It is a tradition in the Philippines for students to plant trees before their graduation. Recently, a new law was introduced in the Philippines to make tree-planting a prerequisite in order for students to graduate. Students are required to plant at least ten trees in selected areas. Since the 20th century, the forest coverage...

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Buddhist nuns, otherwise known as bhikkhuni (Pali) or bhiksuni (Sanskrit) are fully ordained female Buddhist monastics. In Thailand, these nuns endure a lot of hardships. From arson and threats to the huge resistance in a male-dominated culture, they have to work very hard to be accepted and to emerge as religious leaders in their...

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Most Kecharians are strong, intelligent and educated people, and since day one, I have shared the Dharma with them in a logical and clear way. I have done so in a way that tells both sides of the story and have explained things to them on many levels so that they can think for...

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Back in my teen years when I was growing up in Los Angeles, one of my first jobs there was Foto Mat. It was an okay job and it was part-time because being under 18, I wasn’t allowed to work full-time. I was working and supporting myself, and living at the Dharma centre with...

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Back when I was a teen in Los Angeles, I got connected to a friend who used to run around Hollywood doing extra parts, trying to be an actor. We’d become friends and we talked, and he said to me that there’s a new movie coming up by John Carpenter called Christine. It’s about...

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Ornamental Cabbage and Flowering Kale Ornamental cabbage and kale look and grow very much like their close relatives of edible cabbages and kale. They are the same species, Brassica oleracea, and although they are still edible, they aren’t as tasty and tender as their cousins. They have been bred for looks, not flavour. Although...

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Dear friends around the world, I wish to share with you on the amazing Drupon Khen Rinpoche and his effort in spreading Lord Buddha’s teachings in Africa. Africa is the second largest continent after Asia, covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Mother Earth with a staggering population of 1.3 billion in...

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Air pollution has been a big environmental issue in Beijing and other cities in the northern region in China. In addition to smog and dust, sandstorms that sweep across the northern region of China every spring from March to May are also one of the main contributors to the bad air quality. The dust...

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Thump! That sickening sound can only mean another bird has flown into one of your windows. Birds cannot see glass, especially if it is reflecting the nearby habitat or sky. These reflections do not register as such to a bird. This is why millions of birds die or are injured each year in collisions...

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Understanding your dog’s behaviour is very important. Anyone who’s ever spent time with their dog knows that, just like people, dogs have personalities that are unique to them, and they experience many feelings in exactly the same way as humans and all other mammals. While dogs don’t experience higher emotions such as shame, spite...

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  Why Bigfoot? Since young, I have been fascinated by Bigfoot. I would read and watch everything related to Bigfoot as a child. Though my schedule is a little busier nowadays, I still try to keep up with the latest news and read about this favourite topic of mine whenever I can. Bigfoots, also...

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Mati (马蹄) Temple, also known as Horse Hoof Temple, is located deep in the heart of Gansu (甘肃) province in northwestern China. It is a magnificent Buddhist temple complex consisting of a large group of caves, divided into seven smaller groups, that stretches up to 30 kilometres (18.64 miles) long. Mati Temple was first built in the Jin (晋) Dynasty, with the first cave dug about 1,600 years ago by a man named Guo and his disciples. It was originally a school and later it was converted to a temple when the Buddha statues were made. The unique name...

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Most people in the city are living in apartments with small balconies or houses without a backyard. Some don’t even have a balcony and the space is very limited. Without a backyard, can we still grow vegetables? With container gardening, the answer is yes. It is actually more fun, more practical and easier to...

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  What Is Minimalism? In the world we are living in now, we are conditioned to believe the acquisition of wealth and possessions is the objective of our lives. When we turn on the TV and radio, log on to the internet, or read magazines and the newspaper, advertisements that encourage spending and buying...

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Chakrasamvara is the principal deity of the most important Sanskrit Tantra text of the Anuttarayoga Wisdom (mother) classification of the Vajrayana Buddhist Tradition. Chakrasamvara can also be included amongst the most popular deities in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. His purpose and function in the Buddhist Vajrayana religious system is as a model for meditation practice...

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Have you heard of the zero waste movement before? What does it mean? Does it mean we don’t produce any rubbish or waste? Is that even possible? Contrary to what it may sound like, zero waste is not about not producing waste; rather, it is about reducing our consumption. Whenever possible, we should recycle...

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  Thaton as a destination Coming from the south you know when you have arrived in Thaton as the hill line ahead curves around to the right marking the top end of Thailand and creating a natural barrier with Burma beyond. Thaton straddles the Kok River which rises in Burma and spills into the...

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“I suppose now what I’m interested in is Nirvana, the Buddhist heaven. I don’t know much about it, or really understand it enough to explain it. George knows more. Studying religion has made me try to improve relationships, not to be unpleasant. It’s not a conscious move to change my personality. Perhaps it is....

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’65. Okay, so ’72, I would be seven years old, eight is ’73, nine is ’74, 10 is ’75, 11 is ’76, 12 is ’77, 13 is ’78, 14 is ’79. Yeah, 14, 15. About 19… Okay, back around 1979, 1979, 1980, around that time I was around 13 or 14 years old. I...

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我很高兴跟大家分享这则关于文冬素食新去处的好消息——我们自家的野人咖啡厅开张了！

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