JoeUser ForumsWhat a cutie.
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baublebouche
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Sky, I have a question for you. Perhaps you answer it on your site. If so, just let me know. Buddhism, you say, at it's advanced level, becomes more about the person who practices it and less about the rules. I'm not sure if I'm misreading you, but if one of the main premises of Buddhism is absence of self... letting go of desire... how does it being all about the Self mesh with that? What is your basis for judging who is advanced and who is rooki
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Sky, You'll notice I never claimed more than a basic understanding. I'll be sure to check out your site when I want the scholar's view of Buddhism in theory.
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It's crazy to think if some of my friends had decided to celebrate the holiday on the east side of Thailand's trunk, they could have been swept away. It's crazy to think that some of my Thai friends may have lost family members. The media is saying water borne diseases may be overtaking Bangkok, but I'm hoping they're eggagerating a bit a la Hollywood. I'll k
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I think I'm trackin with ya techie. Freedom is sweet, no?
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Throw my clothes in a washer and dryer (I almost packed my entire wardrobe--such that it is--so every article could experience snuggle freshness) Turn on the radio . . . and understand every word! Mexican food, good sandwiches Meat without bones . . . bite into a stir fry with no fear of being stabbed in the mouth Turn on the t.v. . . just for
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I agree with you that rural culture is different, but it's still culture! Is it not as much of an art to be able to predict the weather based on the birds as it is to name Picasso's works? Is it not as "culturally deep" to take a 5-day rafting trip and find the beauty in nature as it is to visit museums? All we do with our refined cultural pursuits is mimic the art that exists already in nature. You make a good point, Shulamite. I hope your studen
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I was at a dressmaker's shop the other day and the lady's daughter was watching a "LifeSTYLES of the Rich and Famous" style documentary on the best beaches in the world. Thailand's beaches held a few of the top ten spots. When the camera panned the white sands of Phuket and Pattaya, all I saw was bikini clad foreign girls and guys in Speedos. Thai culture is tradit
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Shulamite, I'm no Buddhist scholar either, but regarding your question: Did he offer peace or denial and unattachment? The understanding I have here is that what people live is closer to denial and unattachment than it is to peace. Of course, each person has their own unique understanding and it's impo
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Phoenix, Thanks for the information. Any new insight is helpful, but I still have questions. You said, so that with you only doing "good" then what follows is good and therefore your heart and your mind become like a conduit for good. I think, in theory, that's a great picture. I wonder, though, if giving mot
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Don't you guys think there might be spiritual laws as well as physical laws? Like gravity. If you throw something in the air, it doesn't stop at the top, pause, and think, "it's kinda nice up here, maybe this time I should linger a bit." Heh. It falls, because gravity is a stronger law. Karma. If you give, it WILL come back to you. That's a law. Sin. If you have even a smudge of it, God..in his perfection... will not look at you. I don't thin
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What a cool story. What an interesting guy, that Grant. Do you think he was making up his weather shmack, too?
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Debt. Ugh. It's gross even typing that word. Debt. Ugh. The other day a buddy of mine said something that shocked me. She said, "I'll be in debt for the rest of my life." When I think about the posibility that my life might be that way, I feel ike someone has cuffed me to a 9-5 job in the suburbs. I see her perspective, though. If I dug a hole so deep I
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$50 for a stuffed yellow eye-sore is bad enough, but 50-smackers for an eyesore sporting Santawear. I'm way too young to start the "remember when" saga, but heck, remember when dolls that cost a buck-fifty to manufacture cost 5-bucks? 50-bucks buys 100 bowls of mighty tasty noodle soup around here. Have toys always been so dumb?
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I'm in no way an expert in Theravada Buddhism, but I have picked up a few things from living in this culture. My stories come via the oral tradition, not long hours of study, so if you want perfection, please check your friendly, local encyclopedia. First , one of the main premises is letting go of desires. (no desires, no pain? The original buddha
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Over dinner tonight, some of the ladies and I were chatting about men. It seems that many women here chose work or family. Few that I've seen attempt both. As a result, I think there is a higher percentage of single women over 30 in Thailand compared to Smalltown, USA. Of the five women at the table, only one was dating/married. Khun E. told me about the love of
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Every time I mention the word "Christmas", people respond with, "ooh, Santa Clause." It's as sure as the tide. Out goes "Christmas", in comes "Santa Clause." Maybe I'm a drama queen, but WHEN did Christmas equal Santa Clause?? When did the most valued holiday of the year (according to the public school calendar, anyhoozle) become a celebration of a fat man i
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For any strangers reading this, I've been looking forward to a Christmas trip home for a few months now. I'm nervous about how things will be. I've adjusted so much to this culture that on one hand, I feel like I've let go of some of the things that made me "American." On the other hand, maybe I'm more "American" than ever because I've seen the culture from another
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Here's a gorgeous example of Thailand's cultural greeting--the wai. Not only is Carlos Moya a great player, he's polite. :) The creator of Precious Moments has his house decorated like a Thai temple. Hmm...where could his inspiration have come from? <img src="http://usera.imag
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Ha! I should've smelled trouble coming.
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First, I have to explain my sometimes housemate. She's a great lady who speaks English better than I do. When I moved into her house, we agreed she would move out after about a month into the house she was having built. Well, after about 2-months, I discovered the only part of the house that was finished was the outhouse....There was no end in sight. I remin
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Hey dharma, If you're going for theravada buddha, let me know. Thailand is awash in trinkets. Shipping holy items is legal, right? Jeaners
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Eeesh. Yeah, thanks Danny. I found it. To be any more obvious, I suppose it would have to be red and flashing, huh?
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Ok, it's bedtime and in my code fumbling, I've left a mess. If you read this and can help, please tell me how I can delete the extra 4 blog entries that are just slightly sub-par. ooey. The world is not big enough for "Dan-STINKIN-gerous" written more than once. It's time for bed and I'm done dealing with it tonight. Would an obvious delete button be too m
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I've just arrived to JU from my comfy home down the road at Ebloggy-- Link . It was time to make the move. On with the show! Khao yai is the biggest national park in Thailand. It's gorgeous, but deadly. My evidence: EXHIBIT A <IMG HEIGHT="323" WIDTH="363" SRC="http://usera.imagecave.com/aubrey/1
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