Sorry, I stuffed the introduction in the first post, I meant to say the south coast is beautiful, but that I'd never thought of it as spiritual, unless you mean the scenery etc inspires you.
fulltimestudent
JoinedPosts by fulltimestudent
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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fulltimestudent
The Global Times reports on the new temple:
Shaolin's first temple outside of China to be built in Australia
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-26 11:22:50Share on sinaweibohare on linkedinMore Sharing Service
After more than 1,500 years in existence, Dengfeng's revered Shaolin Temple is to soon start building its first international outpost in Australia.
The renowned Buddhist retreat and kung fu school have completed eight years of complex negotiations with local governments in New South Wales to establish a site for the new temple.
The 380 million Australian dollar ($296 million) resort will be constructed in pristine wilderness at Comberton Grange in Jervis Bay, 200 kilometers south of Sydney.
It will be centered on more than 2,000 hectares of purchased forest land which China's Shaolin Temple, currently led by abbot Shi Yongxin, paid 5 million Australian dollars ($3.9 million) for.
It will truly be a wilderness retreat with a glorious marine national park a few kilometers away.
The temple site resides in the Shoalhaven Shire, named after a majestic river which flows through the lush rural area.
The temple is fully supported by mayor Joanna Gash, who spoke to Xinhua at her office.
"Eight years ago the abbot came to the Shoalhaven," she said. " He was very taken with the spirituality of the land, the people here, the location and he had good visions as to what he could build here. It has taken eight years to today to come to fruition.
"His plan is certainly for a temple, a Shaolin temple, the first Shaolin temple to be built in Australia outside of China. It will have a kung fu academy, it will have a health and wellness center and it will also have a hotel as well. So there are many things to be built there, many things to attract people to come to the area. But basically we're very happy and delighted that we have been chosen to be the first temple outside of China in Australia."
It will be a center for cultural sharing as well as kung fu and well-being.
"Certainly the feature of the kung fu academy will be very much to the fore, but also the educational and wellness areas," mayor Gash said.
"The medicine, the wellness, you go can go to the temple, you can have a meal there, you can visit. Those are the sort of things people will be able to do. The cultural exchange for this area will be very beneficial. The Chinese people want to know about Australia and the Australian people want to know about the Chinese. And that's one of the things that we'll be very heavily promoting. "
"I think it will be a worldwide market. It's not just for our city here, it's a regional basis, it's an Australian basis and I'm quite sure it will be an international, worldwide basis as well."
In a region of high unemployment, the economic benefits will be a major positive. It is expected around 1,000 jobs will be available for the construction of the project alone.
"Certainly over and above the initial 380 million dollar development costs the estimates are around 65 million dollars per annum into the local economy, which is huge," said Steve Lawson, the local tourism chief.
Tourism is the second biggest money earner in the Shoalhaven Shire and employs 6,500 people. It is an area where lush mountains meet the sea across fields filled with dairy cows, and many people live there for its beauty, even if work is hard to find.
The temple resort will offer employment opportunities which fit into the lifestyle of the local community which is already geared to welcome tourists.
"The hotel itself is estimated to post some 90,000 people a year and that in itself is just part of the 300,000 people that it is estimated to visit the temple each year, and we'd like to extend an invitation to all of those people to come and experience Shoalhaven outside of the temple while they're here," Lawson said.
Besides extensive bushwalking tracks, Jervis Bay has much more to offer. It is renowned for its majestic marine beauty, crystal clear waters and beauty. It is a scuba diving haven as well.
"It is one of Australia's most pristine natural icons," said another tourism representative Catherine Shields.
"It is a world-famous heritage marine park. It has some the whitest sands in the world, some of the cleanest water and some of the most beautiful scenery. There's also wonderful pods of dolphins. People who visit the temple can go on whale watching cruises and they can see all the beautiful marine life on various cruise boat operators."
There have been local objections to the temple, as usual when something big and new is planned for small communities which resist change. The concerns were more about the development process than the actual project, but mayor Gash said the end result has been sound.
"There have been many millions of dollars going into the planning exercise for this project before we could even put a shovel into the ground. They have certainly done their homework, and it has taken years of planning."
That first shovel will soon begin digging to see a new era created in the 1,500 year old history of China's Shaolin Temple. And it will spread and share culture between two countries who have become firm friends. -
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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fulltimestudent
And now (drum roll) something surprising, one of the most famous temples in China, will for the first time, build a temple outside China.
Where? The south coast of NSW, of course.
This is a section of the home Temple
You've probably guessed which temple now, yes, its the famous Shaolin Temple, which will be built just outside Nowra on the South coast of NSW.
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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fulltimestudent
Not long after the building of the Nantian temple, Thai Buddhists began the construction of
Sunnataram Forest Monastery, Bundanoon NSW
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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fulltimestudent
Its tolerant also. My Gay XJW friend went there with his new (male) partner about a year after the Jws kicked him out.
A Buddhist nun approached them and had a chat, asked about their relationship, and finding they were partners, gave them a blessing.
Not the only story like that. My friend, once introduced me to one of his friends who had lived a long time in Thailand. Beginning a relationship with a Thai man, they went to the guys home village. The local Buddhist Abbot spoke to them in the street and learning they were in a relationship, made arrangements for them to have a wedding ceremony in the temple.
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The 'Spiritual' South Coast of New South Wales
by fulltimestudent ini like the south coast of nsw, i was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?
" i never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
i've never ever thought of the south coast as beau.
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fulltimestudent
I like the south coast of NSW, I was even born there, its beautiful, but "spiritual ?" I never ever thought of the south coast as beau
I've never ever thought of the south coast as beau
But, Buddhists somehow associate the area with "spirituality."
In Wollongong, not far south of Sydney, Taiwanese Buddhists built their Nantian (Southern heaven) Temple.
Its very popular, not only with the now large Asian Buddhist population that live in Sydney, but also with the locals who visit to see (I guess) something different to a humdrum church,
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I'm bemused - Vladimir Putin as a Christian Warrior - Do Russians see him as a fighter for Jesus?
by fulltimestudent ini accidentally came across this youtube video, "why the west fears putin.
" curious, i watched it.
you may find it interesting also.
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fulltimestudent
DJS: But the 'little green men' firing high tech guided missiles and operating the other military equipment in E. Ukraine are not Ukrainians - they are a Russian trained and equipped assault force.
Not Ukrainians? May I ask who/what is a Ukrainian? You seem to be dismissive of the idea that a large proportion of the population may (most likely are) ethnic Russian.
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BTW, I note some thoughts emanating from the American elite, regarding the effectiveness of the sanctions on Russia. George Friedman, is reputed to be close to American intelligence sources (though, I can't be sure that there is ONLY one American intelligence source-grin).
So, here's the link: https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/viewing-russia-inside
In this entry (dated December 2014) Friedman gives his impressions of a visit to Russia.
On the effect of sanctions, Friedman comments:
Russians' strength is that they can endure things that would break other nations. It was also pointed out that they tend to support the government regardless of competence when Russia feels threatened. Therefore, the Russians argued, no one should expect that sanctions, no matter how harsh, would cause Moscow to capitulate. Instead the Russians would respond with their own sanctions, which were not specified but which I assume would mean seizing the assets of Western companies in Russia and curtailing agricultural imports from Europe. There was no talk of cutting off natural gas supplies to Europe.
If this is so, then the Americans and Europeans are deluding themselves on the effects of sanctions. In general, I personally have little confidence in the use of sanctions. That being said, the Russians gave me another prism to look through. Sanctions reflect European and American thresholds of pain. They are designed to cause pain that the West could not withstand. Applied to others, the effects may vary.On Ukraine he comments:
The Ukrainian Issue
There was much more toughness on Ukraine. There is acceptance that events in Ukraine were a reversal for Russia and resentment that the Obama administration mounted what Russians regard as a propaganda campaign to try to make it appear that Russia was the aggressor. Two points were regularly made. The first was that Crimea was historically part of Russia and that it was already dominated by the Russian military under treaty. There was no invasion but merely the assertion of reality. Second, there was heated insistence that eastern Ukraine is populated by Russians and that as in other countries, those Russians must be given a high degree of autonomy. One scholar pointed to the Canadian model and Quebec to show that the West normally has no problem with regional autonomy for ethnically different regions but is shocked that the Russians might want to practice a form of regionalism commonplace in the West.Do the "Russians" understand the USA, Friedman seems to think they do, at least in some ways:
The discussion was over lunch, but my time was spent explaining and arguing, not eating. I found that I could hold my own geopolitically but that they had mastered the intricacies of the Obama administration in ways I never will.
Summing up:
I came away with two senses. One was that Putin was more secure than I thought. In the scheme of things, that does not mean much. Presidents come and go. But it is a reminder that things that would bring down a Western leader may leave a Russian leader untouched.
Second, the Russians do not plan a campaign of aggression. Here I am more troubled — not because they want to invade anyone, but because nations frequently are not aware of what is about to happen, and they might react in ways that will surprise them. That is the most dangerous thing about the situation. It is not what is intended, which seems genuinely benign. What is dangerous is the action that is unanticipated, both by others and by Russia.
At the same time, my general analysis remains intact. Whatever Russia might do elsewhere, Ukraine is of fundamental strategic importance to Russia. Even if the east received a degree of autonomy, Russia would remain deeply concerned about the relationship of the rest of Ukraine to the West. As difficult as this is for Westerners to fathom, Russian history is a tale of buffers. Buffer states save Russia from Western invaders. Russia wants an arrangement that leaves Ukraine at least neutral.Kaik, may be correct in many of the things that he says, but what he says is often affected by emotion, an emotion which we may understand, but neglects similar emotions on the others.
The question for most of us is, do we just accept or do we try to understand. I wasted my life because I was too accepting.
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Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of independent Singapore died this morning, aged 91.
by fulltimestudent inoverview of his life, from china central tv america:.
http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/03/22/singapores-founding-pm-lee-kuan-yew-dies-at-91.
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fulltimestudent
The British occupation left the ordinary Singaporean as poor as they had been. Under Lee and his successors, his People's Action Party transformed Singapore by using a variety of state-owned enterprises to finance government services and to keep taxes low. The PAP has formed all governments in Singapore since independence.
During his long term in office Lee made 27 visits to China.
In 1978 Deng made a visit to Singapore
and met Lee, both apparently made a deep impression on each other.
and in 2010, Lee was present at the unveiling of a memorial to Deng
along with Xi Jinping, the current President of China.
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I'm bemused - Vladimir Putin as a Christian Warrior - Do Russians see him as a fighter for Jesus?
by fulltimestudent ini accidentally came across this youtube video, "why the west fears putin.
" curious, i watched it.
you may find it interesting also.
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fulltimestudent
edmond dantes said: Gorbachev has said that it will take 10 to 15 years for Russia to gain full democracy .They should be assisted and encouraged.
Really? Only 15 years?
In the Anglosphere, many call the Magna Carta, the first step to democracy. That was 1215 - so if we count the years to something like our modern western 'democracy' it has taken 700 years.
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I'm bemused - Vladimir Putin as a Christian Warrior - Do Russians see him as a fighter for Jesus?
by fulltimestudent ini accidentally came across this youtube video, "why the west fears putin.
" curious, i watched it.
you may find it interesting also.
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fulltimestudent
As for the religious aspect, how interesting that in the UK, an extreme right-winger has commented on Russia as the saviour of Christianity.
I do not neccessarily agree with any or all of these statements, I use them to challenge conventional wisdom about Russia.
Some people make all kinds of assertion, but often without much evidence for what they claim.
From today's, Independent
Ex-BNP leader Nick Griffin tells right-wing conference Russia will save Europe
Undeterred by his waning power over the extremist right-wing in the UK, Nick Griffin has kept with his cause by declaring that Russia will save “Christendom”.
The former BNP leader was expelled from the organisation last year, after members accused him of attempting to “destabilise” it and of “harassing” its membership.
Griffin responded by accusing the party leadership of playing “plastic gangster games”.
At the International Russian Conservative Forum in St Petersbury (they mean St. Petersburg) over the weekend, which was organised by a pro-Kremlin ultranationalist party, Griffin warned the audience that Christendom would succumb to “a terrible civil war”, become and Islamist caliphate “or perhaps both”, BuzzFeed reported.
He added that “the survival of Christendom” is “absolutely impossible without the rise of the Third Rome: Moscow.”
Roberto Fiore of Italy’s Forza Nuova, mirrored Griffin’s comments at the event, and claimed that Moscow is currently the only nation guarding what he regards to be Western values in the way Rome once did.
“It’s not me saying this—it’s God saying it,” he said, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Chairman of Italy's party 'New Force' Roberto Fiore speaks during the International Russian Conservative Forum (OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images)
In an interview with the US newspaper, Griffin said Russia is “more free” than the West as a similar event would be banned in the US or the UK.
Other guests included Udo Voigt, a senior figure in Germany’s extreme-right National Democratic Party, and members of the ultra-right Greek party Golden Dawn.
Speakers at the event mirrored Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent message that the West is facing a “profound moral crisis, and argued that the region is also blighted by ill including abortion, atheism, Freemasonry, and unbridled immigration that, if unchecked, will wipe out the Caucasian race.
