54th Anniversry of the Tibetan Uprising 1959: rally/march/rally

The rally downtown at the art gallery.
Much of the talk was of the 108 Buddhist monks who have self-immolated since 2009, trying to bring
attention to the atrocities that continue in Tibet -- monks as young as fifteen.

Sad, so very sad.

From downtown those concerned marched over to Granville, over the Granville Bridge doing call & response chants: "What do we want?" -- "Free Tibet!" || "China lying!" -- "People dying!" etc. and rather wistfully: "Where is..? -- "The Panchen Lama!"

A fairly large police motorcycle escort all the way.  Up Granville to the Chinese Consulate at 16th and Granville and more chanting.

And then some magic. A Tibetan man took the microphone and started singing the Om Mani Padme Hung.  It was beautiful. And the sound transformed the moment as everyone joined in and for a long time serenaded whoever was in the Consulate (and the rather bemused police constables). The whole mood changed from frustration and despair--to love.

Mao's armies invaded Tibet in the
1949-1959 "Dragon Attacks" and
continues to claim Tibet as part of China.

Tibetans say Tibet is Tibet, not China.
Tibetans have lived there for millennia.
They should know, shouldn't they?

Listen to Louis: Accentuate the Positive

Here's an idea for the new year: Let's try thinking about how healthy & thriving we are. 

 Let’s stop absorbing this message that we are perpetually “sick” and we need constant "healing." 

Actually, for the most part we're not doing so badly. Are you personally sick? Are you personally lacking in food? shelter? Didn’t you just spend a small fortune on Christmas?

Can we acknowledge that humans are living now to 80-90 years old routinely. In the wonderful good old “organic” days the average life span was about 50-60.

Average Canadian income (2 earners) $79,000. Oct 2012, Canada’s unemployment rate was 7.4% = 92.6% of people were employed). Nowadays most women survive childbirth, even high-risk births. Many cancers are no longer an automatic death sentence. Our literacy rate in Canada is 99% (male; female; combined).

So why have we been hearing for 40 years how “sick” we are and how much we need healing all the time. You’re sick, take yoga. You’re sick, meditate. You’re sick, you need a trip. You’re sick, take this supplement. You’re sick, go to a spa.

What about if we start thinking about our incredible *wellness* for a change? And focus on that. It doesn’t mean we can’t act to right wrongs, help less fortunate others. But maybe we could shed that yoke that we’re “sick” for a while and see what happens.

Latch onto the affirmative.

 

Listen to Louis Armstrongaying it out from the Club Zanzibar, New Year’s Eve 1945. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC7DO-luqYw) l

Happy new year! Zap—You’re healed!