FROM TO DO IT? Who are we hurting in order to serve ourselves? What imbalances are we creating? Observe the state of the world, the imbalances from culture to culture, and observe this in our city, in our families... It is quite evident that the state of our world is a result of this habitual fascination with "me, myself and I"...

Suffering begins the moment we act from self-will. Remember the story of Adam and Eve: mankind was cast out of perfection when we acted from desire, and went against the Law. Thus, we began to pay for our actions. Previous to that, we were in balance with the Law, with Creation.

It is urgent for us all to recognize our responsibility for our life. Everything in our lives is ultimately our responsibility, whether we like it or not. And the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we can change things. It is only by recognizing that we create our own lives that we can begin to create a better one.

Dreaming does not work. Mind control, positive thinking, etc are nothing when compared to someone who knows how to act in accordance with the Law.

I have heard and realized that bondage and salvation are both within yourself.
- Acarangasutra 5.36

The law of karma is in activity in your life every day. Every moment. And in every moment, in every action, in every thought, in every feeling, we are creating something.

If you push against an object, it will fall over. Likewise, if I scream in anger at you it will have an undeniable effect on you. Even if I feel anger toward you, you will sense it. And even if I think angry thoughts about you, it will affect you. But the most profound thing is that each of these stages, from intention, to feeling, to action, affects me far more powerfully than you. It is as if my anger was a handleless sword, and in trying to cut you, I am cutting off my own arm.

This is so because everything we feel, think and do is energy.

Consider this: it is known in western science now that everything we see is an illusion, because everything is made of energy. Mass is not really solid, nor is it lasting. All mass becomes energy and all energy becomes mass. This is something that was understood long before western scientists "discovered" it, of course, but even now it is something that none of us can really grasp.

At bottom is this fact: everything in the universe is energy. Energy is manifest as vibration, and is characterized by constant transformation and change. Nothing is still or stagnant: everything is moving, and changing.

We ourselves are undergoing constant transformation, though we are ignorant of it. Our bodies change dramatically every day, but we do not have the capacity to observe it.

Our bodies, our minds, our feelings, our thoughts, our dreams, our desires, our intentions, our wishes, everything is energy. A thought is energy. A feeling of love is an energy.

Wherever we are at this moment, there is a tremendous exchange of energy happening moment to moment. There are powerful atomic processes happening all the time, but we do not have the capacity to observe it.

As someone speaks to you they are sending energy to you. As you receive it there is a transformation that occurs in your psyche, in your mind, and hopefully, if you are present and aware and not day dreaming, there is a transformation in your consciousness.

Likewise, as you think and feel there are energies that are being processed: all of this exchange of energy is a process of creation and destruction.

In transformation, there is birth and there is death.

When you think, something is created.

When you feel, something is created.

So karma then, does not concern mere physical action. It concerns the entirety of life, from the first moment to the last. Every moment is a moment in which something is created. And in every moment, something is destroyed.

This is not just a theory or an idea. This is not a dogma or a belief. This is a LAW. IT IS. Ignorance does not excuse you from the law. Neither does opposition to the law. You may not believe the government is just in its laws, and you may oppose the laws, but if you break them, then you will pay for that. You can park in a fire lane, but you will pay for it. Likewise, you can break the Law of Karma, you can do whatever you wish, but you will pay for it. And payment is not pleasant.

So it is better to be fully educated with regard to the Law of Karma.

The Law of Karma is the Law of the Balance. The Law of Karma seeks to keep everything in the universe in balance. That is all. It is not a law of punishment or vengence. Nor is it merciless. In fact, as you will see later in the course, it is deeply compassionate.

And most importantly, the Law is not "out to get you." Law without mercy is tyranny, and God is not cruel and unjust. Just as your actions have created effects, then you can act further, in a different way, to create different effects, and cancel your debts. You can work with the Law, to be in accordance with the Law, and be in harmony.

The Lion of the Law is combated with the scale.

(The full course can be found at http://www.gnosticteachings.org )

FDA says chemical found in plastic bottles is safe!

It is becoming more and more difficult to stay aware of all the chemicals and poisons we are exposed to on a regular basis. Once again the FDA shows it can not be depended on to protect consumers from dangerous products....
Our only hope is to awaken here and now and stop this insanity.

By MATTHEW PERRONE – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite ongoing safety concerns from parents, consumer groups and politicians, a chemical used in baby bottles, canned food and other items is not dangerous, federal regulators said Friday.

Food and Drug Administration scientists said the trace amounts of bisphenol A that leach out of food containers are not a threat to infants or adults. The agency acknowledged that more research is needed to fully understand the chemical's effects on humans, and noted "there are always uncertainties associated with safety decisions."

The FDA previously declared the chemical safe, but agreed to revisit that opinion after a report by the federal National Toxicology Program said there was "some concern" about its risks to infants.

The plastic-hardening chemical, similar to the hormone estrogen, is used to seal canned food and make shatterproof bottles. It is also used in hundreds of household items, ranging from sunglasses to CDs.

The FDA's draft report was greeted with enthusiasm by the American Chemistry Council, which has defended the chemical's safety.

"FDA is the government agency we rely upon to assess food-contact products. They've assessed this issue in great detail and their conclusion is very reassuring," said Steve Hentges, an executive director with the council.

But environmental groups were quick to criticize the agency's conclusions, which they said relied on industry-funded studies.

"It's ironic FDA would choose to ignore dozens of studies funded by (the National Institutes of Health) — this country's best scientists — and instead rely on flawed studies from industry," said Pete Myers, chief scientist for Environmental Health Sciences.

Myers said the agency disregarded recent studies of bisphenol's effects included in the National Toxicology Program's April draft report.

That group's review of animal studies suggested low doses of bisphenol can cause changes in behavior and the brain, and that it may reduce survival and birth weight in fetuses. A final version of the group's findings is expected next month.

Commenting on those studies in its 105-page assessment, the FDA said they had "inconsistencies and inadequacies which limit the interpretations of the findings."

About 93 percent of Americans have traces of bisphenol in their urine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while studies have suggested the chemical can disrupt hormones in mice, the FDA concluded that the levels people are exposed to are thousands of times below what are dangerous.

The FDA released its preliminary re-evaluation ahead of a September meeting where outside advisers will debate the chemical's safety.

Many lawmakers at home and abroad aren't waiting for the agency to complete its review.

Canada has announced its intention to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles, and state and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban bisphenol in children's products.

Some environmental groups questioned the timing of the FDA's report, noting California lawmakers are expected to soon vote on removing bisphenol from children's products. If signed into law, it would be the first state ban of the chemical.

"For this to come out on a Friday afternoon, just before California takes action, it definitely raises some eyebrows," said Renee Sharp, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group.

At least 10 states besides California are also considering bills to restrict use of the chemical.

More than 6 billion pounds of bisphenol are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, BASF, Bayer AG and other manufacturers.

The Ongoing Rape of Indigenous Land, Water and Air

Water, Air and Culture. Honoring Our Indigenous Women Activists Tour 2006 Portland, Oregon June 11th, 2006 Carrie Dann Western Shoshone Nation Louise Benally Dineh (Navaho) Nation Julie Fischel, attorney Western Shoshone Defense Project WESTERN SHOSHONE DEFENSE PROJECT www.wsdp.org "Mission: To affirm Newe (Western Shoshone) jurisdiction over Newe Sogobia (Western Shoshone homelands) by protecting, preserving, and restoring Newe rights and lands for present and future generations based on cultural and spiritual traditions."

"We are who we are because our nation survived here. It is written on our earth." Bernice Lalo, Western Shoshone "The destruction of these sacred places represents a continued genocide against the Western Shoshone."
http://www.wsdp.org/alerts.htm

NO DIRTY GOLD CAMPAIGN http://nodirtygold.org/western_shoshone_nation_usa.cfm
BLACK MESA INDIGENOUS SUPPORT www.blackmesais.org
"Relocation is Genocide"

"Entering Sovereign Dine Nation. All people who respect the land, life and laws of the Dine are welcome." Senate bill SB1003: The Navajo faced with relocation oppose the bill and say relocation would strip them of their indigenous way of life. Since 1974 over 15,000 Navajo and 100 Hopi have been displaced from their ancestral homes in Arizona. Opponents say that the Navajo are being moved off their land so coal companies can mine it. The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that less than a few hundred Navajo remain on Black Mesa and John McCain's Senate Bill 1003 would require their imminent removal by 2008. But the remaining Navajo REFUSE TO BE MOVED.

Sacred Land Film Project http://www.sacredland.org/endangered_sites_pages/black_mesa.html

Mayan Studies: Jose Arguelles

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful lecture with a well respected instructor in the Gnostic community regarding 2012. He recommended this author and after hearing him speak I understand why. The book "The Mayan Factor" can be found here.

If you are looking for a materialistic anthropological account, this is not the book for you. I am not advocating that everything he says is right, but he has some deep insight into these mysteries and it is my sincere hope that it will resonate with you and help with your own comprehension. As always we need to meditate and discern truth from illusion...

By strange coincidence a friend of mine sent this lecture over today. Enjoy!












There are 10 in all, please link through you tube for further exploration.

Kahlil Gibran on Love

An Excerpt from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a great stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though his sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes not from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Movie: The Fountain

This summer has been such an amazing opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature that updates here have been scarce. Hopefully, these last few posts will be enough to chew on for a while...

A beautiful story about the law of return and reccurence and so much more.

"The Fountain is a breathtaking sentimental masterpiece in the vein of 2001: A Space Odyssey as it boldly seeks to answer the great mysteries of life, love, death and re-birth transgressing the metaphysical boundaries of the universe. It's epic non-linear narrative spans the centuries with Hugh Jackman delivering an absolutely unforgettable performance as Tomas, a Spanish Conquistador in the 16th century who pledges his loyalty to Queen Isabella (Rachel Weisz) to find the mythical Tree of Life so that Spain will hold the key to the Fourth Paradise, Immortality, denounced as heresy by the Grand Inquisitor. Tomas' quest is interleaved between three converging narratives across time and space. As a modern-day neurosurgeon, Tomas struggles to find a cure for a tumorous disease that threatens the mortality of his beloved wife Izzi who is writing a fable called "The Fountain" chronicling the odyssey of their 16th century quest which can be interpreted as either a fictitious or biographical account of Tomas and Izzi's lives who have endured the centuries together or simply as mythical characterizations of Izzi's unfinished allegorical manuscript symbolizing her husband's obsessive quest to find a cure for her terminal ailment that she has left for him to finish (the past representing Izzi's tale and the future representing Tomas' as he struggles to "finish it") both of which could be argued with equal measure. One of the beauties of The Fountain is its open-ended narrative construct left to speculation and interpretation and can be viewed from entirely different perspectives with each consecutive viewing. Tomas' quest ultimately takes him to the distant 26th century where he has projected himself and the dying Tree of Life across the great void of space in a transcendental bubble to reach Xibalba, the name of the Mayan underworld given to a dying nebula that brings the creation of new life from the wake of its destruction like the yin and yang of the cosmos beyond the confines of this mortal coil. "Our bodies are prisons for our souls. All flesh decays... death turns all to ash. And thus, death frees every soul... "

Darren Aronofsky's poetic film blossoms with rich cultural, biblical, mythical and spiritual imagery that speak the common language spoken by all religions and cultures that have asked the boldest philosophical questions about our place in the universe since time immemorial. For anyone who has ever looked to the heavens and stared in the face of mortality and beyond, The Fountain holds all of the answers to life like a profound epiphany radiating from the heavens. Drink from The Fountain and achieve the knowledge of truth and spiritual enlightenment on the road to Awe."

Books on the nightstand...

Information gluttony is one of the areas that I work on... It is such a chore to try and read only one book at a time start to finish. Monkey mind indeed. Here are a few currently in the que:



Black Elk Speaks is the story of the Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) and his people during the momentous twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk met the distinguished poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881-1973) in 1930 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and chose Neihardt to tell his story. Neihardt understood and conveyed Black Elk’s experiences in this powerful and inspirational message for all humankind.

When Black Elk received his great vision, white settlers were invading the Lakotas’ homeland, decimating buffalo herds, and threatening to extinguish the Lakotas’ way of life. The Lakotas fought fiercely to retain their freedom and way of life, a dogged resistance that resulted in a remarkable victory at the Little Bighorn and an unspeakable tragedy at Wounded Knee. Black Elk Speaks offers much more than a precious glimpse of a vanished time, however. As related by Neihardt, Black Elk’s searing visions of the unity of humanity and the earth have made this book a venerated spiritual classic. Whether appreciated as the poignant tale of a Lakota life, a history of a Native nation, or an enduring spiritual testament, Black Elk Speaks is unforgettable.



My Stroke of Insight: A brain scientist's journey from a debilitating stroke to full recovery becomes an inspiring exploration of human consciousness and its possibilities

On the morning of December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain--the rational, grounded, detail- and time-oriented side--swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely.

In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain. It would take eight years for Taylor to heal completely. Because of her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and most of all an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insights gained from her right brain that morning of December 10th.

Today Taylor is convinced that the stroke was the best thing that could have happened to her. It has taught her that the feeling of nirvana is never more than a mere thought away. By stepping to the right of our left brains, we can all uncover the feelings of well-being and peace that are so often sidelined by our own brain chatter. A fascinating journey into the mechanics of the human mind, My Stroke of Insight is both a valuable recovery guide for anyone touched by a brain injury, and an emotionally stirring testimony that deep internal peace truly is accessible to anyone, at any time.


The Gnostic Magic of Runes: Gnosis, The Aeneid, and the Liberation of the Consciousness

The world has often heard of the adventures of the great heros such as Aeneas, Hercules, and Parsifal - but for the first time, the meaning of those famous stories is made clear. The founder of the modern Gnostic Movement provides a deeply spiritual and psychological exploration of the ancient symbols hidden in Virgil’s Aeneid, Richard Wagner’s Parsifal, and more. Excerpts from these tales are interwoven with a series of practical exercises from the ancient Nordic Runes that help the serious student awaken their consciousness so they too can enter into their own direct experience of the parallel universes that we have long forgotten.

Topics include: The Divine Mother and the Holy Gods; Parallel Universes; Rune Fah (Feoh, Fehu); Pennate Gods; The Puncta; Return and Transmigration; Rune Is (Isa); The Cosmic Egg; The Oracle of Apollo; Rune Ar; Proton and Antiproton; The Harpies; Rune Sig (Sigel, Sowelu); The Ain Soph; The King Helenus; Rune Tyr (Teiwaz); Meditation; The Deformed Giant Polyphemus; Rune Bar (Beor, Berkana); The Ten Rules for Meditation; The Tragedy of Queen Dido; Rune Ur (Uruz); The Story of Master Meng Shan; The Country of the Dead; Runes Dorn and Thorn (Thurisaz); The I ; The Cruel Enchantress Circe; Rune Os (Othila); Origin of the Pluralized I ; The Three Furies; Rune Rita (Raido); The Divine Mother Kundalini; The Forge of the Cyclops (Sex); Rune Kaum; The Purgatorial Region; The Temple of Hercules; Rune Hagal; The River Lethe; The Pines - The Nymphs; Rune Not (Nauthiz); Parsifal; The Sacred Fire; Rune Laf(Lagu, Laguz); The Final Liberation; The Dream of the Consciousness; Rune Gibur (Gebo, Gyfur); and more.


The Backpacker's Field Manual, Revised and Updated: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills

The Backpacker's Field Manual has been the bible of the Princeton University Outdoor Action Program for more than a decade, field-tested by one of the most respected outdoor programs in the country. It is the most comprehensive backpacking guide available--broad in scope while still focused on the essential skills and information that backpackers need to travel safely and comfortably in the wilderness. Backpackers of all levels will find this book indispensable:
before you start your trip, for deciding on an itinerary, selecting equipment, and figuring out what food, clothing, and other supplies to pack;
once you're out in the wilderness, for choosing a campsite, setting up camp, navigating with map and compass, identifying trees and plants, and preparing meals (recipes included!);
if something unexpected happens, for finding a lost person, seeking shelter in a lightning storm, and performing first aid for common injuries.

More than 100 line drawings illustrate such useful skills as how to set up a tarp, repair your stove, wrap an injured ankle, predict the weather, and much more. And scattered throughout are Tricks of the Trail, additional tips for successful backcountry hiking.

Byron Katie

Byron Katies series of questions have been helpful in my own path because she has a simple method for delving into our negative emotions. She hasn't reinvented the wheel here, but it is a practical and simple way to begin exploring where your thoughts and emotions come from. Here is what her site has to say:

"About Byron Katie

Byron Katie, founder of "The Work", has one job: to teach people how to end their own suffering. As she guides people through the powerful process of inquiry called The Work, they find that their stressful beliefs—about life, other people, or themselves— radically shift and their lives are changed forever.

Based on Byron Katie's direct experience of how suffering is created and ended, The Work is an astonishingly simple process, accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, and requires nothing more than a pen and paper and an open mind.

Through this process, anyone can learn to trace unhappiness to its source and eliminate it there. Katie (as everyone calls her) not only shows us that all the problems in the world originate in our thinking: she gives us the tool to open our minds and set ourselves free."

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on compassion...

THE DALAI LAMA ON COMPASSION

"My message is the practice of compassion, love and kindness. These things are very useful in our daily life, and also for the whole of human society these practices can be very important.

"Basically, universal responsibility is the feeling for other people's suffering just as we feel our own. It is the realization that even our own enemy is motivated by the quest for happiness. We must recognize that all beings want the same thing we want. This is the way to achieve a true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.

"At the heart of Buddhist philosophy is the notion of compassion for others. It should be noted that the compassion encouraged by Mahayana Buddhism is not the usual love one has for friends or family. The love being advocated here is the kind one can have even for another who has done one harm. Developing a kind heart does not always involve any of the sentimental religiosity normally associated with it. It is not just for people who believe in religions; it is for everyone who considers himself or herself to be a member of the human family, and thus sees things in accordingly large terms.

"The rationale for universal compassion is based on the same principle of spiritual democracy. It is the recognition of the fact that every living being has an equal right to and desire for happiness. The true acceptance of the principle of democracy requires that we think and act in terms of the common good. Compassion and universal responsibility require a commitment to personal sacrifice and the neglect of egotistical desires.

"I believe our every-day experience confirms that a self-centered attitude towards problems can be destructive not only towards society, but to the individual as well. Selfishness does not solve problems for us, it multiplies them. Accepting responsibility and maintaining respect for other will leave all concerned at peace. This is the essence of Mahayana Buddhism."

Conciousness

Written by Samael Aun Weor

People confuse consciousness with intelligence or with intellect, thus, they qualify a very intelligent or intellectual person as a very cognizant person.

Undoubtedly—and without fear of deceiving ourselves—we affirm that within a human being the consciousness is a very particular means of apprehending internal knowledge and is completely independent of any mental activity.

The faculty of consciousness facilitates the knowledge of ourselves.

The consciousness grants us the integral knowledge of what is, where it is, what is really known, and what is certainly ignored.

Revolutionary psychology teaches that only the individual by himself can know his own self. Yes, only we ourselves can know if we are or are not cognizant at any given moment; only by oneself can one know about one’s own consciousness, and whether it was active or not at any given moment.
Only the individual by himself—and nobody but himself—can become aware at any given instant, at any given moment, if before that instant, if before that moment, he was not really cognizant, that his consciousness was very asleep. Thereafter, he will fall asleep again and forget that experience, or will keep it as a memory, as the memory of a strong experience.

It is essential to know that the consciousness within rational animals is not a continuous or permanent entity. Normally, the consciousness within these intellectual animals mistakenly called humans sleeps profoundly; thus, the moments in which their consciousness is awake are seldom, very seldom. Yes, intellectual animals work, drive cars, marry, die, etc., with their consciousness totally asleep, and it awakens only in very exceptional moments.

Sadly, the life of present human-like people is a life of dreams, yet they believe they are awake and will never admit that they are dreaming—that is, that their consciousness is asleep.

If any of them were to suddenly awaken, he would feel terribly ashamed of himself, he would immediately comprehend his clownishness, his own buffoonery, since this life is frightfully ludicrous, horribly tragic, and seldomly sublime.

If a boxer in the middle of a fight was to unexpectedly awaken—covered in shame—he would see the entire fascinated public and then—before the astonishment of the sleeping and unconscious multitudes—he would flee from the horrible spectacle.

When a human being admits that he has his consciousness asleep, you can be sure that he has already begun to awaken.

The reactionary schools of old-fashioned psychology that deny the existence of the consciousness—and that even declare the term useless—reveal a most profound state of sleep. The henchmen of such schools snooze very profoundly within an utterly infraconscious and unconscious state.

Those who confuse the consciousness with psychological functions, i.e. thoughts, feelings, motor impulses and sensations, are indeed very unconscious: they are profoundly asleep.

Those who admit the existence of the consciousness, and nonetheless, utterly deny the different degrees of cognizance, reveal their lack of cognizant experience, that is, they reveal their sleeping consciousness. Any person who—even for a brief moment—awakened his consciousness, knows very well by his own experience that different degrees of observable consciousness exist within oneself, namely:

1. First: time; how long did we remain cognizant?
2. Second: frequency; how many times have we awakened our consciousness?
3. Third: amplitude and penetration; what was one cognizant of?

Revolutionary psychology and the ancient Philokalia affirm that the consciousness can be awakened and made continuous and controllable by means of a special kind of super-effort.

A fundamental education has as it’s objective the awakening of the consciousness. It is worthless to expend ten or fifteen years of study in school, college, and university if upon completion of our studies we are sleeping automatons.

It is no exaggeration to affirm that—by means of great effort—intellectual animals can become cognizant of themselves for a brief couple of minutes; nonetheless, it is clear that, in regard to cognizance, there exist remarkable exceptions that we must seek with the lantern of Diogenes. These remarkable cases are represented by authentic human beings such as Buddha, Jesus, Hermes, Quetzalcoatl, etc. Yes, these founders of religions possess continuous cognizance: that is, they are great, enlightened men.

Commonly, people are not cognizant of themselves, yet have the illusion of being cognizant in a continuous manner; this illusion is due to memory and all the processes of thought. For example, any individual who practices a retrospective exercise in order to remember their entire life, can truly recall, remember the number of times they married, how many children they begot, who their parents were, their teachers, etc. However, this does not signify the awakening of their consciousness; this is simply the remembrance of unconscious actions, and that is all.

Here, it is necessary to repeat what we have stated in former chapters. There are four states of consciousness:

1. Sleep
2. Vigil state
3. Self-cognizance
4. Objective cognizance

The wretched intellectual animals mistakenly called humans live only in two of these states, since they expend one half of their life in their bed sleeping and the other half in the wrongly called “vigil state,” which indeed is a sleepwalking state. Yes, the individual who in bed sleeps and dreams believes that he awakens by merely returning to the vigil state, but he continues dreaming, because for him the vigil state is indeed a sleepwalking state. This is similar to daybreak: the stars seem to hide when the sun rises, yet they continue to exist even when the physical eyes cannot perceive them.

In normal life, the populace knows nothing about self-cognizance, and much less about objective cognizance. Nevertheless, people are proud and everyone thinks that they are cognizant of themselves. Yes, intellectual animals firmly believe that they have cognizance of themselves and they would never accept—under any circumstances—being told that they are actually asleep and that they live unconscious of themselves.

Exceptional moments exist when the intellectual animal awakens, but these moments are very rare. This awakening can occur in an instance of great danger, or during an intense emotion, or in some new circumstance, or in some new, unexpected situation, etc. Nonetheless, it is indeed a disgrace that the intellectual animal does not have any control over those fleeting states of awakened consciousness, and that he cannot evoke them in order to make them continuous.

Nevertheless, these fundamentals of Gnostic education affirm that any individual can acquire control over his consciousness and thus attain self-cognizance. Yes, this revolutionary psychology has methods, scientific processes, to awaken the consciousness.

Perseid Meteor Shower To Peak August 11 and 12

Graeme Stemp-Morlock
for National Geographic News
August 7, 2008

Unlike short-lived solar eclipses or unpredictable auroras, meteor showers regularly offer skywatchers a dazzling show.

Soon the curtain will rise on one of the best of these showers: the Perseids, so called because the meteors appear to originate in the constellation Perseus.

Slated to peak sometime during the night and early morning of August 11 to 12, the shower offers one of the year's best chances to see a shooting star.

Under perfect conditions, observers can expect to see about 90 to100 meteors an hour, said Wayne Hally, a self-professed "meteor geek" who writes a newsletter for the North American Meteor Network.

Hally spends a few hundred hours a year watching for meteors from his base in northwest New Jersey.

The stargazer said he expects the Perseids to have a sustained peak over several hours this year.

"Based on last year's results, it appears that the actual peak was not at a specific time but lasted a day and a half surrounding that date," Hally said.

"The peak [this year] might be the whole night."

A Blaze of Glory

Meteor showers happen regularly when Earth plows through a stream of dust and small rocks trailed by a comet after its close approach to the sun.

(Related: "Meteor Dust May Affect the Weather, Study Says" [September 13, 2005].)

109P Swift-Tuttle, the comet responsible for the Perseid meteor shower, orbits the sun every 133 years. The comet last made a close approach in 1992, resulting in a spectacular meteor shower with rates four times higher than average.

"The Perseids have been seen since 36 A.D., almost 2,000 years ago. Most [meteor showers] have not been around that long, as streams spread out," Hally said.

"The comet that produces the Perseids is in a good reliable orbit. So it's been around for 2,000 years, and it will probably be around for another 2,000."

More than just a pretty spectacle, meteors offer astronomers a glimpse back in time to when planets formed.

Paul Wiegert, a physicist and astronomer at Canada's University of Western Ontario, studies meteors with the Meteor Physics Group, the largest research body of its kind in North America.

"[Comets] are interesting because they are extremely old, forming when planets did, and they are unaltered since. With comets, you can observe what went into making the Earth, its original ingredients," Wiegert said.

Occasionally pieces of comet debris survive the fiery descent through our atmosphere and crash into Earth as meteorites.

"Meteorites can be billions of years old, much older than anything on Earth," Wiegert said.

"It's like a free sample of material from outer space. Space missions cost millions of dollars to go get that material, but sometimes we can get it delivered here for free."

(Related: "Chicago Meteor Shower a Windfall for Scientists" [May 13, 2003].)

Starry Nights

Observers on the U.S. West Coast will likely get the best view of the peak just before dawn on August 12.

But the Perseids will put on a good show as seen from any place on Earth for several reasons.

The moon will set between 1 and 2 a.m., making the sky darker and allowing observers to see fainter meteors.

Also, the region in the sky where the meteors appear to come from will rise up higher as the night progresses, so fewer meteors will shoot below the horizon.

Meteors higher in the sky also appear brighter, because they are seen through less distortion-causing atmosphere.

Hally, the meteor buff, says that people who want to see the largest number of meteors possible should find the darkest sky available and face northeast, where the meteors will appear to come from.

And don't forget a warm blanket. Even August can feel cold with the early morning dew, he noted. A reclining deck chair can also help reduce neck strain from looking up.

"[W]ith meteors, you never know exactly what you are going to get," Hally said. "With a telescope on a star cluster, it will look the same today as the next hundred years.

"If you look at the planets, you don't see a lot of change. But with a meteor shower you never really know what's going to happen."

Gorilla "Paradise" Found; May Double World Numbers

Dan Morrison
for National Geographic News
August 5, 2008

Deep in the hinterlands of the Republic of the Congo lies a secret ape paradise that is home to 125,000 western lowland gorillas, researchers announced today.

The findings, if confirmed, would more than double the world's estimated population of gorillas.

Western lowland gorillas are a subspecies classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Their numbers have been devastated in recent years by illegal hunting for bush meat and the spread of the Ebola virus. Just last year scientists projected the animals' population could fall as low as 50,000 by 2011.

Now those predictions may have to be dramatically reworked to incorporate findings released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

A first ever ape census in northern Congo found 73,000 of the gorillas in that country's Ntokou-Pikounda region and 52,000 more in the Ndoki-Likouala area.

The Ndoki population includes an obscure group of nearly 6,000 gorillas living in close quarters in isolated swamps near Lac Télé.

"We knew there were apes there, we just had no idea how many," said WCS's Emma Stokes, one of the lead researchers in the two-year project.

The gorillas have thrived thanks to their remoteness from human settlements, food-rich habitats, and two decades of conservation efforts in one of the world's poorest countries, Stokes said.

Shy, But Plentiful

Lowland gorillas are more common than their mountain cousins. The animals are found in tropical forests and swamps in Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.

Organics: The Dirty Dozen

How time flies when you are sleepin....

Its been a busy summer filled with time outside, art, music and meditation. Tons of pics to share. Until then, here is a list of the foods that it is most important to buy organic, as well as, a list of those foods that test lowest in pesticides when chemicals are used.

Dirty Dozen (buy these organic):

peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
lettuce
grapes
pears
spinach
potatoes


Cleanest 12 (lowest in pesticides):

onions
avocados
sweet frozen corn
pineapples
mangoes
sweet peas frozen
asparagus
kiwis
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
eggplant