Wow. I never realised just how far this multimedia convergence thing was going to go until today.
http://www.getdemocracy.com/
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http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/link_211.htm
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Bittorrent site feeds
= Internet TV 
For anyone who’s still a bit lost, the podcasting thing has been spreading to video for a while. But it’s always been just a little too awkward, until now. But Democracy Player changes all that. Just install the app, and start choosing programs you’d like to watch, and channels you’d like to subscribe to (free of course). It’ll download episodes for you from all over the net — of actual TV shows on bittorrent sites, or just from hundreds (so far) of independent producers on the web. It takes some time to download them but you just pick them, and forget about it, and it tells you when they’re done. After a while, unless you choose to save them, it’ll remove them again to save space. It’s a lot like a TIVO or other PVR (Sky+ anyone?), but free, and much bigger in terms of potential.
The only problem is that the player is still a bit flakey, and it’s not compatible with every feed out there, but it’s still very usable, and judging from their site, it looks like it’ll keep improving.
Now, maybe it’s just me, but it looks a lot like the top-down TV and movie industries are really going to go the same way as the music industry is beginning to go. So maybe someday we’ll finally reach that stage where the music and video industries are true meritocracies, with only popularity and quality determining which feeds are the most successful.
This is fascinating stuff. I’d recommend having a good play with this, even if you don’t think you’ll use it for real until it matures some
*sigh* if only Smallville wasn’t postponed ;(
Tags: aggregator, bittorrent, broadcatcher, democracy player, feed, internet tv, iptv, katchtv, media, miro, rss, smallville, torrent, tv
Wonder if the TV industry’s likely to try to sue the families of fifteen-year-old pirates into submission like the music industry in the Land Of The Free has been doing.
Probably will
On the other hand though, they’d have a real hard time in front of a jury, trying to punish someone for watching a TV show over the internet. Most of the music “piracy” cases haven’t been against average downloaders either, but against the uploaders. There’s a second issue here though: the quality of some of the non-commercial stuff in these video and audio podcasts really does rival normal TV, so they’d have a really hard job shutting that down based on their own issues with it too. Interesting times in which we live 
I wanted to talk to you today but you’re not online
It is very cool. Makes me realise that I really will eventually need to get Broadband if I want to be able to enjoy the internet to the full!
You know me with another name. I’ve added you with brand new account… I’m one of the maintainers of the Theravadins community…
HI!
I saw you were the mod for the zen site.
Quick Q? Are Zens religion allowed to eat meat OR are you strictly veggies eaters?
Just wondering?
Hi
Well, there isn’t really such as thing as “being allowed” in Zen Buddhism (or other Buddhism that I know of, for that matter). Basically, Buddhism just gives advice on how to be happy: if you agree with that advice and find it useful, then that’s great. Otherwise, no one is going to force you
There are actual rules in buddhist monasteries, but that’s because the whole monastic community can be damaged if monks/nuns fail to keep up a certain standard.
On the other hand, it can be considered a violation of monastic life to take up something like vegetarianism for the wrong reasons (to impress others, or to feel righteous, for example).
On the vegetarian thing specifically though… the buddha’s advice was not to eat meat that has been killed for you (or even that you suspect might have been killed for you). To me, that would include buying it from a shop, since you’re a customer, and that meat was killed with customers in mind. Therefore, if you buy that meat, then more animals will be killed with you in mind too.
This all comes under more basic principles, of not killing, respecting other beings, etc. Buddhism is all about developing understanding and compassion and love (for ourselves as well as others), so it fits in closely with that basic principle, I think. Other buddhists interpret things differently though, and I should point that out.
I should emphasise again, that there are no hard and fast rules: everything has to be tempered with the compassion and wisdom that buddhism encourages. For example, you could be the most compassionate person in the world, never eating any meat or harming any animal. However, say you visit an extremely poor family, and it comes to meal time. You might feel bad to find out that the family have chosen to slaughter a cow, in order to provide their guest with a proper meal. You could refuse that meal, and feel good about yourself. But, if the cow was that family’s only real possession, and they will no longer have milk, or future calves, or even future meat in a time of need… are you really being loving and compassionate by refusing to eat meat? Chances are, you could be much more compassionate by thanking that family, and humbly eating the meal they offered you.
Hope that all makes sense. Feel free to ask more questions
Ummm…
You didn’t exactly answer my question. So, I am going to refrase it. Let’s say you go a whole month without visiting anyone.
So, would this mean yes…you would go a whole month w/o eating meat?
Also, in the book: The Awakened One “A Life of the Buddha” by Kohn; (have not read all of it) the Buddha was first in the heavens. He decided to go down the shoot of life. He entered a prince’s body. And when he became older became a buddha. And he taught enlightment. Correct?!
I have been doing allot of investigation of religions trying to figure some things out. And one thing I keep coming across is – this relates to Nag Hammadi Lib. – Orgin of the world –
which makes me think that Buddha is actually the child of Pistis Sophia (aka Chaos)
Just wondering?
Well, I answered it as much as possible, but there isn’t one definitive answer, since it’s a matter for individual spiritual understandings and consciences. For me, yes, I’m vegetarian, and wouldn’t eat meat unless very unusual circumstances arose. But, I just can’t say that for other vegetarians, whether they’re buddhist or not. Everyone makes their own decisions. Ideally; for me? Yes, I believe it’s best for buddhists to always find alternatives to eating meat.
On the origins of buddha… no, not really. Different sects will have different interpretations of this. But, basically, buddha said that he was NOT a god. In fact, he didn’t even see his teachings as a religion. His first teaching was written down in the form of a prescription, from a doctor, concerning human unhappiness as an illness, and the way to cure that unhappiness. Basically, I believe, if buddha was alive today, he would be teaching an improved form of psychology, or philosophy, not religion involving coming down from the heavens etc. Buddha taught that it’s best to communicate with people on their own level though, so if someone asked a question in terms of religion, he might have answered that way, just for them, while explaining in different terms to others.
I haven’t studied Pistis Sophia at all, but on chaos vs. order, buddhist practice is largely about dealing with chaotic emotions and behaviours; bringing order to them, establishing lasting joy and compassion instead of fleeting happiness mixed with suffering. So, I’m not sure a comparison with chaos can be drawn. Perhaps I just don’t understand the link you’re making there though
p.s.: you might want to ask about these things in the zen_within community, or the buddhists community, since other people might have better answers than me
Interesting…..
So your saying your Buddhist practice is broken into little pieces just like all the other religions around the globe?
Perhaps- at one time all the religions were apart of one tree. And then maybe it was man or nature who cut down a branch..one branch at a time. With each branch fallen and separated from the mother tree. They sprang a root and created there own religion but they still believed in a creator. These roots eventually became a forrest – so now we have many religions many people with different beliefs but no one really knows for sure which religion is the true religion. Correct?
One root..the christian religion has a bible…read certain passages you can actually see Buddhist teaching in it…also Muslims….but if you read about Pistis Sophia(aka Chaos) you can find (it) she is i the bible too. But it’s funny you know…..all the religions out there claim that they don’t idol worship – but they do. I have walked in many Asian shops and they have a Budda alter with food and incense. It’s not just your faith – many religions seems to create an alter of there gd. They also sell these idols thinking luck will come to them. It’s sad. But I should not talk. In 1986 a family member passed on – and I inherited an iovry Budda. He is the size of your pinky. If he was on your table you’d think he was a gumdrop. He sits on a small black pedestal. I never gave much thought about it. Until one day, someone mentioned
that how and what I believed in mirrored budda’s teaching. Others commented I am more christain, some say I am Muslim because I believe you can pray anywhere to be with gd. But I also could be Jewish…and the list goes on.
Regarding the first paragraph. See if you can find an answer to this question for me..maybe ask abudda monk or frineds…
If there were only two animal left on the face of the earth. One a lion and the other a goat. Both having a conscious. The Lion can not kill the goat and The goat can not kill the lion. Yet, they grow hungry day by day. Finally, the goat says save yourself kill me so you can live. But the wise lion says no. Instead they find a plant and eat it.
Now here’s the question:
Is not the plant living too? It has no voice – yet it gave. So, who did you eat?
Now, if you could please ask your friends on how they would answer this parable….i would be greatly appreciated.
Just a small note….
gd, chaos, PS put food on earth so we can survive – live. It is not what you eat that defines you or your beliefs but it is what is deep down and inside you that makes you who you are.
The answer to the above question is your heart.
I think I would say that, rather than having one religion common to us all in the past, there is a spiritual core, common to all humanity. We all struggle with the same things, and if we’re lucky, we find the spiritual strength to understand and love life. That spirituality can be interpreted in many ways and explained to others who need help in many ways. Also, and most importantly, those who aren’t yet capable of that level of spirituality seem to have much more fractured and convoluted interpretations of what spirituality is, than those who have actually found it. For instance, I never used to like christianity. But, as my buddhist practice progressed, I found myself understanding christianity better. Not because I like the religion as most “christians” understand it, but because I see that those who practice that religion very well also reach the same spiritual level as the buddhists who practice well, or the muslims who practice well, or the jews, or the jains, or the pagans, or the poets, etc.
On the lion/goat thing… it’s a good question, but in reality, it may be a little more complicated than that. Mustelids, like ferrets and badgers and wolverines, have a very short digestive tract, that is only adapted to eating meat. If they tried to eat vegetables, they wouldn’t get much sustenance from it, and would probably die anyway. On the other hand, we do live in a world of cycles, and even if both animals die, many bugs will feed on them, and probably evolve over time. If not, then plants would evolve to eat other plants, or at least to feed off other plants’ remains. If there are no bugs, then many plants will die too, because some need insects for pollination. I won’t ask my friends though; if you’d like to discuss this with many buddhists (by which you’ll probably get more informative answers) then by all means, post the questions in a buddhist community/forum; that’s what they’re there for
On the idea that food is on earth to help us to survive… not all spiritual systems would subscribe to that idea. It basically says that we’re special, and that other creatures and/or plants only exist for our benefit. I would argue that we’re all in this together, and that we have to respect and love every animal and plant on an EQUAL footing to ourselves, to find a place in the world that really fits us.
Oh, one thing I meant to add.. you’re quite right that plants are also alive, and that we also need to respect them. The jains take this (and other beings) very seriously; you should check out how they’ve dealt with it.
Your comment above is very poetic.
BUT the comment:
“those who aren’t yet capable of that level of spirituality” It shouldn’t matter what level they are on. It should only matter that they believe that their is a gd. Or at least believe in some dream they may of have had as a child. I, myself believe in dreams. A while back my dreams suggested that I unplug 2 major cords that keep my computer working. Since I listen to my dreams – I did it. AND for two whole weeks the computer worked. I was even on the net. But then something happened and I lost faith in my dreams. Suddenly my computer stopped working. For 2 days it was like this. Finally, I had someone come in and take a look. They said Darcy (that’s my real name) you need these two cords attached to your computer to make it work. It did not matter how much I protested that the computer was working without the cords – the person did not believe in what i was saying. But they did believe in what they knew to be real.
So another example would be – when I was much younger I used to have the Jehovah Wittness come knocking on my door. I would then argue with them saying how wrong they were. But yesterday, they came knocking and all the knowledge I have obtained regarding my reincarnation and spiritally I just listened to what they had to say. They quoted from the bible verse’s that they interpreted as what they understood what it meant to them. I knew they were mistaken by what I know and hold true. But I did not make the above comment that I made in quotations marks in the begining of this paragraph.
The Lion/Goat story: Your response was about reality in the verbal sense. buddha told parables to get a point across and I was doing the same.
I talked about a mother tree previously and I think buddha may be one of those roots that left the tree.
I read Buddha believe’s in enlightment. I read how he describes it. One of the unknown stories of Pistis Sophia talks about this light. What buddha was reffering too is the Treasury of Light. You mentioned to be a Buddhist you would stop eating meat. I too tried this thinking I could obtain more light than I already had. I saw the light. It was at my feet. When I sat in the sun it swirled around me. But then I went back to eating meat. And you know what?! The light is still with me. So, I wonder if all religions including the buddha’s belief system – all came from one tree. But in order to seperate itself from it’s mother another belief system was put in place similar to the first tree. This way you won’t recognize the first and you will follow the new root. But the problem I see with this is – your telling people that to obtain the knowledge/ the wisdom/ the enlightlight they must do this..and this..and this..when actually
they may already have this within them.
Now you did speak of reality in the verbal sense about food. In this regards then people weren’t born as humans. They would of started out as a living cell/ or a bug. Like tadpoles which become frogs. What do you think they ate? They probably ate each other. The term survival of the fittest comes to mind. Eventually, yes, they grew into humans. Where you have the right to choose to eat meat or not.
You can still love if you eat meat – yes? but you can still love if you you eat a plant – yes? But the animal and the plant are living – yes? So, by saying that we should not eat anything living – does this mean we should not eat at all?
I never said that we shouldn’t eat anything living. I said that some people choose not to, and that others choose other things, but that it’s all dependant on their personal choices and compassion and wisdom, at that time, and in that particular situation. Life just isn’t simple enough to have a hard and fast rule for every situation. And, yes, we need energy to life, so eventually we have to choose between “greedily” consuming energy that could serve another purpose, or being so selfless that we consume nothing, and die. Buddhism doesn’t condone such extreme selflessness though; it’s a tradition that encourages moderation, as opposed to extremes.
Sentence #1, #2, and #3 we agree on.
But when you used the word Greedily in a sentence refering to food. I would have to disagree.
Greediness, Greedy, and Greedliy are ment for people who don’t give – or donate on a regualr basis. (for ex. instead of throwing away clothes that don’t fit – they should give to an organization that DOES NOT resell the clothes back to a five and dime store-such as the United Way) stealing from the rich or the poor-this includes murder/homicide, and making a profit on the sick.etc.
More on the 3 greeds: are people who just take- and take..and kill our resources..and I am refering to WATER…creating pollution, This would include our Oceans(dumping wastes into them) LAND…. to build more houses that we don’t even need or destroying rainforrest just to farm the land are causing more problems including destorying wildlife, destorying wildlife refuge’s to drill for fossil fuel, People over water there grass worrying over the brown spots- because they have to make sure everyone knows they have the greenst front/back lawn, the soil is dirty – with chemicals that should not be there, when the people walk there pets-they throw away the animal waste which can be used to help the plants grow instead they create more waste in the garbage dump, etc.,
AIR…creating pollution (including airplanes), the list goes on….
FOOD:
to consume nothing would mean we were gd. But since we live on the planet earth we must indulge with out destroying it.(the earth)
Quote:
“encourages moderation, as opposed to extremes.” What about fasting? Is this not an extreme? Buddha Fasted Correct? What is the point of mediatating? Can you not do this on a full stomach as well?
An old adage -
With Life comes Death, And Death is Life.
Or maybe you heard this one:
Out of Death Comes Life and out of Life comes Death.
Full Cycle.
No, I wasn’t really referring to food specifically. In buddhism, self has a special meaning, and I was already using it too “incorrectly” with selflessness, so I avoided the term selfishness. I agree that consuming other resources such as heat is equally worthy of consideration.
No, the buddha didn’t fast. Before the person who was the buddha became the buddha, he didn’t know what he knew as Buddha. So, he tried many things, including fasting. Fasting was one of the extremes that allowed him to learn that extremes don’t help so much
Meditating on a full stomach would be quite difficult actually. What the point of meditating is… well, you’ll have to try it and see if it has a point for you or not. Or at least research the topic in depth on your own, and apply your own thoughts to it; not a simple subject at all.
I have tried fasting. Actually, when I moved out of my parents house and was living on my own. I only ate 1-2 meals a day. Sometimes I had a job others times I didn’t. (like now). And when I was living on my own – sometimes without ever thinking about it – I froze. Or I mediated. But I could do it standing up or sitting down. People might think oh she’s daydreaming…or spacing out. Sometimes I had to be careful sometimes when I was in the sun everything went black. I got worried. Went to the doctor(Specialist). My Eyes were fine. Except, he did notice the inside of my eyes were backwards. I thought I had Glaucoma. But my eyes minic the disease he said. So, I excepted it. You prob. think this isn’t meditating but it was…sometimes I froze for a long periods of time. So, then I thought o’ maybe I have this diesease….so I went to the doctor who sent me to specialist and again my brain patterns and everything checked out normal. I had no clue who I was – but I am coming closer to an understanding.
Mediating-It was real easy-then. I haven’t tried it recently tho. Because now when I shut my eyes it’s more like a sleep and I dream-and I see things (Which is why I woke up at 1am today) When I do go to sleep it’s like being awake. So, I am never really quite sure if I slept.
second comment……
I now eat what my tummy dictates. You know when you work you have to eat at regualr scheduled time frames. I tried this and did not like it. So, Now I only eat when I am hungry. I am lucky. I have been unemployed since 2001. If I didn’t have family I would be living on the streets. (but this is a lie – I do have money – but for some reason I refuse to touch it) Where I am living now the walls and windows have no insullation. So, it’s like being outside in the elements. My room is very small. It’s a small room behind a wealthy looking house. I have no kitchen ..only a bathroom. When people come and visit me they always ask me to turn down the heat. AND I jest! What I say?! Because that’s what I desire the most is heat. My room is cold. (and there is no heater) But when they walk in wearing sweaters and woolen coats. They immediately take them off or they demand we go outside – where I think it’s really cold out. But when I do – I discover suddenly it’s really warm out and this could be at any given time including NITE TIME! I have also found as soon as I am on the computer I must be careful not to put my feet on the comp’ hard drive or my feet begin to tingle…this might sound odd…but I found certain foods can cause the same results.
Right now my feet are no where near the computers hard drive but there is a slight hum to them….it’s the best way I can explain it. I also have to make sure I unplug everything even the tv – or else the plugs burn up. I also have to make sure how I unplug…Because as soon as I reach to unplug the plug fire shows up.
My family must know something is up. They always keep me away from the sun light. At first I thought nothing of it. Mother’s day was awhile ago-everybody was commenting about how warm the weather was..but they looked at me funny-and before I could say anything they said we should go inside. And immediatly they made some excuse about how they should shut the blinds – even tho-they had just commented how beautiful it was to be out in the sun.
RE: Sun & Heat- In the past I see things float or pass by my sight and dismiss it. The doctors all said I was fine. But one day- I had the misfortune of sitting on a space heater – the warmth at last I thought – but then I walked into a very cold room – and all this light (meteorite shower) showed up. At first I thought I was haunted – but then I remembered the light that I always saw at my feet or when I was sitting in the sun. I thought maybe it followed me in here too. Slowly, I am coming into the realization it’s me.
This is why I emailed you. Well, slightly…The question about the meat was bugging me. And I like the actor Brad Pitt – he had mentioned how he dealt with anger and stress is he became a zen master. Now – the stress I welcome. When you work – stress to me is a high – an instant Nirvana-
But the Anger?! I have to be careful – something weird happen to awhile ago- I got angry at my father and he was holding onto a newspaper with both hands. And the side of my hand hit the paper in the anger and it cut the paper in two like scissors. My father dismissed the incident. Later I rechecked the newspaper – an indeed it was cut in a perfect line – something I could never do with a pair of scissors in my hand.
So, I have been researching & reading everything I can on the net – on every religion – I have a huge cache of websites which is still climbing. I came across this word – Illuminati – I think this is what Buddha was talking about. Other societies . . . ..
Lastly….
who also – believe in this are the Rosicrucians, Jakob Boehme and Emmanuel Swedenborg. I went to visit my local Rosicrucian and while there I walked around. And there is a pond with steps in it. A year before going there I dreamt of a place where a dark shadow stood in the waters with no feet. It was the exact same location. Immediatly I left. I also wanted to go an investigate the actual Kabblah Teachings…but again family members say this is a cult. Another reason I came to your site is I believe in my dreams. And they led me here. I know this sounds absurd. But I see things that don’t make sense in the verbal sense but for anything that has to do with me does not make sense at all in this manner.
So, right now I am trying to find directions where I need to be.
I have already tried volunteering with the homeless, and other “Selfless” acts…but I still think there is something missing. There is something I need to do. I can not explain it. It’s the feeling when you were supposed to be somewhere but you forgot to go. It’s burning inside me…….
(PS>>Sorry for the multiple post…not my intention)
Hmmm. Well, I don’t really agree with your perspectives on some of those things, but you’re entitled to them of course. I do think that you have a very enquiring mind, and I’m sure that will help you find whatever it is you’re seeking. Good luck!