Where I can keep track of the special events (note: these are not “parties” as so many people are misled to believe) at Collaborate (April 7-11, 2013 – Denver, Colorado):
Social Media Mavens – You have an official Home @IOUG! – http://bit.ly/ioug-sm – http://www.ioug.org/p/cm/ld/fid=272 Social media is a great way to connect with new and old friends in the Oracle user community; share and capture your thoughts in real-time in education sessions and keynote presentations; and engage in online dialogue with the community … Continue reading → http://ow.ly/2vCtV6
(translated by request – it’s a little weird spacey song)
Close your eyes, you can hear the voiceless whispering
Let go of your fears and let it inspire you
I don’t know what the symbols mean to evolution
But I’ll tell you about a dimension beyond time
I arrive now to the Blue Earth to travel the stars with everyone
Our gates are wide open, our souls deep asleep
Dreaming among the spiral galaxies
Their light embracing us newly reborn
The beginning of time was never written
We can learn and adapt towards the future
Breaking the old ways and creating harmony in darkness and light
Embracing the depth of one’s own creation, Take Off!
To release the bonds, and soar up to the highest
Learn to care more, the time has come
Old ways give way to the new (shaved as if by a blade)
Now as time marches on
The persistent measure of time is love
The unknown road lies ahead to ascend
Open the Gate Open your Soul
Though struggle and suffering continue to repeat forever
Every person has their sins, even those who did not want them
But we have cleansed our consciousness, connected together hand-in-hand
Pandora’s box is open and will never close again
People do not realize that the there is only one
Light is always stronger than darkness, and nothing is stronger than Love.
Even going farther than ever before
Dreaming among the spiral galaxies
Their light embracing us newly reborn
To release the bonds, and soar up to the highest
Learn to care more, the time has come
Old ways give way to the new (like shaved by a blade)
Now as time marches on
The measure of our time is permanent love
The unknown road lies ahead to ascend
The gate is now open, it’s not a miracle (if you do it)
Let’s go together great STARGATE
Hitomi o tojireba kikoeru sore wa koe naki sasayaki
Osore o tebanashi mezameyo sore wa uchinaru hirameki Shinka o unagasu rogosu ga jibun no shiranai jibun ga
Tsugeru yo jigen o koeru toki ga kita
Dare mo hoshi o tabi shite aoi chikyuu ni kita ne Ima o mezashi Dakara bokura wa toberu Ake tamashii no oku nemuru tobira
Ginga ni toki no rasen inori nagara kara susume
Hikari daita genomu hirari umarekawaru
Hajimari no yoake yogen-sho ni wanai
Kizutsuite manabe kakikaeta mirai
Suranpu no yami de mogaki yotei chōwa o yabutte
Michinaru ishiki sōzō mitsudo o agete teikuofu
Maiagatte maiagatte toraware o zenbu kaijo shite
Mayoi o keri age sonotoki wa kuru
Togisumashite mizukara o sogi otoshite
Furui paradaimu imanara maniau shifuto shite ike Jikan-jiku wa towa no ima kōdo wa aida
Michinaru michi jigen jōshō
Open the Gate Open your Soul
Zutto kurikaesa reta arasoi toka kurushimi toka
Subete hito ga okashita tsumida wazawai sae hoshi no oshie
Dakedo bokutachi wa mō ishiki o kiyome-te to te o tsunagi ikite yukeru
Aketa pandora no hako wa nidoto tojiru koto wa nai sa
Dakara hito ga kidzuku shika nai bokura wa min’na hitotsudakara
Sōda hikari wa itsumo yami yori tsuyoi
Ai yori tsuyoi chikara
Wanai motto saki e saki e
Ginga ni toki no rasen inorinagara susume
Hikari daita genomu hirari umarekawaru
Maiagatte maiagatte toraware o zenbu kaijo shite
Mayoi o keri age sonotoki wa kuru
Togisumashite mizukara o sogi otoshite
Furui paradaimu imanara maniau shifuto shite yuke
Jikan-jiku wa towa no ima kōdo wa aida
Michinaru michi jigen jōshō
Atsui negai hotobashireba kiseki janakute
Ima doa hiraku yukō tomoni ōinaru STARGATE
Watching How Traffic Gridlock Forms
Harmonious Paths in Disaster
The Bodhisattva Vow
Traffic patterns, much like check-out lines at a store are fascinating to observe – people always jostling for a better position, racing ahead only to get stuck as that lane eventually slows to a crawl again. Having a higher-view, similar to what truckers can see, you start to see the larger picture of traffic. On some freeways, for whatever reason, sometimes the right-side slow lanes go faster than the left-side passing ones. Motorcyclists tend to be more aware of their surroundings, so we notice when the little red sports car that sped up quickly to race ahead, gets blithely stuck in slower traffic and fades to the rear. We notice when there’s an unusually slow driver in the far left lane causing traffic from behind to have to move right to pass.
We also notice how the large truck drivers, sentenced by regulation to an existence imprisoned within the right two lanes, also learn to drive with consistency of both throttle and path. They don’t tend to change lanes, and try to maintain a steady pace of forward momentum. Having so much mass to move, does not allow for rapid fluctuations in speed and direction, so those drivers have to plan well ahead in order to stay safe, and keep from endangering others. These professional drivers make decisions to change paths because of safety and overall-efficiency. Opening wide the throttle to jump into a temporary opening might decrease a few seconds of the trip time, but the sacrifice is an above-average burn of precious (and these days, costly) fuel. Too many snap decisions and there might not be enough in the tank to complete the trip without stopping for more fuel – adding additional delays to the overall arrival time.
Every time someone unexpectedly changes lanes, whether without signalling, or abruptly changing from one lane to another, those people displaced usually end up slowing down slightly (to keep themselves safe), and those in-front glance in their rear mirrors wondering why they are being suddenly tailgated. The people to the sides spend a few thought moments thinking to themselves “how rude!” or other distractions. Collectively the single decision of one person to try and jump a little farther ahead of the others, ends up having collateral energy expenditures on all those individuals around them, and inevitably, that lack of focus and concentration also results in slightly slower progress.
Buddhism observes many such paths and interactions: water flowing along a stream, winds flowing through and around forests, birds migrating from place to place – each having a starting point and a destination. Each kind of energy makes its best effort to get to its ending point but deviates its path only for natural drives: danger, hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Ultimately the path of least resistance is always sought, to conserve energy. Water gains flow and volume when it moves as a whole, widening its path and straightening its course. Air becomes powerful as it goes faster and forms streams of continuous flow. Birds in flocks expend less energy to get to their destination when they take turns leading and following each other, staying within the leader’s wake, taking the least amount of energy to maintain formation flight.
March 11 marks the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the third memorial service for its victims (In Japan, a funeral is counted as the first of the yearly memorial services, so the third memorial service is conducted on the second anniversary.) The torrential water that flooded most of the Tohoku region followed its own path of least resistance. Residents noted the risks associated with building directly in the path of the ocean’s own tides, and recommended higher altitude and raised platform construction be incorporated during the reconstruction. Living in connection with the ever-present tides and constructing flexible buildings that can sway and move with the quaking earth are similar examples of harmonious paths.
Two thousand, five hundred years ago, at the Buddha’s final moment of nirvana, Chunda, the lay follower, showed us in his purity how to truly accomplish dana paramita, or the perfection of giving. Shakyamuni accepted Chunda’s sincere offering and reassured him that he’d be there whenever Chunda needed him. “There is no need to grieve over my death,” he said, “I have entered a state of nirvana. I am in a place of eternal bliss. Listen well, with a sincere attitude. I will explain the bodhisattva vow [to endeavor for the sake of all sentient beings] to you, so that serene and tranquil bliss can be attained equally by all sentient beings. You have now listened to the truth of my ever present tathagata nature; etch this truth and what you have heard into your mind, and train accordingly.”
And so, returning to our traffic analogy, imagine what traffic would be like if the very front person on every lane were concerned about holding up traffic flow for everyone behind them. And each person in-turn was focused on the safety and efficacy of each other driver’s capacity to reach their destination safely and quickly. And even the last person was conscientious about lagging too far behind, lest someone else follow behind them. Races go fast because each individual has the same objective – the finish line. A careless and untrained move by any individual can lead to disastrous results for everyone participating, so they each strive to maximize their potential, which results in a collective increase in effort and effectiveness for everyone.
If you Care a Little More, Things Happen. Bees can be dangerous. Always wear protective clothing when approaching or dealing with bees. Do not approach or handle bees without proper instruction and training.
Thoughts from James H. Lui 