Blog Tools
Edit your Blog
Build a Blog
RSS Feed
View Profile
« June 2018 »
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
You are not logged in. Log in
Entries by Topic
All topics  «
Sitting Practice
Space, the Final Frontier
World Peace
Dalai Lama's Peace Message
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Sometimes Enduring Hardship is Necessary for Perfecting Virtue
Mood:  bright
Topic: World Peace
 

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

The Buddha's life exemplifies a very important principle--a certain amount of hardship is necessary in one's spiritual pursuit. We can also see this principle at work in the lives of other great religious teachers, such as Jesus Christ or the Muslim prophet Mohammed. Furthermore, I think that the followers of these teachers, if they wish to attain the highest spiritual realizations within their tradition, must themselves undergo a process of hardship, which they endure through dedicated perseverance. There is sometimes the tendency among the followers of the Buddha to imagine, perhaps only in the back of their minds, that "Although the Buddha went through all of those hardships to attain enlightenment they aren't really necessary for me. Surely, I can attain enlightenment without giving up life's comforts." Perhaps such people imagine that, because they are somehow more fortunate than the Buddha, they can attain the same spiritual state as he did without any particular hardships or renunciation. This is, I think, mistaken.

...While Buddhism has adapted to the culture of each new civilization it has encountered, it nonetheless retains its emphasis on morality and discipline as essential for spiritual maturation. If we ourselves want the attainments described by the Buddha--the deep concentration and the penetrating insights--then we too must endure some amount of hardship and observe ethical behavior.

--from Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama's Heart of Wisdom Teachings by H.H. the Dalai Lama, translated & edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa

* * *

Message of H.H. the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan People on the Occasion of the Earth Ox Tibetan New Year

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Message to the Chinese People on the Occasion of the Chinese New Year

* * *

Great news... our annual Losar Sale is extended through this weekend!




Send this to a Friend...

Keep inspired during the week...read past quotes from our Archives!

You can now find the archives of past quotes we've sent out by clicking the links at the bottom of our new, updated Subscription Lists page.


SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and "Snow Lion: The Buddhist Magazine & Catalog" (Newsletter)--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete list go to www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.

When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

 


You are receiving this announcement from Snow Lion Publications because you have previously subscribed on our website. To continue receiving messages, we recommend that you add weblion@snowlionpub.com and weblion1@lightlink.com to your address book. If you'd like to change or cancel your subscription, please visit our subscription pages at www.snowlionpub.com/pages/lists.php,    www.snowlionpub.com/pages/unsubscribe.php,   or email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com. Please note that these announcements are also available in plain text, if you are having trouble receiving them.



ESSENCE OF THE HEART SUTRA:
The Dalai Lama's
Heart of Wisdom Teachings

by H.H. the Dalai Lama
trans. & ed. by Geshe Thupten Jinpa

more...

  Contact Us:

N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail:  PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email:  tibet@snowlionpub.com
On the Web:  www.snowlionpub.com

New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:

Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly "Snow Lion: The Buddhist Magazine & Catalog" at the
List Management Center.

Snow Lion Publications is happy to send you a weekly quote from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers.

Visit our website for these related items:

HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES


Posted by tronix108 at 1:38 PM EDT
Post Comment | Permalink
Snow Lion News
Mood:  bright
Topic: World Peace
 
Dear Subscriber,

Tuesday, March 10th, marks the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising. According to a New York Times article, "50 Years After Revolt, Clampdown on Tibetans", Tibet is locked down under martial law, and thousands of troops have been added, even in many remote areas. Please keep them in your thoughts and meditations.

Some encouraging news from the U.S. comes to us from the Tibetan Association of Northern California (www.tanc.org) that the "California legislature recognizes March 10th as Dalai Lama and Tibet Awareness Day." The California State Assembly now recognizes March 10th as "Dalai Lama and Tibet Awareness Day," honoring their 50 years in exile and His Holiness's efforts to promote peace. Also, the states of Washington and Wisconsin have recently declared March 10th "Tibet Day."

See below for additional articles and news sources.


More about Tibet and the Dalai Lama:

 

Freeing Tibet: 50 Years of Struggle, Resilience, and Hope
An incredible, heroic story of Tibet's arduous struggle to keep freedom alive. Political strategist John B. Roberts offers informed perspectives on many pivotal issues, including the Tibetan national uprising in 1959, which cost more than 85,000 Tibetan lives, preparations for the Dalai Lama's successor, and more. Provides an insider's view on key issues. $24.95


SPECIAL NOTE:

Rigpa Calendar 2009
Now at 25% off!

Calendar runs February 25, 2009 to February 14, 2010--we're offering this on sale early this year. Comprehensive, informative and useful, with holidays and feasts of most religions and countries, buddhist prayers, and images of lamas, it is truly amazing in its scope. $14.96

 

Maroon Cap with Tibetan Flag
Show your solidarity with this 100% cotton baseball-style hat with a nicely embroidered Tibetan flag above the brim. Adjusts to fit all sizes. $24.00

 

Tibet's Cry for Freedom: A Documentary About One Nation's Peaceful Struggle for Survival DVD
Filmed in Tibet and the surrounding regions. Powerful, well-filmed documentary including interviews with the Dalai Lama, political prisoners and activists, addressing issues related to the Olympics. (Only for U.S. computers.) $19.95

 

Dalai Lama Peace Prayer Flags
These brightly colored flag sets help bring peace into this world. Dalai Lama image is surrounded by prayers for peace in both Tibetan and English. Ten flags are attached with sturdy twine. $24.00

 

Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World
The Dalai Lama has earned the world's love and respect through patience, tolerance, and equanimity. He seeks a solution for his country--and all countries at odds--that can benefit all parties. The Dalai Lama has been a consistent voice for peace, and Tibet offers a key to how the world can restore peace and mutual respect. $24.00

 

Cloisonne Enameled Tibetan Flag Pin
Attractive, elegant enameled pin with the Tibetan national flag in red, deep blue and gold is perfect for a lapel, hat, cloth bag, etc. These pins are a great way to show your support. $5.00

 

History, Activism & Politics

Learn more about the history and background of current Tibetan issues by choosing from among a wide variety of books on Tibet-related topics.
You'll find even more materials on this subject, including feature films and documentaries, when you visit the "Videos/DVDs/Computer Dharma" section.

Bumper Stickers

Here you'll find an interesting variety of unique, sometimes humorous, bumper stickers.

Tibetan National Flag
(see links on the right)

Lovely silk-screened flags come in three sizes to choose from:
Large - 4' x 3'
$35.00
Medium - 20" x 14"
$12.00
Small - 11" x 8"
$6.00

Stone-Color Cap with Tibetan Flag

Show your solidarity with this 100% cotton baseball-style hat with embroidered Tibetan flag. Adjusts to fit all sizes. $24.00

Magnets 3"

Full-color Tibetan flag magnets measure 3", with remarkable, detailed imagery. $2.95

All-Cotton Tibetan Flag Bag

Roomy and sturdy, this natural-color cotton bag features a bright Tibetan flag with the words "Tibet Will Be Free" on one side. Great for books or groceries. $9.00

Free Tibet Buttons

"Free Tibet" buttons measure 2 1/2" diameter, with yellow lettering on red background. $1.20

Advance notice of new releases:

 

Medicine Buddha Dharani CD
Medicine Buddha is known to cure illnesses and save people from suffering. In the deepest state of meditation, he spoke his mantra that empowers and enlightens. Soothing, chanted in Sanskrit. Piano accompaniment and crystal clear voice provide medicine to wash away sorrow. $16.00

 

Buddhist Wheel of Existence
Packed with information covering key points of the path, this full-color fold-out is a great study guide. Glossy, free-standing, covers topics ranging from the the Three Poisons and Two Paths to the Six Realms of Existence. Includes Glossary of Terms. $12.95


Related Articles:

50 Years in Exile: Tibetan Tradition at a Crossroad, Tibet Fund Organizes Year-Long Celebration

Disappearances Continue across Tibet

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 2009 Teaching/Touring Schedule

Dalai Lama Successor: Girl or Boy?


News Sources:

The Office of Tibet, New York
www.tibetoffice.org

The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
www.dalailama.com/news.htm

Phayul.com
www.phayul.com.

Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)
http://www.tchrd.org

World Tibet News (World Tibet Network News, or Canada Tibet Committee)
www.tibet.ca

The International Campaign for Tibet (or Free Tibet Campaign)
www.savetibet.org

Students for a Free Tibet
www.studentsforafreetibet.org

The Tibet Connection
www.thetibetconnection.org

TibetInfoNet
www.tibetinfonet.net

Voice of Tibet
www.vot.org


If your subscription messages are not looking right, please try visiting our Subscription Lists page, "unsubscribe" first, and then resubscribe to the options that fit best. If this does not work, please email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com to request the text version.

Also, if you receive our free email subscriptions at work, on the road, or outside the U.S., please visit our Subscription Lists page, unsubscribe, then re-subscribe to the messages you'd like to receive.

 


SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and paper catalog--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete, list visit www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.

When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
-Eva and all your friends at Snow Lion

 


 

Contact Us:
N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail: PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email:
     tibet@snowlionpub.com

On the Web:
     www.snowlionpub.com

New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:

Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly Magazine & Catalog at the

List Management Center.


We're happy to send you a weekly quote from Tibetan Buddhist teachers.

 

And visit the Archives for some more inspiration...

Archive of Weekly Quotes by the Dalai Lama

Archive of Weekly Dharma Teachings

Visit our website for these special offers:

HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES

Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca NY 14851-6483
Telephone: 800-950-0313 or 607-273-8519
Fax: 607-273-8508
©2003 Snow Lion Publications
Email: info@snowlionpub.com

Posted by tronix108 at 12:46 PM EDT
Post Comment | Permalink
Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Finding Time to Meditate
Topic: Sitting Practice
 

Dharma Quote of the Week

Sometimes it is difficult to find time to meditate each day. But we always have time to watch TV. We always have time to go shopping. We always have time to get a snack from the refrigerator. Why is it that the twenty-four hours run out when it is time to meditate? When we understand the value and effect of spiritual practice, it will become a high priority in our life, and when something is important, we find time for it. It's good to set up a daily meditation practice of fifteen, thirty, or sixty minutes in the morning. To do that, we may have to sacrifice fifteen or thirty minutes of television the previous evening in order to go to bed a little earlier. But compared to the benefit of practicing the Dharma, missing a little TV is not a big thing. In the same way that we always find time to eat because food nourishes our body, we will find time to meditate and recite prayers because they nourish us spiritually. When we respect ourselves spiritually, we respect ourselves as human beings. Nourishing ourselves spiritually then becomes a very important priority, and having time for it is easy.

--from Taming the Mind by Ven. Thubten Chodron, published by Snow Lion Publications


Keep inspired during the week...read past quotes from our Archives!

You can now find the archives of past quotes we've sent out by clicking the links at the bottom of our new, updated Subscription Lists page.


SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and newsletter--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete list go to www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.

When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

 


You are receiving this announcement from Snow Lion Publications because you have previously subscribed on our website. To continue receiving messages, we recommend that you add weblion@snowlionpub.com and weblion1@lightlink.com to your address book. If you'd like to change or cancel your subscription, please visit our subscription pages at www.snowlionpub.com/pages/lists.php,    www.snowlionpub.com/pages/unsubscribe.php,   or email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com. Please note that these announcements are also available in plain text, if you are having trouble receiving them.



TAMING THE MIND
by Ven. Thubten Chodron
more...
  Contact Us:

N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail:  PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email: tibet@snowlionpub.com
On the Web: www.snowlionpub.com

New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:

Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly Snow Lion: The Buddhist Magazine & Catalog at the

List Management Center.


Snow Lion Publications is happy to send you a weekly quote from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers.

 

Visit our website for these related items:

HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES | UNSUBSCRIBE

Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca NY 14851-6483
Telephone: 800-950-0313 or 607-273-8519
fax: 607-273-8508
©2003 Snow Lion Publications
email: info@snowlionpub.com

Posted by tronix108 at 2:03 PM EST
Post Comment | Permalink
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Proceeding on the path to enlightenment
Mood:  bright
Topic: World Peace
Four Noble Truths and Commentary:
 
Dalai Lama Quote of the Week
In his Four Hundred Verses on the Middle Way, Aryadeva presents a specific procedure for proceeding on the path to enlightenment. This suggests that it is important to pursue the path in a systematic order, beginning by refraining from negative actions and maintaining an ethically sound way of life. This is to ensure the attainment of a favorable rebirth so that we will be able to continue to pursue our spiritual path in the future. Aryadeva states that the first phase of the path is to avert the effects of negative and troublesome states of mind as they manifest in our behavior, because this safeguards us against taking unfavorable rebirth in the next life. In the next phase, the emphasis is placed on generating insight into the nature of no-self or emptiness. The final phase of the path is the total elimination of all distorted views and the overcoming of even the most subtle obstructions to knowledge.
It is on the basis of understanding the four noble truths that we will be able to develop a real understanding of the nature of the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Through deeply understanding the four noble truths, we will be able to genuinely recognize the possibility of attaining nirvana, or true liberation. When we understand that our afflicted and negative states of mind can be removed, we will then be able to recognize the real possibility of attaining true liberation--not just in general, but in relation to one's own self. We will sense, as individuals, that this freedom is actually within reach through our own realization. Once we gain such conviction, we will understand that we can also overcome the habitual patterns formed by our deluded states of mind. In this way we generate a conviction in the possibility of attaining full enlightenment. And once we develop such a conviction, we will then be able to appreciate the true value of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
--from Practicing Wisdom: The Perfection of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Way by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, translated and edited by Geshe Thupten Jinpa



Keep inspired during the week...read past quotes from our Archives!

You can now find the archives of past quotes we've sent out by clicking the links at the bottom of our new, updated Subscription Lists page.

SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" (Newsletter)--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete list go to www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.
When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

You are receiving this announcement from Snow Lion Publications because you have previously subscribed on our website. To continue receiving messages, we recommend that you add weblion@snowlionpub.com and weblion1@lightlink.com to your address book. If you'd like to change or cancel your subscription, please visit our subscription pages at www.snowlionpub.com/pages/lists.php,    www.snowlionpub.com/pages/unsubscribe.php,   or email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com. Please note that these announcements are also available in plain text, if you are having trouble receiving them.


PRACTICING WISDOM:
The Perfection of Shantideva's
Bodhisattva Way

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
trans. and ed. by Geshe Thupten Jinpa
more...

  Contact Us:

N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail:  PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email:  tibet@snowlionpub.com
On the Web:  www.snowlionpub.com
New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:
Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" at the
List Management Center.

Snow Lion Publications is happy to send you a weekly quote from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
Visit our website for these related items:
HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES

Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca NY 14851-6483
Telephone: 800-950-0313 or 607-273-8519
fax: 607-273-8508
©2003 Snow Lion Publications
email: info@snowlionpub.com


Posted by tronix108 at 2:43 PM EST
Post Comment | Permalink
Yoga Tantra
Mood:  bright
Topic: World Peace

Date: Sunday, January 11, 2009, 6:51 AM

Yoga Tantra

 
Dalai Lama Quote of the Week
Here is how to alternate analytical and stabilizing meditation: After analyzing with individual investigation, desist from such analysis and set the mind single-pointedly on the meaning you have understood. However, before the mind becomes too settled, switch again to analytical meditation, alternating in this way between stabilizing and analytical meditation. Gradually, the power of analysis itself will be able to induce physical and mental pliancy...with respect to calm abiding, but to a greater degree. Generation of a bliss of physical and mental pliancy, induced through the power of analysis, no longer requiring alternation between analytical and stabilizing meditation, marks the attainment of fully qualified special insight--and thereby the attainment of the path of preparation--and from this point on, you have a union of calm abiding and special insight. You now have powerful means for realizing the emptiness of inherent existence in order to overcome obstructions when it is brought to the level of direct perception.
Though specific tantras, or even specific passages in tantras, emphasize either stabilizing or analytical meditation, it is necessary to alternate these two equally until special insight is attained through the bliss of mental pliancy being induced, not by the power of stabilizing meditation, but by the power of analysis itself. Therefore, it is not sufficient merely to withdraw the mind inside or even first to become mindful of the view of emptiness and then set merely in stabilizing meditation. Analysis is necessary. This is the thought of all three masters expert in Yoga Tantra.
--from Yoga Tantra: Paths to Magical Feats by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications
* * *
Not getting the Special Announcements? Catch up on the latest News from Snow Lion.
You can now find the archives of past quotes we've sent out by clicking the links at the bottom of our new, updated Subscription Lists page.



Keep inspired during the week...read past quotes from our Archives!

You can now find the archives of past quotes we've sent out by clicking the links at the bottom of our new, updated Subscription Lists page.

SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" (Newsletter)--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete list go to www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.
When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

You are receiving this announcement from Snow Lion Publications because you have previously subscribed on our website. To continue receiving messages, we recommend that you add weblion@snowlionpub.com and weblion1@lightlink.com to your address book. If you'd like to change or cancel your subscription, please visit our subscription pages at www.snowlionpub.com/pages/lists.php,    www.snowlionpub.com/pages/unsubscribe.php,   or email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com. Please note that these announcements are also available in plain text, if you are having trouble receiving them.


YOGA TANTRA:
Paths to Magical Feats

by H.H. the Dalai Lama,
Dzong-ka-ba and Jeffrey Hopkins,
translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins
more...

  Contact Us:

N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail:  PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email:  tibet@snowlionpub.com
On the Web:  www.snowlionpub.com
New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:
Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" at the
List Management Center.

Snow Lion Publications is happy to send you a weekly quote from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
Visit our website for these related items:
HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES

Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca NY 14851-6483
Telephone: 800-950-0313 or 607-273-8519
fax: 607-273-8508
©2003 Snow Lion Publications
email: info@snowlionpub.com

Posted by tronix108 at 2:27 PM EST
Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 2:54 PM EST
Post Comment | Permalink
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
The practice of non-violence
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Dalai Lama Quote
Topic: World Peace
Imagine, a music video by John Lennon.
http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/61898954
The Practice of Non-violence

 
Dalai Lama Quote of the Week
Everybody loves to talk about calm and peace, whether in a family, national, or international context. But without inner peace how can we make real peace? World peace through hatred and force is impossible. Even in the case of individuals, there is no possibility to feel happiness through anger. If in a difficult situation one becomes disturbed internally, overwhelmed by mental discomfort, then external things will not help at all. However, if despite external difficulties or problems, internally one's attitude is of love, warmth, and kind-heartedness, then problems can be faced and accepted.
- - - - - - - - -
The necessary foundation for world peace and the ultimate goal of any new international order is the elimination of violence at every level. For this reason the practice of non-violence surely suits us all. It simply requires determination, for by its very nature non-violent action requires patience. While the practice of non-violence is still something of an experiment on this planet, if it is successful it will open the way to a far more peaceful world in the next century.
--from The Pocket Dalai Lama by the Dalai Lama, compiled and edited by Mary Craig



Keep inspired during the week...read past quotes from our Archives!

Archive of Weekly Quotes by the Dalai Lama

Archive of Weekly Dharma Teachings

SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and culture by publishing books about this great tradition. Tibetan culture is seriously endangered in its homeland and is striving to continue outside of Tibet. To support this effort, in addition to publishing and distributing books, Snow Lion offers a wide range of dharma items, purchased primarily from Tibetans in exile. These include visual art and ritual objects, statues and thangkas, videos, traditional music, and many gift items offered through our webstore and "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" (Newsletter)--over 2000 items--the largest selection anywhere. To browse the complete list go to www.snowlionpub.com and select any of the categories in left-hand margin.
When you choose to purchase from Snow Lion you are directly supporting the large effort to publish more Buddhist texts and help the Tibetan people.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

You are receiving this announcement from Snow Lion Publications because you have previously subscribed on our website. To continue receiving messages, we recommend that you add weblion@snowlionpub.com and weblion1@lightlink.com to your address book. If you'd like to change or cancel your subscription, please visit our subscription pages at www.snowlionpub.com/pages/lists.php,    www.snowlionpub.com/pages/unsubscribe.php,   or email us at weblion@snowlionpub.com. Please note that these announcements are also available in plain text, if you are having trouble receiving them.


THE POCKET DALAI LAMA
by the Dalai Lama,
comp. & ed. by Mary Craig

more...

  Contact Us:

N. America:  (800) 950-0313
Worldwide:  (607) 273-8519
By Mail:  PO Box 6483,
     Ithaca, NY 14851 USA

By Email:  tibet@snowlionpub.com
On the Web:  www.snowlionpub.com
New Items Available Online:

Sign Up:
Receive Snow Lion's Weekly Quotes, Announcements, or Quarterly "Snow Lion Buddhist News & Catalog" at the
List Management Center.

Snow Lion Publications is happy to send you a weekly quote from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers.
Visit our website for these related items:
HOME | CATALOG | HOW TO ORDER | CONTACT US | PRIVACY & POLICIES | SITE MAP

Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca NY 14851-6483
Telephone: 800-950-0313 or 607-273-8519
fax: 607-273-8508
©2003 Snow Lion Publications
email: info@snowlionpub.com

Posted by tronix108 at 5:55 PM EST
Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 2:57 PM EST
Post Comment | Permalink
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Communication in Space
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: about transportation, communication, and astronomy
Topic: Space, the Final Frontier

Communication in Space

by Jonathan Graham

 

Abstract:  This paper describes the development of travel and communication in space.  It is our destiny to travel and communicate throughout the galaxy.

 

Orbital theory begins with the German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630).  He empirically derived three laws that describe planetary motion in our solar system and the orbits of artificial satellites:  (This accomplishment is especially impressive because he preceded Sir Isaac Newton and so did not have the benefit of Newton’s physics.)

 

1)      The orbit of a satellite with respect to the earth is an ellipse, the earth being at one of the foci.

 

2)      A line drawn from the earth to a satellite sweeps across equal areas in equal times.

 

3)      The square of the time a satellite takes to complete one orbit is proportional to the cube of its mean (average) distance from the earth.

 

The first law deals with the shape of an orbit, a circular orbit being a special case of the ellipse.  The second law covers the speed of a satellite at various points along the orbit, and the third law has to do with the satellite’s orbital period.  The closer a satellite’s orbit is to the earth, the faster it moves and the shorter its orbital period.

 

The French-Italian astronomer Joseph Louis Lagrange (1736-1813) calculated stable points in the orbit of one body around another where gravitational forces were balanced.  His work was relatively forgotten until it was noticed that asteroids in the orbit of Jupiter tended to gather at these Lagrangian points, L1 through L5. 

  

 

 

 

[GRAPHIC]

 

 

 

Lagrangian Points   

 

In 1969 Gerard K. O’Neill, a physics professor at Princeton, asked his students to design a large living environment in space, rather than on a planet or a moon.  He published papers at Princeton in 1974 on the construction of space colonies at L5, the most stable position in the lunar orbit, 240,000 miles from the earth.

 

In this plan solar-powered magnetic launchers would propel material from the moon to L2 where they would be caught by a large “catcher’s mitt.”  Then the material would be moved to L5 where it would be used to build large space habitats for thousands of people. 

 

One design is two counter-rotating cylinders (with a net spin of zero) pointed always toward the sun.  Each cylinder would be built of strips of land and glass and would have a diameter of up to four miles and a length of up to twenty miles.  A cylinder this size would rotate once every two minutes to provide one G of centrifugal force and would house up to one million people. 

 

Lunar ore is rich in aluminum and titanium, and oxygen would be a plentiful by-product of the solar-powered refining process.  Carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen are scarce on the moon, so these would have to be transported from the earth.  In particular, liquid hydrogen would be carried in large tanks to make thousands of gallons of water.  Alternatively, these raw materials might be obtained in a low-gravity environment from asteroids.

 

There are three kinds of asteroids, located between Mars and Jupiter.  Collectively, they

are rich in iron, nickel, magnesium, water, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen.  They could also provide raw materials for the construction of space colonies and space ships.  They might be moved from their orbits by rockets and placed in orbits near the Earth, or a solar-powered manufacturing plant might be constructed at the Martian Lagrangian point, L5.

 

After the habitats are constructed, the space colonists could earn their living by manufacturing solar-to-electric power plants to be placed in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 22,323 miles in the equatorial plane.  (The geosynchronous orbit, proposed by Sir Arthur C. Clarke in 1947, is the orbit most commonly used by television and other communications satellites today.  It has the advantage of serving fixed-dish, rather than tracking, antennas.)

 

These satellite power plants would collect solar energy and beam it as microwave energy to receiving stations on earth where it would be sold as electricity at commercial rates. 

Critics of this plan say the geosynchronous orbit is already crowded and the microwave energy is likely to be disruptive to communications and also ecologically harmful. 

 

However, the idea of mining the moon for raw material, using solar power to smelt metals, and manufacturing large living environments and even planet-sized space ships in space remains tenable.  The essential ingredients for living:  light, air, gravity, land, and food could be easily supplied to a living environment in space. 

 

The far side of the moon would be an especially good environment for radio astronomy because antennae and other receiving equipment would be shielded from radio-frequency interference from the earth.  Large parabolic reflectors might be constructed in craters or mounted on poles above the moon’s surface.  Received signals could be combined to create a very large virtual “dish” with great focusing power.  Data gathered from this equipment could be transferred to the earth by lunar-orbiting satellites.

 

Radio-frequency signals from the earth to the moon or to space colonies at L4 or L5 take about one and one-quarter seconds to travel one way, not long enough to stifle interactive communication.  In space-to-space transmissions there is no atmosphere to absorb the shorter wavelengths, so transmission frequencies above the radio frequency range, including laser light, x-rays, and positrons could be used for communication.  Optical lenses, small parabolic reflectors, and electrostatic and magnetic fields might focus these shorter wavelengths and particles.

 

Plans for colonizing Mars in the next two hundred years might include the construction of a “shuttle bus” placed in an elliptical orbit around Earth and Mars with a period of two years.  Signals from Earth to Mars take between three and twenty-two minutes to travel in one direction, depending on the relative position of the two planets, and Mars would be eclipsed by the Sun at its greatest distance from the earth every two years.

 

Because of these time delays, communication would be less interactive, giving each party time to compose letters of information rather than sentences.  A radio-controlled robot on Mars would necessarily be intelligent enough to make decisions while awaiting further communication from Earth.

 

To travel to Alpha Centauri, 4.3 light years away, would require a voyage of at least one hundred years, at speeds attainable by the present liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen yields water plus energy travel technology.  This implies a robot-only crew, generations of people, or folks cooled in suspended animation.

 

Travel distances will be the major restriction for interstellar people-to-people communication.  There are eleven stars within 11.1 light years from us, a possible limit for human migration, using present travel technology.  At greater distances than these, we might communicate with non-human intelligence.

 

Fusion power, converting hydrogen to helium plus energy, will be the breakthrough in interstellar travel.  Traveling near the speed of light, the passengers will experience time-dilation effects, extending travel distances and human migration throughout the galaxy. 

 

According to relativity theories, developed by Max Planck and Albert Einstein in the early 1900s, a distance like 100 light years would take much less than 100 years to travel, as measured on the ship.  As the ship approaches the speed of light, the travel time becomes almost instantaneous. 

 

There are two major designs that can provide artificial gravity for interstellar travel:  One is a flat ship or an apartment building that accelerates and decelerates at one G, a space elevator.  The other is the rotating Stanford torus, living in a doughnut.

 

The front part of the interstellar space ships will be a huge scoop to collect free hydrogen in space to use as fuel.  The middle part will either be an apartment building or some variant of a rotating wheel or cylinder.  The rear part of the space ship will be the fusion engine, using the controlled power of a hydrogen bomb for propulsion.

 

Interstellar space ships will be like small traveling stars.  They will communicate throughout the galaxy by modulating their fusion reactions and exhaust.  The output of entire stars might also be modulated by gravity or by huge plates in space with electrostatic or magnetic fields for communication at maximum distances.

 

Interstellar communication will be slowly interactive.  Requests for physical supplies will not be an important item of conversation, since the travel time will be so great.  Scientific data, music, philosophy, and the visual arts might be the major subjects of conversation for mutating gene pools of divergent civilizations.

 

These red-shifted long-distance messages will become historical records, traveling backwards in time through an expanding universe.  Such communication would tend to be one-way and documentary in nature.  It could be made more effective by including if-then-else or case a, b, c,… type logic in questions that anticipate long-awaited replies.  The problem of administrators hogging the mikes might be overcome by sorting information contained in the conglomerate of many individual data packets at the receiver.

 

There are one hundred billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, which rotates once every 200 million years.  It has a diameter of 100,000 light years and is 5 to 10,000 light years in thickness. 

 

Human transportation and communication will be forever limited to our galaxy, but conversations with non-human intelligence beyond our galaxy are possible.  The Local Group, the half-dozen galaxies of which we are a part, is a further boundary.

 

http://dingo.care-mail.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf 


Posted by tronix108 at 8:07 PM EST
Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 2:50 PM EST
Post Comment | Permalink

Newer | Latest | Older