Notes Software

Why does my Lotus Notes 6.5 Out Of Office not respond to emails from external addresses? When I set my Out Of Office agent on Lotus Notes, it sends a message to emails from people on the same server as me (the rest of my organisation) but not to emails from anywhere else. Am I missing a setting?

In Lotus Notes 6.5... How can I add a Rule which filters the calendar invitations into a defined folder? I want to get all invitations to meetings in a special folder instead of in my inbox. Do you know how to do it?

How can I transfer an address book from ACT 6 into the address book of Lotus Notes 6.5? This is harder that it should be. Please don't answer if you don't have actual knowledge.

How To Forward you email to another email I use Lotus notes 6.5? How Can I forward my email that comes in well I am out to another email address like my yahoo. account. Can this be done.

Lotus notes issue, Is it possible to change the default font size in Lotus Notes 6.5? I see default font but not size under user preferences. PLz help me :D Thank you in advance

Can I have custom Letter head in Lotus notes 6.5.4? I work on Lotus Notes 6.5.4 Citrix server and want to have some more Letter heads that is not listed in the Tools menu. Is this possible? I am not a developer,, so would appreciate if any one can help me in simple terminology.. Thanks in advance. Ranadip

Does Intellicyn for Yaoo work between Lotus Notes 6.5 and the new Beta of Verizon Yahoo! email and contacts? Trying to sync up my work Lotus Notes calendar, contacts and Tasks with the new Verizon Yahoo web based Beta PIM. Does Intellisync for Yahoo work with Lotus Notes 6.5?

Lotus Notes 8.0 still looks like Notes 6.5? I've installed Lotus Notes 8.0 but the home screen and look is still in the Lotus Notes 6.5 user interface. This Notes 8.0 version is Standard, not Basic. So I am getting the Sametime, and Day-At-A-Glace panels to the right, but my calendar and mail interface is still 6.5ish. Anyone know what I can do??

I am a Treo680 user. How do I Sync Lotus Notes 6.5 with Treo680? I need to synchronize the calendar and contacts in Lotus note with Palm Treo680. Any freeware to recommend? I am also thinking to sync between Lotus Notes to Outlook2003 to Treo680 to save the trouble so any freeware Lotus connector for Outlook2003 to recommend? Thanks.

How do I view the time I received and email without opening it on Lotus notes 6.5? Thx?

I am having Lotus Notes 6.5. Is it possible to configure Gmail Account POP access for LOTUS NOTES 6.5??

Printing problem with Lotus Notes 6.5? Hi, I'm using Lotus Notes and for some time now all my mails printed in Notes are corrupt. All word are printed horizontally on the sheet. The printer is fine, only the emails from Lotus Notes cause this problem.

Is there a way to create stationary in lotus notes 6.5.5? we just started using this at work. I liked my outlook better. I had stationary...font style and color.........and my mail displayed who sent me something in a little pop up. I dont seem to have these features in lotus....or do I? How can I create stationary, a standard font color and style in all my mail? HELP!

In Lotus Notes 6.5, how can I get my calendar to change colors to detect when someone is viewing my calendar.? Ex. My calendar entries are blue but if someone was viewing my calendar at the same time I was, the calendar entries would be light blue.

I'm new to Lotus Notes 6.5 - can someone help me to figure out how to flag/mark e-mails for follow-up, etc.?

Has anyone seen this error "could not open ID file " for lotus Notes 6.5?

I need recommendations on the best PDA that works along with Notes 6.5? I need to syncronize all my mails, Calendar and Address Book with a PDA that understand and is freindly use with Lotus Notes 6.5 E-mail client.

How do you turn off the welcome page in Lotus Notes? I have Lotus Notes 6.5. Yesterday I was adjusting some settings to see what they'd do, and I stumbled across a "welcome page". The whole thing looks rather cluttered to me though, so I went back to the regular inbox view. However, now it opens the welcome page when Lotus starts up. Is there a way to turn it off?

How do I get the inbox message count from Lotus Notes? Lotus Notes 6.5 I would like to see the number of messages in each of my folders - but the Inbox is most important.

How do I move a Lotus Notes client without uninstalling and reinstalling? We are using Lotus Notes 6.5.3 on a small network. Each client logs into the Lotus email server. Someone told me it was possible to move the clients from one computer to another without having to uninstall and reinstall. Is it possible? This would be necessary if one of my users was to move from one desk to another.

I use Lotus Notes and would like to share calendar information from that app with Airset. Any ideas on how? I use Lotus Notes 6.5.4 at work and would like to share the calendar information from my Notes Calendar with my wife via our Airset calendar account. Is there a way to export ALL of my Notes Calendar entries en masse to Airset?

Novell & Lotus Note 6.5? hey I am new to this company work as IT admin & this company is using Novell & Lotus note 6.5 ,i do not have any experirnce on it can some body give idea on where to get information on this issuse thank you very much

How can I sync my ipod-nano with Lotus Notes Calendar? I have Lotus Notes 6.5.3 at my workplace. I hv an ipod nano black (iTunes 6.0.2.23). I was looking at syncing my Notes calendar with the ipod nano but there is no info. The only option I hv so far is to sync Notes Calendar with MS Outlook 2003 and then sync ipod nano with Outlook. But if anyone can share ideas on direct sync between Notes and ipod, that is greatly apprecited. Thanks. CBL

How Can I Sign the templates in Lotus Notes? I Want to Sign the templates deployed in Lotus Notes 6.5; Can anyone tell me the procedure; I am not Admin in Lotus notes but the admin of templates I deployed

configure lotus notes on home computer? I work for a company who has crappy Lotus Notes 6.5.3 on a Domain, I am excited to say I am taking maternity leave but don't want to come back to 5000 emails. I have ip address to the server to connect trough the Lotus software if I use the Internet location, but I can't seem to configure it correctly, any suggestions.

How do I sync my Lotus Notes with my Palm OS pda? Lotus Notes 6.5 and Palm OS 4.0.1. I'd know I can pay $60 for software to do this, but I'd like to know if it's possible for free?

Lotus Notes email signatures - different for external/ internal email? I use Lotus Notes 6.5.4 at work. Is there a way for it to automatically provide different signatures depending on whether or not it is going to someone inside the company or outside? We have a corporate, worldwide phone system and department codes that don't make sense to external people, and internal people already know what company I work for.

IBM Lotus Notes Mail Problem? In my office one of user is using Lotus Notes 6.5 past two years, but now recently he getting one error message when starting the Lotus notes after given user name and password it says the message " File does not exists", if give ok then he can able to work normally without any problem, please anyone give solution to avoid the error message.

Lotus Notes image problem? I am using Lotus Notes 6.5 and when I received an external email with Images or at least HTML format, the images can't be seen on the screen but just a red X mark. I already set the Internet Browser of LONO to IE and Notes with IE but it is still not working.

lotus notes help...? Lotus Notes 6.5..... I need to compile a handbook of sorts of how to use lotus Notes 6.5.... any help? is there a pdf file anywhere with a tutorial...or msome webpage tutorial.... ANYTHING? thanks in advance for help!

Lotus Notes & Windows Vista? I have installed lotus Notes 6.5.1 on a windows vista laptop. When I try to launch the program to finish the setup the lotus screen comes up and then leaves. Any idea as to why it won't run?

What's the difference in Lotus Notes between a Rule and an Agent? I have to use Lotus Notes (6.5) at work. What's the difference between a rule to forward mail to another mailbox and an agent that does the same thing? Does one only work under certain conditions etc. Which is best to use and will work when I'm not logged in? In Notes, both rules and agents 'do' stuff. Set a rule in your mailbox to forward everything on and it will start to do so. Equally, set up an agent to do the same and it will. Do both, and everything gets sent twice (I tried it). The two things are NOT linked, but are different ways of doing something.

what is the full form of PDF file in lotus notes? pdf files in lotus notes 6.5

How to change password on Lotus Notes 5.0? On 6.5 I would go to File-Security and so on, but security not found on 5.0 between tools and preferences...

How can I migrate Lotus Notes email to outlook? Lotus Notes ver 6.5 MS Outlook (any version)

In Lotus Notes, is there a way I can snatch back an email I sent out before it is opened ? Like in Outlook, if a message has not been read yet, it's still on the mail server and therefore able to be taken back. Is there a way to do this in Notes 6.5 ?

Lotus Notes: opening an email by default instead of inbox? Here's a question for you Lotus Notes experts. I have 6.5 at work. For about 6 months now my LN has been opening the last recieved email instead of the default INBOX. I tried finding some setting I must have accidently switched but I can't find anything. When I double-click my inbox database, it pauses for a second saying "no document selected" and then goes to the last email. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Anyone know how to fix it?

Lotus Notes jobs in West Virginia? CLP in Notes 5,6,6.5, and Notes 7 shortly. As Notes 8 is begining it's final Beta trial, I willbe working with this as well. Primary backrgound as a Notes Specialist for IBM - was assigned duties as Notes Admin on the Reuters account. After this, began supporting Notes on second level basis and also RSA Support. Due to outsourcing begining today, I have begun testing the waters. Will be supporting IBM on a second and thrid level IBM specific platform.

how to save a letters in Lotus Notes? it's 6.5 version of the Notes. I've tried to search over the Help thus there's advises only related to how to treat with send letters. I need to save few both received and send letters to the selected folder. Gee, in the Outlook it's that easy alas in the Notes with their replicas and etc. I can't figure out how's that possible :( I've figure out actually - indirectly thus: by printing via pdf convertor.

I want my pc to read my mail.? I want my pc to read my lotus notes mail while my hands are busy doing the writing jobs or while I am answering my phone. Is this feature available in lotus notes 6.5 version?

Computer Training Package. What do you think? Computer Basics Exchange Internet Explorer SAP R/3 Lotus Notes 6.5 Excel 2003 PowerPoints 2000 Lotus Notes R5 Groupwise Office 2000 Word 2000 MOS Excel 2000 MOS Word 2003 PowerPoint XP Access 2000/2003 Crystal Reports Outlook 2003 Project 2000 Windows 2000 Windows XP Upgrade and tons more! Above, is a list of online study courses offered by e-learning. It comes as a package and costs $69.00. When I went to, and graduated from, college the closest thing to a computer that I had was our kicker. A real nice guy from Finland who wore thick, black framed glasses and had a pocket protector. I've taken 2 courses since then and wonder if this might be an inexpensive way to really start to learn. I sense that some of these are dated but thought it might be a beginning. Your answers would be appreciated. Da Jock!

Need help with macro code.? The excel vba code below is running perfectly in a pc where I created the file and the macro code. When a button is clicked it sends out email to the listed recipients. But the problem is it don't run if the other two users (we are 3 users of the file) use their login in that same pc. And to my surprise, it don't even run in other pc with my login. The file is located in the network drive so we can use the file in any pc in our company. We are using lotus notes 5.6. I would appreciate if somebody can help me fix the problem. Here is the code: Dim Subj As String, Msg As String Dim email(25) As Variant Dim cc(25) As Variant Dim r As Integer, x As Double Dim Maildb As Object, UserName As String, MailDbName As String, DomDbName As String Dim stFileName As String Dim MailDoc As Object, Session As Object Dim attachment As String Dim attachME As Object Dim EmbedObj As Object Set Session = CreateObject("Notes.NotesSession") UserName = Session.UserName MailDbName = "mail\" & Mid$(UserName, 4, InStr(1, UserName, " ") - 4) & Mid$(UserName, _ InStr(1, UserName, " ") + 1, InStr(1, UserName, "/") - InStr(1, UserName, " ") - 1) & ".nsf" Set Maildb = Session.GETDATABASE("", MailDbName) If Maildb.IsOpen = True Then Else: Maildb.OPENMAIL End If For r = Range("Distance").Offset(1, 0).Row To Range("distance").End(xlDown).Row Set MailDoc = Maildb.CreateDocument MailDoc.Form = "Memo" email(0) = Cells(r, 2) email(1) = Cells(r, 3) cc(0) = Cells(r, 4) cc(1) = Cells(r, 5) attachment = Cells(r, 6) Subj = Range("subject").Value Msg = "" Msg = Msg & Range("body1").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body2").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body3").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body4").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body5").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body6").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body7").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body8").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body9").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body10").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("body11").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("salutation").Value & vbCrLf & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("sig2").Value & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("sig3").Value & vbCrLf Msg = Msg & Range("sig4").Value & vbCrLf MailDoc.SendTo = email MailDoc.CopyTo = cc MailDoc.BlindCopyTo = "nelson_maus@yahoo.com" MailDoc.Subject = Subj MailDoc.Body = Msg MailDoc.SaveMessageOnSend = True MailDoc.PostedDate = Now 'Set up the embedded object and attachment and attach it If attachment <> "" Then Set attachME = MailDoc.CreateRichTextItem("Attachment") Set EmbedObj = attachME.EmbedObject(1454, "", attachment, "Attachment") End If 'Send the document 'MailDoc.PostedDate = Now() 'Gets the mail to appear in the sent items folder Call MailDoc.Send(False) Next r Set Maildb = Nothing: Set MailDoc = Nothing: Set Session = Nothing Exit Sub Audi: Set Maildb = Nothing: Set MailDoc = Nothing: Set Session = Nothing End Sub

Where can I get free study materials for lotus domino 7 update exam ? This is regarding materials on IBM's lotus notes 7 update exam..I have completed 6/6.5 CLP certification

Found this in my Odyssey notes, What should I title this list before turning it in with the rest of my notes? 1. Troy 2. Cicones 3. Lotus Eaters 4. Cyclopes 5. King Aiolos 6. King Aiolos (again) 7. Laistrygonians 8. Circe 9. Underworld 10. Sirens 11. Scylla and Charybdis 12. Helios 13. Calypso 14. Phaeacians 15. Ithaca

How much should this tattoo cost? I have a tattoo of a lotus flower about 6 inches in width and 5 inches in height in the center of my back. But because the place i went was a tattoo party I think he kind of messed it up.BIG MISTAKE!!!! I plan on retouching and fixing it and also adding angel wings on the side of it that will go to mid back and a clef note at the bottom of the lotus flower. After doing this I feel like the tattoo will be complete. The place that im going to now is a actual tattoo parlor that looks great and the artist said that they charge by hour, which is 150. He said that he would probably aim for three hours to complete it because I dont want to get it colored in. Do you think thats to much for a good tattoo? Or is it just right? And for Human_Man, its in dollars.

What's the best website for an online diary / blog (and why!?)? I'm considering starting an online diary or maybe a blog to capture my thoughts and musings. I'm not sure whether I'll write under an assumed name to protect my identity, or under my real name so that friends and family can read about it. I know there are several available, all with different pros and cons, I just wonder if someone can help me choose 1. The functions I'd like are :- 1. FREE! - I have a baby on the way, and am up to my eyes in credit card debt already, so I can not afford to pay for the service! 2. Ability to post pictures, excel sheets, etc. 3. Integrated calendar. 4. Updates via email - so that I can update through my Lotus Notes client when at work without having to use a browser session. 5. Updates via a browser session - In case I'm away from my Lotus Notes client (like when on holiday). 6. Integration with Yahoo / MSN / Google chat clients. erm think, thats about it!

I have the winifixer/ultimate defender/ultimate cleaner virus. Please help me get rid of this dastardly thing Here's my hjt: Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2 Scan saved at 2:27:50 PM, on 5/2/2008 Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600) MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180) Boot mode: Normal Running processes: C:\WINNT\System32\smss.exe C:\WINNT\system32\winlogon.exe C:\WINNT\system32\services.exe C:\WINNT\system32\lsass.exe C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\System32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe C:\WINNT\system32\crypserv.exe C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPCAgent.exe c:\sots\KMService.exe C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\Tuner.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe c:\progra~1\Metlife\MediaManager\MediaManager.exe c:\MetLife\MetTask\METTASK.EXE C:\Lotus\Notes\ntmulti.exe C:\WINNT\system32\Prot_srv.exe C:\WINNT\system32\pstartSr.exe c:\winnt\system32\rcmdsvc.exe c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlwriter.exe C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_Service.exe C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_WatchDog.exe C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\Explorer.EXE C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_GUI.Exe C:\WINNT\system32\hkcmd.exe C:\WINNT\system32\igfxpers.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apoint.exe C:\WINNT\stsystra.exe C:\WINNT\system32\igfxsrvc.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Network Associates\TalkBack\tbmon.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apntex.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE C:\Program Files\Apoint\HidFind.exe C:\sots\detectVPN.exe C:\Program Files\Pinpoint Global\Media Room\MediaRoomClientApp.exe C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\Ad-Watch.exe C:\Program Files\Pointsec\Pointsec for PC\P95Tray.exe C:\Program Files\METLIFE\LSMS3\lsms3.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WsUIMgr.exe C:\WINNT\system32\rundll32.exe C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe C:\WINNT\system32\ctfmon.exe C:\Program Files\Google\Google Updater\GoogleUpdater.exe C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\downloader\ipccheck.exe C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\lib\minituner.exe C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = https://imetlife.metlife.com/siteminderagent/forms/singlesignon/signon.html R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://exwintp019.metlife.com/login.asp R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Metropolitan Life R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {00A6FAF6-072E-44cf-8957-5838F569A31D} - C:\Program Files\MyWebSearch\SrchAstt\1.bin\MWSSRCAS.DLL O2 - BHO: MyWebSearch Search Assistant BHO - {00A6FAF1-072E-44cf-8957-5838F569A31D} - C:\Program Files\MyWebSearch\SrchAstt\1.bin\MWSSRCAS.DLL O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll O2 - BHO: 146955 helper - {85F74211-7C2B-4CB8-B80D-4DE1AC85B685} - (no file) O2 - BHO: iSecurity - {A8311E8F-E459-4D22-89B4-CB9DCF10A425} - iSecurity.cpl (file missing) O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Notifier BHO - {AF69DE43-7D58-4638-B6FA-CE66B5AD205D} - C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\3.0.1225.9868\swg.dll O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxtray] C:\WINNT\system32\igfxtray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxhkcmd] C:\WINNT\system32\hkcmd.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxpers] C:\WINNT\system32\igfxpers.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Apoint] C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apoint.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SigmatelSysTrayApp] stsystra.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Network Associates Error Reporting Service] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Network Associates\TalkBack\tbmon.exe" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SET_PLAYER] regedit /s c:\systemp\mp3\mp3assoc.reg O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoamingUser] "C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\tuner.exe" -start http://as_risccast00:5282/ENT/Castanet/RoamingUser?start 1 O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [McAfeeUpdaterUI] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe /StartedFromRunKey O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ShStatEXE] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE /STANDALONE O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DetectVPN] c:\sots\detectVPN.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LSMS3] C:\Program Files\MetLife\LSMS3\LSMS.BAT O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LSMS] C:\Program Files\MetLife\LSMS3\OldLSM.BAT O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MediaRoomApp] C:\Program Files\Pinpoint Global\Media Room\MediaRoomClientApp.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AWMON] C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\Ad-Watch.exe /custom +prefs:"C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\awsettings.awc" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pointsec Tray] C:\Program Files\Pointsec\Pointsec for PC\P95Tray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [sp2cfg] C:\WINNT\system32\mrmbtemp\xpsp2\wkix32.exe C:\WINNT\system32\mrmbtemp\xpsp2\popup.kix /i O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WsUiMgr] C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WsUIMgr.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iSecurity applet] rundll32.exe iSecurity.cpl,SecurityMonitor O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINNT\system32\ctfmon.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [swg] C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNotifier.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MyWebSearch Email Plugin] C:\PROGRA~1\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\mwsoemon.exe O4 - Global Startup: ADAWARE.LNK = C:\WINNT\runonce.bat O4 - Global Startup: CENSUSNT.LNK = C:\METLIFE\dlm\censusnt.bat O4 - Global Startup: Google Updater.lnk = C:\Program Files\Google\Google Updater\GoogleUpdater.exe O4 - Global Startup: Kodak EasyShare software.lnk = C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE O4 - Global Startup: NTCONECT.LNK = C:\Security\NtConect.exe O4 - Global Startup: systray.exe O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present O8 - Extra context menu item: &Search - http://edits.mywebsearch.com/toolbaredits/menusearch.jhtml?p=ZKxdm021YYUS O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000 O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://exwintp019.metlife.com/login.asp O16 - DPF: {10B05D6E-5BFB-11D4-8920-00C04F57BB26} (KMReader Class) - https://imetlife.metlife.com/siteminderagent/forms/singlesignon/KeyMasterObj.cab O16 - DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} - http://ak.exe.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwebproducts/ei/WebfettiInitialSetup1.0.0.15-3.cab O16 - DPF: {48DD0448-9209-4F81-9F6D-D83562940134} (MySpace Uploader Control) - http://lads.myspace.com/upload/MySpaceUploader1006.cab O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\Software\..\Telephony: DomainName = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS3\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O18 - Protocol hijack: flowto - {C7101FB0-28FB-11D5-883A-204C4F4F5021} O23 - Service: pcAnywhere Host Service (awhost32) - Symantec Corporation - C:\program files\symantec\pcanywhere\awhost32.exe O23 - Service: Crypkey License - CrypKey (Canada) Ltd. - C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\crypserv.exe O23 - Service: Google Updater Service (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe O23 - Service: iPassConnectEngine - iPass - C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPassConnectEngine.exe O23 - Service: iPCAgent - iPass, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPCAgent.exe O23 - Service: KMService - Unknown owner - c:\sots\KMService.exe O23 - Service: Marimba - BMC Software, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\Tuner.exe O23 - Service: McAfee Framework Service (McAfeeFramework) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe O23 - Service: Network Associates McShield (McShield) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe O23 - Service: Network Associates Task Manager (McTaskManager) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe O23 - Service: MediaManager - Unknown owner - c:\progra~1\Metlife\MediaManager\MediaManager.exe O23 - Service: MetLife® Task List (MetLifeTaskList) - MetLife® - c:\MetLife\MetTask\METTASK.EXE O23 - Service: Multi-user Cleanup Service - IBM Corp - C:\Lotus\Notes\ntmulti.exe O23 - Service: Pointsec - Unknown owner - C:\WINNT\system32\Prot_srv.exe O23 - Service: Pointsec Service Start (Pointsec_start) - Unknown owner - C:\WINNT\system32\pstartSr.exe O23 - Service: Check Point SecuRemote Service (SR_Service) - Check Point Software Technologies - C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_Service.exe O23 - Service: Check Point SecuRemote WatchDog (SR_WatchDog) - Check Point Software Technologies - C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_WatchDog.exe O23 - Service: Websense Desktop Client (WebsenseDesktopClient) - Websense - C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WDC.exe -- End of file - 10551 bytes

help! I have a trojan virus which shows a red circle with a white x in it. getting "download" alerts. help! Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2 Scan saved at 2:54:54 PM, on 3/16/2008 Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600) MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180) Boot mode: Normal Running processes: C:\WINNT\System32\smss.exe C:\WINNT\system32\winlogon.exe C:\WINNT\system32\services.exe C:\WINNT\system32\lsass.exe C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\System32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe C:\WINNT\system32\crypserv.exe C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPCAgent.exe c:\sots\KMService.exe C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\Tuner.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe c:\progra~1\Metlife\MediaManager\MediaManager.exe c:\MetLife\MetTask\METTASK.EXE C:\Lotus\Notes\ntmulti.exe C:\WINNT\system32\Prot_srv.exe C:\WINNT\system32\pstartSr.exe c:\winnt\system32\rcmdsvc.exe c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlwriter.exe C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_Service.exe C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_WatchDog.exe C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe C:\WINNT\Explorer.EXE C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_GUI.Exe C:\WINNT\system32\hkcmd.exe C:\WINNT\system32\igfxpers.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apoint.exe C:\WINNT\system32\igfxsrvc.exe C:\WINNT\stsystra.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Network Associates\TalkBack\tbmon.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE C:\sots\detectVPN.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint\HidFind.exe C:\Program Files\Pinpoint Global\Media Room\MediaRoomClientApp.exe C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\Ad-Watch.exe C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apntex.exe C:\Program Files\Pointsec\Pointsec for PC\P95Tray.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WsUIMgr.exe C:\WINNT\system32\braviax.exe C:\WINNT\system32\ctfmon.exe C:\PROGRA~1\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\mwsoemon.exe C:\Program Files\METLIFE\LSMS3\lsms3.exe C:\Program Files\Google\Google Updater\GoogleUpdater.exe C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\downloader\ipccheck.exe C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\lib\minituner.exe C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SCAN32.EXE C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = https://imetlife.metlife.com/siteminderagent/forms/singlesignon/signon.html R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://exwintp019.metlife.com/login.asp R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Metropolitan Life R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {00A6FAF6-072E-44cf-8957-5838F569A31D} - C:\Program Files\MyWebSearch\SrchAstt\1.bin\MWSSRCAS.DLL O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxtray] C:\WINNT\system32\igfxtray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxhkcmd] C:\WINNT\system32\hkcmd.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxpers] C:\WINNT\system32\igfxpers.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Apoint] C:\Program Files\Apoint\Apoint.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SigmatelSysTrayApp] stsystra.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Network Associates Error Reporting Service] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Network Associates\TalkBack\tbmon.exe" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SET_PLAYER] regedit /s c:\systemp\mp3\mp3assoc.reg O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoamingUser] "C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\tuner.exe" -start http://as_risccast00:5282/ENT/Castanet/RoamingUser?start 1 O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [McAfeeUpdaterUI] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe /StartedFromRunKey O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ShStatEXE] C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE /STANDALONE O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DetectVPN] c:\sots\detectVPN.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LSMS3] C:\Program Files\MetLife\LSMS3\LSMS.BAT O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LSMS] C:\Program Files\MetLife\LSMS3\OldLSM.BAT O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MediaRoomApp] C:\Program Files\Pinpoint Global\Media Room\MediaRoomClientApp.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AWMON] C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\Ad-Watch.exe /custom +prefs:"C:\PROGRA~1\Lavasoft\AD-AWA~1\awsettings.awc" O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pointsec Tray] C:\Program Files\Pointsec\Pointsec for PC\P95Tray.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [sp2cfg] C:\WINNT\system32\mrmbtemp\xpsp2\wkix32.exe C:\WINNT\system32\mrmbtemp\xpsp2\popup.kix /i O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WsUiMgr] C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WsUIMgr.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [braviax] C:\WINNT\system32\braviax.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINNT\system32\ctfmon.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [swg] C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNotifier.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MyWebSearch Email Plugin] C:\PROGRA~1\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\mwsoemon.exe O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [braviax] C:\WINNT\system32\braviax.exe O4 - Global Startup: ADAWARE.LNK = C:\WINNT\runonce.bat O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe O4 - Global Startup: CENSUSNT.LNK = C:\METLIFE\dlm\censusnt.bat O4 - Global Startup: Google Updater.lnk = C:\Program Files\Google\Google Updater\GoogleUpdater.exe O4 - Global Startup: Kodak EasyShare software.lnk = C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE O4 - Global Startup: NTCONECT.LNK = C:\Security\NtConect.exe O4 - Global Startup: systray.exe O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present O8 - Extra context menu item: &Search - http://edits.mywebsearch.com/toolbaredits/menusearch.jhtml?p=ZKxdm021YYUS O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000 O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\winnt\system32\nwprovau.dll O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://exwintp019.metlife.com/login.asp O15 - Trusted Zone: *.metlife.com O15 - Trusted Zone: *.metlife.com (HKLM) O16 - DPF: {10B05D6E-5BFB-11D4-8920-00C04F57BB26} (KMReader Class) - https://imetlife.metlife.com/siteminderagent/forms/singlesignon/KeyMasterObj.cab O16 - DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} - http://ak.exe.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwebproducts/ei/WebfettiInitialSetup1.0.0.15-3.cab O16 - DPF: {48DD0448-9209-4F81-9F6D-D83562940134} (MySpace Uploader Control) - http://lads.myspace.com/upload/MySpaceUploader1006.cab O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\Software\..\Telephony: DomainName = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O17 - HKLM\System\CS3\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain = metlife.com O18 - Protocol hijack: flowto - {C7101FB0-28FB-11D5-883A-204C4F4F5021} O23 - Service: pcAnywhere Host Service (awhost32) - Symantec Corporation - C:\program files\symantec\pcanywhere\awhost32.exe O23 - Service: Crypkey License - CrypKey (Canada) Ltd. - C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\crypserv.exe O23 - Service: Google Updater Service (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe O23 - Service: iPassConnectEngine - iPass - C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPassConnectEngine.exe O23 - Service: iPCAgent - iPass, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPass\iPassConnect\iPCAgent.exe O23 - Service: KMService - Unknown owner - c:\sots\KMService.exe O23 - Service: Marimba - BMC Software, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Marimba\Castanet Tuner\Tuner.exe O23 - Service: McAfee Framework Service (McAfeeFramework) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe O23 - Service: Network Associates McShield (McShield) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe O23 - Service: Network Associates Task Manager (McTaskManager) - Network Associates, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe O23 - Service: MediaManager - Unknown owner - c:\progra~1\Metlife\MediaManager\MediaManager.exe O23 - Service: MetLife® Task List (MetLifeTaskList) - MetLife® - c:\MetLife\MetTask\METTASK.EXE O23 - Service: Multi-user Cleanup Service - IBM Corp - C:\Lotus\Notes\ntmulti.exe O23 - Service: Pointsec - Unknown owner - C:\WINNT\system32\Prot_srv.exe O23 - Service: Pointsec Service Start (Pointsec_start) - Unknown owner - C:\WINNT\system32\pstartSr.exe O23 - Service: Check Point SecuRemote Service (SR_Service) - Check Point Software Technologies - C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_Service.exe O23 - Service: Check Point SecuRemote WatchDog (SR_WatchDog) - Check Point Software Technologies - C:\Program Files\CheckPoint\SecuRemote\bin\SR_WatchDog.exe O23 - Service: Websense Desktop Client (WebsenseDesktopClient) - Websense - C:\Program Files\Websense\WDC\WDC.exe -- End of file - 10095 bytes

Could you please rate my yugioh deck? Hi, Could you please rate/fix/comment my yugioh deck?It's a Red-eyes/Dragon deck! Remember to rate first and then leave your comments and fixes!Thank you! Note:All the normal monsters that are not dragon type will get replaced if I find a dragon with more or equal ATK and DEF! Also,can you list some good dragons,dragon syncros and dragon support cards and in which booster packs to find them?Thanks! Here is the deck: Monsters: 1.Flamvell Guard 2.Magna Drago x2 3.Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon 4.Soul Tiger 5.Debris Dragon 6.Masked Dragon 7.Man-Eater Bug 8.Knight of the Red Lotus 9.Armed Dragon LV3 10.Red-Eyes Wyvern x2 11.Flamvell Magician 12.Exiled Force 13.Blue-Eyes White Dragon 14.Gorz the Emissary of Darkness 15.Luster Dragon 16.Des Koala 17.Armed Dragon LV5 18.Luster Dragon #2 19.Strong Wind Dragon 20.Spear Dragon 21.Penguin Soldier 22.Red-Eyes Black Dragon x2 23.The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave 24.Spirit Reaper 25.Giant Germ 26.Big Eye 27.Red-Eyes Black Chick 28.Vanguard of the Dragon 29.Marshmallon Spells: 1.Creature Swap 2.Swords of Revealing light 3.Card Destruction 4.Megamorph 5.Stamping Destruction 6.Rush Recklessly 7.Giant Tsunade 8.Ookazi 9.Brain Control 10.Lightning Vortex 11.Magical Mallet 12.Mage Power 13.Mystical Space Typhoon Traps: 1.Stronghold the Moving Fortress 2.Scrap-Iron Scarecrow 3.Widespread Ruin 4.Raigeki Break 5.Spellbinding Circle 6.Metalmorph 7.Magic Cylinder 8.Magical Arm Shield 9.Torrential Tribute 10.Call of the Haunted 11.Bottomless Trap Hole 12.Limit Impulse Extra deck: 1.Exploder Dragonwing 2.Acient Fairy Dragon 3.Power Tool Dragon 4.Looking for Stardust Dragon,trade anyone? Haves:http://www.tradecardsonline.com/im/editCollection/collection_type/1/target_user_id/160027/game_id/14 +much more!Just ask for a specific card and I will tell you if I haves it!Also if you have an acount on tradecardsonline.com leave a link!I want a Stardust Dragon (ultra rare or ultimate rare or secret rare,doesn't matter to me!)my e-mail: andreasskevis@hotmail.com contact me through there! Btw,is adding "Light and Darkness Dragon" to my deck worth it?

Please do critique this critique, `A Little Quick'? I do not claim this poem as original; it is mainly a personal reading of `Allegra,' by Elyslund, and of a morning poem, with apologies for the author. Nothing of value in this poem is my own. Note: poem is, of course, one syllable; and poetess is two syllables. A Little Quick (--For Elyslund) 1. When morning blushes gaudy On the leopard's body, Icy! Glassy! As a poem, Startled is the lilting dome! 2. Bright sun through trees adorning The leopard of the morning, Arousing Dick and Sally, Rides ghostly through our valley. 3. The corsage of our poetess, Ever-blooming lotus, Multifoliate and rosy, Drumming swift her poesy, 4. Noble, fierce descanted: Too lovely to be mended Notes forgotten, Sally Stepping turned the valley 5. Round the reeling stars and Dick Hand in hand the leopard quick Thorn from head and feet was torn; And hollow reed did lilt forlorn. 6. Bright star through trees aborning, The shepherd gently mourning Arousing Nick and Ally Pipes ghostly through our valley.

help i have no idea wat this means some body explain in short text 10 points best answer in plain explantion? Overview Instant messaging (IM) and chat are technologies that facilitate near real-time text based communication between two or more participants over a network. It is important to understand that what separates chat and instant messaging from technologies such as e-mail is the perceived synchronicity of the communication by the user - Chat happens in real-time before your eyes. For this reason, some people consider communication via instant messaging to be less intrusive than communication via phone. However, some systems allow the sending of messages to people not currently logged on (offline messages), thus removing much of the difference between Instant Messaging and e-mail. Instant Messaging allows instantaneous communication between a number of parties simultaneously, by transmitting information quickly. Some IM systems allow users to use webcams and Microphone which made them more popular than others. Due to this feature users can have a real-time conversation. In addition IM has additional features such as: the immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply, group chatting, conference services (including voice and video), conversation logging and file transfer. IM allows effective and efficient communication, featuring immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply. In certain cases Instant Messaging involves additional features, which make it even more popular, i.e. to see the other party, e.g. by using web-cams, or to talk directly for free over the Internet. It is possible to save a conversation for later reference. Instant messages are typically logged in a local message history which closes the gap to the persistent nature of e-mails and facilitates quick exchange of information like URLs or document snippets (which can be unwieldy when communicated via telephone). [edit] History In early instant messaging programs each character appeared when it was typed. The UNIX "talk" command shown in these screenshots was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s.Instant messaging actually predates the Internet, first appearing on multi-user operating systems like CTSS and Multics[1] in the mid-1960s. Initially, many of these systems, such as CTSS'.SAVED, were used as notification systems for services like printing, but quickly were used to facilitate communication with other users logged in to the same machine. As networks developed, the protocols spread with the networks. Some of these used a peer-to-peer protocol (eg talk, ntalk and ytalk), while others required peers to connect to a server (see talker and IRC). During the Bulletin board system (BBS) phenomenon that peaked during the 1980s, some systems incorporated chat features which were similar to instant messaging; Freelancin'_Roundtable was one prime example. In the last half of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the Quantum Link online service for Commodore 64 computers offered user-to-user messages between currently connected customers which they called "On-Line Messages" (or OLM for short). Quantum Link's better known later incarnation, America Online, offers a similar product under the name "AOL Instant Messages" (AIM). While the Quantum Link service ran on a Commodore 64, using only the Commodore's PETSCII text-graphics, the screen was visually divided up into sections and OLMs would appear as a yellow bar saying "Message From:" and the name of the sender along with the message across the top of whatever the user was already doing, and presented a list of options for responding.[2] As such, it could be considered a sort of GUI, albeit much more primitive than the later Unix, Windows and Macintosh based GUI IM programs. OLMs were what Q-Link called "Plus Services" meaning they charged an extra per-minute fee on top of the monthly Q-Link access costs. Modern, Internet-wide, GUI-based messaging clients, as they are known today, began to take off in the mid 1990s with ICQ (1996) being the first, followed by AOL Instant Messenger (AOL Instant Messenger, 1997). AOL later acquired Mirabilis, the creators of ICQ. A few years later ICQ (by now owned by AOL) was awarded two patents for instant messaging by the U.S. patent office. Meanwhile, other companies developed their own applications (Excite, MSN, Ubique, and Yahoo), each with its own proprietary protocol and client; users therefore had to run multiple client applications if they wished to use more than one of these networks. In 1998 IBM released IBM Lotus Sametime, a product based on technology acquired when IBM bought Haifa-based Ubique and Lexington-based Databeam. In 2000, an open source application and open standards-based protocol called Jabber was launched. Jabber servers could act as gateways to other IM protocols, reducing the need to run multiple clients. Multi-protocol clients such as Digsby,Pidgin, Trillian, Adium and Miranda can use any of the popular IM protocols by using additional local libraries for each protocol. IBM Lotus Sametime's November 2007 release added IBM Lotus Sametime Gateway support for XMPP. Recently, many instant messaging services have begun to offer video conferencing features, Voice Over IP (VoIP) and web conferencing services. Web conferencing services integrate both video conferencing and instant messaging capabilities. Some newer instant messaging companies are offering desktop sharing, IP radio, and IPTV to the voice and video features. The term "instant messenger" is a service mark of Time Warner[3] and may not be used in software not affiliated with AOL in the United States. For this reason, the instant messaging client formerly known as Gaim or gaim announced in April 2007 that they would be renamed "Pidgin"[4]. [edit] Cooperation Standard free instant messaging applications offer functions like file transfer, contact lists, the ability to have similtaneous converstations etc. These may be all the functions that a small business needs but larger organisations will require more sophisticated applications that can work together. The solution to finding applications capable of this is to use enterprise versions of instant messaging applications. These include titles like Jabber, Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Communicator, etc., which are often integrated with other enterprise applications such as workflow systems. These enterprise applications, or Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), are built to certain constraints, namely storing data in a common format. There have been several attempts to create a unified standard for instant messaging: IETF's SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions), APEX (Application Exchange), Prim (Presence and Instant Messaging Protocol), the open XML-based XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), more commonly known as Jabber and OMA's (Open Mobile Alliance) IMPS (Instant Messaging and Presence Service) created specifically for mobile devices. Most attempts at creating a unified standard for the major IM providers (AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft) have failed and each continues to use its own proprietary protocol. However, while discussions at IETF were stalled, Reuters head of collaboration services, David Gurle (the founder of Microsoft's Real Time Communication and Collaboration business), signed the first inter-service provider connectivity agreement on September 2003. This agreement enabled AIM, ICQ and MSN Messenger users to talk with Reuters Messaging counterparts and vice-versa against an access fee. Following this, Microsoft, Yahoo! and AOL came to a deal where Microsoft's Live Communication Server 2005 users would also have the possibility to talk to public instant messaging users. This deal established SIP/SIMPLE as a standard for protocol interoperability and established a connectivity fee for accessing public instant messaging clouds. Separately, on October 13, 2005 Microsoft and Yahoo! announced that by (the Northern Hemisphere) summer of 2006 they would interoperate using SIP/SIMPLE which is followed on December 2005 by the AOL and Google strategic partnership deal where Google Talk users would be able to talk with AIM and ICQ users provided they have an identity at AOL. There are two ways to combine the many disparate protocols: One way is to combine the many disparate protocols inside the IM client application. The other way is to combine the many disparate protocols inside the IM server application. This approach moves the task of communicating to the other services to the server. Clients need not know or care about other IM protocols. For example, LCS 2005 Public IM Connectivity. This approach is popular in Jabber/XMPP servers however the so-called transport projects suffer the same reverse engineering difficulties as any other project involved with closed protocols or formats. Some approaches, such as that adopted by the Sonork enterprise IM software or the Jabber/XMPP network or Winpopup LAN Messenger, allow organizations to create their own private instant messaging network by enabling them to limit access to the server (often with the IM network entirely behind their firewall) and administer user permissions. Other corporate messaging systems allow registered users to also connect from outside the corporation LAN, by using a secure firewall-friendly HTTPS based protocol. Typically, a dedicated corporate IM server has several advantages such as pre-populated contact lists, integrated authentication, and better security and privacy. Some networks have made changes to prevent them from being utilized by such multi-network IM clients. For example, Trillian had to release several revisions and patches to allow its users to access the MSN, AOL, and Yahoo! networks, after changes were made to these networks. The major IM providers typically cite the need for formal agreements as well as security concerns as reasons for making these changes. [edit] Mobile Instant Messaging Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) is a presence enabled messaging service that aims to transpose the desktop messaging experience to the usage scenario of being on the move. While several of the core ideas of the desktop experience on one hand apply to a connected mobile device, others do not: Users usually only look at their phone's screen — presence status changes might occur under different circumstances as happens at the desktop, and several functional limits exist based on the fact that the vast majority of mobile communication devices are chosen by their users to fit into the palm of their hand. Some of the form factor and mobility related differences need to be taken into account in order to create a really adequate, powerful and yet convenient mobile experience: radio bandwidth, memory size, availability of media formats, keypad based input, screen output, CPU performance and battery power are core issues that desktop device users and even nomadic users with connected network. [edit] Friend-to-friend networks Instant Messaging may be done in a Friend-to-friend network, in which each node connects to the friends on the friendslist. This allows for communication with friends of friends and for the building of chatrooms for instant messages with all friends on that network. Emotions are often expressed in shorthand. For example; lol. But a movement is currently underway to be more accurate with the emotional expression. Real time reactions such as (chortle) (snort) (guffaw) or (eye-roll) are rapidly taking the place of acronyms.[citation needed] [edit] Business application Instant messaging has proven to be similar to personal computers, e-mail, and the WWW, in that its adoption for use as a business communications medium was driven primarily by individual employees using consumer software at work, rather than by formal mandate or provisioning by corporate information technology departments. Tens of millions of the consumer IM accounts in use are being used for business purposes by employees of companies and other organizations. In response to the demand for business-grade IM and the need to ensure security and legal compliance, a new type of instant messaging, called "Enterprise Instant Messaging" ("EIM") was created when Lotus Software launched IBM Lotus Sametime in 1998. Microsoft followed suit shortly thereafter with Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging, later created a new platform called Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, and released Office Communications Server 2007 in October 2007. Both IBM Lotus and Microsoft have introduced federation between their EIM systems and some of the public IM networks so that employees may use a single interface to both their internal EIM system and their contacts on AOL, MSN, and Yahoo!. Current leading EIM platforms include IBM Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Communications Server, and Jabber XCP. In addition, industry-focused EIM platforms such as IMtrader from Pivot Incorporated, Reuters Messaging, and Bloomberg Messaging provide enhanced IM capabilities to financial services companies. The adoption of IM across corporate networks outside of the control of IT organizations creates risks and liabilities for companies who do not effectively manage and support IM use. Companies implement specialized IM archiving and security products and services like those from Secure Computing, Akonix, SurfControl, and ScanSafe to mitigate these risks and provide safe, secure, productive instant messaging capabilities to their employees. [edit] Practical Use in Enterprise The popular embrace of IM technology for sharing information has quickly led to organizations adopting IM solutions for the perceived advantages that can be brought by it. As organizations are becoming more information based (McNurlin & Sprague, 2006, p.499) the need for effective knowledge sharing, team working and collaborative environments amongst employees has become vital, especially within more geographically dispersed teams. Typically IM conversations tend to have a certain "character", they are often short and only cover one topic. Media-switching and multitasking are common throughout, however IM might also be used between established coworkers and friends for longer, more intermittent conversation. In their report of IM use at the workplace Nardi et al. (2000) identifies the four primary functions of IM which are often cited in other reports, These primary functions are: Quick Questions and Clarifications Coordinating and scheduling tasks Coordinating impromptu social meetings Keeping in touch with friends and family IM is perhaps best suited to "Quick Questions and Clarifications" as this is the most often mentioned attribute in other reports. A user can "respond rapidly without the overhead of telephone or FTF interaction. For example, IDC reports, "Users see IM as a medium for quick, semi-permanent ‘flashes’ that beg a near-immediate response" (Isaacs et al., 2002). Nardi's second and third observations are enabled in part due to the "Presence Awareness" feature of IM clients in which the user knows who is "available". This is the most relevant for colleagues who share the same physical space as each other and even paves the way for other mediums to take up the task of communication e.g. F2F or Phone. The implication is that viable communication of any sort can in someway be encouraged through IM's "Presence Awareness" feature. (Issacs et al, 2002) supports this view, "IM in business might not be the main tool for of communication, it could just be the meeting point for another type of media e.g. conference calls. Nardi's third and fourth observations focus on the social use of IM, which have also been widely publicized in other report. That IM is used for keeping in touch with friends and arranging social events has led some employers to believe that it is used primarily for this purpose. According to (Issacs et al, 2002) a market study found that "'Fear of losing employee productivity’ was the greatest concern of businesses in regards to instant messaging". The study by (Issacs et al, 2002) goes on to suggest this fear is unfounded as it was found that on average "only 13% of conversations contained personal topics", and "only 6.4% were exclusively personal". [edit] Review of Products "IM solutions can typically be catagorised into two types: Enterprise Instant Messaging (EIM) and Consumer Instant Mesaging (CIM). Enterprise solutions use an internal IM server, however this isn't always feasible, particularly for smaller businesses with limited budgets. The second option, using a (CIM) provides the advantage of being inexpensive to implement and has little need for investing in new hardware or server software. However, in recent years open source IM clients such as Jabber have emerged that provide free EIM grade solutions. (Wikipedia,. 2008) For corporate use encryption and conversation archiving are usually regarded as important features due to security concerns. Sometimes the use of different operating systems in organizations calls for the use of software that supports more than one platform. For example many software companies use Windows XP in administration departments but have software developers who use Linux. Most people have had experience of using online chat and messaging over the internet whether it is with Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger, Skype or e-mail. One form of chat and messaging currently popular is Bebo. It is a non-corporate form of messaging which allows its user to create and maintain a social network. Libraries use chat applications and Morris Messenger is an application commonly used by them. This is a power based instant messenger, which uses Perl, SQL, and small Java. It accepts input from both staff and regular customers and saves important information in an SQL database built for the system. [edit] Risks and liabilities Although instant messaging delivers many benefits, it also carries with it certain risks and liabilities, particularly when used in workplaces. Among these risks and liabilities are: Security risks (e.g. IM used to infect computers with spyware, viruses, trojans, worms) Compliance risks Inappropriate use Intellectual property leakage Crackers (malicious "hacker" or black hat hacker) have consistently used IM networks as vectors for delivering phishing attempts, "poison URL's", and virus-laden file attachments from 2004 to the present, with over 1100 discrete attacks listed by the IM Security Center[5] in 2004-2007. Hackers use two methods of delivering malicious code through IM: delivery of virus, trojan, or spyware within an infected file, and the use of "socially engineered" text with a web address that entices the recipient to click on a URL that connects him or her to a website that then downloads malicious code. Viruses, worms, and trojans typically propagate by sending themselves rapidly through the infected user's buddy list. An effective attack using a poison URL may reach tens of thousands of people in minutes when each person's buddy list receives messages appearing to be from a trusted friend. The recipients click on the web address, and the entire cycle starts again. Infections may range from nuisance to criminal, and are becoming more sophisticated each year. In addition to the malicious code threat, the use of instant messaging at work also creates a risk of non-compliance to laws and regulations governing the use of electronic communications in businesses. In the United States alone there are over 10,000 laws and regulations related to electronic messaging and records retention.[6] The more well-known of these include the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, HIPAA, and SEC 17a-3. Clarification from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") was issued to member firms in the financial services industry in December, 2007, noting that "electronic communications", "email", and "electronic correspondence" may be used interchangeably and can include such forms of electronic messaging as instant messaging and text messaging.[7] Changes to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, effective December 1, 2006, created a new category for electronic records which may be requested during discovery (law) in legal proceedings. Most countries around the world also regulate the use of electronic messaging and electronic records retention in similar fashion to the United States. The most common regulations related to IM at work involve the need to produce archived business communications to satisfy government or judicial requests under law. Many instant messaging communications fall into the category of business communications that must be archived and retrievable. Organizations of all types must protect themselves from the liability of their employees' inappropriate use of IM. The informal, immediate, and ostensibly anonymous nature of instant messaging makes it a candidate for abuse in the workplace. The topic of inappropriate IM use became front page news in October 2006 when Congressman Mark Foley resigned his seat after admitting sending offensive instant messages of a sexual nature to underage former House pages from his Congressional office PC. The Mark Foley Scandal led to media coverage and mainstream newspaper articles warning of the risks of inappropriate IM use in workplaces. In most countries, corporations have a legal responsibility to ensure harassment-free work environment for employees. The use of corporate-owned computers, networks, and software to harass an individual or spread inappropriate jokes or language creates a liability for not only the offender but also the employer. A survey by IM archiving and security provider Akonix Systems, Inc. in March 2007 showed that 31% of respondents had been harassed over IM at work.[8] Companies now include instant messaging as an integral component of their policies on appropriate use of the World Wide Web, e-mail, and other corporate assets. Within the company there is also the risk of employees using instant messaging to release confidential information and project details to an outside source. This issue is best controlled by a combination of written policy and technology. An organization's policies on use of IM in the workplace should be an integral part of the overall computing and network use policies, and should be published and communicated at least annually. In addition to written policy, organizations should implement "gateways" or IM security products to monitor content of inbound and outbound messages. Products from IM security providers (See section on IM security) typically allow administrators to set alerts and enforce policy (i.e. allow or block messages) based on keywords and regular expressions within instant messages. Employees may also misuse IM to communicate on a personal level with friends and family. This is poor use of a business’s time and resources, as the employee’s effectiveness will most certainly decrease due to the added distractions. (Licari, J., May 2005). Businesses often use IM security products to monitor and archive IM conversations for the purpose of minimizing this type of productivity drain. [edit] Security and archiving In the early 2000s, a new class of IT security provider emerged to provide remedies for the risks and liabilities faced by corporations who chose to use IM for business communications. The IM security providers created new products to be installed in corporate networks for the purpose of archiving, content-scanning, and security-scanning IM traffic moving in and out of the corporation. Similar to the e-mail filtering vendors, the IM security providers focus on the risks and liabilities described above. With rapid adoption of IM in the workplace, demand for IM security products began to grow in the mid-2000s. By 2007, the preferred platform for the purchase of security software had become the "appliance", according to IDC, who estimate that by 2008, 80% of network security products will be delivered via an appliance.[9] [edit] User base Note that many of the numbers listed in this section are not directly comparable, and some are speculative. Some instant messaging systems are distributed among many different instances and thus difficult to measure in total (e.g. Jabber). While some numbers are given by the owners of a complete instant messaging system, others are provided by commercial vendors of a part of a distributed system. Some companies may be motivated to inflate their numbers in order to increase advertisement earnings or to attract partners, clients, or customers. Importantly, some numbers are reported as the number of "active" users (without a shared standard of that activity), others indicate total user accounts, while others indicate only the users logged in during an instance of peak usage. Service User count Date/source AIM 53 million active September 2006 >100 million total January 2006 Jabber 40-50 million total January 2007, based on calculations of Jabber Inc 90 million total Based on calculations of Process-One: Process-One uses ejabberd as Jabber server software. If it is assumed that ejabberd has a 40% market share amongst public and private open source server deployments, there are 50 million users using open source servers. With Jabber Inc's numbers, this adds up to the 90 million number stated here. eBuddy 35 million total October 2006, including 4 million mobile users Windows Live Messenger 294 million active worldwide November 2007 Yahoo! Messenger 22 million total September 2006 QQ 20 million peak online (majority in China) 3 June 2006 221 million "active" (majority in China) 3 June 2006 IBM Lotus Sametime 17 million total (private, in enterprises) November 2007 ICQ 15 million active July 2006 Skype 12 million peak online February 2008 309 million total April 2008 Xfire 10 million total May 2008 MXit 7 million total (>560,000 outside of South Africa) 10 August 2007. Note that these users are part of the Jabber user base as MXit federates with the Jabber network. Gadu-Gadu 5.6 million total June 2006 Paltalk 3.3 million unique visitors per month August 2006 IMVU 1 million total June 2007 Mail.ru Agent 1 million active (daily) September 2006 Meebo 1 million total October 2006 PSYC 1 million active (daily) (majority in Brazil) February 2007. Total count cannot be accurately estimated due to the decentralized nature of the protocol. VZOchat >200,000 October 2007 [edit] IM Language Users sometimes make use of internet slang or text speak to abbreviate common words or expressions in order to quicken conversations or to reduce keystrokes. [edit] See also Comparison of instant messaging clients Comparison of instant messaging protocols Instant messaging manager LAN messenger Text messaging it is a question

What about Skeptics of Buddhism, like us ? Please Patiently read everything.? Buddhism for beginners (and sceptical Westerners) Introduction Now that Buddhism is such a fast-growing religion in the West, a lot of Westerners are attracted to its rational approach and rejection of an all-powerful deity. But all too often we Westerners quickly get stuck on the idea of rebirth and the various cultural traditions that have become a part of Buddhism in Asia. I've been there myself - wondering if rebirth is for real, if karma is scientific, if Buddhism is rational, why I have to bow to a statue, and so on - and I almost gave up at one point. I've noticed also that some Westerners pop up on the Internet looking for others who've converted to Buddhism, hoping they can discover the trick to becoming a Buddhist despite a materialist upbringing. So this page is a mixture of useful resources and my own personal experiences in fully accepting Dharma as a way of life. I hope it will be of some use to others on the same path. •Where should I start? •What is Buddhism? •Are rebirth and karma for real? •What is our purpose in life? •What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? •Which tradition should I choose? •How do I become a Buddhist? •Which are good books to read? Where should I start? If there's one place you should not start, it's reincarnation/rebirth. Newcomers to Buddhism tend to open every book at the section on rebirth because what happens to us after we die is all-important in the monotheistic culture we come from. But the Buddha wasn't teaching rebirth as the goal of life. He said many times, "I teach suffering, and the way out of suffering." That was his message, to make nirvana (Pali: nibbana) - the end of suffering - the goal. So the place to start is with the basics, the Four Noble Truths and a practice aimed at reducing suffering. If this seems worthwhile to you, you're on your way. In fact, the best way to start is by doing a lot of reading. You need to know about the basic principles of Buddhism, its founder, its history, the different traditions, and what it can do for you. Even though there's a lot of stuff available free on the Internet, I still think a well-written book is the best way to go. For all of the above, try John Snelling's The Buddhist Handbook : A Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice, and History or Gill Farrer-Halls' The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom (which is also a handbook). These two books are both excellent primers to start off with. There's also a short overview titled What is Buddhism? from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. For inspiring books written by Western monks who really understand Westerners' problems, try Ajahn Sumedho's The Mind and the Way : Buddhist Reflections of Life or Ajahn Jagaro's True Freedom, which is available online: •Chapter 1: True Freedom •Chapter 2: Compassion - The Natural Expression of Awakening •Chapter 3: Buddhism and God •Chapter 4: Beyond Boredom and Depression •Chapter 5: Buddhism and Vegetarianism •Chapter 6: Death and Dying Another book that's a must-read is Thich Nhat Hanh's little-known masterpiece, Old Path, White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, a beautiful and easy-to-read story of the Buddha's life drawn from accounts in the Pali Canon and illustrated with line drawings. For a thorough explanation of the nuts and bolts of the teachings and practice, check out Ayya Khema's Being Nobody, Going Nowhere : Meditations on the Buddhist Path (very good at showing how ego rules our lives) or Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness : Walking the Buddha's Path. There are a lot of good books on Dharma (Pali: Dhamma), but I'd recommend starting of with the original Theravada Buddhism and checking out the Mahayana traditions like Zen and Tibetan when you have a grasp of the basics. What you read will depend on what particular problems brought you to Buddhism in the first place. Some authors, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, for example, have written books on anger management. But it's important to practise too. In addition to following the Five Precepts, try practising Right Speech, generosity, compassion, being less self-centred, being less addicted to pleasures of the senses and being less concerned with possessions. And once you have a good grasp of the basic teachings and different traditions, it will be time to start meditating. Your situation in life may affect your practice and progress. If you live near a temple or Buddhist group, you'll be able to listen to Dharma talks, make Dharma friends and be with a community of like-minded people. If you don't, there are always the Internet and Buddhist forums such as E-Sangha and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. I personally live in a Buddhist country where the majority of people don't understand the deeper teachings of Buddhism, so their focus is on making merit for a better rebirth and participating in ceremonies. So I rely a lot on the Internet, on Amazon and a few friends. I rarely go to temples. What is Buddhism? The following article is from the website of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. The author explains karma and rebirth in the traditionally accepted way and is somewhat sceptical about the origins of the Mahayana sutras, but otherwise it's an excellent overview of Buddhism. Introduction For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings? The Buddha The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail. Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace. The Teachings of the Buddha Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence". It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught: 1. The way of Inquiry The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it! This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation. The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept. Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them. 2. The Four Noble Truths The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, or on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to-earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering, which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself. Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve, is the Four Noble Truths: 1.That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering. 2.That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul (see below, note 7). 3.That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion. 4.That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path that is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path. It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana, Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness. 3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path. 1.Right Understanding 2.Right Thought 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Livelihood 6.Right Effort 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from: 1.Deliberately causing the death of any living being; 2.Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another; 3.Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery; 4.Lying and breaking promises; 5.Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness. Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight. Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion. According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation. 4. Kamma Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done. There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible. Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future. The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible. Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt. This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society. 5. Rebirth The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective. The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor! Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many. There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are ten times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms. Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us. 6. No Creator God The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma. Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years, which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme. No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well-being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another. 7. The Illusion of Soul The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'. Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across. Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage. These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today. Types of Buddhism One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat. This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the 'Mahayana', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas. The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still. Buddhism's relevance to the world today Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length. From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued. Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life. Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty! Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world. Are rebirth and karma for real? Is rebirth for real - either as a human or in one of the other realms? This is the question most Westerners ask as soon as they become interested in Buddhism. Karma (Pali: Kamma) - the law of cause and effect - operates across multiple lifetimes, but where's the proof that there is any life other than the current one? It's a complex subject and each tradition has its own explanation. It isn't uncommon for different teachers in the same tradition to have a different take on rebirth. One thing's for sure, there is no scientific proof of rebirth (yet). There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. One way to approach the question of rebirth is suggested by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, who says, "You don't have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis." Other teachers, such as Ajahn Summedho, have a similar view, that since we can never know what will happen after death, it makes sense to practise Dharma (Pali: Dhamma) and live this life in the best way possible. Some well-known monks, Ajahn Brahm and P.A. Payutto among them, say that when meditators reach the third or fourth jhana (level of absorbtion) they are able to "read their past lives" as the Buddha did and experience the truth of rebirth. But this ability is by no means universal, even among meditation masters. Another explanation championed by Buddhadasa, Thailand's most revered monk, is that rebirth in a series of physical bodies is "conventional talk" to make the subject understandable for the masses, but in "Dharma talk" what the Buddha really meant was that each life was the arising of the ego in the mind. So we experience "death" and "rebirth" (of the ego) many times each day. Similarly, the six realms of existence all correspond to states of mind. In the same way, the cause and effect of karma can be observed in our own mental states - when we do good deeds it results in a wholesome mental state, when we do bad deeds, we experience unwholesome mental states. This rational explanation of rebirth and karma doesn't necessarily exclude the traditional view. It augments it. What works for me is to take both of them as working hypotheses and practise accordingly. Recalling the Buddha's story about the man shot with a poisoned arrow, if we need to have every detail of the teaching proved to us at the outset, we'll be dead before we start practising. What is our purpose in life? The traditional answer to this is that our purpose is to attain nirvana and stop the endless cycle of rebirths and suffering. But the idea of a general purpose for mankind suggests that someone or something created that purpose, which in turn suggests an omnipotent deity. The way I think of it is that we have no pre-ordained purpose. We evolved, and here we are. Because we also evolved language and conceptual thinking, we got stuck with this concept of a self, an ego that makes us feel separate from everything else. The ego needs constant reassurance of its importance, which is why we cling to our views and defend them fanatically, and why we are constantly criticizing others. Our ego rules our lives. It is terrified of being snuffed out. We handle this in different ways. Some of us have lots of kids so we can feel that a part of us lives on forever through our descendants. Some of us perform heroic deeds so that our names will live on in history forever. Some of us get onto Ripley's Believe It Or Not with the world's longest moustache or beating the world record for smashing melons with our head, or some such nonsense, so that we'll achieve digital immortality. Some of us cling to the idea that a god will give us eternal life in some form after death. For those of us who don't find this pseudo-immortality or unguaranteed immortality satisfying, there's a need to create our own purpose in life. This is where Buddhism fits the bill nicely. Instead of being ruled by the ego and its fears, get rid of it! Being rid of the ego and the suffering it brings is what Ajahn Jagaro called "True Freedom" - a very appealing idea for all of us. If we don't achieve true freedom in this life, we should get another chance in a future life. But simply diminishing the ego and increasing freedom in this life seems like a worthwhile purpose to me. What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? To preserve the monastic order, the Buddha set down 227 rules for a bhikkhu (monk) to observe and 311 for a bhikkhuni (nun). Before his death (known as parinirvana) he said that some minor rules could be changed. Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries. Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms. Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha's secret "higher" teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra. Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught. The various sutras and sects of Mahayana reflect different ways of reaching enlightenment appropriate for different people with different levels of ability. Because of this, a number of "mythical" buddhas and bodhisattvas are revered and used as objects of meditation. Theravadins revere only the historical Buddha and only his image is seen in temples. Mahayana tends to emphasise the concept of sunyata (void-ness) in its teachings and tends to have a more specific idea of what passes from rebirth to rebirth (consciousness, comprising awareness and memory). Personally, I found that the more I read about Mahayana and the Tibetan tradition known as Vajrayana, the more I accepted that all sects are going in the same direction and there is no point in considering any one of them better than another. Which tradition should I choose? I suggest reading about Theravada first and then investigating the other traditions to see which suits you best. Your decision may also depend on your Buddhist friends and what is available where you live. As far as I know, the main traditions known in the West are Theravada, Tibetan, Zen, Pure Land and Nichiren. One myth that seems to have grown up over the years is that with Mahayana one can reach enlightenment in one lifetime whereas with Theravada it takes aeons. This notion seems to have been pushed by the Chinese Zen patriarchs, in particular Huang Po, as illustrated in The Zen Teaching of Huang Po. In modern times the idea has been spread by influential author-scholar John Blofeld, who translated Huang Po's works into English and wrote several excellent books on Buddhism. But it all seems pretty ridiculous because how could anyone know how many lives ago any particular person started consciously working towards enlightenment? Blofeld followed Zen and then Tibetan Buddhist Tantrism, describing both as the "Short Path." However, it isn't difficult to see that any tradition that emphasises meditation - as the Buddha did - will be a short path. In the past century, the Thai Forest Tradition is a good example of a Theravadin tradition that produced a number of enlightened masters. According to Blofeld, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism in particular offer ways of practice to suit people at every level. After all, not everyone has an aptitude for meditation. A lot of people prefer something simpler, such as praying, chanting, various forms of devotion and pilgrimages. He describes Zen and Theravada as "formless," meaning the practice is mostly just you and your mind. But in fact there's a lot more to both than just meditation. Tibetan Buddhism seems to attract Westerners because there are now a lot of Tibetan lamas and monasteries in the West, because of the charisma of the Dalai Lama, because it can be a "Short Path," because of its reputation for developing psychic powers and because of its many varied methods of practice. However, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed much of the ancient, shamanistic Bon religion of Tibet, so it's wise to read up on Tibet thoroughly before committing to it. Zen attracts Westerners because it's something of a "back to basics" tradition with an emphasis on meditation and very little ritual. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is revered rather than the other mythical buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Mahayana sutras. Although it originated in China, the type of Zen practised in the West is mostly Japanese. Theravada attracts Western practicioners because it is seen as the oldest and purest form of Buddhism, one that reveres only Sakyamuni and in theory concentrates on meditation. The Thai Forest Tradition which developed in the late 1800s was an effort to practise exactly as the Buddha did, wandering in the jungle and meditating in caves. Although the jungle is largely gone now, a number of Westerners joined Ajahn Chah's international monastery in the 1970s and later spread the practice in other countries: Ajahn Jagaro and Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Thanissaro Bhikkhu in the USA and Ajahn Sumedho in the UK. For a brief look at the origins of this tradition, see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Customs of the Noble Ones. For a more detailed treatment, read Forest Recollections. Pure Land was once widespread in China and is still practised among Chinese around the world. A refined form of Pure Land (Jodo and Shin Jodo) developed in Japan and has spread to the West. Pure Land involves purifying the mind by chanting the name of the Amitabha (Amida) Buddha to gain help in reaching a realm after death from where it is easy to reach enlightenment. On a deeper level, Pure Land equals pure mind and Amitabha represents our own qualities rather than an external saviour. Pure Land is sometimes combined with Zen practice. Nichiren is a homegrown Japanese tradition advocating chanting of a phrase hailing the Lotus Sutra. An offshoot of Nichiren is the lay organisation, Sokka Gakai International. There are a few Buddhist sects and organisations that are controversial in some way, usually because of their founder/leader or his particular beliefs. Before getting involved with Sokka Gakai (SGI), the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), Shugden or Diamond Way (Karma Kagyu), you might want to google for information about their background. How do I become a Buddhist? Although there is a ceremony of taking the Three Refuges (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha), there isn't any "conversion" involved and you aren't required to renounce any other religion or beliefs. In fact, it seems to be more of a social statement to show others that you have become a Buddhist. In my opinion, once you accept the Buddha's teachings as a way of life and try to follow the Five Precepts for lay people, you're a Buddhist. For me, this involved a lot of reading Dharma and listening to Dharma talks on the Internet. Rather than read the scriptures (which are often difficult), I chose books by monks and nuns who already had a deep knowledge of Dharma through study and practice, and who had a talent for explaining it. I looked at how Buddhism developed over the millennia and decided to start off with Theravada, which is the original form of Buddhism based on the Pali Canon. Later, I investigated the various Mahayana traditions too. It was obvious to me that reducing the power of the ego to control our lives was a foundation of Buddhism. For my practice, I concentrated on Right Speech (a component of the Noble Eightfold Path) because I thought it would give the fastest results. I expected if I started being nice to people, eventually they'd be nicer to me. That happened, but much more than that. I found myself examining my intentions every time I felt like defending my views, arguing with someone, contradicting them, criticizing them, comparing myself with them or judging them in any way at all. Pretty soon it was obvious that much of what I said or did was designed to boost my sense of self-worth and that "true freedom" was to escape this tyranny of the ego. Later I started meditating, since this is the only way to experience the truth of the teaching rather than just understanding them intellectually. Even though the majority of people born into Buddhism may not meditate, it's essential for the serious Buddhist. Some Westerners have a problem with whether they are or aren't a Buddhist, usually because they still have some belief in god or because they haven't come to believe in rebirth. The following talk by Ajahn Jagaro, a Western monk of the Thai Forest Tradition, will be helpful for anyone asking himself, "Am I a Buddhist?" ________________________________________ Am I a Buddhist? by Ajahn Jagaro Teaching people who have only recently encountered Buddhism I am often asked the question "How do you become a Buddhist?" or "How do you know when you are a Buddhist?" This type of enquiry is indeed healthy and to be encouraged not only amongst those new to Buddhism but also for people born and raised as Buddhists. So go ahead and ask yourself: "Am I a Buddhist?" I expect that there will be many who will answer "Yes" and those who say "No", but I wonder how many will be thinking "Oh ... Ahm,.. I don't know." So let us contemplate this business of being a Buddhist a bit more. To begin our enquiry it may be worthwhile to know what the Buddha said on the matter. The following episode is taken from the Buddhist scriptures (Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV): "Once, the Lord dwelt amongst the Sakyans in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahanama the Sakyan came to him and asked; "How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?" "When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple". "How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?" "When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous." Here the Buddha clearly states that by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha one becomes a disciple or, in modern terminology, a Buddhist. The classical formula of going for refuge, which has been passed down from the time of the Buddha is as follows; Buddham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Buddha) Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Dhamma) Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Sangha) However one does not become a Buddhist through the mere repetition of these words nor by the performance of any other ceremony ritual or initiation. On the other hand, though one has not performed any ceremony or ritual, one may still be a Buddhist. Put simply, this means that no one can make you a Buddhist nor can anyone stop you from being a Buddhist. It is a volitional choice that one makes when one has sufficient confidence in the Teacher and the Teaching. In the commentaries to the scriptures it explains this as, "It is an act of consciousness devoid of defilements, motivated by confidence in and reverence for the Triple Gem"... Here I would like to relate something of my own experience to help explain this point. When I first came in contact with Buddhism I did not consider myself a religious person. If anything, I thought of myself as an atheist and felt that religion had little relevance to real life. However, I did find the Buddha's Teachings and in particular the practice of meditation very appealing. I had a desire to find out more about it and this lead me into a monastery where I was eventually ordained as a monk. One day a young Thai student, wanting to practise his English, casually asked me "Are you a Buddhist?" But in my mind I wondered whether or not I was a Buddhist. I must confess that it was a strange position to be in - a Buddhist monk who doesn't know whether he is a Buddhist! Yet that situation persisted for over a year before the meaning of both the question and the answer became clear to me. During that year as I continued to study and practise the Dhamma I began to feel very comfortable with the teaching and increasingly confident that this was the way for me. With this came the conscious recognition that I had chosen the Buddha as my Teacher and considered him as the embodiment of the spiritual ideals of peace and liberation. I had also chosen to follow the path contained in his Teaching (the Dhamma) being confident that it would lead to liberation. And while on this path I would seek the guidance and try to emulate the example of all the noble disciples who constitute the Sangha. It was indeed wonderful to discover that I was a Buddhist and not just a Buddhist monk! Now becoming a Buddhist does not mean that one has to either agree with or believe in everything that is taught or practised by all the countless Buddhist sects and groups throughout the world. Nor do we have to believe that it is the only way and that all the other religions are no good. It simply means that having looked at and probed into this teaching of the Buddha, having tried it and having seen that it does work, one has confidence in it and chooses to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and Sangha. However if you are still unsure as to whether you are a Buddhist or you are not, don't worry about it, just keep on practising. With Metta, Jagaro Bhikkhu. ________________________________________ If you found this page useful or have any comments you can contact me at craigo@tale ofgenji.org. [ links | home | bibliography ]

Can you please rate my yugioh deck? Hi, Could you please rate/fix/comment my yugioh deck?It's a Red-eyes/Dragon deck! Remember to rate first and then leave your comments and fixes!Thank you! Note:All the normal monsters that are not dragon type will get replaced if I find a dragon with more or equal ATK and DEF! Here is the deck: Monsters: 1.Giant Germ 2.Armed Dragon LV5 3.Sabersaurus 4.Spirit Reaper 5.Strong Wind Dragon 6.Cyber-Tech Alligator (will get replaced if I get Black Skull dragon with Summoned Skull) 7.Knight of the Red Lotus 8.Gearfried,The Iron Knight 9.Mystical Elf 10.Skelengel 11.Blue-Eyes White dragon 12.Penguin Soldier 13.Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon 14.Masked Dragon 15.Vanguard of the Dragon 16.The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave 17.Magna Drago 18.Lava Dragon 19.Armed Dragon LV3 20.Red-Eyes Black Chick 21.Exiled Force 22.Des Koala 23.Luster Dragon #2 24.Red-Eyes Black Dragon x2 25.Soul Tiger x2 26.Kuriboh 27.Luster Dragon 28.Marshmallon 29.Man-Eater Bug 30.Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon 31.Big Eye Spells: 1.Creature Swap 2.Swords of Revealing light 3.Card Destruction 4.Spell Shattering Arrow 5.Stamping Destruction 6.Rush Recklessly 7.Giant Tsunade 8.Ookazi 9.Brain Control 10.Lightning Vortex 11.Magical Mallet 12.Ribbon of Rebirth 13.Mystical Space Typhoon Traps: 1.Stronghold the Moving Fortress 2.Scrap-Iron Scarecrow 3.Widespread Ruin 4.Raigeki Break 5.Spellbinding Circle 6.Metalmorph 7.Waboku 8.Magical Arm Shield 9.Torrential Tribute 10.Call of the Haunted 11.Bottomless Trap Hole 12.Limit Impulse Also,can you list some good dragons and dragon support cards and were to find them?Thanks! Oh,and btw,I was going through my album and noticed I had Dragon's Rage,so I added it to my deck thinking it was a good adition!What do you think?

Novell & Lotus Note 6.5? I am new to this company work as IT admin & this company is using Novell & Lotus note 6.5 ,i do not have any experirnce on it can some body give idea on where to get information on this issuse thank you very much

Could you please rate my yugioh deck? Hi, Could you please rate/fix/comment my yugioh deck?It's a Red-eyes/Dragon deck! Remember to rate first and then leave your comments and fixes!Thank you! Note:All the normal monsters that are not dragon type will get replaced if I find a dragon with more or equal ATK and DEF! Also,can you list some good dragons,dragon syncros and dragon support cards and in which booster packs to find them?Thanks! Here is the deck: Monsters: 1.Flamvell Guard 2.Magna Drago x2 3.Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon 4.Soul Tiger 5.Debris Dragon 6.Masked Dragon 7.Man-Eater Bug 8.Knight of the Red Lotus 9.Armed Dragon LV3 10.Red-Eyes Wyvern x2 11.Flamvell Magician 12.Exiled Force 13.Blue-Eyes White Dragon 14.Gorz the Emissary of Darkness 15.Luster Dragon 16.Des Koala 17.Armed Dragon LV5 18.Luster Dragon #2 19.Strong Wind Dragon 20.Spear Dragon 21.Penguin Soldier 22.Red-Eyes Black Dragon x2 23.The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave 24.Spirit Reaper 25.Giant Germ 26.Big Eye 27.Red-Eyes Black Chick 28.Vanguard of the Dragon 29.Marshmallon Spells: 1.Creature Swap 2.Swords of Revealing light 3.Card Destruction 4.Megamorph 5.Stamping Destruction 6.Rush Recklessly 7.Giant Tsunade 8.Ookazi 9.Brain Control 10.Lightning Vortex 11.Magical Mallet 12.Mage Power 13.Mystical Space Typhoon 14.Black Pendant Traps: 1.Stronghold the Moving Fortress 2.Scrap-Iron Scarecrow 3.Widespread Ruin 4.Raigeki Break 5.Spellbinding Circle 6.Metalmorph 7.Magic Cylinder 8.Slip of Fortune 9.Torrential Tribute 10.Call of the Haunted 11.Bottomless Trap Hole 12.Limit Impulse Extra deck: 1.Exploder Dragonwing 2.Ancient Fairy Dragon 3.Power Tool Dragon 4.Looking for Stardust Dragon,trade anyone? Haves:http://www.tradecardsonline.com/im/editC… +much more!Just ask for a specific card and I will tell you if I haves it!Also if you have an account on tradecardsonline.com leave a link!I want a Stardust Dragon (ultra rare or ultimate rare or secret rare,doesn't matter to me!)my e-mail: andreasskevis@hotmail.com contact me through there! Btw,is adding "Light and Darkness Dragon" to my deck worth it?

Lotus notes 6.5 Help: Setting reminders? I want to set a repeating calendar entry daily. I just don't want it on my calendar. I want it to send me a reminder also daily at certain times. I have heard a reminder will pop up when specified. How do you go by doing this. Thanks I know its done in the calendar, but I need a reminder of my calendar entries.

Lotus Notes 6.5? When I double click on an attachment, it brings up the dialogue box "open, save, view" etc. However as I send out and receive numerous emails this box can be annoying. How can I get rid of it, so that if I just want to view an attachment I just double click and it opens rather than having to use this box. This has stumped even our Lotus Notes expert at work...... Lotus Notes is made by IBM, not Microsoft!

What about Skeptics of Buddhism, like us ? Please Patiently read everything.? Buddhism for beginners (and sceptical Westerners) Introduction Now that Buddhism is such a fast-growing religion in the West, a lot of Westerners are attracted to its rational approach and rejection of an all-powerful deity. But all too often we Westerners quickly get stuck on the idea of rebirth and the various cultural traditions that have become a part of Buddhism in Asia. I've been there myself - wondering if rebirth is for real, if karma is scientific, if Buddhism is rational, why I have to bow to a statue, and so on - and I almost gave up at one point. I've noticed also that some Westerners pop up on the Internet looking for others who've converted to Buddhism, hoping they can discover the trick to becoming a Buddhist despite a materialist upbringing. So this page is a mixture of useful resources and my own personal experiences in fully accepting Dharma as a way of life. I hope it will be of some use to others on the same path. •Where should I start? •What is Buddhism? •Are rebirth and karma for real? •What is our purpose in life? •What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? •Which tradition should I choose? •How do I become a Buddhist? •Which are good books to read? Where should I start? If there's one place you should not start, it's reincarnation/rebirth. Newcomers to Buddhism tend to open every book at the section on rebirth because what happens to us after we die is all-important in the monotheistic culture we come from. But the Buddha wasn't teaching rebirth as the goal of life. He said many times, "I teach suffering, and the way out of suffering." That was his message, to make nirvana (Pali: nibbana) - the end of suffering - the goal. So the place to start is with the basics, the Four Noble Truths and a practice aimed at reducing suffering. If this seems worthwhile to you, you're on your way. In fact, the best way to start is by doing a lot of reading. You need to know about the basic principles of Buddhism, its founder, its history, the different traditions, and what it can do for you. Even though there's a lot of stuff available free on the Internet, I still think a well-written book is the best way to go. For all of the above, try John Snelling's The Buddhist Handbook : A Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice, and History or Gill Farrer-Halls' The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom (which is also a handbook). These two books are both excellent primers to start off with. There's also a short overview titled What is Buddhism? from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. For inspiring books written by Western monks who really understand Westerners' problems, try Ajahn Sumedho's The Mind and the Way : Buddhist Reflections of Life or Ajahn Jagaro's True Freedom, which is available online: •Chapter 1: True Freedom •Chapter 2: Compassion - The Natural Expression of Awakening •Chapter 3: Buddhism and God •Chapter 4: Beyond Boredom and Depression •Chapter 5: Buddhism and Vegetarianism •Chapter 6: Death and Dying Another book that's a must-read is Thich Nhat Hanh's little-known masterpiece, Old Path, White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, a beautiful and easy-to-read story of the Buddha's life drawn from accounts in the Pali Canon and illustrated with line drawings. For a thorough explanation of the nuts and bolts of the teachings and practice, check out Ayya Khema's Being Nobody, Going Nowhere : Meditations on the Buddhist Path (very good at showing how ego rules our lives) or Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness : Walking the Buddha's Path. There are a lot of good books on Dharma (Pali: Dhamma), but I'd recommend starting of with the original Theravada Buddhism and checking out the Mahayana traditions like Zen and Tibetan when you have a grasp of the basics. What you read will depend on what particular problems brought you to Buddhism in the first place. Some authors, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, for example, have written books on anger management. But it's important to practise too. In addition to following the Five Precepts, try practising Right Speech, generosity, compassion, being less self-centred, being less addicted to pleasures of the senses and being less concerned with possessions. And once you have a good grasp of the basic teachings and different traditions, it will be time to start meditating. Your situation in life may affect your practice and progress. If you live near a temple or Buddhist group, you'll be able to listen to Dharma talks, make Dharma friends and be with a community of like-minded people. If you don't, there are always the Internet and Buddhist forums such as E-Sangha and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. I personally live in a Buddhist country where the majority of people don't understand the deeper teachings of Buddhism, so their focus is on making merit for a better rebirth and participating in ceremonies. So I rely a lot on the Internet, on Amazon and a few friends. I rarely go to temples. What is Buddhism? The following article is from the website of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. The author explains karma and rebirth in the traditionally accepted way and is somewhat sceptical about the origins of the Mahayana sutras, but otherwise it's an excellent overview of Buddhism. Introduction For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings? The Buddha The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail. Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace. The Teachings of the Buddha Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence". It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught: 1. The way of Inquiry The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it! This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation. The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept. Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them. 2. The Four Noble Truths The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, or on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to-earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering, which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself. Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve, is the Four Noble Truths: 1.That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering. 2.That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul (see below, note 7). 3.That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion. 4.That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path that is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path. It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana, Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness. 3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path. 1.Right Understanding 2.Right Thought 3.Right Speech 4.Right Action 5.Right Livelihood 6.Right Effort 7.Right Mindfulness 8.Right Concentration Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from: 1.Deliberately causing the death of any living being; 2.Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another; 3.Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery; 4.Lying and breaking promises; 5.Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness. Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight. Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion. According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation. 4. Kamma Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done. There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible. Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future. The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible. Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt. This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society. 5. Rebirth The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective. The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor! Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many. There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are ten times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms. Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us. 6. No Creator God The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma. Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years, which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme. No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well-being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another. 7. The Illusion of Soul The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'. Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across. Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage. These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today. Types of Buddhism One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat. This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the 'Mahayana', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas. The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still. Buddhism's relevance to the world today Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length. From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued. Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life. Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty! Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world. Are rebirth and karma for real? Is rebirth for real - either as a human or in one of the other realms? This is the question most Westerners ask as soon as they become interested in Buddhism. Karma (Pali: Kamma) - the law of cause and effect - operates across multiple lifetimes, but where's the proof that there is any life other than the current one? It's a complex subject and each tradition has its own explanation. It isn't uncommon for different teachers in the same tradition to have a different take on rebirth. One thing's for sure, there is no scientific proof of rebirth (yet). There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions. One way to approach the question of rebirth is suggested by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, who says, "You don't have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis." Other teachers, such as Ajahn Summedho, have a similar view, that since we can never know what will happen after death, it makes sense to practise Dharma (Pali: Dhamma) and live this life in the best way possible. Some well-known monks, Ajahn Brahm and P.A. Payutto among them, say that when meditators reach the third or fourth jhana (level of absorbtion) they are able to "read their past lives" as the Buddha did and experience the truth of rebirth. But this ability is by no means universal, even among meditation masters. Another explanation championed by Buddhadasa, Thailand's most revered monk, is that rebirth in a series of physical bodies is "conventional talk" to make the subject understandable for the masses, but in "Dharma talk" what the Buddha really meant was that each life was the arising of the ego in the mind. So we experience "death" and "rebirth" (of the ego) many times each day. Similarly, the six realms of existence all correspond to states of mind. In the same way, the cause and effect of karma can be observed in our own mental states - when we do good deeds it results in a wholesome mental state, when we do bad deeds, we experience unwholesome mental states. This rational explanation of rebirth and karma doesn't necessarily exclude the traditional view. It augments it. What works for me is to take both of them as working hypotheses and practise accordingly. Recalling the Buddha's story about the man shot with a poisoned arrow, if we need to have every detail of the teaching proved to us at the outset, we'll be dead before we start practising. What is our purpose in life? The traditional answer to this is that our purpose is to attain nirvana and stop the endless cycle of rebirths and suffering. But the idea of a general purpose for mankind suggests that someone or something created that purpose, which in turn suggests an omnipotent deity. The way I think of it is that we have no pre-ordained purpose. We evolved, and here we are. Because we also evolved language and conceptual thinking, we got stuck with this concept of a self, an ego that makes us feel separate from everything else. The ego needs constant reassurance of its importance, which is why we cling to our views and defend them fanatically, and why we are constantly criticizing others. Our ego rules our lives. It is terrified of being snuffed out. We handle this in different ways. Some of us have lots of kids so we can feel that a part of us lives on forever through our descendants. Some of us perform heroic deeds so that our names will live on in history forever. Some of us get onto Ripley's Believe It Or Not with the world's longest moustache or beating the world record for smashing melons with our head, or some such nonsense, so that we'll achieve digital immortality. Some of us cling to the idea that a god will give us eternal life in some form after death. For those of us who don't find this pseudo-immortality or unguaranteed immortality satisfying, there's a need to create our own purpose in life. This is where Buddhism fits the bill nicely. Instead of being ruled by the ego and its fears, get rid of it! Being rid of the ego and the suffering it brings is what Ajahn Jagaro called "True Freedom" - a very appealing idea for all of us. If we don't achieve true freedom in this life, we should get another chance in a future life. But simply diminishing the ego and increasing freedom in this life seems like a worthwhile purpose to me. What's the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? To preserve the monastic order, the Buddha set down 227 rules for a bhikkhu (monk) to observe and 311 for a bhikkhuni (nun). Before his death (known as parinirvana) he said that some minor rules could be changed. Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries. Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms. Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha's secret "higher" teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra. Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught. The various sutras and sects of Mahayana reflect different ways of reaching enlightenment appropriate for different people with different levels of ability. Because of this, a number of "mythical" buddhas and bodhisattvas are revered and used as objects of meditation. Theravadins revere only the historical Buddha and only his image is seen in temples. Mahayana tends to emphasise the concept of sunyata (void-ness) in its teachings and tends to have a more specific idea of what passes from rebirth to rebirth (consciousness, comprising awareness and memory). Personally, I found that the more I read about Mahayana and the Tibetan tradition known as Vajrayana, the more I accepted that all sects are going in the same direction and there is no point in considering any one of them better than another. Which tradition should I choose? I suggest reading about Theravada first and then investigating the other traditions to see which suits you best. Your decision may also depend on your Buddhist friends and what is available where you live. As far as I know, the main traditions known in the West are Theravada, Tibetan, Zen, Pure Land and Nichiren. One myth that seems to have grown up over the years is that with Mahayana one can reach enlightenment in one lifetime whereas with Theravada it takes aeons. This notion seems to have been pushed by the Chinese Zen patriarchs, in particular Huang Po, as illustrated in The Zen Teaching of Huang Po. In modern times the idea has been spread by influential author-scholar John Blofeld, who translated Huang Po's works into English and wrote several excellent books on Buddhism. But it all seems pretty ridiculous because how could anyone know how many lives ago any particular person started consciously working towards enlightenment? Blofeld followed Zen and then Tibetan Buddhist Tantrism, describing both as the "Short Path." However, it isn't difficult to see that any tradition that emphasises meditation - as the Buddha did - will be a short path. In the past century, the Thai Forest Tradition is a good example of a Theravadin tradition that produced a number of enlightened masters. According to Blofeld, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism in particular offer ways of practice to suit people at every level. After all, not everyone has an aptitude for meditation. A lot of people prefer something simpler, such as praying, chanting, various forms of devotion and pilgrimages. He describes Zen and Theravada as "formless," meaning the practice is mostly just you and your mind. But in fact there's a lot more to both than just meditation. Tibetan Buddhism seems to attract Westerners because there are now a lot of Tibetan lamas and monasteries in the West, because of the charisma of the Dalai Lama, because it can be a "Short Path," because of its reputation for developing psychic powers and because of its many varied methods of practice. However, Tibetan Buddhism has absorbed much of the ancient, shamanistic Bon religion of Tibet, so it's wise to read up on Tibet thoroughly before committing to it. Zen attracts Westerners because it's something of a "back to basics" tradition with an emphasis on meditation and very little ritual. Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is revered rather than the other mythical buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Mahayana sutras. Although it originated in China, the type of Zen practised in the West is mostly Japanese. Theravada attracts Western practicioners because it is seen as the oldest and purest form of Buddhism, one that reveres only Sakyamuni and in theory concentrates on meditation. The Thai Forest Tradition which developed in the late 1800s was an effort to practise exactly as the Buddha did, wandering in the jungle and meditating in caves. Although the jungle is largely gone now, a number of Westerners joined Ajahn Chah's international monastery in the 1970s and later spread the practice in other countries: Ajahn Jagaro and Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Thanissaro Bhikkhu in the USA and Ajahn Sumedho in the UK. For a brief look at the origins of this tradition, see Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Customs of the Noble Ones. For a more detailed treatment, read Forest Recollections. Pure Land was once widespread in China and is still practised among Chinese around the world. A refined form of Pure Land (Jodo and Shin Jodo) developed in Japan and has spread to the West. Pure Land involves purifying the mind by chanting the name of the Amitabha (Amida) Buddha to gain help in reaching a realm after death from where it is easy to reach enlightenment. On a deeper level, Pure Land equals pure mind and Amitabha represents our own qualities rather than an external saviour. Pure Land is sometimes combined with Zen practice. Nichiren is a homegrown Japanese tradition advocating chanting of a phrase hailing the Lotus Sutra. An offshoot of Nichiren is the lay organisation, Sokka Gakai International. There are a few Buddhist sects and organisations that are controversial in some way, usually because of their founder/leader or his particular beliefs. Before getting involved with Sokka Gakai (SGI), the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), Shugden or Diamond Way (Karma Kagyu), you might want to google for information about their background. How do I become a Buddhist? Although there is a ceremony of taking the Three Refuges (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha), there isn't any "conversion" involved and you aren't required to renounce any other religion or beliefs. In fact, it seems to be more of a social statement to show others that you have become a Buddhist. In my opinion, once you accept the Buddha's teachings as a way of life and try to follow the Five Precepts for lay people, you're a Buddhist. For me, this involved a lot of reading Dharma and listening to Dharma talks on the Internet. Rather than read the scriptures (which are often difficult), I chose books by monks and nuns who already had a deep knowledge of Dharma through study and practice, and who had a talent for explaining it. I looked at how Buddhism developed over the millennia and decided to start off with Theravada, which is the original form of Buddhism based on the Pali Canon. Later, I investigated the various Mahayana traditions too. It was obvious to me that reducing the power of the ego to control our lives was a foundation of Buddhism. For my practice, I concentrated on Right Speech (a component of the Noble Eightfold Path) because I thought it would give the fastest results. I expected if I started being nice to people, eventually they'd be nicer to me. That happened, but much more than that. I found myself examining my intentions every time I felt like defending my views, arguing with someone, contradicting them, criticizing them, comparing myself with them or judging them in any way at all. Pretty soon it was obvious that much of what I said or did was designed to boost my sense of self-worth and that "true freedom" was to escape this tyranny of the ego. Later I started meditating, since this is the only way to experience the truth of the teaching rather than just understanding them intellectually. Even though the majority of people born into Buddhism may not meditate, it's essential for the serious Buddhist. Some Westerners have a problem with whether they are or aren't a Buddhist, usually because they still have some belief in god or because they haven't come to believe in rebirth. The following talk by Ajahn Jagaro, a Western monk of the Thai Forest Tradition, will be helpful for anyone asking himself, "Am I a Buddhist?" ________________________________________ Am I a Buddhist? by Ajahn Jagaro Teaching people who have only recently encountered Buddhism I am often asked the question "How do you become a Buddhist?" or "How do you know when you are a Buddhist?" This type of enquiry is indeed healthy and to be encouraged not only amongst those new to Buddhism but also for people born and raised as Buddhists. So go ahead and ask yourself: "Am I a Buddhist?" I expect that there will be many who will answer "Yes" and those who say "No", but I wonder how many will be thinking "Oh ... Ahm,.. I don't know." So let us contemplate this business of being a Buddhist a bit more. To begin our enquiry it may be worthwhile to know what the Buddha said on the matter. The following episode is taken from the Buddhist scriptures (Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV): "Once, the Lord dwelt amongst the Sakyans in the Banyan Tree Monastery at Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahanama the Sakyan came to him and asked; "How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?" "When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple". "How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?" "When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous." Here the Buddha clearly states that by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha one becomes a disciple or, in modern terminology, a Buddhist. The classical formula of going for refuge, which has been passed down from the time of the Buddha is as follows; Buddham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Buddha) Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Dhamma) Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I go for refuge to the Sangha) However one does not become a Buddhist through the mere repetition of these words nor by the performance of any other ceremony ritual or initiation. On the other hand, though one has not performed any ceremony or ritual, one may still be a Buddhist. Put simply, this means that no one can make you a Buddhist nor can anyone stop you from being a Buddhist. It is a volitional choice that one makes when one has sufficient confidence in the Teacher and the Teaching. In the commentaries to the scriptures it explains this as, "It is an act of consciousness devoid of defilements, motivated by confidence in and reverence for the Triple Gem"... Here I would like to relate something of my own experience to help explain this point. When I first came in contact with Buddhism I did not consider myself a religious person. If anything, I thought of myself as an atheist and felt that religion had little relevance to real life. However, I did find the Buddha's Teachings and in particular the practice of meditation very appealing. I had a desire to find out more about it and this lead me into a monastery where I was eventually ordained as a monk. One day a young Thai student, wanting to practise his English, casually asked me "Are you a Buddhist?" But in my mind I wondered whether or not I was a Buddhist. I must confess that it was a strange position to be in - a Buddhist monk who doesn't know whether he is a Buddhist! Yet that situation persisted for over a year before the meaning of both the question and the answer became clear to me. During that year as I continued to study and practise the Dhamma I began to feel very comfortable with the teaching and increasingly confident that this was the way for me. With this came the conscious recognition that I had chosen the Buddha as my Teacher and considered him as the embodiment of the spiritual ideals of peace and liberation. I had also chosen to follow the path contained in his Teaching (the Dhamma) being confident that it would lead to liberation. And while on this path I would seek the guidance and try to emulate the example of all the noble disciples who constitute the Sangha. It was indeed wonderful to discover that I was a Buddhist and not just a Buddhist monk! Now becoming a Buddhist does not mean that one has to either agree with or believe in everything that is taught or practised by all the countless Buddhist sects and groups throughout the world. Nor do we have to believe that it is the only way and that all the other religions are no good. It simply means that having looked at and probed into this teaching of the Buddha, having tried it and having seen that it does work, one has confidence in it and chooses to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and Sangha. However if you are still unsure as to whether you are a Buddhist or you are not, don't worry about it, just keep on practising. With Metta, Jagaro Bhikkhu. ________________________________________ If you found this page useful or have any comments you can contact me at craigo@tale ofgenji.org. [ links | home | bibliography ]

Changing default font color in Lotus Notes 6.5? Does anyone know of a way to change the default font color in Lotus Notes 6.5? I know how to change it for each individual message. But, I'd like to find a way to change it permanently for all messages, rather than having to do it each time. Anyone know a way?