soalbundy

Nothing is right or wrong, only thinking makes it so. Shakespeare To understand all is to forgive all. Marie Antoinette You are neither the body nor the mind...there is no body. Nisargadatta. Ask only, who am I? if you receive an answer it will be wrong but it will show you what you are not (the neti neti statements, not this, not that) Ramana Maharshi

I think you have misunderstood me, I was writing concerning the individual but I think your ideas of 'tight' control go to far. Humanity progressed due to cooperation not repression, that came later due to land possession, the earliest farming communities seem to have been egalitarian with no fixed governmental structure. The increase in population required government not for repression but for safety, the land possessed by the community had to be defended from outside communities. Property rights of the individual had to be protected with regulations. The corruption in government worldwide and the power of industrial complexes leading to wealth inequality is relatively recent, possibly only 2 to 3 thousand years old. Religion played an important role in power politics, think of 'the devine right of rule for kings', in Ancient Egypt the priesthood became so powerful that even a pharaoh had to wary of them. Early religions, as far as one can tell, weren't of a philosophical nature but based on animism and power. The Indus valley in India produced the first true spiritual deliberations which gave rise to the first mystics and eventually Hinduism which is also linked to Buddhism which came later as a less devine based religion. Certainly the Hindu 'Advaita Vedanta' and the Buddhist '4 noble truths' influenced human behaviour but it would be false to think that people in prehistory didn't know right from wrong, fairness and cooperation is built into every mammal that lives in groups. Spirituality has had to be rediscovered in the west, the basic mystical texts from the Jews leading eventually to Christianity have become so warped over time that the story has become more important than the message so that even the 14th Century German Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, was tried by the Catholic church, can't have ordinary people discovering spiritual truths, that would destroy the church.

Politicians and religions make use of this weakness to profit themselves. I personally have no such use for idols of reverence, everyone has feet of clay. Certainly I can admire the achievements of others but fame is fleeting. Nobody needs a guiding hand in life, wisdom is inherent in all human beings unless they are mentally ill, the true 'I', conscious awareness, is available to all through meditation which needs no formal practice, one can sink into what is sometimes called 'empty fullness' in the office, in nature or in a taxi, it is something that frightens and disturbs the ego that wants to believe in its own false validity and needs to pump the mind with continuous thoughts which is why often, practice is needed to achieve inner stillness. The past no longer exists, the future has yet to arrive, only 'now' is available and 'now' has no lack and needs nothing, 'now' is peace....how the ego hates that, its very existence needs problems and enemies.

It depends what you mean by God. The word in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions has childish associations, the spiritual teachings of the mystics have been lost and the books have been reduced to fairy stories. The teachings in the Eastern traditions have a greater validity, especially Buddhism which makes do without a deity. All religions point to the same thing, non duality, many minds but one consciousness which is the background of that which is. That which is perceived is a manifestation not a reality, as the famous Hindu mystic Nisargadatta put it, " That which is real does not change, that which changes is not real", it concerns the fact that nothing exists 'in and of itself'. This was also a consideration of the Buddha when he said, "The world is empty". This doesn't mean he denied the perception of things but that nothing had a reality of existence because nothing existed 'in and of itself'. A human needs two parents, food, water, shelter, sunlight, and a society, it is given a name and beliefs. It has phenomenal experiences due to causal events which form character and ego, hence there is no independent existence 'in and of itself'. This is why Hindus say there is only Brahman (This isn't a deity as such but more an intelligence or power). Flowers, trees, animals, stars etc. have no existence in and of themselves, they are all causal events. Only consciousness is eternal without change, whether you are 5 years old or 80 the feeling 'I am' remains the same, this is consciousness, God, Brahman, Allah, present awareness, the absolute call it what you will, you are consciousness experiencing your own manifestation, you are the space of silence between two thoughts.

The Phuket tourism boss is trying to raise his profile. Thailand hasn't any greater problems with foreigners than other countries. Considering the number of tourists, the relaxed drinking laws, the sex industry and the laziness and corruption in the RTP, the criminal activities of foreigners seems statistically low. It's pretty obvious that tourist centers are going to be a hub of a few undesirables both Thai and foreigners which is why Phuket seems to get mentioned a lot but rarely Isaan where I live which seems to be an island of peace and relaxed attitude by the authorities, Bangkok could be a foreign country as far as the locals are concerned, at any rate I haven't seen any change in attitude towards me which has always been friendly and welcoming.

He certainly wasn't Banksy.

Watch out, they've got a mandate.

That's just being silly, the loss of bribe money would be sorely felt.

But then again we have reality.

Police officers get training?

I wouldn't say that, quite clever really getting a load of idiots to pay for your life style, she's probably never done a useful job of work in her life, good luck to her, she's living the dream, working hard for someone else doesn't pay dividends. Lots of teens in low paying jobs and single mums on benefits will follow her and sigh in envy but she got to where she is using her brains. Sure she's a bit self elevated now but I wouldn't mind betting that a wealthy Mr. Right will turn up someday if she is mixing in the right circles, no "would you like fries with that" for her.

He's making a quiet bank transfer of funds which will prove to the right people that he is innocent of any wrong doing.

Not Dubai then?

What ever the reason the guilt lies with the commanding officers. Some people seem predestined to bullying, a lack of people skills but officers are there to stop it or control it within bounds. The Thai army is no stranger to bullying, there is also a hen picking order, older servicemen bullying new recruits, for those with people skills this is water off a ducks back but some are more timid and thin skinned. This must be investigated by the police, it could even be attempted murder for all we know.

555555555555 two of the least corrupt countries in the world and Thailand.

If cornered bring out the rape card.

Well Karma may strike when the mother is old and gets abandoned, poor little girl will have to be resilient now as her life will change drastically, life can be cruel but it is much too early for her to find out, abandoned by the one person who was the center of her love.

I can imagine the old couple who were to be blessed saying, "errrrm, we'll come back tomorrow when you're not so busy"

A bit like beggars fighting over their pitch on the high street.

Hello darling, meet my friend Stanley

No foreigners causing trouble today, just Thais, must be a first.

Woke is the joke.

He will no doubt be treated better than the average convict, especially if he has any of the proceeds hidden away and accessible.

For a moment I thought, 'stunned him with a head butt' but then I realized, the PM likes whities.

Thankfully he wasn't a foreigner and especially not a Brit.