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Hi Stalker,
Great-Britain I consider to be a kind of a mix between a democracy (80 %) and a monarchy (20 %). I think that this kind of government (a constitutional monarchy) is a fortunate combination. Or at least nothing better has been invented yet… A classic quote of Winston Churchill on democracy in Great-Britain: “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.
Whereas an absolute monarchy becomes a cruel dictatorship all too easily, an absolute democracy can easily be swayed by demagogues. For example: Hitler was elected by a majority of the people. And George Bush too…
In my opinion, a monarch can give a voice to the values and achievements of the past, and be a stable factor amidst the wavering sentiments of the electorate of the present.
An example of a great monarch today is king Juan Carlos of Spain. When adherents to former dictator Franco organised a coup against the young democratic government, he was able to resist the coup simply by his position and the integrity and respect he commanded.
I myself live in the Netherlands, which is one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world. For this we thank a long tradition of citizenship, but also our monarchy I would say. In fact, someone described our country as “a republic with a Queen as head of state”.
It would not have been a bad thing if the USA also had a monarchy. The Kennedy’s came close…. Here is a little joke that circulated in Europe when George Bush was trying to steal the elections for the first time:
***** NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE *****
To the citizens of the United States of America, In the light of your
failure to elect a President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves,
we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchial duties over
all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does
not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85%
of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders)
will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated
next year to determine whether any of you noticed.To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following
rules are introduced with immediate effect:1. You should look up “revocation” in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Then look up “aluminium”. Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up “vocabulary”. Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “like” and “you know” is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up “interspersed”.2. There is no such thing as “US English”. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf.
3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn’t that hard.
4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys.
5. You should relearn your original national anthem, “God Save The Queen”, but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
6. You should stop playing American “football”. There is only one kind
of football. What you refer to as American “football” is not a very good
game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your
borders may have noticed that no one else plays “American” football.
You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper
football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It
is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to
play rugby (which is similar to American “football”, but does not involve
stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body
armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby
sevens side by 2005.7. You should declare war on Quebec and France, using nuclear weapons if they give you any merde. The 98.85% of you who were not aware that here is a world outside your borders should count yourselves lucky. The Russians have never been the bad guys. “Merde” is French for “shit”.
8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 8th will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called “Indecisive Day”.
9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it’s for your own good.
When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.10. Please tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us crazy.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Barry,
Blood in the stool can indicate cancer, but if the blood is brightly red probably hemorrhoids are the cause.
According to TCM there is another possibility however: a very weak spleen. The spleen is not able any more to keep the blood in its proper channels, so it leaks out.
This is confirmed by my personal experience. One of the hallmarks of AIDS is a very weak spleen. Diary products weaken the spleen too. I find that the weak spleen also often is accompanied by prolaps of the bowels, so that your anus feels a bit thrust out.
So it may be a good idea to build up your spleen energy. Ginseng could also be a help.
Best regards,
Wandering Oak
Dear Digdug,
I suffer from AIDS.
None of the lifestyle factors that Peter Duesburg posits as the cause of AIDS (esp. drugs) applied to me. Very moderate sex life and I never even used marihuana or poppers.
Nonetheless, I followed the assumptions by Peter Duesberg because I hoped that AIDS was not a fatal illness after all. I quit the western medicine, and after 1.5 years nearly died from pneumonia (PCP). My hope that HIV was not the cause of AIDS was shattered.
So I am back on those horrible pills: wiser, older and sadder…
Best regards,
Wandering Oak
Hi Fajin,
No opinion from my side… Just a friendly greeting for someone who is also combining Zen and Taoism. To me it is not clear yet how they go together: at the moment they exist in separate ‘compartments’ of my life. They feel so very different.
I received the boddhisattva ordination in the Zen school founded by Taisen Deshimaru (student of Kodo Sawaki), called AZI (Association Zen Internationale), but I am not so shure anymore about what the boddhisattva ideal actually means.
On the other hand, the precepts have become more important to me. In Zen there is a distinct tendency to overlook them, saying that if you practice enough, the precepts will manifest themselves automatically. This may be true if you practice day and night, but then you do not have possibility to commit errors anyway… A-morality may be a good thing to practice during meditation (no judgments, no discursive thinking), but in the rest of your life this seems different.
gassho and kind regards,
Wandering Oak
Hi Plato,
Do you mean that ‘good deeds’ have nothing to do with REAL taoism? Sorry to disagree…
As much as I dislike the ‘moral majority’, I do feel that benevolence should be the core of Taoist practice. It is something that I have been struggling with for years, but there is no alternative I feel.
The problem of ‘being good’ to me is that it is rather boring. Being ‘bad’ is much more exciting, especially when sex is concerned. However, I also feel myself slipping in my practice then. Practicing the ‘Inner Smile’ simply cannot go together with filling the mind with images of rape…
Maybe this is something Michael Winn was hinting at in his 5th love: “I love untying the knot of the core mystery entangling human sexuality and spiritual development.”
To me the Taoist appreciation for sex and the material world does not mean approval of how thinga are. Taoists have discovered opportunities in ‘this world’ that other religions have ignored, but in a way we still have to choose between heaven and hell…
So I think that whether you are Christian, Buddhist or Taoist makes not such a difference after all: the basic struggle is the ethical question, there is no escaping it (unfortunately).
The book “Zen at War” gave me a good insight into what can happen if there is intense practice, but benevolence is ignored. Then such peculiar notions arise like D.T. Suzuki’s “the sword itself that does the killing”. Yeah, right…
“May the Force be with you”,
Wandering Oak
A famous dharma combat
The teachers, seventy-year-old Kalu Rinpoche of Tibet, a veteran of years of solitary retreat, and the Zen master Seung Sahn, the first Korean Zen master to teach in the United States, were to test each other’s understanding of the Buddha’s teachings for the benefit of the onlooking Western students. This was to be a high form of what was being called _dharma_ combat (the clashing of great minds sharpened by years of study and meditation), and we were waiting with all the anticipation that such a historic encounter deserved. The two monks entered with swirling robes — maroon and yellow for the Tibetan, austere grey and black for the Korean — and were followed by retinues of younger monks and translators with shaven heads. They settled onto cushions in the familiar cross-legged positions, and the host made it clear that the younger Zen master was to begin. The Tibetan lama sat very still, fingering a wooden rosary with one hand while murmuring, “Om mani padme hum” continuously under his breath.
The Zen master, who was already gaining renown for his method of hurling questions at his students until they were forced to admit their ignorance and then bellowing, “Keep that don’t know mind!” at them, reached deep inside his robes and drew out an orange. “What is this?” he demanded of the lama. “What is this?” This was a typical opening question, and we could feel him ready to pounce on whatever response he was given.
The Tibetan sat quietly fingering his mala and made no move to respond.
“What is this?” the Zen master insisted, holding the orange up to the Tibetan’s nose.
Kalu Rinpoche bent very slowly to the Tibetan monk near to him who was serving as the translator, and they whispered back and forth for several minutes. Finally the translator addressed the room: “Rinpoche says, ‘What is the matter with him? Don’t they have oranges where he comes from?”
The dialog progressed no further.
Hi Pero,
I studied Theology and a book that I enjoyed a lot about this period is:
Backgrounds of Early Christianity
by Everett FergusonDescription:
Ferguson’s authoritative students’ introduction to the world of the early church has now been revised and expanded with new discussions of `first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature’. Each section is clearly structured with its own bibliography. Arranged thematically, chapters discuss the political background (looking at the political history of the Near East, Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic kingdoms and Rome), society and culture (including the Roman military, social classes, slavery, relationships, morality, economy, entertainment, literature, art and architecture, clubs and associations), Hellenistic-Roman religions (cults, imperial cults, personal religions, Greek and eastern mysteries), Hellenistic-Roman philosophies, Judaism and Christianity. 648p, b/w illus, maps (Eerdmans 1987, 1993, 3rd edn 2003)
ISBN 0802822215. Paperback. Price GB £24.99
good luck with your studies !
Wanderingoak
Hi Wendy !
Maybe belief is not about believing antything about the Force, or Buddha, or Jesus? Maybe the only thing you need to believe in is the power of love? These words have been terribly misused, but I guess it is true. For I find it is a big step to say: I shall not rely on the usual mechanisms of hate, indifference and coercion, I shall trust on a loving attitude. First of all towards myself (my body and the body spirits), and then later, as a result, to others too.
I would say that even if the creeds of Christianity are all false, at least their profession of the power of love is true. And that is the vital thing. The same holds for Buddhism.
When I profess to the power of love however, it is not clear to me yet what love is. It is not the romantic type of love of the movies (the mating call in disguise), but neither the ‘love-or-you-will-be-horribly-punished’ Moral Majority type of love. That was more a convenient instrument for our parents to make us do things we did not want to… Maybe it is not even, or not in the first place, a feeling of tenderness. It could be a purely appreciative mind, noticing and enjoying all the pleasurable feelings that you can have inside. A kind of hedonism in fact…
But maybe your surrendering to the Life Force already included such a trust in love ? Or can you surrender to it without an attitude of love ? I would say that without love there can be no relaxation, and without relaxation the Life Force can not flow, cannot live within you…
“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” (Oscar Wilde)
May the Force be with you,
Wandering Oak
Hi Wendy and Alexander,
Thank you for your support and advice ! I shall consider the fasting, zapping and urine therapy most carefully.
However, I guess that the ‘psychological’ aspects are indeed the root of my problems, especially the question of self-hatred versus self-love. I do not know what to think about reincarnation, but my childhood would shure be enough to cause these problems.
Some of my reflections…
What is this self-doubt and self-denial that might be blocking my immune system ? And what is self-love, by contrast ? I may have found a viable answer.
My mistake was that I only looked at outside world. So I thought that self-love was about being egoistic, grabbing everything in the outside world and keeping it for yourself. Or approving anything that you might do. I tried that, but it did not work. I felt guilty and miserable all the time.
Now I understand that love has more to do with the inside world. Michael Winn’s E-book on the Inner Smile has been a great eye-opener for me. When I read it, it finally it dawned on that my body is really ‘alive’: it has spirit, or better: spirits. Although I have been studying Healing Tao for some years now, I still had the attitude that my body and its organs were simply things, that should do as I willed. Now I understand that the organs are relatively independent, and that they deserve respect, for they are quite powerful.
I used to think the concept of the ‘Unconscious’ awkward, but maybe it just describes the influence of these “body gods”. They are like the archetypes of C.G. Jung or the Children of the Inner Child Work. I guess that these spirits are like children in that they do not consider much the effect of their actions on the rest of the body. Enlightenment has probably to do with them harmonious working together.
So I find that self-love is actually love directed at the inside world, at my body. It is about respect and tenderness for my organ spirits and for the spirits of my body in general. So this is how meditation, and enlightenment, can be love!
I try to maintain this attitude now during the Healing Tao exercises and the Zen meditation that I do. That is not easy because I tend to internalise the unloving, disrespectful attitudes that our world is full of. But when I succeed, it feels quite differently and much better. I hope it will make everything much more effective.
thanks again and with love,
Wandering Oak
Hi Max,
Thank you for your advice ! I am going to look into the zapper. The healthy diet has been there all the time, the spiritual practices too ( although not consistently enough I gather).
As far as the poisonous medicine is concerned, I am afraid I do not have many alternatives. Probably the pills work against HIV, but at a very high cost. For me personally the worst effect of the pills is the effect on the fat in my body. Within less than a year I lost all the fat in my face, arms, legs and buttocks. It looks terrible. I hardly dare to show my face. Sitting or biking is painful. To my great disappointment, when I stopped my medication for 1.5 years the fat did not return. Fortunately I did not accumulate fat in my belly, like some people who now look like a pregnant skeleton. But I do look like a normal skeleton…
So I am happy to hear about any alternatives !
best regards,
Wandering Oak
Hi Plato,
To answer your questions:
– Am I ‘gay’ ? well, I like to have sex with men and women, but I find it easier to relate to men. Most of my sexual encounters were with men.
– I never used any kind of drugs, not even marihuana or poppers. Some alcohol only
occasionally.– I had about 40 partners in 20 years, and with them I had about 80 sexual encounters
– For the last nine years I have lived more or less like a monk: maybe 10 sexual encounters, and ( following Chinese medicine ) I reduced solo sex with ejaculation to about three times a month.
– How did I contract ‘HIV’ ? In those 20 years I have had only two encounters (with the same man) involving anal sex without a condom. So I guess that is when it happened.
As you can see the life style factors could not possibly be the cause of AIDS for me. In fact my life style probably accounts for the fact that I did not die of AIDS yet.
So why did your ‘wild’ heterosexual friends get AIDS ? Maybe because:
– they were lucky: some people can heavily smoke and drink and live 100 years
– HIV entered the west through gay men: the contacts between the heterosexual community and the gay community ( through bisexual men ) are probably not very intensive or with a low risk of infection, so HIV tends to stay within the borders of the gay community.
– the mode of infection: passive anal sex is probably the only sex that has a high risk of infection. So ‘ideally’ first someone has to be fucked by a man with HIV, and later on he has to fuck another man. If he anally fucks a woman the HIV probably does not spread any further, as she in her turn cannot fuck another man in the arse.As far as the “heterosexual AIDS epidemic” in Africa is concerned it is very difficult to say anything with certainty as the figures are very unreliable. We had better base our conclusions on western data.
I shall write a more detailed mail on my experiences with the views of the ‘AIDS dissidents’ later on.
Best regards,
Wandering Oak
Hi Max,
I have studied the ‘dissident’ view on AIDS quite extensively. In fact, I even quit the anti-virals for more than 1.5 years, because I thought the arguments quite convincing. My health ( and lipoatrophy ) stayed about at the same level for that time I thought, until I got severe pneumonia (PCP)….
Alas ! After doing some more reading, I have to come to the conclusion that prof. Duesberg is NOT right. Hiv DOES cause Aids. The fact that conventional medicine can not yet explain how HIV causes AIDS does not mean that it doesn’t.
Chinese medicine and Healing Tao can still play an important role in restoring health, just like in any other disease. But the great hope that I (and many others) had, the hope that in fact AIDS was just an invented disease, is shattered.
Kind regards, and “May the Force be with you” 🙂
Wandering Oak
