~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ profile picture

~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~

There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in ~Leonard Cohen~

About Me


'Compassion and love are not mere luxuries. As the source both of inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species.'- His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
The four immeasurables, also known as the Brahma Viharas (Skt.) are found in one brief and beautiful prayer:
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes, May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes, May all sentient beings never be separated from bliss without suffering, May all sentient beings be in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.
The Buddha taught the following to his son Rahula (from "Old path white clouds" by Thich Nhat Hahn):
"Rahula, practice loving kindness to overcome anger. Loving kindness has the capacity to bring happiness to others without demanding anything in return. Practice compassion to overcome cruelty. Compassion has the capacity to remove the suffering of others without expecting anything in return. Practice sympathetic joy to overcome hatred. Sympathetic joy arises when one rejoices over the happiness of others and wishes others well-being and success. Practice non-attachment to overcome prejudice. Non-attachment is the way of looking at all things openly and equally. This is because that is. Myself and others are not separate. Do not reject one thing only to chase after another. I call these the four immeasurables. Practice them and you will become a refreshing source of vitality and happiness for others."
LOVE
The definition of love in Buddhism is: wanting others to be happy. This love is unconditional and it requires a lot of courage and acceptance (including self-acceptance). The "near enemy" of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is more an opposite is: conditional love (selfish love) The opposite is wanting others to be unhappy: anger, hatred. A result which one needs to avoid is: attachment.
This definition means that 'love' in Buddhism refers to something quite different from the ordinary term of love which is usually about attachment, more or less successful relationships and sex; all of which are rarely without self-interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to de-tachment and the unselfish interest in others' welfare.
'Even offering three hundred bowls of food three times a day does not match the spiritual merit gained in one moment of love.'- Nagarjuna
"If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue" - His Holiness the Dalai Lama from 'The little book of Buddhism'
"What is this so-called reality; what is this theory but a beautiful though totally human fantasy? ~M.C. Escher~ (Relativity, 1953) It is impossible for the inhabitants of different worlds to walk or sit or stand on the same floor, because they have differing conceptions of what is horizontal and what is vertical. Yet they may well share the use of the same staircase. On the top staircase illustrated here, two people are moving side by side and in the same direction, and yet one of them is going downstairs and the other upstairs. Contact between them is out of the question because they live in two different worlds and therefore can have no knowledge of each other's existence. ~M.C. Escher~
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My Interests

my kids/family, spirituality, music, politics, movies, world cultures, ethnic foods, nature, animals, art and much more

“I’d like to share with you a revelation I’ve had, during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we... are the cure.”
DEVOLUTION OF MAN...

CASA IS A LOCAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER/FAMILY SERVICES IN ST. PETERSBURG, FL. THE 800 NUMBER ON THE BANNER ABOVE IS THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE. CLICK ON THE BANNER TO GO TO CASA'S WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THEIR HOTLINE NUMBER.

Mark Vallen http://www.art-for-a-change.com/blog/


HOW FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE DO YOU WANT TO GO? THIS IS THE RED PILL, NEO. A CALL TO REOPEN THE SEPT. 11 INVESTIGATION!

www.reopen911.org - physics911.net - 911research.com - RBNLive.com - 911Truth.org - 911busters.com - 911WasALie.com - Total911.info - 911skeptics.blogspot.com - SeptemberEleventh.org - 911ForTheTruth.com - UnansweredQuestions.org - 911ShareTheTruth.com - 911Review.org
~WE MUST NOT CONFUSE DISSENT WITH DISLOYALTY. WHEN THE LOYAL OPPOSITION DIES, I THINK THE SOUL OF AMERICA DIES WITH IT. ~Edward R. Murrow~

Your World View
You are a happy, well-balanced person who likes people and is liked by others.
You question whether many conventional views on morality are valid under all circumstances.
You are essentially a content person.

You are moral by your own standards.
You believe that morality is what best suits the occasion. What Is Your World View?

SOME OF MY FAVORITE COMEDY AND COMEDIANS
(Original Saturday Night Live) Chevy Chase~ John Belushi~ Dan Aykroyd~ Gilda Radner~ Garrett Morris~ Jane Curtin~ Laraine Newman~ Bill Murray~ Albert Brooks~ Gary Weis.
Richard Pryor~ Chris Rock~ Robin Williams~ George Carlin~ Steve Martin~ Rodney Dangerfield~ Sandra Bernhard~ Bill Bellamy~Dana Carvey ~Dave Chappelle~Margaret Cho~
One of Britain's Best Sitcom
and of course...
MONTY PYTHON FLYING CIRCUS..
Al Franken~ Jamie Foxx~Whoopi Goldberg ~Andy Kaufman~Denis Leary ~John Leguizamo~Jim Henson's Muppets ~Bernie Mac ~Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis ~Abbott and Costello ~George Lopez ~Cheech & Chong ~Mike Myers ~Paul Rodriguez ~Peter Sellers ~Sinbad ~Pauly Shore ~Wanda Sykes ~Lily Tomlin ~Tracey Ullman ~Wayans brothers ~Gene Wilder ~Steven Wright~MAD-TV
Bill Hicks
original SCTV show and cast: John Candy~Eugene Levy~Joe Flaherty~ Andrea Martin~Rick Moranis~Catherine O'Hara~Harold Ramis~Martin Short~Dave Thomas

I'd like to meet:



Tibet has come to the most perilous moment in its 3,000 year existence. It is a common theme of history; many ancient and peaceful indigenous civilizations have been assaulted by military powers in search of land and booty. Tibet, an independent nation until the Chinese invasion, is now faced with extinction. But it is not yet too late.
It would be very difficult to oust the Chinese by armed force, and it would go against the Tibetan Buddhist belief in non-violence. Instead, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have used diplomacy and non-violent activism in the hopes that the People's Republic of China will be condemned and pressured to withdraw its occupation forces from Tibet.
It is our belief that anyone who hears of what has happened in Tibet will support its cause. But the Tibetans must be heard. Please read on to find out why Tibet needs and deserves your support. http://www.tibet.org/Why/
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was kidnapped by the Chinese authorities just 2 months after he was officially recognized in May, 1995 as the Panchen Lama, one of Tibet's most important religious leaders. He was only 6 years old at the time of his abduction. The Chinese government installed another young boy in his place, in an attempt to exert control over Tibetans through him. Tibetans refuse to acknowledge this boy as their religious leader. To date, China has denied all requests from the international community to see the real Panchen Lama, and his whereabouts are unknown. http://www.tashilhunpo.org/panchen.html

AWARENESS IS EVERYTHING.

Music:


OLD SCHOOL JAZZ

SINATRA, ELLA FITZGERALD, DUKE ELLINGTON, SARAH VAUGHAN, BILLIE HOLIDAY, TONY BENNET, NAT KING COLE, MEL TORME and..

Tony Sr. , Dolph and Tony Jr Castellano

Some rock...TOOL some alternative..
classic rock, classical, some techno, just about everything!
LENNY KRAVITZ
R&B- India ArieJILL SCOTT Lauryn HIll, John Legend, Musiq, Mary J Blige, Jamiroquai, Rashann Paterson, Eric Benet, PRINCE Allanis Morisette Some opera (Puccini is my favorite) STING
Music with a message: Tracy Chapman
MICHEAL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
Ben Harper
Jack Johnson
Reggae..Damian Marley
Bob Marley

Movies:


12 Monkeys, Adaptation, Life of Brian - Monty Python, O Brother Where Art Thou, Kundun, Little Buddha, Ghost Dog, 13 going on 30, Finding Nemo, Marx Brothers-Go West, Monkey Business, Night in Casablaca, Singin in the Rain, Mel Brooks - Young Frankenstein (Frankenshteen), Little Big Man, A Bronx Tale, Ice Age, Tim Burton movies-Whats Eating Gilbert Grape-LOVE JOHNNY DEPP!- most of his movies-Pireates of the Carribean. The Power of One, Color Purple, the first Matrix movie, Pi (the mathmatical sign), Jim Carrey movies, the first Jurassic Park, City of God (so disturbing I couldn't sleep), Robin Williams, the Green Mile, Powder, Shawshank Redemption, "Phil the Alien", Silence of the Lambs, Signs (I like M. Night Shyamalan) The Village, Amadeus, Beautiful Mind, Whale Rider, The War, documentaries, foreign films, Harry Potter, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Serenity-(and the fire fly series), Dances with Wolves, Malcolm X, Wag the Dog, Fahrenheit 911
Bowling for Columbine, Supersize Me, Canadian Bacon, Hotel Rwanda, "Good Night, Good Luck", Constant Gardner, North Country, Loose Change Second Edition (9/11), Confronting the Evidence (9/11), Why We Fight, King Kong (yes I thought the recent remake was good - still cheezy but good), X-Men, "I know I'm not Alone" (directed by Michael Franti)...I'll think of more later- a comment, not a movie.

Television:

mostly channel surf and whatever might catch my eye (will not pay for cable)...when i'm bored; some reality shows, late night talk shows. Allot of PBS, Simpsons, Mad TV, 70s show, Scrubs, My name is Earl, American Dad, South Park, Friends, Will & Grace, LOST and INVASION... glance at the local media - don't pay too much attention to it.

Books:

have many - haven't really finished reading any of them (very few) - but a cool collection for when I'm in the mood - for my different moods.

Heroes:

My parents and my two beautiful daughters (my inspiration and life) (below) Also, my brother who makes me laugh and smile at any time. My friends, fellow activists, and spiritual teachers. Ghandi, MLK,Jr., Ralph Nader, Dali Lama, Arundhati Roy, Amy Goodman, Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), Cynthia McKinney, Howard Zinn, Ramsey Clark, Pnina Finestone, Rachel Corrie, Sibel Edmonds, Greg Palast, Kiran Bedi.

My Blog

a beautiful moment.. (2 versions)

Last night's kiss&   So soft, so tender& Just a touch of sexy&   My head and body swooned for a moment, What a surprise&   The butterflies fluttered!   In that short but sweet m...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:32:00 PST

short and sweet - email conversation I had about 9/11 truth

start from the bottom.  ----------------- Original Message ----------------- From: ~ Gina ~ Date: Mar 20, 2007  very good, as it should be. I too watched it happen, i too am an american. I...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:56:00 PST

A friend has challenged me, what would you say?

I'm passing this challenge to you.  Because i believe in grassroots, i'm curious to see what you would say or want and then I can use your comments as inspiration for my reply. (wh...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 10:48:00 PST

9/11 Mysteries - (IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE US. WATCH THIS)

9/11 Mysteries Part 1: DemolitionsFrom 911weknow.com: 90 minutes of pure demolition evidence and analysis, laced with staggering witness testimonials. Moving from "the myth" through "the analysis" and...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:05:00 PST

9/11: PRESS FOR TRUTH (new documentary with victims family members)

The Story "We felt the country was at risk from terrorists and from incompetence&and maybe worse." Lorie Van Auken, September 11th Widow Following the attacks of September 11th, a small group of gr...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Wed, 13 Sep 2006 02:05:00 PST

BREATH IN SUFFERING, BREATH OUT COMPASSION

PREVIEW HERE  http://www.scaredsacred.org/assets/TrailerWMA9.wmv    (may have to copy link into media player or go to website and see trailer) SCARED SACRED WEBSITE Synopsis: In a wo...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Sat, 22 Jul 2006 08:09:00 PST

Buddhist Peace Fellowship Statement on situation in Israel and Lebanon

BPF Statement on situation in Israel and Lebanon July 19, 2006 During the past week, the world has been witness to a frightening drama unfolding in the Middle East, as Israel and Hezbollah are locked...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 01:37:00 PST

STOP THE U.S.--ISRAELI WAR AGAINST LEBANON AND PALESTINE!

International Action Center statementSTOP THE U.S.--ISRAELI WAR AGAINST LEBANON AND PALESTINE! July 13, 2006 The blood in Gaza and Lebanon is on George Bush's hands. The bombs, shells and missiles now...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 08:27:00 PST

"just to inform you" part II

(read the original blog "just to inform you" to know what she is responding to)   ----------------- Original Message ----------------- From: (young 19 yr old female soldier) Date: Jun 14, 2006 1:...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:10:00 PST

"just to inform you"

this young woman emailed me her unhappiness with my statement on my blog "Krishnamurti on War".  My response to her is below her email. Enjoy. ----------------- Original Message -----------------...
Posted by ~ ExtraOrdinary Machine ~ on Wed, 14 Jun 2006 06:52:00 PST