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#middleway @middleway Believe nothing, as you have been told it. Jumble & windbaggery, buddhism philosophy & opera. Some hamsters too.

Time Magazine with Dalai Lama in red robes hands in prayer Issue name July 27th, 2026 | Vol. 208, No. 3 | South Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa Issue date July 27, 2026 Location South Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa https://time.com/article/2026/07/09/china-dalai-lama-succession-tibet/ Ask me anything Skip to Content Subscribe Unread notifications World Open follow modal Dalai Lama Open follow modal China Is Already Trying to Control Who the Next Dalai Lama Will Be ADD TIME ON GOOGLE The Dalai Lama attends a prayer ceremony in dharamshala, India, in FebruaryPTI/AP Story by Charlie Campbell Jul 9, 2026 1:00 PM GMT In early June, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was wheeled into an operating room at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Spiritually, His Holiness is an emanation, or tulku, of the bodhisattva Chenrezig, who renounced nirvana to help mankind. But his corporeal manifestation, which just turned 91 on July 6, requires maintenance; this time, it was a left-knee replacement. While he is recovering well, that physical frailty is an alarm bell for the Tibetan diaspora. The vessel is aging, and the war for what happens the moment he leaves it has already begun. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officially rejects the existence of God, the afterlife, and the immortal soul. Back in 1954, Mao Zedong even whispered to His Holiness that “religion is poison.” But the Great Helmsman also vowed “to exterminate the bourgeoisie and capitalism in China,” and today’s People’s Republic of China (PRC) has more billionaires and sells more wares than any other nation in history. The party has proved as malleable to religion as to capitalism, spending billions on the rejuvenation of Buddhist shrines from Sri Lanka to Nepal. And the officially atheist CCP is now preparing to assert control over the spirit world: when His Holiness dies, his reincarnation must be “approved by the central government,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated last J…
When I roam the life cycle driven by strong instincts, May the Hero Scientists lead me on the path Of the clear light of orgasmic wisdom! May their best consort Angel host support me from behind, Deliver me from the dangerous straits of the between, And carry me to perfect Buddhahood!
> THE DALAI LAMA > June 17, 2026 > Mrs. Nena Thurman > Tibet House USA > 22 West 15th Street > New York, NY 10011 > U.S.A. > Dear Nena and family, > I learned with deep sadness of the passing of your husband and my dear friend, Prof. Robert Thurman. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. My prayers are with you and all members of your family. > As you know, Bob and I shared many years of warm friendship since we first met in India in the late 1960s. As a Buddhist scholar, his knowledge was truly remarkable, including his command of the Tibetan language. He devoted his entire professional life to sharing that knowledge, not only with his students, but with the wider world through his writings and teachings. > He understood profoundly that the survival of Tibetan Buddhist culture is inseparably linked to the future of Tibet itself. I greatly valued his efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people and their culture, expressed so visibly through institutions such as Tibet House. > Bob lived a meaningful life and has left behind a legacy that will continue to inspire future students of Tibetan Buddhism and culture for generations to come. I am sure that the merit he accumulated through a lifetime of service to humanity will bear fruit in lives to come. > With my prayers, > [Signature] >
In March, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition suspended Yangsi Rinpoche from teaching at all of its affiliated centers. The organization did so after Bhaskaran and Elena Alfaro, another former student, filed a formal complaint with the FPMT in January. Alfaro alleged to the foundation that, first in 2017 and again in 2020, Yangsi Rinpoche slept with at least one former Maitripa student. Documentation provided by Alfaro shows that when she sent a letter expressing concerns about Yangsi Rinpoche in 2016 to then-FPMT president Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he warned that Alfaro would endure spiritual torment if she even thought ill of her guru. “If you get angry, arise heresy towards your Guru…one has to be born in the hell, suffering the most heavy suffering of samsara,” he wrote back in a March 2017 email. “Make this your principal meditation, otherwise you will destroy your life totally.”
The text extracted from the file **1000153849.jpg** is as follows: Rob Rob Tinline | Americas Director | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Personal | Personal OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - FCDO ONLY From: JCS Sent: 31 December 2024 09:25 To: JCS Cc: Robert Tinline; JCS; JCS; JCS Subject: RE: HMA-Des Engagement OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - FCDO ONLY Dear JCS, I’ve now spoken with Philip. His view was as follows: * LPM has been announced publicly as the next HMA Washington as a political appointee. The appointment is subject to agrement and security clearance; * Prior to taking up this employment, LPM plans to participate in an international event relating to China. This is renumerated; * As he will not by then have taken up employment with HMG, it is a matter for LPM whether or not he proceeds with this event. He has asked that any concerns are flagged to SpAds so that they and No 10 can take a view as to whether they wish to intervene with LPM. Please could you share a very short summary of views (BEW/China/Americas/HRD/Security) and I’ll take this forward? Thank you, JCS OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - FCDO ONLY From: JCS Sent: 30 December 2024 11:46 To: JCS Cc: Robert Tinline; JCS; JCS; JCS Subject: HMA-Des Engagement OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - FCDO ONLY JCS, You requested some lines on what we know about HMA-des's proposed engagement. Please see below. And I’ll message you separately with the informal view we’ve received from BEW and China Desk. * HMA-Des has committed to participating in a panel event at investment bank UBS's Greater China Conference, hosted in Shanghai from 11-13 January. This is a major event with ~4000 attendees and considerable media. Many sessions are recorded. See some high-level detail here and a summary of last year’s conference here. * We understand he would plan to attend virtually and participate in his Global Counsel capacity. We also understand that he would be paid for this engagement. * HMA-Des has asked to start on FCDO payroll from w/c 13 Januar…
Huey Newton in black leather jacket, wearing beret plus cigarette ... Huey Percy Newton was a leading political activist who helped to establish the Black Panther Party alongside Bobby Seale in 1966. He was a central figure in the civil rights and Black Power movements in the United States, focusing on community empowerment, self defence, and social justice. Under his leadership, the organisation created numerous community survival programmes, including health clinics and free breakfast initiatives for children, whilst also actively monitoring police activities in local neighbourhoods. photograph features Huey Newton seated indoors, wearing a dark beret, a pale collared shirt, and a shiny leather blazer with wide lapels, holding a cigarette in his right hand.
Put anxiety out of your mind Some kinds of anxiety are vague and hard to identify, so trying to view yourself objectively can help. If you are anxious, be aware that this is what you are feeling, then visualise it as something physical that can be separated from your body. Say to yourself, ‘I know I’m experiencing anxiety right now, and there’s so much I should think about, but for now I’m going to put this anxiety out of my mind and sleep tonight – I will worry about things later.’ In many cases, when you come back the next morning after a good night’s sleep, the anxiety will be gone.
On looking afresh into my Nibelungen poem I recognised with surprise that the very things that now so embarrassed me theoretically had long been familiar to me in my own poetical conception. Now at last I could understand my Wotan, and I returned with chastened mind to the renewed study of Schopenhauer’s book.
Contemporary Painting of Buddha with Tibetan Text
So fasten your seatbelts and hang on to your hair—it’s been one helluva ride. Today, whenever I look back at that night as a nineteen-year-old Tony winner, the same question runs through my mind as it did then: How in God’s name did I get here?
A young man with blonde hair running through a field of daffodils holding daffodils strategically placed to maintain his modesty Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!
From: Deepak Chopra ​To: jeffrey E. jeevacation@gmail.com ​Subject: Re: ​Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 12:48:43 +0000 ​I don't know ​All that fans etc does not matter ​Of course Im still riding the tiger ​I don't know how to get off ! ​At the conference I met a Tibetan Rinpoche who comes from the Bon tradition . I'm generally suspicious of guru types but I spent some time with him and was v taken by his authenticity . He teaches the yogas of dream and sleep states . ​I had questioned the Dalai Lama on this several times and realized he knew v little even on Tibetan Buddhism just a nice guy with a Nobel Prize and a lot of the world in awe because of his uniform ( saffron robes ) ​I have longed all my life to wake up to primordial existence having had glimpses ​I'm going to invite this guy to be in residence at the center and learn these esoteric practices that allow you to go beyond thought I do that daily myself but I could improve on them in sleep and dream states ​Deepak Chopra ​2013 Costa Del Mar Road ​Carlsbad, CA 92013 ​New Book: Radicalbeauty.com
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920[1] – February 13, 1996 (Tibetan: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་ཨོ་རྒྱན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་, Wylie: sprul-sku o-rgyan rin-po-che) (Nepali: टुल्कु उर्ग्येन् रिन्पोचे) was a Buddhist master of the Kagyü and Nyingma lineages[1] who lived at Nagi Gompa hermitage in Nepal. Urgyen Rinpoche was considered one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of his time. Born in Nangchen, Kham in Eastern Tibet[3] in 1920,[1] he was recognized by Khakyab Dorje, 15th Karmapa Lama as the reincarnation of both the Chowang Tulku and Nubchen Sangye Yeshe,[1] one of the 25 principal students of Padmasambhava. Urgyen's father was Tsangsar Chimey Dorje, a vajrayana instructor who began giving Urgyen transmission for the Kangyur, the Buddha, and "The New Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa."[3] As he grew older, he studied Dzogchen with Samten Gyatso. He had four sons, each of whom is now an important Buddhist teacher in his own right (Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche); Urgyen spent 33 years at Nagi Gompa Hermitage, where he spent two decades in retreat, and eventually established six monasteries and retreat centers in Nepal. Boudhanath (Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery). Another is the Tergar Osel Ling Monastery Urgyen Rinpoche died on the morning of February 13, 1996.
Jacqueline Kennedy in Valentino (Cambodia, 1967) This image captures Jacqueline Kennedy during her widely publicised visit to Cambodia in November 1967. She is pictured attending a formal reception, likely hosted by the Cambodian head of state. The Gown and Styling Jacqueline is wearing a striking mint green evening gown designed by Valentino, a couturier who became one of her favourites during this era. * Silhouette: The dress features an asymmetrical, one-shouldered design with a dramatic, cape-like drape cascading down her left side. The loose, flowing cut evokes a Grecian influence, which was a hallmark of Valentino’s style at the time. * Details: The hem and edges of the cape are intricately trimmed with sparkling silver beading or crystal embroidery, adding texture and catching the light. * Accessories: She pairs the gown with formal, white opera-length gloves and holds a small, metallic clutch purse in her left hand. She is also wearing statement drop earrings that complement the gown's trim. * Hair: Her hair is styled in her signature bouffant, pulled back elegantly to reveal her face and the neckline of the dress. The Setting and Context Standing to her right is Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the Cambodian head of state, dressed in a black tuxedo. He appears to be presenting a selection of gifts to her. * The Display: On the table before them are several open blue velvet boxes lined with satin, displaying ornate silver items—likely tea sets, bowls, or ceremonial vessels. * Her Expression: Jacqueline looks down at the gifts with a polite, attentive expression, her gloved hand raised slightly near her chin in a gesture of appreciation or contemplation. This visit was significant as it was one of her first major semi-official international trips after leaving the White House, helping to briefly thaw diplomatic relations between the US and Cambodia. Would you like me to find out more about the specific gifts she was receiving in this photo?
Alberto’s 80th Birthday Celebration and Farewell to Parliament Hill Cafe On 25th January, we will be holding a farewell party to say thank you and goodbye to all of our friends, family and customers. We will also be celebrating Alberto D’Auria’s 80th birthday on the same day from 12-4pm A buffet will be provided
icon depiction of the Yoga of Inner Heat, known in Tibetan as Tummo (gtum mo).
Here is the alt text for the four images provided: ​Image 1 A split-screen movie poster for the film Pillion. On the left, a close-up of actor Alexander Skarsgård, who is wet and shirtless, wearing a silver chain necklace with a key attached. On the right, a close-up of actor Harry Melling, also wet and shirtless, wearing a heavy silver chain necklace secured with a padlock. The title "pillion" spans horizontally across both images in large cyan letters. A quote at the bottom from Indiewire reads: "A deeply moving love story... chains, gags and all." ​Image 2 A movie poster with a coral-red background featuring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling. Skarsgård is dressed in a white, black, and blue leather motorcycle racing suit. He sits on a black motorcycle, looking serious, with his hand resting on top of Melling's head. Melling crouches below him wearing a brown leather jacket, looking forward. The title "pillion" appears in large cyan text. Above the title are press quotes including "SEXY," "HILARIOUS," and "BRILLIANT." The text at the bottom reads "IN CINEMAS 28 NOVEMBER." ​Image 3 A movie poster set in a grassy park. In the foreground, a large Rottweiler and a small, long-haired Dachshund stand side-by-side. To the left is a blue and white parking sign that reads "Motorcycles only." The title "pillion" is superimposed in the center in large cyan letters. The actors' names, Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård, appear above the title. ​Image 4 A German version of the Pillion movie poster with a bright pink background. It features the same image as the English poster: Alexander Skarsgård in motorcycle gear sitting on a bike with his hand on Harry Melling's head. The title "pillion" is in bright yellow. A prominent quote at the top in German reads "UNVERSCHÄMT FESSELNDE DOMCOM" (Outrageously captivating DomCom). Text at the bottom reads "NUR IM KINO."
Small but Certain Happiness “YOLO is passé; SBCH is here.” When I had asked people in Seoul what they were interested in these days, this was the reply I received. YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” had led to spending beyond their means, and in the end made life more difficult. Hence people were now turning to the idea of finding SBCH, which stands for “small but certain happiness.” This phrase was first coined by the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami in his essay “Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans.”
Album cover for Sulk The Associates - Party Fears Two - Top of the Pops
table. Nietzsche put this thought into print in his 1882 book The Gay Science. Beforehand, however, a version of it made a fleeting ap- pearance in Schopenhauer's 1818 master- piece The World as Will and Representation. Schopenhauer proposed yet another kind of immortality, one that he thinks may be a source of consolation for death: since our true essence lies not in our individual exis- tence, but rather the lifeforce of which we are a manifestation, he argues, the essential aspect of ourselves can never perish.2 He continues: Someone who has thoroughly integrated the truths stated so far into his way of thinking, without at the same time hav- ing any personal experience or far-reach- ing insight into the continuous suffering that is essential to all life; someone, rather, who is perfectly happy and content with life and who, after calm reflection,
we risk losing the very ability to "find out what we are thinking,"
SWAG by Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga performs at Coachella 2025
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2025/11/10/france-faces-younger-less-experienced-and-more-unpredictable-jihadist-threat_6747310_7.html Date:Monday, November 10, 2025 Time:6:23 pm (Paris) FRANCE SUBSCRIBERS ONLY France faces younger, less experienced and more unpredictable jihadist threat SUBSCRIBERS ONLY 'Paris's inaction after French COUNTERTERRORISM France faces younger, less experienced and more unpredictable jihadist threat Nearly 70% of terrorism-related arrests now involve people under 21, and two-thirds of attackers since 2020 were previously unknown to authorities. Since October 7, 2023, over half of all attacks or foiled plots have been linked to the war in Gaza. By Christophe Ayad Published today at 3:42 pm (Paris) • 3 min read • Lire en français Subscribers only French policemen of the RAID elite assault unit, during an exercise in Vaires-sur-Marnes, France, on May 30 2024. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP Ten years after the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis, a suburb just north of the city, the terrorist threat in France remains high, although it has completely changed in nature. France continues to be a prime target for Sunni jihadism, but the threat is less driven by organizations such as the Islamic State group (IS) or Al-Qaeda – whose central leadership has been severely weakened by military action – than by individuals inspired by them. France has now entered the era of inspired terrorism, fueled by the wealth of propaganda still circulating online and in Telegram channels. These "self-starters" are terrorists based in France. They are young, often very young, and frequently socially isolated. Some struggle with mental health issues. They act with basic means: Three-quarters of the attacks carried out in France since 2020 involved bladed weapons. According to data compiled by intelligence services, two-thirds of the attackers since 2020 were "unknown to specialized documentation." In other words, they had never been identifie…
Skip to main content Whitney Museum of American Art Menu Collection Peter Hujar Palermo Catacombs #11, Rows of Bodies 1963 A black and white photograph displaying a collection of mummified bodies dressed in decayed clothing, positioned upright against a wall with shelves containing more bodies in the background. Not on view Date 1963 Classification Photographs Medium Gelatin silver print Dimensions Sheet: 20 × 15 7/8in. (50.8 × 40.3 cm) Image: 15 1/2 × 15 1/4in. (39.4 × 38.7 cm) Accession number 2011.31 Credit line Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Photography Committee Rights and reproductions © 1987 The Peter Hujar Archive API artworks/38779 Peter Hujar 39 works in the collection, 15 exhibitions API documentation Images & permissions Open access Sign up for our newsletter Email address Here to help Contact us FAQ Press Accessibility Get involved Support us Membership Jobs & internships Independent Study Program Mission & values About us Land acknowledgment Privacy policy Terms & conditions About whitney.org Dark Reduced motion © 2025 Whitney Museum of American Art
Keir Starmer to approve Chinese embassy plan with blessing of MI5 He also plans to be the first prime minister to visit the country since 2018, despite warnings that Beijing is carrying out mass espionage against UK targets China had warned of “consequences” if the development at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, was rejected DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS Steven Swinford, Political Editor Friday November 21 2025, 7.53am, The Times Share Save Sir Keir Starmer is expected to formally approve a new super-sized Chinese embassy in the heart of London next month after being given the green light by MI5 and MI6. The Times has been told that the Home Office and the Foreign Office will not raise any formal objections to the plan, providing that appropriate “mitigations” are put in place to protect national security. The two departments, which represent the security services, are expected to submit their formal responses to the planned embassy in the coming days before a decision is made on December 10. A Whitehall source said the embassy’s approval was likely to be a “formality”. Starmer is also expected to travel to China next year as Britain seeks to bolster economic relations with Beijing, despite concerns that it is carrying out large-scale espionage against the UK. Sir Keir Starmer and President Xi at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November last year STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA Tensions between Britain and China have grown since the collapse of a spy trial in which two men — Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry — were accused of passing information on to Beijing. The pair deny wrongdoing, and the case was brought to a halt after the government refused to describe China as a threat to national security. ADVERTISEMENT China had warned of “consequences” if its new UK embassy was not given planning permission. A decision on the development at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London — above a vast web of fibre-optic cables used to carry informatio…
The season of flowers is finished, But the turquoise bee is not sad; Our love's delights have ended, Neither have I any reason for sadness. Hoarfrost on the blades of grass, Harbinger of the cold winter wind, The winter wind that breaks the bond Between the flowers and the bee.
The season of flowers is finished, But the turquoise bee is not sad; Our love's delights have ended, Neither have I any reason for sadness. Hoarfrost on the blades of grass, Harbinger of the cold winter wind, The winter wind that breaks the bond Between the flowers and the bee.
archive.today webpage capture Saved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/obituaries/sabina-spielrein-overlooked.html history 14 Nov 2025 22:24:31 UTC All snapshots from host www.nytimes.com WebpageScreenshot sharedownload .zipreport bug or abuseBuy me a coffee Skip to contentSkip to site indexSection Navigation Search Log in You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading. “My Name Was Sabina Spielrein” (2002), directed by Elisabeth Márton. Credit: Facets Video. Overlooked No More: Sabina Spielrein, Visionary Lost Between Freud and Jung She maintained a triangular correspondence with the two men, who overshadowed the significant contributions she made to the field of psychoanalysis. “My Name Was Sabina Spielrein” (2002), directed by Elisabeth Márton. Credit: Facets Video.Credit... Listen to this article · 9:04 min Learn more By Nina Siegal Nov. 14, 2025 This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung — and Sabina Spielrein. As the field of psychoanalysis was emerging in the early 1900s, those scientists were linked in a triangular dialogue that included letters, scholarly articles and debates. Yet for decades, Spielrein’s contributions were overshadowed by the two men. Only recently has her role begun to be fully acknowledged. In 1911, Spielrein presented a bold theory before the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society at an event hosted by Freud. During her talk, she proposed that the same inner forces that drive people to love, desire and create can also make them want to destroy — even themselves — a notion that became the focus of her 1912 paper “Destruction as the Cause of Becoming.” When Freud published his essay “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” (1920), he gave a label to the urge — Thanatos, or the death drive — that acted in opposition to the sex drive, which he called Eros. He cited Spielrein in a footnote and, for many d…
The Economist ● Insider The Economist Skip to content ● Insider Weekly edition The world in brief War in the Middle East War in Ukraine United States World Ahead 2026 The world economy Business Artificial intelligence Cartoons & games Explore The Economist Insider. ● China | Chaguan Europe sees China as a rival. China sees Europe as a has-been Yet China may be underestimating Europe’s willingness to push back Saved Share A man on top of a moutain looking at boxes and rounds in the background. Illustration: Cornelia Li Nov 17th 2025 | 5 min read Listen to this story AI Narrated European leaders reserve some of their fiercest criticism for themselves. They are admirably blunt in diagnosing their political and economic problems, if sadly not as adept at fixing them. Yet if they are feeling especially masochistic, they should consider travelling to China. There they will find much of their own self-criticism broadcast back to them—but amplified and in even harsher tones. Europeans endlessly debate how to avoid becoming trapped between America and China. For many in China that seems needless, because they already view Europe as an American pawn. “Europe is incapable of truly breaking free from America to become independent,” opined a scholar from Fudan University in a recent article. Europeans obsess over their competitiveness. In China many see that as laughable. “Europe simply lacks the strength to meet the challenges” in many technological domains, declared the Economic Daily, a Chinese newspaper. As for challenges to European unity, Eurocrats love to navel-gaze. In China critics go a step farther. “Whether the European Union can even survive until 2035 is a question,” Zhang Weiwei, a nationalist academic, said on television in September. And these are just the public comments. In private, as Chaguan recently heard from a range of Chinese scholars, the opinions are often more scathing. Europe is a bit like an ageing concubine who cannot accept that she has b…
Here are the six sets of view and meditation with the confidence that comes with wisdom: A view that possesses the confidence of the natural state is like a vulture soaring through the skies. A meditation training that possesses skillful means and vital points is like a strong glue to which flies stick. To possess remedies acquired from experience is like a skilled doctor diagnosing the disease. Experience that possesses the signs of progress is like a young maiden tasting pleasure. Conduct that possesses stability is like using a spur on a strong, fast horse. A fruition that is free of hope and fear is like a traveler return-ing home. First, the view is like the simile of the vulture that must use its wings to climb until it has reached the vast expanse of sky but upon reaching the open sky may soar without effort or anything to gain. Similarly, in this case, you should establish certainty in the view by means of three things the Conqueror's words, your own intelligence, and a sublime master's instructions until you have realized the natural state. Then you can repose in the realization of the ultimate view of the natural state and be beyond effort and gain in body, speech, and mind.
https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/how-a-hunt-for-himalayan-viagra-laid-bare-chinas-iron-grip-on-tibet-6plrjpnz3 How a hunt for ‘Himalayan viagra’ laid bare China’s iron grip on Tibet A man detained for months after being found searching for a valuable fungus tells of his harrowing experience at the hands of Beijing’s ruthless security forces Rapke Lama posing for an interview in Kathmandu, Nepal. Rapke Lama says he was held for seven months without trial after being arrested near the Nepal border Arjuna Keshvani-Ham | Ankit Tiwari Friday November 14 2025, 8.35am, The Times Share Save On a mountain pass on a Himalayan peak straddling the precarious and remote border between Nepal and Tibet, two men charted a treacherous path through the freezing darkness. In Rapke Lama’s pocket was a set of Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads and a buti — a small, sacred amulet blessed by the Dalai Lama. Rapke and his friend, Karma Cheden Lama, were harvesting Yartsa Gumba, a species of cordyceps found only in the high-altitude subalpine meadows of Tibet and Nepal, and the world’s costliest fungus. “Himalayan viagra” fetches as much as $100 per gram in global luxury markets, which makes harvesting it the most economically important activity for the people of the Tsum Valley. The pair had made their way from Chhaikampar, a small village in the valley, and ascended to an altitude of more than 5,000m. At the Ngula Dhojyang pass, a crossing point that once facilitated cross-border trade, they began the gradual climb down towards Drakar Gonpa, a monastery five hours walk from the border, and into Tibet. Rapke planned to meet a friend there after chatting with her on WeChat, China’s most popular social media platform. It was about midnight when Rapke heard the gunshot. “People started running from all possible directions,” he told The Times. “I hid inside this bush. I could feel a few of the people step over me as they ran towards my friend. I stayed hiding for the whole time but …
Jacques Lacan famously remarked that there must surely be something ironic about Christ’s injunction to love thy neighbour as thyself, because actually people hate themselves. Indeed, it seemed rather as if, given the way people treat each other, they had always loved their neighbours in the way they loved themselves. That is, with a good deal of cruelty and disregard. ‘After all,’ Lacan wrote in Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis, ‘the people who followed Christ were not so brilliant.’
Gribben has been Deputy Clerk and Clerk for some time, and he has gained the reputation of being a clever administrator who takes a firm line with people in all the major issues involved. He has had to deal with a serious division between so-called hardliners and liberals within the PCI, which has become alarmingly conservative. This is witnessed in its attitude to same-sex relationships which has led to accusations that the PCI is regarded as a “cold house” for the LGBT community. Recently also, Lord Alderdice, the son of a Presbyterian minister, and others have compiled a dossier of alleged and serious abuses to some clergy and laity within the Church. This was forwarded several years ago to the Northern Ireland Charities Commission, but so far no action has been taken. As Alderdice rightly said: “At the very least the Commission should investigate, and those who are named as abusers be given the opportunity to deny or explain.” Another serious issue is the failure of the PCI to elect the first woman Moderator in its long history, which is an insult to the many women who serve it so faithfully and are the backbone of the Church. All of this prompted me to claim recently that the PCI has been shaping a Church for the 17th century and not the 21st. Given all of this, Dr Gribben had a crucial task in helping the Church to face many urgent challenges, which are just as important as the failure on safeguarding issues which have led to his shock resignation. His sudden departure from the top role in the Church he has served so faithfully for most of his adult life has left the PCI with major headaches and challenges. It is undoubtedly a serious blow to the Church.
Let me understand the truth of phenomena to be unelaborated: Holding this blissful state without attachment becomes self- liberation in its own right. Any attachment to harmful, mistaken concepts becomes purified in the realm of the mind’s real nature. This is the knowledge of the ordinary, free from taking up and abandoning, without anything to attain. The real nature of all beings is buddhahood. Let it come forth evermore for all sentient beings who wander endlessly in saṃsāra, and who, through their ignorance and their incessant misery, can no longer stand it! Let compassion arise with the mental continuum for all of them! Let there be continuous meditation, inseparable from the [relative] attributes. This is the supreme path, the pair, without straying, And when unobstructed, there comes the skill of infinite compassion. When this kindness has arisen, do [not] forget the truth— emptiness. Let there be ripening of enlightenment, reaching maturation with the well-purified buddha fields, With the special psychic powers that arise from the force of meditation, With the complete purification of buddhahood, whose actions ripen [for the sake of all] sentient beings, And with the perfect devotional prayer, which produces the Buddha’s teachings. Following enlightenment and path-walking there is no need for further spiritual practice, outside of living daily life fully. “Once one finds the elephant, one does not need to search for the footprints.
COURT CIRCULAR IT'S no secret Prince William wants his reign to be all about him, Kate and the three heirs. Lesser royals will have to go out and earn a living, although King Bill won't miss them. Instead of spreading the royal net wide, he and Kate intend to support just a few patronages of personal interest. The military, sport and children will take priority while culture, business, animals and science will struggle. Naturally the reform agenda doesn't involve downsizing the royal estates or bank balances. If William pushes ahead, it will impact hundreds of charities great and small who enjoy royal patronage. The perks – a royal ribbon-cutting, garden-party invites for volunteers or a gong for a stalwart supporter – shouldn't be underestimated. William and Kate have already shown the old ways are doomed by not taking on any of the late Queen's hundreds of patronages, despite Brian asking them to share the load. Also heading for the exit is the global reach of the throne. William is happy to hop on a plane to watch football, support his Earthshot Prize and enjoy holidays in the sun. But he hasn't undertaken a full-scale international tour since the disastrous trip to the Caribbean in 2022, where it was made clear he wasn't welcome. He will not be disappointed if he isn't invited to succeed Brian as the next head of the Commonwealth. And what of the monarch's role as supreme governor of the Church of England? William, who sidestepped an investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales, is planning an achingly modern coronation and the idea of a series of oaths declaring he is a faithful Protestant and pledging to uphold the privileges of the Church grates for the faith-lite heir. He is unimpressed by its cover-up of abuse. He's keen at least for the oaths to be substantially rewritten – or preferably abolished, which would lead to the disestablishment of the Church of England. Sir Keir Starmer is apparently in "listening mode". Did anyone brief new Archbishop of Canterbury …
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Celebration … is a taking note, a questioning, a reflecting, an awaiting, passing over into the more wakeful intimation of wonder, namely, of the wonder that a world worlds around us at all, that there are beings and not rather nothing, that things are and we ourselves in their midst are, that we ourselves are and yet scarcely know who we are, and scarcely know that we do not know all of this. GA 52: 64/58 tm
དཔལ་དུས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོའི་ལྷན་སྐྱེས་ཀྱི་སྒོམ་བཟླས་ཀྱི་གཞུང་ཚད་ལྡན་ཞིག་རྙེད་སོན་བྱུང་། འདི་ཉིད་མཁན་ཆེན་དཔལ་ལྡན་ཀཱ་ལུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་ནས་བསྩལ་བ་ཡིན་འདུག བོད་རྒྱ་སྐད་གཉིས་ཤན་སྦྱར་གྱི་སྒྲུབ་ཐབས་འདི་ཉིད་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་བསྟན་པའི་གནས་མཆོག་ཡིན་པས་སློབ་གཉེར་བ་དང་ཉམས་ལེན་པར་ཕན་ཐོགས་ཆེ། #དུས་འཁོར་ #བོད་རྒྱ་སྐད་གཉིས་ #ཀཱ་ལུ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ Chinese: 发现一份珍贵的《俱生时轮修持仪轨》！由尊贵的卡盧仁波切传授，这份藏汉双语的萨达那（修法仪轨）为理解金刚乘复杂体系提供了深刻见解。对修行者和学者而言都是真正的宝藏！#藏传佛教 #时轮金刚 #金刚乘 #卡盧仁波切 Turned out some old boxes and found Kalachakra practice text, transmitted by the previous venerable Kalu Rinpoche, bilingual (Tibetan & Chinese) Sadhana for practitioners #TibetanBuddhism #Kalachakra #Vajrayana #KaluRinpoche
Claro, aquí está la traducción al español venezolano: Los Archivos de Boris A Boris Johnson le pagaron £240.000 después de reunirse con Maduro, según muestra una factura La oficina de Johnson envió una factura a un gerente de un fondo de cobertura, la cual fue pagada, semanas después de la reunión con el líder venezolano el año pasado. Revelado: cómo Boris Johnson intercambió contactos de Primer Ministro por negocios globales Henry Dyer Lunes 8 de sep de 2025 19.12 BST Compartir Desde un jet privado en algún lugar sobre el Mar Caribe en febrero del año pasado, Boris Johnson llamó a su antiguo adversario político David Cameron, entonces ministro de Asuntos Exteriores, para notificarle sobre una visita. Johnson se había tomado un día de sus vacaciones familiares en la República Dominicana para una improbable reunión con el presidente de izquierda de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, un hombre a quien Johnson, cuando estaba en el poder, había comparado con un "dictador de un régimen malvado". El otro participante en la reunión era menos conocido: Maarten Petermann, un gerente de un fondo de cobertura (hedge fund). Cuando más tarde se le preguntó sobre la reunión, Johnson dijo a funcionarios del gobierno del Reino Unido: "No es cierto que me hayan pagado por ninguna reunión en Venezuela". El ex primer ministro dijo que no tenía ninguna relación contractual con el fondo de cobertura Merlyn Advisors. Johnson sugirió más tarde que había estado actuando como un canal diplomático extraoficial, pero semanas después de asistir a la reunión de 45 minutos, The Guardian puede revelar que Johnson recibió £240.000 de Petermann. La revelación se encuentra en los Archivos de Boris, una filtración de datos de la oficina de Boris Johnson, su oficina privada, que recibe una asignación financiada por los contribuyentes. Los archivos contienen un contrato con Merlyn Advisors firmado por Johnson meses antes, en septiembre de 2023. El contrato, redactado por Merlyn, señala que Johnson, "a lo larg…
A DOJ lawyer accused Harvard of ‘indifference to antisemitism.’ As a Harvard undergrad he wrote a paper from Hitler’s perspective. By Hilary Burns and Tal Kopan Globe Staff,Updated September 2, 2025, 2 hours ago Michael Velchik's Latin Oration at Harvard Commencement 2012.JIM HARRISON The cornerstone of the Trump administration’s justification for cracking down on Harvard University is that the Ivy League school has allegedly allowed antisemitism to fester on campus. “The choice was made, let’s not give federal taxpayer dollars to institutions that exhibit a wanton indifference to antisemitism,” the lawyer defending the government’s case said in federal court in July. RELATED: Inside the war on Harvard Yet that lawyer, Michael Velchik, when he was a senior at Harvard 14 years ago, submitted a paper for a Latin class written from the perspective of Adolf Hitler, according to three people studying in the department with knowledge of the incident. The assignment was to write from the perspective of a controversial figure, but Velchik’s choice of Hitler so unnerved the instructor that he was asked to redo the assignment. And in an email to a peer about 18 months later, as he was preparing to enter law school, Velchik wrote that he‘d enjoyed Hitler’s autobiography and political manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” more than any other book he’d read recently during a year of travels, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by The Boston Globe. He did not mention Hitler’s perpetration of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were murdered. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related ‘Don’t negotiate’: Trump wants at least $500 million from Harvard to end monthslong pressure campaign Harvard hiring investigation could upend employment practices for institutions well beyond academia Students are coming back, and that could make Harvard’s negotiations with the White House even m…
Will Lewis, previously the general manager of Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. company during a period that has since come under heightened legal scrutiny, is now publisher of The Washington Post. ANATOMY OF A FALL A New Twist in the U.K. Phone-Hacking Scandal Was Will Lewis—now publisher of The Washington Post—complicit in covering up the crimes that brought down an infamous British tabloid? BY NICK DAVIES AUGUST 30, 2025 READING TIME: 5 MINUTES For years while I was investigating the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s London tabloid News of the World, I reckoned Will Lewis was not a criminal. Long before he was knighted by Boris Johnson, promoted by Murdoch to run The Wall Street Journal, and then poached by Jeff Bezos to become publisher of The Washington Post, Lewis was general manager of Murdoch’s U.K. company. I had written dozens of stories about the scandal for The Guardian before his name even surfaced. It was in the summer of 2011, when we disclosed that the News of the World had hacked into the voicemail of a 13-year-old murder victim, Milly Dowler, that Lewis stepped forward as one of the good guys, claiming that he would “drain the swamp,” helping the police to uncover the catalogue of crimes committed by journalists in search of stories to please their master. A senior News Corp technician was ordered to destroy the backups of 30.1 million company e-mails. The first doubt about Lewis’s innocence came a couple of years later, in the winter of 2013, at London’s Central Criminal Court, “the Old Bailey.” In the dock were Murdoch’s former editor Andy Coulson, who had risen to become the right-hand man of then prime minister David Cameron; another former editor, Rebekah Brooks, who had risen to become chief executive of Murdoch’s U.K. company; and a group of senior journalists from the News of the World. They were charged variously with hacking the voicemail accounts of politicians, athletes, and entertainers, and paying bribes to police officers. Coulson and…
A related mistake has been the belief that CCP efforts to infiltrate and influence Chinese diaspora communities, particularly through united front work, are relatively harmless. The MSS’s foreign operations have always been hotly focused on suppressing what it calls the ‘five poisons’: Uyghur activists, Tibetan activists, Taiwanese activists, democracy activists and Falun Gong practitioners.10 Until very recently, intelligence agencies didn’t pay attention to these activities. They were seen as insignificant ethnic community affairs even as they impinged 194 upon the freedoms of citizens.11 This has its roots in ignorance and ambivalence towards ethnic Chinese communities. Today, the failure by governments around the world to care about united front work in Chinese communities is leading to serious and broad consequences. The diversity of Chinese community organisations and media has collapsed in many countries. Where most groups were independent or aligned with Taiwan in the past, today many of the loudest community bodies in countries such as Australia and Canada are run by CCP-aligned individuals who have been courted by the Party’s united front work agencies
“This is why the Church of England learnt absolutely no lessons from these appalling events: because they basically believed it was the women’s fault in the first place.” https://www.thetimes.com/article/9bc44d7f-ca77-4f67-8403-b1621765aeb2?shareToken=caaf9c73ef806d925924c0a51b7cb968 Lord Carey of Clifton, who was archbishop when the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS) imploded amid scandal in 1995, said in his autobiography that women abused by the cult leader Chris Brain should accept some blame.
Back in New York, Jane Doe 2 was appointed as Norlha’s English teacher, obliging her to be alone with him more regularly. During these sessions and at other times when she was attending to him, Norlha would force her to lie on the floor or in his bed, where he would rub his groin against her until he ejaculated, according to the lawsuit. Eventually, Jane Doe 2 also enrolled in the three-year retreat, where she alleges Norlha had nonconsensual penetrative sex with her on multiple occasions. According to the lawsuit, she told several people about the assaults, including Skolnick, KTC Treasurer Shoshana Rogner, and two prominent masters of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism: Tai Situ and Mingyur Rinpoche. Situ allegedly encouraged her to not make a big deal of the abuse because “Norlha was a good person,” according to the lawsuit; Mingyur Rinpoche allegedly took no steps to address the claims. The two men are closely associated with Ogyen Trinley Dorje, a claimant to the title of karmapa, or leader, of the Kagyu lineage, whose North American headquarters are at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery outside Woodstock. Dorje has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault himself, including in a lawsuit filed in federal court last year that was ultimately withdrawn.