CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS WITH LESS THAN $1.00

Sharing the following email with you:

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS WITH LESS THAN $1.00

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments.

How are we going to do this?

It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley and wash it clean

Then cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool.

Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination. Also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before.

Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!




--

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS"

Sharing the following email with you:

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS"



'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE.
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS.
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS.
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING.
SILENT, ALONE.
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THEY YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE.
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE.
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT.
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The following is his request.......

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U. S. servicemen and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

--

Soap making class in DDMBA

Dear Friends,

As part of the Green Program, DDM Ontario is delighted to bring you an Introduction to Soap Making Class! In this class, Ms. Yuki Tanagawa will share the secrets of making natural and environmentally friendly soap through a step-by-step demonstration of basic soap-making techniques. In addition, she will share with you recipes for making various types of soaps. You will also get to take home a couple of mini soap samples.

The class will be conducted in English, with Mandarin translation.

Registration is mandatory. Please do sign up early, as the class size is small. To register, please email weilin_ho@yahoo.com.

Date/Time: Sunday, Jan 24, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Location: DDM, 154 Poyntz Avenue, Toronto M2N 1J4
Cost: $15/person (all proceeds go to DDM)

About the teacher:
Ms. Tanagawa started experimenting with homemade soaps several years ago, after developing a skin allergy when she moved to Canada. She is so pleased with the results that she is now making soaps regularly for herself, as well as her friends and family. She looks forward to sharing her joy of soap- making with DDM friends!

Join Palms,
DDMBA Ontario

--

WINTER FLAMES and FIREWORKS in Toronto!

WINTER FLAMES and FIREWORKS!

Celebrate the Flame at Nathan Phillips Square tonight as the Olympic Torch Relay stops in Toronto before continuing the journey across the country leading up to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

This weekend! Don't miss the final Cavalcade of Lights Saturday concert featuring Faber Drive, plus fireworks and an outdoor skating party at Nathan Phillips Square.

Start planning your WinterCity Festival and Winterlicious outings now. All details are now available online. If you're looking for the perfect gift for the "foodie" in your life, tickets are now on sale for Winterlicious Culinary Events.

Read all of the details below.

====================================
TONIGHT!
Celebrate the Olympic Flame in Toronto
Join in celebrating the Olympic Flame and showing support for our Canadian athletes. The Community Celebration at Nathan Phillips Square runs from 6 to 8 pm on Thursday, December 17 and showcases a number of special performances by dancers, musicians and acrobats. Toronto's Final Torchbearer, Olympic medal winner Vicky Sunohara, will light the cauldron. The evening will conclude with an amazing fireworks display.

For a detailed program and performer biographies, visit:
http://www.toronto.ca/mie/olympictorchrelay/NPS-program.htm

====================================
CAVALCADE OF LIGHTS
presented by Scotiabank
Saturday Night Concert & Fireworks
December 19
7 - 10 pm
Nathan Phillips Square
FREE!

The final Cavalcade of Lights outdoor concert features Faber Drive and a spectacular fireworks show! Bring your skates and take a spin around Nathan Phillips Square's famous ice rink to music by popular Toronto DJs.

Find more details at: http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/festivefireworks.htm

====================================
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
Cavalcade of Lights Fireworks Package

The holiday season is a magical time to visit Toronto. The city is aglow with lights and celebration and, with some of the best retail offerings in North America, Toronto is the perfect holiday shopping destination.

Take advantage of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel package starting at $195.
http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/hotelpackages.htm

====================================
TORONTO's WINTERCITY FESTIVAL
presented by RBC
January 29 to February 11, 2010

Toronto's award-winning WinterCity Festival returns for its seventh year, offering a city-wide celebration of culture, creativity and cuisine. Ignore the cold and snow and get out and celebrate all that Toronto has to offer in the winter. The city will be bursting with culinary experiences, fantastic free entertainment at Nathan Phillips Square and a showcase of Toronto's vibrant arts scene.

Full event details are now available:
http://www.toronto.ca/wintercity

====================================
WINTERLICIOUS
presented by American Express
January 29 to February 11, 2010

The WinterCity Festival wouldn't be complete without Toronto's favourite winter gastronomic celebration. Now in its eighth delicious year, Winterlicious again offers two popular programs for you to savour.

One hundred and fifty of Toronto's restaurants will be offering three-course prix fixe menus at one of three price point categories, and Winterlicious again shines the spotlight on Toronto's unrivalled culinary industry with a series of 10 mouth-watering culinary events. These unique experiences make great gift ideas!

Purchase your Culinary Event tickets NOW by calling the event venues directly. Prix Fixe reservations begin January 14th.

All details are now available:
http://www.toronto.ca/winterlicious

--

The Greatest Christmas Decoration Ever!!!!

Sharing the follwoing email with you:


Fantastic.. Greg sends along this DIY FYI:

"Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever.Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard."







--

More: friendship & cheerfulness

Lan wrote:

"Hi :

Thank you all for contributing to a stimulating discussion. By now, I think we all agree on the relationship of desires and emotions. Whether it's "trimming desires" or "controlling desires" .... is only a matter of semantics. If we continue to split hair, it'll become a futile exercise.

I think what is important is to put the theories into practice. That's what Buddhism teaches us: It's a way of life, not just a theory. That's what Lung Zhi did. Prior to opening A.K.'s attachment, she already felt happy. The fact that Anthony felt cheerful on a sunny Friday morning and wanted to share it with us and meanwhile attempted to enlighten us with the Yogi's teaching is very noble and admirable. It's only a small brain like mine which had been trained to analyze everything to death became reflexive and reactive (to borrow a phrase from Stephen).

Anthony, thanks again to provide us the opportunity to dialogue. Since so many of us like to philosophize, perhaps we should start a "Shooting the Breeze Club"? :)

Cheers and Happy New Year! (No pun intended.)

Lan"

--

Re: friendship & cheerfulness

A.K. wrote:

"I like lkw’s story about trimming your desires. Enlightenment is a never ending process.

Stephen was right. Our desires are intimately linked with our instincts, or life impulses. In the animal world, it is fairly straightforward. Desires are instincts, without which life would be impossible. But human is a more complex animal. Besides our animal instincts, we also have our human needs which evolve over tens of thousands of years and are deeply influenced by culture and conditioning. Not only do we live a life governed by our animal instincts but also a life governed by man made concepts and language.

So when we talk about desires, we are referring to both our animal needs as well as cultural conditioning. For example, human beings are prone to excessiveness and addictiveness which are not prominent features in the animal world. It is these human qualities that land us in trouble. Our need for more, which underlies greediness, is definitely a human quality, and it is a double-edge sword. It allows us to build up excess capital which makes culture possible, but also becomes a human vice if left unchecked.

I sometimes feel that the Ch’an practice of seeing our original face seems to be talking about reclaiming part of our animal nature.

A.K."

--

Friendship & Cheerfulness

Stephen wrote:


"Dear Lung Zhi, Lan, A.K. & Kwok-wai,

Thanks for your comments and KW's powerpoint. They're all inspirational.

There are a few things worth mentioning:
- thanks for your friendship, it is a "root cause" of my cheerfulness;
- as shown in KW's powerpoint, the guru agreed that desire cannot be suppressed but can only be "trimmed;"
- unsurprisingly, even the guru/sage has desires and needed to be tempered from time to time. We don't know what those desires are, we can only guess considering he has to trim a big bush to a tiny circle, consistently and continuously...

Kwok-wai, do you know something we don't, since you've brought this up to our attention?

Stephen"

--

Kept the cheerfulness...

Hi Stephen & A.K.:

Just received a power point from K.W.L., it is along the same line of thought:


LWK wrote:
"some always thought Shen-xiu was the realist;
神秀说他的树和镜子，有灰尘就檫，该怎么做就怎么做嘛；

his master's favorate, Hui-neng, was the idealist.
惠能说树和镜子都没有，一了百了，别人捧他贬他都欢喜！

one picks what one likes to be, of course,
这里面学问实在太大了，当然不能简单说：一位大师现实、一位理想；

call me dumb or lazy, but
when there's a knoll, then there's a knoll.
我笨也好、懒也好，总不能说山不是山吧。

lkw"



I am not good at rationalization, all I can feel is that I was very happy to receive the first message sent by A.K. on Friday Nov 27, without even opening the attachment or spending time to find out what the supposition was.

I kept the cheerfulness sent by Anthony, the rest.............

Thanks, A.K., Stephen and Lan.

Lung Zhi

--

RE: Is desire the root cause of ALL emotions?

Stephen wrote:

Dear A.K.,

With your encouragement, I would like to further address the little "issue" I see with the title of the article: "Desire is the root cause of ALL emotions."

Let's take a look at the definition: Desire, is "a conscious impulse towards something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment;" while emotion, is "a psychic and physical reaction". (Merriam Webster's dictionary)

So desire is pre-eminently a conscious, obvious, insistent state that is hard to ignore and sometimes difficult to resist. It has a tendency towards "something that promises satisfaction in its attainment." But emotion, being a "psychic and physical reaction," like joy, anger or fear, may or may not have anything to do with enjoyment or satisfaction. Nobody in the right mind would 'desire' a pain by cutting his finger. Hence, I rest my case.

One comment you made is that philosophy should not be used to explain emotion. While both Lan and myself have been commenting from the psychological & physiological perspectives, I don't mind to add a philosophical perspective if that makes it more appropriate.

We are taught that unless we cultivate indifference to what happens outside our control in the world, while at the same time strictly governing our thoughts, desires and feelings that arise within ourselves, we will attain peace of mind. While I see there are certain merits in this austerely self-denying view, I think wiser reasoning may help to put the true and value of our desires and emotions in the right perspective, which in turn will set our mind free.

"Desire is nature's instrument of self-perpetuation." Without desire there would be no humanity.

Reasoning and emotions are equally great gifts, and equally important & necessary. Like many other things of life, we have to learn how to appreciate them. They exist for a reason. It is, therefore, like our reflexive and reflective systems, needed to be tempered by one another to achieve the best balance. If not, the result can only be spiritual and intellectual impoverishment, yielding a life, scarcely worth living.

May we all make our lives worth living.


Stephen

--

More on: The root causes of cheerfulness?

A.K. wrote:

Hi Lan and Stephen,

The passages I sent to you was actually an excerpt from a book by a yogi, hence the argument appears incomplete. He did not advocate suppression or repression of our desires, but proper understanding and sublimation of our desires so we can have better control of our emotions. Happiness or cheerfulness could be attained only when we turn our negative emotions into positive ones.

We might assume that everyone desire happiness, but experience has shown that a lot of people are actually sabotaging their own happiness because they do not understand the dynamics of their emotions or why they are taking certain actions. Even though they yearn for happiness, their actions often speak otherwise. So when we analyze this issue from a philosophical perspective, it is not the same as when we analyze it from an existential or religious perspective. In philosophy we strive for rationality, but the human psyche is far from being rational.

What interested me about these passages was how the author analyzed the different emotions and how they were related to desires. There might be other ways of analyzing human emotions but this particular approach struck me as being quite insightful, hence my urge to share it with you on a sunny Friday morning.

Our minds are generally focused on external factors. It takes training, or shall we say wisdom, to be able to decipher the labyrinth of human emotions. It is one of those things where everyone has an opinion because everyone is experiencing it in different ways. And we have not even begun to talk about religious practices.

Thank you for the responses. Keep it going.
A.K.

--

Re: The root causes of cheerfulness?

A response from Lan:

"Hi A.K.:

Never thought that your kindness to enlighten us will elicit such a debate?!

When I first read the article, due to time constraint, I sent you an instant teaser because I was not sure that I totally agreed with it. I'm glad that Stephen has further elucidated us on the subject.

My humble opinion is: "The root causes of cheerfulness" and "the pursuit of happiness" are profound subjects which can be viewed from different perspectives.

The article you sent is from a religious perspective, while Stephen's exposition is from a philosophical, psychological, and physiological perspective. And "The pursuit of happiness" is American's Constitutional right perspective.

As human beings, as long as we're breathing and alive, it's difficult to control all the impulses firing from our brain cells all the time. Desire is one of the impulses. Desire is the source of motivation. Be it good or bad, it's how our lives come to be.That's why we try to control the bad ones with all kinds of means, external means such as reward and punishment; internal means such as moral, ethics and self-discipline; and physical means such as meditation, focussing techniques, biofeedback,etc. Confucius says, "A sage has no dreams." because he/she has already achieved the art of controlling the firing impulses, I guess.

By the same token, I think in Buddhism, when you have no desires (even the desire to be cheerful or happy), you have achieved the no I-ness, leading to Nirvana.

Lan"

--

The root causes of cheerfulness?

Stephen wrote:

"Thanks for the article. It has triggered some thoughts.
The questions we've been asked are real: how do we control our emotions and desires? how do we maintain our cheerfulness?
While the article was well written, except for two little problems: the author didn't explain to us how to control our desires; and how to maintain cheerfulness?
The devil, I believe, is always in the details.

While we all live in the real world, we need desires and emotions in many of our endeavours, without which we won't be able to survive. As much as we want to eliminate the 'bad' emotions, to a large extent our behaviors are pretty much driven by 'emotional shortcuts' which have been developed in the last tens of thousands of years during which our ancestors gone thru the evolution process(it's been ongoing, even as we speak).

To wit, Dutch Philosopher Benedictus Spinoza once said: "It is necessary to know the power and the infirmity of our nature, before we can determine what reason can do in restraining the emotions, and what is beyond her power."

As we learn from many psychologists, the human brain is run by both the reflexive(driven by intuition) and reflective(driven by logical analysis) systems. Think of the former as 'on auto-pilot' in order to steer us away from immediate threats or troubles; it must be rapid-fire. The latter being a slow, analytical process where our check-and-balance system kicks in. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, most humans make judgments and decisions primarily by the reflexive system. (If not, we are all dead by now!)

That leaves us with the big question: theories aside, how do we practically, consistently control our desires & emotions?

The next key question - how to 'maintain cheerfulness' as opined by the author seems to be alot easier to put into practice, at least in theory. If I understand correctly from my philosophy classes (don't blame me, since I took my PHL101 class during lunch time when I was in the engineering school), the first lesson about cheerfulness or happiness is that the surest way to be un-cheerful or unhappy is to think that they can be directly sought of. (repeat after me please)

The fact of the matter is, things like cheerfulness or happiness is an epiphenomenom(you see, that's all I know to impress you?) - that is, something that arises as a by-product of other things. It comes unconsciously and from the side; it isn't and can never be a direct outcome that it can be mechanically attained by pushing a few buttons. Neither can we 'try to maintain cheerfulness' with a snap of fingers.

So what are the 'things' or activities of which its by-products will make us cheerful or happy? Activities that are worthwhile in themselves, that bring senses of satisfaction and achievement in the doing, that give a sense of well-doing and well-being. Examples like enjoyment with family, good friendship, arts/music, scenic places or beautiful things, of success(in achievement sense, not just material rewards), charity etc. are invariable sources of satisfaction and happiness.

Last but not least, the fact that 'the pursuit of happiness' is written in the American constitution has no guarantee that we can all be happy. The key is how do we put those 'things' or activities mentioned above into actions. That is something we can really control.


Be cheerful,

Stephen"

--

The Root Cause of All Emotions is DESIRE

My friend A.K. sent me the following email:

Some thoughts to share on a cheerful Friday morning. May your life be blessed by cheerfulness.

"The Root Cause of All Emotions is DESIRE"

by Swami Rama

Life in the external world is important, but life within is even more important because your actions are actually your thoughts. Your thoughts are based on your emotions, and your emotions are virtually your desires. When you desire something, that desires become the motivation that moves your whole being. You should understand this principle. The root cause of all emotions is desire. Millions of desires are there in the mind and those desires are creating thought patterns. You have a desire to fulfill, and if your desire is not fulfilled, you become angry. Anger comes about because your desire is not being fulfilled. If it is fulfilled, you become greedy and egotistical. Ego is the I-ness or my-ness that separates you from the whole. You become proud because you have something. Your desire has been fulfilled and somebody else’s desire has not been fulfilled, so you become proud. Attachment is the cause of misery. You are always afraid that you might not get what you want or that you might lose what you have, so you cling to it. If someone has something you want, you become uselessly jealous. These are the seven main sources of emotions. These seven streams are the products of the four fountains (i.e. four primitive urges: food, sleep, sex and self-preservation). By properly analyzing your emotions and the origin from which the emotions come, you can help yourself.

If you understand the sources of emotions, you can easily understand any emotional problem, no matter how hidden the emotions are, and you will not be disturbed. A disturbed person is one who is weak. If some one disturbs you, you are weaker than that person. It is not good for you to be disturbed when somebody else is disturbed because you will be affected by their disease. You can easily be controlled by somebody who is disturbed. When the conscious mind is ruled by undesirable emotions, fantasies, and problems are constantly coming and going, then you lose control of the conscious mind. Always tell yourself that no matters what happens, you will not allow your mind to be disturbed. Samkalpa-shakti is built through this. If a hypnotist uses suggestion, it is called hypnosis. If autosuggestion is used by a yogi, it is called samkalpa-shakti.

If mind is disturbed, if mind is depressed, or if mind is agitated by emotions, that mind cannot taste cheerfulness. The greatest physician in your life is cheerfulness. If you want to enjoy good health, you should have a friend with you called cheerfulness. Do not allow yourself to be depressed by thought patterns because you are not your though patterns. Do not allow your thoughts to influence your internal states. Try to maintain cheerfulness.

--

One Day Chan Meditation Retreat- Dec 5, 2009

In case you are interested:

Event: One Day Chan Meditation Retreat 一天禪坐共修
Date: Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Location: DDMBA Ontario, 154 Poyntz Avenue, Toronto M2N 1J4

Dear Dharma Friends,

DDMBA Ontario invites you to December One Day Meditation Retreat. This form of practice is very beneficial for people with some meditation experience.

The environment of the retreat is designed to promote mindfulness in everything we do.
Sitting meditation periods are followed by walking meditation, moving meditation, mindful work periods, prostration and practitioners sharing period.

For the full benefits from this form of group practice, it is the best to attend the entire event. And, be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing. DDM provides cushions, sitting mats, towels and light vegetarian lunch.

Kindly RSVP should you plan to attend for meal preparation. We thank all DDM donors and volunteers for their generous offerings. The event is offered free of charge.

With Palms Joined,
DDMBA Ontario
http://www.ddmba-ontario.ca

--

Cavalcade of Lights starts this weekend!‏

CAVALCADE OF LIGHTS
presented by Scotiabank
November 28 – December 31, 2009

Toronto's 43rd annual Cavalcade of Lights returns to Nathan Phillips Square with dazzling lights, skating, fireworks and fantastic free concerts.

http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/

====================================

Cavalcade of Lights Opening Celebration
Saturday, November 28, 2009
7 pm
Nathan Phillips Square
FREE!

A glittering evening of entertainment in honour of the premiere illumination of the Cavalcade of Lights display. Enjoy performances by Steven Page, Matt Dusk, Keshia Chante, Fritz Helder and the Phantoms, and a Choral Christmas Medley led by Adrian Eccleston.

This year, the City of Toronto celebrates its 175th anniversary. Drop by the 175 Tent to pick up your limited edition picture postage stamp and holiday postcard. Limit: 1 per person, while quantities last.

Plus check out the Fair Trade Holiday Market from 2 to 10pm on November 28.

http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/firstlighting.htm

====================================

Toronto's Official Christmas Tree
sponsored by The Bay

Standing 60-feet proud, this glittering giant evergreen is the focus of the biggest tree trimming effort in Toronto. This year's tree was designed and decorated by renowned Canadian designer Brian Gluckstein in partnership with the Bay. The Theme for the tree is "All That Glitters" featuring decorations in warm red, icy white and sparkling silver. Take advantage of the 30% off The Bay Queen Street E-coupon!

Print your e-coupon now! The Bay Queen Street – Save 30% on Christmas Street and Gluckstein Christmas trim and decor. One day only – November 28, 2009

http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/tree.htm

====================================

Saturday Night Concerts & Fireworks 2009
December 5 / December 12 / December 19
7 – 10 pm
Nathan Phillips Square
FREE!

Each Saturday night enjoy a free outdoor concert and fireworks production. Don't miss concerts by Jully Black, State of Shock and Faber Drive. Bring your skates and take a spin around Nathan Phillips Square's famous ice rink to music by popular Toronto DJs.

For dates and more details visit: http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/festivefireworks.htm#1

====================================

Shop by Day and Explore the Lights by Night
Neighbourhood Spotlight

In addition to all of the lights and shows at Nathan Phillips Square, throughout the holiday season brilliant creations of light will beautify the city as neighbourhoods and tourist attractions participate in the Cavalcade of Lights Festival.

In the spirit of the season, Toronto Hydro-Electric System is offering Toronto residents one (1) free set of energy efficient seasonal LED lights in exchange for two (2) sets of old, incandescent seasonal lights. LED lighting exchanges will take place during the neighbourhood lighting events at numerous locations across the city including:

Albion-Islington Square, Bloor West Village, Bloorcourt Village, Chinatown, Corso Italia, Downsview Park, Emery Village, GreekTown on the Danforth, The Kingsway, Little Italy, Rosedale Main Street, St. Gardens and St. Lawrence Market.

For exchange details visit: www.torontohydro.com/flex

====================================

Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
Cavalcade of Lights Fireworks Package

The Holiday season is a magical time to visit Toronto. The city is aglow with lights and celebration and, with some of the best retail offerings in North America, Toronto is the perfect holiday shopping destination.

Take advantage of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel package starting at $195.
http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/2009/hotelpackages.htm


Cavalcade of Lights is a signature event produced by the City of Toronto.

--

A Buddhist anthropology of Newar religion- Nov 30, 09

In case you are interested:

University of Toronto/McMaster University Numata Buddhist Studies Program Presents:

Will Tuladhar-Douglas

(University of Aberdeen)

Lecture, Co-hosted by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the Asian Institute:

A Buddhist anthropology of Newar religion: Gaṇeśa, his mount, and their landscape

Monday, Nov 30, 2009

6-8 pm

Munk Centre, North House, 108 N

1 Devonshire Place

Register online at: http://webapp.mcis.utoronto.ca/EventDetails.aspx?eventid=8427

A recurring problem in trying to understand Newar Buddhism is the nature, more generally, of Newar religion: how do Hinduism and Buddhism interact? If we approach the problem through Newar Buddhist philosophy, or through Newar narratives, practices and iconography it becomes clear that the very notion of religious tradition, embedded in Western theories of syncretism, is itself the stumbling block. The Newar Gaṇeśa (or Ināya) — necessary to Newar daily rituals, life cycle rituals, and the organization of urban space — holds the key to an anti-essentialist, relational understanding of ‘religion’. In this talk I will show not just how the study of Gaṇeśa frees us from the chains of syncretism, but also that a small but significant difference—between a shrew and a rat—in the iconography of the regional ‘Hindu’ Gaṇeśa and the Newar Ināya allows us to trace Newar awareness of their distinctive inclusive ritual praxis back at least to the 15th century. --

For more on Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, see http://chass.utoronto.ca/buddhiststudies/

Follow-up on The Mom Song is Dadsense

The Mom song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXgoJ0f5EsQ


Dadsense
http://www.youtube.com/user/kane0986#p/a/u/0/e0DVnPBOm_s

--

Nov 27: The Moral Power of Buddhist Monks in the Case of Myanmar

The Charisma of an
Arahant and Moral Power
of Buddhist Monks in the
Case of Myanmar

Hiroko Kawanami
Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University

November 27, 2009, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
108N - Seminar Room, North House
Munk Centre for International Studies
1 Devonshire Place

Register online at: http://webapp.mcis.utoronto.ca/EventDetails.aspx?eventid=7717

"I explore the notion of moral power and focus on the qualities of some monks who have become the object of public worship in contemporary Myanmar. In order to understand the social implications of 'power' deeply engrained in its religious and political culture, I explore vernacular terms that pertain to notions of authority, power, and influence that are relevant in people's social life. I also examine the ideal of an arahant that continues to be the focus for people's devotional worship despite efforts made by the government to normalize the powers of monks."

Hiroko Kawanami is lecturer in Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, UK. She is fluent in Myanmar (Burmese) language and has conducted research in Myanmar for more than two decades. In 1986‐87, she lived as a Buddhist nun for 16 months, and has done extensive research on the position of Buddhist nuns, Buddhist monastic education and dissemination of knowledge, and the relationship between politics and religion in Southeast Asia. Presently she is conducting research on how international relief organizations have affected the Buddhist community in disaster affected areas.

Sponsored by Numata Program in Buddhist Studies
Co-Sponsored by the Asian Institute

For more on Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, see http://chass.utoronto.ca/buddhiststudies/

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Why Can't Americans Be Like Canadians?" - Mon 23 Nov 2009, 7:00pm - Wiegand Foundation Lecture

In case you are interested:

A thought-provoking and engaging Faculty of Arts and Science event
7:00pm, Monday 23 November 2009, Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West. Free admission.

This lecture contrasts American and Canadian attitudes to religion in the public sphere, and will be given by the eminent philosopher Michael Ruse, Professor of Philosophy and Director, History and Philosophy of Science Program, Florida State University.

According to Ruse, America is consumed with battles between the secular and the religious, between those who want no part of Christianity or any other religion in public life, and those who think that only a nation ruled by God’s Law can hope to survive and flourish. Although in some respects Canada seems more inclined to allow religion into the public sphere – state-supported Catholic schools in Ontario for instance – overall, the science-religion controversy is not really one that bothers people north of the border. Focusing generally on the history of the science-religion debate and specifically on the peculiarities of American history, Ruse will attempt to explain this paradox.

View the flyer here: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/rps/2009-11-23-Why-Cant-Amercans.pdf

More information: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/main/2009-wiegand-foundation-lecture

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Homecoming

I just came home from a 3 weeks on the road trip. I was up 40 hours ago and do not have the need or urge to go to sleep. Maybe there are too many loose ends for me to tie after being away for so long...

It was a wonderful 3 weeks- meeting so many people from all aspects of life, doing things that I have never done before, going to places that I have never dreamed of...

My heart was deeply touched by the hospitality of Joanne and Lee of Kelowna: they opened their cosy home to a total stranger (me) with such warmth, affection and consideration. Their house is always full of laughter and joy.

The generosity of Dennis and his lovely wife is so remarkable, I wish I can repay them some day. They showed me the gentle, kind, and lighthearted side of human nature. Their passions and devotion to LIFE mission earn my utmost respect.

Then there is Swami Satyanand, what a delightful, humble and witty divine creature, what a pleasure to be around such a practitioner, how fortunate I am to meet him in person.

It was very enchanting that our paths thus crossed in the past few days.

May we all be blessed with inner wisdom and eternal bliss...

With deep gratitude,
Lung Zhi

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Two RPS Events This Week: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November at U of T

In case you are interested:

RPS Lunchtime Reading Group: Thursday 19 November, 12:00-1:30pm
Room JHB318, Jackman Humanities Building, 170 St. George Street
Free pizza lunch will be provided

This Thursday’s book for discussion is Why I Am Not a Secularist, by William E. Connolly. Religion's influence in American politics is obvious in recent debates about school prayer, abortion, and homosexuality. Many liberal secularists decry this trend, rejecting any interaction between politics and religion. But distinguished political theorist William E. Connolly argues that secularism, although admirable in its pursuit of freedom and diversity, too often undercuts these goals through its narrow and intolerant understandings of public reason. In response, he crafts a new model of public life that more accurately reflects the needs of contemporary politics.

Discussion facilitator: Prof. Melissa Williams, Political Science/Director, Centre for Ethics
Reading available at: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/rps/news.html#readgroup



RPS Interchange event: Friday 20 November, 10:00-11:30am
Room JHB318, Jackman Humanities Building, 170 St. George Street

"Do We Need Religion?" With Prof. Hans Joas, Director of the Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies at the University of Erfurt and Professor of Sociology and a Member of the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago. Join us for a conversation with Prof. Joas about his research, which includes the book Do We Need Religion?: On the Experience of Self-Transcendence.

Reading available at http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/rps/news.html#readgroup

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