George Carlin on age (Absolutely Brilliant)

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

Applied Mathematics

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

My life (part 2)

1984, I just finished my middle school and it was time to choose my high school. Those days in Iran most of families were very particular for their children to become either a doctor or an engineer. To continue education in your desired course in university, it was very important that which high school you were choosing. There were basically 5 types of high schools:

• Mathematics and Physics: to join an engineering course in university, this one was the best
• Practical Sciences: the subjects were mostly focused on chemistry, biology, geology and some mathematics. To joing a medicine course in university this was the right high school
• Industrial High School: included multiple branches such as Electric, Electronic, Mechanics, Carpentry, Constructions, etc.
• Human Science: including philosophy, religion, logic, psychology, etc.
• Arts: painting, music, architecture, photography, cinema, theatre, etc.

My life (part 1)

As I said in About me, I have travelled for almost entire my life. My first 6 years of life was in Ahvaz, a south-western province of Iran which is known for its huge reserves of oil and its strategic importance to Iran since our economy depends on this oil money.

When I was 6 year old, I started my first class of primary school. After just a few months my family shifted to Esfahan (Isfahan), a beautiful city in center of Iran. Isfahan is one of the most important historical cities of Iran for its unique and well known Islamic architectures. There are only few people who know that Taj Mahal in India was in fact designed by an Iranian architect who was from Esfahan. I am sure if you have already visited Taj Mahal, you will be amazed of much more beautiful architectures if you travel to Esfahan. I have seen people who visited both of them and they all said, Taj Mahal cannot be even compared with beautiful mosques in Esfahan.

The interior of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is beautifully decorated
(Photo: Linda’s Travel page)

We lived in Esfahan for 10 years and then again we shifted to Rasht, a northern city of Iran. Wathever that I have in my life today is just because of an 8 years living in this city. Almost I experimented everything that I loved in this part of my life. I made many creative electronic devices, I started practicing Yoga, started reading so many books about different religions and philosophies, poems, literature, romance, and arts, I started learning piano, joined a Judo club and practiced in for 4 years until I got my magenta belt, joined theatre classes, photography, animation, and many other things that probably no one in our generation even thought about it.

This period of time is also very important for me as I found the most valuable friends of my life. Most of my friends in this age were in fact artists. We used to spend so much time together walking in downtown streets, discussing about arts, literature, philosophy, religion, and any intellectual topic.

This unforgettable period of my life almost ended when I got an approval letter from a university closed to my home town…

Questions and Answers by Dalai Lama

Question: How do you view yourself?

Answer: I always consider myself as a simple Buddhist monk.I feel that is the real me. I feel that the Dalai Lama as a temporal ruler is a man-made institution. As long as the people accept the Dalai Lama, they will accept me. But being a monk is something which belongs to me. No one can change that. Deep down inside, I always consider myself a monk, even in my dreams. So naturally I feel myself as more of a religious person. Even in my daily life, I can say that I spend 80% of my time on spiritual activities and 20% on Tibet as a whole. The spiritual or religious life is something I know and have great interest in. I have some kind of confidence in it, and thus I want to study it more. Regarding politics, I have no modern education except for a little experience. It is a big responsibility for someone not so well equipped. This is not voluntary work but something that I feel I must pursue because of the hope and trust that the Tibetan people place on me.

Question: What are your commitments?

Answer: In general, I always state that I have three commitments in life. Firstly, on the level of a human being, my first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their lives more happier. I remain committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone I meet. Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding amongst different religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create better human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other’s respective traditions. Thirdly, I am a Tibetan and carry the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in me. Therefore, my third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. I have a responsibility to act the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese. However, my first two commitments I will carry on till my last breath.

Question: What were your first feelings on being recognized as the Dalai Lama? What did you think had happened to you?

Answer: I was very happy. I liked it a lot. Even before I was recognized, I often told my mother that I was going to Lhasa. I used to straddle a window sill in our house pretending that I was riding a horse to Lhasa. I was a very small child at the time, but I remember this clearly. I had a strong desire to go there. Another thing I didn’t mention in my autobiography is that after my birth, a pair of crows came to roost on the roof of our house. They would arrive each morning, stay for while and then leave. This is of particular interest as similar incidents occurred at the birth of the First, Seventh, Eighth and Twelfth Dalai Lamas. After their births, a pair of crows came and remained. In my own case, in the beginning, nobody paid attention to this. Recently, however, perhaps three years ago, I was talking with my mother, and she recalled it. She had noticed them come in the morning; depart after a time, and then the next morning, come again. Now, the evening the after the birth of the First Dalai Lama, bandits broke into the family’s house. The parents ran away and left the child. The next day when they returned and wondered what had happened to their son, they found the baby in a corner of the house. A crow stood before him, protecting him. Later on, when the First Dalai Lama grew up and developed in his spiritual practice, he made direct contact during meditation with the protective deity, Mahakala. At this time, Mahakala said to him, “Somebody like you who is upholding the Buddhist teaching needs a protector like me. Right on the day of your birth, I helped you. So we can see, there is definitely a connection between Mahakala, the crows, and the Dalai Lamas.

Another thing that happened, which my mother remembers very clearly, is that soon after I arrived in Lhasa, I said that my teeth were in a box in a certain house in the Norbulinka. When they opened the box, they found a set of dentures which had belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. I pointed to the box, and said that my teeth were in there, but right now I don’t recall this at all. The new memories associated with this body are stronger. The past has become smaller, vaguer. Unless I made a specific attempt to develop such a memory, I don’t recall it.

Question: Do you remember your birth or the womb state before?

Answer: At this moment, I don’t remember. Also, I can’t recall if at that time when I was a small child, I could remember it. However, there was one slight external sign perhaps. Children are usually born with their eyes closed. I was born with my eyes open. This may be some slight indication of a clear state of mind in the womb.

My first post

Hi,
So, finally after several years I decided to start a Weblog at WordPress. As you can see, the Weblog’s name is “Grins”. I will try to focus on nice toughts which can make your face more smily.