TIBETAN EXISTENCE. TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET IS THE QUESTION FOR THE FUTURE DALAI LAMA
Tibetan Existence. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
“To be, or not to be – that is the question.” Tibetan Existence is truly endangered by relentless, brutal military occupation since 1950. Tibetans face just one question. The question is, “How to Oppose the Occupation of Tibet?” Nothing else really matters. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
Special Frontier Force
Tibetan Existence. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
Twitter is canceling the Dalai Lama because he said a female successor should be ‘attractive’
Tibetan Existence. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
The fourteenth Dalai Lama (83 years) and the spiritual guru of the Buddhists from Tibet (Photo by Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the 14th person to hold the title, made waves this week when he said his successor, if a woman, needs to be physically attractive.
Rajini Vaidyanathan
✔ @BBCRajiniV
This was perhaps the most surprising moment in the interview. I asked the Dalai Lama if he stood by his earlier comment that if his successor was female, she should be attractive.
Tibetan Existence. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
“You once said that you would be open to a female successor,” BBC News reporter Rajini Vaidyanathan asked the religious leader, in a video interview published Thursday on Twitter.
“That’s also possible,” the Dalai Lama confirmed.
“You also told one of my colleagues that, that female must be attractive, otherwise it’s not much use,” she continued. “…Can you see why that comment upset a lot of women?”
The Dalai Lama answered, “If a female Dalai Lama comes, she should be more attractive.” If not, “people, I think prefer, not see her, that face.”
The reporter asked, “It’s about who you are inside, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I think both,” he said. “Real beauty is inner beauty, that’s true. But we’re human beings. I think the appearance is also important.”
The religious leader also suggested that most people would prefer not to look at a “dead face” and argued that women in the public eye should wear makeup.
People took issue with his comments, calling his holiness “canceled.”
Author Jessica Valenti tweeted that this moment was “about as 2019 as it gets.”
Others just felt disappointed.
Some called out what they felt was the absurdity of his comments and made jokes.
One person even suggested singer and icon Dolly Parton step into the role.
These weren’t the only remarks the Dalai Lama made that raised eyebrows this week. He also told the BBC that European nations should be obliged to take in those who are fleeing their home countries, but that those people should ultimately be taught skills and return home, saying, “European countries should take these refugees and give them education and training, and the aim is – return to their own land with certain skills.”
He continued, “But the whole of Europe [will] eventually become Muslim country – impossible. Or African country, also impossible.”
Tibetan Existence. To tweet or not to tweet is the question for the future Dalai Lama.
The Cold War in Asia. Blessings of Peace to Korea.
The spread of Communism to mainland China initiated ‘The Cold War in Asia’. People of the Korean Peninsula are fully entitled to their Freedom and the Blessings of Peace.
In my analysis, things in Asia will change if and only if China grants full, and “meaningful” autonomy to Tibetans who lost their freedom due to China’s military conquest of Tibet in 1950.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
Trump touts Kim meeting at DMZ as ‘legendary,’ but little has changed
By Eli Stokols and Victoria Kim
Jun 30, 2019 | 9:00 AM
| Seoul
The Cold War in Asia. Blessings of Peace to Korea.
President Trump arrives to speak to troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Sunday shortly after a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the DMZ. (Susan Walsh / AP)
Moments before his meeting with Kim Jong Un, as President Trump stared into North Korea for the first time, he still nursed a familiar grievance: The media don’t appreciate his accomplishments.
Standing atop an observation point on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone, Trump listened as a general briefed him on the military significance of the location. Then he gave his own assessment, in which he played a central role.
“There was great conflict here prior to our meeting in Singapore,” Trump said, referring to his first summit with Kim last year. “Tremendous conflict and death, all around them. And it’s now been extremely peaceful. It’s been a whole different world.”
“I say that for the press,” he went on. “They have no appreciation for what is being done, none. There was great conflict here prior to our meeting in Singapore. After our first summit, all of the danger went away.”
Trump called his impromptu meeting with Kim, in which he became the first U.S. president to set foot in North Korea, “historic” and “very legendary.”
Foreign policy analysts were less impressed.
“It’s only ‘historic’ if it leads to de-nuke negotiations, a verifiable agreement and a peace treaty,” said Victor Cha, a former national security council official who served as President George W. Bush’s envoy to North Korea. “Otherwise it’s just some nice pics and pageantry.”
Samantha Vinograd, who served on the national security council under President Obama, said Trump had effectively moved his own goalposts backward, tacitly walking away from his initial demand for complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
“By shaking hands with Kim Jong Un at the DMZ with no preconditions attached, he’s really signaling that his metric for success at this point is the status quo, which is no long-range missile tests and no nuclear tests,” but North Korea keeping its nuclear arsenal, she said.
“Kim has no reason to denuclearize, but every reason to push Trump for what he’s wanted all along, phased sanctions relief.”
“North Korea under Trump is a normalized, nuclear power.”
A year after Trump’s first meeting with Kim, in Singapore, North Korea remains a dangerous adversary. Kim’s government has continued to develop its nuclear stockpile, which is larger and more powerful now than when Trump took office.
The North Koreans have stopped testing long-range missiles that have potential to reach U.S. territory, but have not dismantled them and continue to test missiles that appear designed to evade U.S. defenses and could threaten Japan and South Korea.
And even some of Trump’s top advisors doubt the North Koreans will ever agree to the U.S. demand that they give up the nuclear weapons that generations of the Kim family have pursued as the ultimate guarantee of their rule.
The practical upshot of Trump’s 53-minute meeting with Kim was an agreement to restart nuclear talks. The two sides would resume working-level discussions, Trump said — effectively a return to where negotiations stood 15 months ago.
“We are going to have teams, they are going to meet over the next weeks, they are going to start a process, and we will see what happens,” he said.
The Cold War in Asia. Blessings of Peace to Korea.
Trump meets Kim Jong Un at DMZ and becomes first sitting U.S. president to enter North Korea
By Eli Stokols and Victoria Kim
Jun 29, 2019 | 11:55 PM
Trump did not say if he and Kim discussed the economic sanctions that severely restrict North Korea’s exports and bar key imports, including oil. So far, the U.S. has said those won’t be lifted unless North Korea denuclearizes. Trump indicated the sanctions could be part of talks as negotiations resume.
“Sanctions remain, yes, but at some point, during the negotiations, things can happen,” he said. “At some point, look, I’m looking forward to taking them off.”
That’s a softer stance than Trump took at his previous meeting with Kim in Hanoi, when he walked out after Kim made an offer to dismantle only one part of the North’s extensive complex of nuclear facilities. At those talks, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and national security advisor John Bolton, who are more hawkish toward North Korea than the president, were involved.
Bolton was far away, en route to a meeting in Mongolia on Sunday when Trump and Kim met. Pompeo accompanied Trump to South Korea, and the president’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined him in crossing the border into North Korea, an experience that Ivanka Trump later called “surreal.”
Pompeo told reporters traveling with him that if Trump’s action was a gamble, “it worked.”
“The president, by getting together with Chairman Kim today, broke through and was able to get us the opportunity to get back to the negotiating table,” he said. “It’s good for North Korea, it’s good for America, good for the world.”
Pompeo said he expected the working-level talks to begin around mid-July in a place to be determined. The U.S. delegation will be led by special representative Stephen Biegun, and the North Korean side will be represented by a foreign ministry official, possibly the foreign minister, Pompeo said.
For Trump, however, the details of denuclearization talks took second place to shaping public perceptions of his unorthodox diplomacy.
He boasted that “tremendous things are happening,” and even as he insisted, he’s in no hurry to cement a final agreement, he continued to carp at the media for refusing to join in the hagiography he relishes.
In his own version of the story, the Korean peninsula was “a fiery mess” until his election, which has brought about “two and a half years of peace.”
“You don’t report it accurately, but that’s OK,” Trump said to reporters after his talk with Kim had concluded. “Someday history will record it accurately.”
Trump’s political opponents took a more skeptical view.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said on Twitter that while Trump and Kim met, “North Korea continues to build nuclear weapons. Another typical Trump ‘show.'”
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, interviewed on CNN, said Trump’s diplomacy with North Korea had little to show for itself.
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“We’ve seen a history here,” she said. “Donald Trump announces these summits, and nothing really comes out of it.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, by contrast, who has staked his presidency on improving relations with North Korea, appeared eager to stoke Trump’s assessment of his role.
“I’d like to pay my tribute to the creative and bold approach that President Trump has demonstrated,” Moon said, after waiting in a separate room at the DMZ as Trump and Kim met.
“This has presented a big hope for the 80 million Korean people as well as the people of the whole world.”
The intensity with which the president tried to drive home his preferred narrative only highlighted how much he felt the need to do so — to proclaim a version of events that offers more than the reality that, after three meetings, North Korea continues to be a nuclear state, one that Trump himself has now legitimized on the world stage.
Kim has taken maximum advantage of Trump’s willingness to meet. At the DMZ, a coterie of North Korean state media accompanied him. They jostled with American and South Korean journalists to capture images of Kim once again walking shoulder to shoulder with Trump and the U.S. president stepping across the border.
The images and video from the meeting will boost Kim domestically, making up for the embarrassment he suffered after returning from February’s summit in Hanoi empty-handed.
Before heading to the DMZ, Trump bristled when asked what Kim had done in the four months since then to deserve another face-to-face meeting with the president.
Reminded by a reporter that Kim has continued to launch short-range missiles in recent months, Trump brushed off the tests.
“Small missiles,” he said. “Every country tests.”
Asked by another reporter if he was able to determine whether Kim had executed his former lead negotiator, which some South Korean media had reported, Trump couldn’t say for sure the status of the North Korean team.
“I can tell you the main person is [alive], we know that, and I would hope the rest are too,” he said. “I would really hope that the rest are too.”
At the end of his three-day Asia trip, before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, Trump found a receptive audience for his version of events when he addressed troops at Osan Air Base in Seoul.
Using Marine One as a backdrop, Trump began his remarks by recounting his meeting with Kim, repeating his claim that the meeting came together in a day after he suggested the DMZ rendezvous in a tweet Saturday morning and again celebrating his handshake diplomacy as a major breakthrough.
“I actually stepped into North Korea and they say it’s a very historic moment,” Trump said.
Treating the speech to troops much like a campaign rally, Trump bashed Democrats, cursed and used a familiar and suspicious trope — claiming that some unidentified people had been deeply moved by his presence.
“Many people, I noticed, from Korea were literally in tears,” Trump said.
Staff writers Laura J. King and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.
The Cold War in Asia. Blessings of Peace to Korea.
I am a Refugee hosting ‘The Living Tibetan Spirits’ in my consciousness. I am disappointed with President Trump’s “Keep America First Policy” for he placed the Great Tibet Problem on ‘The Back Burner’.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
The Dalai Lama on Trump.
The Dalai Lama on Trump, women and going home – BBC News
He is, without a doubt, one of the best-known people on the planet. In an age where celebrity is worshipped, the Dalai Lama is a faith leader who has become a spiritual superstar.
As he approaches his 84th birthday, the monk who has handed out millions of handshakes and crafted as many inspirational quotes, is candid and at times shocking.
I met him at his residence high in the mountains, in the town of McLeod-Ganj near Dharamshala in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
For a man so revered – seen as superhuman by many – he was refreshingly down to Earth. As he entered the room wearing his trademark red robes, assisted by his aides, he emanated the air of an approachable Clark Kent rather than an unearthly Superman.
And yet this is a man who has met world leaders and shared stages with pop stars and actors. A man who has long been a thorn in China’s side.
“One Chinese official once called me a demon,” he said laughing, before raising his hands to his head to mimic horns. “When I first heard that, my response was – yes, I’m a demon with horns.”
“I pity their ignorance, their political thinking is very narrow minded,” he added as he chuckled.
The Dalai Lama on Trump.
Image caption The view from the Dalai Lama’s residence in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh
The grudge with China is longstanding and has defined his entire life. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee his home of Tibet in 1959 after China sent troops into the region.
He sought refuge in India and for six decades has been living in exile in Dharamsala along with some 10,000 Tibetans. His monastery – which overlooks the snow-capped peaks of the Dhauladhar range in the Himalayas – is breathtakingly beautiful. But the view is bittersweet.
His life’s cause – to return home – remains a distant dream, even if he insists it may yet happen. “The Tibetan people have trust in me, they ask me [to] come to Tibet,” he says.
But in the next breath he adds that India has also become his “spiritual home”. An implicit acceptance, perhaps, that his goal of an autonomous Tibet is far from reality.
While he “formally” stepped down from political responsibilities in 2011, as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people he has continued to be their figurehead.
The Dalai Lama on Trump
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Chinese troops stand guard near the Tibet border in 1959
There haven’t been talks between his representatives and China for many years.
The Dalai Lama told me China’s President Xi Jinping had yet to ask him for a meeting. He did tell me that he had had some discussions with retired Chinese officials in the past few years, but none of these seem to have moved the dial.
In the 1950s, when China first sent troops in, Tibet was poor. Now it is an economic behemoth and its growing influence has in many ways overshadowed the Dalai Lama’s cause.
There was a time when the Dalai Lama was the toast of capitals around the world as US presidents lined up to meet him. George W Bush famously presented him with the Congressional gold medal while Barack Obama met him on several occasions, including in Delhi in 2017 after he left office.
But relations with the current occupant of the White House are very different. Despite being open to a meeting with President Donald Trump, the Dalai Lama told me that Mr. Trump, who is close to China’s Xi, had never asked for one.
The Dalai Lama’s advancing years may have curtailed his foreign travel schedule, but the spiritual leader says he hasn’t received a call from Mr. Trump either.
In a scathing assessment, he said the 45th president’s time in office was defined by a “lack of moral principle”, a contrast to remarks made in 2016 when he said he had “no worries” about a Trump presidency.
“When he became president, he expressed America first. That is wrong,” the Dalai Lama told me.
The withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and the migrant crisis are two big areas of concern. “When I saw pictures of some of those young children, I was sad,” he said of the situation at the US-Mexico border. “America… should take a global responsibility.”
The Dalai Lama is keen to separate his relationship with the president, or lack of one, with that of other American politicians. He highlights the vice-president’s support for the Tibetan people and the backing he has enjoyed from politicians in both houses of Congress.
President Trump’s apparent snub is reflective of the wider pressure Beijing can exert on those who engage with the Dalai Lama.
In 2012, China temporarily froze relations with the UK after David Cameron met him and. last year, the Indian government cancelled its plans for a celebration to mark 60 years of his exile, for fear it would upset Beijing.
The Dalai Lama on Trump
Image copyright PA Image caption David Cameron meets the Dalai Lama in 2008
The Dalai Lama’s world view is inherently global. When we discuss Brexit, he tells me that he is “an admirer of the European Union” pointing out that global partnerships have been key in avoiding major conflicts.
But the world’s most famous refugee has some surprising views on immigration.
In a speech last year, he said that refugees to the European Union should ultimately return home, adding that “Europe is for Europeans”, a statement he stood by when I challenged him on it.
“European countries should take these refugees and give them education and training, and the aim is return to their own land with certain skills,” he said.
The Dalai Lama believes the end game should be to rebuild the countries people have fled. But with some 70 million people displaced across the world according to the latest figures, what if people want to stay?
“A limited number is OK, but the whole of Europe [will] eventually become Muslim country, African country – impossible,” he said. A controversial viewpoint, and a reminder that while the Dalai Lama is a spiritual figurehead, he is also a politician with views and opinions like everyone else.
The Dalai Lama on Trump
Image caption The Dalai Lama’s monastery overlooks the snow-capped peaks of the Dhauladhar range in the Himalayas
Later in our conversation I also challenged him on another remark he made in 2015, when he said if he was followed by a female Dalai Lama, she would have to be attractive.
In another surprise, he reaffirmed his belief that beauty matters as much as brains. “If a female Dalai Lama comes, she should be more attractive,” he told me while laughing.
His message seemed at odds for a man who preaches a message of tolerance and inner confidence, but the Dalai Lama told me that in Buddhist literature both inner and outer beauty matter. He also said that equality was important and was keen to stress that he supported women’s rights and equal pay in the workplace.
As the interview ended, I was struck by how unexpectedly frank our discussion had been, which reminded me of something the Dalai Lama had told me earlier in the day.
One advantage of not being able to return home to Tibet, he said, was that India is a free country where he can express himself openly.
The Dalai Lama’s message of unity is universal – but for a man famed for his compassion, he can also be controversial.
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Wetland scenery near Mount Chomolhari in Shigatse, Tsang Province, Tibet
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
A local villager herds sheep at a wetland near Mount Chomolhari in Tsang Province, Dromo County of Shigatse City, Tibet, June 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
The photo was taken on June 20, 2019, shows the scenery of Mount Chomolhari and a village in Tsang Province, Dromo County of Shigatse City, Tibet. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
The photo was taken on June 20, 2019, shows the scenery of Mount Chomolhari and wetland in Tsang Province, Dromo County of Shigatse City, Tibet. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Horses search for food at a wetland near Mount Chomolhari in Tsang Province, Dromo County of Shigatse City, Tibet. The photo was taken on June 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Herds of cattle walk across a wetland near Mount Chomolhari in Tsang Province, Dromo County of Shigatse City, Tibet. The photo was taken on June 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
BLESSINGS OF MOUNT CHOMOLHARI, YADONG COUNTY, TIBET
Blessings of Mount Chomolhari, Tsang Province, Shigatse City, Tibet. Never a part of China. The military conquest and occupation of Tibet will never alter the history of this Land and its inhabitants.
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Tibet Awareness – Blessings of Mount Chomolhari proclaim Tibet is Never a Part of China
Wetland scenery near Mount Chomolhari in Shigatse, Tsang Province, Tibet
WELCOME TO THE SUMMER SEASON 2019. WHOLE MECHANICS-WHOLE DYNAMICS
Welcome to the Summer Season 2019. Whole Mechanics-Whole Dynamics.
On Friday, June 21, 2019, I celebrate the Summer Solstice, the beginning of the Summer Season sharing my thoughts on this celestial event.
Welcome to the Summer Season 2019. Whole Mechanics-Whole Dynamics.
The Man’s experience of Day and Night, and of the changing Seasons are not determined by the true or real motions of Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy. The experience of the Summer Season is not on account of planet Earth’s proximity to Sun during its circular orbit around Sun.
Welcome to the Summer Season 2019. Whole Mechanics-Whole Dynamics.
I apply Pure Reasoning, or the Doctrine of Rationalism to formulate my concepts of Whole Mechanics and Whole Dynamics. In practical terms, the Geocentric Theory is valid for it accounts for the experience of Day and Night, and of the changing Seasons. Most importantly, the Man needs the experience of his existence on the surface of a Flat Disc with an overhead arched dome called Sky or Heaven where he observes the apparent motions of Sun, stars, and planets.
Welcome to the Summer Season 2019. Whole Mechanics-Whole Dynamics.
Hello, Summer! Today’s Solstice Marks Season’s Beginning | Space
Summer will officially arrive in the Northern Hemisphere today (June 21), marking the longest day, the shortest night and the beginning of summer.
The June solstice will occur at 11:54 a.m. EDT (1554 GMT), as the sun reaches the point at which it is farthest north of the celestial equator. To be more precise, when the solstice occurs, the sun will appear to shine directly overhead for a viewer stationed on the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23.5 degrees north) in the western Atlantic Ocean, roughly 600 miles (965 kilometers) to the northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
From midnorthern latitudes, we can never see the sun directly overhead, but the same principle holds. For example, as seen from Philadelphia at 1:02 p.m. EDT on solstice day, the sun will attain its highest point in the sky for this entire year, standing 74 degrees above the southern horizon.
To gauge how high that is, your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures roughly 10 degrees, so from the City of Brotherly Love, the sun will appear to climb more than “seven fists” above the southern horizon. And since the sun will appear to describe such a high arc across the sky, daylight will be at its longest extreme, lasting 15 hours and 1 minute.
Twilight zones
But this doesn’t mean we can stargaze for the remaining 9 hours, because we also need to take twilight into consideration. Around the time of the June solstice at latitude 40 degrees north, morning and evening twilight each last 2 hours, so the sky is fully dark for only 5 hours.
Farther north, twilight lasts even longer. At 45 degrees, it lingers for 2.5 hours, and at 50 degrees, twilight persists through the night; the sky never gets completely dark. In contrast, heading south, twilight is shorter. At latitude 30, it lasts 96 minutes, while at the latitude of San Juan, it lingers for only 80 minutes. This phenomenon is why travelers from the northern U.S. who visit the Caribbean at this time of year get surprised at how quickly it gets dark after sunset compared to back home.
Incidentally, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset do not coincide with the summer solstice. The former occurred on June 14, while the latter does not come until June 27.
So far, so good
Some people think the Earth is at the closest point to the sun in its orbit at this time of year, but it is just the opposite. On July 4, at 6:11 p.m. EDT (2211 GMT), we’ll be at the point in our orbit farthest from the sun (called aphelion), 94,513,221 miles (152,104,285 km).
Conversely, back on Jan. 3, Earth was at perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the sun. The difference in distance between these two extremes measures 3,109,667 miles (5,004,524 km), or 3.3% of the average distance between the sun and Earth. That small change leads to a difference of nearly 7% in the radiant heat received by the Earth.
Theoretically, for the Northern Hemisphere, the difference in the distance to the sun tends to warm our winters and cool our summers. But, the preponderance of large land masses in the Northern Hemisphere outweighs this effect, making our winters colder and summers hotter than those of the Southern Hemisphere.
Interestingly, it would be a much different story if we were on Mars. Compared to our nearly circular orbit, the orbit of Mars is noticeably more eccentric (elliptical). When Mars arrives at aphelion, the planet is receiving only 69% as much sunlight as it does at perihelion. This situation creates a seasonal asymmetry on Mars; the Martian southern hemisphere always suffers greater extremes between summer and winter than the northern hemisphere does.
After Aug. 7, it “gets late early”
After the sun arrives at its solstice point, it will begin to migrate back toward the south, and the amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere will decrease. Consider this: After today, the duration of daylight will not increase again until two days before Christmas.
But if you think about it, the length of daylight has been rather substantial since about the middle of May. And the lowering of the sun’s path in the sky and the diminishing of the daylight hours in the coming days and weeks will be rather subtle, at least initially, during the first half or so of summer.
The traditional midpoint of the summer season is Aug. 1 which is marked on some Christian calendars as Lammas Day. The name is derived from the Old English “loaf-mass,” because it was once observed as a harvest festival. But summer’s true midpoint — the moment that comes exactly between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox in 2019 — will not occur until Aug. 7 at 7:52 a.m. EDT (1152 GMT). On that day, again, as seen from Philadelphia, the sun will set at 8:08 p.m., with the loss of daylight since June 21 amounting to just 57 minutes.
But in the second half of summer, the effects of the southward shift of the sun’s direct rays become much more noticeable. When autumn officially arrives, on Sept. 23, the sun for Philadelphians will set at 6:56 p.m., while the city will have lost 2 full hours of daylight since Aug. 7.
When he occasionally played left field during his Hall of Fame career with the Yankees, Yogi Berra would say that he didn’t mind the outfield, except for one thing: During August and September, as the shadows across the ball field progressively lengthened, it got increasingly difficult for him to see a baseball hit in his direction. Berra might not have been able to explain the science of why the altitude of the sun lowered so perceptibly during the latter half of the summer, but, as only he could do, he was able to sum it all up in a simple Yogism: “It gets late early out there.”
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Verizon FiOS1 News in New York’s lower Hudson Valley. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Welcome to the Summer Season 2019. Whole Mechanics-Whole Dynamics.
I AM A REFUGEE WITH NO REFUGE ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY
I host ‘The Living Tibetan Spirits’ in my Consciousness. I am a Refugee and I have no Refuge on World Refugee Day.
I host ‘The Living Tibetan Spirits’ in my Consciousness. On Thursday, June 20, 2019, I observe the World Refugee Day with the feelings of hopelessness for I am a Refugee and I have no Refuge.
Each June 20, the globe comes together to honor World Refugee Day. The United Nations General Assembly launched the holiday in 2000, and since then, the worldwide community has spent the day focused on ways to improve the lives of refugees. Most of us know that refugees are forced to leave their homes due to war, terror, or other crises—but fleeing their home country is often just the beginning of a difficult journey. Many refugees find themselves living in camps until they are resettled—some of which are dangerous or not well-equipped for long term living. Refugees don’t always have a say in which country they are ultimately relocated to, and the bureaucratic process involved in finding their new home can take years. Worldwide refugee crises have taken center stage in the news in recent years, so it’s more important than ever to share support and to celebrate World Refugee Day.
How to Observe World Refugee Day
Attend a United Nations event
The UN plans to host live digital events on World Refugee Day discussing the world refugee crisis, future goals surrounding the topic, and how to make a difference. Be on the lookout for summaries of the events’ happenings or see if you can attend for yourself.
Be a friend to refugees in your community
Reach out to refugees in your area. Consider inviting them into your home for dinner, or to spend a few nights in your guest room if they’re in need of somewhere to stay. Introduce them to your local community so they’ll have an easier time getting to know their new neighborhood. Simply being a friend can make a major positive impact in someone’s life and serving as a guide to the community can be incredibly helpful.
Use your job to make a difference
No matter what you do for a living, there’s a good chance that your professional skills can be used to improve the lives of others. Volunteer your work-related talents to local refugee organizations. Last year, the UN shared a goal that someday soon, every refugee would have the opportunity for an education, a safe place to live, and ways to work and contribute to their communities. Chances are, you’ve got a skill or talent that can help in working toward one of those goals. If you own a business or are a hiring manager, you may also consider employing local refugees who need work.
Why World Refugee Day is Important
It builds empathy and raises awareness
The vastness of the world refugee crisis can be hard to grasp but raising awareness can help make it easier for others to understand the extent of what refugees around the world are going through. It also builds a sense of empathy and compassion that brings people together from all walks of life, and that’s always a positive thing
It provides an incentive to create a more peaceful world
In a more peaceful world, fewer people would be forced to flee their homes due to violence and unrest. Naturally, this would make for a significant decrease in suffering around the world. While working towards greater peace isn’t something that can happen overnight, it’s an important goal, and World Refugee Day reminds us of just how vital it is.
It encourages us to be better friends, neighbors, and citizens
It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of such a massive worldwide crisis but taking small steps can help make a difference. World Refugee Day encourages all of us to think creatively about what we can do to help. It also motivates everyone celebrating the holiday to be better neighbors to refugees living in their communities and to be more compassionate world citizens in general.
From the beginning of human civilization, from the times of the origin of the Anatomically Modern Man in Tibet and India, the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ formulated the bond between the people of India and Tibet. These people participate in ritualistic worship of Mountains, and of bodies of Water such as the lakes and rivers which shape their earthly living experience. They seek the presence of the LORD God Creator in the acts of His Creation.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
The Sanatana Dharma Bond between India and Tibet.
First Group Of Kailash-Mansarovar Pilgrims For 2019 Yatra Reach Tibet
The Sanatana Dharma Bond between India and Tibet.
Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra: “All the members of the batch are safe. They were found medically fit by Indo-Tibetan Border Police or ITBP doctors during a check-up at Gunji.
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: June 20, 2019 13:52 IST
The Sanatana Dharma Bond between India and Tibet.
Pilgrims on the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra have reached Tibet for darshan (File Photo)
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand:
The first batch of 58 Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims reached Tibet today through the Lipulekh pass.
The pilgrims crossed over into Tibet through the Lipulekh pass located at 17,500 feet on way to Kailash-Mansarovar at 8:15 am, said Ashok Joshi, General Manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam or KMVN, the nodal agency for the yatra.
“All the members of the batch are safe. They were found medically fit by Indo-Tibetan Border Police or ITBP doctors during a check-up at Gunji.
“The batch will return to the pass after spending seven days in Tibet where the pilgrims will have a darshan (view) of the holy Mount Kailash believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. They will also take a dip in the sacred Mansarovar lake,” Mr. Joshi said.
Besides the first batch, two other batches of pilgrims have also reached close to the Lipulekh pass, he added.
I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.
I believe in the doctrine called ‘Predestination’. I do not believe in Free-Will, or Will to Choose. I am not running away from God. I cannot choose to disobey God. It may seem that I am making choices and that I may have preplanned my moves. My Life’s Journey began in Mylapore, Madras, Chennai, India. Amongst other places, my Journey took me to Doom Dooma, Tinsukia District, Assam, India during 1972. While I worked in Doom Dooma, I got married during January 1973 as per God’s Plan. Eventually, I arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the USA with the thoughts of Fear forcing me to live as a Refugee.
I find myself living and surviving inside the belly of a Big Fish or Great Whale. Prophet Jonah survived his ordeal just for three days and three nights. The Son of Man remained in the heart of the earth just for three days, and three nights.
I am living with the Hope that God has not forsaken me. God has not forgotten my plight or ordeal. God has a Plan for my Salvation. I am a Refugee for it is Predestined. But when will I find my Refuge?
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson. I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson. I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson. I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson. I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson. I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.
10 Great Lessons from the Book of Jonah
By Wayne Jackson
I am a Refugee. When will I find my Refuge? Father’s Day Lesson.
The prophet Jonah lived in the Galilean city of Gath-Hepher (about four miles north of Nazareth) during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.), king of Israel (cf. 2 Kgs. 14:25). Jeroboam II was northern Israel’s most powerful king, and during his administration, the borders of the nation were expanded to their greatest extent since the time of David and Solomon.
Assyria, however, five hundred miles to the east, was a constant threat. The fact of the matter is, due to Israel’s progressive rebellion, the prophets Hosea and Amos, contemporaries of Jonah, had declared that Jehovah would use Assyria as an instrument of punishment against his people (cf. Hos. 11:5; Amos 5:27). Any patriotic Israelite would have longed for Assyria’s destruction!
One can scarcely imagine, therefore, the consternation that must have filled Jonah’s heart when he received the Lord’s word instructing him to proceed to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, with a divine message.
Jonah’s Resistance
Although the prophet’s brief declaration to Nineveh was one of judgment, nonetheless, Jonah was aware of the fact that Jehovah is a “gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness” (Jon. 4:2). Hence, it was certain that if the inhabitants of that great city were responsive to his message, Heaven would certainly spare them. And Jonah did not want that.
Accordingly, Jonah went to Joppa where he boarded a ship bound for Tarshish, a Phoenician colony on the southwest coast of Spain some two thousand miles to the west. The express design of his trip was to flee from the presence of Jehovah (Jon. 1:3).
But, as every Bible student knows, his plans were soon thwarted. Where men propose, God can dispose!
When a great storm arose, and the inmates of the vessel feared for their very lives, Jonah confessed that he, as a refugee from the Lord, was the cause of the calamity. Though the prophet’s sailing companions did not like the idea, they ultimately were forced to accept Jonah’s suggestion that he be thrown overboard.
Down he went into the dark depths of the Mediterranean, seaweed swirling about his head (cf. Jon. 2:5). Presently, he was devoured by a great creature of the deep. One might almost say that the Lord sent Jonah to school for three days, and the classroom was the belly of a great sea-monster. The prophet matriculated wonderfully well, graduating with a diploma in “mission responsibility”!
Jonah Preaches to Nineveh
Making his way to Nineveh, a journey that would have taken more than a month and thus provided ample time for sober reflection, Jonah entered the great city with his blunt message (consisting of only five words in the Hebrew text):
“Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”
Amazingly, there was mass repentance, from the king (Ashur-dan III, according to Assyrian records) down to the commoner.
Jonah was quite distraught at this turn of events and he despaired, even to the point of wanting to die. Resolutely, he perched himself on a hilltop nearby, eagerly watching the city in hopes that the Lord would yet destroy it. His education was still incomplete!
As he sat in the scorching sun, God caused a shady vine to grow up for his refreshment and the prophet was glad. On the following day, however, Jehovah sent a worm to smite Jonah’s vine, and as the blistering sun beat upon his head, the man of God again lapsed into a state of abject depression.
Then came Heaven’s stinging rebuke. The Lord in effect said: “Jonah, why is it that you are so concerned with this vine—a mere plant which is temporal, and for which you did not labor; and yet, you evidence utterly no concern for the hapless inhabitants of Nineveh?”
The penetrating inquiry threw a divine floodlight upon the pathetic values of the man from Gath-Hepher.
10 Timeless Lessons from the Book of Jonah
The book of Jonah is filled with valuable information and timeless lessons. Perhaps we could reflect upon a few of these matters.
Jonah’s Story Validated by Christ
First, we should note that this marvelous narrative has suffered the brunt of the critics’ barbs for a long while. Because of the incident of Jonah being swallowed by the sea-creature, many modern scholars contend that the document is pure fiction (cf. Goodspeed 1946, 149).
Jesus Christ, however, did not so view it. He appealed to the narrative as genuine history (cf. Mt. 12:39-41), and this settles the issue for all who have any regard for the Savior’s deity.
Aside from the fact that this event doubtless involved a miracle, the circumstances are not beyond the realm of possibility even from a natural viewpoint (as employed in the providential operations of God). In fact, a number of similar cases have been documented in relatively modern times.
In 1891, a seaman was swallowed by a large sperm whale near the Falkland Islands. After three days, he was recovered, unconscious but alive, though there was some damage to his skin (Wilson 1927, 636). Some, however, dispute the credibility of this story.
Moreover, some critics argue that the book of Jonah depicts the prophet as being swallowed by a “great fish” (Jon. 1:17), while the New Testament suggests that the creature was a “whale” (Mt. 12:40). And, as any schoolboy knows, a whale is a mammal, not a fish.
The fallacy of this ill-conceived argument lies in the fact that both the Hebrew word dag and the Greek word, ketos are generic terms that can apply to any aquatic creature (cf. ASV fn). There is no error here.
The Sovereignty of Jehovah
The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. The Lord controlled the elements of weather (Jon. 1:4, 11, 13, 15; 4:8), and he prepared a sea-creature, a vine, and a worm to do his bidding (Jon. 1:17; 4:6, 7).
God’s Interest in All People
This inspired document reveals the international interest of God, even in the Mosaic era.
Though Jehovah was working primarily through the Hebrew nation as an instrument for the sending of the promised Seed (Gen. 22:18), nevertheless, his compassion for all the people of the earth was abundantly manifested. And the sending of the “missionary,” Jonah, to these Gentile Ninevites was a clear demonstration of this.
God Is in Control
This narrative illustrates a truth so frequently suggested in the Old Testament, namely, that the Lord, not man, is in control of the destiny of nations.
Jehovah rules in the kingdoms of men and disposes of them according to his divine standard (cf. Psa. 22:28; Prov. 14:34; Dan. 2:21; 4:17). Those who think that nations stand or fall because of a “strong national defense” are woefully ignorant of biblical principles.
Nineveh was given forty days to repent. As a result, the nation was spared destruction for about a century and a half. Later, however, when Assyria degenerated again, she was destroyed and the prophet, Nahum, addresses this very matter. Nineveh fell to the Babylonians in 612 B.C.
Mankind is Accountable to the Lord
The book of Jonah demonstrates that ancient peoples who were outside of that Mosaic covenant relationship with Jehovah were nonetheless accountable to Heaven’s moral law.
Jehovah looked down upon Nineveh and observed the wickedness of these people (Jon. 1:2). Since sin is the transgression of divine law (1 Jn. 3:4; cf. Rom. 4:15), the Ninevites were obviously subject to such.
This powerful truth is in direct conflict with the modern theory which contends that those who are “outside of the church” are not subject to the marriage law of God (the design of which is to regulate human morality — cf. 1 Cor. 7:1ff; Heb. 13:4). The whole purpose of this novel concept, of course, is to justify adulterous relationships within the family of God!
People Can Change
This record reveals the power inherent within the word of God when such comes into contact with honest and good hearts (cf. Lk. 8:15). Though Jonah’s message was very brief (as indicated above), it produced the desired effect.
Again, some critics have faulted the divine account at this point, claiming that so trifling a sermon could hardly have produced the results described. But the objection, which stems strictly from subjective bias, ignores the biblical evidence, not the least of which is the testimony of Christ that “the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah” (Mt. 12:41).
Besides that, historical records reveal that the notable city had suffered severe plagues in 765 and 759 B.C. The soil had thus been conditioned for Jonah’s “revival.”
Too, somehow or another the citizens of Nineveh had learned of the prophet’s “resurrection” from the belly of the “fish,” for, as Jesus noted, Jonah was a “sign” to that generation even as the raised Lord would be to his (cf. Lk. 11:30).
Repentance Requires Works
This instructive account, together with the inspired New Testament commentary which discusses it, underscores an important dimension to repentance.
Jesus declared that “the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah” (Mt. 12:41), while the book of Jonah itself informs us that God “saw their [the people of Nineveh] works, that they turned from their evil way” (Jon. 3:10).
Thus, repentance is not, as some allege, a mere sorrow for sin. Rather, it requires turning away from evil conduct.
Moreover, this passage reveals that repentance is a work, and since repentance is essential to salvation (Lk. 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30), it conclusively follows that salvation is not exclusive of all types of works!
The Punishment of Hell
An intriguing passage in the book of Jonah illustrates a vital point about the punishment of the wicked after death.
In graphically poetic language, the agonizing prophet described his horrible ordeal in the sea monster’s belly as an experience akin to being in “hell.” He exclaims:
“I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord . . . out of the belly of hell cried I” (Jon. 2:2).
The Hebrew term is Sheol. Here it denotes the abode of the wicked prior to the Judgement.
Since crying out by reason of affliction certainly indicates conscious suffering, one may conclude that the state of the wicked dead is that of conscious torment—a truth affirmed elsewhere in the sacred record (cf. Lk. 16:23; 2 Pet. 2:9, ASV).
J.W. McGarvey has an excellent discussion of this point in his essay, “Destiny of the Wicked” (n.d., 429, 430).
Conditional Prophecy
Jonah’s message to Nineveh reveals that prophecy is sometimes conditional.
The prophet declared that the great city would be destroyed in forty days. But it survived for a century and a half beyond that time.
Clearly, therefore, the prediction of doom was conditioned upon Nineveh’s response to the prophetic message.
Millennialists would do well to learn from this principle of prophecy.
For example, Israel was promised inheritance of the land of Canaan. That promise, however, was conditioned upon their fidelity to God (cf. Josh. 22:4, 5; 23:1ff), and the time eventually came when they lost their deed to Palestine.
Typology in the Book of Jonah
The book of Jonah presents a beautiful type of the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Though some modernists argue that the concept of a bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead was unknown in Old Testament times, Jesus demonstrated otherwise. He declared:
“[F]or as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the sea-monster; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt. 12:40).
Clearly, the Lord viewed Jonah’s three-day entombment as a foreshadowing of his resurrection from the grave, by which, of course, Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power (Rom. 1:4).
Conclusion
In his epistle to the Romans, Paul wrote:
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime [i.e., the Old Testament Scriptures] were written for our learning, that through patience and through the comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).
Surely the foregoing points of truth, as gleaned from the delightful book of Jonah, are illustrative of the truth of this rich passage.
Why not take some time and refresh yourself with a review of the edifying material in the book of Jonah.
Works Cited
Goodspeed, E. J. 1946. How to Read the Bible. Philadelphia, PA: John C. Winston Co.
McGarvey, J. W. n.d. The destiny of the Wicked. Lard’s Quarterly. Vol. 2.
Wilson, A. J. 1927. Princeton Theological Review, XXV, October.
Scripture References
Hosea 11:5; Amos 5:27; Jonah 4:2; Jonah 1:3; Jonah 2:5; Matthew 12:39-41; Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:4, 11, 13, 15, 4:8; Jonah 1:17, 4:6, 7; Genesis 22:18; Psalm 22:28; Proverbs 14:34; Daniel 2:21, 4:17; Jonah 1:2; 1 John 3:4; Romans 4:15; Hebrews 13:4; Luke 8:15; Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:30; Jonah 3:10; Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30; Jonah 2:2; Luke 16:23; 2 Peter 2:9; Joshua 22:4, 5, 23:1; Romans 1:4; Romans 15:4
In my analysis, the Political Institution called ‘The Dalai Lama’ represents the Government of Tibet while the person called Tenzin Gyatso may have relinquished his power and may identify himself as the Retired Head of State of Tibet. While the exile Tibetan community elected a President of their choice, Tibetans presently living in Occupied Tibet do not participate in the activities of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Tibetans have not yet exercised their Right to Self-Rule or Self-Determination. As such, the Communist Party of China has no legal right to rule or govern Tibet. Military Occupation and Colonization of Tibet cannot abolish The Institution of The Dalai Lama known as The Ganden Phodrang.
Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE
Where is Tibet? Who is The Dalai Lama?
Enigma of the Dalai Lama
The writer is former Ambassador of Pakistan and ex-Assistant Secretary General of OIC
Latest news, courtesy AFP, has it that the US Ambassador to China has called on Beijing to open a ‘substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama’. He made these remarks during a visit to northwest China’s Qinghai province.
This bit of news gives rise to several questions. For one thing, it is something of a pity that, despite having won the Nobel Prize for Peace, the Dalai Lama has hardly been an agitator on the side of peace. Instead, he has often appeared as a tool in the hands of political forces that have an axe to grind against the Peoples’ Republic of China.
One has nothing against the Dalai Lama. He is undoubtedly a very revered personality. He may also be a ‘symbol of peace’ in the estimation of the US administration. But then he has also allowed himself to become a highly controversial political personality and one who has no qualms about being manipulated by certain powers to further their own agendas on the chessboard of international intrigue.
The Dalai Lama went into exile in the 1950s when China asserted its sovereignty over Tibet. He has squandered away several valuable opportunities of coming to terms with the reality of Tibet that has been accepted legally as a part of China by most of the world. This is not the occasion to go into the political complexities of this question. What is important is that the Dalai Lama could perhaps have done greater service to his cause, and to that of peace, if he had adopted the path of reconciliation rather than allow his followers to be kept hostage in a game of high stakes on the international chessboard. It should be more in the character of a revered religious personality and Nobel Peace laureate to work for a denouement leading to a grand reconciliation rather than confrontation.
Be that as it may, it came as something of a disappointment to the well-wishers of the Dalai Lama and his followers to find that he had opted to become a pawn in the US campaign aimed at the ‘containment of China’. Years back, president Bush had presented Tibet’s ‘exiled’ spiritual leader with the US Congress’ highest civilian award and taken advantage of the occasion to offer some gratuitous advice to the Chinese leadership, which the latter understandably had taken exception to.
There was widespread feeling that the timing of the US Congress award to the Dalai Lama was somewhat inappropriate. The only context that this award fitted into was the US obsession with ‘containment’ of China. In this campaign, the Dalai Lama appeared to have allowed his image to be used as a (willing) pawn. Knowing and acknowledging his stature as a religious personality, this can be termed as something of a pity.
The one inference that can be drawn from the latest US statement is that the American administration under President Trump may have the intention to up the ante and revisit the erstwhile forward policy of former president Bush aimed at ‘containment of China’.
It must be recognized that due to its pragmatic and realistic policies, China has meanwhile earned for itself a respected place under the sun. Due to its conscious decision to eschew unnecessary confrontational policies in favor of concentration on a constructive drive veered towards economic development, China has become a major economic prime-mover.
It is a matter of some interest that India appears as an inevitable variable in all the regional equations that concern China. India is host to the Dalai Lama and also the co-signatory of the India-US nuclear deal of doubtful credentials. India, of course, is second to none in its ability to manipulate the twists and turns related to the moves on the international chessboard. In aligning itself with the sole superpower in a China-baiting exercise, it surely must have a very good idea which side its bread is buttered on. No one should have any uncalled-for illusions, though. It would hardly be advisable to underestimate China at this point in time.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2019.
Whole Dude - Whole Concept 