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Monday, January 30, 2006

Just lost a rant to the internet ether. Might put a rant about losing rants on Ramrage.

Bailey (Filth Dragon) posed me a question in the middle of a religious debate on friday (we were both quite drunk). But I'm still not sure I put up an adequate explanation or defence of Buddhism.

Bailey, has the perfectly reasonable objection that a lot of Buddhists seem to get walked over. That the Dalai Lama, despite years of trying to end the Chinese occupation peacefully and compromising many times has not succeeded. If he wanted, he could perhaps get Buddhists to take up arms and fight the Chinese back.

But...
Buddha taught us to question our beliefs, to examine our faith with an inquiring mind. These doubts are not 'holes' in the Dharmma, they are merely things you haven't thought about. Blind faith is not the answer, it is easy to poke holes in a blind faith, but if one arrives at a conclusion through thought and introspection, this KNOWLEDGE is immovable as a mountain.

Everyone is different, they all understand dharmma differently. I can't comment about the Chinese occupation, but the Dalai Lama could not 'force' any Bodhisatva to do anything. We have all come to this way through our own choice, we have all walked our own path to get here. Do Buddhists get walked over? Sometimes, yes.

But is it better to bend like a willow in the breeze than snap like an oak?

Bailey posed another question,

"What if Buddha was wrong?"

My immediate answer would be that if he was 'wrong' then he would have been exposed as a fraud long ago. But the question has troubled me all weekend. I give thanks to my friend that he made me question and renew my faith once more.

As I said above, Buddha taught us to question belief, even his teachings,

"Don't just believe" he said, "Come and see."

Whether he was 'wrong' or 'right' depends on your own concept of 'wrong' and 'right'. The value is what value you place upon it. There is action and consquence. Whether you believe your actions are right or wrong, there will be a result of them. This result may or may not be what you wanted. It bears little realtion to the 'right-ness' or 'wrong-ness' but more to the action and the reaction themselves.

If Buddha was 'wrong', could his teachings have been kept alive for so long? Could they have spread across the world? Could they have brought calm, contentment and even nirvana to many? And those who follow his teachings love everyone and every living thing?

If we judge right and wrong by action and reaction, they you may all draw your own conclusions.

Ram.
May you all find happiness and peace.

Monday, January 23, 2006

I'm David Cobb!
Which Presidential Candidate Are You?
Rung from Rum and Monkey's very own liberty bell.

Hmm, that guy was friends with Ralph Nader :)

Ghandi was a Lawyer.

Had an pretty rocking weekend hanging out with Profaniti (Jo to the non LJ community). The gig in friday was cool, bought the Big Strides album and got them to sign it. The bassist kissed Profaniti's hand so they'll be married soon. Hurray! (Seem's to be the season for it-You know who I'm talking about!)

Saturday, showed Profaniti various things in London (Harrods and the Natural History museum) which was also very cool. Then met up with Jebbo and got very, very drunk. I must stop drinking Stella as it definately makes me angry and I ranted for ages about the lack of passion in the current retro-New York sound.

Sunday, lazed around for most of it and went to the Barfly for Uxfest. Which was cool, first band, 'Sada' were good but splitting up. 'Kingsize blues' were cool, combination of metal growling and rocking solos. Finally 'Headon' put on a rocking show, complete with the lead singer wielding a huge larp hammer. Their finally song was called 'Here comes the hammer'. Then, in total WWE wrestling style a guy jumped on stage and asked them to play Bullet for my Valentine or My Chemical romance and the singer head pounded him into the stage. Rock and roll :)

But back to work now. Still, got the FnH banquet to look forward to this weekend :)

Rockalam

Friday, January 20, 2006

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Moderate
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)Moderate
Level 3 (Gluttonous)Very Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Low
Level 7 (Violent)Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

I was kinda angling for limbo and I think I wouldn't mind going there ever since I read about it in Dante. Essentially Limbo is a lot like earth. But peaceful I suppose. Not that I truely believe in such things but if I HAD to choose.

Also, my new favourite beer is Youngs bitter for their stunning advert campaign of 'This is a Ram's world'

Check out:
http://www.ramsworld.co.uk/#main

Ram's world!

Ram.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

HASH(0x8caa58c)
what teen titan are you?

brought to you by Quizilla

Just found out two mates of mine have gotten engaged. I didn't see that one coming.

Or maybe it goes to show how 'out-of-the-loop' I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them, maybe a deep inner fear of commitment is showing here. I'm kinda a bit dazed by it I suppose. Wow, engaged. Wow. That's pretty cool. I'm coming to terms with it as I write. wow.

But anyway,

Went to see Black Lazarus, GU Medicine and My Ruin last night with Mike. It was pretty rocking. I'm liking this new trend of going to see bands which I know very little about. It can be quite enlightening when you see a new band and they rock! PLus having friends get you on the guestlist so you get in for free is cool too. Mike is sooooo cool.

Going to see Big Strides tommorrow night with Jo which should be fun and hopefully rocking (although I know nothing about the band again!).

But hey, better to be like the Dude from the Big Lebowski and take everything in your stride, take people as they come and general get in adventures :)

Ram.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

Last night at meditation practice there was only four of us, Geoffery, Aaron, myself and a monk from the Buddhapadipa temple in Wimbledon:

http://www.buddhapadipa.org/index.html

I had a few moments to talk to the monk before we began and we chatted about university and how I felt my meditation was going and I asked him about a monks life.

We walked.

We sat.

Then he told us about the teachings of the Buddha. Like everything which you find amazing you have to hear it told in a new way in order for it to have a renewed impact. This is because, in the same way that different people relate differently to things, you are constantly changing so because you are a new person you need to hear it differently.

Anyway, often during sitting meditation my foot goes numb, this kinda hurts and makes me worry that I'm damaging my circulation. This has always caused me to shift while sitting so I'm not in pain. I told the monk this and he said that no matter where or how you sit you will feel pain. Even if you are sitting in the most comfortable place your body will want to shift. We are constantly satisfying this desire, like everything else (to have a better job, a better car, that CD, that book, a significant other, etc). If we are always grasping at it, always shifting then we will never be free of desire.

We have a choice. All pleasure and pain is fleeting. If we are not subject to the desire for pleasure and the lessening of pain we are free from desire.

Freedom from desire.

The monk told us a parable:
To capture monkies in Burma people hollow out coconuts and fill them with food (berries, nuts and things) and reform the coconut but with a slit in it so that a hand can squeeze through if flat but not a fist. The monkey slides his hand in and grabs the food. But the slit is too small to get his fist full of food out. He is stuck. Then the hunter comes along. The monkey is scared but still wants the food so he still grasps it.

If the monkey could learn to let go of the food then he could free his hand and not be caught.

If we can learn to let go of our desires then we can be free.

How many monkeys in the world would let go? How many people in the world can?

Not many, but if there are a few monkeys that do, maybe more monkeys will learn.

The Buddha can show us the way, we have to let go to follow.

Emaho.

Ram.

Thursday, January 12, 2006


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My favourite kinda days are the ones where I do a lot, but where you are never sure where the day will take you and you have encounters you didn't expect.

I'm having one of those days today. Just finished having lunch with my Mum which was totally unexpected. Work was also not so bad. Gotta meet a tutor in a little bit then also going to a gig to see a mate's band tonight.

Saw Ben's band Sequoia last night which was rockin'. Bought their album and got them to sign it which they did with messages like 'thanks Ram' and 'Cheers Ram'. I felt cool.

This weekend will be spent LARPing in the north which will hopefully be fun. I've been told one of the organisers has built a fort! Which I will probably have to defend (which will rock).

Anyway, better go to this meeting.

Stay cool,

Ram.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

When I have more time I'll update properly about the 'Christmas Special'.

To explain, Lex and Stu believe their lives to be a comedy series (not unlike 'Friends' I suppose by that other network) called 'Buddies'. I, clearly being a strong character feature in this and have my own spin-off series called 'Ramalam'.

Over the holidays it appears a new team of writers for their shows were called in and the results are exciting (perhaps our ratings were flagging).

But a synopsis another time :)

This post is mainly a shout out the Bailey who returns to the realm of blogging with

'The filth Dragon commands it!'

(see the link at the side)

Welcome back dude!

Ram.