The Great Bendigo Stupa
Karma country: Buddhist monument the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, near Bendigo in Victoria, under construction earlier this year. In central Victoria, an enormous Buddhist monument is slowly but surely taking shape. Deep in the ground in a bush clearing in central Victoria lie four ornate metal vases. They were buried in 2003 with great ritual, one on each of the four points of the compass, by a Buddhist monk who first filled them with treasure - gold and silver jewellery, precious stones - medicines, herbs and mantras, or prayers. They were then set in the rocky ground as an offering to local spirits, a request for the success of a remarkable project still taking shape on their land 11 years later.
Men and women literally see the world differently
Guys' eyes are more sensitive to small details and moving objects, while women are more perceptive to color changes, according to a new vision study that suggests men and women actually do see things differently. "As with other senses, such as hearing and the olfactory system, there are marked sex differences in vision between men and women," researcher Israel Abramov, of the City University of New York (CUNY), said in a statement. Research has shown women have more sensitive ears and sniffers than men. "[A] recent, large review of the literature concluded that, in most cases females had better sensitivity, and discriminated and categorized odors better than males," Abramov and colleagues write Tuesday (Sept. 4) in the journal Biology of Sex Differences. Abramov and his team from CUNY's Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges compared the vision of males and females over age 16 who had normal color vision and 20/20 sight — or at least 20/20 vision with glasses or contacts. Related on LiveScience.com:
Three faces of feminism: Louise Mensch, Laurie Penny, and Jodie Marsh « Libertarian Lou's Blog
Last night, two white middle-class women – Conservative MP Louise Mensch, and left-wing activist Laurie Penny – sat on BBC Newsnight with Jeremy Paxman, discussing Louise Mensch’s article in the Guardian, about whether you could be a feminist and also a Tory. Exciting stuff, I think you’ll agree. Roughly 765.94 watched these two feminists fighting over who represents women the best, which, by the standards of programs-about-feminism, is not bad going. Jodie Marsh was not on Newsnight, of course. She was on Channel 5. And if it’s controversial to call a Tory a feminist (which it shouldn’t be, really, seeing as how Emmeline Pankhurst joined the Conservative party in the end, but never mind), then, let’s face it, a glamour model, mainly famous for reality television shows, and sleeping with one of Jordan’s boyfriends (so I’m told), has to be pretty far down the list of people that get named as top feminists.
of Philosophy - Introductory Philosophy Course
The mind works mainly in habitual patterns and seems to lock us in to a certain way of thinking and living. It does not have to be like this. With the knowledge of great philosophic ideas from East and West, and with practical tools to increase mindfulness, self awareness and sustainable happiness, it is possible for anyone to expand their world, their thinking, and the view they have of themselves.
13 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts
Oh, Epsom salt—who knew that such an uninspiring ingredient could inspire such devotion? Epsom salts have amazing health benefits–here are 13 ways to use Epsom salts, including a relaxing bath, a face scrub and a hair volumizer. It’s also a miracle cure-all, helping to remove splinters and reduce swelling of sprains and bruises.
The 21 Greatest Spiritual Lessons I've Learned - Mrs. Mindfulness
Through my study of the world wisdom traditions and my journey into mindful living, I have learned many valuable lessons which have brought me greater peace, joy and fulfillment. Here are 21 of the greatest spiritual lessons I’ve learned: 1. The world’s wisdom traditions have one central message that I have learned to live and know to be true. Happiness (and when I say happiness I mean a deep and lasting contentment, a sense of being at peace and at ease within and feeling a deep connectedness with life (a happiness that words could never fully capture)) cannot be found in external factors but can only be found within.
The great illusion of the self
(Image: Darren Hopes) As you wake up each morning, hazy and disoriented, you gradually become aware of the rustling of the sheets, sense their texture and squint at the light. One aspect of your self has reassembled: the first-person observer of reality, inhabiting a human body. As wakefulness grows, so does your sense of having a past, a personality and motivations.
The Von Trapp Children Speak to a Geneticist.
LIESL: Why is it that we can all sing very well? GENETICIST: Liesl, that is an excellent question! And essentially one that boils down to the classic debate of nature versus nurture. Are your genes responsible for this particular talent, or has it more to do with your upbringing? Looking at this scenario objectively, I would have to say that it is both. There have been reports that the ability to have perfect pitch—that is the ability to distinguish musical notes without points of reference—is a hereditary phenomenon, thereby strongly suggesting a genetic basis.
8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating
“Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. In the pocket of his sweat pants rested a blaring iPod with a chord that dangled near the floor, almost touching against his Adidas sandals.
