New Post (108) : From Gangsters to Banksters.
1. A few interesting interpretations of the word "bankster" as sourced from the web:
A blend word derived from combining "banker" and "gangster." Usually referred to in the plural form "banksters" to refer to a predatory element within the financial services industry, such as those offering "too good to be true" adjustable mortgage rates for home buyers
A hybrid of the words "banker" and "gangster." These are integral to the capitalist system. While a gangster might steal your possessions with a knife or a gun, a bankster will steal your possessions with a pen, paper and "legal" (read as "unjust") fine print.
A bankster is a member of the financial services industry, primarily interested with the welfare of the capitalist class and their lackeys.
A blending of "banker" and "gangster", used to characterize the inherently fraudulent nature of Fractional-Reserve banking (as opposed to 100% gold reserve backed banking, which is the only honest form of banking).
In more recent popular usage, often refers in a vague way to the forces of "Wall Street", or to those persons in the financial services industry who grow rich despite the continued impoverishment of those who depend on their services, and despite their apparent inability to succeed in business without constant government assistance. Bail outs ?
Small actions by some "artists" , big crashes for "all" & sundry !
2. An alternate view from a highly venerated banker:
http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/ackermann-we-stand-crossroads
Charlie Brown
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Significance of 108 in Hinduism and Yoga.
New Post (107) : Significance of 108 in Hinduism and Yoga.
The number's significance is OPEN to interpretation.
But 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga.
Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the "guru bead," around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun).
A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra—much like the Catholic rosary.
Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence.
According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.
And, yes, one can offer a yoga mala of 108 Sun Salutations.
Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala,
…as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.
Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")
Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.
Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.
1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.
Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.
Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.
Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.
Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
REGARDLESS of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
Charlie Brown
The number's significance is OPEN to interpretation.
But 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga.
Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the "guru bead," around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun).
A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra—much like the Catholic rosary.
Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence.
According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.
And, yes, one can offer a yoga mala of 108 Sun Salutations.
Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala,
…as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.
Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")
Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.
Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.
1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.
Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.
Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.
Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.
Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
REGARDLESS of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
Charlie Brown
Number fifty-four, the house with the bamboo door.
New Post (106) : Number fifty-four, the house with the bamboo door.
1. Southern Sudan’s 9 million people are preparing to vote in a referendum in January that will likely result in the splitting of Africa’s biggest country.
But, with the North reluctant to let the oil-rich South go fears are growing that the vote might reignite one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars.
2. Salva Kiir’s Statement at the Eve of Voting (Referendum, Freedom) Day.
“Greetings in the name of the Republic of South Sudan,
We have been waiting for more than …54 (Fifty Four) Years …for this Freedom Day of January 9, 2011 which was set by the Almighty God for the People of South Sudan to cross the river to the Promised Land”.
Reminded me of…
3. House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
You must get to know Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo.
It's a made of sticks.
Sticks and bricks,
But you can get your kicks
In the house of bamboo.
In this casino,
You can drink a chino,
And it's gotcha swingin' to the cha cha
Dance the bolero in a sombrero.
Shake like a snake!
You wanna stop in when the cats are hoppin'.
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks the juke-box!
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Lets go go!
You must get to know, Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo
In this casino, you can drink a chino
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
4. With Sudan split in to 2
-how many countries would Africa have ? 54 ?
-Will that halve the poverty. I think not.
Charlie Brown
1. Southern Sudan’s 9 million people are preparing to vote in a referendum in January that will likely result in the splitting of Africa’s biggest country.
But, with the North reluctant to let the oil-rich South go fears are growing that the vote might reignite one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars.
2. Salva Kiir’s Statement at the Eve of Voting (Referendum, Freedom) Day.
“Greetings in the name of the Republic of South Sudan,
We have been waiting for more than …54 (Fifty Four) Years …for this Freedom Day of January 9, 2011 which was set by the Almighty God for the People of South Sudan to cross the river to the Promised Land”.
Reminded me of…
3. House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
You must get to know Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo.
It's a made of sticks.
Sticks and bricks,
But you can get your kicks
In the house of bamboo.
In this casino,
You can drink a chino,
And it's gotcha swingin' to the cha cha
Dance the bolero in a sombrero.
Shake like a snake!
You wanna stop in when the cats are hoppin'.
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks the juke-box!
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Lets go go!
You must get to know, Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo
In this casino, you can drink a chino
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
4. With Sudan split in to 2
-how many countries would Africa have ? 54 ?
-Will that halve the poverty. I think not.
Charlie Brown
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