10:47 pm EDT, the White House announced Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces. We have his body.
11:35 pm EDT, the President himself came on television with a very short speech that was good. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that should have taken an hour to write, and included most of the Pledge of Allegiance at the end, but it was a good speech.
A "special operations team" (no specifics given) operating under the Joint Special Operations Command in concert with the CIA acted on months of intelligence to kill bin Laden in a firefight in a small compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. They have his body. DNA tests will be conducted to confirm his identity and a video is almost certainly going to be released to provide proof to the world that bin Laden is in fact dead.
This news comes almost four months before the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
No Americans were killed in the actions that ended the life of Osama bin Laden. Five people died in the attack, including bin Laden, one of his thirteen sons, and one of his numerous wives who was used as a human shield at one point. Osama bin Laden was shot above the eye. His body was taken aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on the Arabian Sea where it was identified, washed, and given a proper Islamic burial at sea, supposedly so his grave doesn't become a martyr's shrine.
The compound bin Laden was living in is said to be eight times larger than any other building in the city of Abbottabad, which the other wiki says has a population of 120,000. It had a three story house with eighteen foot high walls. The property is estimated to be worth $1 million. This is a substantial sized compound in a substantial sized city. How anyone could miss something this obvious for this long is beyond comprehension.
Supposedly "SEAL Team Six" lead the charge in attacking the compound, though this has not been confirmed.
According to WikiLeaks, Al-Qaeda has made a statement that they have a nuclear device hidden in a European city and that they would detonate it if bin Laden was caught or killed. Report of this document started panic in some of a "nuclear hellstorm." There is nothing more to report on this at the time.
This is a breaking story. Updates will come as they are made public.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tearful Farewell to Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba's newphew R.J. Ratnakar Raju performs the last rites of the spiritual guru.
Image from India Today
Sai Baba was buried on 27 April with full state honours at the Sai Kulwant Hall. An estimated five lakh people (500,000) came to pay their respects, including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (who also visited Baba at his 85th birthday celebration last year). Baba's nephew, and member of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, R. J. Ratnakar performed the last rights.
From Daily News & Analysis India:
Earlier, a little before 9am, the glass casket in which Sai Baba's body was lying in state from Sunday night was removed and the body was wrapped in national tri colour for a brief while.
Men of the Andhra Pradesh Armed Police sounded the last post and fired 21 shots in the air as a mark of respect.
Then the Tricolour was removed and verses from Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Sikh, Judaism and Buddhist scriptures were read out by leaders from these sects. Later, they joined in sprinkling the sacred ash at the samadhi spot as 'mangal aarti' was performed.
With Sai Baba's body draped in his favourite saffron robe, the last rites were performed by Ratnakar, who wept inconsolably, while priests recited vedic chants.
Sai Kulwant Hall will now become the Mahasamadhi Mandir. Radio Sai offers a streaming radio broadcast of the proceedings (I have not listened to the whole program yet), and an email message announces a video of the proceedings will be put up shortly, so devotees in all time zones can have final darshan of Swami.
(The title of this post is adapted from an IBN Live article.)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Mind Over Matter
The sixth episode in the 1980 television program "Mind Over Matter" with Kit Pedler. Features interviews with such luminaries as Lawrence LeShan, David Bohm, Brian Josephson, Geoffrey Chew, Charles Tart, Elizabeth Rauscher, and Fritjof Capra.
Mr. Pedler's own views:
"I think a scientist would have to be massively ignorant or a confirmed bigot to deny the evidence that the mind can make connections with space, time, and matter in ways that probably have nothing to do with the ordinary senses, and also he'd find it difficult to deny these strange effects are compatable with current thinking in physics, and may, in the future, become part of an extended science in which they are no longer viewed as paranormal but as normal."
Runs 26 minutes.
Mr. Pedler's own views:
"I think a scientist would have to be massively ignorant or a confirmed bigot to deny the evidence that the mind can make connections with space, time, and matter in ways that probably have nothing to do with the ordinary senses, and also he'd find it difficult to deny these strange effects are compatable with current thinking in physics, and may, in the future, become part of an extended science in which they are no longer viewed as paranormal but as normal."
Runs 26 minutes.
Message of Condolence
April 25th 2011
I am saddened by the passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the respected spiritual leader. I would like to convey my condolences and prayers to all the followers, devotees and admirers of the late spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama
(The Urban Mystic does not know when regular posting will begin again, or when anything will resume regularity for that matter.)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Love All, Serve All
So many questions. I was sick and confused yesterday. Terrified of flying and drowning I was looking forward to the day that, in spite of those fears, I could afford to go to Prashanti Nilayam to have Baba's darshan, reassured in his earlier statement that he would be around another ten years.
Why did Baba choose to leave more than a decade early? Was his mission finished, or did he see the world falling apart as evidence that humanity no longer wished to listen to his message?
I know Baba produced often several Shiva Lingas every year as part of a big celebration (Lingodbhava). What did they do with them all? Is there a warehouse full of them somewhere or do they give them away?
Who will run Prashanti Nilayam now? Who will run the Sri Satya Sai Central Trust, estimated to hold assets worth $8 billion? Looking back at other gurus who started organizations, Yogananda, Ramakrishna, their organizations quickly became corrupt after their founders were no longer around to supervise everything. Will the same thing happen to Baba's organization? Will the millions helped by his charitable projects be neglected in coming years?
I made this picture late last night. Believe it or not, this is the first time I have ever drawn Swami.
Why did Baba choose to leave more than a decade early? Was his mission finished, or did he see the world falling apart as evidence that humanity no longer wished to listen to his message?
I know Baba produced often several Shiva Lingas every year as part of a big celebration (Lingodbhava). What did they do with them all? Is there a warehouse full of them somewhere or do they give them away?
Who will run Prashanti Nilayam now? Who will run the Sri Satya Sai Central Trust, estimated to hold assets worth $8 billion? Looking back at other gurus who started organizations, Yogananda, Ramakrishna, their organizations quickly became corrupt after their founders were no longer around to supervise everything. Will the same thing happen to Baba's organization? Will the millions helped by his charitable projects be neglected in coming years?
I made this picture late last night. Believe it or not, this is the first time I have ever drawn Swami.
The Mahasamadhi of Sri Satya Sai Baba
Official Release:
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is no more with us physically. He left his earthly body on 24th April, 2011, at7:40 a.m. due to cardio-respiratory failure.
Bhagawan Baba’s Body will lie in state at Sai Kulwant Hall for two days (Monday and Tuesday). Arrangements will be made for Darshan after6:00 p.m. today, at Sai Kulwant Hall.
We appeal to all not to rush to the hospital, but to remain calm and have Darshan in an orderly manner.
- Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Miracle of Pure Love
I just got finished watching a 45 minute video from Radio Sai called "The Miracle of Pure Love" detailing Sri Sai Baba's charity work over the past several decades. I and many others are very concerned over Swami's health, which is very bad. He is in the hands of the best doctors available, in the hospital he built two decades ago this November.
The two Super Speciality Hospitals provide medical care completely free of charge to millions. According to the video during the last fiscal year the two hospitals provided three billion Rupees of medical care free of charge ($67.7 million or £41 million). My question is, where does all that money come from? That's a crap load of money, and as far as I can tell it all comes from donations, from the government (electricity is provided for free), from computer and medical equipment companies, and devotees all over the world.
Coupled with the university, the water projects, and numerous other endevours, how could anyone NOT like Baba? How could someone like Robert Priddy become a vicious, hate-filled man when he found out his "die-mind" ring was a zircon? How could former devotees come out with phony, unsubstantiated charges against Swami? Where does the hate come from against someone who has done so much good to so many millions of people? It doesn't matter whether you believe in Swami or not, he's done more good than all of his critics combined, and that alone is worthy of admiration. There are times I just don't understand the world, or maybe I don't want to understand it. It's times like this that we need Swami more than ever.
-Dee
The two Super Speciality Hospitals provide medical care completely free of charge to millions. According to the video during the last fiscal year the two hospitals provided three billion Rupees of medical care free of charge ($67.7 million or £41 million). My question is, where does all that money come from? That's a crap load of money, and as far as I can tell it all comes from donations, from the government (electricity is provided for free), from computer and medical equipment companies, and devotees all over the world.
Coupled with the university, the water projects, and numerous other endevours, how could anyone NOT like Baba? How could someone like Robert Priddy become a vicious, hate-filled man when he found out his "die-mind" ring was a zircon? How could former devotees come out with phony, unsubstantiated charges against Swami? Where does the hate come from against someone who has done so much good to so many millions of people? It doesn't matter whether you believe in Swami or not, he's done more good than all of his critics combined, and that alone is worthy of admiration. There are times I just don't understand the world, or maybe I don't want to understand it. It's times like this that we need Swami more than ever.
-Dee
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