The 81-year-old voiced strong regret that these resources were
in danger and warned Earth's natural resources were being
squandered to fuel "insatiable consumption".

And though the images of his arrival were being broadcast to an ( Read more... )

Ok, so I held doors for people again today.

But, is it cheating to say that I reflected on compassion as my compassionate act?

Training
in compassion is a mental activity. But our mind should also be brought
to the level where every action we take is influenced by compassion.
That means engaging ourselves in compassion in action.

~ ( Read more... )

Hmm - this is what I get tetchy about regarding WYD.

Am still thinking about my next act of compassion.. I think I might buy an apple and a sandwich for someone begging in the street. This may not necessarily be a good idea though - I have to ponder the implications of this act.

So yes - two pilgrims, one from Canada and one from Ukraine came in and were extremely rude to me. I wont go into the sordid details, but they were very demanding and snappy. funny, but I saw them walking up and they were all smiley and happy, and were friendly until they heard that I was doing Buddhist studies. It was all downhill from there.

I ( Read more... )

I am now so close to finishing the dissertation it is very exciting.

Well, ok. I wrote the introduction, and tweaked the text. I still have to write the conclusion... and that will suck. I have already said it 100 times in the text.. so it will just be repeating myself. But I shouldn't dwell to much on that.

I just want it to be finished so I can ( Read more... )

I have decided to do a compassionate act every day for one month.

Day One:

I went to the pet shop in broadway and bough a container of baby crickets that were on death row, waiting to become food for various reptilia etc.

I took them into the park and released them. they were extraordinarily cute hopping about - probably the first freedom they had ( Read more... )

Ok.. so I have calmed down and finally figured out who I am annoyed at.

It is really interesting and heartening to see the religious fervour of all these people celebrating their faith. It may not necessarily be my faith, but it is something that these people seem to get a lot out of. They are all a very smiley lot too so that is a good thing. There ( Read more... )

So we went to Tabou last night. It was reasonably nice. We got to talk with a few new people, and the food was supoib.

I had golden beetroot and blood orange salad, then a steak, then some raspberry sorbet. Jake had a duck rilette, salmon something and profiteroles. It was nice..

And so today I worked on my disertation for the whole day. it is in ( Read more... )

Ok, so I am in for religious freedom. People may believe all they like in what every crazed deity they want to believe in. Similarly, I don't care if they don't believe in anyone or anything... But World Youth Day makes my blood boil.

Firstly it should be called world Catholic youth day. it is just so arrogant that they feel they can include ( Read more... )

So I'm here at the dining room table, enjoying some pesto on olive sourdough and a cup of orange pekoe. Oscar is running around after spectral lights on the walls (ok - reflections from the fridge), Jake looks like Laurie Anderson with his bed hair, and Herman is sitting terrified under the table.

Trying to get into my writing this morning... is it ( Read more... )