Who is a Big Bully Bird?

Who is a Big Bully Bird?

It is not American Bald Eagle.

It is the Air bus which belligerently bellow down on Mattala sucking tiny birds as its prey to its four engines numbering up to 1000 (not hundreds) in a single test flight (not so soft landing due to throttling of the its engine blades).

Pilots relay and  play the Karaniya Metta Sutta on their behalf (not for the  birds of feather) knowing very well the risk involved.

If one loves birds please do not fly on this aircraft even though one is enticed with good           Sri-Lankan cuisine.

In fact , they have made charcoal out of birds’ carcases, not broiler in this serene land of birds.

This airport and the flights will boomerang on our economy and environment

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner; many airports have had to upgrade their facilities to properly accommodate it because of its size.

Initially named Airbus A3XX, the aircraft was designed to challenge Boeing's monopoly in the large-aircraft market; the A380 made its first flight on 27 April 2005 and began commercial service in October 2007 with Singapore Airlines.

It is good to land only on Changi Airport in Singapore where there are only few pigeons

Benefits of Meditation

 This is part of the introduction to my Book on Meditation which will be out soon.

Benefits of Meditation

There are many claims of benefit of meditation often poorly substantiated. Some of these benefit can be obtained without resort to meditation but simple change in life style.

Suppose a meditator changes his food habits drastically say to a vegetarian diet and practice meditation as a routine and finds that his blood cholesterol is lowered significantly, and then if he or she attributes it to the practice of meditation, there is a big flow in that argument.

One is not sure whether the change in diet did effect the blood cholesterol level or the practice of meditation or both did have independent or summation effect on the level of blood cholesterol. Unless one take a random sample and assess the partial correlation then only one can attribute combination or independent effects on a particular quantity tested.

Qualitative changes cannot be tested since one cannot quantify the results. In actual fact the effect of meditation is often qualitative and very individualistic and one cannot feel the same effect a different mediator would have felt at the time of his or her meditative stance or instance/s. this is very true as far a Jhana States are concerned.

With that reservation in mind one can describe the many unmeasurable benefits attributed to meditation in Buddhist literature.

Metta Meditation

In Buddhist literature it is claimed that one who practices Metta Meditation falls to sleep easily and get up in the morning peacefully.

It is wished in the last three lines of the Sutta. By reciting Karaniya Metta Sutta one should feel physically and psychologically better, one is made free of illness and one attains the highest goal or victory.

That is of course the Nibbana.

They may be just wishful thinking or one may actually feels better physically and psychologically.

It is also claimed that  the natural immunity to cancer and infections are increased by practising Metta Meditation.

This is something Venerable Ajhan Brahma Wanso preaches in most of his teaching.

Present Moment Meditation

This is something that is worth discussing here.

It has direct relationship to day to day activities.

I believe it has significant contribution to the efficiency of one’s trained skill, simply due to the intense concentration one may apply in his or her work skill at hand (without any distraction).

It is simply the focused attention task at hand.

If one is focused on any work, the efficiency goes up by leaps and bounds.

This is very well shown in management tasks.

When focused attention is combined with attitude to work and other measurable increase in environmental components the work output and the efficiency level improve.

This is something shop or  floor manager can use in day to day basis.

It is called a quality drill.

It does not matter how one qualify the content or the output but the efficiency of the skill concerned improve by both repeated practice and focused attention to the moment of the activity.

Samatha Meditation

There is no specific measurable benefit of Samatha Bhavana or meditation except the attainment of the four goals or paths of entry to Nibbana,

Buddhist spiritual goal is stream entry through development of Jhana.

Smatha probably is better for those who have less intelligent level (IQ) that one is not able to master the finer scientific tenets.

Vipassana Meditation

This the highest goal of Buddhist meditative practice.

It is claimed that all states of Jhana can be attained only by Vipassana Bhavana or Meditation.

I may be wrong in this assertion but that is what is spread among the lay person without full knowledge of or understanding of mediation.

This is called the gaining of insight.

Only when aspirant has gained the 5th Jhana then one could develop the five kinds of supernatural powers (Abhiñña) the divine eye, divine ear, recall past births, thought-reading and various psychic powers i.e. walk on water.

The attainment of the supernatural powers is not the real goal of Buddhism.

The attainment of these powers may actually be a distraction or hindrance to a true aspirant or  a pathfinder (Buddhist path of glory).

The ability to absorb into Jhana states is the goal of Buddhist meditation and Jhana is has no hindrance but Jhana is the way forward for stream entry.

The practice of meditation may bring many benefits and they are difficult to quantify or qualify except perhaps the benefit of present moment of meditation or focus which should be practiced without a label of religion or Buddhism.

It is when one has labels and have targets or goals of attainment, the practice of meditation becomes commercial enterprise of undesirable consequences but not simple a way development of mental culture and  the simple way of life.

I am one who believe that mediation has value in all wakeful hours of the day. The only exception is  when one is asleep and when one dreams.

I am one who talks about dreams and write about dreams and their physiological value is unparalleled only by the practice of meditation in wakeful states.

The meditation practice is the awareness of the wondering mind and its taming.

That is the Buddhist way.

The goal is not achieving miracle powers, even though they may or may not come as a by-product.

Sleeping (and dreaming) is the practice of letting the mind go into a  unobtrusive and unhindered movement and of the the mind unaware of the physiological inputs that lapses into random aberrations of all sorts with dreaming as an interlude.

On the other hand meditation is to “let go the attachments” one has with all mental faculties both sensual and mind centred.

Goals of Buddhist Meditation

The goal is the attainment of Jhana states and stream entry by progressive cultivation of meditation in basically by four methods.

1. Metta Meditation.

2. Samatha Meditation with Kasina or varKamatahan

This is adequately dealt by Venerable Ajhan Brahma Wansointhe book Happiness through meditation.

It is also published as “Meditation., Bliss and Beyond”.

It the best book currently available on Meditation in general and my intention is to make it more global and take the religious tag in the moment of its use.

Memory and Meditation

I want to share a drill I practice on day to day basis.

This is especially because, I am beginning to lose my memory and there are short lapses infrequent though, but enough to raise alarm bells on my part lately.

Once I forgot all my password for bank cards briefly.

This was during our long industrial action when I was having laid back approach to life and was not having adequate sleep (involved in Linux downloads and testing) at night.

This coincided with forgetting passwords for half a dozen emails and Linux forum passwords.

This shook my inner senses and I now have now have a ready made retrieval method based on memory drill.

The combination of Metta Meditation and moment meditation has worked wonders for me since then.

I now even have a simple protocol to remember 16 number Visa Card.

The memory loss is partly due to gray matter losing its material and neural networks due to old age which is seriously encroaching my body if not the brain.

Metta meditation makes one sleeps well not in one go but in two short spells (Night is the shortest spell when I do most of my work to avoid mosquito menace. The mosquitoes make me aware of my lack of Metta Meditation,too).

The dog is the target animal of Metta.

Then in the morning I have a brief 5 minutes Moment Meditation practice at the end of it, I have a mental list of 10 things or map out the tasks to do.

If the list go up to 20, I do it in two spells like my sleep.

A morning list and an evening list.

That has worked well for the last one year and I still do not carry apiece of paper with all the tasks.

If I have to carry a piece of paper to to remind me day to day work, I think I should say Good Bye and take first steps in the next birth.

That is my wish list.

Since I have not yet achieved stream entry, in spite of my mediation efforts, that will eventually happen and only option left for me.

There is another simple addition to this list.

I do not use a cell phone by default.

No electronic aids or tinkle too.

I do not want to gadget to master me.

I rather master my brain instead.

Loving Kindness

Loving Kindness

One whose wish is to do

Meritorious act with skill

And strive to attain

The highest goal of all,

The state of the Supreme

Should thus possess

The supreme qualities

Of mankind

Thus, he should be

Upright, competent and candid

Gentle, humble and accommodating

Thoroughly, independent and content

Light in bag and baggage

Simple in ways, means and virtues

Discreet, prudent

With sensual desires

In full check of self control

Not greedy, haughty and not bound

By bounty or bondage

To the lineage of family and life

Would dare not err on the tinniest

Of what the wise

Would fear the most

May all beings,

Be happy, content

And safe in their habitat

Without any exception

Of all living beings

That exist

The beings weak or strong

The beings tall or stocky or otherwise  

Short or tiny or the chunky

Those to be seen

Or  not seen

Those dwelling near or far

Those who are born

 Or to be born,

 May all beings,

Without any exception,

 Be happy and content

 Let there be no deceit

 Nor despise of nobody

 No anger or ill will

Let there be no wish to harm any

 Just as the mother would protect

Her only child

 Even at the risk of her own life,

 May all beings are protected

Thus with that absolute devotion

Let one cultivate

The unfathomed mind

 Let there be boundless love

That pervade the universe

 Above, below, across

And in all directions

 Be there of no hindrance

To that universal love

Or no hatred or enmity

Whether one stands, walks or sits

Lies down

Or as long as

One is awake

  

One should cultivate the mindfulness

In earnest,

It is the highest

Conduct of all

 Devoid of wrong views

 Endowed with virtue and insight

 One discards all attachments

To any sensuous desires

Truly, he does not come again,

To be reborn again

With the said truth of unanimity, may I be well.

With the said truth of unanimity, may I be free from illness.

With the said truth of unanimity, may I attain the blissful victory

Karaniya Metta Sutta for Bodu Balawagaya Guys and Girls to Read and Digest in this Life

Karaniya Metta Sutta for Bodu Balawagaya Guys and Girls to Read and Digest in this Life

        

The Discourse On Loving Kindness

He who is skilled in doing good

And who wishes to attain that state of calm (Nibbana) should act thus

He should be able, upright, perfectly upright

Obedient, gentle and humble

Contented, easily supportable (not a burden to others)

With few duties, simple in livelihood

Controlled in senses, discreet, not impudent

Not greedily attached to families

He should not commit any slight wrong

So that other wise men might deplore

May all beings be happy and safe

May their hearts be happy

Whatsoever living beings that exist

Weak, or strong, without exception

Long, stout or medium

Short, small or large

Those seen (visible) or unseen (not visible)

And those dwelling far or near

Those who are born and those who are to be born

May all beings, without exception, be happy minded

Let no one deceive another

Nor despise anyone anywhere

In anger or ill will

Let them not wish each other harm

Just as a mother would guard her only child

At the risk of her own life

Even so towards all beings

Let him cultivate boundless mind

Let thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world

Above, below and across

Without any obstruction

Without any hatred, without any enmity

Whether he stands, walks, sits

Or lies down, as long as he is awake

He should develop this mindfulness

This they say is the Highest conduct here

Not falling into (wrong) views

Virtuous and endowed with vision (insight)

He discards attachment to sensuous desires

Truly, he does not come again; to be conceived in a womb

By the firm determination of this truth may I ever be well

By the firm determination of this truth may I be free from illness

By the firm determination of this truth may peaceful victory be mine!

Dream 35-Game Park

Dream 35-Game Park

This dream was bit strange.

I was on holiday (not New Year) and was in strange place which to me was a nature reserve.

I do not know (this is a true dream not made up) whether I was in Yala, Wasgamuwa or Wilpattu.

I had never been there and when I was proceeding, by strange coincidence I met one of my colleagues (he was true to life and I do not want to discover his identity and let me say he was our head of the department, I work.

He was dazed, looked as if he was pretty drunk and could not help me finding my way toward the nature reserve but he was demanding help from me, instead.

Knowing the chappy very well who enjoys a hard drink I had no option but to help him.

He asked me to find a urine bottle that he had collected and test it for alcohol.

He wanted to prove that he was not drunk and innocent.

I said, do not be stupid do not give urine for testing one can put something to it like what they do it when testing sports people, especially Sri-Lankan.

Besides, it is not the done thing for alcohol

He said, it is for drugs not alcohol.

I said wait a while till the effect of drug or alcohol to wear off and offer a sample of blood.

This is not a city, the periphery of the nature reserve and one can wait till one reaches a civilized station to test.

I could not convince him and he demanded I should find the urine bottle.

I asked where?

Then he pointed out to a place where I found a bottle which looked ancient artifact and was about to hand over the specimen and I was woken up.

Actually, I woke up because of the fire crackers and it was auspicious time for lighting the hearth.

I said to myself, it is very auspicious time for my dreams and my wife would do the necessary preparation and dropped to sleep instantaneously.

My dog was hovering with fear of fire crackers and I directed him under my bed.

Before, I could bat an eyelid I was in another dream mode.

This part had no relationship to the first part.

That’s what I thought.

It was very brief.

I saw a she elephant shot dead.

Then before she died she delivered her baby in good condition and took her last breath.

By some strange coincidence there was another nursing elephant mother nearby who took care of the placenta and the baby.

Having done obstetrics in my life delivery of a baby was no surprise but seeing an elephant baby coming out to this world was an exciting episode even in my dream.

There was no screaming, grunts or panic panting, as when women were delivering but she was in excruciating pain of the bullet wound that had pierced the chest not the belly fortunately.

I was woken up angry.

I immediately posted it to Maha Brahma since I also has a  request for a partner for the delinquent swift in our little garden.

He responded immediately.

Why were you so angry?

Did the bank officer gave you a call on the New Year Day asking you to pay the debts?

How is your new telephone extension?

How did you know, I asked?

I keep an eye on you these days and you were bit liberal on your cash?

Were n’t you?

How do you know?

Every time you do a good thing, I get a little tinkle here.

That is news to me.

It was nice of you to give a digital radio with a rechargeable battery to your blind friend.

I got a thump here and he was profusely thanking me, instead of you.

Did he?

YES.

Why did he, did not thank me?

Did he think that I was a god.

Sort of.

I was angry that a she elephant pregnant was shot at.

Can this happen in this blessed land?

YES all the time, he said.

I got more worked up.

Do not be so angry.

This is new year time, know.

I said I get worked up more on new year time.

Why?

Don’t you read my blog post about peanuts and cashew nuts.

But cashew nut are cheap in heaven, know.

But they are very expensive, here.

I bought a sample for a cake my daughter made and she did not put them on, since, she told me it was not enough to fill the cake.

I asked her what happened to cashew?

I ate them all, she said.

Did you give some to Mallie.

YES.

Not only cashew everything is expensive and this the time every household is hot with anger and they attribute it to things like chillies (as a scapegoat).

Even chillies are expansive.

I know all this but I was pulling your leg.

How did your new year go by.

It took the whole day for me to clean up my fish tanks.

This time only a few fish died due to warm weather.

I took all the precautions.

Only problem is when it rains it pours and fills up the tanks and with the overflow, fish slip out to the cement floor and I have to catch them and put them back.

Is that so?

YES.

When it is dry, the water level goes down rapidly and I have to fill them up with water

Besides, algal bloom take over in a few days.

Then the fish die of lack of oxygen.

It is no fun looking after fish now.

Soon I am going to give up caring for fish.

Do you eat fish now.

NO.

Are n’t you interested in the interpretation?

I am but I am bit confused.

Did you have some liquor?

Not even wine this time.

Why?

I cannot afford.

Why did you ask that question?

Just for my own sanity.

Why?

I had to put the two parts together and took a bit of pondering.

It was a bit of a brain teaser?

I thought you were drunk and was pulling a fast one to test my ability.

None of it.

I won’t do that even to a friend of mine.

I do not believe you.

Was it my Head?

What head, your nut?

The head of our department?

I see.

NO.

Were they connected?

YES.

How come?

Wait will you.

Can ask you a favor?

Fire on.

Can you find a partner for the little swift who has become a problem lately.

Would you mind waiting for the next season?

No problem.

Are you ready.

YES.

Interpretation.

This actually happened in the pretext of Eco-tourism.

They take children from hifi families to the wilderness for shooting wild animals.

Wild boar?

NO.

Big game animals and they stay there for weeks on end and have barbecue in the jungle.

My goodness.

Is it true?

Yes.

Do they shoot elephants?

Yes if they are tuskers.

But a she elephant?

That was an accident.

When they were shooting the game this she elephant came across.

The young guy had a direct hit at her.

Who is this young Guy?

I cannot tell you due to security concern.

Highly connected guy?

How do you know?

That is what is happening usually.

Let us skip that part.

Who is that guy drugged or drunk?

He was the chief of the conservation and not your head.

Thank God for that.

I cannot work under person like him, you know who is drunk.

If my head drinks or drugged like that, I probably will leave the university.

University guys are good at drinking, know?

Yes, but one must not go beyond one’s limit. then one loses, everything including status.

This guy actually videoed the whole incident.

He was caught by the son of the big shot and drugged to cover up the episode leaking to the media.

Then he was imprisoned and charged for use and abuse of drugs.

The jungle is the production factory for drugs from 1970s know?

It is not a big deal, know?

Yes, yes but one must not catch the culprits.

Both Games, Hunting and Drug cultivation should continue under the patronage of politicians.

That cannot be done now with the Bodu Balawegayain in full spring, know.

What nonsense?

It is only the front organization, the real organization is under full cover and protection.

What can one do? 

Practically nothing unless one changes the whole administrative thing.

Those heads are only figure heads and without any power. 

Real heads are politicians' sons and daughters.

They actually select headless and heedless people to run conservation and many more institutions including banks now.

Oh, I see.

What happened to the video.

It was sent to a film award in USA and got a Gold.

How come?

It was edited and dubbed to look as if they were really protecting the forest.

The son got a big post in the world wold life conservation.

Just like Prince Philip?

YES.

But Prince Philip does not do things like that, know?

That is the work of the foreign affairs.

Prince foolishly believed the protocol.

Oh, I see.

He is bit stupid know.

WHO?

Prince Philip.

Do you think intelligent guys are born to Royal Families.

I suppose not.

The guy (Head of Conservation) became insane and he was warded and he always ask for the bottle with urine sample when a nurse comes near him.

I was not a nurse, know.

You stupid, don’t you realize this is a dream?

I suppose, I have to take your stance.

That’s all.

In fifty or less years from now, there is no fuel for airbuses and vehicles.

Most of this country go to wilderness again.

That is good know.

The guy who was involved in Fun and Games was prosecuted for all the offenses he was involved in, while his father was in office and he slipped to the jungle when the father died and was living  in a jungle hut.

One day, the baby elephant now big, came in and did what he did to his mother to the guy.

What Karma is that?

That is the Karma that has effect in this life.

One does not have to wait for another life.

See, YOU SOON and he disappeared

Today is Earth Day.

You can do five simple things to help we save the planet.

1. Plant a tree on your birth day and look after it for the rest of your life.

Spend a few (5) minutes each day caring for it.

If you do not have a big garden go and buy a big pot to suit your needs and at least plant a jasmine and make sure once it is mature, that you make few more sapling from it's long branches into smaller pot and give it to a friend to care for it.

It flowers almost throughout the year.

There are three varieties.

Sri-Lankan variety which is difficult to care and is a slender plant, the Indian variety and the commoner garden one (needs a big pot) which is rugged and can withstand dry warm weather better. It flowers almost every day.

2. Eat veggies

3. Walk.

Do not drive your car but use the public transport.

4. Use reusable carrier bag and refuse to use polythene

5. Switch off all unnecessary bulbs in your house and change to energy saving bulbs.

Having done that make life digital and use electronic mail instead of paper mail.

Go digital and make your life paper free.

Birds in Paradise Lost and the Juvenile Delinquent

Birds in Paradise Lost and the Juvenile Delinquent

This piece was long overdue.

Sri-Lanka use to be a paradise for birds.

Not anymore.

It has many reason as I see them as a bird lover and a bird watcher but I have to highlight some recent developments ornithologist has not studied adequately.

I wrote a piece 2 years ago about a an Indian Oriole pair who did not migrate back for long period of time.

This coincided with the full operation of the Coal Power Plants.

I was obsessed to point out that the wind currents were effected by the commission of the Coal Power Plant and the it probably effected their detection of thermal range and the decision to migrate back to beyond Afghanistan.

They did remain for a prolong period and finally disappeared for good and never returned for the subsequent two years.

I was predicting that they would breed here but that prediction has no credible evidence to support by way of young ones.

Instead more of the local Oriole who prefers jungle habitat started vising our small garden.

Their was an unusual increase of local bird visiting our neighborhood for two reason.

1. Water.

2. The fruit tree they love to visit and partake its fruits.

During this period the remaining Bread fruit tree and another jack tree was consumed but they still have limited tree cover..

The other reason was that in the name of development and Eco-tours two reaming Kurulu Kales are being vandalized driving them to move out looking for safer places.(Kurulu Kale-Jungle reserved for  local habitat both fauna and flora, in fact what is left of, in and around Kandy city.) This development is going at full pace and they are even removing an overhead pass probably to make room for the Night Races which I will never watch.

Today story is more to do with the Buttichacha, the tiny bird that has made a point to take over out fruit tree for his delinquent acts.

For his size he is a hero of mine.

One day I was watching he was pecking a young bat who had lost his way and resting on another tree upside down on broad day light, like our politicians.

Their view about nature, coal power and anything scientific to me looks like upside down anyway.

Politics is not a science but a way of life and those guys/girls will never understand science in correct perspective anyway.

Those who cannot understand the value of live and let live and reconciliation won’t understand, science in their day to day life.

The next episode was this little guy has such a macho that he dare attack like a live bullet on the Ceylon Oriole whom I have now an special attraction after the episode with Indian Oriole.

Moment a Oriole comes he is airborne like a bullet and hit the big guy on the tummy with his long beak and the big guy won’t attack in return but shy away like a timid little boy and fly away without partaking any fruits.

When this happened, I went into my investigating gear to see whether he was protecting the young ones or the nest.

My investigation were negative.

He was a loner.

He has not found a bride but his instinct is to wait their for a good match and when he finds one to built a nest for his lover.

He is neurotic without a lover.

His pitch is belligerent and delinquent.

Now the Oriole expects the attack and cleverly avoid and direct hit and he was a peaceful guy and never retaliate.

The Butichcha now goes into pitch of defense (as if protecting the young ones) and as long as the big one is their makes a racketty noise in alarm mode. The big guy picks a fruits from the tree and quickly flies away.

The little one goes behind chasing the big guy but unfortunately it cannot catch up the flight of the Airbus body of the Oriole in comparison to the pocket size bird.

It reminds me of the rhetoric of our guys blasting the American.

I can remember in years gone by China used to have rhetoric against USA when its air space is violated by American spy planes.

They go to thousands of warning but the big guy the USA won’t stop the surveillance.

In the world of bird when paradise is lost and a partner is not available for mating what else a little bird can do?

Yelling in high pitch (like our politicians).

This one I am going to send to Maha Brahma asking him to intervene and produce one more (extra) female for this delinquent and boisterous BOY to pair with,

It just one more egg.

Let him not make it a Buddhist Egg and unfertilized.

When I asked a favor Maha Brahma promptly addressed my call for the lonely cuckoos and I have many pairs visiting the garden now.

THANK YOU.

If you oblige this time, the racketty noise will disappear in no time and his delinquency will be gone for good.

I am not sure our Butchittas come under Swifts or Cuckoos.

Either way he is a personality good enough to enter out parliament and make a big noise without substance like the Hela Urumaya.

PCLinux-KDE in 64 bits

PCLinux-KDE in 64 bits

Even, though I said I will stop downloading and testing Linux, I have to eat my words with the New Year Eve approaching.

It's FullMonty and PCLinux 64 bit version are out after long delay.

I think they have dedicate it to TextStar who stepped down few months ago.

I believe they did it with care and caution.

If one visit the forum, they guys/girls use to prick on the sore point, that was lack of 64 bit version.

I think those critics have to stomach the labor pains now.

It is my workhorse and favorite apart from Pinguy Linux.

Thanks Guys/Girls of the PCLinux for keeping the promise.

I hope you go up the Distrowatch ranking to Number One, now.

It has a monthly magazine online which I rarely read since I am more into the Linux Magazine which is celebrating 12 years and the May Magazine came with a DVD with all the 149 past editions in digital format.

I could not open with a Linux utility probably targeted for Windows Guys and Girls.

I will run it in a window BOX if Win guy or girl let me run it on a Window's idiot BOX. 

Ubuntu is also have a Magazine now and if you are running Ubuntu, it is a good idea to subscribe for the magazine.

I rarely use (mainly use it for demonstration) Ubuntu on a regular basis and with Unity and Magazine I may have to change my attitude towards Ubuntu.

It just I cannot break old habits and I am happy with PCLinux (Mandrake derivative from where I started the live CDs from which addition I will never be (LIVE CD/DVD) CURED.)