Peace and the Dalai Lama

Papier mache mask of the Dalai Lama by Tomasito, 2008.

As a spokesperson for compassion and peace, the most influential living human being is probably the current Dalai Lama.

He is now-- and has been for decades-- up against one of the most hardened bureaucracies on the planet: the communist government of China--which invaded Tibet years ago and which has no intention of relaxing its control over the country.

As I understand it--what the Dalai Lama wants is not total independence but a certain amount of autonomy for the Tibetan people--especially concerning their practice of the Buddhist religion.

But China refuses to allow any degree of autonomy.

At this time, The Dalai Lama has suggested to the leaders of Tibet that they meet without him to discuss what they should do about the impasse.

He will speak to the world news about the result of their meeting on November 23, 2008.

Those who admire and respect the Dalai Lama are waiting with great curiosity to hear what he will say.

Tomasito, 2008


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Dalai Lama Gives Up

Dalai Lama gives up!

I was quite surprised a few days ago to read in a news report that the Dalai Lama “had given up” on trying to get China to agree to his plan to keep some autonomy for Tibetans.

Always in the past he has tried to work with the very rigid Chinese government—but the Chinese government has never done anything to change their policy or soften their brutal takeover of Tibet—but it seems even he has a limit—and that limit has been reached.

Tomasito, 2008

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Doomsday Vault

• 2/26/08 A “Doomsday Vault”—a storage facility buried deep in a frozen hillside in the island of Svalbard, Norway was opened today to receive the first portion of the millions of expected seeds to be placed in it for safekeeping in case of a global disaster which might destroy the seed crops of the world. This facility will rely on naturally frozen arctic conditions to preserve those seeds which can withstand lengthy freezing for possibly thousands of years. The government of Norway has built the facility at a cost of US$ nine million. The Doomsday Vault is called an “insurance policy” and a “modern Noah’s Ark”

This is no insurance policy.

WE are the insurance policy.

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Arthur Returns

I wrote this in my diary last May--now seemed a good time to blog it.

Arthur Recalled

A few days ago a half-bright British “convert to Islam” tried to blow himself and probably others up in Exeter, England.

He was only successful in damaging himself somewhat, but it did seem to be an odd thing to happen in Exeter.

Last night I had a dream. At the end of the dream and just before I woke up, I was with several unknown people sent to recall Arthur from a tomb very deep in the earth.

Arthur, it is said, sleeps until he is needed by the British people to return--so I suppose the suicide attack in Exeter was the last straw and that the time for Arthur to return has come. (At least in MY dream!)

Today is Monday 26 May, 2008—Memorial Day in the USA. TW

Tomasito, 2008

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Being Peace

Thich Nhat Hanh

There is a book I would like you to read and think about: Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh.

This Zen Master writer from Viet Nam has a lot of suggestions--practical, simple things which anyone can practice to make life better for you and all of us.

Tomasito, 2008


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Conscious Evolution

Charles Darwin

Conscious Evolution: The Survival of the Wisest

Charles Darwin, the famous evolutionist, suggested that his theoretic concept, popularized as “the survival of the fittest”, was probably the most successful natural survival strategy for a species.

By “fittest”, Darwin implied that the strongest, healthiest, most intelligent and creative individuals of a species would be the ones to survive, breed and continue to exist for the requisite vast number of generations necessary for biological evolution to take place. Chance and good luck seemed also to play major roles in what Darwin suggested was nature’s method of evolution.

However, “The fittest”, in this classic sense, may not be enough now to ensure the continued survival of Homo sapiens as a species.

Lambert, etc., claims in the book “The Field Guide to Early Man” that for mankind, “extinction seems likelier than further evolution. Soaring human population depends on increasing food and energy production—and both of these processes encourage overexploitation of the planet’s resources. Overuse of soil brings erosion; fossil fuel depletion threatens energy supplies—which may worsen with climatic change. Overcrowded, underfed, under fueled, Homo sapiens might fizzle out in famine, war and pestilence. Homo sapiens is a dead end—without a future, as they presently exist. They must themselves control future evolution.” (My italics)

If Homo sapiens does not take charge of its own evolution immediately it may not survive as a species, and perhaps chance may now play a lesser role in our consciously directed evolutionary drama, though, as always, “good luck”, (sometimes called: “the Will of God”) will continue to be a major factor, and, of course, we must also create the planetary environment that favors our species’ survival.

Perhaps the survival of Homo sapiens will now depend on what may be called: “the survival of the wisest” rather than Darwin’s “fittest”, and this may depend more on conscious choices of survival strategies rather than the blind operations of biological selection.

And remember, “Only genetic changes favoring survival persist”.

The Homo sapiens advantage: upright skeleton, manipulative hands, three-dimensional color vision, and uniquely complex brain. (Huge surface area of the brain organ seems to be the factor that gives the brain increased intelligence, but why? – Perhaps as an extensive receiver for some unknown kind of transmissions–like a huge antenna field?)

Tomasito, 2008

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Plus Receive

"Plus Recieve" papier mache relief by Tomasito, 2008.

The idea behind this wall relief is that most of us, it seems, have far more than enough input to keep our minds totally occupied with information, entertainment and everything else--so we have little time for deeper thought or meditation.

This is obvious and not necessarily new--but the relief "came" anyway--so I pass it along--as an artist will.

Tomasito, 2008

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