LazyYogi

I watched the CNN interview again. Thaksin comes off as a chicken hawk. He was calling for revolution, saying he was ready to come back, but now that his Reds were put down he's suddenly getting cold feet and evades the topic of his imminent return.

"They just come with bare hands. They want to ask for democracy peacefully."

Anyone with eyes can see this is a lie.

I think it's safe to say Thaksin lost all credibility in the eyes of many in that interview.

This was a massive victory for Thaksin whichever way you look at it.

The groundswell of foreign public opinion is overwhelmingly on his side now.

Really?... US condemns Thai violence by pro-Thaksin protests

You do understand the difference between public opinion and statements by the US State Department?

Yes, but I also understand images of hijacked buses burning and rowdy mobs attacking government officials' vehicles with bricks and pipes and how these images tend to discredit certain former PMs who then claim in interviews that the military provoked violence against "unarmed peaceful protesters".

This was a massive victory for Thaksin whichever way you look at it.

The groundswell of foreign public opinion is overwhelmingly on his side now.

Really?... US condemns Thai violence by pro-Thaksin protests

At least it looks like there might be a chance of removing the Thaksin element now, that is the best we can hope for.

Here here! Cut the head off and the body will die. Thais and those who love Thailand want progress and reconciliation. That will never be possible as long as self serving megalomaniac Toxin continues to stir the pot from his suite in Dubai.

Indeed. If Thaksin really cared about the country he would promote policies, not personalities. Why does he think he's the only one capable of doing the job? It should not matter who is Prime Minister. Their agenda is what really matters.

The leaders took turn to declare victories on a stage at Suvarnabhumi Airport at about 7pm. "All people can go home now. We are the victors now.

"However we will be ready to come back if the country wants us too," they told the cheering crowds.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

PAD cease all anti-government protests

Published on December 2, 2008

Protesters will come back if Thaksin's nominees return to power

People's Alliance for Democracy which seized the Government House and two Bangkok airports announced an end to its protests at all spot.

Within a few hours after the Constitution Court dissolved People Power Party, People's Alliance for Democracy, which had led seizures of the Government House and two Bangkok airports, declared an end to their demonstrations.

"We have won a victory and achieved our aims," media mogul and PAD founder Sondhi Limthongkul said, reading a statement to reporters.

"All protests will stop as of December 3 at 10am. We have gained our victory already. If there is something wrong, we will mobilize people and stage another protest," Sondhi told the cheering crowds.

Other PAD's co-leaders said they decided to end the protests because they won over what they called Thaksin's nominees.

The end of all protests came a few hours after the Constitution Court dissolved People Power Party, Matchima Tipatayai and Chart Thai parties early on the day.

The leaders took turn to declare victories on a stage at Suvarnabhumi Airport at about 7pm. "All people can go home now. We are the victors now.

"However we will be ready to come back if the country wants us too," they told the cheering crowds.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, PAD said they achieved the victory because the protests' objectives were already met following the Constitution Court's ruling to disband the three parties which were nominees of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Another objective was to protest any attempt to amend the constitution. "Now our objectives were met, we decide to end our protest," read the statement.

PAD-led protests, which lasted 192 days, has been the longest in the Thai history.

The statement reiterated that PAD will lead protesters back if nominee of Thaksin comes back to power or there is any attempt to amend the charter to reduce power of the monarch

-The Nation

I would advise anyone to steer far clear of Kelsang Gyatso. The real root of the problem is that Dorje Shugden, also known as Dogyal, is not an enlightened protector, but rather a malicious gyalpo, that is a rather powerful variety of a preta.

Worship of this spirit will bring only harm in the long run.

Extensive discussion of this subject can be found here: http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php...7&hl=dogyal

and here: http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php...ogyal&st=20

with metta,

Konchok

If you're a guitar nut or just love classic rock/psychadelic as per Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Steve Miller etc... then Took at the Brasserie is hard to beat. If you catch him on a really good night he's absolutely smokin'.

There's a lot of photos of Thai dance on this website I made for my wife. Most of the pictures are from Chiang Mai, but some are from overseas promotional events.

LannaDancer.com

QUOTE(Neeranam @ 2006-05-18 12:55:34)

I met the DL, and I think he is enlightened. How do I know? I don't. He had a special kind of aura that was detectable. I've met many yogis who have had this same aura - to be in their presence is amazing.

I have had the same experience with several yogis. It is amazing. It has had a major effect on me. I don't know if it means they are enlightened though. Muktenanda apparently had this very powerful effect on lots of people, but he did lots of really bad things.

By the way, when asked, the DL says that he is not enlightened. Would an enlightened being lie about this? I don't know.

I had the incredible fortune to meet HH once in Dharamsala. The experience was much different than I'd expected. It was probably one of the closest experiences I've had to understanding shunyata. I remember looking into his eyes, sort of searching for the real him, to get in close touch with that special "something" that he has. And I just came up empty. Looking into his eyes, I really felt that all the lights were on, but no one was home. I mean this in a positive sense, of course. He just seemed to embody a big, vast lack of any ego whatsoever. But that's just my subjective experience.

The Dalai Lama is also always, consistently modest when talking about his own understanding of the Dharma. Wether or not it's true, or just modesty, it does set a good example for others.

I would say some but not most. The Gelugs ( the root of my tradition ) and the Kagyus have celebate monks. That accounts for a majority I would say. The Sakyas I'm not sure about and the Nyingmas certainly have some married monks although they may have the celebate kind as well.

The Nyingmas aren't (in general) and they're the second largest order, right? I thought I'd read somewhere that only Gelugpa monks were celibate by rule. I did come across this statement on a Kagyu-related website:

QUOTE

Not all lamas are monks or nuns, and celibacy is not a requirement for teaching in most Tibetan Buddhist denominations. However, in the denomination to which His Holiness Dalai Lama belongs, celibacy is the rule.

which seems to indicate a similar notion. Anyway I defer to you, you're the expert here.

So why not change to the Nyingma sect?

QUOTE

As for going over to the Nyingmas they are far too bells and smells for me.

Sawatdee khrap,

This is my first post, so I wanted to introduce myself and also dig up the above debate to help clear things a little.

First, let me say that I am a follower of the Nyingma school, particularly the lineage which was taught by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche.

As far as I know, monks in the Nyingma are fully celibate, just as the fully ordained monks in every school of Vajrayana or Therevada are.

On the other hand, the Nyingma school also has a very strong tradition of non-celibate practicioners, including the long-haired ngakpa (mantra-hurling) yogis and yoginis who take a seperate type of ordination involving a specific set of vows that don't happen to include a vow of celibacy.

If a practicioner's level of realization is determined to be high enough, they would be given the title "lama" by their own root guru and instucted to teach others.

Nyingma lamas can be monks or lay people. They have many monasteries full of life-long monks. I also think it is common for recognized reincarnations of past masters, or "rinpoches", who are born into families of married lamas to enter the monkhood during their youth in order to get a full religious training, and then disrobe and take other (non-celibate) vows when they are older.

The non-celibate Lamas usually still wear a type of robe that might look similar to a monk's robe and this might cause some confusion. In general, if you see a Nyingma lama with a a thick wad of natty dreadlocks tied up in a topknot it's safe to say that they aren't a monk.

The "bells and smells" comment made me laugh a little, too. But isn't every branch of Buddhism full of rituals of one sort or another? Some just don't involve rancid yak butter

So, back to me. I've been reading this forum for about a year, but hadn't got around to posting anything before. Some of the regular posters here are very knowledgeable, and I've been inspired to study more because of it.

I'm currently living in Yokohama, Japan for work, but I'll hopefully be moving back to Thailand in the not-too-distant future.

May all things be auspicious.