WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 — "The United States maintained its role as the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world in 2006, followed by Russia and Britain, according to a Congressional study to be released Monday. Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia were the top buyers.
The global arms market is highly competitive, with manufacturing nations seeking both to increase profits and to expand political influence through weapons sales to developing nations, which reached nearly $28.8 billion in 2006."
Pakistan was a major recipient of American arms sales in 2006, including the $1.4 billion purchase of 36 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft and $640 million in missiles and bombs. The deal included a package for $890 million in upgrades for Pakistan’s older versions of the F-16.
At the same time, the State Department’s own survey of global human rights in 2006 noted a variety of shortcomings in Pakistan’s record on human rights and democratization.
But the Bush administration has argued that it is important to maintain the support of a nuclear-armed Pakistan in the broader counterterrorism fight, in particular as Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders regroup in the rugged North-West Frontier Province along the Afghan border."
- NY Times.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Meaning of Ahimsa by Sri Swami Sivananda
"Ahimsa or non-injury, of course, implies non-killing. But, non-injury is not merely non-killing. In its comprehensive meaning, Ahimsa or non-injury means entire abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature, either by thought, word, or deed. Non-injury requires a harmless mind, mouth, and hand. Ahimsa is not mere negative non-injury. It is positive, cosmic love. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced by love. Ahimsa is true sacrifice. Ahimsa is forgiveness. Ahimsa is Sakti (power). Ahimsa is true strength.
There is one religion - the religion of love, of peace. There is one message, the message of Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a supreme duty of man.
The power of Ahimsa is greater than the power of the intellect. It is easy to develop the intellect, but it is difficult to purify and develop the heart. The practice of Ahimsa develops the heart in a wonderful manner. He who practices Ahimsa develops strong will-power. In his presence, enmity ceases. In his presence, cobra and frog, cow and tiger, cat and rat, wolf and lamb, will all live together in terms of intimate friendship.
Ahimsa is never a policy. It is a sublime virtue. It is the fundamental quality of seekers after Truth. No Self-realization is possible without Ahimsa. Whoever wishes to realize the Truth must practice Ahimsa. There is a hidden power in Ahimsa which protects its practitioners. The invisible hand of God gives protection. There is no fear. What can pistols and swords do ?"
There is one religion - the religion of love, of peace. There is one message, the message of Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a supreme duty of man.
The power of Ahimsa is greater than the power of the intellect. It is easy to develop the intellect, but it is difficult to purify and develop the heart. The practice of Ahimsa develops the heart in a wonderful manner. He who practices Ahimsa develops strong will-power. In his presence, enmity ceases. In his presence, cobra and frog, cow and tiger, cat and rat, wolf and lamb, will all live together in terms of intimate friendship.
Ahimsa is never a policy. It is a sublime virtue. It is the fundamental quality of seekers after Truth. No Self-realization is possible without Ahimsa. Whoever wishes to realize the Truth must practice Ahimsa. There is a hidden power in Ahimsa which protects its practitioners. The invisible hand of God gives protection. There is no fear. What can pistols and swords do ?"
Ahimsa = non-violence, by Gandhi
"Literally speaking, ahimsa means non-violence. But to me it has much higher, infinitely higher meaning. It means that you may not offend anybody; you may not harbor uncharitable thought, even in connection with those you consider your enemies. To one who follows this doctrine, there are no enemies. A man who believes in the efficacy of this doctrine finds in the ultimate stage, when he is about to reach the goal, the whole world at his feet. If you express your love- Ahimsa-in such a manner that it impresses itself indelibly upon your so called enemy, he must return that love.
This doctrine tells us that we may guard the honor of those under our charge by delivering our own lives into the hands of the man who would commit the sacrilege. And that requires far greater courage than delivering of blows."
This doctrine tells us that we may guard the honor of those under our charge by delivering our own lives into the hands of the man who would commit the sacrilege. And that requires far greater courage than delivering of blows."
between us and you a great chasm is established
based on: Lk 16:19-31
The story of Lazarus is another parable told by Jesus to the Pharisees to indicate how wealth and power are to be used. In the modern era we have a difficult time reconciling Jesus’ profound concern for the poor with our own lives of comfort and wealth. Often we try to explain away the hard sayings of Jesus, and instead emphasize a Christianity that is based on what we believe and not the ways we demonstrate our concern for each other. I think that Jesus is challenging this logic today. He leaves no doubt about what his feelings are regarding the rich man. Luke’s gospel is filled with many of these references about the burden of being rich. I don’t think Jesus is telling us that being rich is evil, any more than being poor is virtuous. I think Jesus is challenging us to examine our values. What is it that we consider riches and wealth? This story only tells us that Lazarus was poor and that the rich man was rich. The rich man lived in comfort while Lazarus lived in the streets suffering. We don’t know anything more about the rich man other than he walked by Lazarus and the poor while he lived in comfort. I think this is the real point of this story: the rich man was unaffected by suffering and poverty. Jesus on the other hand is seen throughout Luke’s gospel as very affected by suffering and poverty. Earlier in Luke’s gospel Jesus tells the Pharisees that, "what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." We see this being illustrated today in this parable. The real sin for the rich man is that he values material comfort more than he does concern for his fellow man. If we value comfort and status more than we do concern for the poor, then our values are not aligned with Jesus. In Luke’s gospel Jesus has a social agenda. He is not satisfied with just easing the suffering of the poor, but he is actually interested in changing the social structure of society that permits this poverty to go on. His desire is to create a new social order that is based on concern for the suffering and the poor. St. John Chrysostom says, "The rich man is a kind of steward of the money which is owed for distribution to the poor...For his own goods are not his own, but belong to his fellow servants." In other words, the rich man serves as society’s social welfare system. Jesus has entrusted us with fulfilling his vision for a new social order that is based on concern for the poor and the suffering. These are Jesus’ values. They must be ours too!
Jesus tells us that a great chasm exists between the rich and the poor. It is so great a chasm that one cannot cross from one to the other. The chasm is so great that is exists beyond this age and this time and continues to separate us beyond this life. Here we see the mercy of Jesus in action as he provides comfort to the poor and suffering, but where is the mercy of Jesus for those who are rich? Are we left to believe that Jesus has no mercy for those who are rich? While Jesus could be loving and comforting, we see that he is also capable of being harsh and condemning and especially when he challenges the social institutions that support continued suffering. We must recall that Jesus’ method of compassion is the cross. Jesus compassion is the denial of the self and the desires of the self. The great chasm that exists is between those who are concerned only with themselves, and those whose concern is for the poor and suffering. It is so great a chasm that it cannot be crossed. The only way over this great chasm is an interior change of heart that results in a change of focus away from ourselves toward those who are suffering and poor. If we cannot make this transformation in our own lives, then Jesus tells us, "between us and you a great chasm is established."
The story of Lazarus is another parable told by Jesus to the Pharisees to indicate how wealth and power are to be used. In the modern era we have a difficult time reconciling Jesus’ profound concern for the poor with our own lives of comfort and wealth. Often we try to explain away the hard sayings of Jesus, and instead emphasize a Christianity that is based on what we believe and not the ways we demonstrate our concern for each other. I think that Jesus is challenging this logic today. He leaves no doubt about what his feelings are regarding the rich man. Luke’s gospel is filled with many of these references about the burden of being rich. I don’t think Jesus is telling us that being rich is evil, any more than being poor is virtuous. I think Jesus is challenging us to examine our values. What is it that we consider riches and wealth? This story only tells us that Lazarus was poor and that the rich man was rich. The rich man lived in comfort while Lazarus lived in the streets suffering. We don’t know anything more about the rich man other than he walked by Lazarus and the poor while he lived in comfort. I think this is the real point of this story: the rich man was unaffected by suffering and poverty. Jesus on the other hand is seen throughout Luke’s gospel as very affected by suffering and poverty. Earlier in Luke’s gospel Jesus tells the Pharisees that, "what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." We see this being illustrated today in this parable. The real sin for the rich man is that he values material comfort more than he does concern for his fellow man. If we value comfort and status more than we do concern for the poor, then our values are not aligned with Jesus. In Luke’s gospel Jesus has a social agenda. He is not satisfied with just easing the suffering of the poor, but he is actually interested in changing the social structure of society that permits this poverty to go on. His desire is to create a new social order that is based on concern for the suffering and the poor. St. John Chrysostom says, "The rich man is a kind of steward of the money which is owed for distribution to the poor...For his own goods are not his own, but belong to his fellow servants." In other words, the rich man serves as society’s social welfare system. Jesus has entrusted us with fulfilling his vision for a new social order that is based on concern for the poor and the suffering. These are Jesus’ values. They must be ours too!
Jesus tells us that a great chasm exists between the rich and the poor. It is so great a chasm that one cannot cross from one to the other. The chasm is so great that is exists beyond this age and this time and continues to separate us beyond this life. Here we see the mercy of Jesus in action as he provides comfort to the poor and suffering, but where is the mercy of Jesus for those who are rich? Are we left to believe that Jesus has no mercy for those who are rich? While Jesus could be loving and comforting, we see that he is also capable of being harsh and condemning and especially when he challenges the social institutions that support continued suffering. We must recall that Jesus’ method of compassion is the cross. Jesus compassion is the denial of the self and the desires of the self. The great chasm that exists is between those who are concerned only with themselves, and those whose concern is for the poor and suffering. It is so great a chasm that it cannot be crossed. The only way over this great chasm is an interior change of heart that results in a change of focus away from ourselves toward those who are suffering and poor. If we cannot make this transformation in our own lives, then Jesus tells us, "between us and you a great chasm is established."
Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life - Shantideva
From the Bodhisattvacharyavatara by Shantideva
(Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life)
translated by Steven Batchelor (©Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979)
There is no evil like hatred,
And no fortitude like patience.
Thus I should strive in various ways
To meditate on patience.
My mind will not experience peace
If it fosters painful thoughts of hatred.
I shall find no joy or happiness;
Unable to sleep, I shall feel unsettled.
Having found its fuel of mental unhappiness
In the prevention of what I wish for
And in the doing of what I do not want,
Hatred increases and then destroys me.
Therefore I should totally eradicate
The fuel of this enemy;
For this enemy has no other function
Than that of causing me harm.
If in those who encounter me
An unfaithful or an angry thought arises,
May that eternally become the source
For fulfilling all their wishes.
May all who say bad things to me
Or cause me harm,
And those who mock and insult me
Have the fortune to fully awaken.
May I be a protector to those without protection
A leader for those who journey
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.
May I be an island for those who seek one
And a lamp for those desiring light,
May I be a bed for all who wish to rest
And a slave for all who want a slave.
May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase,
Powerful mantras and great medicine,
May I become a wish-fulfilling tree
And a cow of plenty for the world.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach until the end of space.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.
May a rain of food and drink descend
To clear away the pain of thirst and hunger
And during the aeon of famine
May I myself change into food and drink.
May I become an inexhaustible treasure
For those who are poor and destitute;
May I turn into all things they could need
And may these be placed close beside them.
Without any sense of loss
I shall give up my body and enjoyments
As well as all my virtues of the three times
For the sake of benefiting them all.
By giving up all, sorrow is transcended
and my mind will realise the sorrowless state.
It is best that I now give everything to all beings
In the same way as I shall at death.
For as long as space exists
And sentient beings endure,
May I too remain,
To dispel the misery of the world.
(Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life)
translated by Steven Batchelor (©Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979)
There is no evil like hatred,
And no fortitude like patience.
Thus I should strive in various ways
To meditate on patience.
My mind will not experience peace
If it fosters painful thoughts of hatred.
I shall find no joy or happiness;
Unable to sleep, I shall feel unsettled.
Having found its fuel of mental unhappiness
In the prevention of what I wish for
And in the doing of what I do not want,
Hatred increases and then destroys me.
Therefore I should totally eradicate
The fuel of this enemy;
For this enemy has no other function
Than that of causing me harm.
If in those who encounter me
An unfaithful or an angry thought arises,
May that eternally become the source
For fulfilling all their wishes.
May all who say bad things to me
Or cause me harm,
And those who mock and insult me
Have the fortune to fully awaken.
May I be a protector to those without protection
A leader for those who journey
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.
May I be an island for those who seek one
And a lamp for those desiring light,
May I be a bed for all who wish to rest
And a slave for all who want a slave.
May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase,
Powerful mantras and great medicine,
May I become a wish-fulfilling tree
And a cow of plenty for the world.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach until the end of space.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.
May a rain of food and drink descend
To clear away the pain of thirst and hunger
And during the aeon of famine
May I myself change into food and drink.
May I become an inexhaustible treasure
For those who are poor and destitute;
May I turn into all things they could need
And may these be placed close beside them.
Without any sense of loss
I shall give up my body and enjoyments
As well as all my virtues of the three times
For the sake of benefiting them all.
By giving up all, sorrow is transcended
and my mind will realise the sorrowless state.
It is best that I now give everything to all beings
In the same way as I shall at death.
For as long as space exists
And sentient beings endure,
May I too remain,
To dispel the misery of the world.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Jungian Mysticism
The following quotes are from:
Mysticism in the Analytical Psychology of Carl Jung and the Yoga Psychology of Patanjali: A Comparative Study by Harold Coward.
Philosophy East and West, Vol. 29, No. 3. (Jul., 1979), pp. 323-336.
As Jung puts it,
God is the union of the opposites, the uniting of the torn asunder, the conflict
is redeemed in the Cross. So Przywara says: 'God appears in the cross', that
is he manifests himself as the crucified Christ. The man who wishes to reach
this unity in God, to make God real in himself, can only attain this through
the Imitatio Christi, that is he must take up his cross and accept the conflict
of the world and stand in the center of the opposites.
The Christian during contemplation would never say, "I am Christ"
but will confess with Paul, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me" [The Buddhist]
sutra, however, says: "Thou wilt know that thou art the Buddha."
At bottom both statements express a fundamental sense of unity, but in Jung's
view, the way the unity is experienced is altogether different. The Buddhist
statement "Thou art the Buddha" or the Hindu Upanisadic teaching "I am
Brahman" requires complete removal of the individual ego or ahamkara. The
Western statement "Christ liveth in me" implies not a destruction of the ego
but rather an invasion or possession by God so that the individual ego continues
to exist only now as servant of the Lord.
The preceding review of Jungian psychology and Patanjali's yoga shows both
points of agreement and difference. Both authors agree with the definition
of mystical experience presented by the philosophers as being
characterized by a loss of the sense of finite ego and a corresponding increased
identification with a transcendent spiritual reality. But there was definite
disagreement about the degree of ego loss which occurs and about the kind
of psychological process which is mainly responsible for the mystic's identification
with the larger transcendent reality.
In the face of the earlier comparative psychological study, we find ourselves
left with what is perhaps a new and expanded version of Stace's question,
"Does mystical experience point to an objective reality or is it merely a subjective
phenomenon?" Now the psychological question must be added, "Can
there be mystical experience without an individual ego? Or put another way,
"Is unlimited consciousness of the fullness of reality psychologically possible?"
Mysticism in the Analytical Psychology of Carl Jung and the Yoga Psychology of Patanjali: A Comparative Study by Harold Coward.
Philosophy East and West, Vol. 29, No. 3. (Jul., 1979), pp. 323-336.
As Jung puts it,
God is the union of the opposites, the uniting of the torn asunder, the conflict
is redeemed in the Cross. So Przywara says: 'God appears in the cross', that
is he manifests himself as the crucified Christ. The man who wishes to reach
this unity in God, to make God real in himself, can only attain this through
the Imitatio Christi, that is he must take up his cross and accept the conflict
of the world and stand in the center of the opposites.
The Christian during contemplation would never say, "I am Christ"
but will confess with Paul, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me" [The Buddhist]
sutra, however, says: "Thou wilt know that thou art the Buddha."
At bottom both statements express a fundamental sense of unity, but in Jung's
view, the way the unity is experienced is altogether different. The Buddhist
statement "Thou art the Buddha" or the Hindu Upanisadic teaching "I am
Brahman" requires complete removal of the individual ego or ahamkara. The
Western statement "Christ liveth in me" implies not a destruction of the ego
but rather an invasion or possession by God so that the individual ego continues
to exist only now as servant of the Lord.
The preceding review of Jungian psychology and Patanjali's yoga shows both
points of agreement and difference. Both authors agree with the definition
of mystical experience presented by the philosophers as being
characterized by a loss of the sense of finite ego and a corresponding increased
identification with a transcendent spiritual reality. But there was definite
disagreement about the degree of ego loss which occurs and about the kind
of psychological process which is mainly responsible for the mystic's identification
with the larger transcendent reality.
In the face of the earlier comparative psychological study, we find ourselves
left with what is perhaps a new and expanded version of Stace's question,
"Does mystical experience point to an objective reality or is it merely a subjective
phenomenon?" Now the psychological question must be added, "Can
there be mystical experience without an individual ego? Or put another way,
"Is unlimited consciousness of the fullness of reality psychologically possible?"
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
what the world needs is human beings who are free
"You know, sirs, what this world needs is not politicians or more engineers, but free human beings. Engineers and scientists may be necessary, but it seems to me that what the world needs is human beings who are free, who are creative, who have no fear. And most of us are ridden with fear. If you can go profoundly into fear and really understand it, you will come out with innocency, so that your mind is clear. That is what we need, and that is why it is very important to understand how to look at a fact, how to look at your fear. That is the whole problem—not how to get rid of fear, not how to be courageous, not what to do about fear, but to be fully with the fact." ---- J Krishnamurti
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Honor Seat
o humble Lord who is dying upon a cross
I sit watching at your feet,
never recognizing you up on the honor seat.
I sit in comfort on my seat of shame
I watch in horror
you bleeding upon me.
where have you bled today
as I watch in shame?
you held a banquet, and invited the poor and lame
I held a banquet and slaughtered the lamb
you who hang from the cross so high
shedding your blood upon humanity
I demand you come down from there
before I pierce your side with my lance again.
live amongst the poor and crippled no more
walk among us as the proud do
so I can homage you too!
I have hung you high up on the cross
stripped you and beat you
and still I cannot humble you more
who is fastened up on the honor seat
a reflection based upon a reading from Lk 14; 1, 7-14.
I sit watching at your feet,
never recognizing you up on the honor seat.
I sit in comfort on my seat of shame
I watch in horror
you bleeding upon me.
where have you bled today
as I watch in shame?
you held a banquet, and invited the poor and lame
I held a banquet and slaughtered the lamb
you who hang from the cross so high
shedding your blood upon humanity
I demand you come down from there
before I pierce your side with my lance again.
live amongst the poor and crippled no more
walk among us as the proud do
so I can homage you too!
I have hung you high up on the cross
stripped you and beat you
and still I cannot humble you more
who is fastened up on the honor seat
a reflection based upon a reading from Lk 14; 1, 7-14.
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