Situation in Burma Day 12. Hope Fading, Monks Tortured and Killed.

AP, Sept 29, 2007 YANGON, Myanmar -- Soldiers and police took control of the streets Friday, firing warning shots and tear gas to scatter the few pro-democracy protesters who ventured out as Myanmar's military junta sealed off Buddhist monasteries and cut public Internet access.On the third day of a harsh government crackdown, the streets were empty of the mass gatherings that had peacefully challenged the regime daily for nearly two weeks, leaving only small groups of activists to be chased around...

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Saffron Revolution in Burma Day 11

Yangon, Myanmar -- Speculations have it that the country's top two in the junta is divided over the handling of the riots in the country. "Maung Aye and his loyalists are opposed to shooting into the crowd," a source close to the military hierarchy told Mizzima referring to the major differences that the head of junta Senior General Than Shwe and his second-in-command, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye have over the brutal crack down on protesters in Burma.James: It appears that the military might be...

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Situation in Burma Worsens on Day 10.

PHOTO: Japanese journalist, Kenji Nagai for AFP lying wounded from a gunshot on a street in Yangon, Burma while a soldier stands over him. Kenji later died at a local hospital. This picture should be spread far and wide.Source: Mizzima news (www.mizzima.com), September 27, 2007 Latest reports indicate that the military junta have stepped up the crackdown. Hundreds of monks have been arrested, many forcibly taken from their monasteries. Sounds of beating and cries of pain are heard from within the...

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Burma's Saffron Revolution Faces Violence from the Government.

YANGON, Myanmar -- At least four people were killed and 100 injured Wednesday as Myanmar's security forces clamped down on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks, according to officials and witnesses. About 200 people were also arrested, as many as half of them Buddhist monks, as soldiers and police cracked down on tens of thousands of protesters who swept across Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon, according to witnesses and diplomats. Myanmar officials said at least three monks were killed,...

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The Myanmar Monk Revolution Continues Despite Government Threats

Rangoon, Burma -- Burma’s junta threatened unspecified action against protesting Buddhist monks yesterday as up to 100,000 people marched in the biggest protest seen in a week of ever-expanding demonstrations in the city of Rangoon.The protests have gone on for 8 days now despite the government threats of violence. Democracy advocate, Aung San Su Kyi has now been moved from her house arrest to a notorious prison in the country. It seems, unlike the protests of 1988, this movement is mostly led by unarmed, non-voilent monks and if the junta opens fire on them the world will come down very hard...

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Myanmar Monks Moblize for Peace

There is a velvet revolution quietly picking up steam in the military dictatorship of Myanmar in Southeast Asia. Some 1,500 Buddhist monks marched 10 miles in the rain through knee deep water in some places to passively protest the actions of the military junta there. They're destination was the famous golden hilltop Shwedagon Pagoda. It has long been a symbol for social and political justice, as well as independence.(Above: Shwedagon golden pagoda. Source: www.asiatours.net, make sure to credit...

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Great Description of Dzogchen

From Lama Surya Das:Dzogchen means the innate great completeness. It points to our own innate wholeness, our own true Buddha nature, our untramelled spirit, perfect and pure from the beginningless beginning. It is what we call the Buddha within -- not an oriental Buddha, not an historical Buddha, not one of stone, not male or female, but the Buddha nature within each of us, true and wise, loving and compassionate. We want to come back to that,...

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Hotmail vs. Gmail and a Profound D.T. Suzuki Quote

Well, I've finally had it with hotmail. My wife has been trying to get me to switch to gmail for sometime now and I'm been meaning to fully switch over for some time. I already have a gmail account but have, up until now, rarely used it. There are just so many features that gmail has that hotmail falls miserably short in comparison and now I'm having trouble logging into my hotmail account so it's time to jump ship on it.So, from now on if you want to contact me via email you can find me at jaymur-at-gmail.comI'll...

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Enlightenment is in the Present Moment

The hallmark of the enlightenment process is in being "here" and not "there." Indeed, the focal point of continuity is in being here at all times. The famous message of Ram Dass to "Be here now" is what results when one is adept in this practice. It is laborious in that it requires great perseverance -- we are up against lifelong patterns -- but it is a major enlightenment practice because it can break through our basic conditioning. The secret of success in continuity practice is to eliminate...

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Pleasure and Joy in Buddhism

All the delightful things of the world--sweet sounds, lovely forms, all the pleasant tastes and touches and thoughts--these are all agreed to bring happiness if they are not grasped and possessed. But if you regard them merely as pleasures for your own use and satisfaction and do not see them as passing wonders, they will bring suffering. -Sutta Nipata James: Pleasure doesn't always mean that we suffer. It seems that some of us believe that one must live an austere and bland life in order...

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Merging with Autumn and Preparing for Winter

There is a noticeable bite in the air these last few days around here. The vibrant energy of summer is slowing down and the season of harvest and contemplation is upon us. Autumn is a beautiful time of year and gives us the precious opportunity to pause and reflect upon the changes that we have gone through in the waning year. It is a time to give thanks for all the bounteous things that grace our lives. For instance, just the other day I was marveling over having warm, clean, fresh water at my...

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China Bans Reincarnation

In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation." But beyond the irony lies China's true motive: to cut off the influence of the Dalai...

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