Will The Online Quiz Do The Old Fashioned Printed Quiz Obsolete

BN: Yes, the more I live here, the more I understand the problems unique to the people here. I connect more and I am more sympathetic. And I also learn. During the retreats we have the interview. I come to see that people have a wide variety of problems. Sometimes, I feel like a psychologist. I listen. I realize that people do not come here only to learn about Buddhism, but to address some problem. I notice that many people want to know what's behind their dissatisfaction with so many areas of life, with the government, the economy, family, inner turmoil.



BN: That radiant awareness is also suffering, changing and without a self. That's the meaning of emptiness. It may be easier to identify "yourself" with awareness than with the objects. Awareness is also anatta, no self.

In addition to Tai speaking people, there are Chinese who have blended seamlessly with the Thai. Other cultures include Malays, Mon, Khmer, and even Vietnamese.

The Great Buddha of Thailand is another colossal statue constructed in honor of Gautama Buddha. Standing 92 meters (300 feet) high and 63 meters (210 feet) wide, it was constructed in 1990 and was finished in 2008. Located in Wat Muang, Aung Thong, Thailand, it is made from concrete cement and finished with gold.

Whenever we found ourselves separated from theravada monasteries, day jobs were required to pay the bills; nobody was there to back us up. Only in very spiritual countries, and small growing pockets of awareness here in the States, are meditators looked upon as valuable assets, and supported to one degree or another. Because Janet and I were married, however, Bhante G insisted that we live in town rather than at the Bhavana Society, and we understood this. In Thailand, it's okay to be married, because in Thailand there is more room to support spiritual couples, where each can stay in a separate monastery, or separated in a large monastery.

The main symbols associated with the Buddhist religion can be viewed through what is called the "eight auspicious symbols." It is through these significant items that offerings are made to Buddha. These symbols also correspond to the Noble Eightfold Path. They include: the mirror, medicine, yogurt, durva grass, bilva fruit, conch shell, mustard seed and vermilion powder.

I include non human beings in this such as animals. Lately I've become interested in groups, which try to protect animals, such as PETA. I wanted to know what was the philosophical principle behind PETA. I was surprised to find it's not based on religion. They are following the utilitarian philosophers of the 17th century, such as John Stewart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. You know: animals have feelings and we don't want to upset that. Animals have a capacity for suffering, and we should act in the interests of every being. There's an author, Peter Singer, who writes about this in Anthem of Animal Liberation. In Buddhism, the non-harming of beings is in our philosophy.