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Philosophical Background
Buddhism’s long history has allowed it to adopt unique forms in various cultures, mostly throughout Asia, but more recently in the West. A number of unifying Buddhist principles are shared by most Buddhist establishments, and these commonalities serve to connect the major traditions. This article will outline some of these shared Buddhist views so that the reader can familiarize him or herself with a general understanding of Buddhism. Due to the impossibility of articulating a single, universal perspective that adequately represents the various forms of Buddhism, even this general overview will reflect the form of Buddhism of which the author is most acquainted, Pragmatic Buddhism. Most conclusively, Buddhism, in all of its forms, aims to: 1) provide human beings with a practical and achievable path that leads to the alleviation of suffering or unsatisfactoriness through the recognition of dependent origination and its conclusions (the interdependence and interconnectivity of all things), and 2) cultivate human actions that stem from this understanding.
Buddhism originated in northern India over 2400 years ago. While many Buddhist traditions converge on aspects of the birth, life, enlightenment and death of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, it is recognized in modern scholarship that these stories are not verifiable, as we have no primary sources from Siddhartha himself. The stories concerning Siddhartha’s life were compiled in a retrospective manner, in an attempt to solidify the most meaningful aspects of the numerous interpretations found throughout the early oral traditions of Buddhism. The Buddhisms of today are the result of centuries of revision and refinement, which includes the incorporation of cultural elements unrelated to the historical message of Siddhartha Gautama, but that are nonetheless meaningful interpretations of the Buddhist message.
There are key aspects of the stories of Siddhartha’s life that serve to enhance an understanding of Buddhism’s purpose. Unlike most Western religions, where the central prophet or messiah figure’s significance stems from his or her historical existence and physical acts, the historical reality of Siddhartha is not important in Buddhism. Instead, the vital element in Buddhism is the efficacy of Buddhist methodology, an actual path that leads to the alleviation of suffering or unsatisfactoriness in this world. Unsatisfactoriness encompasses the pervasive question of the “self” and the basic nature of personal identity. This question of the self arises when we perceive ourselves to be separate from the rest of our world, in a way that is deeply disturbing. This erroneous view of the self as separate from the rest our world—as opposed to playing an integral, connected role—is what Buddhism addresses through its various contemplative and meditative methods.
Buddhism posits an interconnected and interdependent reality where humans are not separate, but connected in an inherently meaningful way. We are important precisely because we are here, and we function as a necessary aspect of our experiences. Our world and our experiences are not characterized by separation, but are the continuously generated syntheses between the perceiver and the perceived, an ongoing interplay of mutual dependence. This focus on interconnectedness and interdependence makes personal Buddhist action simultaneously a social action, a point repeatedly emphasized by comparative scholar Peter Hershock, also a practicing Chan Buddhist. We help and care for our neighbors not simply because we are told to do so, but because we see that they are integral to our world just like ourselves. Moreover, we see others engaged in the same basic struggle as ourselves: as sentient beings seeking a solution to unsatisfactoriness. Buddhism acknowledges that the realization (“enlightenment”) of dependent origination (causation) leads to understanding and action that provides solutions to unsatisfactoriness, and is achievable by all people.
The Life of Siddhartha Gautama
Most Buddhist traditions agree that Siddhartha Gautama was born to a wealthy king in Northern India. A seer is said to have predicted that Siddhartha would become a great king, or a great spiritual leader. In an attempt to cultivate the former, Siddhartha’s father, it is said, ensured that all forms of unsatisfactoriness stayed out of his son’s life. In his early adulthood, Siddhartha’s curiosity compelled him to climb his palace walls and discover the condition of average, everyday human beings. His encounter with four human conditions—a dead person, a dying person, a decrepit person, and an impoverished person—challenged Siddhartha’s understanding of his world. Having been ignorant to such human conditions, the question of human unsatisfactoriness and a solution for its alleviation preoccupied his adult life. Siddhartha renounced his nobility and wealth, and set out on a course that would lead to answers.
The first step for Siddhartha was to learn as much as possible about his contemporaries’ answers to the problems associated with human unsatisfactoriness. The Indian intellectual environment during this time encompassed all of the major schools of philosophical thought. Included in this milieu were the traditionalists, rationalists, and empiricists. On the extremes, there was strict materialism (radical empiricism) and the metaphysical beliefs of the Upanishadic tradition (radical traditionalism). Strict materialism encompasses the belief that the material world is all that exists, and that the human psyche (mind, consciousness) does not exist at all. The materialists, who asserted only what could be known through the senses and adhered to the philosophy of determinism (all things are on a fixed course and human action cannot affect real change), believed that:
there was no such thing as a “self” or “soul”
that the laws governing the Universe and their consequences (karma) did not affect the human mind--they did not believe in the actual existence of consciousness, much like the modern philosopher Daniel Dennett
that there is no continuity after death, only annihilation.
On the other end of the spectrum were the metaphysical theories contained in the religious Upanishadic tradition. “Metaphysics” means “beyond the physical,” and it addresses ideas that cannot be proven through the senses. The Upanishadic school asserted:
the existence of an individual soul (atman)
the reality of human consciousness and karma
the continuity of one’s personality after death.
Siddhartha committed himself to an intense study of the major schools of Indian thought in the accepted manner of his time: personal apprenticeship with verified Masters.
Though Siddhartha was confirmed to have mastered the various schools he studied, which included traditional yogic asceticism of the Upanishadic tradition as well as empiricism and the analytical traditions of the rationalists, he rejected the teachings he received from these schools, citing their extreme and narrow orientations as a significant limitation. According to Siddhartha, extreme and narrow views are not only incapable of providing effective solutions to our problems, they do not adequately describe the holism of our experiences. Extreme and narrow views exaggerate some points while ignoring others. Siddhartha’s study and mastery of the available traditions had not yet answered the basic human question that mattered to him the most: how do human beings alleviate persistent unsatisfactoriness in this world?
Siddhartha is said to have found solace by sitting in contemplation, or reflective quietude, and meditation (awareness cultivation) under a Bodhi tree. According to Buddhist tradition, it was under the Bodhi tree where Siddhartha realized the source of human unsatisfactoriness as perpetual craving and unnatural attachment. He recognized the alleviation of human unsatisfactoriness as awareness of dependent origination, the process by which all things in this world arise and pass away--known as “causation” in the West. While the traditions Siddhartha (who will now be referred to as “the Buddha”) studied focused primarily on a deeply personal realization experience, his pursuit involved a question that was pertinent to all of humanity; the results of his insight under the Bodhi tree necessarily involved all members of the human community. As Buddhist scholar David E. Shaner has pointed out, realization in the Buddhist tradition is necessarily a personal and social question, which involves not only oneself, but also one’s entire community of sentient beings.
In order for this personal and social realization to occur, it is necessary for one to embrace rigorous self-honesty about his or her current condition, and he or she must also determine a suitable methodology and worldview through which he or she can attend to the problems associated with unsatisfactoriness, especially the question of the self mentioned earlier. By embracing both of these key aspects, rigorous self-honesty and a perspective that yields meaningful solutions to the problem of human unsatisfactoriness, one authenticates his or her unique situation in this life, and a realization of interconnectedness and interdependence of all things results. Authentication of one’s contingency in this world is the condition necessary for realization to take place. The notion of authentication specifically refers to the awareness of one’s own contingency and acculturation, and the commitment and rigorous self-honesty necessary to embrace a more inclusive, holistic worldview that allows the dissolution of dualistic thinking--the belief that what we experience in our world is separate or disconnected. As we will see, authentication is akin to a meaningful notion of human liberation, and this relies on a connected experience.
After his personal realization, the Buddha spent the remainder of his life guiding others in what would come to be known as the Buddhist path.
Buddhist Principles: Dependent Origination, Nonduality, Karma, and Rebirth
Buddhist principles stem from an awareness of the binding conditions of humanity, especially as made known through unsatisfactoriness, and the realization of dependent origination. Additionally, Buddhist methodology seeks to address present problems in this world, and is therefore pragmatic in approach. The Buddha’s pragmatic approach was rooted in his keen observations and understanding of the contingency of all things. Such an understanding necessarily acknowledged that each person would require different degrees of teachings to arrive at realization, a pragmatic notion known as “skillful means” (upaya). Many of the metaphysical notions employed by the Buddha were intended as such skillful means, to reach varied audiences who related to such teachings. The historical record is full of examples of the Buddha altering his teaching methods to facilitate realization in his students.
The affinity for awareness of our experiences and present conditions has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit concept of rta, meaning “natural order” or “every event has a cause.” Consequently, dependent origination plays a central role in Buddhist thought. Because every event has a cause, the Universe is seen as interdependent and interconnected, and all things that arise and pass away relate to all other things--known succinctly as dependent origination. This particular concept and its central place in Buddhist thought is one of the major reasons for the mutual interest and agreement between Buddhism and modern science, a paradigm grounded in causation.
Given that a Buddhist perspective acknowledges that all things emerge from continuity, Buddhism is well known for its emphasis on nonduality. Instead of viewing the world in terms of “good” vs. “evil,” “liberal” vs. “conservative,” “us” vs. “them,” Buddhism recognizes that the orientations and views humans take stem from particular perspectives, which each yield their own conclusions, dependent on the contingency and present needs of the observer. All human beings are privy to a particular albeit limited perspective of the whole. But by staying mindful of the knowledge that our personal views are limited, and by retaining an understanding that all things are connected, we can contribute to personal and social harmony that acknowledges difference and variety as just unique manifestations of the whole. Comparative philosopher Thomas P. Kasulis, in his book Intimacy or Integrity: Philosophy and Cultural Difference, says it well:
...the better we can adjust the way we analyze and communicate, the more successful we will be in establishing fruitful, pragmatic, and effective relations with a diversity of others. There is something we will have to give up, however--namely, the idea that there is only one legitimate take on reality...I cannot argue orientations; I can only argue within them. (157)
Kasulis points out that from each of our perspectives, what we see is really what we see. The important point in Buddhism is that even among the differences, we recognize that these relative perspectives are to be holistically situated, where our individual views contribute positively to the harmony of the whole, whether it is to human society or environmental health. This inclusive perspective, where we keep our eye on the big picture even when we cannot see it, must be cultivated. Like any positive attribute we seek to incorporate into our mind-body, we must practice and act, as this teaches us how to become better at being good human beings for ourselves and others. Just like athletes who must train themselves to perform on the field, seeing the world in holistic terms requires active participation on behalf of the practitioner. Holism as such dissolves the problems that arise due to dualism, or the belief that things in this world are separate and disconnected. One such dualism is the problem of the “self,” where we perceives ourselves as existentially separate and disconnected from other people and our environment.
An awareness of dependent origination and nondualism are cultivated in Buddhism through prelinguistic awareness (also known as awareness of undifferentiated or pure experience). This cultivation of pure experience without the attachments and labels of thought and language is usually achieved through awareness cultivation practice, sometimes called “just sitting in mindfulness.” This allows one to develop an understanding of and appreciation for dependent origination as the “glue” of our experiences. Perceiving holism can be cultivated through a continuous engagement of pure experience--through regular practice--so that acceptance and more inclusive understanding can become integrated into the practitioner’s mind-body. Such an immediate awareness of our experiences allows us to see the dependent origination of all things; this particular view grants us the ability to let go of our cravings and attachments that propagate the cycle of unsatisfactoriness.
How does one embrace an immediate awareness of his or her experiences? Uncultivated, our perspectives are distorted by our acculturated attachments. Instead of experiencing our world in an inclusive, holistic way, we screen our experiences with judgement, preference and differentiation, mostly due to our biopsychosocial acculturation. These distortions stem from the labels that we attach to our experiences, our craving for and our fear of them. These labels are insufficient to describe our experiences, as our experiences are fleeting; they are integral to the continuous change of dependent origination. This is the world most of us live in most of the time, what philosopher Martin Heidegger called average everydayness. Nondualism is realized during practice such as awareness cultivation when one is able to let go of the desire to constantly discriminate his or her experiences. Most important is the understanding that nonduality characterizes our experiences; thus, even when going about our normal lives in the world of thought and language, where discrimination and labels are necessary for practical purposes and to weave the web of social interaction with others, we can know that our experiences remain unified. In this way, the practice of awareness cultivation in Buddhism is an exercise in realizing a more inclusive, holistic worldview, one characterized by nonduality. This achievement of increased awareness and a larger perspective does not occur without rigorous self-honesty (to identify current weaknesses), acceptance of personal perspectives that work well for us individually, and continuous practice (to literally “train” the mind-body how to think and act holistically). Buddhist practice, as awareness cultivation, is a powerfully effective way to realize nondualism.
When considering how to obtain reliable information from a world in which we are part and parcel, Buddhism recognizes three primary epistemological (how one comes to know) methods:
testimony of another (usually an authority)
account from an authoritative text
personal experience (experiential verification)
All of these components must be considered, and no single source of knowledge is sufficient to generate an informed understanding of the world. However, method (3), experiential verification, plays a particularly prominent role in Buddhism. This is often demonstrated in the Buddha’s famous admonition, “Be a light unto your selves.” This idea of personal veracity of our experiences is also highlighted in pragmatism, where authentication is used to describe the personal investigation (contemplation) of one’s present views in such a way that he or she can choose--from among the viable options for that person--the views that work best to create sustainable harmony in one’s life and one’s society.
Acknowledging (1) and (2) above as valid epistemological methods allows for a social dimension of knowledge to become integrated into one’s understanding, and this helps to prevent individuals from accepting extreme views through their personal experiences alone. Avoiding the extremes leads to Buddhism’s middle way. It serves the same function as professional associations today, which help govern the overall direction of individual practitioners in a way that preserves the integrity of the entire profession, a concept described by Richard Rorty as intersubjective agreement. The particularly important method of (3) experiential verification necessitates consistent Buddhist practice--usually contemplation and meditation--as this refines the ability of a person to trust his or her senses through the cultivation of awareness and the implementation of mindfulness in everyday life. Buddhists posit that cultivated awareness is a requisite for trusting the information gathered from the senses, to curb any tendency towards dogmatic views. The refinement of one’s ability to calmly perceive the world and thus trust his or her senses is a primary reason why meditation is central to Buddhist practice. An end result of this cultivation process, exemplified in long-time practitioners, is a perceptible and deep calmness, or relaxation in the practitioner’s disposition and actions. We have now traced what might be called the “triple As” or the “threefold formula”: awareness, acceptance, and action.
From a moral standpoint, dependent origination implies that nothing in the universe occurs at random, or apart from anything else. “Randomness” and “accident” are names given to events that are too complex for human beings to fully understand from our limited perspectives. Though a person does not always intend to take a particular action, there are very specific causes that converge and allow given consequences to emerge. Thus, while most events are beyond our personal control, the insight of dependent origination allows us to better understand the types of actions that will elicit positive or harmonious consequences, and those that will lead to negative or disruptive results. This recognition of balancing actions (equilibrium) is acknowledged by modern physics, and is what Buddhists call karma.
Related to dependent origination and karma is the Buddhist concept of “merit.” Merit, stated simply, is positive karmic effect that stems from harmonious action. The knowledge that such positive karmic results extend to all things, and specifically, all sentient beings is reason for the Buddhist practitioner to highlight the significance of merit in his or her practice. Merit, understood in this way, is not an “accumulation” or “storing up,” but rather is continually discharged to all things through the mindful actions of the Buddhist practitioner. Dedicating the merit that is discharged during Buddhist practice to all sentient beings, for example, is a symbolic recognition of interdependence and interconnectivity.
The question of “rebirth” necessarily follows a discussion of karma. What exactly is rebirth? Unlike reincarnation, which assumes the existence of an existentially discrete or independent “self” (or “soul”), rebirth implies that character dispositions or personality carry over in some form after death. It is viewed in Buddhism that a person will make a transition into a harmonious phase of existence because of his or her action-oriented self-cultivation, where one puts into practice the conclusions of his or her personal authentication and realization. An understanding of dependent origination and an ability to integrate this understanding into his or her mind-body and everyday life leads to human liberation, whereby the fear, uncertainty and unsatisfactoriness of a dualistic perspective no longer hold us captive. Even though we cannot know the state of human beings after death, any transition that may take place for the realizing, unattaching person is necessarily a transition that remains connected to all other things, as the idea of an independent existence is rejected in Buddhism. This is a common source of misunderstanding in Buddhism: that upon realization, one “exits” existence. This, however, does not take into account the central Buddhist concept of the dependent origination of all things, and its two fruits: interconnectivity and interdependence. One’s liberation after realization is a freedom or release from the perpetual unsatisfactoriness created by dualistic craving and attachments in oneself. It is not a literal liberation into a different realm, or into non-existence (something that exists cannot be “annihilated,” but can only transform). The Buddha rejected both eternalism (the belief in permanent existence) and annihilationism (the belief in permanent destruction). Buddhist practices that focus on achieving liberation in other realms or dissolving the self into a state of non-being, such as some Tibetan and Chinese and Japanese Pure Land practices, do so for the functional benefit of the practice first and foremost.
A modern or Western interpretation of “rebirth” is that it simply implies that one is not “annihilated” upon death, and that one necessarily remains interconnected with the rest of existence. Thus, while loyalty to experiential verification calls one to refrain from speculating on what exactly happens after death, it can at least be known—through modern physics and awareness of dependent origination—that like all things, human beings are not “created or destroyed.” Whatever the case, we can at least know that we will remain an integral part of our Universe in some form, though not in our current form (nothing is eternal or unchanging), which includes the “self” or “consciousness” we presently know. This is a valid and widely held interpretation of rebirth in the Buddhist West.
In remaining loyal to experiential verification, Buddhism does not ponder on the question of God or Gods, as such metaphysical inquiries are beyond the realm of human sensory ability and knowledge. Thus, it is important to recognize that while Buddhism does not answer or speculate about the question of theism, it does not deny it either. From the Buddhist perspective, humans are charged with dealing with the issues of everyday life in this world, because here and now is the location of positive transformation.
Three Foundational Concepts in Buddhist Thought
There are three foundational concepts in Buddhist thought that stem from an understanding of the previous section on “Buddhist Principles,” which will help explain Buddhist morality. These elements are:
impermanence (anicca)
unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)
selflessness (anatman).
The doctrine of dependent origination implies that all things arise from the same processual activity, or “way-making” (Dao) and pass back to this continuously moving, flowing activity, revealing their impermanence of form. Rather than talking in terms of “being” or “nonbeing”--dualistic terms stemming from traditional Western philosophy--Buddhism is better explained by a concept of transformation, from which all things arise and pass back into. Continuity and practical meaning of form (including conventional thought and language) are maintained through interconnection and interdependence. This idea of impermanence does not, however, mean that the world as we know does not exist, or that it is literally an “illusion”; it only means that the world has no permanent, independent reality that is apart from everything else. The Buddhist view is one that embraces a middle way, where no extreme views are taken as acceptable accounts of our situation and experiences. Instead, our world as we know it is one of transformation and change, governed by dependent origination. All things arise and pass away, transforming their states, yielding to the idea that particular states (or forms) are impermanent, fleeting, transforming and changing. A concrete example is the transition of firewood into ash and other various chemical compounds that are released into the air. Though the firewood is no longer firewood, it has not vanished, only transformed its constituents. This example also helps to explain the Buddhist notion of rebirth previously discussed.
Dukkha, often translated as suffering but more accurately translated by Buddhist scholar David Kalupahana as unsatisfactoriness, is a human obstacle that prevents the realization of one’s wholeness and oneness with his or her experiences (or oneness with his or her Universe). This is the obstacle that is dealt with through sincere and deferential practice, such as that found through meditation (awareness cultivation). During meditative practice, the human mind enters a state of simple but profound awareness. (The beneficial physiological changes that take place in the human brain are well documented in James H. Austin’s “Zen and the Brain.”) This awareness, once cultivated, allows one to see the world as interconnected and interdependent. Importantly, this holistic view of our experiences, free from negative emotions (anger, frustration, resentment) and predetermined expectations that may cloud our understanding, must be regularly engaged through dedicated practice. Though the communicative ability of human beings is always bound by our acculturation, our experiences during awareness cultivation can remain undifferentiated, granting us insight into a positive, inclusive worldview from which we can effect important changes in ourselves and our communities. Meditative practice helps us acknowledge and distance ourselves from our sense of (an independent) “self” and our persistent fears that propagate craving, attachment and dualistic thinking. Regular meditative training—even 15 minutes a day—literally teaches the human brain how to receive sensory experience without judging it, or attaching labels to it. Fears associated with craving and attachment, fleeting moments of our experiences that we wish to eternalize, are the very source of our unsatisfactoriness. Impermanence is our condition, but an empowering condition where positive transformation is possible.
As mentioned, a basic element of the human situation is acculturation, or cultural inheritances that are initially unexamined by us. As they are unexamined, these inheritances become our habits. Peter Hershock puts it this way:
Many of these habits are entirely personal in nature, reflecting our individual likes and dislikes. But because we are born into families and communities and cultures, many of the ways in which our ignorance is habitually patterned are “inherited.” We are taught what things are and are not by parents, teachers, and friends but also by our culture more broadly. By appreciating the emptiness [impermanence] of all things, we become aware that the world we live in did not arise randomly, according to inherently fixed principles, or according to the purely objective operation of natural laws. Rather, it has taken shape in conformity with our likes and dislikes, according to our values, through our intentions, to meet our needs and desires. In Buddhist terms, our world is an expression of our karma. (21) (bracketed italics mine)
Through a recognition and acknowledgment of our acculturation and habits, we come to see that they are mostly not our own, but were rather transferred to us from previous generations, or from our present culture without choice. By recognizing unsatisfactoriness, we come to see the central role our inherited habits play in its perpetuation. By cultivating a deep sense of the impermanence of all things, we can begin to deconstruct the negative aspects of our present condition, and replace them with positive characteristics.
The acknowledgment of unsatisfactoriness is not considered a pessimistic concept, but rather a binding condition of human existence. Until our situation is acknowledged and confronted, it cannot be transformed in a meaningful way. The Buddhist path provides a way out of unsatisfactoriness, and the solution is found in this world.
The concept of anatman, as selflessness, stems from the idea of impermanence. One of the sources of unsatisfactoriness for human beings is the belief in a permanent self, or soul that is independent and separate. Buddhism acknowledges that the implications of dependent origination apply to human beings, and consequently, human existence is conditioned by causative factors--some knowable and some unknowable. If human existence is grounded in interconnectivity and interdependence as our cultivated experience indicates, then we are governed by them as well. Cultivating personal insight through Buddhist practice leads to the recognition that the notion of “self” or “soul” has no independent, permanent reality, and the elemental human fear of separation passes away. This understanding of selflessness is critical to releasing us from the types of human fears that produce unsatisfactoriness (fear of death; fear of rejection; fear of punishment). By embracing selflessness, a freedom emerges in the Buddhist practitioner that grounds itself in the realization that our experiences are already unified. Furthermore, this knowledge of unity, along with dependent origination, gives rise to the emergence of human liberation. Without exposure and insight into our unique and personal situation, we cannot be considered to have “freedom.” Once we recognize our situation, we can determine effective solutions to our problems in creative ways, allowing our freedom to illuminate a meaningful and positive sense of solidarity with our fellow human beings. Realization in oneself necessarily includes others as well.
Buddhist Morality: Four Ennobling Realities. (Four Noble Truths) and the Eightfold Path
The Buddha’s realization experience empowered him with insight into four basic human truths about human unsatisfactoriness known as the Four Ennobling Realities. (Four Noble Truths) They are:
Unsatisfactoriness exists for human beings
the cause of unsatisfactoriness is craving, unnatural attachments and dualistic thinking that neglect an understanding of dependent origination
there is a path that leads to the cessation of craving and unnatural attachments of the mind, and thus there is a way to positively transform unsatisfactoriness
this path is Eightfold.
Right Intention
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
Peter Hershock has pointed out that the Four Noble Truths are not to be considered absolute, but rather act as markers that help to guide us to a meaningful resolution to our central human problems. Moreover, they are meaningful for us only when we apply them to our unique circumstances (17).
A breakdown of the Eightfold Path, found in David Kalupahana’s text Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis, groups (1) Right View and (2) Right Intention as “Intellectual Understanding,” and (3) Right Speech, (4) Right, Action, (5) Right Livelihood, and (6) Right Effort as “Moral Understanding.” The final two parts of the Eightfold Path, 7) Right Mindfulness and 8) Right Concentration, are considered “Meditative Understanding,” and are the result of regular and wholehearted Buddhist practice. All of the components of the Eightfold Path are intended to aid the Buddhist practitioner by implementing the conclusions of Buddhist thought as described in the above sections, so that his or her thoughts, words and actions eventually emerge as unmediated reflections of a deep understanding. Following the Eightfold Path simultaneously places the Buddhist practitioner on the path of realization; observing the Eightfold Path is living out the fruits of realization.
Circularity, Compassion and the Bodhisattva Ideal
Buddhism seeks to posit a viable alternative to the view that we human beings are separate from our experiences, thereby helping to alleviate the unsatisfactoriness--in all its various forms--that plaque humanity. The Buddhist worldview, with its emphasis on cultivating an awareness of dependent origination, avoids eschatological perspectives, where a linear progression is charted by its practitioners, or where an “end times” is awaited. Buddhism asserts a circular cosmology, where unique and contingent conditions arise from and pass back into a continuous, connected transformation. Buddhists see that what is here has always been here and will always be here, though it will continually manifest dynamic transformation. There is no cosmological beginning, a time when our universe did not exist, nor is there an “Armageddon” in Buddhism. There is only the here and now--the locus where we can effect meaningful change in light of our unique situations.
It is in the here and now where the Buddhist practitioners effect positive transformation in their world. During this change and transformation—during the betweeness of everyday life—authentic, realizing persons act as guides for other human beings in how they live out their lives, serving others by example. This altruism is a natural result of realization. One who sees our experiences as unified, acts in ways that cherish this holistic view.
The natural emergence of altruism in the person who sees our condition as connected allows for a unique concept to arise in Buddhism. The Bodhisattva ideal is the conclusion to realization. Though there are various cultural and sectarian differences in the understanding of the Bodhisattva, Buddhism as a whole acknowledges the living role of the realizing person as one of a guide for others, by being an example of the possibility of living life as an outstanding human being.
Perhaps the most important point is that average, everyday human beings are those who achieve realization. Authenticating themselves, freeing themselves from the cycle of unsatisfactoriness, these average, everyday persons share their positive and transformative approach with others through skillful means. Freedom from unsatisfactoriness does not require divine abilities or magic, nor material wealth, intellectual intensity or physical prowess. Anyone who accepts the personal responsibility of simple and modest, daily practice can work to discover the personal issues that prevent their own realization of dependent origination. The Buddhist practice of awareness cultivation aims to do just this. Meditation is the central Buddhist tool for this positive self-transformation.
Meditation is our simplest tool, // Breathing in... // ...Breathing out, // Seeing the world anew.
Chan/Zen Buddhism
"...Buddhist practice is always both a critique of self and a critique of culture. Although our individual values, intentions, and desires are central to our karma and the kind of life we experience, so are the broader values and patterns of conduct that we inherit from our culture." Peter D. Hershock, from Chan Buddhism
Chan Buddhism focuses on the method of sitting meditation as a primary way to understand the Four Ennobling Truths and the Eightfold Path as taught by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. According to legend, the emphasis on sitting was brought to China by the Indian monk Bodhidharma. While in China, Chan Buddhism emerged as a distinct approach characterized by a synthesis between Indian Buddhism and Chinese Daoism. After hundreds of years of development in China, Chan was transferred to Japan most notably by the Japanese philosopher-monk Dogen in the form of Soto Zen.
Today at the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism, we utilize the methods of Chan and Zen, along with American Pragmatism in a manner that takes the needs of the Western mind into consideration, one that appreciates personal and cultural background. As Westerners, Americans have specific needs in developing a meaningful Buddhist practice. Just like every phase of Buddhism's evolution, a new form arises to meet the needs of its new sociocultural environment. The measure of our success at CPB is found in the people who comprise us and our effectiveness in helping others. Though we stem from a wonderful lineage of teachers, it is our contemporary reach that empowers and defines our practice at the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism.
Though time and refinement are required to establish a distinctly American form of Buddhism, the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism is actively engaged in this process, and has adopted a weekly practice schedule that speaks directly to our contemporary situation in the United States. Following our formal meditation practice, CPB teachers give dharma talks, and then we engage in group discussion, a means of applying our practice to current issues. During this open forum, members and guests ask and discuss various questions pertaining to everyday life and how issues or problems might be addressed from a Buddhist perspective. CPB teachers offer Pragmatic Buddhist teachings and perspectives, aiming to guide and empower the questioner while engaging the entire group. This "Ask-A-Monk" format was devised by Jim Eubanks' dharma teacher, the late Ryugen Fisher (Shi Shen Long). Time during group discussion is devoted to our group Buddhist education, where CPB teachers discuss important topics in Buddhist studies. This portion of our program is associated with a particular reading. To see the current book we are reading, please click here.
Prior to the dharma talk and group discussion, CPB teachers lead the group in a bell meditation, a walking meditation, and sitting in mindfulness (zazen).
When practicing personal development at CPB, one engages Buddhism in a way that promotes positive perspectives, promotes bodily health, and allows the "letting go" of unhealthy or negative aspects of one's life that lead to unsatisfactoriness.
One of the primary goals of CPB is to present an historically perceptive Buddhism to Americans in a Western vocabulary. While particular language is often used in the Buddhist community, it can often hinder a practitioner's ability to make Buddhism meaningful. The Buddhist jargon is often confusing, and may require years of study in itself. The Center for Pragmatic Buddhism has created a vocabulary to achieve the practical purpose of conveying Buddhism in a way that makes sense today.
"On the pragmatic view I am putting forward, what we call "increased knowledge" should not be thought of as increased access to the Real, but as increased ability to do things—to take part in social practices that make possible richer and fuller human lives." Richard Rorty, from Philosophy as Cultural Politics
Pragmatism as embraced by Pragmatic Buddhism includes classical American pragmatism and neopragmatism. These two branches of the pragmatic perspective share an equal emphasis with our embracement of traditional Buddhism in the thought and practice at CPB. American pragmatism is a system of philosophy that values practical application and function over theory as a way to solve human problems. It stems directly from great thinkers such as William James, Charles Peirce, John Dewey, Charles Horton Cooley, A. N. Whitehead and George Herbert Mead.
Neopragmatism is most commonly associated with the late Richard Rorty, an internationally recognized philosopher, whose work emphasized the social and creative aspects of language. Neopragmatism rest on the idea of antifoundationalism, the idea that there is no privileged vocabulary or way of speaking or believing. Language is purely relational and does not "mirror" nature, or escape its own unique historical and cultural situation. Through the neopragmatism of the late Richard Rorty, the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism is developing an "American" approach to Buddhism, having revised the language employed to describe Pragmatic Buddhism and having embraced an indigenous system of thought alongside traditional Buddhism. This position is liberating, as it allows us the ability to redescribe our selves and our society through the playful and creative use of an ever-shifting language. Impermanence must indeed be applied to all things, including our forms of Buddhism.
All major forms of Buddhism alive and well today have survived by synthesizing a traditional approach with a novel, indigenous worldview; at CPB we have chosen to embrace American pragmatism and neopragmatism. Just as Buddhism emphasizes impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), selflessness (anatman), Pragmatism emphasizes contingency, openness and antifoundationalism (no essence or underlying substance). Both Buddhism and Pragmatism reject metaphysics, dualism and extremism (dogma), and instead embrace a "middle way."
Pragmatic Buddhism
"Remember that the historical Buddha himself rejected most of the central “traditions” of his day. He rejected the fundamental Hindu doctrine of atman, or the “eternal Self,” and posited anatman in its place: selflessness. But the reason Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) rejected this doctrine was not because of a rebellious and irreverent mind, but because he saw that the concept of atman was hindering meaningful personal and social development for the Hindu people. He sensed that the lure of the attachment to the idea of a permanent, eternal Self, when no experience of permanence and eternalism is possible, led spiritual seekers down a dead path. Tradition is simply a set of values and expectations that worked for a previous generation of peoples, but tradition says little of its value to us today when it is not appropriately weighed against the contemporary needs. This is just like the historical Buddha rejecting the traditions of his own day after seeing they no longer worked as well as they could. Instead, we must take the heart of the message and put it into whatever form works. This is Pragmatic Buddhism: mindfulness made meaningful for today's world."


Widely considered the father of American cuisine, Jeremiah Tower began his culinary career in 1972 as co-owner and executive chef of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. He then continued as executive chef and sole owner of Stars in San Francisco, one of the highest grossing, most innovative, and profitable restaurants in the United States. After Stars, Tower opened restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila.
He’s an award winning chef, author, keynote speaker, architecture aficionado and a fantastic podcast guest.
He’s also the subject of The Last Magnificent, a CNN feature-length documentary film produced by Anthony Bourdain, now on Netflix.
I asked Jeremiah on the show to give us a look behind the curtain on how he became so successful in a notoriously difficult industry and to get his thoughts on where the young hoteliers of the world should be focused on pushing our industry forward.
On this episode we discuss:
How Jeremiah got his start (2:13)
How to establish yourself as a leader (4:53)
The secret to great hospitality (7:56)
Leading by example and instilling integrity (9:45)
Servant Leadership (16:04)
What we need to fix in the industry (18:10)
About Jeremiah
Jeremiah Tower began his culinary career in 1972 as co-owner and executive chef of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Then continued as executive chef and sole owner of Stars in San Francisco, one of the highest grossing, most innovative, and profitable restaurants in the United States. After Stars, Tower opened restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. Tower sold the Stars group in 1998.
Awards include the James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Chef of the Year” in America (1996), “Regional Best Chef” California (1993), and the Beard Foundation “Best American Regional Cookbook” for Jeremiah Tower's New American Classics (1986), Nation’s Restaurant News “Fine Dining Hall of Fame,” and an honorary degree from the C.I.A.. Tower has written eight books including Jeremiah Tower Cooks (2002), California Dish (2004), Escoffier, A Dash of Genius (2013), Table Manners: How to Behave in the Modern World and Why (2016), Start the Fire (2017), and an e-book Flavors of Taste (2018).
Keynote speaker and TV guest, including Good Morning America, The Late Show with David Letterman, and host of the PBS13-series show “America’s Great Chefs.” Food & Wine Festivals include Pebble Beach, several Meals on Wheels, the Oxford University and Blenheim Palace Festivals, and the Hawaiian Wine and Food at the Kahala, Jeremiah is the subject of The Last Magnificent, a CNN feature-length documentary film produced by Anthony Bourdain, now on Netflix, and is working on cooking videos, combined with real estate, and a new book.
Ritz & Escoffier, The Hotelier, The Chef and The Rise of the Leisure Class
Start the Fire: How I Began A Food Revolution In America
Jeremiah Tower Cooks: 250 Recipes from an American Master
Jeremiah Tower's New American Classics
Instagram: @tower.jeremiah
If I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can book a free call with me by going to knowinghospitality.com/contact
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/provenprinciples/message


NEIL O'RIORDAN
The idea that Dundalk should have dropped the intensity and denied themselves a place in the record books is illogical
IRISH FOOTBALL has long been a hotbed for some odd opinions.
But there can scarcely be anything stranger than the idea that Dundalk should have relented against Athlone Town.
Andy Boyle of Dundalk heads his side's third goal during the Extra.ie FAI Cup Semi-Final match between Athlone Town Credit: Sportsfile
Chris Shields scores his side's seventh
Those who worry about the ignominy suffered by the Athlone players on Sunday night are undoubtedly well-intentioned.
The bigger source of embarrassment is surely that the depth of the Irish football industry is so shallow that, in a country of just 19 senior clubs, one can beat another on an 11-0 scoreline in a national cup semi-final?
Rather than blame Dundalk for being so far ahead, look at why others have fallen so far behind.
There were so many records being broken on Sunday evening in Lissywollen that you half expected Roy Castle and Cheryl Baker to make an appearance.
RECORDS BEGAN TO FALL
Never before had an FAI Cup semi-final been won by more than a six-goal margin — Chris Shields put Dundalk 7-0 up in the 55th minute.
The club’s own record win was 9-0, achieved against Jacobs in 1932 and Shelbourne in 1980, both in league matches — Jordan Flores made it 10-0 in the 74th minute.
When Sean Murray scored their 11th in the 83rd minute, it secured the biggest win in the competition’s history and was even thought to have equalled another record.
With nine different scorers for the one team, they matched Liverpool’s feat, achieved in their 11-0 win against Stromsgodset in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1974.
There were a few around Oriel Park who might not have been too unhappy about seeing the Norwegians beaten by that scoreline way back then.
Because it ensured that Dundalk were no longer the opposition for the Reds’ largest win, having been beaten 10-0 at Anfield in the Fairs Cup five years previously.
But, in fact, that was no longer the other record anyway. FC Infonet Talinn had 11 scorers when they beat Virtsu Jalgpalliklubi 36-0 in the Estonian Cup in 2015.
In any case, unpleasant as it most certainly was for Athlone on Sunday, the idea that Dundalk should have reined themselves in and denied themselves club, national and international records is illogical.
FIGHTING FOR PLACES
With the FAI Cup final against Shamrock Rovers sandwiched between Europa League fixtures against Molde and Arsenal, players are fighting for places.
Not only that — with 18 of the squad out of contract, their livelihoods are at stake. Expecting that they should present anything less than the best version of themselves is daft.
John Mountney heads another goal in for Dundalk
David McMillan also got on the score sheet
Sportspeople talk about mentality and momentum so, if they slacked off, would there not be a danger that mindset could carry on into their upcoming fixtures which — given the calibre of Mikel Arteta’s side in particular — could have disastrous consequences for them?
They finished 22 points behind Rovers in the league which, given their outlay, simply is not good enough. So why would they not try to prove that is not representative of their ability ahead of this Sunday’s showdown?
ADMIRABLE EMPATHETIC RESPONSE
Feeling sorry for Athlone is an admirable empathetic response but this was not developmental football — it’s the most prestigious knockout competition in the professional game here.
There was, rightly, an outcry last week when a soccer academy in the USA boasted about its girls Under-5s side going undefeated as they finished first in their league.
All right-minded adults would agree that participation and development are key at that age and results should not be recorded or league tables published, even if the kids themselves might keep a mental note of how they are doing.
Even with older children, something does not sit quite right when club accounts are boasting of victories with goals in double figures.
LUDICROUS IDEA
But the idea that, in an FAI Cup semi-final, full-time players should take pity on their opponents and take the foot off the gas is ludicrous.
What should have happened? Should Filippo Giovagnoli have shouted across to Adrian Carberry and asked him if he wanted to throw on an extra player or two?
Or maybe tell his players they had to rack up 20 passes in a row before they could shoot? It’s hard to think of anything more insulting to Athlone than have Dundalk stroking the ball around aimlessly with no intent to score further goals.
As if they would not know exactly what was going on.
THIS IS SENIOR HURLING
To borrow that cliched phrase, this is senior hurling.
And those who were quick to hail Athlone’s victory over Shelbourne in their quarter-final and Longford Town’s win over the same opposition in the promotion/relegation play-off as proof of the quality in the First Division would surely be equally happy to acknowledge this defeat as evidence of the huge gulf that exists within senior football.
There were particular factors surrounding Sunday’s result.
For one, Athlone had to win just two rounds to get to the last four when, ordinarily, it would have required three.
ATHLONE HAD A LUCKY RUN
There is a reason why no First Division club has reached the final since 2011.
It’s not even just those in the second tier who struggle as this will be the first time since 2014 that the decider has not been contested by the league’s top two, with Dundalk finishing third in the Premier Division.
Athlone’s first-round win was in extra-time over Wexford, the only side to finish below them in the First Division, before their eye-catching 4-1 triumph over Shels.
That was the second of four successive defeats for Ian Morris’ side which, aside from exiting the Cup, had the far more serious result of relegation from the top flight.
NO MATCH IN FOUR WEEKS
Since then, through no fault of their own, Carberry’s side had played no matches for four weeks.
The First DIvision had ended and the Cup semi-finals were pushed further and further back because of Covid-19 and scheduling issues.
Throw in their first-choice keeper Aaron Moyles being absent with an eye infection, on top of a couple of suspensions, and the chances of another upset had been diminished considerably.
These were extenuating circumstances which anyone looking to have an informed view — rather than just sneer at someone who suffered a heavy defeat — will take into account.
ATHLONE’S PROBLEMS
But, let’s be clear, they were Athlone’s problems and of no real concern to Dundalk.
There was empathy shown at the end when Gary Rogers had what looked like a few comforting words for his opposite number Patrick Martyn, the 18-year-old who was between the posts for the hosts.
But, during the 90 minutes, he and his team-mates were doing the job they are paid to do.
Perhaps Rogers could have touched upon how, 20 years ago next month, he was in goal for St Francis — during a loan spell from Shels — when they were beaten 7-0 by Dundalk.
RESILIENCE AGAINST SETBACKS
Heavy defeats need not be devastating to a young player’s career.
Just 15 months ago, Liam Scales was part of the UCD side which suffered a record 10-1 loss to Bohemians. This Sunday, he will line out for Shamrock Rovers against Dundalk in the FAI Cup having already pocketed a league medal and brought his Ireland Under-21s cap tally to six.
One of the key skills that any young footballer — or person — should be taught is resilience, the ability to deal with setbacks.
Now, all of those who played in that match have a better understanding of what is required to make it at the top of Irish football.
A HARSH LESSON
Unquestionably, it was a harsh lesson but Dundalk were not wrong to mete it out.
And Athlone’s staff and players are not the only ones who should be seeking to learn from it.
Between them, clubs and successive FAI regimes have failed to create a league of any real depth, with some already looking to opt out of the national underage competitions, unable to make long-term strategic commitments because their short-term problems are so overwhelming.
These are the harsh truths of Irish football.
Dundalk’s players should not be blamed for shining a light on them.


Rock Bass, May 2014, Fish of the Month!
The Rock Bass is the first in our list of members of the Sunfish family.
Ambloplites rupestris
Goggle-eye, Red-eye, Red eye bass Northern Rock bass
The head is large, as is the eye.
The base color of the eye is red.
The mouth is large with the upper jaw extending to the mid-point of the eye.
The two dorsal fins are attached. The first dorsal has 10, 11, or 12 stiff spines, the second has one spine.
The anal fin has 5, 6, or 7 spines on and following its leading edge.
Throughout its life the Rock bass feeds heavily on aquatic invertebrates, especially insects, adults also take crayfish and small fishes in some quantity.
The nesting and spawning behavior of this species is typical of the other members of the Sunfish family, and so is included in this entry.
At a water temperature ranging from 60 to 70 degrees F. Rock bass begin nesting. The male of the species selects a site and makes a shallow depression in the substrate. Although usually much smaller, these nests may be as much as 2 feet in diameter. They are typically sited in close proximity to one another on prime annual spawning grounds. They are very jealously guarded by their male excavators who exhibit aggressive pre and post spawning behavior toward their neighbors. Nests may be constructed in habitats ranging from fine gravel or sand bottoms to heavily vegetated swampy areas. When females begin to move out of their deeper wintering waters to join the males in the shallows, individual males rush out to their preferred mates, swim in circles around and over them, and then lead them back to the nest sites where the two mill about close to one another until the female is ready to commence spawning and signals this by gradually turning onto one side with the male remaining in an upright position head to tail with the female. The pair vibrates and rocks back and forth as the eggs and sperm clouds are released and fertilized in small batches over a period of about an hour. The typical female Rock bass will carry from 3,000 to as many as 11,000 eggs. Females are likely to spawn with multiple males and release eggs into a nest where another female has already mated with the male of that nest, another way that “nature” assures successful reproduction of especially these small species.
The fertilized eggs are adhesive, are fanned by the male throughout their incubation, and also protected by him after they have hatched. The female leaves the nest site immediately after she has completed spawning and begins feeding. The incubation period is short, about 3 to 4 days at a temperature of 69 degrees F. (20.56 degrees C.).
The young grow quite rapidly, attaining a length of about 2 inches (5.08 cm.) by their first fall.
Fly Fishing for Rock Bass:
Within their range Rock bass are found in a wide assortment of habitats, but are especially fond of those including large rocks. They inhabit the lower portions of small streams and the shallow rocky margins of rivers and lakes.
Few adult anglers actively pursue Rock bass, but probably everyone fishing within their range will hook them from time to time. They are aggressive, hit hard, and put up a very strong fight, especially for their size. This is another of our small native fish species that can provide young sportsmen plenty of fun and an opportunity to become better anglers. Outfits in the 4/5 weight range will allow these feisty sunfish to make good accounts of themselves once hooked. They variety of flies that they’ll readily take covers the full range of possibilities. Small fly-rod poppers will provide plenty of fun as a Rock bass makes a surface take.
As is the case with all our smaller sunfish species, the majority of Rock bass are taken only as incidentals by anglers seeking larger fish, especially Smallmouth bass. We’re assuming that this article won’t inspire many long distance Rock bass focused fishing trips.
Although they are typically of a small size, like their relatives, Rock bass make an excellent meal for those willing to properly prepare them. Their meat is white, firm, and of an mildly sweet flavor, which is one reason why all these small fresh-water fish species are called “pan-fish.”
For generations, within their central states range, Rock bass have been commercially fished, especially in Lakes Erie and Ontario, and are there locally marketed as fresh fish. This species’ role as a game fish is primarily that of a “kids’” fish.
Like all our smaller sunfishes, this hardy species can be successfully kept in a large home aquarium. These fish will thrive when fed live native foods collected by the aquarist. Keeping Rock bass, or any native species, in a home aquarium is an excellent way to encourage our young folks to a first-hand investigative look into how the natural world works.
Thriving.


Media People Politics
Dellums Agrees to Pay Cut; Wants to Kill Slush Funds
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has offered to cut his pay by 10 percent and slash his office's budget by 20 percent to help solve the city's huge budget problem, according to the Chron and Trib. The mayor also proposed eliminating slush-fund accounts, known as "pay-go," from both his own office and those of the eight city council members. Dellums rightly labeled pay-go as "not good policy" that "perpetuates parochialism." Council members have historically used the slush funds to improve their individual districts, as opposed to supporting programs that benefit all of Oakland.
The mayor's offer to cut his own office by 20 percent came in response to a proposal by four council members to cut it by one-third. Dellums said the lower number was fair because council members had offered to cut their own staffs by 20 percent, too. It'll be interesting to see whether council members fight to keep their slush funds and force the mayor to slash his own budget by a larger percentage than their own. In addition, the mayor's offer to take a substantial pay cut should finally put to rest the erroneous rumor fueled by Chron columnist Chip Johnson that Dellums wanted a pay increase during the economic crisis. The council is scheduled to finalize the city's budget by June 30.


First Saudi opera house to open in Jeddah
First Saudi opera house to open in Jeddah /node/1252501/saudi-arabia
In this file photo, musicians perform at the Royal Opera House in Muscat during a women's celebration in Oman. Saudi Arabia will soon have its own opera house, to be located in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. (Photo courtesy of the Royal Opera House in Muscat)
Aisha Fareed
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s first opera house is set to open in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Ahmed Al-Khatib, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced on Thursday.
The announcement was part of the launch of the 2018 entertainment calendar at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, where Al-Khatib revealed a budget of $64 billion for the entertainment sector over the coming decade. More than 5,000 events in 56 cities in the Kingdom are planned for 2018.
Al-Khatib told Reuters last April of Saudi Arabia’s plan to open “a world-class opera house” as part of the Kingdom’s entertainment reforms.
The Saudi General Culture Authority will handle the establishment of the new opera house, Al-Khatib, who declined to give further information, told Arab News.
The General Culture Authority could not be immediately reached for comment.
According to Reuters, the opera house to be completed around 2022.
Speaking to Arab News, Sultan Al-Bazie, former president of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, described the announcement as a significant step toward enriching the Kingdom’s cultural scene and said it deserved “a warm welcome.”
Al-Bazie wondered, however, about the fate of the Royal Arts Complex and whether the opera house would be a substitute for it.
In 1869 the Egyptian Khedivial Opera House in Cairo became the first opera house in Africa and the Middle East. Designed by architects Pietro Avoscani (from Livorno) and Rossi, the opera house was built on the orders of Khedive Ismail to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.
In 2011, Oman opened the Royal Opera House in Muscat becoming the second Arab and first Gulf country to have an opera house. Other Gulf countries such as Dubai and Kuwait later opened opera houses.
Saudi Arabia announces 3 more COVID-19 deaths /node/1793226/saudi-arabia
The total number of recoveries in the Kingdom has increased to 356,382
A total of 6,313 people have succumbed to the virus in the Kingdom so far
LONDON: Saudi Arabia announced 3 deaths from COVID-19 and 173 new infections on Friday.
Of the new cases, 66 were recorded in Riyadh, 43 in Makkah, 32 in the Eastern Province, 9 in Madinah, 4 in Asir, 2 in Najran and 1 in Jazan.
The total number of recoveries in the Kingdom increased to 356,382 after 181 more patients recovered from the virus.
A total of 6,313 people have succumbed to the virus in the Kingdom so far.
Topics: Saudi Arabia Coronavirus
Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province conducts health inspection tours


HomenewsTerm paper writingThe Allepian Waslah in New York Term Paper
The Allepian Waslah in New York Term Paper
The Allepian Waslah, literally �extension��or �stretch��, is a multisectional form of music consisting of several related vocal and instrumental compositions from the same maqam-melodic mode. Aleppian Waslah, also known as Al Waslah or Al-Halabiah, has a big role in the recovery and revitalization of individual and collective memory through its poetry, tunes and dances. Al Waslah is an organic, living poetic and musical form of memories inherited from the past that also incorporates the present history of Arabs. Al Waslah is both revolving and evolving, and its components come from different social groups because Al Waslah is without borders. In this paper, I will present my initial findings on the cultural role of Al Waslah in New York’s Syrian and Lebanese communities, based on several key sources.
The Al Waslah is an essential part of the cultural life of Arab, Jewish, and Christian communities. It is a unique phenomenon in the culture because it manages to unite different cultural and religious communities. At the same time, the Al Waslah contributes to the preservation of cultural identity of Arab and Jewish communities in different parts of the world. Remarkably, the components of Al Waslah have been used in Syrian and Jewish synagogues, Arab Christian churches, as well as the weddings of Arab Muslims, Jews and Christians. Thus, the Al Waslah is deeply rooted in the culture of different communities. At the same time, this component of Muslim, Jewish and Christian culture has migrated with the population from its place of origin to areas populated by Arabs and Jews. In migrating with diverse groups, the Al Waslah has allowed these groups to distinguish themselves from local, dominating cultural groups. The Lebanese and Syrian communities in New York, which have managed to significantly maintain their cultural identity, have used the Al Waslah to help preserve their cultural identity and maintain ties to their motherland. The importance of Al Waslah for Arabs, Jews and Christian cultures can hardly be underestimated, but it is particularly important for ethnic minorities, such as Lebanese and Syrian communities in large cities like New York, where different cultures coexist and interact.
Historically, the Al Waslah was closely associated with the Middle East, but the phenomenon is paradoxical in that it is found in cultures which are traditionally viewed as antagonistic, if not hostile, to Muslim, Judaist, and Christian cultures. Additionally, the Al Waslah transcends time and physical location, marking it as an art form. The Al Waslah is still an essential element of Syrian-Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures, but today is spread is found not only in the Middle East, but some of the most remote parts of the world.
In New York City, anything but remote or isolated, Syrian-American, Lebanese-American, and Jewish-Syrian have preserved the Al Waslah as an essential element of their culture. In fact, the Allepian Waslah has become one of the most important factors shaping the cultural identity of these diverse ethnic groups.
In A.K. Rasmussen’s book �Music of Multicultural America: A Study of Twelve Musical Communities��, the author studies the music and cultural life of twelve different communities in America, showing that music is closely intertwined with the cultural identity of diverse ethnic groups. Like the Al Waslah’s cultural significance in New York’s Arab and Jewish communities, Rasmussen proves that music has a significant impact on other ethnic communities. Al Waslah has become an essential component of the cultural life of both communities, and is still widely used during wedding ceremonies. Rasmussen’s book is also very important in comparing the role of Al Waslah in Syrian and Lebanese-American communities to other musical styles and ethnic groups. Though Rasmussen studies the distinct elements of twelve different communities, she also finds common threads among diverse communities.
Rasmussen shows that music is an essential component of social life, where the cultural identity of ethnic minorities is revealed. The author uncovers the cultural power of music, where it not only evokes strong emotions and influences aesthetic feelings of the audience, but also conveys the cultural peculiarities of each ethnic group. Al Waslah is particularly noteworthy because the author shows that Jewish and Arab communities preserved it and conveyed it from one generation to another as a valuable cultural heritage and a historical experience of the people.
The Al Waslah, which originally appeared in the Near East, is not a static component of Jewish or Arab culture. It is a dynamic component of culture which progresses and accompanies cultural groups. �Magic Carpet- Alleppo-in-Flatbush: The Story of a Unique Ethnic Jewish Community�� by J.A.D. Sutton reveals that the Al Waslah is an integral part of the cultural life of Jewish community, �exported�� from Israel to the U.S. In New York, the cultural centers of Jewish communities maintain and develop traditions and customs, and preserve cultural identity �� and the Al Waslah is ever-present there. The Al Waslah is one of the essential elements of the cultural life in Jewish-American communities, where it is heard at every wedding and at most musical events.
Sutton argues that the Al Waslah is an essential part of the cultural identity of Jewish-Americans and helps them distinguish themselves from the rest of American society. At the same time, the author shows that different generations of Jewish immigrants have maintained their cultural links throughout the past century due to the Al Waslah. The Al Waslah has linked different generations of Jewish immigrants to New York City, both old and new. Here Sutton provides clear evidence that the Al Waslah is conveyed from one generation to another, and while younger generations of Jewish-Americans have grown up in a multicultural environment, they still remain devoted to Jewish culture due to Al Waslah. The author extrapolates the significance of the Al Waslah from a purely musical, artistic phenomenon to a cultural one. Thus, the Al Waslah becomes a cultural phenomenon that unites the New York City-Jewish community.
The idea of a uniting power of the Aln Waslah and the view on this musical form as a complex cultural phenomenon is found in other books as well as in the views of the people. Specialists observe the same trends and cultural power of the Al Waslah not only in the Jewish community, but also in Arab-Muslim and Arab-Christian communities. Sutton fortifies Rasmussen’s thesis, which emphasizes the cultural implications of music and to move beyond the traditional perception of music as simply an art form. Instead, both Sutton and Rasmussen contend that the Al Waslah, as well as other musical forms, should be viewed from a broader point of view. Moreover, they have uniting power, which accelerates two seemingly contrasting forces: interaction of diverse cultures and preservation of cultural identity.
The Al Waslah has survived in the Jewish-American community, despite the impact of American culture and the clash of traditional Jewish culture and contemporary American culture. Yet the Al Waslah is not an element of Jewish culture alone. Other communities, including the Syrian and Lebanese communities in New York, have managed to preserve this element of their culture which helps them feel themselves a part of Syrian and Lebanese culture in global terms. Thus, the Al Waslah links ethnic communities in different parts of the world, including New York City, with their motherlands and their original cultures.
Moreover, the Al Waslah does not simply help to preserve cultural identity but also popularizes and spreads Jewish and Arab cultures in large cities like New York. For instance, an interview with Shadi Jameel, a singer of Al Waslah in New York City, proves that the Al Waslah contributes to the popularization of Arab culture in the city and stimulates cultural interaction between representatives of different communities, including Arab and Jewish communities. At the same time, Shadi Jameel points out that the Al Waslah helps to maintain their ties to their motherlands. Shadi Jameel sings the Al Waslah at weddings and parties in Jewish-Syrian communities, where it is more than just a song or piece of entertainment. The Allepian Waslah has a spiritual power of returning Jewish Syrians to their native places.
The Jameel interview supports the ideas suggested by Sutton and Rasmussen, as Jameel says that the Jewish-Syrian community manages to preserve the Al Waslah in both Jewish and Syrian community, despite controversies between them. Instead, both Jews and Syrians feel a certain cultural closeness to each other. At this point, the role of the Jews in Syria, at the heart of Aleppo and Damascus, must be stressed.
The fact that the Al Waslah is still popular in New York proves that this music, as a cultural element, can overcome geographical distance and eliminate borders between states and communities. On the other hand, it does not eliminate, but conversely strengthens the cultural identity of representatives of different ethnic communities.
The Al Walsah is just one manifestation of the great cultural power of music as a tool to preserve cultural identity and accelerate cultural interaction between different ethnic groups. Ray Allen and Lois Wilken, editors of �Island Sounds in the Global City: Caribbean Popular Music and Identity in New York��, reveal the extent to which New York’s ethnic music is interactive. Focusing on the study of Caribbean music in New York City, the authors show the formation of social identity of people of Caribbean origin. Allen and Wilken research different Caribbean styles which have become extremely popular in modern New York City. They find that New York City has become the center of Caribbean music and Caribbean culture because it is widespread and oriented to the masses. In this way, Caribbean music has become both a means of self-expression of Caribbean peoples living in New York and a tool which preserves cultural and social identity. The uniqueness of Caribbean music emphasizes the uniqueness of Caribbean cultures.
However, Allen and Wilken research Caribbean music in a broader, multicultural context. The authors argue that New York is a kind of melting pot where Caribbean music styles and culture progress dynamically and interact with each other, as well as with other musical styles and cultures. They trace the individuality of diverse Caribbean musical styles, pointing out, for example, that Jamaicans tend to calm reggae while the Trinidadian community thrives on its calypso and steel pan music.
In such a way, each ethnic group has its own music style, which distinguishes it from others and allows the ethnic group to maintain its national traditions and culture. Their book is important to understand the role of music in the preservation of cultural identity and its impact on the culture of local communities living in New York. The authors argue that, in New York, representatives of different cultures and ethnic groups interact with each other. Moreover, the authors highlight that Caribbean artists work in a multicultural environment and play their music for an extremely diverse audience. As a result, their music is spreading to different ethnic groups. In such away, Caribbean music styles and cultures enrich each other as well as the local culture, including that of white and black Americans who are native-born Americans. In such a context, the Al Waslah is similar as it proves to be the distinguishable characteristic of the Lebanese and Syrian communities in New York.
Allen and Wilken reveal contradictory trends in the modern music and culture of New York. On the one hand, there are different music styles which help to preserve social identity of individual groups, while on the other, there is growing cultural interaction, which can lead to the assimilation of different ethnic groups and integration of their music styles. Nonetheless, the authors say the Caribbean communities have managed to avoid assimilating into American culture and, at the same time, have managed to make their music and culture extremely popular in New York. Like the Allepian Waslah in Lebanese and Syrian communities of New York, this musical form allows these groups to preserve their culture and distinguish themselves from other cultural groups in New York, while fostering interaction among groups.
The organization of Allen and Wilken’s book helps the authors convey their socio-cultural message that music is vitally important for culture and necessary to preserving culture. In such a way, Allen and Wilken support the ideas suggested by Rasmussen, Sutton and Shadi Jameel that music is able to convey cultural messages, preserve cultural identity in a multicultural environment. Their definition of metro is particularly noteworthy since it reveals the actual diversity of the cultural environment of New York. At first glance, the city seems as if all ethnic groups are mixed together. However, metro become a means of self- expression of those amateur or semi-professional artists who use painting to express their self. The Al Waslah is also a kind of self-expression of representatives of different ethnic communities in New York.
It is possible to conclude that the Al Waslah constitutes an integral part of the cultural life of different ethnic groups and communities. It is a unique cultural phenomenon because it persists in different groups, including Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, and Jews. Al Waslah is growing more popular today, from the place of its origin to places overseas. Thus, Al Waslah should not be viewed as solely a musical form, but rather as a constructive, cultural element which reveals the power of music to preserve cultural identity and maintain cultural traditions throughout the history of different peoples, regardless of where they live.


1 COPY LEFT! In 1979, as a 15-year-old Eddie Piller was perfectly placed to be at the epicentre of the Mod revival. An inquisitive passion for music, a family connection to Mod royalty The Small Faces, and an attitude that saw him travelling his home city, then the country and then the world to take in the sounds that were emerging. In the years since, he has been a legendary figure within the music industry setting up and continuing to own the ground-breaking Acid Jazz label, signing multi-platinum artists such as Jamiroquai and The Brand New Heavies collaborating on compilations with Martin Freeman and as an award winning broadcaster even setting up his own Totally Wired Radio station. Mod started as a 60’s youth movement original built on sharp clothes, American soul music and nights on the town, that has never really died. The originals added young British groups to their likes and then moved on, but their influence echoed on through the 70’s in Northern Soul clubs, and in the 60’s influenced bands of the pub rock era. When punk arrived, it was supposed to sweep away the past, but instead the Sex Pistols were covering the Small Faces. The Clash brought in Mod DJ Guy Stevens to produce “London Calling”, The Buzzcocks sounded closer to the Hollies than The Ramones and in The Jam’s Paul Weller there was a musical and sartorial nod to the past of The Who, The Beatles and pop art arrows. In bleak late 70’s Britain, the glorious optimism of the 60’s looked bright and shiny, and as it was only a decade or so in the past, it was easy to pick up original records, clothes and books for pennies, and as you bought these you met other like-minded souls who did the same. Eddie never stopped being a mod and has a unique perspective having now lived through four decades of being intimately involved in the music that has emerged from the mod scene. In this 92 track, 4 CD box set, we are guided through some of his favorite music from the scene by a plethora of bands whose influences include The Who, The Kinks and the Jam, to sixties soul and R&B, those with an eye on psychedelia. All have a vitality and a certain stylish swagger to them, that marks them out as Mod. Eddie has written an in-depth note describing what it meant to him and has granted access to his own scrapbooks from his many years of gig-going from which pages and memorabilia are reproduced. ESSENTIAL IN OUR MINDS!! GREAT!!
Turning Circles + bonus disc
Artist: Dropkick
The 2020 reissue of Dropkick’s 2007 album “Turning Circles” comes as an expanded CD. This was the first album the Andrew/Alastair/Roy/Stu line up made before “Dot the I” and “Pa ... read more »


Prelude 4: Jacqueline Li and Johnny Fong
Jacqueline Li, Johnny Fong 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Jacqueline LI is now a staff accompanist at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as well as the guest keyboard player in the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Born in Hong Kong, Li started to play piano at the age of four. She read music at the Chinese University of Hong Kong with major studies in piano under Professor David Gwilt. After she obtained her Professional Diploma in piano accompaniment at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Li pursued further studies at the Royal College of Music (London). There she studied piano performance with Andrew Ball and fortepiano with David Ward and won the Amadeus Fortepiano Prize in 2006. She was also the recipient of the RCM Hong Kong Scholarship as well as the British Council Chevening Scholarship.
Li performed with clarinetist Johnny Fong at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2009. She has been an active performer as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in Hong Kong. Highlights of her performances include the Yellow River Piano Concerto, Bach’s keyboard concerto in D minor BWV 1052 and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in 2007, and Rachmaninov’s piano concerto No. 2 in 2013. She played Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra in 2013. She has also performed in TV, radio and various cities including Vienna, Salzburg, London, Kent, Taipei, Macau and Guangzhou. For CD recording, Li played for the commercial album “Breeze Kisses My Face — The Choral Music of Jan Tien-hao” on The Modern Audio label, which received the IFPI Hong Kong top sales music award in 2014.
Original from Hong Kong, Johnny FONG is the principal clarinet in the Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 2008. Fong received his Bachelor in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2006, studied with Mr. Andrew Simon. In 2008, under the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund, Fong received his Master Degree in Mannes College, The New School of Music, studied with Mr. Charles Neidich and Miss Ayako Oshima.
After joined the Asian Youth Orchestra in 2004, Fong started his career as a freelance orchestral player. He has currently played with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as being invited as the guest principal clarinet of the Macao Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Fong has worked under the baton of Maestro Edo de Waart, Sergiu Comissiona, Takuo Yuasa and Yip Wing-Sie. Fong has performed throughout the world including China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Kular Lumpur, France, Italy, South Americe as well as the Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium in New York.
As a soloist, Fong recently gives his recital in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He was one of the winners in the concerto competition held by Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2004, played the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the Academic Symphony Orchestra. In 2006, Fong won the same competition and played the Second Concert Piece for Clarinet and Basset Clarinet by Felix Mendelssohn.
Presented by the Artist International Presentation Inc., Fong makes his début solo recital in the Carnegie Hall Weill Hall, New York in January 2009. He played the Dance Preludes by Witold Lutoslawski with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta in the Hong Kong Arts Festival 2009. He also played the Concertino by Carl M. von Weber with The Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia in the same year. He was a featured soloist in the orchestra’s Expo 2010 Shanghai Concert (Hong Kong Week Closing Performance).
Fong has currently taught in Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.
Sonatina for clarinet and piano
Allegro calmato
Lento, quasi andante
Adagio from Clarinet Concerto in A major
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120 no. 1 in F minor
Allegro appassionato
Andante up poco Adagio
Allegretto grazioso


New York Medical and Dental Care
Kings Clinic Directory
Erasmus Hall Educational Campus School-Based Health Center
Erasmus Hall Educational Campus School-Based Health Center - Brooklyn School-Based Health Center
Clinic Details: The School Health Program - Family Health Centers at NYU Langone provides medical, mental health, and dental services, along with health education, directly to children and adolescents through clinics located in public elementary, middle, and high schools throughout New York City. We care for children when they are sick, but also provide the preventive medical care to keep them healthy. By operating clinics inside schools, we help ensure that healthcare is accessible and convenient for children and families. A healthy child misses fewer days of school, which makes it easier to keep up with schoolwork and succeed academically. Also, when a child is healthy, his or her parents miss fewer days of work.
Website: https://nyulangone.org/
Services: Behavioral Health; Medical Care
Remarks: Urban Area, Seasonal Clinic, Seasonal
Flatbush Family Health Center
Location: Brooklyn, NY - 11203 | 0.7 mile away
Details: Flatbush Family Health Center at NYU Langone provides a full range of primary care health services for adults and children. In addition to our primary care services, as a patient at the Family Health Centers we can connect you with doctors from more than 30 adult and pediatric medical and surgical specialties. Behavioral health and dentistry and oral health services are also available. We also offer nutrition services, HIV counseling and free testing, and services specific to the needs of members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families. The center’s team includes health professionals and staff who can speak English, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and French.
Caribbean Women's Health Association
Details: Caribbean Women’s Health Association, Inc. (CWHA) was founded in 1982. For over thirty years CWHA has served as an advocacy group and service provider in the community. CWHA strongly relies on community involvement in planning, implementation and evaluation of programs that meets the health and social support needs of the community. There is continuous interaction with the community to review the appropriateness of the educational and promotional materials produced by CWHA.
Crown Heights Health Center
Details: Our Crown Heights Health Center has been serving the Crown Heights/Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn since 1964.
Total Professional Medical Care
Services: Medical Care
Ezra Medical Center - 38th St
Location: Brooklyn, NY - 11218 | 1.5 miles away
Details: A welcoming presence on 38th Street, Ezra Medical Center invites you into a cutting-edge facility inspired by New York's finest hospitals. Despite the bustle of medical professionals and support staff, the peace and calm speak volumes to Ezra's coordinated services roster and joyful visitor experience.
Sterling Health Center
Details: Brightpoint Health drives dramatic improvements in the health of New Yorkers. Brightpoint Health is a recognized leader in the delivery of high-quality, person-centered, integrated care resulting in improved health outcomes for people, families and communities challenged by health disparities caused by poverty, discrimination and lack of access.
Ps 10 School-based Health Center
Details: The School Health Program - Family Health Centers at NYU Langone provides medical, mental health, and dental services, along with health education, directly to children and adolescents through clinics located in public elementary, middle, and high schools throughout New York City. We care for children when they are sick, but also provide the preventive medical care to keep them healthy. By operating clinics inside schools, we help ensure that healthcare is accessible and convenient for children and families. A healthy child misses fewer days of school, which makes it easier to keep up with schoolwork and succeed academically. Also, when a child is healthy, his or her parents miss fewer days of work.
Ms 88 School-based Health Center
Park Slope Family Health Center
Details: Park Slope Family Health Center at NYU Langone offers primary care and same-day sick visits for adults and children. We also provide behavioral health and general and pediatric dentistry, and our medical staff is fluent in Russian and Spanish. As a patient at the Family Health Centers, we can connect you with doctors from more than 30 adult and pediatric medical and surgical specialties.
Ps 282 School-based Health Center


Sen. Portman talks of defense cuts at Wright-Patt
Civilian workers could be forced to take unpaid leave
Flickr: soundfromwayout SOURCE: Flickr: soundfromwayout
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman visited Ohio's largest military installation on Monday to discuss the potential impact of anticipated defense spending cuts on the base, where officials have said most of its 13,000 civilian workers are expected to face unpaid leave if the cuts aren't averted.Portman met with officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton to gain information on the expected effects, if Congress and President Barack Obama's administration fail to avert the cuts that are scheduled to start automatically on Friday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said most of the military's 800,000 civilian workers could be forced to take unpaid leave.Portman told base officials Congress is "working hard" on the issue, Col. Cassie Barlow, commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson, said in a telephone interview.The cuts loom amid a standoff between Obama and Republican leaders over whether to offset cuts with other cuts alone or cuts and increased taxes.In an emailed statement, the Republican senator blamed out-of-control spending, not a lack of revenue, for budget deficits.But he also said across-board spending cuts would "have a detrimental effect on our national defense," and he would like to "give the administration the flexibility to target the spending cuts so as not to blindly gut the military and hamper operations."The Obama administration has said that about 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees in Ohio would be furloughed, reducing their total wages by about $161 million. Funding for Air Force operations in Ohio would be cut by about $3 million and Army base operations in the state would be cut by about $1.9 million, according to White House figures released Sunday.Barlow said that most of the base's civilian employees are expected to face furloughs. She said exemptions have been requested for employees such as medical and fire personnel, but that number is probably less than 100.Barlow said it will be tough to operate the southwest Ohio base where civilians make up about 60 percent of all its employees."To go through the furloughs and take the reductions we are looking at, that is critical," she said.Barlow said she hopes there will be some flexibility allowed in arranging the furloughs so not all employees would be off within a particular office on the same day.Base officials say the furloughs of 22 days would start in April.The president of the local American Federation of Government Employees union did not immediately return calls seeking comment Monday.Barlow stressed the impact will go far beyond the workers and the base.It also will be "devastating" to surrounding communities, Barlow said, echoing concerns of local officials worried about lower tax revenues and businesses that rely on spending by base employees.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman visited Ohio's largest military installation on Monday to discuss the potential impact of anticipated defense spending cuts on the base, where officials have said most of its 13,000 civilian workers are expected to face unpaid leave if the cuts aren't averted.
Portman met with officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton to gain information on the expected effects, if Congress and President Barack Obama's administration fail to avert the cuts that are scheduled to start automatically on Friday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said most of the military's 800,000 civilian workers could be forced to take unpaid leave.
Colonel: cuts likely affect most OH base civilians
Portman told base officials Congress is "working hard" on the issue, Col. Cassie Barlow, commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson, said in a telephone interview.
The cuts loom amid a standoff between Obama and Republican leaders over whether to offset cuts with other cuts alone or cuts and increased taxes.
In an emailed statement, the Republican senator blamed out-of-control spending, not a lack of revenue, for budget deficits.
But he also said across-board spending cuts would "have a detrimental effect on our national defense," and he would like to "give the administration the flexibility to target the spending cuts so as not to blindly gut the military and hamper operations."
The Obama administration has said that about 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees in Ohio would be furloughed, reducing their total wages by about $161 million. Funding for Air Force operations in Ohio would be cut by about $3 million and Army base operations in the state would be cut by about $1.9 million, according to White House figures released Sunday.
Barlow said that most of the base's civilian employees are expected to face furloughs. She said exemptions have been requested for employees such as medical and fire personnel, but that number is probably less than 100.
Barlow said it will be tough to operate the southwest Ohio base where civilians make up about 60 percent of all its employees.
"To go through the furloughs and take the reductions we are looking at, that is critical," she said.
Barlow said she hopes there will be some flexibility allowed in arranging the furloughs so not all employees would be off within a particular office on the same day.
Base officials say the furloughs of 22 days would start in April.
The president of the local American Federation of Government Employees union did not immediately return calls seeking comment Monday.
Barlow stressed the impact will go far beyond the workers and the base.
It also will be "devastating" to surrounding communities, Barlow said, echoing concerns of local officials worried about lower tax revenues and businesses that rely on spending by base employees.


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Message to the Congress of the United States
I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to section 123d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the text of an amendment to the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes of July 3, 1958, as amended, and my written approval, authori-zation, and determination concerning the agreement. The joint unclassified letter submitted to me by the Secretaries of Energy and Defense that provides a summary position on the Amendment is also enclosed.
The Amendment extends for 10 years (until December 31, 2014) provisions that permit the transfer of nonnuclear parts, source, byproduct, special nuclear materials, and other material and technology for nuclear weapons and military reactors, and revises text, principally in the Security Annex, to be consistent with current policies and practices relating to personnel and physical security.
In my judgment, the proposed Amendment meets all statutory requirements. The United Kingdom intends to continue to maintain viable nuclear forces. In light of our previous close coopera-tion and the fact that the United Kingdom has committed its nuclear forces to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I have concluded that it is in our interest to continue to assist them in main-taining a credible nuclear force.
I have approved the Amendment, authorized its execution, and urge that the Congress give it favorable consideration.
June 14,2004.
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