Climate Change is Killing the Desert (audio)

Xochitl, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; A Martinez, Alex Cohen (Take Two/SCPR)

Sunset, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, Boy Scout Trail head, 5-29-14 (Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

The future of California and the American Southwest unless we stop corporate radiers

    

It's not getting hotter just less cool, more chaotic

Nearly all of the Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Forest could disappear in a few decades because of climate change.

 

It's hard to imagine that in the deserts of the American Southwest, a few degrees hotter can drastically affect a place that's already very dry.

Many predictions of rising worldwide temperatures [most of them conservative underestimates] often conjure up images of swelling shorelines flooding beachfront homes and towns like Manhattan and Malibu because of shrinking polar ice caps.

The high Buddhist desert of Ladakh, India in the Himalayas, behind Mt. Everest, here overlooking the lamasery of Tsemo Gompa in the capital of Leh (SylvainBrajeul/flickr.com)

 

(Geoengineeringwatch.org) "Climate engineering" is weather modifcation/warfare that means the collapse of civilization. Look up. Those lines and ugly haze come from "chemtrails."

 

Himalayan desert behind Everest, Zanskar river

But Ian James, environment reporter for The Desert Sun, wrote a three-part investigation on how climate change could drastically affect the flora (plants), fauna (animals), and people (humans and other humanoids like the earthbound-devas or nature spirits and the dreaded djinn) of this arid wilderness.

 

Desert mesa, American Southwest drying up

"Basically in the desert there's very little humidity in the air," said James on Take Two.

"That lack of humidity in the air, in the soil, in the whole region makes it so the hotter temperatures don't have that one other element to bump up against that would make it a little less intense." LISTEN: AUDIO (9:20)

  

Berkeley may use gas pump warnings about global warming

[Increase] awareness. "Chances are a consumer dismissive of climate change won’t notice the label," Brooks said. "The person concerned about climate change will read the label...It acts as a reinforcement...

 

How the insurance industry sees climate change

...America, on the threat climate change posed to the $2-trillion... Climate change: A June 17 Op-Ed... steps to prevent losses related to climate change. Farmers has withdrawn the lawsuits...

 

Tale of passenger pigeon extinction may have had natural twist

(Geoffrey Mohan) The authors wondered how climate and food might have affected the passenger pigeon... it also revealed sharp year-to-year changes in acorn production that could have affected... over the last million years, based on climate, food, and other factors, the authors...

• DVD: Climate Engineering
• Desert Sun: "Joshua trees losing ground"
• Desert Sun: "Struggle for survival"
• Desert Sun: "Vanishing Water" (desertsun.com)
• Island nation bans commercial fishing in part of Pacific

• The US-planned ISIS insurgency continues in Iraq
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• Man charged with molesting 5 kids may have other victims
• Searching for Sasquatch in Virginia (southwesttimes.com)
• No worries. We'll just leave California and get On The Road

Life in Buddhist India, circa 1999 (video)

Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Norton Simon Museum

"In the Land of Snow" Buddhist Art of the Himalayas" (nortonsimon.org)

A group of young Tibetan monks living in India's Himalayas find themselves torn between their spiritual pursuits and their love for soccer in the true-life comedy "The Cup." Soccer's World Cup fever had swept the globe, finding its way into a remote Buddhist monastery nestled in the Himalayas of northern India. While their teachers, elder lamas, try to keep the young monks focused on their studies, they will do just about anything to watch the final match.

Even if that means finding a satellite dish and setting it up on top of their quiet hermitage. An inspiring tale of colliding cultures, midnight escapades, and daring secret plots is all set against the rich traditions of Tibetan/Bhutanese Vajrayana Buddhism and art. (Rated G, Tibetan with English subtitles, showing tonight FREE at the Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, as part of the Himalayan Buddhism exhibit).

• Date: Friday, June 06, 2014
• Time: 7:00 pm - 8:40 pm
• Director: Khyentse Norbu

Buddhist/Bon Sherpas of Mt. Everest (audio)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; David Leveille (The World, pri.org)

The mighty Himavanta/Himalayas (Raimond Klavins/artmif.lv/artmif/flickr.com)

Buddhist and Bon family members of the Nepali mountain-guides lost in the Mt. Everest avalanche wait for the bodies of loved ones to arrive at Sherpa Monastery in Kathmandu on April 19, 2014. The avalanche was the deadliest in eight years (Navesh Chitraka/Reuters).

.

Pasang Y. Sherpa (Penn)

The avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas last week may be a turning point in the history of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) expeditions -- a time to reflect on the Western climbing culture and on the risks faced by the mountain's unsung heroes that make that culture possible, the Sherpas.
 

The World asked Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, an anthropologist and lecturer at Penn State Univ., to answer some questions about Sherpa culture. She didn't have any immediate family or relatives killed in the avalanche but says the tragic accident "is something that is really sad for every Sherpa." We've lightly edited the interview for clarity.

When you have Sherpa in your name, what does that indicate?

Beyond Everest in Bhutan (Soultravelers3.com)

It indicates that we belong to this ethnic group called Sherpas.

The term Sherpa is often used synonymously with expedition workers, or porters, because historically those were the jobs that Sherpas did. But it kind of takes our attention away from who Sherpas really are and does not differentiate the ethnic group from the job.

 

Buddhist Himalayas from K2 to Bhutan

Sherpas currently live in different parts of the world, but the largest communities are in Nepal and the Everest region. And there are large communities of Sherpas living in [metropolitan] Kathmandu and New York City. 

Why are Sherpas so skilled at mountaineering?

We have been living in the mountains for a very long time, and that's where we come from, so we know the area. We know how to live and survive and adapt. But we need to understand that Sherpas do not climb mountains for a hobby or as a sport. They do so to earn money for themselves and their families so the families can have a better life.
 

Buddhist novices of India behind the Himalayas, Ladakh (SylvainBrajeul/flickr.com)

 
How do Sherpas generally view the Himalayan mountains?

The devas' resort (kerdowney.com)

 The mountains are not just [inanimate] objects in front of them. The mountains are places where deities [devas and other shapeshifting creatures visible to shamans and mystics] reside.

So we go to the mountains and we actually pray [do puja to honor them] and make sure the mountain [or the being associated with the mountain] is not upset, and we make sure the mountains are happy to allow Sherpas, or anyone, to climb.

Sagarmatha Zone, Nepal

Every time one of the expeditions goes up, the Sherpas do a pujah -- a ritual to appease the deity and to make sure everyone's happy and it's okay for them to climb. But this time, because so many lost their lives, this was seen as a sign by the Sherpas that their god[s are] not happy. They thought it was a good reason to stop climbing [and risking their lives] this year. 

Does the worst accident in the history of Everest expeditions mark a turning point for Sherpas?

My friends and I are hoping this will be a turning point. The cycle of people feeling pressured to go to the mountain, then getting injured or dying, then the families grieving -- I think this cycle has to end. We think this incident should be a turning point for everyone. And for the expedition workers, in particular. More

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South East European Film Festival, Los Angeles (seefilmla.org)

L.A. Asian Film Festival 2014 (asianfilmfestla.org)

A Himalayan pilgrimage (yatra): A Green Odyssey (padyatra.com)

Free College Night: Himalayan Buddhism

Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly; Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena

Buddhist prayer flags flutter in the Himalayas (Bhakti Omwoods/facebook.com)

College Night is an evening at the Museum just for college students. 

Meet the curators, attend tours, and listen to gallery talks with exclusive behind-the-scenes information about favorite paintings and sculptures. 

Learn about the 20-foot-tall Tibetan Buddhist silk thangka in the special exhibition In the Land of Snow: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas.

Lamayuru gompa, Ladakh (DT)

et inspired by the photography exhibition Face It: The Photographic Portrait, and then channel that inspiration as by drawing in the galleries and enjoying music, food, and drinks with fellow art lovers in the Museum’s sculpture garden.

Students receive 25% off all food for sale in the Garden Café. Visit the Norton Simon College Night page for more information.

• Friday, April 25, 2014, 7-9:00 pm
• Open House, FREE with valid college I.D.
• Registration recommended but not required

Jesus in India as a Buddhist monk (BBC video)

Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly (2011); BBC 4 (British Broadcasting Corporation, "Did Jesus Die?"); National Buddhist Authority of Sri Lanka

Jesus Christ, Yshua of Nazareth, St. Issa arrives at Hemis Gompa, Ladakh, Himalayan India

 

The historical Jesus (Duccio di Buoninsegna)

Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, traveled to ancient India, to Kashmir and Buddhist Ladakh bordering Tibet, and ordained as a Buddhist monk?

How could this possibly be? Jesus is GOD (merged with Brahman), the son-of-god (devaputra), an incarnation (tulku, avatar), the Messiah (Maitreya) -- the All-Knowing, All-Powerful, All-Present, why would he go on the quest of a truth seeker in search of himself, peace, and enlightenment? He's got a universe to run and sacrificial lamb blood to spill!

Anyway, who is this rinkydink operation "the BBC" to investigate and conclude such things!? Why would a Jew leave the Holy Land and travel to the holy land to find the Wisdom of the East? It makes no sense! It upsets the cart! It's not copacetic! I have a good corporate job, a nice conservative church, a tight mortgage, and a set of Charlton Heston videos -- I will not tolerate new evidence, written documents, a tomb, a body, lore, or objective facts! It's not convenient! Oh, gawd, make it stop!

BBC 4 Documentary

Jesus Lived in India (Kersten)

(BBC 4) This documentary takes a serious look at the question, "Did Jesus die?" It examines many ideas then at Minute 25 the examination takes a very logical and grounded turn with surprising conclusions demonstrating that: the "Three Wise Men" from the East were in fact Buddhist monks, who went in search of Jesus (a tulku), found him, and came back for him around puberty.

(This kind of occurrence, characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism, is told in modern American terms in the Hollywood film "Little Buddha"). 

• Why did Jesus die? - traditional views (BBC)
• AUDIO: Priest Mathew Fox (KPFA, 04-01-1

European eyes: "Sermon on the Mount"

The 18 "lost years" (not lost but purposely removed from official story) of Jesus are explained and were well known in the polyglot history of Christendom of the past. After monastic training in a Himalayan Buddhist monastery, or gompa, Jesus, known as "Issa" or "Isa" (just as he is referred to in Islam), taught Buddhism, then returned to his home in the Middle East. There he was persecuted as a rebel and troublemaker agitating for social justice and Jewish liberation from imperial Roman rule.

He was condemned, survived a six-hour crucifixion, and with the help of family and friends escaped back to Kashmir, Afghanistan, where he died a beloved old man or "saint" at the age of 80. His tomb has been located and examined, but exploration is limited due to Islamic sensitivities as it is now co-occupied.

• (3:03) Christianity, the First 1,000 Years
• (1:37) The Missing History of Jesus: amazing documentary
• (53:06) Jesus in Kashmir (India) - Indian Gov't documentary
• (1:40) The Hidden Story of Jesus - complete documentary
• (1:30) Banned From the Bible - documentary
• (1:27) The Lost 40 Days of Jesus - full documentary

Dalai Lama visiting US for series of public talks

Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; DalaiLama.com

Yesterday, the Dalai Lama visited the American Enterprise Institute for a talk on "Unlocking the Mind and Human Happiness” (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images/Washington Post).

  

14th Dalai Lama

The following is the Dalai Lama's public schedule abroad and in India, where he lives. Tickets are required for most events. Contact organizers directly or visit the websites given below for details. While most events in India are free, the majority of events abroad require tickets. NOTE: It is a long-standing policy of the Dalai Lama that he does NOT accept any fees for his talks. Where ticket purchase is necessary, organizers are requested to charge the minimum entrance fee to cover costs only. Dates subject to change.

• Obama and Dalai Lama meet despite China's appeal (CNN/CIA) HONG KONG, China - U.S. President Barack S. Obama met today with the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual (and former political) leader, despite China's appeal not to...
• VIDEO: President Obama meets with the Dalai Lama despite China warnings (Reuters)
• China demands Obama cancel meeting with Dalai Lama

SCHEDULE

Remember that time China said I...

Public Talk, San Francisco, California, USA on Feb. 22, 2014: public talk in the afternoon at Davies Symphony Hall. Contact: himalayan-foundation.org

Public Talk in Berkeley, California, USA on Feb. 23: public talk on How To Achieve Happiness in the morning at the Berkeley Community Theater. Contact: tanc.org

Dialogue in Santa Clara, California, USA on Feb. 24: dialogue on the theme of Compassion and Business at Santa Clara University organized by CCARE and Santa Clara University. 

Public Talk in Los Angeles, California, USA on Feb. 25:

The L.A. Forum, home of mega rockstars

public talk on Non-Violence and the Effects of Compassion in the 21st Century at the Forum in the afternoon organized by The Lourdes Foundation.

Talk in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on March 1: talk at the 26th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum in the morning at the Minneapolis Convention Center organized by The Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Augsburg College.

Tibetan New Year Celebration in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on March 2: Tibetan New Year celebrations in the morning at Augsburg College organized by the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota.

Talk in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA on March 2: talk on The Nature of Happiness, Fulfillment, and Embodiment in the afternoon at Macalester College. 

Richard Gere greets the Dalai Lama in DC

Public Talk in Washington, D.C., USA on March 7: public talk on Beyond Religion: Ethics for the Whole World in the morning organized by the National Cathedral and the Office of Tibet.

Teachings in Dharamsala, Himalchal Pradesh state, India on March 16: short teaching from the Jataka Tales (Buddhist Rebirth Stories) in the morning at the Main Tibetan Temple.

Talk in New Delhi, India on March 20: talk on Success, Ethics, and Happiness in the afternoon at Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

Teaching in Livorno, Italy on June 14 & 15: teachings on Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend (shetring) on June 14th. He will confer an Avalokiteshvara Initiation(chenresig wang jigten wangchuk) on the morning of June 15th. The teachings are being held at PalaLivorno at the request of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa. Contact: dalailama.it

Public Talk in Livorno, Italy on June 15: a public talk on Compassionate Ethics in the afternoon at PalaLivorno. Contact: dalailama.it

(BK) Kalachakra 2012 ceremony. WATCH entire movie on Vimeo.com/37475723. This movie was not made for profit or fame. Its creators only want to share its message for all humankind delivering it as widely as possible.

 

Kalachakra in Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir state, India from July 3 to 14: giving of the Kalachakra at the request of the two main organizers, the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the Ladakh Gonpa Association. The Tibetan Kongpo Association and the Tibetan Jonang Association are co-sponsors. During the first three days of the Kalachakra, from July 3 to 5, the Dalai Lama, along with the monks of Namgyal Monastery and senior lamas, will conduct rituals which prepare and consecrate the venue. These include chanting of prayers, creation of the sand mandala, and other rituals. From July 6 to 8, the Dalai Lama will give preliminary teachings on Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend (shetring). On July 9, the KalachakraRitual Dance will be performed by the monks of Namgyal Monastery. The Dalai Lama will confer the Kalachakra Initiation from July 10 to 13. On July 14, a long life empowerment (tsewang) and a ceremony offering prayers for his long life will be performed. Contact: ladakhkalachakra2014.com

(NAA) The 32nd Kalachakra (short movie)

Discussion in Hamburg, Germany on August 23: leading a discussion on Secular Ethics - Human Values in Our Lives. Contact: dalailama-hamburg.de

Teaching in Hamburg, Germany from August 24 to 26: teachings on Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug) on August 24 and 25. He will confer an Avalokiteshvara Initiation(chenresig wang jigten wangchuk) on the morning of August 26. Contact: dalailama-hamburg.de. More

Cleaning the Himalayas: Green Odyssey (film)

Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; PadYatraFilm.com; Valerie (FilmIsNow); KPFK.org

A chronicle of a spiritual journey and eco-compassion trek across the Himalayas to a glacial region devastated by global warming. U.N. honoree Gyalwang Drukpa leads the journey to trigger a green revolution. Opens Nov. 11/15, Laemmle's Music Hall 3 in Beverly Hills.

"Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey" (trailer) directed by Wendy J.N. Lee, produced by Michelle Yeoh, narrated by Daryl Hannah. Premeires at the Awareness Fest 2013, Los Angeles
 
Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey takes an environmentally-friendly adventure with 700 people trekking across the Himalayas with a call to save the planet's "third pole," a glacial region devastated by the climate chaos associated with global warming. Battling the most treacherous terrain on the planet, these trekkers spread their message of ecological compassion through a human's most basic means -- by walking on foot, cleaning from village to village, showing by example. Surviving harrowing injuries, illness, and starvation, they emerge with nearly half a ton of plastic litter strapped to their backs, triggering a historic "green revolution" across the rooftop of the world in Buddhist India's Himalayas.

• Clean up of dead bodies and rubbish on Mt. Everest

Buddhist nomads of India (photos)

Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; photographer Dietmar Temps (flickr.com)

Nomadic Buddhist children in Himalayan Ladakh, India (DietmarTemps/flickr.com)

Lamayuru monastery under a full moon, Ladakh, Himalayas (dietmartemps.com)

  

Changtang in Ladakh (Buddhist India in the Himalayas) is the home of the Changpa nomads, a semi-nomadic Tibetan ethnic group.

When the nomadic children grow older, they are lucky to get the chance to attend school, usually a year-around boarding school. Their parents would welcome the opportunity of a better life afforded by the education.

Although their elders are proud of their traditions, they realize that the new generation will probably not follow the difficult nomadic life once they have an easier option. Childhood education opens up the possibility of a job in the capital of Leh or other cities in Ladakh, the "rooftop of the world."

• PHOTO GALLERY

On the one hand from the viewpoint of a tourist it is, of course, a bit sad that the traditions of the nomadic people might disappear entirely in the future. But it is completely understandable that nomads might also like to participate in the educational system to get a fair share of a growing economy.

On the other hand, there is almost no industry in Ladakh, other than the tourist industry. Many of the youth work in the sprawling tourism business in their early 20s. But the season in Ladakh, perched high in the Himalayas, is very short. The tourism industry cannot offer all of the people good jobs to earn enough money to raise a family.

When I asked young people about their dreams, I often got the answer of dreams of office jobs in public administration. Only a desperate few would consider going into the military, which has a presence in Ladakh as India attempts to fend off China to the north and Pakistan to the west.

Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, northern India

The days when a family's youngest son inevitably started life as a Buddhist novice (samanera) in a local monastery (gompa) are over. These are interesting developments in Ladakh, in general, not only for the nomadic children of Changtang. More