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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Grainne who wrote (25009)	9/21/1998 12:51:00 AM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Christine, Another gem from Maitreya's site: <<From behind the scenes, the outpouring of His extraordinary energy has been the stimulus for dramatic changes on many fronts, including the fall of communism in the Soviet Union, the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, the rapprochement between East and West, the growing power of the people's voice, and a worldwide focus on preserving the environment.>> A bit much to take credit for, no? It seems to me that there is a strong suggestion here, and in the bits about simultaneous appearances around the world, that Maitreya has not only wisdom, but power. This, one assumes, will be shared with the supporters. It's very easy to say "but this time we'll use the power to do GOOD things", but it seems to me we've been down that route before. The moment anyone starts rallying believers to a spiritual cause, I steer in the opposite direction. <<I do believe that some very wise men like Jesus and the Buddha, and perhaps Maitreya, have visited the earth and left us with essential truths.>> Didn't those truths exist before these men came along? I am sure that they did, and I'm sure that many existed who knew those truths - in fact, I would guess that on some level every human in history has been aware of those truths. Ideally (in my mind, at least) religion should help people get in touch with the truths that are innate, without trying to "organize" them into a force with the potential (almost the assurance) of abuse. If you look at the Maitreya site, all the nice things he says he wants do not obscure the fact that he (or this Creme fellow that speaks for him, another factor that makes me wary) is trying to put together a core of true believers. I wonder how much concern there really is for the downtrodden or the environment, and how much for using those issues to "organize" the unwary. Steve

To: Grainne who wrote (25009)	9/21/1998 1:40:00 AM
From: Krowbar	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

<< Unlike you, who have no religious beliefs at all, I do believe that some very wise men like Jesus and the Buddha, and perhaps Maitreya, have visited the earth and left us with essential truths. I do not believe it is necessary to worship one particular religion, or exalt one particular prophet, which leads to divisiveness and violence. But the truth is the truth is the truth, wherever it comes from, and I see bits of truth sometimes in these prophets. >> Visited the Earth? From where? Like Steve, I think that these "truths" that these prophets reveal were already known. They are nothing but plagiarists in different cloaks. Show me which of Maitreya's truths wasn't already known. Or Jesus' truths for that matter. They are merely trying to take the credit for the collective wisdom of previous thinkers. They are parrots. Del

To: Grainne who wrote (25009)	9/24/1998 12:15:00 AM
From: Impristine	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 108807

Why are people so thin skinned Why do people live in glass houses? Why do people attack others with their own insecurities? Why is no defense often the strongest position? I was booted off of si this week, three accounts. I had a lot of time to write gutter poetry from my heart. I am, needless to say, a little bit passionate about this stuff. I had a lot of time to think about the country's pain and the bill clinton trauma. I saw a Grey Davis campaign commercial this week. It made me spit my food on the floor. Grey Davis said, "help me reign in the HMO's." What is really important in this world? Why are health maintenance organizations margins growing so rapidly? Why are they denying so much in the form of services and benefits? Why are they trying to squeeze the rehab intermediaries so they cannot provide the services? Why corporate salaries continue to rise? Why are rehab professionals salaries cut by 15-25 percent? Is there no longer a shortage of rehabilitation professionals? Are the number of rehabilitation jobs dropping like a bomb? Is the population growing younger? Is this really, the case. Why do HMO's have the power to play god and deny medical services and rehabilitation services? Why do HMO's deny coverage and benefits that are reasonable and beneficial and at the same time maintain a gag order on the professionals who are providing the services? How can they get away with this? When will the american public subscribe to a grass roots effort and demand reasonable and prudent services be supplied by the HMO's. Why do people have to have bed sores from laying in bed who would other wise be active and of modified independence function. Why do people have to have joint contractures, muscle atrophy, and loss of function because HMO's Will not pay for rehabilitation services? Why do people have to lose the ability to walk, fall and break hips, fall and break arms, and then be denied rehab services by the HMO's? How can they demand medical professionals to maintain a gag order on the subject when discussing issues and options with patients? What is wrong with this picture? Why is the money being paid and not being used to provide the reasonable and prudent services? Why are people with neurological events, strokes, gunshot wounds to the head, post-seizures, post craniotomies, who previously were allowed reasonable, prudent, and highly beneficial rehabilitation services no longer allowed to receive the services? Why are people falling and severely injuring themselves and then not allowed to receive the rehabilitation services to prevent further falls and further injuries? Why are people falling and breaking their hips and then being denied highly beneficial rehabilitation services to allow the person to resume their prior level of function? Why are we going backwards with all of the new knowledge about the effectiveness, efficacy, and benefits of proper physical rehabilition and activity? What is really important here? Is it a quality of life issue for the aging population? Is it a dollar issue for the HMO's? What is wrong with this system? What is wrong with this picture? How bad does it have to get? Do people have to lay in their own urine for days and weeks on end and get open sores as a result of the moisture from the urine? Do people have to be tied down in subhuman conditions to prevent them from falling over and hurting themselves in order to save the HMO some money? Do people have to be restrained in chairs 24 hours a day to prevent them from falling and breaking their hip? Do people have to sleep in 4 point restraints, thrash around in bed, to the point of bleeding extremities just to prevent the person from injuring themselves severely? We treat our criminals better than this? We treat animals more humanely than this? We do not treat the sick and injured because the HMO's are trying to save a buck? I cannot help but be passionate about this issue. I am alive today because of a teaching fund provided by the university of california davis which totaled more than a quarter million dollars and involved 6 major surgeries? In my early 30's I am severely and horrifically dysfigured in the face and jaw., my speech is dysarthric, I am alive. I have an understanding of the industry. Something has to change. The doctors have taken their hit to the pocketbook. The physical therapist and other rehabilitation professionals have lost livelihoods. The nursing homes have been squeezed. Corporations have restructured? There is no fat left to squeeze? The only thing further to squeeze is denying more and more services by the HMO's. If it was any other industry, if it was any less powerful lobbying group. I believe that fraud would be screamed from the highest mountain. Abandonment would be screamed from the highest mountain. It is simply not right. It is subhuman. It is not right to administer care in the health profession based on a reviewer's position and lack of education. It is just not right. It is a travesty. It is destroying moral. It is destroying the rehab teams , the guts and fiber of the most horrific situations short of vietnam. It is a fraud. I do not want to aid and abet the fraud. The american public must demand that things change. The stories must be told. It is not about reigning in the HMO's. the HMO's are already so powerful they have absolutely no checks and balances on their behavior when it comes to certain reasonable services. How inhumane does the system have to be before the HMO's will agree to part with, but a little of their money? In my opinion, it has progressed beyond an issue of money. It is an issue of what is important, and are we human? How bout reigning in Free enterprise on Government?

To: Grainne who wrote (25009)	9/27/1998 11:40:00 PM
From: Craig Richards	Respond to of 108807

Hi Christine, I was in the bookstore yesterday and saw the book Zen at War, which is a history of Zen Buddhists and Japanese militarism prior to World War II. I didn't buy it because it looked too dry for my tastes, but the description and comments from amazon.com seem to give a good flavor of what the book's about. amazon.com. Book Description Zen at War offers a penetrating look at the close relationship that existed between Zen Buddhism and Japanese militarism prior to World War II. Using the actual words of leading Japanese Zen masters and scholars, the author shows that Zen served as a powerful spiritual and ideological foundation for the fanatic and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time, the author tells the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up to the recent apologies of several Zen sects for their support of the war, and the reemergence of what he calls corporate Zen in postwar Japan. From the Back Cover Zen at War is a wake-up call for all Buddhists. Brian Victoria has shown in a passionate and well documented way that Buddhism is not immune to the kind of distortions that have been used throughout human history by virtually all of the worlds religions to justify so-called holy wars. John Daido Loori, Roshi, Abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery Author of The Heart of Being Zen at War is a stunning contribution to our understanding of Japanese militarism and the broader issue of war responsibility as it continues to be addressed (and ignored) in contemporary Japan. Brian Victoria's great sensitivity to the perversion and betrayal of Buddhism's teachings about compassion and non-violence makes his indictment of the role played by Imperial Way Buddhists in promoting ultranationalism and aggression all the more striking and all the more saddening. Professor John W. Dower, Harvard University Author of War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War In this carefully documented study, Brian Victoria discloses the incredible intellectual dishonesty of Japanese Buddhists who perverted their religion to a jingoistic doctrine of support of the emperor and imperial expansion during the period 1868-1945. Good job! We must face this dark side of our heritage squarely. Robert Aitken, Roshi, Honolulu Diamond Sangha Author of The Mind of Clover and The Practice of Perfection